4 Ways To Track And Recover Your Stuff If It Gets Stolen When Traveling
We’re beginning a new era in the cycle of travel theft in favor of the victim despite the amount of coverage of what thieves can do to you with technology. Yet, our stuff that is so tempting to steal, is also getting smart enough to protect itself, fight back, and find its way home. You’re probably carrying smaller, more expensive electronics today than you ever have – two good reasons to prepare yourself in the craftiest ways possible.
1. All Around Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone Recovery: Project Prey
I am a huge fan of Project Prey and if there’s one solution you should use as part of a physical security plan for your gadgets, Project Prey is it. This free piece of software runs on your laptop (Windows, Mac, and Linux), mobile phone (iPhone and Android), and tablet (yes, iPad too); remaining hidden until you activate it. If your gadget gets stolen, you activate Project Prey remotely (through a free account on their website) and you can track it, get secret screenshots, steal passwords, and even get pictures of the crooks covertly with any built-in camera. Need more convincing? Project Prey helped Matthew recover his Macbook Pro in Panama.
Mac users can also take a look at iCloud (although it doesn’t work nearly as well).
2. Set A Decoy Wallet Trap To Surprise A Pickpocket
I’ve talked about decoy wallets before as part of a broader travel security plan to reduce your loses if you’re unfortunate enough to be pick-pocketed. Decoy wallets also make good dummy targets but if you want to add a small chance of catching the thief, be sure to leave an unused – but activated – credit card in yours. This won’t work in every country but if the pickpocket decides to use that credit card somewhere and you’ve reported it stolen, police can use surveillance footage from stores to track them. More criminals are caught this way than you might think. Plus your credit card company likely won’t hold you liable for unauthorized transactions.
You probably won’t get your wallet back but justice may still be served.
3. Find Lost Or Stolen Luggage With An Inexpensive GPS Tracking Unit
Although controversial, GPS tracking units are often used to follow the movements of criminal suspects in many countries around the world. These small-palm sized devices broadcast radio signals that can be used to track them from a computer. Place Hide one of these (the Winplus AC13268-72 Beacon GPS Tracker is $29 or the Telespial TrackStick $149) in your backpack or checked luggage to find out where it is when it’s not where it’s supposed to be.
4. Keep A Digital Eye On Your House With Your Desktop
There are plenty of uses for that clunky desktop when you’re traveling; one of which is to act as security guard. Both Yawcam (Windows) or iAlertu (Mac) can snap and email you photos when they detect any motion – especially useful when things should be motionless. A picture of a potential burglar may help you get your stolen things back. Plus, you’ll finally know if you’ve really trained your cat not to jump on tables when you’re at work.
In addition, iAlertu (and Laptop Alarm for Windows) can put some muscle on your laptop so it sounds a loud alarm if moved. Useful for those times you’ve just got to hop up for a napkin or your 6th cup of coffee in a cafe with your laptop just within visual range.
Hope For The Best But Plan For The Worst
No security is absolute – the first rule of security – and that’s why any plan without a backup is doomed to fail eventually. Remember, your data is more valuable than any piece of electronic equipment you own so don’t screw up your vacation by preparing for mini-disasters. Recruit your gadgets and technology to work on your side for protection and preparation just in case.
What Is The Schengen Zone And How Do Schengen Area Visas Work?
Visas aren’t the most interesting subject to read about though they happen to be the most discussed topic on this blog. Much of the confusion that fuels the questions behind that forum revolves around the continent where 50.7% of all people (477 million) [PDF] travel per year – Europe. The Schengen Agreement and Area are both visa topics you should brush up on if you’re headed to Europe for more than 3 months in any given 12 month period so you don’t unwittingly break any rules.
That Europe, by the way isn’t just the European Union (EU) and in fact isn’t all of the EU anyway, here’s what you need to know.
Where Is The Schengen Area?
The Schengen Area currently consists of 26 countries in Europe including Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, and Greece. You can see the full list of current members here. Some notable exceptions are England and Ireland (both EU but not Schengen). Several countries you might not expect also part of the Schengen Area include Estonia, Latvia, and Malta. Bulgaria and Romania are likely to join the Schengen club later this year.
