Despite the weak ruble exchange rate and the difficulties associated with obtaining a visa, many residents of the post-Soviet space dream, if not to move, then at least to visit North America at least once in their lives. Naturally, most of these potential tourists are from the younger generation, including many geeks and just tech-savvy people, for whom today's topic will be especially interesting – but even if you are not going to the States, you will probably be interested in reading about 7 things you need to know geek before going to the USA.
Charging gadgets
The first, and of course, is the problem with the outlets. Rather, with adapters. It is best to buy them in advance and take them with you, and not look for them at breakneck speed. In addition, in our country they cost an average of 300-400 rubles, and in American stores the price range ranges from $ 10 to $ 50. Even if you have prudently acquired an adapter, but take some other electronics with you, be sure to make sure that it is compatible with the American voltage of 110V.
Photo and video filming
In order to combat terrorism in the United States, it is forbidden to take pictures in the subway and on bridges of large cities, so be careful and do not draw too much attention to yourself if you have decided to test the camera of your new smartphone and still want to photograph something on the above objects. As for the rest, nothing unusual in photography and video shooting awaits you there, the only thing is that if you expect to buy cheaper shooting equipment there, it is better to take what you have with you from home: these categories of devices in America are no cheaper than in our countries . Also here it is worth mentioning the rules for owning and using quadcopters, here the weight and dimensions of the drone are taken into account, and, of course, the presence of a camera.
Calendars and Time
Upon arrival in America, some people cannot get used to the local date system for a long time: (first month, then day and year). Over time, a similar situation: the civilian population uses exclusively the 12-hour system, and with the 24-hour system, which is used only by the military, almost none of the ordinary residents is familiar. Therefore, if you plan an important event or arrange any event, then consider this fact. In addition, due to the huge area of the country, several time zones operate in the United States at once. The advice is the same – check the time when you make an appointment or a phone call … well, or wait for a presentation of a hotly discussed smartphone.
Terrain orientation
Those who rent a car upon arrival (and due to the maximum simplicity of this service there are many such travelers, especially in the southern states), you should definitely install a navigator on your smartphone, it will make life much easier when looking for a specific place, and even if you are a banal taxi ride not prevent.
Content
All those optional, but useful components of your gadget, which in certain situations will simplify your life, are hidden under this item. So, minus the notorious navigator, you will, of course, need a translator – preferably with a voice translation function. Google's app is perfect for this role, so let's not dwell on this point. Of the non-obvious things, your home pictures, family photos will come in handy. Americans will be interested to look at the photographs of your family, to learn something new about the country from which you came. This will make it easier for you to establish contact with new colleagues, school friends and acquaintances. Why am I all this: naturally, all modern cloud storages cope well with these tasks, but not everyone can get unlimited access to the Web, so it's better to immediately download everything you need to your devices before the trip.
Communication
In addition to transport, the first step is to get a SIM card from a local operator. The best choice would be a package with unlimited Internet traffic – yes, it is expensive, but the value of communication with the right people is more important. К примеру, у T-Mobile пакет с неограниченными услугами стоит $70, у Verizon — от $80, а у AT&T и Sprint — $100. If you still do not have enough funds for such services, then in the United States, free Wi-Fi is 100% likely to be found in three places:
- Libraries (their addresses for each city are easy to find on the Internet before leaving, to find in city directories, or just ask local residents)
- Parks
- In Apple Center
- At Starbucks eateries
Having reached one of the access points, a good solution would be to download the offline version of the translator application and do the same operation with navigation utilities (by the way, Maps.me or Google Maps would be an excellent choice).
P.S. Friends, if you know something from personal experience that I have not mentioned, you can feel free to write your notes in the comments, perhaps your advice will be enough for one more material!