Get a local data SIM card when you travel so you can hop online at lower rates instead of racking up data roaming charges.

That plus a device like this Vertix may save you from huge phone bill.

So if you can get it, using a local data SIM when overseas is a no-brainer. But sharing that bandwidth with your laptop, tablet and smartphone can be trickier.

Use a 3G wireless router or Mi-Fi device like this Vertix. It becomes your own hot spot that your devices can log on to.

This gadget works just like your home router. But it is battery driven so you can use it even when you are en route to a meeting in a speeding taxi. Charging is via a standard mini-USB port so there is no need to pack an additional charger when you travel.

The Vertix is the size of a memory card reader. It fits easily in your pocket. Compared to another battery-driven 3G router of about the same price, the Edimax 3G-6218n, the Vertix is only half the size.

To work, such routers need a USB modem dongle, the type that is supplied by telcos with mobile data subcriptions – unlike Huawei models that have integrated modems.

Within 25 seconds of powering it up, it could connect an iPhone 4S and HTC Desire HD to it. We tested two USB dongles with it with a ZTE MF626 and Huawei E1550.

A straightforward set-up is needed via a Web browser. For convenience, the settings for the networks in more than 40 countries are preloaded: from Argentina to Singapore.

Streamimg the high-definition version of the trailer for the Hobbit on an iPhone 4S up to 20m away across office cubicle space without much problem. This little gizmo pumps out more than enough bandwidth for a hotel room.

The device is rated for four hours. It lasted about that time in continuous testing.

• Wireless range of up to 10m
• Battery life of up to eight hours
• 1.3kg

Good looks can be deceiving and this was unfortunately true for the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker. Sporting a beautiful brushed metal grille and a simple but classy design, this portable Bluetooth speaker scores high in the looks department.

Weighing a hefty 1.3kg and the size of two CD jewel cases put side by side, it is much bulkier compared to other Bluetooth speakers.

While the SoundLink produced better sound than the average wireless speaker, it did not deliver the sound quality that I would expect from one with such a steep price tag.

Mid-tones came across a little too stiff. While the treble notes were clear, I felt that they sounded a tad too shrill for my liking. The bass notes disappointed me the most. They lacked the richness and punch that I have come to expect from the Bose brand.

Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker
This wireless speaker can play music through a wireless connection from any Bluetooth device.

Connecting a device, such as an iOS or Android smartphone to the SoundLink was a fuss-free, one-step affair.

For devices that do not support Bluetooth, the SoundLink has an auxiliary 3.5mm audio-in jack.

I did not notice a significant difference between the sound quality of a track played via the Bluetooth connection and the auxiliary-in connection.

This SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker can be plugged to a power source or rely on its built-in Lithium-ion battery. The rechargeable battery stores enough juice for about eight hours of music playback and takes about three hours to fully charge.

This feature makes it great for longer getaways when you have no access to a power source.

Its weight and large size do not make this Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker suitable as a travel speaker as well.

Click for more on Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker.

Connectivity WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0; data speed up to 150Mbps

Looking to stay connected wherever you are?

Prolink’s new WNR1011 4G Wireless-N Mobile Router lets you do just that. The router, enhanced with 802.11 b/g/n technology, lets you create a wireless hotspot just about anywhere with the insertion of a 3G or 4G dongle, so you can easily access your favorite Internet sites. Sleek, portable and compact, the router’s casing even
has a compartment to store your USB 2.0 cable so you’ll never forget the essentials. The powerful WNR1011 has a data speed of up to 150Mbps and can support up to a maximum of 20 WiFi users, with its built-in 2400mAh lithium ion battery lasting up to six hours on a full charge.

• Rechargeable battery
• 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi
• USB port, aux-in
• 2.72kg

The iHome iW1 is among the first few devices featuring Apple’s AirPlay technology and it runs on both wall and battery power.

This sound system can playback wireless audio streams piped by sources like your PC or Mac’s iTunes, iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone. The latter two can also hook up to the iW1 via the speakers’ USB port.

An aux-in port provides added flexibility to connect other MP3 players and audio gadgets via a 3.5mm stereo cable.

The iW1‘s minimalist black design with silver trim should sit well in any room. A discreet slot on the back panel serves as a convenient handle to carry the speakers around.

Bass is slightly lacking but the sound was still energetic enough to get me moving to Smashing Pumpkins’ Feed The Tree.

There were moments when the wireless audio stream was interrupted briefly, but I attributed it to the average signal strength from my router in the living room to both my laptop and the iW1 in the bedroom.

In any case, the setup already has a better range than Bluetooth systems.

Battery life is surprisingly decent – it lasted a total of 5.5 hours over two separate sessions of wireless streaming at 25 per cent volume.

Get it now iHome iW1 AirPlay Wireless Stereo Speaker System with Rechargeable Battery from Amazon at special price.

• Image Sensor: VGA CMOS sensor
• Video resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (up to 30 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: MicroSD
• Zoom: 4x digital zoom
• Recording medium: MicroSD/Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: , 130 degrees (horizontal), 55.6 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: No
• Night vision: Yes
• WPS connectivity: No
• Mobile app: Available in Android and iOS, free

For an IP camera that cannot pan and tilt, the price is rather expensive. However, it is the only fixed-position IP camera that has a microSD memory card slot.

It is sturdily constructed, with a solid metallic base and stand that requires assembly. It has a rotating ball head that allows you to tilt the camera up to 55.6degrees vertically.

The easiest access is via Prolink’s mobile app, mLiveView. Enter the camera ID and password on the app and it takes less than 2seconds to see the feed, even on a 3G network. You can view it from anywhere at any time.

On all the platforms, the video image quality is good and sharp, with correct color rendition. In auto mode, it switches quickly to the infrared function within 3seconds or so of you switching off the lights. The black and white infrared video images are clear.