So Why Should You Care About This Funny Sounding Area?
Because in terms of travel and visas, Schengen member states are essentially the same country. Across the Schengen Area, those of you from countries who do not require visas (including the United States, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and Brazil) are permitted to stay 90 days out of every 180. That means the entire Schengen Area, not just the Schengen member country you’re visiting.
This is where most people get confused – you can only stay within the entire Schengen Area for 90 days out of every 180. So, if you spend 1 month in Germany, then fly to France for a month, go visit your friends back in Turkey (not Schengen) for 2 weeks, then head to Spain for 6 weeks you’ll officially be overstaying your Schengen welcome. Want to spend two months in Austria then hop a train to Slovenia for 2 months? Well, that’s a no-no too.
These rules are, of course, the general ones and apply to most people but not all. For instance, New Zealand citizens have visa-free travel for 90 days out of every 180 in each individual Schengen nation. (A rare exception.) Check with the appropriate embassy for the specifics given your circumstances – don’t just take my word for it as visas can be complex and laws change quickly.
Only 3 Months In 26 Countries? The Reasoning Behind The Ridiculousness
Yes, these are the same folks who came up with the bright idea of a single currency without a framework to support it but actually the Schengen rules are very convenient – especially for Schengen residents. Citizens of member states can travel and live in the others without visas. Plus border crossings are more efficient without constant passport checks. (Checks are optional for each country at their discretion so always bring your travel documents when crossing any border.)
Most people take vacations and trips much shorter than 3 months and the Schengen Agreement while driving up visa costs (for those who need them) has steadily increased tourism to Europe. The Schengen Area isn’t going anywhere but rather, will continue to grow.
How Can You Stay Longer Than 3 Months In The Schengen Zone?
Residents of most countries will need to fill out a long-stay visa application at the embassy of the specific country they’ll be arriving in first (e.g. Sweden). Generally, long-stay visas must be applied for from outside the Schengen Area.
Long-stay visas are only allowed for up to one year. Afterward, from your point of entry into the Schengen, you’ll be free to visit the members states within that time. The Schengen rules don’t allow you to travel for more than a year within the Area so if you really fall in love with a country and want to stay longer than 12 months, you’ll need to file for a residence permit with that specific country.
What Happens If You Overstay?
That’s a question I’ve covered in depth before but to sum it up for short overstays upon leaving the Schengen Area you may face a fine. For longer overstays a ban for a number of years is possible. An overstay of even 1 day (remember it is 90 days not 3 months out of every 180 days) can hit your pocketbook and cause you problems so don’t risk it if you don’t have to. Finally, if you are behind the Schengen borders and simply couldn’t pull yourself away on time, you’ll likely find it easier avoiding being caught at passport control if you leave from countries that aren’t as culturally diligent about timekeeping. (*cough* Greece, Spain *cough*)
The more punctual peoples of Europe (Germans are notorious for catching short over-stayers) could cause you problems but in the end it all depends on the person you come across at passport control. The only way to not have any problems is to know and follow the rules.
My 2012 Travel And Technology Predictions
When we were looking back at your and my travel predictions for 2011 we were mostly on the money with our guesses. Not to sell our prophecies short, but we had a lot of help from the momentum of the trends we saw building in 2010. This year though, things are different. There’s uncertainty in the air – the kind that often leads to opportunity.
As for who picks up those favorable morsels, let’s have to look into my crystal iPad and see what the future may have in store for the present.
Airline Fees Drop And Disappear (Yay!) But Ticket Prices Go Up (Boo)
First of all, don’t get completely crazy and run off with the title – some airlines will drop minor fees throughout the coming year. They’ll do it in such a way that makes it seem like you’re saving but don’t forget airlines follow the Ferengi Rule of Acquisition, “once you have their money, never give it back.” Drink fees for example may go away with some baggage fees reduced, but watch those airfares creep up to compensate. [ED: I wrote this article before this news came out but I'll take it as a good omen for my predictions.]
