Blog - foXnoMad

Set Course: Geek Takeover Week 2019, Engage!

by Anil Polat | Aug 19, 2019 | Site News | 0

iowa riverside star trek

Hi. This might be out of the blue in case you’re new here but Geek Takeover Week is an annual occurrence. A week full of posts with a lot of geekiness, doses of travel or tech optional. Each day this week there will be a new post (with some from guest authors) to help close August out. You’re probably traveling right now, taking a vacation of your own so the nerdy side of my cerebellum has control of foXnoMad. Set your inertial dampeners to maximum, we’re going to warp…

Monday: Set Course: Geek Takeover Week 2019, Engage!

Tuesday: Is Globalism The First Step To Star Trek’s Utopian Society?

Wednesday: The Girl In The Bar

Thursday: The Best Travel Memes On The Internet

Friday: What Are The Odds Of A Meteor Hitting A Plane In Flight?

Regular, twice a week posts will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd. If you’re interested in participating in next year’s Geek Takeover Week, feel free to get in touch. Until then, accept this gift from the Founders, may it keep you strong.

Taking A Short Break On A Break

by Anil Polat | Aug 6, 2019 | Site News | 0

Hi, just a short note from me that things will be a bit quiet on the blog during August. For those of you who are new around here, each August I publish my annual Geek Takeover Week. Since that week is a full 5 days of posts, I typically don’t post the week before or after. (Digesting all of that geeky goodness takes time.) Add on top of that a Turkish holiday in between and it means outside of Geek Takeover Week starting on August 19th, there won’t be any new posts.

But I’ll still be uploading on YouTube twice a week (why don’t you join me over there to ease the withdrawal?) Plus I’ve made a few tweaks to the About me page, as well as added some upcoming travel plans. You’ll also have a few giveaway announcements in my newsletter this Wednesday too.

Talk soon! And I always have trouble keeping quiet so why not let me know what you’re up to in the comments below 🙂
-Anil

Gear Travel Bloggers Carry Episode 2: Derek Baron’s Minimalist Tech Setup

by Anil Polat | Aug 1, 2019 | Luggage, Pictures and Video, Tech | 1

It’s fair to say I travel with a fairly large tech setup with things like a drone and multiple hard drives which is even more evident when comparing it to the minimalist setup Derek Baron has. Derek, who writes Wandering Earl, has been traveling for 19 years and manages his tour company Wandering Earl Tours from a mobile office that fits entirely into his Timbuk2 Command Messenger Bag.

TIMBUK2 Command Messenger Bag, Carbon Full-Cycle Twill, Medium

You can see all the gear Derek travels with in the video above: Episode 2 of Gear Travel Bloggers Carry. His setup is much less photography oriented than Jessie Festa’s gear bag and includes some unorthodox items that may give you a few packing ideas, particularly useful if you’re a messy eater.

Targus’ CityLite Pro Backpack Is A Great Bag With One Big Flaw

by Anil Polat | Jul 30, 2019 | Luggage, Pictures and Video | 0

The first time you see the Targus CityLite Pro it is sleek, spacious, and thoughtfully pocketed in a way frequent travelers can admire. Clearly durable with thick nylon, sturdy zippers, the CityLite Pro is an enticing backpack but there’s one side of it that might put many people off – the side without a zipper. For all of wise design choices made with the CityLite Pro, I had trouble getting over the front zipper. You can see the complaint I had in my video above and let me know if that would annoy you too.

Targus CityLite Pro Modern Premium Convertible Backpack for...

How To Replace Your iPhone Battery With A Better One

by Anil Polat | Jul 25, 2019 | Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

You new iPhone battery’s life is decent for a year, then starts becoming ever useless (as the phone slows down on purpose) rather conveniently as the next generation is about to be released. A bad battery is annoying in general but especially frustrating if you’re traveling and don’t have as frequent access to a USB port. (Be careful with those by the way.) Fortunately, if you’re feeling bold and your out of the 12 month warranty, it’s possible to replace an iPhone battery for around $20.

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On top of that, these replacement batteries have about 20% more capacity, allowing even a fairly heavy user to get through most of the day without a charge. Yes, you can finally be able to trust that percentage meter (no more 20% to 0 instantly) again too. Replacement batteries come in complete kits but the instructions aren’t the best. You can watch me take apart an iPhone 6s in the video above and upgrade your own battery with 20 minutes of effort – or if you’re still not convinced, try this ultra-thin charging case.

The Inateck Backpack Is An Aer Knockoff $200 Cheaper And Pretty Good Too

by Anil Polat | Jul 25, 2019 | Luggage, Money, Pictures and Video, Travel | 0

Typically when you’ve got a knockoff – ok, it’s technically not one – but if you look at the Inateck 30L Backpack and compare it to the Aer Travel Pack 2, you get the idea. As I was saying, knockoffs in electronics can often be close to the quality for the price of the brand version. When it comes to physical products like bags however, the drop-off is generally more pronounced. Yes, there are big savings but you sacrifice so much in quality over time, it ends up being more practical to go brand in the long run.

The Inateck 30L bag however, although it’s not as good as the Aer Travel Pack 2, might still have enough to consider, particularly if you want to save $200. You can watch my full review in the video above or read on.

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Gentle Enough

For travelers who don’t demand a lot from their baggage, Inateck’s good but otherwise not outstanding nylon stitching should provide a decent lifetime of use. A little less nylon means the Inateck is lighter too, around 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds) compared to the 1.7kg (3.7lbs) of the Aer Travel Pack 2. Though the Inateck tends to flop over when it’s not full mainly due to the internal padding being ever so slightly thinner.

inateck 30l backpack

Good Design Cues

Ripping off the design of the Travel Pack 2 (here’s my full review of that bag) and improving on it somewhat is something Inateck has pulled off well. The annoying shoe compartment of the Aer is collapsible in the Inateck, compression straps a bit more manageable, though it’s missing the very handy quick grab pocket that works great for passports.

Unpolished But $200?

Inateck’s 30L backpack is not one I’d trust for a frequent traveler, particularly if you’re going to be throwing this bag around a lot in less than ideal trains, taxis, or dinghy boats. Inteck has cut costs, a lot of them, meaning the zippers are hardly weather resistant, fabric you don’t want to snag, and straps that aren’t as comfortable as they could be. Still, for the different of $200, unless you’re looking for a premium backpack in the Aer Travel Pack 2, the Inateck may do just fine.