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Review: Tech goodies to bring along on trips

By WTOP Staff

ANICK JESDANUN
AP Technology Writer

DENVER (AP) — Your swimsuit and your sunscreen are in the luggage, and your boarding passes are all printed out.

But did you remember your gadgets and chargers? Did you download enough entertainment? Do you know where you’re going?

In my travels, I’ve come across a number of products and services worth bringing along:

— KEEPING YOUR GADGETS CHARGED:

Duh. You’ll need not only the charging cord, but also the unit for plugging into the wall outlet. Bring a power strip, too, if you’re sharing a room. Otherwise, you’ll be fighting for the few outlets that aren’t hidden behind furniture or dangerously near a sink. If you’re going abroad, bring adapters and make sure your chargers will work with the voltage there.

Also consider ways to keep your gadgets charged during the day. If you’re driving, bring a USB charger that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter. There are also portable chargers you can plug gadgets into. Some phone cases also serve as spare batteries.

One product that stands out is Mophie’s Space Pack for the iPhone 5 and 5s. It not only doubles battery life, but also gives you additional storage for photos and videos. A 16-gigabyte version retails for $150, while a 32-gigabyte one costs $180. A 64-gigabyte version starts selling next week for $250.

With it, I get about two full days of general phone use. It’s clunky to use, though. The iPhone uses its own power first, and you recharge the iPhone battery by switching on the Space Pack’s battery. If you forget to switch it off, the pack’s battery will continue to drain, even after the iPhone is fully recharged. The pack itself also takes a while to recharge — typically about four hours in my tests.

You need Mophie’s free Space app to copy photos and other content to the Space Pack’s storage. You then delete those files from the iPhone. It’s like having an external hard drive and having to manage what goes into it. Once I move photos to the pack, I’m not able to view them through the phone’s Photos and iPhoto apps.

Because of these constraints, and the fact that the case is bulky and heavy, I’m better off with a regular, unpowered case when I’m near chargers. The Space Pack is good for trips and other times I know I’d be draining the battery or filling up the phone’s storage faster than usual.

— KEEPING ORGANIZED:

I’ve been a loyal user of TripIt since I reviewed it in 2007. Back then, it was strictly a website for organizing your travel plans. Now, there are apps for various mobile devices. The apps remind you where to go next and offer easy links to your phone’s mapping apps for directions.

TripIt automatically creates a day-by-day itinerary based on all the flight, hotel and other confirmation emails that you forward to it. TripIt automatically pulls out flight numbers and seating information from the email, while adding useful information such as gate numbers. For hotels, TripIt pulls out addresses and check-in times. You can add notes such as the hours for a national park you’re visiting.

TripIt proved helpful this spring when I went with two friends to Yosemite National Park in California. I forwarded everyone’s flight confirmations to keep track of who was arriving when. I added details on hikes we were planning and the dress code for a fancy dinner. I then shared a link with everyone. TripIt also kept track of buses, subways and ferries I needed in Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.

The basic service is free. I haven’t found a need to pay $49 a year for TripIt Pro, which offers information on alternate seats or flights and ways to track frequent flier programs. TripIt Pro also offers alerts when gates and departure times change, but I get those free anyway as TripIt tries to show the benefits of upgrading.

Beyond TripIt, you might want to download apps for your airline. In many cases, you can check in and get a boarding pass on the phone — no printing needed.

— KEEPING ENTERTAINED:

You might want to download some books, magazines and video ahead of time for when you don’t have a good Internet connection.

If you’ll be driving, consider an FM radio transmitter. These gadgets transmit whatever’s playing on your digital music player over an open frequency on the FM dial.

I bought Griffin’s iTrip from a Best Buy in Minnesota in 2009 for about $50. It has become essential for all my road trips. I simply plug the iTrip cord into my iPod’s headphone jack. I then tune the car radio to an open FM frequency that iTrip finds for me. Podcasts, audiobooks and regular music come over the car speakers.

There are separate models for Apple devices depending on the type of charging port it has. For other devices, use the iTrip Auto Universal Plus, which uses the standard headphone jack. If you’re getting Space Pack, you’ll want this universal version, too, as the case covers up the iPhone’s regular port. This model also has a USB port to charge gadgets while driving.

These transmitters don’t work well in urban areas, where there aren’t many free frequencies. Also, sound quality isn’t as good as what you normally get over the radio. But it beats silence. Beware that other motorists within 30 feet might also be able to tune in to what you’re listening to.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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