A few weeks ago, technology and gadget guy Phil Baker attended MacWorld and CES to check out some of the latest innovations on the market. Here’s his report on some of the top tech for travelers.
Scores of companies were showing all sorts of accessories for the home, office and car. They were striving to create products that you never knew you needed, but once you buy, you can’t do without.
This used to be a category dominated by cables, cases, mice, and USB hubs.
Now, there are a huge number of new gadgets that work with your iPods, cell phones and computers. Among the hundreds of accessories, many just copies of one another, there still manage to be some novel idea that started life as a cable supplier.
Here are a few of the most interesting products I discovered:
Solar powered hands-free calling
The solar-powered Anycom Solar Car Kit-1 is an in-the-car Bluetooth speaker that pairs with your cell phone to provide hands-free calling.
It’s slim and small, mounts on the window with suction cups, and has a solar panel to reduce the need for charging, ideal for warm-weather climates. Three hours of sun provides 30 minutes of talk time. $100; www.anycom.com
Backing up your back-ups
SanDisk’s new Cruzer Titanium Plus USB flash drive creates dual backups of important files. Whatever you store on this four gigabyte thumb drive is automatically backed up online through Amazon. You can access backup files from any computer that’s connected to the Internet. It costs $60 with six months storage included and $30 for each additional year of storage. www.sandisk.com
Save the day (or at least your iPod) with emergency power
Tekkeon’s small, flat pack provides emergency power for popular mobile phones and small portable devices using four AA batteries. You can connect your device to it with a USB cable or any of the included tips for the iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry and other popular phones. $20; www.tekkeon.com
Sing along with a “ladybug”
There were dozens of speaker systems for the iPod, ranging from $20 to $1,000. One of the cutest and cleverest was the softball-size battery and AC-powered Ladybug from Vestalife LLC.
Flip out the speaker “wings” and you have an entertainment system with a built-in subwoofer. It has a soft-touch finish that comes in a variety of colors. Throw it in your luggage and set up in your hotel room. $110; www.vesta-life.com
Sleek and chic laptop storage
Another Belkin product, the Laptop Hideaway, stores your notebook and accessories alongside your chair or bed. It looks like a magazine rack, but it’s lightweight, soft and padded. It makes it easy to move your computer around the home, keeping all of its accessories together. $50; www.belkin.com
Travel-sized laptop stand
The Inclinepro is a beautifully machined, rock-solid, aluminum stand that positions your notebook so that the keyboard is at a comfortable angle for typing and the screen sits three inches higher than normal, making it easier to view.
Weighing seven ounces, the stand folds into a thin profile that fits a computer case. It’s available in several sizes to accommodate all notebooks. About $60; www.inclinepro.com
Portable two-in-one
If the Inclinepro is too expensive for you, look at the Laptop Desk Futura from the inventors of this category. Its dual use converts between a laptop desk and a desktop stand. It’s rugged, lightweight and works with notebooks of all sizes. The stand folds in half for easy carrying. $30; www.laptopdesk.net
Label it!
Dymo’s new LabelManager 210D is a compact label maker with a keyboard that looks about twice the size of a BlackBerry’s. It’s thumb-typeable and makes permanent plastic labels for all sorts of uses, from file folders to rechargers for your gadgets. It accurately previews the label and has a wide choice of fonts and sizes. $35; www.dymo.com
Wrapping it up
These free-form roll-up cases with a built-in elastic band are ideal for carrying personal electronics with their accessories in your briefcase. $20; www.griffintechnology.com
Protecting your MacBook Air
The first company out the door with what will be a barrage of accessories for the MacBook Air, Apple’s new thin and light notebook. This thin sleeve from Incipio Technologies is made of synthetic leather and high density foam and is lined with soft micro suede. www.myincipio.com
Zip your mouse
Belkin’s Mouse Trap is a clever, soft case for holding a mouse and other small accessories for computers. Unzip it, and it turns into a round, mouse pad. $12.99; www.belkin.com
By Phil Baker. Check out Phil Baker’s blog at https://blog.philipgbaker.com.
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