Technology on the move

In an ideal world, getting away from it all would mean leaving the mobile phone, the notebook and all the other accoutrements of a connected life behind.

However, from the business traveller to the casual holidaymaker, most travellers will benefit from using technology to help them get from A to B, to stay in touch while they're away from home or simply to get the most out of their trip. We survey the technology that you can use to your advantage while on the hoof.

Scrap that map
In general, successfully navigating unfamiliar territory either involves a floppy paper map propped up on the steering wheel or a photographic memory. Given that one is daft and dangerous and the other unlikely, there must be a better way.

One option is to seek out maps on the web, print the section you need and take it with you. Search engines such as Google are ideal here, and virtually every city and town on the planet now has an official or amateur website complete with street maps.

Be warned, though, that accuracy and scale are often sacrificed in the name of prettification, so where possible use a professional mapping company like Streetmap or Multimap.

For maps on demand as you move around, Streetmap also sells a useful mobile application called Pocket Streetmap that lets you download maps directly to a handheld computer, assuming that the device has wireless internet access, which we will discuss shortly.

Alternatively, if you already own a paper map or street atlas, why not scan and print the relevant areas? If you have a handheld or notebook computer, you might prefer to save scans as image files for viewing on-screen instead. Either way is certainly a lot more convenient than a lap full of map.

Route clickity-clicks
If you're travelling under your own steam and lack an innate sense of direction, route-planning software is a boon. Microsoft AutoRoute, for instance, has street-level detail throughout much of Europe and costs £45.

Tell it your starting point, destination and any required stops along the way (you can use street addresses, postcodes or simply click points on the map) and the program will calculate the best route in accordance with your preferences (for example, fastest, shortest or most scenic).

You can then print out the results as a series of street-level strip-maps with turn-by-turn driving directions.

It's also possible to transfer maps to a handheld computer and view them in Pocket Streets, a complimentary program supplied with AutoRoute. Unfortunately, route details and driving directions get lost in the transfer, which rather defeats the purpose.

There are plenty of free route planners online, too, so you don't necessarily have to shell out for software. Try the RAC and Green Flag websites, both of which currently offer turn-by-turn directions and maps covering most of Europe.

Help from the heavens
Even with comprehensive and accurate directions, it remains all too easy to lose track of your current position on a route map, particularly when it's spread over several sheets of A4 paper.

This is where GPS (Global Positioning System) comes in, a satellite-based navigation system that can pinpoint your current position on the face of the planet to within a few feet.

To access the system, which is freely available courtesy of the US military, you need a hardware GPS receiver. Hook this up to a portable computer running GPS-compatible software (Pocket Streets, for instance), and you can follow your progress in real time on the electronic map.

It's spooky, but highly effective. It still means taking your eyes off the road, though, so you might want a passenger for verbal instructions: 'Turn left here'; 'Oops, blind alley'; 'You're going too fast!'

Excluding backseat drivers, there are two other possibilities. Some GPS receivers, like the Garmin StreetPilot III range, have both route-planning software and verbal capability built-in, so a single dashboard-mounted unit does the lot. They are pricey, though: the GPS V Deluxe model costs £480.

Alternatively, even a 'dumb' GPS receiver can be connected to a handheld computer, whereupon mapping software works out the directions and the computer comes up with the verbals. Consider, for example, the TomTom Navigator, a GPS receiver that links to selected handheld computers.

The Bluetooth version costs £350 and even does away with the wires when paired with a Bluetooth-enabled handheld.

Snap happy
With digital cameras becoming increasingly affordable, almost any trip warrants a pictorial record. However, there are some things you should consider before splashing out.

The primary consideration is a risk-versus-returns equation. A top-notch 3, 4 or 5 megapixel digital camera should deliver outstanding pictures even in point-and-shoot mode but it is just as easily lost as an ultra-cheap disposable film camera.

It is also eminently more stealable. It might therefore be worth looking at cheaper models for travel purposes.

Even a 1 or 2 megapixel camera is perfectly adequate for holiday snapshots, and the pictures come out better when you hands aren't shaking for fear of dropping the device in the Mediterranean.

If you expect to encounter extreme weather - a daytrip to Glasgow in February, say - plump for a model that's cut out for the conditions.

The Olympus Mju 300 is ideal for rough weather as it comes in a weatherproof metal case specifically designed to withstand thorough drenchings. It cannot, however, be used completely underwater, so you can't record a snorkelling or scuba adventure (an unlikely event in Glasgow, admittedly).

Olympus, Canon, Fuji, Minolta and other digital camera manufacturers sell underwater housings for selected products from their ranges.

These typically protect the camera to depths of 30 or 40 metres, which is beyond the limits of amateur diving in any case, and while not particularly cheap - it costs £120 or so to waterproof an Olympus Mju - they do save the additional cost of buying a dedicated underwater camera.

Power hungry
Finally, check how a camera is powered. Rechargeable batteries are essential for digital photography but you may need to use disposable batteries if you're away from civilisation for some time.

Many digital cameras take AA-sized batteries in addition to rechargeable cells, which means you can chop and change between rechargeables and disposables as the need dictates.

