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GEEK IS CHIC: The Hottest Travel Gadgets from the "CES"
Flash, Vista, Blu-ray, 3G, SMPS, 19" TFT, PCBA, IC drivers, OEM/ODM, VoIP, mixed-signal ICs…
Huh?
Seriously.
HUH?!
This is just some of the language I was bombarded with at this year's Consumer Electronics Show--a.k.a. the annual "Mecca" for tech-geeks.
This sort-of verbiage is profiled in articles and press releases from there, mentioned in conversations, and thrown out to us, the average consumer, as if we understand,
as if we know what such lingo means! If you understand this talk, hats off to you. For me? My head began to hurt after the first few hours of tech bombardment,
and, I swear, it's still spinning as I try to make sense of this new electronics age. It's so overwhelming, and moving so fast, it's enough to make you want to throw
all your electronics out the window and just live in a world of silence and snail mail. Electronics are supposed to help simplify our lives, not complicate them!
At least that's always been my philosophy. And the philosophy upon which the Compass lifestyle is built. So, in my never-ending mission to improve your traveling life,
I have braved several migraines and sifted through a few hundred products unveiled at the "CES" to find a handful of items that are truly cool road life-additions.
These days, it seems the cosmopolitan traveler needs a lot more than just their suitcase to survive away from home-think Jack Kerouac on the road, the modern version.
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Mobile Media Devices: for the Traveling Couch Potato
TV-TO-GO
DIRECTV Sat-Go--Looks like a briefcase. Open it up, inside's an LCD screen and DIRECTV receiver, so you can have satellite
TV anywhere, anytime. Cost: Lord only knows, but surely can't be cheap. Available: April.
V Cast Mobile TV--TV on a cell phone--streamed live, not downloaded. Major networks, some cable. Cost: Monthly fee
tba, plus compatible phone through Verizon (LG VX9400 recommended). Available: Late March.
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Direct TV Sat GO
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PORTABLE MUSIC
Samsung K5 MP3 player
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Samsung K5 MP3 player--Looks like a black iPod, but has a slide-out speaker that fills your hotel room with sound,
plus FM transmitter, alarm clock, and programmable snooze button. Cost: $259.99. Available: Now.
iSound Time Travel--This attaches to the MP3 Player you already have-has speakers and snooze alarm clock,
like the K5, but a charger instead of FM Radio. Cost: $59.99. Available: Now.
Sansa Connect--A Wi-Fi MP3 player that has internet radio to relieve the boredom of your own music library
AND allows you to easily share tunes directly, without limits on numbers of plays-a first in both arenas.
Cost: $249.99. Available: March.
iSound Tune Share--Turns one headphone output into two, so couples short on suitcase space can bring just
one iPod, but both listen to it. Cost: $14.99. Available: Now.
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PHOTO
Polaroid Media Backup Photo Edition--A portable hard drive just for photos that downloads your travel pics
automatically. 40 GB=40,000 photos not taking up space on your computer. Cost: $120. Available: Before April.
Gorillapod--A "flexible" tripod. Allows you to use a branch, railing or just about anything to hold your camera. Comes in 3 sizes. Very lightweight. Super-cool. Cost: $21.95-$54.95. Available: Now.
Digital Hero 3--Dick Tracy would love this: A tiny shockproof, waterproof camera for your wrist. Only 3 megapixels, but great for snowboarding, surfing, or running with the bulls in Pamplona. Cost: $140. Available: This month.
Brando Mobile Phone Telescope--A telephoto lens for your camera phone. Kooky-looking, but great for emergency zooms. Only compatible with Nokia & Sony Ericsson phones right now, but working on making it compatible with others within a couple of months. Cost: $19. Available: Now.
Kodak EX811 Photo Frame--A picture frame for the Jetsons-set with money to burn: Displays digital pics, slideshows, and video, with sound, all uploadable wirelessly. Cost: $230 (8" frame). Available: March.
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Gorillapod
Brando Mobile Phone Telescope
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VIDEO
Canon ZR850--This camera not only lets you shoot in widescreen, it also allows you to stay in "standby" mode for up to 30 minutes without wasting battery life, and resume shooting in less than a second-no more on-off switching/shooting delay. Cost: A very nice $329. Available: Now.
Sony DCR-SR300--Hard-drive camcorders mean no tapes, no disks (the stuff stays in the camera or on Memory Stick)-something I'm still not sold on. BUT, this camera can shoot video and still photos simultaneously AND has protective shock absorbers for us hurried klutzes who just can't help dropping things. Cost: $1000. Available: Ordering now, shipping in March.
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Business Travel Devices: for Those whose Pillow is their Laptop
MOBILE PHONE
SkyQube--Don't know VoIP yet? Learn it. Love it. It will be the wave of the future. Allows you to make super-cheap phone calls via the internet-completely borderless voice communication. Singapore's Qool SkyCube combines VoIP with your cell and landline services to automatically determine, and utilize, the cheapest of the three services every time you call anywhere, from anywhere. If traveling overseas, use it with a local SIM card to save buko-bucks in roaming and long distance charges. Also texts. Cost: $150. Available: TBA.
