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Travel

Tech Review: My New Netbook

by Kat on 08/18/2010 · 73 comments

So a week or so ago, I accidentally spilled a beverage on my Mac laptop — and the Mac was down for the count. The cost to attempt to fix it, according to my Genius Bar tech guy, was $400. Considering the age of the Mac (2007) and the fact that I didn’t have to worry about saving data from it (I store everything of import on my desktop Dell), I decided that $400 was better spent towards a new computer. (Pictured: my new Asus Eee, sitting on top of my old dead Mac, sitting in front of my desktop computer screen and keyboard. Pardon the mess!)

My needs: Ability to surf the web. Ability to write extensively (e-mails, posts, articles, etc.) using web-based software like WordPress and Google Docs, as well as on Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. I really wanted a lightweight computer, as I take it with me whenever I travel (particularly since starting this blog). As a bonus feature, I wanted to be able to watch streaming Netflix or Hulu on it, or perhaps watch a DVD.

The hunt: My view narrowed to netbooks pretty quickly, considering that they could do everything I needed (except watch a DVD — most models don’t have a CD-ROM drive), and generally had a price range of $250-$500. The iPad just didn’t seem like it would be a great device for someone who writes a lot (plus it was much more expensive), and while I did momentarily consider just getting a new full laptop, when I went to the store they looked *so heavy* and big that the thought of traveling with one made me groan. A friend pointed me to a recent Consumer Reports review of netbooks, and after reading online reviews, I decided to go to a computer store to check out the Asus 1015 or, if they had it, the highly rated but slightly older Asus 1005-PEB.

My concerns: The small screen size worried me, as did the small keyboard. A lot of online reviews mentioned slowness, which also concerned me. At the local Best Buy, I went from netbook to netbook, attempting to stream Netflix on them — all worked fine. I really did not like the mouse button on one model (the 1018), but the Asus Eee 1015 — which had been the top Consumer Reports pick as well — seemed like a great little computer. I decided to buy it and take it home with me to test it further, particularly to see whether the computer felt slow using the wifi in my apartment — all of the test models on the floor had been wired through LAN. The Best Buy guys assured me that I could either return it in 14 days or exchange it for something else (and avoid the 15% restocking fee if I exchanged it).

The stats: $349 price tag. 250 GB storage. It comes with 1 GB memory, but you have the ability to upgrade to 2 GB for about $80. (I decided to wait to see how it functioned otherwise to do that.) The promise of 8-10 hours of battery life. It weighs just under 3 lbs. Asus Eee PC Netbook / Intel Atom Processor / 101″ Display / 1GB Memory – Deep Red

The verdict: I LOVE MY NETBOOK!! I’ve had textbooks that were heavier than this thing, and notebooks that were larger. (Seriously, see the picture above of it compared to my old Mac and my desktop.) Yes, the keyboard is a wee bit cramped, and I doubt I’d want to write 10,000 words on it in one sitting — but it suits me perfectly for my current needs. Oh, and my old Mac laptop booted up faster; this one takes a few minutes. (But maybe that’s a PC thing?) The battery life is really no joke — I used it off and on all day Sunday before it died. I still have to find a sleeve for it, and to install Microsoft Office, but otherwise — a fabulous purchase for the price, and exactly what I wanted and needed.

Now I just have to keep beverages away from this one…

Readers, have you gotten any new tech toys? Care to share any reviews?

(L-6)

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Tagged as: Asus 1005, Asus 1015, Asus Eee, netbooks

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How to Plan for Your First Business Trip

by GuestPoster on 07/12/2010 · 160 comments

in Fashion,Lifestyle,Organization,Travel

Today’s guest post is written by reader and blogger RoadWarriorette, who blogs about business travel. She was nice enough to collect some of her best tips for us here on Corporette…

When you find out about that first business trip, anxiety can ensue. You have questions about what to take, how to pack, what suitcase to get, what you need on the plane, etc. There are even more questions if you happen to be traveling with your boss! When I first started traveling for my job four years ago, there were no resources for women business travelers. The only article I could find had a tip about not putting on your nylons—yes, they said nylons—until you arrived at your destination, because if the plane crashed they could catch on fire. Seriously.