Americans saw about a 6% increase in prices last year around peak travel times even though more people are now flying than ever. The problem is a combination of rising fuel costs, the use of online aggregators (e.g. Kayak), and prices that don’t reflect the real price of flying through the air in a heavy metal tube. So this year you’ll go (a bit) closer back to the golden days when there weren’t luggage fees or 8 dollar cans of Coke but instead plane tickets that cost 5-8% more.
Tablets Are Going To Kill The Kindle (Fire And All)
I’m a big fan of the smaller 7-inch tablet variety, especially the Nook Tablet and not-so-much the hastily-put-together Kindle Fire; but they’ve really paved the way for their own demise. I can’t see either device dominating that space in the current market. Those devices can’t move up into the larger screen, more expensive/versatile market where iPads and Samsung Galaxy 10.1s hang out. But the big boys can and will come down to bully the current 7-inch tablets off the digital playground.
Now that improved displays optimal for reading (nearly-at paper resolution) are falling in price, you’ll start to see iPads (as rumored) with retina-displays and watch the current iPad 2s drop about $100 (also rumored). One thing that’s definitely not going away are the smaller form tablets like the Nook and Kindle Fire, but they’re now occupying an ecological niche on an island just waiting for some feral 7-inch iPad mini-cats to be dropped off to wipe them out.
A Serious Skype Rival Emerges
The ever-useful Skype is one of several free programs you shouldn’t travel without. So while they’ve added 3-way video calls to the Mac (finally) and a few other features to the video chat client everyone loves (me included) I can’t help but feel that entire genre of software has been static too long. You might be thinking, “well, what more could they do?,” and well, I’ve got my hunches someone or some company is going to answer that question this year.
Countries On The Rise: Ruckus In The Caucus(es)
As I noted last week, Turkey has seen a healthy jump in tourism over the last year, aided by travelers scared off by the Arab Spring. Turkey this year will follow a trend that’s very common in national tourism – start cheap, people visit > get more expensive add more tourist offerings > cheaper bordering countries become new “low-cost” alternatives. (Think Thailand compared to Laos or Cambodia.) Istanbul is already in the expensive phase nearly all year round now – not without good reason – but people are going to begin discovering alternatives in the region during 2012.
The Eurovision contest in May might draw in some interest in Azerbaijan with both nearby Armenia and to a lesser extent Georgia seeing indirect spillover from Turkey’s tourism boom. I’ll stretch my prediction to include Iran as well. Finally, to get specific – Oman will see a 5-6% increase in tourism, Colombia 12%, and Chile 8%.
Dogs In The Skies (Yes, Cats Too)
As Amy mentioned in her prediction last year, there will be more restaurants, hotels, and generally pet-friendly options on the ground. In the skies…well, not-so-much though I’ll disagree a bit on this one. There won’t be any better options (pets not in the cabin are basically treated like cargo) but more people will take to the skies with their pets. (If you happen to be one of them check out The Ultimate Guide To Traveling With Your Pets or these 5 great pet travel sites.)
I would hope that more pets flying would cause the airlines to get creative with their offerings but since bankruptcy hasn’t done that I think we’re out of luck for 2012.
More Bloggers, Less Traveling
Wow, wow, wow, there are about a zillion travel blogs online now. Many are dead zombies, left quiet after their creators have finished a one-year RTW. Many more are born every day as travel journals or money-making hopefuls. The travel blog market though, generally, has become a static factory churning out top 10 things to do in Paris posts and photos of the day. This all said, the travel blogosphere is new and uncertain – like I said before – that’s an environment ripe with opportunity for something unique. You’ll see that this year my crystal iPad says (or this bottle of Jack Daniels, sometimes they sound alike.)
Without getting too deep into the world of blogging you’ll see many more bloggers slow down their travel pace. That will lead to an improvement of the quality of what they produce, whether it’s writing, photography, or video. I’ll also predict independent travel blogs will see some very strong competition from a large outside force.
Where Do You See 2012 Going?
End of the world? The year we finally find out the pyramids were built by aliens? Do we discover time travel is possible from a visitor who arrives from the future?
I’m ready to hear your travel predictions for 2012 large and small in the comments below. We’ll meet up here again in, say, a year from now to find out how we did. Taking bets optional.