The built-in microphone is quite sensitive, perhaps too much so, as it even picks up ambient noise such as the whir of my PC’s cooling fan.

• Image sensor: VGA CMOS sensor
• Video resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (up to 20 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: No
• Zoom: 4x digital zoom
• Recording medium: Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: 45.3 degrees (horizontal), 34.5 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: No
• Night vision: Yes
• WPS connectivity: Yes
• Mobile app: Available in Android and iOS, free

As with any D-Link IP camera, the DCS-932L Wireless Network Camera is very easy to install.

The video images are sharp, with accurate color reproduction. They look much better than those produced by its more expensive cousin, the Dlink DCS-5230L. On the downside, the auto infrared function seems to be too sensitive, activating when the lighting gets only slightly darker and even when there is still fluorescent light.

You do have the option to force it to be in either day mode or infrared mode all the time. The infrared mode is great for picking up all the little details, even in a pitch-dark room.

It does not have any audio-out port where you can plug in a speaker for two-way communication. However, it has a built-in microphone that allows users to hear what is going on. This works for both the Web application and the mydlink Lite app.

If all you want is to stare at your baby without any disturbing panning or tilting sounds, this camera fits the bill nicely with its modest price tag.

Click to get this D-Link DCS-932L Wireless-N Network Camera now.

• Image sensor: VGA CMOS sensor
• Video resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (up to 30 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: None
• Zoom: No
• Recording medium: Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: 75 degrees (horizontal), 75 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: Yes
• Night vision: Yes
• WPS connectivity: No
• Mobile app: No

This is one of the most affordable IP Camera, yet it has night vision, wireless capability and two-way communication with a built-in microphone.

But it is only with the Internet Explorer browser that you will be able to listen and talk through the camera if there is a speaker plugged in.

The video feed is easily picked up on the browser and the installed software.

The video-image quality is not bad, especially for the price. The infra-red night vision kicks in almost immediately when the lights go off.

There is no app but a built-in server supports a real-time live video feed from a browser on your smartphone.

But it does not work out of the box. You need to configure the port forwarding settings on your router before you can access the IP camera from your smartphone.

An alternative is to schedule the camera to capture video snapshots and send these to your e-mail or an FTP server.

• Image sensor: VGA CMOS sensor
• Video resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (up to 30 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: MicroSD
• Zoom: 4x digital zoom
• Recording medium: MicroSD/Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: 130 degrees (horizontal), 90 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: No
• Night vision: No
• WPS connectivity: No
• Mobile app: Available in Android and iOS, free

Appearance-wise, it looks like those surveillance cameras you find in your local convenience store or office.

This ProLink PIC1003WP has the best image quality, with accurate and vibrant colors. It is also the most quiet. You can hardly hear a sound when the lens is panning and tilting.

The audio feed is also clear and sharp – the large microphone in front of the camera means you can clearly hear what is happening. But there is no audio out, so you cannot really tell your son to stop mucking around.

The real-time video feed is virtually lag-free when you access the camera on the installed software, a browser or its mobile app, mLiveView.

Swipe on the video itself to pan and tilt the image and the camera obeys accordingly. You can enlarge the video by swiping with two fingers.

Even on a 3G network, the mobile app translates your swipes into pans and tilts almost instantaneously. While the app does not officially support the iPad, you can still use it on the tablet with no issues.

• Image sensor: 1.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor
• Video resolution: 1,280 x 1,024 pixels (up to 15 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: SD
• Zoom: 4x digital zoom
• Recording medium: SD/Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: 355 degrees (horizontal), 120 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: Yes
• Night vision: Yes
• WPS connectivity: Yes
• Mobile app: Available in Android and iOS, free

Unlike D-Link DCS-5230L IP camera, this Edimax IC-7110W does not have a spherical cover. Its open concept allows it to rotate nearly 360 degrees horizontally, allowing for a wide field of vision.

The video images tend towards red and blue. In some instances, black actually becomes blue. The night vision works perfectly, though.

Despite claiming to have two-way audio with its built-in microphone and audio out port, I did not manage to pick up any sounds. When you plug in a speaker, the audio output works.

The app works better than the browser when it comes to moving the camera – simply swipe the video feed to do so. There is around half a second of lag from the time you swipe the video feed to the time the camera starts to move.

The iOS app is compatible with both the iPhone and iPad. So you need to download the app only once.

However, there were many occasions when I simply could not connect to the camera on either a Wi-Fi or 3G network. You also cannot talk through it.

• Image sensor: 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor
• Video resolution: 1,280 x 1,024 pixels (up to 10 frames per second)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Memory card slot: MicroSD
• Zoom: 16x digital zoom
• Recording medium: MicroSD/Network-attached storage
• Viewing angle: 310 degrees (horizontal), 90 degrees (vertical)
• Audio out: Yes
• Night vision: Yes
• WPS connectivity: Yes
• Mobile app: Available in Android and iOS, free

The price of this D-Link DCS-5230L wireless camera is at the high-side but it has all the bells and whistles that you could wish for in an Internet protocol (IP) camera, from night vision to Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) connectivity.

You can access the camera from anywhere, either using a browser or via the app mydlink Lite.

The video images tend to look washed out and the colors seem wrong, even in natural light. However, the infrared night vision works very well.

It has two-way audio communication with its built-in microphone and, when you plug in a speaker, you can listen to what your children are doing and then remind them to do their homework, for example.

With D-Link’s mobile app, it takes up to 2seconds after you press on the virtual directional key before the camera starts moving. You can zoom in with a virtual slider, albeit slowly.

The iPad app, mydlink+, costs US$0.99. It does pretty much the same thing but on a bigger screen.