One device for all your needs

Whenever I travel, a big chunk of my hand-carry luggage space goes to my gadgets and chargers. Because I have a phobia of running out of battery while I’m out, I make sure to bring two chargers (one for my phone and for my iPad), a backup battery, a charger for my backup battery, my laptop charger, and an extension cord to charge all my gadgets simultaneously before I go to bed.

Naturally, this setup is not so ideal for travel. The weight of the chargers can be considerable, not to mention extremely bulky. As much as I want to pack light, I usually end up scrimping on clothes and leaving the space open for devices and chargers.

Last week, on a trip to Singapore, I decided to challenge myself by leaving the laptop behind and sticking with just a tablet and my phone. I was a bit unsettled, but once I was able to accomplish work normally without my laptop, I liked the feeling of freedom it provided me, so much so that the idea of traveling light gadget-wise began to appeal to me.

Chalk it up to forgetfulness or bloated pockets, but more and more people are turning to the “phablet,” or a tablet that’s also a phone. As unattractive as the term may be, the concept is wildly appealing. Not only will you be able to save money on apps, you can receive and make calls, work on documents, answer e-mails, watch video, listen to music, read books, all from one device—productivity and multitasking at its finest.

Do more with less

Samsung recently released the updated Galaxy Tab 2, which boasts the latest

Android OS (Ice Cream Sandwich), with a lighter and thinner form factor, an ideal choice for those who want do more with less. The usual features that make

Samsung a top choice are present, from the AMOLED display, the highly responsive TouchWiz interface, upgradeable storage, front and rear camera and a dual-core 1GHz processor for faster loading and seamless running of multiple apps.

Not only is it light to hold weight-wise, the price is also easy on the pocket: the basic 7 inch Wi-Fi only model retails at P12,990 with the 10.1 inch 3G+Wi-Fi selling at P21,990.

“But I look silly holding up a device bigger than my face to my ear!” you argue. Make sure to get the perfect partner for your tablet-phone: a wireless stereo

Bluetooth receiver. This tiny wonder of a receiver lets you use your favorite pair of earbuds/headphones with it. Once plugged in, you can receive calls and listen to audio from the headset without needing to connect to your device. It’s an elegant hands-free solution that will complement your new “phablet” lifestyle.