(Pictured: Plane landing in Manhattan, originally uploaded to Flickr by John Wardell (Netinho).)

Here is my packing list for a four day trip (the most common length of business trip, if Google search terms are anything to go by), my favorite general travel tips, and advice for traveling with your boss. Good luck, and happy travels!

What to pack for a four day trip
In your suitcase (try this one from Samsonite or this one from Tumi) (Choose your travel outfits from these clothes as well)
• Two bottoms (i.e., slacks and a skirt), one comfortable for travel, and a coordinating jacket if needed
• Four tops that go with both of your bottoms
• At least one light jacket or sweater (unless you need a heavier jacket)
• No more than three pairs of shoes, including a pair of flip flops for the hotel room
• Enough undergarments, including socks/hose
• PJs
• Your favorite work-out or yoga outfit
• Toiletries, makeup, hair stuff (brush, curling iron)
• Chargers (phone, laptop, etc)

In your purse/briefcase (this one from AK Anne Klein is great for travel)
• Phone, wallet, lipstick, keys, etc.
• Boarding pass
• Laptop
• Plastic bag of liquid toiletries
• Scarf/pashmina
• Book or magazine

And with that you should be good to go! Carrying-on for a four day trip is pretty easy.

In general, by way of tips:
• Flat, slip-on shoes are best for day of travel. They allow you to move quickly through the airport, go easily through security, and be comfortable on the plane.
• Bring a scarf or pashmina for the plane–use as a blanket, a pillow, or whatever you need.
• If you can at all avoid it, don’t bring anything that wrinkles or that you have to iron. Ironing will just waste time and stress you out.
• Bring clothes that fit into one color scheme, i.e. black or brown. This way they all match, and you can pack fewer pairs of shoes.

For the plane:
• Don’t throw your bag in an overhead bin that is way in front of your seat if you can at all help it. It’s not courteous to the people that sit under that bin and would like to put their bags there.
• If it’s a long flight, bring an eye mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones so you can rest.

Packing:
• I bring my own shampoo/conditioner, because I travel so much if I use whatever random products the hotel puts out my hair gets mad; a couple of great sources are 3floz.com and Sephora.
• Eagle Creek packing cubes are helpful for the small items (underwear, socks, hose, etc); they will help you save a ton of space.
• I have three small bags for my toiletries–one for liquids (that gets taken out at security), one for non-liquids (toothbrush, deodorant, etc), and one for make-up. This allows me to fit them in my suitcase wherever they will go instead of taking up a lot of room.
• And don’t forget about my new favorite tip from Corporette readers! Use spare contact lens cases for small amounts of liquids, such as face soap, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, etc.

Miscellaneous:
• Emergen-C! I take it every day when I travel, sometimes twice. I also bring SoyJoy and Atkins bars with me everywhere in case food is hard to find (or I’m stuck on a plane).
• I use my White Noise iPhone app a lot in hotels, especially when the walls are thin, there is a highway outside nearby, or the air-conditioning unit is super loud off and on.

