Taking off Travel blog

I love looking at new gadgets and there are some great ones on this month’s list.

Get Fit

There’s no reason to slack on fitness just because you’re on a business trip. On my last trip, I saw dozens of people get up early to use the hotel’s fitness room. If you’re lucky enough to have good weather, then walking or jogging are an option - and that’s where the Live-Lite comes in. From Perception Digital, this device measures steps and your heart rate, ensuring that you stay on top of your fitness regime.

Ergonomic Elegance

I don’t know about you, but I often travel with an external keyboard for my laptop to save my wrists. The trouble is that it takes up a lot of space. However, I may not have to do that for much longer, since Goldtouch has released a foldable ergonomic keyboard, the GoldTouch Go! It only weighs a pound and is supposed to be comfortable to use - $139 seems a small price to pay to avoid tendonitis.

Mouse Phone

For me, the Skype Travel Mouse comes under the category of ‘neat, but do you really need it?’ It’s a mouse that slides open to reveal a phone keypad. It also has a decent sized LCD display at 128×64 pixels, and is $35 plus shipping. The fact that you only need to use a single USB port for both mouse and phone is undoubtedly a plus, so it could be worth a look.

Charge It All - Or Almost

The Charge4All is yet another device that allows you to charge multiple devices from a single power connection. It won’t charge your laptop or anything else that needs high voltage, but it will charge MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras and the like. It’s $29.95.

Swiss Army Drive

You’ll need to pack these in your checked baggage, but the SwissFlash and Presentation Master Swiss Army Knives have all the usual array of gadgets as well as a flash drive with a maximum capacity of 32GB. There are also versions with built in laser pointers. Prices range from the low 60s to over $300.

New In Japan

We can’t wait for this one to hit our shores. It’s a credit card sized digital voice recorder - perfect for taking voice notes on the move (that’s if you haven’t already got it built into your phone). Rumor has it that you can record up to 30 hours of digital voice with this compact gadget.

It’s time for another round up of essential gadgets for business travel, plus one non-essential that’s there simply because I like it.

Cell Phone Projector

One of the hot new must-haves this year has to be a cell phone with a mini projector. No longer will you have to worry about how to make that presentation - just load it into your cell phone and you’re ready to go. This one will set you back about $300, but is remarkably convenient. Several cell phone manufacturers are reported to have these in the works, with many expected to launch in 2010.

Weighing In

Need to find out exactly how much weight those company brochures have added to your luggage allowance? Then you need a digital luggage scale. The Balanzza Too is small enough to carry but will make sure that you don’t get hit with overweight charges. The latest version, which ships this month, includes an alarm and flashlight.

Downsize Your Laptop

Cut the weight of your laptop by getting a smaller, speedier version such as the HP Mini, which also has a beautiful dashboard interface for easy navigation. You might struggle a bit with the keyboard, but your shoulders will thank you for the reduced weight. If you can bear it, go even smaller and pick up a Dell mini, which is currently on my wishlist. Read more »

While browsing around travel sites I recently found a blog called the Gadget Traveler. I loved the concept, which site owner Brian explains further in this interview.

Why did you start the Gadget Traveler blog?

I like gadgets and I like travel and though there are many gadget related sites, there are not as many that focus on travel gadgets / gear. I created the Gadget Traveler so that I could share interesting travel related gadgets with others; it’s still evolving…

What do you consider a travel gadget?

This is something that makes traveling fun and or makes traveling easier. It can be something as simple as a uniquely designed luggage tag, that helps you locate your luggage faster or a camera that can upload your shots to a website using a wifi connection. Even in the current economic climate, I think there is a large market for gadgets and gear that help to make travel easier and more enjoyable.

What’s your favorite travel gadget and why?

A camera. Because even though memories are powerful, it’s nice to have a physical reminder of places I have visited. I make sure I have a camera with me at all times (even if it is just a cell phone camera), as the best photo opportunities usually happen when you least expect them to.

The Gadget Traveler

What’s on your travel gadget wishlist for this year?

I like to have access to the internet when traveling, so top of my list for this year is the Apple MacBook, because I would like to make the switch from PC to a Mac and the MacBooks are relatively easy to travel around with. Second on the list would be a DSLR camera. I miss using my old SLR camera and would like to make the step up from my current Canon SD790 ‘point and shoot’. One of the consumer models from Canon or Nikon would be nice. Read more »

What business travel gift will be in your stocking this Christmas?

Gadgets - don’t you just love ‘em? One of the great things about the holiday season is all the new gadgets that we’re hoping to get. If if you’re a frequent business traveler, anything that makes your life easier while on the road will be welcome so drop a hint to your nearest and dearest about these great stocking stuffers.

Boingo

The self styled world’s largest wireless network offers you easy access to a WiFi hotspot wherever you are for a reasonable monthly charge. Even better, you only have to remember one login, rather than coping with the intricacies of each hotel’s individual login system. It’s roaming without the high roaming charges and you can find a hotspot almost anywhere, as there are 100,000 to choose from. North American access is currently on special offer at $9.95 for three months, compared with a usual price of $21.95, while mobile access via your smartphone is $7.95 a month. For global access, it’s just $59 s month. Read more »