Travel Essential: Clear 4G+Mobile USB

Accessing my blog at Chicago O'Hare

My wife and kids give me a hard time because I travel with a bag full of technology and equipment. If Steve Jobs happens to sit next to me in a plane, he would be pleased to know that I usually travel with my Mac Book Pro, 2 to 3 iPods (depending on the length of trip), a Bose headset and an Oakley bag (both items bought at the Apple store). Add

to that my Nikon D-40 SLR, and most recently, my Canon PowerShot G-12. That's just how I roll.

While I do most of my work and blogging inside my hotel room or in the hotel lobby where I am able to have access to the internet, my new found travel companion has been a godsend on long airport layovers and at hotel's with overpriced internet charges. Clear has asked me to test drive their new Clear 4G+ Mobile USB Series S device for the past couple of months. I expected a USB device the size of a brick, which I have seen with many travelers, but instead, I received a tiny round device the size of a squash ball. Definitely more my style.

I have been weary of using airport wireless service because my wife's laptop died after some weird virus affected her computer at O'Hare. Perhaps it's just paranoia on my part but I certainly wouldn't want that to happen to my Mac. So on my latest trips to New York, Chicago and Miami, my Clear mobile was my sidekick. I had no problem accessing the internet at the Hotel Gansevoort in the middle of midtown Manhattan.  On my trip to Miami, I got stuck at BWI for four hours. I took advantaged of the down time by catching up on my backlog of emails. This surprised my assistant, Sharon, because I usually never send her emails and work during my travel days. Gone are the days of light workload when the boss is away. My travel days now mean more work for Sharon; something which she finds very amusing.

While the 4G service is limited to a handful of states, the 3G service is very sufficient for my needs. The Clear mobile USB was easy to install and connects online pretty easily. I can only imagine this service becoming more popular and more available in the next couple of months. So far, so good. 

But it was this weekend when I finally conceded that I cannot live without my Clear mobile USB. My family and I drove to Detroit to watch our local high school team compete for the state football championship (which they won). My three kids brought their iPods and listened to their tunes. While I jammed to my music set, my wife borrowed my laptop, and with the assistance of my Clear mobile USB, she blissfully researched the kid's Christmas presents online for two hours without any interruption from the kids and the internet service. A happy wife is always a welcome treat.

If you are looking for a Christmas stocking stuffer for your traveling spouse, I would highly recommend this tech gadget as a good alternative to that argyle sweater you were thinking about. 

Plug and play. Simple. 

And it folds for easy storage