I need to be connected. Really. Okay, maybe my life does not depend on it kind of need, but honestly for what I do in social media as a job I do need to be connected much of the time. When I travel that can sometimes be an issue. On my last trip, BlogHer ‘12 in New York City, I had my own personal Wi-Fi access thanks to Verizon Wireless and the 4G LTE Jetpack (see the little item in the pink box above) to make my life easier.
The Jetpack connects to the same 4G LTE access that a Verizon Wireless smartphone or tablet would. But this little device you then connect into wirelessly with your laptop, tablet, or other device. You can connect multiple devices at once actually which means the whole family can share or you can share with friends or colleagues easily. For me this comes in handy most often in airports. We all know when we travel these days it seems to be a much longer affair than it used to be. You have to arrive earlier these days, there are fewer direct flights, longer connection wait times, delays, and a number of other issues. My last trip was a great example because on my flight out of St. Louis we ended up with a 2 hour delay due to weather. While many of the travelers were upset, I said “no big deal” and found myself a table and a power outlet, pulled out my laptop, grabbed a soda, and then connected to the internet using the Jetpack. I was able to get work done easily (yes, including Twitter that you see on the screen above) and the time flew by quickly. On my way home I accepted a voluntary bump to a later flight (see flying first class) so I had another several hours of down time in the airport. Once again I found a table in a quiet area and set up shop with my laptop and my Jetpack and I was able to get accomplish quit a bit. Normally I would use the Jetpack at the actual conference more as well. Usually during sessions at these events we have Wi-Fi provided by the venue, but when so many people try to access it at once it is painful. Having a Jetpack lets you easily connect and, to the joy of those sitting near you, let you share your “internet juice” with others even. Many of my friends new I had a Jetpack and were on the lookout for me at the conference even because of this.
Yes, this does cost money to use. However, with Verizon’s new Share Everything it is just $20 to add it to your package per month and use your data plan. If you find yourself needing Wi-Fi on the go often this can really be very reasonable. There are services in airports, like Boingo, which you can use, but it adds up really quickly and is not everywhere you go (great service, but if you use here and there the price gets high). The Jetpack is really just a great solution for me and might be for your family too.
Do you use a Jetpack? What do you think?
Disclosure: Verizon Wireless provided me a Jetpack with service to use to facilitate this review. Opinions are entirely my own.
© 2012, Robyn Wright. All rights reserved.
