Create Your Own Customizable Map Widgets

Release You Inner Travel Geek - Create Your Own Customizable Map Widgets.

The publishers of Schmap digital travel guides have made it simple for anyone to customize a map widget for a website or blog, with choice of size, color, city and map or satellite image via Google, Yahoo or Microsoft.

Check it out at www.schmap.com/widgets.

Built for Adventure: Portable GPS Units

Handheld GPS units aren’t just for hardcore explorers anymore. Indulge your inner gadget geek and consider bringing one along on your next adventure. With features like backtracking, waypoints, extended battery life, automatic routing capabilities, color screen, and an electronic compass and altimeter, these easy to use devices can come in handy whether you’re traveling the backcountry or the globe.


Garmin eTrex Venture Cx    
Pack more detail into your adventure with the eTrex Venture Cx. This popular handheld navigator has a bright color screen and microSD card slot for expandable memory, and it can route you on roads or off, for wherever your travels take you.  And, eTrex is IPX7 waterproof, so it can take an accidental splash or dunk in the water and still continue to perform. With eTrex, your adventure can last and last — up to 32 hours on just 2 AA batteries. While you roam, you can store up to 1,000 waypoints in memory for easy retrieval. Just enter the point you want to go to, and eTrex points you to your destination (no street or terrain maps). To get home, use Garmin’s exclusive TrackBack® feature to reverse your track log and help you navigate back to your starting point. Price $246. www.garmin.com

Brunton Atlas
At a touch, the Brunton Atlas GPS StormWatch feature will predict the next 12-hours’ weather, bring you daily weather trends, and a 36-hour history. Add an altimeter function and the TrueMagnetic direct-access digital compass, and a StraightHome™ feature that allows you to find your way back to camp or the trailhead without satellite aid by just the push of a button, and you have a pocket GPS that truly navigates. Continuous GPS Navigation up to 12hrs; Batteries: 2AA;Two year warranty. Price $399. www.brunton.com


  

Update on 2007-09-21 17:17 by Ellen Barone

New and Improved SkyCaddie SG4 Golfer's GPS:

For the golfer in the family this new hand-held, water-resistant GPS determines your yardage to the green (and to other targets) on any course you play. Also, choose the right club with confidence, because as you play year round, SkyCaddie measures how far you are hitting each club. Stores 10 courses: use SD memory card slot for additional storage. $349.95; www.sharperimage.com.

Unload Your Digital Pics On The Road With The Help Of Portable Storage Devices

On vacation, chances are good that your jazzy new digital camera, or camcorder, will run out of memory long before you run out of photo ops. Carrying several high-capacity memory cards, as I do, is one way to solve the problem.

But, when I’m on the road, especially on assignment, I can easily fill three or four CompactFlash cards a day. Plus, just in case of an electronic hiccup, each evening I backup my images to at least two other media - usually my Macintosh G4 Powerbook and a portable storage device. (currently the Epson P-3000 and Smartdisc FlashTrax XT)

Adding a high capacity portable hard drive to your gear, such as the 40 GB Epson P-3000 or 80 GB P-5000, lets you easily download and transfer your ‘trip of a lifetime’ digital pics where they can be stored, viewed and shared whereever your adventures take you.

Listed below are just a few of the portable storage devices on the market today:

Epson P-Series
Price: 40 GB P-3000 $499.99; 80GB P-5000 $699.99
Size: 3.5” × 5.9” × 1.3” Weight: Approximately 1 pound.
Display 4-inch color LCD
Media: Supports CompactFlash Type I/Type II and IBM® Microdrive® (3.3 V) Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard™ Memory Stick, ® xD Picture Card, ™ and SmartMedia™ supported with optional, third-party CF™ adapter, sold separately

GIGA Vu Pro by Jobo
Price: 40 GB $469.95: Also available in
Size: 5.7 × 4.2 × 1.5” Weight: 14.8 oz.
Display: 3.7-inch color LCD
Media: CompactFlash (CF) cards (Type I & II)Microdrive. Other media supported through optional card adapters


iPod by Apple.
Price 30 GB $249; 80 GB $349
Size: 4.1” × 2.4” × 0.43” (30GB) or 0.55” (80GB) Weight: 4.8 oz (30GB) or 5.5 (80GB)
Display: 2.5-inch color LCD
Stores data via USB cable.

FlashTrax by Smartdisc.
Price: 40GB $199.99
Size: 5.75 × 3.625 × 1.25 in. Weight: 12.5 oz.
Display: 3.6-inch color LCD flip screen
Media Accepted: CompactFlash (supports several other cards with the appropriate media adapter)

Universal Travel Power Adapter

If you're like me and find carrying multiple country-specific travel adapters cumbersome and annoying - not to mention easy to forget or lose - then consider a all-in-one Universal Travel Adapter.

Smaller than an eyeglass case, I carry one in my suitcase, one in my camera case and another in my laptop bag.

Originally I picked one up in an airport Brookstone shop after discovering I'd left, yet another country-specific adapter, in the electric socket of some foreign hotel room. Since then, I've used it everywhere, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, without problems.

Better yet, it has a built-in 110V/220V indicator light that lets me know any outlet's voltage. In the age of digital photography, I carry a lot of expensive equipment that I'd rather not have self-destruct in some remote locale. So far, so good!

Cost: $25 USD; For more information: Call 1-866-576-7337 or visit www.brookstone.com.

Globe trotting colleagues tell me that Travel Smart® offers a similar adapter available for $19.49 USD through Franzus Travel Products & Accessories at www.franzus.com.