Samsung SCH-U740--Finally, the cell phone I've been waiting for…almost: a compact flip phone, with a full QWERTY keyboard. Flip it up one way for the keyboard and texting, another way to use like a normal phone, with traditional phone keypad-something most QWERTY phones are sorely missing. It also has Bluetooth, camera, video, music, etc. Problem is, it's only with Verizon, which has expensive email plans and comparatively negligible service overseas. Cost: TBA. Available: By April.
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Samsung SCH-U740
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POWER
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WildCharge--No more packing five chargers for your trips. This mousepad-sized device allows you to charge all your portable devices at once, simply by setting them on it. Cost: $50 for one that holds 3-5 small devices; $100 for one that holds your laptop, too. Available: 3-6 months.
LAPTOPS+
Ultra Mobile PC's--These were the talk of the show this year: touch-screen computers that are somewhere between your laptop and PDA, size- and functionality-wise. For non-Mac users, "UMPC's" are a nice lighter-weight travel alternative to a normal laptop, although the $1600+ cost seems to make that selling point much heavier. Until prices drop, Apple's new $600 iPhone, which is somewhat similar, but smaller, seems like a steal. Available: UMPC's: Now, iPhone: June.
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WildCharge
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NEC ShieldPRO--The memory still pains me: 3 am, writing furiously. Deadline in 5 hours. An entire Big Gulp-sized glass of water falling onto my laptop…Needless to say, I didn't make the deadline. But if I had a ShieldPRO Tablet PC back then, I wouldn't have had to worry-this rugged baby can survive falling off your desk, a Burning Man dust storm, temperatures of -4 to 122º F…and a whole bottle of water poured right on it. Cost: $2600. Available: TBA.
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MOBILE OFFICE
I-Tech Virtual Keyboard
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DocuPen RC700+--Pen-sized color scanner that can scan an entire page in less than 4 seconds and works with both PC's and Macs. Cost: $299.99. Available: Now.
Epos Digital Pen--This is a revolutionary tool for road-weary note-takers: a real pen that transfers your writing/sketches to your computer as you're writing--use Windows, and you can then transform your scribble into neat type with just the click of a button; further Mac-compatibility coming soon. Cost: Under $80. Available: May.
I-Tech Virtual Keyboard--This is honestly one of the coolest gadgets I have ever seen--turns a table, or any flat surface, into a laser keyboard. Leave the laptop at home, and just link this to your PDA (wirelessly, of course) for ultra-minimalist typing on the road. Cost: $179.99. Available: Summer or Fall.
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Misc. Travel Devices: for Every Cosmopolitan Traveler
COMMUNICATE
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Hibou Webcam--Portable, wireless webcam--great for video-phoning home from the road when you've been missing folks' faces for far too long. Cost: $99 Available: Spring
GREEN TRAVEL
Freeplay Energy Camping Products--Flashlight, weatherband radio, or lantern, all powered by solar power or quick hand-winding of a handle. Cost: $19.99-$69.95, $39.99-$89.99, and $39.99, respectively, depending on model. Available: Now
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Hibou Webcam
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BUTT-LIFTING
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PumpOne Mobile--Hotel doesn't have a gym? PumpOne will send personalized workouts to your cell or iPod, 24/7, that have you use hotel furniture or luggage instead of barbells. Cost: $2.99/one workout accessible for 24 hours; $4.99/all workouts for 7 days. Available: Now
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TRANSLATE
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IRISPen Translator--Run this pen-like scanner over that menu or sign in German, and it will instantly translate the words into English. Cost: $149 Available: Now
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PDA
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Otterboxes--Rugged protective cases for your Blackberry or Treo, for those aforementioned folks with clumsy hands. Keys still usable through the case. Cost: $129.95 Available: "Soon."
GPS
Magellan CrossoverGPS--The first portable GPS device that's also geared toward outdoor adventurers. Waterproof, plus maps for lakes, fishing spots, marine charts, hiking, and off-roading. Cost: $549.99, plus $99 if you want the real-time traffic option. Available: TBA
Telenav Traffic--Traffic alerts on your cell phone, with alternative route suggestions and estimated arrival times based on real-time traffic conditions. Sprint phones only. Cost: Telenav GPS Navigator subscription of $9.99/month 'til June 30; an additional $3.99/month afterward. Available: Now
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Otterboxes
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If you're not overwhelmed by all the above, congratulations: you are a traveler who's way ahead of their time. If, on the other hand, you feel a migraine coming on…
Excedrin works real well, I've found. And you don't need a charger or buttons to use it. Sometimes simple old school products are still the best travel accessory.
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