Re: [tlug] Best communications-enabled, efficient visit

["Daniel A. Ramaley" <daniel.ramaley@example.com>]

On 2016-06-15 at 21:44:08 David J Iannucci wrote:
> I will be visiting Tokyo later this month for a couple weeks and this
> time in particular, I want to have a very efficient visit in which I
> have easy access to info on-line while on the run, and easy
> communications with people. ... I really am a bit of a dinosaur: I
> don't have a smartphone even at home, and so only use "traditional"
> computers for Internet access.

Hello. By chance are you considering using a smartphone at home in the 
future? If so, then you might just get one now and use it in Japan. 
That's what i do and it works quite well. My carrier lets me have free 
data and texts when roaming internationally though; if your carrier does 
not have that then it might get expensive. (I do have to pay for voice 
calls when roaming, but i use few enough minutes that the charge is 
acceptable.)

Advantages to just bringing my normal phone and using it is that i'm 
very familiar with all the applications on it and how to use it. So no 
learning curve as there inevitably would be with a rental. I use 
Android, and created a second Google account for myself that is 
localized to Japan so that i can download apps that are region-locked to 
Japan. Since my phone just works on the Japanese cell network, i don't 
worry too much about finding wi-fi hotspots.

__
Daniel A. Ramaley  |  Server Engineer 2
Information Technology Services (ITS) | Drake University

T: +1 (515) 271-4540
F: +1 (515) 271-1938
E: daniel.ramaley@example.com