If your superiors are there:
• If you are traveling with your boss, you have to be on your best, and most competent, behavior. Keep this in mind with everything you do, starting with your suitcase. Be familiar with the airline’s guidelines so that if you are carrying on, your bag is within the correct size requirements. Also, make sure you can lift it into the overhead bin without throwing out your back.
• While on the plane, looking like you are working is never a bad thing. If that’s not an option, look at a magazine that you could show your grandparents: Real Simple, InStyle, something in that vein — not People or Us Weekly, please, unless you’re sure that your boss shares your obsession with Brangelina — or read a book. You don’t have to try to come across as a pseudo-intellectual, but please don’t read anything that looks like a trashy romance or something called “How to Get Your Boss’s Job.”
• During any downtime that you spend with your boss, wear something comfortable but cute and well put together. It’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to wear a suit to dinner (unless of course you’re going straight from the office), so maybe a pair of slacks or dark jeans, a nice top, and cute shoes. Don’t wear anything that would make someone think you are going to a bar: nothing revealing, no too-tall shoes, etc.
• And I hope this would go without saying, but just in case. Please, please watch your alcohol intake. Getting drunk and throwing up in a cab with your director looking on is not going to make the impression you want. (I saw this happen, and trust me, three years later we still talk about it.)
• The goal is to exude confidence and competence at all times. I know it doesn’t seem fair that someone could be judging you during “off” times, but that won’t stop them from subconsciously doing it. If a behavior could even remotely be considered questionable, abstain.

Readers, what are your best travel tips? Any amusing “if I’d only known then what I know now” stories?

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Tagged as: carry-on, luggage, suitcases, travel etiquette, traveling for business

{ 160 comments }

Coffee Break: Sumdex Laptop Sleeve Aircube Netbook Sleeve

by Kat on 06/14/2010 · 68 comments

in Accessories,Coffee Break,Fashion,Tech,Travel

eBags is having an inventory reduction sale, including a ton of great laptop sleeves — which, for our $.02, is the best way to carry a laptop. Just get a laptop sleeve that fits your computer, and then toss the protected laptop into your already fashionable tote bag, and voila — no need for a bulky, ugly computer bag. We like these fun ones from Sumdex (marked to $19.99 with free shipping), but the eBags sale has your basic black or blue sleeves as well — markdowns up to 70% off with free shipping. Sumdex Laptop Sleeve Aircube Netbook Sleeve 8.9 10.2 Blue

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Tagged as: Aircube, Laptop Sleeve, laptop sleeves, laptops, Netbook Sleeve, Sumdex, Sumdex Laptop Sleeve Aircube Netbook Sleeve

{ 68 comments }

Open Thread: Everybody’s Working for the Weekend

by Kat on 05/24/2010 · 94 comments

in Careerism,Fashion,Organization,Travel

If you’re anything like we are, a vacation — no matter how restful or amazing the vacation itself is — is always preceded and followed by periods of extreme stress at the office.

With a holiday weekend coming up — to say nothing of summer vacations! — we thought we’d start a thread today on what tricks and tips you use to prepare your workload for a vacation, how you manage your workload while on vacation, and how you catch up, if at all. (Pictured: Palm tree, originally uploaded to Flickr by TheLizardQueen.)

For this author, before I leave on vacation is an intense time, even if it’s just a day or two out of the office — I generally try to avoid scheduling a lot of lunch dates, doctor’s appointments, or nights out in the weeks on either side of a vacation. I do my best to review the landscape of what needs to go out to my superiors, as well as what’s going to come in from those I manage, and leave time for a quick review in my schedule. (If that “you’re on the wrong path” discussion needs to be had, it’s much better to have it before the assignment sits on your desk for a week and a half while you snorkeled and drank coconut drinks.) I also try to make sure I know what I expect the landscape to look like when I return. In terms of getting my own work done, I find Leechblock is absolutely essential — there’s a “lockdown mode” that allows you to block a number of sites for a set period. (I like to set it for an hour and a half, but that’s me.) If there is midnight oil to be burned, Emergen-C is my good (good) friend, as well as the other tips mentioned in the post on eating for super-long days. Finally, before I leave I do my best to put my work in neat piles and label them clearly — in case anyone I’m working with needs anything, they can find it easily. (Call this a lesson learned after an hour-long cross-continental phone call a few years ago trying to help my then-secretary ransack my office to find a certain document.)

While away — know your company’s policy on checking e-mail and voice messages. If you’re only required to check your e-mail once a day, set your Blackberry’s Auto On/Off settings to be more restrictive (like turning on at noon and shutting off at 5 — in whatever time zone you’re in) and don’t worry about it beyond that unless you have a really active project.