Low Budget Travel Tricks You Can Use To Overcome Big Budget Problems: Part 3
Now here you stand great traveler, with all of the power in your hands, expertly wielded with your mind. Nature was subdued in Part 1 and nicking nicked in Part 2. But with great power comes great temptation on the journey we travel. You’ll need to make new allies and rely on ancient texts to guide your quest as lord of the wings.
Upgrade Your Tech For Free From The Inside Out
I really wish I could send all of you a few thousand dollars to buy a bunch of new fancy gadgets but until I can, let’s talk about upgrading what you already have. Remember, gadgets are hardware and software – and software is often you can do something about right away. When it comes to unlocking your phone – Android, iPhone, or otherwise I’ve got you covered with my complete guide to unlocking mobiles. You can do things like add multi-tasking, games, and other apps not available directly for your version of phone. On top of that, you’ll get the added benefit of being able to choose any carrier you want around the world and at home.
Going Apple? – I’ve mentioned a few times before that several PC netbooks are compatible enough to run Mac OS X – with some modifications. If you’re up for creating a Hackintosh that’s one thing but when it comes to tablets it’s another.
- Talking Tablets – iPads aren’t the only tablets on the market – Samsung’s Galaxy 10.1 is a nice competitor – but basically the same price. Rather, if you happened to get a Kindle Fire or (in my opinion superior device) Nook Tablet over New Year’s you can root either (Nook Guide – Kindle Guide) to access to the full Android store. A solid tablet for $250 less than you might pay otherwise. (On a side note, the next version of the iPad will be released by April this year and it’s rumored that the current iPad 2s will drop $100. So, if you can wait until spring, your wallet will likely thank you.)
- Extend Your Battery Life And Wireless Range – Both are easier than you may believe.
- Get Better Alarm Clocks Across Timezones – These 3 methods work across laptops, phones, and other portable devices if you’ve been oversleeping one too many times.
- Take Better Photos With The Same Camera – Software can go a long way to improving your travel photos too.
Finally, if you’ve got a desktop at home, the office, or your parents house you can create your own mini cloud to backup, speed up downloads, and get around Internet censorship. Here’s how to make the most out of your desktop while traveling.
Airlines Beware Nerdy Ninjas Await
The airlines have money and can make metal tubes fly across oceans but you’ve got the world’s largest collection of knowledge at your disposal. First though, let’s go old school. Very, very, old school.
- The Art Of War - Whether it’s literally (don’t fight uphill battles) or figuratively (don’t fight uphill battles) Sun Tzu’s timeless advice can help you win many battles at the ticket counter. (And elsewhere, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read; I highly recommend it.)
- Get More Frequent Flyer Miles – In 8 minutes for the reluctant of you out there.
- Weave Yourself Around Airline Fees – For free you can fly with baggage without the fee.
Now let’s bring out the big guns. Here’s how to use the entire Internet to stand up to the airlines when you need to.
Beat The Bling, Fight Temptation, And Shave Your Hairy Budget
When you’re already off on vacation or traveling it’s easy to dismiss the impact ATM, foreign transaction, and other miscellaneous fees can have on your budget. Avoid wasting your funds unnecessarily (imagine how many beers you could buy) by choosing the right bank before going overseas. In case that’s too late or you’re just extremely diligent, for all its faults, Mint.com does a heck of a job notifying you of fees you’ve paid but could be avoiding. From credit cards to coupons, Mint will also automatically suggest improvements based on your spending. Why think when a technology can do it for you – focus those brain cells on beautiful sunsets or amazing views – it’s what travel is all about.
- Miss Flights For Free – I have a tendency to never be on time and this is a skill I’ve perfected over a lifetime of being late and skipping college exams.
- Exchange Cash The Star Trek Way – Need to borrow a few bucks from a friend or perhaps want to payback your friend Pat Stewart for all of those Romulan ales? Well, Paypal for one lets you bump phones to give and take cash. It’s one of many apps using Bump Technologies.
How much would a week in Indonesia cost you? Budget Your Trip knows the answer to that and many other destinations. Remember preparation and anticipation is what makes the difference between a guy who gets beat up and Batman.
The road is a long one for a traveler without shoes, stamina, or smarts. You are now not one of them, armed with the knowledge of Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.
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