Summer will be soon upon us and the dream of working on a beach or just getting things done in the garden can become a reality. The following is a list of tried and tested tools that I am currently using to get work done outside – relying on battery and mobile services rather than hunting around for that elusive power socket and WIFI connection. I’ve been evolving my practise over the last few years, experimenting with different tools and technologies to make the best of being where I happen to be and making the most of the good weather.
Mobile Service or WIFI
To be truly mobile then you will need to rely on mobile services. This can be provided as part of a mobile phone contract deal or as a separate data service. I’ve recently ditched my separate data service as I didn’t feel that the £15 per month was great value for money. Instead I now get all of my mobile internet through a 4G enabled phone and unlimited tethering data contract from three.
If mobile service isn’t forth coming (as happens to be the case at the edges of the country) then it has become increasingly easy to find a pub or coffee shop that will provide you with free WIFI services as long as you are buying drinks. This seems like a pretty good trade – especially if their coverage extends outside towards a beautiful view.
Mobile Phone
My mobile phone is probably the most important part of my mobile toolkit. The iPhone provides internet services, an easy way to make and receive calls plus, take photos and its handy for checking email and messages when on the go without having to open up something bigger. The choice of mobile phone is a pretty personal one and I’m not going to tell you which one to go for. All I would say is send time making sure that any new phone has the features you need it to have and check that the battery life is good.
Mobile Phone Battery Issues
One thing to be aware of if you tether your computer or tablet to a phone that the phones battery life is seriously affected. Whilst you might be able to use your phone all day making calls and surfing the web as soon as you start to tether you can probably only expect around 4 hours of active use. I’ve overcome this limitation by making sure that my iPhone is fully charged and carry a battery backup in my bag. Whilst this adds to the weight of my setup it means that I’m confident that I will get a full days of internet tethering shall I need it.
Tablet or Laptop
Whether you use a tablet, laptop or Chromebook depends upon the type of work you expect to be doing. There are certain applications that do not function through an internet browser or have an ‘app for that’, so in these instances a laptop is essential. Whilst I’ve experimented with an Acer Chromebook (and think it’s great) I tend to come back to the iPad Air as my main travelling companion. Teamed with a bluetooth keyboard (I’m currently getting used to the ZaggKeys Folio) and a bunch of productivity apps I find that I can easily do 90% of my work without having to resort to the laptop. Given the excellent battery life of the iPad Air I no longer worry about taking a charger for it, although the battery backup that I can for my iPhone could provide extra charge for the iPad if necessary.
Car Charging
If you find yourself in a position where you do not get too close to a regular plug socket throughout the day then it’s always a good idea to have a USB car charger to hand. I use a setup that allows me to charge my iPhone and listen to the music / hear directions from maps. This post describes the setup I previously used with an iPad Mini – which has recently been sold but the principles apply.
Headphones
I wouldn’t leave home without a set of headphones with built in microphone. These double up as a way of listening to a bit of background music and are excellent for making handsfree calls. Hands free is particularly important if you need to be able to make notes whilst on the phone.
Office 365 Apps
This one is pretty new to me but I’ve started using Word and Excel heavily on the iPad. These are excellent versions of the Office applications available for Windows and Mac and provide a much easier way of collaborating with colleagues.
In Summary
So there you have it. You don’t need much gear to be able to get things done whilst you are out and about. If you are canny the kit you carry around with you can be very light weight and should have all day battery life – there’s nothing worse than having to root around for somewhere to charge your laptop battery every hour or so.
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