Well, thanks to  jill-e designs, a company both owned and operated by women, I no longer have to show up for a shoot schlepping a bag built for boys.

Fellow photog Christie Parker turned me onto these bags and it was love at first sight. There’s just something not right about strolling down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or the streets of Manhattan with a clunky, chunky camera bag. Until jill-e, there wasn’t much to do about it.

I’m headed to Madrid next week and you can bet my weatherproof medium chocolate suede camera bag jill-e is going with me.  

While a jill-e may look pretty, it’s built to play rough. And it’s no powder puff as a camera bag either. All the essentials a pro expects are there - padded protection, adjustable Velcro dividers, netted pockets for memory cards, batteries and business cards, and plenty of exterior pockets for convenient access to the tools of the trade - notepad, model releases, cleaning cloth, etc.

Favorite feature: The innovative top zip allows me to access a flash, a second camera body and other equipment (see photo below) quickly and easily. Also, the tethered interior pouch is handy for storing hotel key cards and other small personal items.

Not-so-favorite feature: The nylon detachable shoulder strap is kinda cheesy looking compared to the elegance of the bag. I hope they’ll improve that oversight in the future.

Bottom line: Perfect for stylish gadget girls who value fashion and flair in addition to function.

No swearing. No frantic calls to the neighbor’s dorky teenager. No software to load. No written-in-every-language-but-one-you-can-understand instruction manual.

Even had my hometown weather forecast broadcasting sunny skies by entering my zip code with a quick tap, tap, tap on the screen.

Easy. Fast. Wi-Fi. Fun!

This is my kinda gadget.

I thought the older 8-inch eStarling frame was cool with its wireless connectivity and  dedicated email address. We gave one to my parents a few years back and it’s still a huge hit.

After all, there it sits on their coffee table in Newark, Delaware, when suddenly a picture of my sister and me hiking in the south of France, for example, flashes onto the screen.  E-mailed from my global BlackBerry straight to the frame. Or, a photo of my brother, who lives in Salt Lake City, pops up as he swishes down the slopes of Park City. How cool is THAT? The enjoyment and connection the picture frame provides is amazing. No wonder it was one of the most popular items in my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide for Traveling Photographers.

But eStarling couldn’t leave well enough alone. They ratcheted-up the fun by adding a 10.2-inch touchscreen, twitter™, Flickr™, RSS feed and Gmail™connectivity to their new TouchConnect digital frame. So now, not only can you enjoy photos AND VIDEO emailed to the WiFi frame, you can follow friends and family on the social networks you already enjoy. Nice!

Favorite feature: If you’ve already uploaded tens of thousands of private photos to sites like Flickr™, facebook™ and Picasa™, the eStarling TouchConnect can be enabled to access photos already on these photo-sharing sites. Now, everytime my friend Ute Hagen in Mexico uploads another masterpiece to her Flickr photostream, it pops up on my screen and makes me miss her just a little bit less.

Not-so-favorite feature: The price. At $199.00, it’s a little pricier than my budget would like. But it’s already dropped in price (released at $249.00) and eStarling is currently offering free shipping on orders placed on their website: www.estarling.com.

Bottom Line: It’s the next best thing to being there.

Send me a photo! I’d love it. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Details:

Biz class upgrades aren’t a staple in my usual econo-class flight plans. But thanks to Santa and a new pair of Able Planet’s Clear Harmony noise cancelling headphones I can now tune out the chaos in style. Better yet, they work great for fading out distractions in my home office, too. I’m wearing them as I type, much to the chagrin of my husband who just realized he’s been talking to himself.

Favorite feature:  Comfort! The padded ear cushions are so much better for long haul listening than earbuds. 

Not-so-favorite feature: The obvious. Despite the fold-flat design, they’re big. Big enough in these days of diminishing carry-on allowances to make me think twice about toting them along. Bummer!

Bottom line: No way, no how am I jetting off for a 5-hour-plus flight without them. Something else can give.

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Source: Lonely Planet

If you love exploring new destinations and revisiting old favorites, you won’t want to miss the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan & Giveaway! You just may discover a few new favorite travel blogs to bookmark. I know I have!