Readers, how about you? What are your tips for actually getting to that exciting vacation that you’ve been planning? Any horror stories about last-minute work and how you dealt with it? Any Blackberry rules — how often do you check?

(L-1)

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Tagged as: stress, vacations

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Traveling for Work: Our Top Tips

by Kat on 04/26/2010 · 102 comments

in Fashion,Lifestyle,Travel

Traveling — whether for work or pleasure — can be a harrowing experience. We thought we’d try to summarize some of our best tips that, we’ve found, make everything go a bit more smoothly, from planning, to packing, to enjoying the experience.

1. Draw what you plan to pack. If you’re anything like this author, in the days leading up to a trip you’ve got a zillion thoughts racing around your head for what to pack. I should bring that great dress! Oh, can’t forget my laptop cord! And yet, if you actually start packing a bag several days ahead of time, you have no idea what’s actually IN the bag when it comes time to close it up and head for the airport. So I picked up this great tip from one of my best friends, who blogs at stellou.com — she draws what she plans to pack. This solves so many problems — you can add to the drawing over several days. You can see how things work together and where you can reuse different items of clothing. And yet, when it comes time to physically packing the bag, you can do it in one fell swoop, so you know exACTly what’s going in there. Pictured: This is one of our friend’s packing lists from a trip to Paris. They can be less fancy than this, though; one of my own I-have-no-artistic-ability illustrated lists is here (weirdly, also from a trip to Paris).

2. Know how to pack.

a) Heavy things should always go on the bottom of your bag — so for example, if you have a rolling bag, your shoes, books, and whatever else should be closest to the bottom wheels as possible. This way, none of your clothes will get smooshed by heavy things.

b) Roll your tops, skirts and pants instead of folding them – if any of the pieces have lining you may want to turn them inside out before you roll them.

c) Suit jackets can be the trickiest thing to pack, though. We have forgotten where we got this little gem, but it actually does work. We try to walk you through it in the video below, but if you’d like a written explanation, here goes: take one sleeve of the suit jacket and turn it inside out. Then, take the second sleeve, and push it through the first sleeve. Get it as smooth as possible. The jacket should be almost entirely inside-out now, with both sleeves on one side. Fold the jacket on the vertical so the uber-sleeve lays as flat as possible. Then, fold the jacket on the horizontal until it’s the size you need it to be. Wherever possible, keep the suiting material from touching the suiting material — for example, the collar should stay on the “outside” of your little folded package so it isn’t touching anything else.

3. Keep your toiletries with you, as well as one change of clothes in case you are separated from your checked luggage. A corollary: on overnight flights it’s a good idea to pack your toothbrush in your purse — when you arrive at your destination you can brush your teeth in the bathroom and feel like you’re starting the day afresh (no matter how little sleep you got on the plane).

4. A few lightweight additions can really make a difference in your trip. For example, flip flops are great to go wherever because it gives you something to walk around in your hotel room if the carpeting is gross; they’re also great to use if you end up using the hotel’s pool. Travel candles can give you a real sense of home and get rid of any weird hotel smells. Also, if you’re staying at a lower-end hotel and doubt you’ll have one of those comfy spa robes, a lightweight robe can be a great way to feel more comfortable in your home — for example, Hammacher Schlemmer offers a lightweight robe that was rated “best overall” by the Wall Street Journal. (The Lightweight Travel Robe., available for $69.) We also swear by our LeSportsac weekend duffle — we keep it in the front compartment of our rolling bag, and have found it to be incredibly useful in two different situations. First, you’re on a trip and end up buying far too much stuff while on vacation — if you end up having to check a piece of luggage, this one is incredibly durable and has a lock on the zipper. (We actually just leave the keys on the bag so the TSA can get into it if they need to, but the locks help assuage our fears of our luggage splitting open while it’s being handled by the airport.) Second, it can also be great if you’re confronted by someone from TSA who insists that you can’t carry your rolling bag, your purse, AND your magazines on all at once — we’ve just stuffed our reading material and our purse into the Weekender and been allowed through. The distinctive colors on the bags (and they come in basic black as well as a wide variety of colors and prints) also make it super easy to identify as yours. (Pictured: LeSportsac – Large Weekender Bag (Zewow) – Bags and Luggage, available at Zappos for $112.)

