David Ragg - Android Travel Life: A Complete Guide to Traveling with Your Smartphone or Tablet

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First Edition

Table of Contents

Disclaimer

Thank you to Rory from iMazing, Kelvin from Sanho Corporation and all of the developers that answered my many questions. Thanks Phi and the other reviewers who gave feedback on the draft.

Thank you to all of the companies who granted permission for me to use their images in this book, in particular Phonefreaks for the damaged smartphone image.

Finally, a big thanks to all of the people that allowed me to transit through their homes and have otherwise supported me while I was writing these books including The Juniors; Kali and Adrian; Sandra; Joshua; and my parents.

I want to dedicate this book to the people everywhere that go out of their way with their not so random acts of kindness that make travel the magical experience it is.

Mobile devices are rapidly changing the world in which we live.

Increasingly, many aspects of our lives are being conducted online. I work entirely online. So do several of my friends. The last several courses Ive studied have required no interaction in the physical world. Ive never met the instructor or any of the other students in person. I cant remember the last time I walked into a bank branch for teller service or the last time I bought a newspaper. These are just a few examples of how entire industries are beginning to be reshaped by mobile technology.

The world of work is dramatically changing too. Some people have long commutes or want to spend more time with their family, and so they work as they travel on public transport or in pockets of down time during their day. Mobile devices seem to be perfect for that.

Recently I caught up with an old work colleague who runs the Asian division of one of the worlds largest tech companies. We met in a nondescript meeting room. Inside were a small table, two chairs, a telephone, and the obligatory hired plant sitting in the corner. This was his office. He told me that he now runs the company from an iPad, iPhone, and landline telephone, wherever he may be. That is; he is running a billion dollar organisation using mobile technology. Ten years ago, everyone in the organisation had a standard cubicle, PC, and workstation, the same as youd find at most other companies. These days, many people working at his company do not even attend the office.

So, like many other forecasters and futurists I expect that in the next few years mobile will radically reshape the way we live and organise our lives in ways few of us can yet fully appreciate. With that in mind, I wanted to learn how to navigate this new world of mobile. In particular, in a way that works for me.

I travel a lot. Some years Ive flown between 50-70 flight sectors. I have often wondered if I could just take my phone or tablet while traveling and work exclusively with that device. Like most people, I want all of the good bits from a mobile life and none of the bad. Few people want to use mobile technology as a part of their workflow so that they can be tethered to the office 24/7. I dont want to outsource all of my decisions blindly to an app, and yet I appreciate that sometimes the apps and services offer valuable information. It is incredibly important that my data, devices, finances, are secure and not at all compromised. Like many people, Im still working out how to fit all of these pieces of the puzzle together.

Integrating technology into life raises many interesting questions and paradoxes that not everyone can answer. For example, while I enjoy technology, some of my best travel memories have been completely tech-free. A few years ago I stayed in a beautiful villa (see image below) in Bali for two months. It had no TV, Wi-Fi, or any other electrical gadgets beyond hot water, lights, and a blender. It was heaven. The days I enjoyed the least were when I had to go into town and check my emails. (These days, the villa has all of those modern conveniences and has its own Facebook page.)

In order to answer all of these questions for myself, I decided to dive fully into the digital world. I packed an Android and Apple phone and tablet, downloaded more than 700 apps and set off on a mobile only three-month journey through seven countries. The laptop stayed at home. If I couldnt do a task on my phone or tablet, rather than looking for a desktop computer, I worked out how it could be done. I learned that most tasks can be completed on a tablet or phone. You just have to know how. Macs and PCs can lull you into a false sense of security - if you have either of these nearby, you usually wont bother to learn these ways.

With much excitement and anticipation, I started my trip in Malaysia. The first apps I tested were ATM finders. I was immediately disappointed. I passed more than 20 ATMs on my way to the closest ATM nominated by the ATM finder app. And the nearest ATM was just five meters away from where I was staying. An entire shopping centre located around the corner that had been demolished at least two years ago was still listed on the offline map. Looking for restaurants around me, the app told me there was about half a dozen. There were at least a few hundred. And those real time flight status indicators Well, dont get me started! I eventually figured out how they work as well.