There are a fair few tech issues to sort out. Paying by the day for mobile is not an option. A Japanese SIM card seems the way to go. For that to work, I need to get my phone unlocked. Not insurmountable, but it has to happen before I leave.
And if I have a Japanese phone number, my family will have to FaceTime me. Not a big deal. There’s also Google Voice or Signal. My US colleagues will also have to use Signal for texting. Again, not a big deal, but these are all important considerations (and tasks!) that have to get sorted. Speaking of to-do items, at least I got my passport updated before the federal upheaval.
Another predeparture task is securing a VPN provider. If I want to be sure I can access US media content, that’s a must. Fortunately, I found one with a generous free trial that I can active right before I leave.
Back to tech. I’m also quite accustomed to my home office setup with 2 monitors (plus laptop screen). It really does make my life easier. That will be the biggest technical adjustment. An iPad as a second screen is likely my best option. NGL, that’s going to feel rather primitive. Of course it’s better than my Compaq 386 and HiRes monitor, but that’s not the point.
As yet I don’t know what my office setup will be like on campus. Perhaps that will be my primary work location. The apartment is rather small and I’m guessing the desk won’t be particularly spacious. Must add those questions to my to-do list!
That list I started? Lots of tech items on that now. Hubs, adapters (although Japan is similar to the US), chargers, cords, Logi camera, my favorite trackball, iPod, JBL Bluetooth speaker, AirPods. Yikes.
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