Win a Lingo 16-Language Translator

For the next two weeks, I’ll be participating in the first Travel Blogger’s Caravan. I’d like to invite you to follow 15 top travel bloggers (including yours truly!) for a chance to win a motley array of prizes, perfect for celebrating the holiday season.

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

10 Gifts for Traveling Dads

Give dad the travel toys he’ll love.

Available for purchase at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com

PacSafe Camera Bag

Listen as Ellen shares the pros, cons and novel uses of the new thief-thwarting PacSafe camera bag in her most recent podcast.

Click to read more ...

Travel Tough Protection for Your Mobile Technology

I don’t know about you, but I’m tough on electronics. And my cell phone, tossed carelessly into purse, backpack, jacket pocket, etc, tends to take the worst of it. But, thankfully I discovered the Ellen-tough protection of the OtterBox Defender Case. The oh-so-gadget-girl-cool case takes all the abuse I give it, and more. Rain, snow? Who cares? Not me.

Better yet, its grippy surface keeps it resting nicely on the center console of my car, handy when I’m talking hands-free but still want to be able to see the display screen. And, by choosing their eye catching yellow and black case, I’m sure not to leave it, or confuse it with another, when I’m in a rush at airport security.

And girls, while my husband isn’t wild about this feature, it’s a huge guy magnet. I cant’ tell you how many guys - on airplanes, in coffeehouses, in frequent flyer lounges, on the street, in the park, etc. - ask me about it.

So, if you’re busy making a list and checking it twice, be sure to check out OtterBox.com, they have a case for nearly any electronic you want covered - PDAs, phones, laptops, cameras - with new models being added all the time.

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Trip Tech: HD Camcorders

Hey gadget-girls, a slew of new high-definition camcorders are making it easier than ever to capture (and share) your favorite travel moments. Concierge.com puts the latest high-definition camcorders to the test to see which are best for creating your vacation memories.

Well worth a browse, especially if you’re busy making a list and checking it twice!

OOH LA LA: AN ALL NEW TOUCH-SCREEN BLACKBERRY

Start Your Engines Gadget Girls!

This just in…

BLACKBERRY TAKES THE WORLD BY STORM WITH VERIZON WIRELESS AND VODAFONE

BlackBerry Storm Delivers the Full Power of the BlackBerry Platform on the World’s Leading Networks with the World’s First “Clickable” Touch-Screen Smartphone

Verizon Wireless, Vodafone Group (NYSE and LSE: VOD) and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm™ will be available later this fall, exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the U.S. and Vodafone customers in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Designed to satisfy the needs of both consumers and business customers, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone combines the powerful communications features, global connectivity and personal productivity advantages of the BlackBerry® platform with a revolutionary touch-screen technology that dramatically enhances the touch interface and enables easy and precise typing. The world’s first “clickable” touch-screen responds much like a physical keyboard and also supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient application navigation.

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Point-and-Shoot Perfection

10MP D-Lux 3: The Little Leica that Can…

Think you need an SLR to capture pro-quality images? Think again. Think Leica D-Lux 3. The little power-house, with its high quality optics, 10-megapixel sensor and custom settings, can rival most SLRs.  Better yet, it’s so compact, that I won’t leave home without it.

Never again will I miss capturing that dazzling double rainbow, decisive moment or impromptu jam session where Keanu Reeves shows up (it could happen!) just because I didn’t want to be weighted down with an SLR. Sure, I could snap it on my cell phone, but with the D-Lux 3 in my pocket, purse or backpack, not only will I get the shot, but it’ll be magazine quality resolution. Add to that a video function, and, it’s easy to see why I’ve taken to calling it ‘the little Leica that can.’

The D-Lux 3 is more than your average point-and-shoot. It’s a compact camera with controls like those on my professional SLRs. With focal lengths from 28 to 112 millimeters (F2.8 - F8.0), auto and manual focusing, image stabilization for shake-free pictures, and file formats from simple Jpeg to QuickTime movies and RAW for optimum image quality, it’s a pocket-sized performer.

Click to read more ...

Hip Protection For Your Gadgets

Your laptop is one of the more expensive items you travel with, your ipod one of your favorites, and, if you’re one of the millions who won’t leave home without your smart phone, then why not protect your investment in style?

Gelaskins are a great new way to personalize and protect your gadgets without bulk. From the classics to graffiti style street art, Monet to Munch, Van Gogh to Vonnegut, you’ll be oh-so-cyber-cool with a Gelaskin protecting your gear. And, they not only protect the outside of your gadget of choice, but every Gelaskin comes with a GelaScreen protector to keep scratches at bay.

Another cool thing about Gelaskins is that they welcome design submissions from anyone. Simply send them some of your ideas, and if they like them, they will add them to their collection and put them into production. If you happen to have 50 friends who would want a Gelaskin designed by you, they will run your custom artwork for you (minimum order is 50).

Pretty darn cool!

For more information, click here.