Other cameras, however, use proprietary rechargeable batteries that cannot be substituted. Be prepared to invest in a spare or two: what could be worse than a flat battery when you spot that perfect shot?

Pack of cards
There is also the perennial problem of how to save your digital photos while on the go. Virtually all digital cameras come with removable memory cards but these soon fill up, particularly if you shoot at your camera's best picture settings (a 16Mb card holds as few as five or six high-quality images). At the very least, you should invest in a higher capacity card.

A 256Mb CompactFlash card, for example, costs around £40-50. You can, of course, take a whole bunch of memory cards with you and swap old for new as they fill up but we would still recommend backing up your pictures whenever you get the chance.

If you are travelling with a notebook computer, the easiest option is to transfer your images to the hard disk as you go along, usually using the USB cable supplied with the camera.

Alternatively, you can use a separate memory card reader to copy the contents of a card. Be sure to get one that's compatible with your camera's particular type of memory.

Belkin's =149035 target=_blank>8-in-1 memory card reader will cost you £35 and handles just about any card type and, as it's powered by your computer's USB port, it requires no cumbersome power supply.

If you don't have a notebook computer with you and have access to a photo processing outlet that accepts memory cards, you may be able to have your images copied to CDs for portable storage.

Or if you have access to a computer with an internet connection, you might be able to upload images directly to the web.

Most ISPs provide a few free megabytes of web space, which is ideal for this purpose. Web space can also be rented from online storage specialists like X-drive and IBackup; 500Mb of storage space will set you back about $10 (£6) a month.

Making connections
The thought of chucking your mobile in the river while en route to the airport might be an appealing prospect but what if you need to stay in touch as you travel?

If email alone is all you require, you should be able to collect and send messages on a Wap phone. Check your network's website for instructions on implementing this.

Frankly, though, it's easier to use a computer, and many ISPs will provide you with a web-based email account that is easily accessible from anywhere in the world. Even if your particular ISP fails you here, you can use the free Mail2Web service to access your email account on the web regardless.

These options require an internet connection and your best bet is probably a public resource like a cyber cafe or a library. Your hotel may also provide 'executive' facilities but these are likely to be extremely pricey.

Mobile solutions
Alternatively, if your mobile phone itself has a modem (and many do these days), you could connect it to a portable computer with a cable, infrared or Bluetooth link and use it to connect with your ISP.

Some of the larger ISPs provide international numbers so you can connect at local rates while travelling abroad. However, you will be billed for international roaming charges over and above the cost of the call, so this is not a cheap option.

Yet another online route is via a GPRS mobile phone or, preferably, a GPRS adapter for your handheld or notebook computer. This gives you the benefit of an always-on internet connection where you pay on the basis of data transferred rather than time spent online.

It's ideal for checking real-time travel information such as flight delays, and who wouldn't rather spend a couple of pounds on a GPRS call from a hotel lobby than eight hours in an airport departure lounge? Take a note of relevant travel websites with you to save searching for them later.

If your notebook or handheld computer has a modem, forgo the phone and plug the device straight into a telephone socket - if you can find a socket, that is, and if you have a suitable cable and adapter.

Again, be aware that hotels usually add a whopping surcharge on internet calls, even if made to a local number; surfing from your suite may be convenient but it won't be cheap.

One further thought: add a bolt-on Wi-Fi (wireless network) adapter to your handheld or notebook computer, find a wireless 'hotspot', and you can get online at high-ish speeds without the need for a mobile phone, modem or cable.

Hotspots are springing up around the world (see our Hotspots? What spots? feature here for more details.

Conform to type
If you are travelling light with just a handheld computer but need to write longer emails or write up notes after a meeting or keep a travel diary, a collapsible keyboard is a great accessory.

If your typing speed is fair, a keyboard is a much faster way of entering information onto your handheld computer than a stylus.

The Universal IR Keyboard from Targus has an infrared connection instead of a plug-and-socket and works with just about any handheld computer. It costs £70.

A little light relief
When all is said and done, though, what's the point of carting around technology if it can't keep you amused between meetings or on the plane? Here are a few quick suggestions on how to keep yourself entertained.

Any notebook equipped with a DVD drive makes a passable portable cinema. Alternatively, if you have the wherewithal to rip DVD discs, you can save a movie as a file on the notebook's hard disk, although this will take up a large amount of disk space.

If you want to listen to music on the move, a portable computer paired with good headphones makes an excellent platform for playing audio CDs.

For maximum effect and portability, though, invest in a high-capacity MP3 player and a set of lightweight stereo speakers. For £45 you can buy Creative's hand-sized, battery-powered TravelSound speaker kit, a perfect match for its Jukebox Zen (£250) or MuVo (from £60) players.

If you sign up for a free account with content provider AvantGo you can download content 'channels' (specially written web pages) to your handheld and read them while you roam. Be certain to subscribe to the www.vnunet.com channel for the electronic version of Computeractive.

There is little question that today's technologies are suited to the mobile worker, wanderer and holidaymaker. Even the traditionally fraught business of finding an internet connection is easier these days, although obviously this will vary from place to place.

Whatever the nature of your trip, there is technology that caters to your needs. Bon voyage.