A true nerd among nerds, Robert Heinlein said, “there is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe.”
We think the arch-duke of fantastical stories had a pretty excellent point. After all, where would Indiana Jones have been if he hadn’t packed his whip? What would Luke have done if the Millennium Falcon’s glove box wasn’t equipped with a deluxe backup robo-hand?
As drearily practical as this may sound, epic adventures are built on solid preparation. And as Nerdish Crusaders, we view it as our sacred mission to equip you for grand exploits and wondrous discoveries, both near and far.
So, in the noble spirit of sensibly nerdish adventurism, we present you with a handful of techy treasures that just might help you save the day!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G
Starting at $54 per month
When you’re traveling light and out on the open road, device size versus device convenience becomes an endless ergonomic fandango of unhappy compromises.
Sure, you could pack the laptop, but then you’re constantly worrying about keeping such unwieldy clunk safe. It seems all too easy a solution to rely on your trusty smartphone — until, that is, you find yourself trying to juggle travel plans, emails, maps and websites on its traumatically teensy display.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ with 5G sits perfectly between these dueling extremes, and will restore balance to your travel-centric existence. A cinema-quality three by six inch display hooks you up with perfectly crisp res for travel movies along with enough screen real estate to bang out a cheeky work email with ease. Meanwhile, the S Pen amps up your productivity with minimal peripheral paraphernalia to clutter your travelin’ life.
It’s basically the tech equivalent of Indiana Jones’ whip, and it will never fail to get you out of a jam.
Samsung Galaxy Buds
$150
But what about sound, you may venture to ask?
Yep. Sound while traveling can place one in a pernicious pickle of pandemonium-permeated perplexity. How the devil can an adventurer at large hear the sounds they want to hear while drowning out the sounds they oh-so-very-much don’t?
Enter the Samsung Galaxy Buds: the loyal and plucky Short Round to the Galaxy Note’s Dr Jones.
Fully noise-canceling, conveniently wireless, and capable of delivering a full 22 hours of oomphy-good sound on a single charge, these earbuds can and will save your sanity – on that long bus-trip, or that even longer night sleeping next to your sinus-passage challenged traveling companion, Snory Mc Snortsalot.
Zhiyun Gimbal Stabilizer
$100
But a true Spring Break adventure isn’t just about productivity and eardrum management.
Your Tolkienesque ramblings there and back again will take you places fair and foul, bewitching and terrifying. You’ll need the right companion to help you chronicle your epic encounters. Of course, a sturdy dwarf is ideal, but if you can’t get Gimli, get a Gimbal.
The Zhiyun Gimbal Stabilizer fits the bill perfectly. Whether you’re running, clambering over rocks or desperately evading oddly articulate gold-frenzied dragons, this elegant artifact of camera-stabilizing wizardry will make your video footage smooth, slick, and social media-ready.
Some gimbals impose a hefty additional mental workload of managing the stabilizer and phone in tandem. The Zhiyun sidesteps that with handy interface features, like a hand wheel for focus and zoom, an integrated control panel, and onboard object tracking.
Another advantage? It doesn’t smell like this guy.
Anker Powercore III Sense 10K
$50
In an ideal world, we’d all be walking around with dilithium crystal powered smartphones. Unfortunately, for now, at least, we’re only one depleted battery away from our technology being rendered completely useless.
Unless, of course, you own a portable charging device.
The Anker PowerCore III Sense 10K is a portable power bank that can charge smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth headphones, in fact almost any small device that requires a battery to run. This thing weighs in at just over seven ounces and is small enough to fit in your pocket.
Don’t be fooled by its Lilliputian lines, however. The PowerCore packs enough zap to give your average smartphone two full charges – effectively tripling the time you can stay untethered from a power outlet.
Cool bonus: It’s a styling piece of tech, available in four groovy colors and sporting a classy, textured finish. It’s the charger Captain Kirk would buy. Pro tip: If you’re on an extended away mission, maybe go with a color other than red.
MPOW Universal Waterproof Case
Two for $9
When you’re out and about on your epic adventures, you may encounter water. And while you may need millions of decaliters of the wet stuff to overthrow House Harkonnen, you’ll only need a few ounces of it to make your phone deader than a doornail.
But all that changes if you spring less than ten bucks to acquire not just one, but two universal waterproof cases.
These handy transparent pouches will offer complete water protection for any device up to four inches by seven inches. Just slip your phone inside the touch control sensitive plastic and you have a fully functional phone that’ll stay dry, even if you get drenched.
At that price, grab a handful and stash them in your suitcase to hand out to family and friends. You’ll be like a superhero … of dryness.
BACtrack Mobile Smartphone Breathalyzer
$100
Even Vulcans enjoy the occasional tipple.
And while boldly going into new adventures of intoxication is entirely advisable in moderation, it’s only logical to know when to stop. The BACtrack Mobile Smartphone Breathalyzer is a simple device that lets you quaff with quanfidence. (Yep. Fully made-up word.)
Essentially what you have in the BACtrack is a completely portable breathalyzer. Simply plug it into your smartphone, breathe into it, and the dedicated app will give you an accurate measure of your current level of intoxication, and how long you’ll need to wait before you’re safe to drive.
It’s remarkably small for a device capable of giving you police-grade accuracy in knowing when to lay off those weird (yet damnably delicious) party cocktails.
Boldly Go!
As Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party.”
Enjoy your next big adventure, fellow nerd! We hope you find a corner of the world you never imagined, fall into conversations you hardly expected, and partake deeply of life’s maple glazed donuts – both literal and figurative.
