The time has finally come. I leave for the Isle of Man tomorrow.

I’ve been preparing in all the boring ways: packing, exchanging money, etc.. There are a  few elements of my traveling routine, however, that I thought would be interesting enough to share.

Let’s talk about mobile computing. I’m going to be doing recordings and interviews, so mobile recording is a must. I’ll also be finding my way around an island that’s completely foreign to me, so maps will be necessary. On top of that, I’ll never know where I may need an internet connection. All in all, I need a lot of computing power.

Here’s my “go-bag” (an LL Bean briefcase):

A Sony Vaio SZ (integrated and discrete graphics, 4.5 hours of battery life), an 8GB iPod nano, an umbrella, an Exilim digital camera, and a Nintendo DS, earbuds, and a notebook. Allow me to explain.

As far as the umbrella goes: I don’t mind getting wet. My computer, however, does. If it starts raining while I’m working, I’m covered.

I use a CycloDS Evolution with my Nintendo DS, which allows me to put homemade software on a microSD card and run it on the device. The DS is actually packed with great technology, and it’s fantastically portable. I’ve put Google Maps on it, and download all of Google Map’s data on the Isle of Man. Fortunately, IOM is only 33 miles long, so the amount of data isn’t that great. I can navigate around streets and satellite imagery using the touchscreen, and I can even enter addresses and find directions. It’s not quite a portable GPS, but it’s the next best thing. Besides, I can check my email and  do recordings in a pinch using the other software. It’s not bad for playing games, either.

The notebook was handmade for me by my friend (and H-W graduate!) Jordan Fu for my birthday! The cover is a beautiful old map of Florence, and it’s quite a sturdy, hard-cover journal. It’s perfect for old-fashioned note-taking.

Not pictured is my mobile phone, a Samsung A737. I’m not quite sure why Samsung uses the same numbering routine as Boeing, but the phone is 3G-enabled, and can be tethered to my Vaio for use as a mobile router to assure that I’m never without internet access.

I can’t quite tell if the above is interesting or not, but it helps my take my mind off the fact that I’m taking off early tomorrow morning for a fourteen-hour flight to London, after which I’ll be taking an hour-long flight in a propellor plane to the Isle of Man. I’ll update you all with the glorious details of my voyage as soon as I can.

Talk to you all soon!