Sherman's Travel

It’s a fact: a Nielsen study concluded earlier this year that half of all mobile phone users in America are now using smartphones. That’s an astounding growth rate for a new technology, and it has placed an enormous amount of pressure on U.S. carriers to deliver uninterrupted service to all of these new devices. Years ago, “dropped calls” were the worst. These days, not being able to check your e-mail on the go is a far more frequently heard gripe.

With the introduction of 4G LTE, a next-generation protocol for delivering high-speed Internet to your phone, there’s a very real race in terms of expansion. Particularly for business travelers, who can easily use their smartphones to provide instant Wi-Fi access to nearby tablets and laptops, choosing a carrier with broad LTE coverage makes a lot of sense. Read more

Consumer technology moves faster and faster each year. Just five years ago, the iPhone didn’t exist. Just think about that for a minute. The pace of innovation in technology is one that has never before been rivaled, and it’s convinced us to start a new recurring series where we discuss the gadgets and gizmos that we’re frequently using to make our travel-filled lives a bit easier.

As for me, I’m usually swimming in gadgets. But being a gadget critic has shown me that exceptionally few gadgets actually have a lasting impact. Presently, the gadget I find myself using the most is Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus. It’s one of the cheapest high-end Android smartphones that you can buy in an unlocked fashion (enabling it to be used freely on all carriers around the globe), and it’s bound to get even more affordable now that LG’s Nexus 4 has taken its place atop Google’s flagship pedestal. I adore my iPhone 4S, but there’s no question that the Maps application in Android is superior. When it comes to getting me from Point A to Point B, I trust Google Maps implicitly. Read more