Have Gadget, Will Travel…Need Outlet

Mobile gadgets are revolutionizing the workplace and fostering telecommuting. But, as ComputerWorld’s Mike Elgan reports, with mobile gadgets comes a pitfall, finding an outlet to recharge them.

The Consumer Electronics Show trade show is showcasing this year’s batch of better, cheaper and cooler gadgets. Services that enable ever more powerful mobile capabilities abound. Wireless networks are popping up everywhere. It’s now possible to travel around town, across the country and all over the world, working and playing online thanks to the collective efforts of thousands of companies and the enthusiasm of millions of users.There’s just one problem: Finding an outlet.

I’m writing this column while on a three-week trip through Mexico and Central America. I’m not taking time off; I’m “extreme telecommuting” — working while traveling. I thought I packed my gadgets pretty well, taking everything I needed but no more than necessary. I’m currently staying in a private home — roughly the Mexican equivalent of a bed-and-breakfast inn. I knew in advance that Mexico and El Salvador use U.S.-compatible plugs, so I brought no adapters. Imagine my horror when I discovered that the outlets in the house are two-prong plugs, rather than three-prong plugs. It’s not a huge deal — I could easily break off the grounding plug and ever so slightly increase my chances of being electrocuted to death, but I’d rather not.

I’m counting my blessings. In August of 2006, I spent some time on the Honduran island of Roatan. I pushed a column deadline right down to the wire before looking for a place to file from. Suddenly, the power went out on the entire island and stayed that way for eight hours. My laptop was fully charged, but all the routers and servers that provide Internet service to the island were out. The rumor on the beach was that somebody forgot to buy the diesel fuel that powers the generators.

The article continues.

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