Win a Lingo 16-Language Translator

Help us kick off the Caravan right now! Follow @luxcruisebible on Twitter and then tweet about the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan between December 1 and 15. Include a link to this blog post and the #caravan hashtag and you’ll be entered to win the Lingo 16-Language Translator, courtesy of Magellan’s Travel Supplies.

Entrants must have a U.S. mailing address. Entries must be received between December 1–15, 2009. One winner will be randomly chosen from eligible entries on December 21, 2009. Winner will be notified via Twitter DM (direct message).

Just log onto Twitter and tweet something like this:

Check out the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan. 15 travel bloggers and tons of cool prizes to win. http://bit.ly/8TOkPC #caravan

Many of these gift recommendations are items I already use and am crazy about, a few are from my own wish list (Santa are you listening?) and the rest, well, I never was good at restraint, are already in the mail.

A few months ago Southwest Airlines misplaced my friend Julia’s suitcase on a non-stop flight. YIKES. Okay, stuff happens. But here’s the rub: when Julia asked the airline to tell her if her bag was still in Phoenix, where she’d boarded, or on it’s way to El Paso, where she’d landed, or, for that matter en route to Timbuktu, they couldn’t tell her. Their reply; “Um, sorry mam, but we don’t have a scanning system for luggage.” Huh? You mean the grapes at my local co-op have a bar code, but not my luggage? As a Southwest frequent flyer, I was NOT thrilled to hear this.

Last year alone the number of items of luggage misplaced by airlines rose from 30 million to 42 million, an increase of 40%. In addition, receiving compensation for a lost item of luggage is dodgy at best unless receipts can be provided for everything that was in the lost bag. Hence, the need for travel insurance. But that’s a story for another day.

A new UK startup, ReboundTAG, has been working with help from the International Air Transport Association along with several airport systems developers to come up with a better solution. Their answer to the problem is a microchip bag tag designed to reduce the chances of losing personal belongings. There is also a barcode and number printed on the microchip bag tag to insure that they function in airports where there are no microchip readers.

And here’s the really cool part, when the luggage is found the owner receives an email and an SMS (text) to their mobile phone immediately.

And it’s not just me. Last month a houseguest used the ICON  to light a path each night to our patio so she could sit beneath the twinkling magic of the New Mexico night sky. Her first phone call to me after returning home was to ask “What’s the name of that amazing little flashlight? I want one!”

Equipped with an ultra bright LED, the Rogue is über efficient, at least ten times more efficient at converting energy into light than regular bulbs. Better yet, its aerospace aluminum body means it can be dropped, thrown and rattled around in the trunk without any damage. And the waterproof O-ring seals, mean I can use it in the rain in London, a Utah snowstorm or drop it in a Panama puddle and it keeps on working.

Favorite feature: I love that fact that it’s powered on one (Rogue 1) or two (Rogue 2) AA batteries, something I can purchase virtually anywhere, anytime.

Not-so-favorite feature: Not available on Amazon - my go-to source for nearly anything - but you can get one at Radio Shack. Go figure.

Bottom line: It’s a handy little powerhouse that’s built to last.

Available in two compact models, Rogue 1 (4.5 inches) and Rogue 2 (6.5 inches) and three stylish colors: silver, green and black. Comes with a handy lanyard so you can wear the light or attacht it a backpack.

Santa, are you listening?

If, like me, you’re still on the fence about buying a Kindle, Amazon has just release some tempting news. First, their bestselling Kindle is now $259, down from $299. Second, they’ve introduced a new addition to the Kindle family: Kindle with U.S. and International Wireless. Hooray for travelers!

Now traveling bookworms can download books, newspapers, and magazines wirelessly while at home or abroad in over 100 countries. Whether you’re in New York, Paris, São Paulo, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, or Sydney, you can think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds. That’s sooo cool!

