A big part of the bomad experience is the technology. And, contrary to popular opinion, it's not the accumulation of technology but instead the divestiture that counts. How can you get one device to do two things and lighten your load? For example, Treo as phone, Treo as alarm clock, Treo as MP3 player, Treo as...you get the picture.
That said, it is with glee that I announce a new technology acquisition (and no, it's not another Treo):
Airport Express. For those of you not in the know, this is a brand new product from Apple, roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes, that's unlike anything else on the market. First of all, it is the world's smallest wireless (aka WiFi, aka 802.11b/g) router, allowing up to 10 computers to connect wirelessly to the Internet. For us, that means dropping into any internet cafe, plugging this tiny box into an available Ethernet port and connecting both our laptops for the price of one. Sweet.
But the real beauty of this device is that it changes the way you listen to music. Stick with me for a minute. Now a lot of you routinely connect your iPod or laptop or computer to your stereo. After all, how else could you listen to all those MP3s you've downloaded? But that leaves you tethered to your stereo with an often-too-short cable. Airport Express lets you cut the cord. You simply plug the same cable you connect to your computer into the Airport Express instead. Then, using your computer from anywhere nearby (within roughly 300ft), you can play music directly from iTunes to your stereo. Wirelessly. Sit at your desk or on your sofa or anywhere you want and "drive" your main stereo from your laptop. Once you've tried this, you'll never go back.
For those of you with DJ tendencies, here's a little advanced tip: playing music from iTunes to the Airport Express bypasses the built-in sound card on your computer. So while playing a song on your stereo, you can use another application to preview a different song on your headphones and then queue it up in iTunes. It's like having a mixing board without all the fuss.
Here in Croatia, we've struck a deal with the owner of an internet center. He lets us plug in our Airport Express and we then go to a nearby rooftop cafe where we can eat, drink and surf the web--all the while overlooking the tennis club, the ocean and the mountains in the distance. Thanks to Jen and Kevin for being our US Post Office and forwarding this off to us. FYI, Airport Express is roughly $129US. HIGHLY recommended.
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