Review of Seagate's FreeAgent Go Hard Drive

A while back I reviewed a Western Digital portable hard drive that I've used on a road a few times and this past week I tried out Seagate's version, called the FreeAgent Go.

At only 6.4 ounces and a mere 4.8 by 3.9 inches, taking this Seagate portable drive along on your travels is no big sacrifice. The one I tested holds 160GB, which would be enough to hold every digital photo I have taken and every song I have burned or downloaded.

A hard drive is a hard drive though, right? Besides the "pulsing amber glow" to illuminate your way, the main factor helping this rise above commodity status is the included Ceedo and FreeAgent software. The latter syncs up folders of your choosing and also serves a similar function to the Roboform software I tried out recently, allowing you to carry along all your favorites and log-ins so you don't have to start from scratch every time you log in from another computer and your passwords are secure. "Your FreeAgent Go data mover saves all of your private information on itself, not on the computer you're using. It also provides strong file encryption to protect your content and lets you sync your files from several PCs," the company says.

Some of this left me a bit befuddled though. When I plugged it into my computer, I had to go through a long set-up process involving five registry permission warnings from my security software and several "loading program" messages that stopped whatever I was working on at the time. All in all it took 11 minutes and a reboot to install. Plus taking up two USB ports is seems more of a hinderance than a help, especially if you're using Internet cafes in developing countries. Perhaps in a lab this makes it perform faster, but I didn't notice any difference compared to saving files to my other hard drives.

Be warned too that in an attempt to be minimalist and hip, Seagate encloses almost no instructions and the manual is stored as a PDF file on the device itself. But hey, they have technical support people ready and there's a 5-year warranty, so they're not going to bail on you.

The Ceedo software supposedly lets you launch applications you have on your home computer from another computer you have this plugged into, but it seems quite hit and miss on which ones work and instructions are lacking. I hope in time I'll be able to figure out how to launch and use Thunderbird and Firefox from here in the same way I would on my home computer, syncing up between uses. That's not covered in the very basic instructions though, so time will tell if it's feasible to just leave the laptop at home and use this at public computers.

Meanwhile, it's a great storage device in a compact package, with software that easily syncs key folders containing documents, photos, or music. Selling for around $130 or less for 160 GBs, it's a good value---just treat the fancier functions of the software as a bonus.


Check Seagate Prices at Shopzilla

I Use the Gear I Cover, Part 2

About a year ago I did a posting on how I really use the travel gear I review on this blog instead of just regurgitating press releases or gushing "Isn't this cool!" about something that looks great but doesn't actually work very well. While I'll occasionally point to what others have said about some quirky item that sounds fun, I try to put everything I write up through its proper paces. Often that means taking it with me as I travel.

As a travel writer, I am out and about quite a bit, like the 9 days I just spent in Panama. Here's what worked, and worked well.

Altec Lansing iPod speaker
There are some wierd quirks to the design of this thing (pictured above), but it delivers where it really matters: in the sound. A great bang for the buck.

Energizer battery charger
Speakers need batteries, but this small charger allows me to keep them primed without sending acid to the landfill (or in developing countries, the side of the road.)

Eagle Creek Wallaby hanging cosmetic case
I've used one of these things on every trip I've taken longer than a weekend for the past 16 years. A great item for when counter space is limited and it allows you to find what you need in a hurry.

Eagle Creek Meridian backpack
This is one of those convertible backpacks that zips up into a suitcase. So whether I'm going first class or low class, I'm ready. Works as a carry-on too, so no lost luggage when making connections.

Western Digital portable hard drive
I've got most of my desktop and all my photos on this thing as a backup, yet it weighs hardly anything and doesn't take up much room. Even has a little travel carrying case. I back up my photos to this every day or two and keep it in a separate place so if my camera and/or laptop disappear, I've still got my pics.

Buzz Off shirt from Ex-Officio
An extra layer of bug protection is a good thing in the tropics. This long-sleeve shirt with thumb holes helps keep them away from my skin. Right now there's a clearance sale too at the official site: BUZZ OFF Clothing at ExOfficio.com

Laptop backpack from eBags
I've been putting this thing through hard paces for two years now, using it every week and taking it to eight different countries.

Eagle Creek Packing Folder for Shirts

One of the toughest packing challenges is keeping your dress shirts or blouses looking decent after you have stuffed them into a suitcase for 8 to 24 hours. I've tried all kinds of bags and devices (and switched to mostly wrinkle-free shirts), but this Eagle Creek Pack-it-Folder delivers better than most.

It doesn't look all that different from many other similar items, but it comes with a secret weapon: a "packing board" inside that you fold your shirt over to make it fit perfectly. Then you slide the thin plastic piece out and do the same with the next shirt. This enables the shirts or blouses to fit into a smaller space than they would if you did it haphazardly. Also, it has a double-fold, double-velcro clasp system that keeps everything held down tightly. I'm not sure I'd stuff in the 8 to 12 items Eagle Creek says it will hold, but I've done fine with 6 dress shirts.

