Category: Mobilism

Recently I posted about connectivity and how important that is. All the great ideas and information you need to communicate can’t be communicated very well if you aren’t connected!

But there’s another aspect to connectivity that’s equally important and almost goes without saying and that’s power. Connectivity isn’t possible without it, and we can’t always rely on others to provide it for us. Next time you’re sitting in a coffee shop, pay attention to people who are walking in the door. If their eyes go to the menu, you know they’re there for coffee. But if they start looking around under tables for the nearest outlet, it’s a safe bet they’re looking for a quick charge and the coffee shop is a convenient place to sit while they charge up!

Almost all of my favorite charing solutions come from Anker it seems like. I’m especially fond of their 747 series (like the jumbo jet! 😁). The 26,000 mAh battery will charge my MacBook completely if it’s completely dead. It will charge my iPads several times and my phone more times than I can count.

Its cmopanion device, the 747 wall charger is pretty amazing as well. It’s got three USB C ports, and one USB A port, and uses technology called Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology. I’m not an electrical engineer but that technology is supposed to extend the useful life of these devices considerably.

But tech specs aside, having a good battery (and there are plenty of good ones that aren’t Anker) and a good wall charger in your bag can make a huge difference when you need to make a presentation, even if connectivity isn’t an issue!

I’ve recently changed up what’s in my bag a little bit. As I work with AI and endeavor to learn more about that, I’m working a lot more with Copilot and also Apple Intelligence. To that end, I’ve sidelined the delightful old 2019 16″ i7 MacBook Pro in favor of a 13″ M3 MacBook Air, and have shelved the old 5th gen iPad Air for an M4 11″ iPad Pro which is a dazzling device in it’s own right but this post isn’t a product review… the catalyst for these changes was to play with Apple Intelligence and so I have been. Also I’ve been working more with Copilot on Microsoft Edge on my Mac devices, and M365 Copilot, and while this post isn’t a detailed review of either of those (which I hope will come later) Copilot seems more impressive to me at the moment, although Apple Intelligence is much newer and not completely out of o the gate yet.

What this post is about is connectivity. Or being a mobilist.

Recently, I was in a hospital waiting room for a period of time. I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to try out the aforementioned dazzling MacBook and iPad and was thrilled for the opportunity.

After carefully setting up the equipment, I was struck with an unpleasant realization: no connectivity! I’ve got to be honest, I felt like I was in a Ferrari looking down a gravel road full of ruts and potholes and other obstacles that made the road impassable.

Fortunately, I’m not your average paranoid geek. I’m always leery when I’m trying out new technology so I’d thrown my trusty old 6th gen iPad mini in my bag, which, like all my devices is cellular. And I don’t mind paying Verizon for unlimited cell service on my watch, phone, and two iPads, so Mighty Mini came to the rescue and I was able to tether both M3 MacBook and M4 iPad of my silly little under powered iPad.

This made me first think of the old joke among photographers about what the best camera is. The punchline of course, is “the one you have with you!”

But then I thought a little more about the situation I’d found myself in and why I’m so enraptured with my tired, beloved 6th gen iPad mini. It’s far and away my device of choice. It’s the one I grab when I leave my desk at work, it’s in the car with me (the screen is pure bliss when you’re using it for navigation!) I use it to look at menus in dark restaurants and it’s really just a joy to carry and use. In the bag with it, is a Logitech Keys To Go, and an Anker 474 battery which will charge the little mini I think 4 or 5 times. It’s really quite a traveling set when it’s all traveling together, but it’s greatest asset, even without keyboard or battery, is that it’s a cellular iPad, so connectivity isn’t an issue for me.

So at the end of it all, the high end gear is cool and all, much like that Ferrari I mentioned, but if you don’t have a road to open it up on and blow your hair back, it’s not good for much but looking cool.

Relying on other peoples WiFi (hotel hotspots, restaurants, trade shows and the like) can really hinder your performance. If connectivity is critical, cellular can be a real life saver!