Comments on: Failed by my technology on the way to Prague

By: Ewan

Ewan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:07:34 +0000

I was traveling ultra light Mike! I had to carry all the camera stuff — and for simplicity, I wanted to carry it all as hand luggage. So no space for anything else! I think I'll get a proporta!

By: Ewan

Ewan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:06:48 +0000

You pulled the hotel desk APART??

By: Mike Bradshaw

Mike Bradshaw — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:20:56 +0000

My bad, i can normally find a USB port somewhere, or have something with one with me (hotel desktop/kiosk PC, ask someone if you can plug into their laptop etc)

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:07:34 +0000

I was traveling ultra light Mike! I had to carry all the camera stuff — and for simplicity, I wanted to carry it all as hand luggage. So no space for anything else! I think I'll get a proporta!

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:06:48 +0000

You pulled the hotel desk APART??

By: Mike Bradshaw

Mike Bradshaw — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:20:56 +0000

My bad, i can normally find a USB port somewhere, or have something with one with me (hotel desktop/kiosk PC, ask someone if you can plug into their laptop etc)

By: DanLane

DanLane — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:39:53 +0000

Pick up one of these: http://www.gear4.com/product_detail.php?product... but remember to bring the correct adaptor... took me ages to disassemble (and even longer to reassemble) the hotel room desk to find a suitable plug after I bought the US adaptor by mistake.

By: DanLane

DanLane — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:38:46 +0000

I take one of these, it's very good: http://www.gear4.com/product_detail.php?product...

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:22:12 +0000

If I'd had a USB cable, I didn't have anything to charge from!

By: Mike Bradshaw

Mike Bradshaw — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:48:04 +0000

i thought blackberries used Standard USB cables to charge with, are you telling me you could not get a loan of a USB cable, or that you did not have one?
The wierd iPhone connector i can forgive, you could never find one of them in an airport

By: TerenceEden

TerenceEden — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:55:13 +0000

That's why I only take devices which charge via micro-USB. Only need one charger / plug it in to a laptop.

For future reference, the BlackBerry will still sounds its alarm even if it's powered off. If you have a Storm or a Bold, you can put them in to “Bedside” mode – that way they show the clock and sound the alarm but they don't connect to the network.

I'm sure you can buy an App from the Apple App Store for $3.99 to do it to…

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:25:40 +0000

Hah!

By: Mike42

Mike42 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:16:10 +0000

Only every other day? so half the time you are late? Explains quite a bit

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:05:34 +0000

GAHHHH my handsets wake me up every other day perfectly reliably!

By: Mike42

Mike42 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:01:00 +0000

I like to spread my technology bets...plus if the hotel fails to wake me and I miss my flight, I can raise merry hell and probably get a voucher for a free night's stay in a suite or somefink.

Whereas if it's a coverage issue, well, I don't fancy your chances with Voda CS: "You made me miss my flight because your coverage didn't make it into my hotel room. Gimme gimme gimme!"

Question is: will you ever rely on a mobile device again for something like waking up for a flight?

In this instance, it was coverage. It could just as easily have been an OS crash.

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:17:48 +0000

Come on, how retro is a 'wakeup call' or a 'beside alarm clock' ?? I thought I'd evolved my technology beyond this…

By: Mike42

Mike42 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:07:54 +0000

That'll learn you for sleeping in a lead-lined bunker.

I do like the idea of Mr Belt & (pinstriped) Braces lining everything up on the bedside table (possibly aligned to Newbury on a wee non-slip mat). Lying down, getting up again to check for the 3rd time that yes, the wee alarm icon is still up and that it's for 5:45am tomorrow, not the day after.

Oh to have had an audio of the 6:40 moment of realisation.

One question: does this hotel not offer a wakeup call? Or bedside alarm clocks?

By: Kip Hakes

Kip Hakes — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:10:43 +0000

Did think you'd been quiet! Yup nothing seems to eat a battery like when it is trying to find a signal! A more sensible idea maybe would be for the phone to have say 'x' number of attempts and then stop! Still hope you had an enjoyable trip!