As with any flat shirt packing pocket, your collars will get crushed regardless, so you might want to wear that $200 Brooks Brothers French cuffs shirt with a starched collar onto the plane. Otherwise, stuff away.

The Pack-it-Folders come in three sizes and enough colors to match nearly any luggage ensemble, with a list price from $22 to $28. Order online at the following:

EagleCreek.com

Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder from Backcountry.com

Pack-it-folders at Magellan's

Items for the Fit Traveler

I’m not the kind of guy who puts a lot of thought into exercising each day while traveling, but some people care because it’s their passion. Others care because they’re business travelers who would soon turn into rotund blobs if they didn’t work out while on the road. So here are a few items from fitness company Sportsline that are good for the fit traveler or runner.

The handy ThinQ is billed as “the world’s thinnest pedometer,” so it got my attention as an item that won’t be hard to pack. More like a credit card than the usual pager-type pedometer, it’s only a few millimeters thick. It’s dead easy to use too. You just measure off your strides, set your stride length, and then start walking (or running). You’ll find out if those 5 miles you thought you walked were really 2 and if you’re in training for something, you can accurately check your distance. If you punch a few more keys, it’ll guess how many calories you’ve burned as well. The ThinQ is available at sports and gear stores and lists for $30. It works while stowed in any pocket and there is nothing to strap on.

The $40 Trail Tracker is a simple solution to a common problem while running, biking, or inline skating—staying hydrated. The Trail Tracker buckles around your waist and holds a large (included) water bottle. It has pockets for your keys or money. Sportsline isn’t happy with a low-tech item like this though, so no need to get this and a ThinQ. It has its own pedometer. So if you are the type who likes to hike the Alps or Andes with walking poles in each hand, this item will let you carry your water bottle easily and tell you how far you've walked that day.

The last item we tried out, the Solo 960 Sport Watch, didn’t go over so well, suffering from the ole “feature creep” problem. Like the proverbial Christmas present that takes all afternoon to get working, “the world’s only heart rate watch and accelerometer combination” is a bit too much of a good thing: heart monitor, pedometer, watch, alarm, and chronograph, with multiple functions to choose from for each aspect. If you’re the type that knows how to use one of those scientific calculators with 48 buttons then you might have better luck than I did getting it set up and programmed in under an hour.

I was mostly interested in this because it is a heart monitor without the chest strap, in theory much less annoying. My personal trainer wife says it’ll work best for runners though as it was way too sensitive and button-riddled for anyone riding a bike or doing some kind of gym workout. Note that the monitoring is not always on—you have to press a button each time you want to check your heart rate. To me this seems like no big deal, but to her it was a major letdown.

Pick this up if you’ll mainly use it for long distance training and you’re a computer programmer at heart. List price $100.

Take Your Log-ins with RoboForm2Go

How many passwords do you have for the websites you visit? Since Firefox or IE fills many of them in for you, do you even remember what half of them are? With this nifty RoboForm2Go software and USB, you can pop into Internet cafes during your travels and not have to remember 7 passwords for 32 sites. Plus it keeps you secure by eliminating worries about keystroke loggers or cookies left behind on a strange computer.

RoboForm is billed as a "password management solution" and in my tests it performed its tasks admirably. I plugged the USB into my home computer, did a quick install, and went about my business. As I logged into sites, the software saved my user name and password info, asking me if I wanted to password protect each one individually. (There's also a password for the program itself, in case you lose the USB or leave it plugged in somewhere.) The first time I filled my vitals into a form, it remembered that info so I could do it in a snap in the future.

The first time I tried to use this on a public computer I was denied: my local library has software installed that keeps you from opening any executables. So this won't help me there. When I went on a friend's computer though, it worked like a charm, putting a toolbar into the browser and automatically filling in my specific log-in information for each site I visited. You even have a tab on the browser listing every site you've logged into from your home computer. When I was ready to go, it erased my tracks from the USB (nothing is stored on the computer itself) and it was like I was never there.

It will also generate random passwords as well, if you need to change them constantly for a site you manage. If you want to see all the other nifty functions and security features, check out the Roboform website.

If you buy the software with a $9.95 256MB USB drive, it's dead easy to use and you can load the drive up with all your essential documents when you take it on the road. Or you can buy the software and download it onto your own thumb drive. I found the pricing info on the website to be confusing, with several different prices for the software (from $20 to $40) and no single price for the pre-loaded USB. Dig around and figure out what works for you. There's a free version you can try out for 30 days to see if it's worth the money.

If you spend a lot of time on other computers, this will certainly help you stay secure, surf faster, and sleep better and night. I'm definitely taking it on my next international trip.