But, it’s not only the techy toys that have me as excited for the adventure as my sister’s French lessons. It’s also the chance to put my favorite gear to work. Out comes the Outdoor Research rain hat I bought in Alaska last summer that has languished unused in my sunny New Mexico closet. Then there’s the Keen hikers I’ve been breaking in on the mountain trails near home. And, the Naneu camera backpack that’s just begging for a walk through southern France.

So, fellow gadget and gear addicts, if you were looking for an excuse to invest in a few more toys, read on….

Keen Targhee II hiker shoe: The Keen Targhee II waterproof cross-training shoes deliver tenacious traction, stability and comfort. Perfect for a French walking tour, a stroll around the neighborhood or wherever your multisport needs might take you. www.keenfootwear.com

Montbell cargo short: These stretch Cargo shorts serve me well during high mileage days on the trail or back home running weekend errands. www.montbell.us

Canon Selphy CP780

Photos That Last A Century
Print, display and preserve beautiful borderless photos that are water-resistant and last up to 100 years!

Gorgeous Prints – In Under One Minute
Enjoy photo lab quality with 4” x 6” images produced in approx. 47 seconds.

2.5” LCD
Easily view, select and edit your images for simple computer-free printing. No downloading needed, just pick your pic and print!

Available at www.estore.usa.canon.com or at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon. 

Polaroid PoGo

Print and share
2 x 3-inch borderless color images in under a minute.

As mobile as you are
Pocket-size, sleek, stylish design.

Camera Phone Wirelessly transfer images from a Bluetooth-enabled camera phone to the Mobile Printer and print instantly. Using the built-in OBEX (object exchange profile) Bluetooth in the phone and the printer, connecting and printing becomes instant.

Digital Camera Instantly printing images from a digital camera is as easy as connecting the USB cable to the PictBridge-enabled camera and printer. Once connected, follow the PictBridge screen on the camera display. Simply select what image to send to the printer and within 60 seconds, the print is ready to be shared.

Available at www.polaroid.com or at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon.

I’ve been on the hunt for a ultra-portable projector that wouldn’t break the bank, and found it in the new $499 BenQ Joybee GP1 Mini Projector.

Available for purchase at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com

Gadget Girl Goes

A while back I was fortunate enough to be asked to sign on as the new Green Gear girl at GreenSpot.travel, a wonderful online portal for environmentally responsible travelers. 

This month’s featured product is a nifty new eco-friendly gadget - the SteriPEN JourneyLCD portable water purifier. 

It’s fast (16oz. in 48-secs), lightweight (5 oz), easy (just one button) and effective (proven to destroy viruses, bacteria and protozoa). Oh, and did I mention it runs on rechargeable batteries, purifying 1 liter of water for less than $0.02 USD? Take THAT you 3-Euro bottle of San Pellegrino! And, even better, because the pen uses light, instead of chemicals, there’s no chemical aftertaste like tablets or drops.

I’m hooked. Whether I’m day hiking in the mountains of New Mexico, sightseeing in Marrakech or shopping in Paris, I’ll have the SteriPEN in my bag.

Available at www.steripen.com or at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon. 

I used to be a huge fan of cycling. Now, after nearly 2 bikeless years, a cool new gadget put me back in the bicycle seat again.

The Cy-Fi wireless sports speaker was created for cyclists who love to listen to music when they hit the road, but know that riding with headphones or earbuds is an accident (or ticket, in some states) waiting to happen.

Listen in (or read on) as I discuss the pros and cons of this innovative sports speaker.

The music capabilities alone appealed. But, the Cy-Fi also synchs to any Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA, MP3 player or laptop, turning the sporty little speaker into a wireless 4-oz traveling sound system. THAT, I love.

Attahcing the Cy-Fi to the bike handlebar using the provided mounting bracket is a no-brainer; no tools required. And, the controls are just as easy.

I love tooling around town and the bike trails spinning to the beat of my favorite playlists. The sound is great and if you’re trolling for a date, the Cy-Fi attracts as much attention as a chocolate lab puppy. Especially if you’re using the Cy-Fi’s speakerphone feature. Once people figure out your not a lunatic riding around talking to yourself, they want details. How’s it work. Where do you get one? People stopped me on the street wanting to learn more. I have a lot of fun with that.