5. Finally, keep an envelope in your purse for travel receipts. This way, during your trip you know exactly where all of your receipts are going, and you can even write on the outside of the envelope what the receipts are that you’re sticking in there. Then, when you get back to the office, you can just hand the envelope to your secretary and have her put together your T&E. (Pictured: our own lists from our recent trip to Louisville.)

Bonus tip: Be sure to ask, when checking into your hotel, if they partner with any airlines for rewards points — staying at most chain hotels will get you more frequent flyer points.

Readers, what are your top tips for traveling?

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Tagged as: business travel, flying tips, how to pack a suit jacket, packing list, packing tips, Travel, traveling for work

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Traveling for Business and Surviving It

by C on 03/16/2010 · 125 comments

in Fashion,Organization,Travel

Today’s question comes from Nancy P…

I’d love a post on tips for traveling for business. (Thought of this last week when I was going to Chicago for a deposition and security took away my spray wax, because apparently it was an aerosol not allowed by the TSA. How am I supposed to sit through 2 days of deposition without hair product?!) Tips for packing? Good travel-sized products?

My (rather obvious) tips:
-Pack in the same color range — black, brown, navy — so you only have to bring one pair of dress shoes
-Bring a nice soft sweater to wear on the way home. I love changing out of a suit jacket to a cashmere sweater on the way home.
-Never bring shampoo/conditioner if you can help it — as long as you stay in decent enough hotels, you’ll have good products.

This is a great question, and we’re hoping our readers will be a wealth of information. For our $.02 — Almost everything can either be bought in a small size (see, e.g., Minimus) or converted to a small size (we like the travel supplies at The Container Store, but most any place has them). You can also ship anything that the TSA might confiscate, or just purchase a new item when you arrive. (The concierge is almost always helpful in directing you to a local drugstore — you may also want to see whether your arrival airport has any stores for beauty purchases, such as an Aveda or Sephora store.) We would advise to save your packing space for things that you truly need large quantities of — for example, if your eye-makeup remover comes in a huge bottle, change it to a much smaller package that holds the quantity you need for your time away. (We’ve actually used stacking pill containers to keep things like eye makeup remover, facial moisturizer with SPF (a little bit goes a long way!), and more serious SPF (on the off chance we go for a run outside or something).) (Pictured: Broken suitcases, originally uploaded to Flickr by toyohara.)

In terms of clothing, we agree with the reader’s advice that the same color range can be helpful for the shoe/accessory reason. We would also suggest bringing a wrap (helpful for sweater/pillow purposes on the plane) and, if you’re bringing workout clothes, bringing nice enough clothes that can do double-duty — for example, if you prefer to fly in comfortable clothes, wear your yoga pants (before you’ve, you know, sweated in them). You may also want to pack a pair of flip flops — not only are they incredibly lightweight, but they can be worn around your hotel room as slippers, and will be handy if you visit the hotel pool or spa. (We prefer not to wear flip flops for airport security — almost every TSA agent makes you remove your flip flops, which means you’re left barefoot in the airport — yick. But, to each their own.)

We might also suggest bringing along a spray bottle filled with vodka, and using it to spray on your suit as a deodorizer when you’re done wearing it for the day. Hang up everything as soon as you’re done with it, and use steam from your shower to help straighten it out even more. Many hotels will bring you an iron (or blowdryer or small coffee machine) if you ask nicely.

Finally — before traveling, be sure to check how many bags your airline allows. It seems as though everyone has changed the rules, and you don’t want to be caught paying a hefty fine and/or being forced to check your bag anyway.

Readers, what are your top tips for surviving business travel?

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