Otto Wireless Mp3 Headset Player

The other day a girl friend sent me an OTTO wireless mp3 headset player to celebrate my recent commitment to get back in shape. “You’ll love it for jogging and tuning out the chatter at the gym!” she wrote in her accompanying gift note.

I’d never heard of OTTO, let alone its player, but I’ve worn it practically non-stop ever since it arrived – at the gym, around the house, on the fitness trail, you name it.

With user-friendly USB plug-and-play and drag-and-drop technology, transferring my favorite music from my computer to the player was a no-brainer, with no additional software required.

Add to that, a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery with approximately 8 hours of continuous play time, 512MB of memory – enough for more than 100 songs – and this lightweight, comfortable player becomes a must-have for any music addicted gadget girl (or guy).

The only downside? Since the wraparound headset loops around my ears hidden beneath my shoulder length hair, people tend to look at me like I’m a crazy person as I hum, whistle and sing along, happily oblivious to the fact that I can’t carry a tune.

$84.95; 888-234-OTTO (6886); www.hearotto.com

*Also available by OTTO: Surround Sound Stereo Headset; Noise Canceling Travel Headset; Multimedia Stereo Headsets; Bluetooth Cellular Car Kit with Wireless Headset and Speakerphone.

Update on 2009-03-24 03:12 by Ellen Barone

Good News!

I’m proud to announce that we’ve just launched a new travel store powered by Amazon and stocked with all my personal favorites, including these awesome headphones! Now available for $59.99 at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com

Happy trails,

Ellen

Staying Connected - Or Not: Pre-Paid Global Travel Phones

Being out of touch and unobtainable has always been, for me, one of the greatest perks of travel: no phones, no faxes, no e-mail, no voice mail, and no mail at all. The whole point of leaving was to escape that stuff, to be out of touch for a while.

But, as a self-confessed gadget-girl, when I am on the road, there is another part of me that misses my electronic toys.

So, I've managed to balance these two sides of myself - the self that treasures inaccessibility in a totally too accessible world, and the self who loves her ipod, mobile phone, digital camera, etc. - in a way that still manages to feel fun and free.

As a professional wanderer, I love to travel. My husband Hank, not as much. Traveling alone is great. Making connections with local people and other travelers seems to happen much easier as a woman alone, than it does when I am half of a couple.

That said, I love sharing my experiences and impressions with Hank as they happen, when they're fresh, rather than waiting until I get home. Which is where having a global mobile phone comes in handy. With low outgoing rates and no expensive roaming fees, calling home has become an inexpensive indulgence, wherever I am. Better yet, unlike my mobile phone at home, I keep my global phone number private, thus preventing unwanted intrusions from interrupting my escape.

I use the phone to call home and to make and confirm reservations. I leave the number with my travel agent or airline to avoid the type of nasty last minute surprises that unknown flight or itinerary changes can cause. The only thing I pay for is the phone itself, delivery and the calls I make: no restrictive contracts, no hefty service fees.

Traveling with a global mobile phone keeps me as connected, or disconnected, as I want to be.

***

Mobal World Phones was founded in the UK during the mid-1980s, today, Mobal is a world leader in telecommunications with operations in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific offering travelers a convenient way of making and receiving calls in over 140 countries. There are no monthly access charges, so if you never use the phone there is never a charge. $49.00 (140 countries, but not the US) or $99.00 (160 countries, including the US). 60-day money back guarantee.

Now, National Geographic has entered the communications game with their new Talk Abroad™ Travel Phone, offering coverage in more than 100 countries, low outgoing rates and unlimited free incoming calls in 65 of the world's most frequently traveled countries. $199.00.

Update on 2007-05-25 19:59 by Ellen Barone

Good news for customers of Verizon and Sprint who want to use their phones around the world. Each is introducing a BlackBerry 8830 from Research in Motion that will work both on their current CDMA networks at home as well as on GSM networks nearly everywhere else in the world. Neither company had offered a worldwide solution for their customers other than an older, bulky Samsung model.

Each model resembles the current Cingular and T-Mobile BlackBerry 8800, having the same form factor, keyboard and screen. The Verizon model is silver and the Sprint is black.
Sprint goes one step farther and offers its model unlocked, the first unlocked phone from a major U.S. carrier. That means you can use the phone with SIM cards you purchase locally, saving $1 to $1.50 per minute.

Expect the phones to cost about $200 with a new or renewed contract. The Verizon model is available in May and the Sprint in July.

Update on 2007-09-21 23:00 by Ellen Barone

USE YOUR OWN PHONE:

Already have an international phone but want to take advantage of our inexpensive rates and great coverage?

Get all the benefits of the Mobal World Phone service on your existing GSM cell phone with the Free Mobal World SIM.

No monthly fees, and there never will be!
No minimum usage requirements
Works in over 170 countries*
Keep the same phone number every time you travel
Free technical support and itemized billing

*Please note:

Your GSM phone must be of the correct frequency for each of the countries that you intend to visit.

Click here to learn more.

A National Geographic Talk Abroad International SIM card includes 30 minutes of initial outgoing talk time as well as unlimited free incoming calls in 65 countries and territories. Cost: $79.

Keep Your Contact Information Up-To-Date And Accessible At Home Or On The Road With Plaxo Contacts And Mobile Plus.

Has this happened to you? You’re logged online at an Internet café in some foreign locale checking email when suddenly you remember you need to follow-up on something important at the office or at home. Darn, if only you could remember their email because, of course, it is in your desktop computer’s address book. Ugh.

Or, perhaps you have brought along your laptop, only to find that your address book is out of date and your crucial correspondence bounces back undeliverable. What then?

Well, suffer no more because there is a free, simple, secure and reliable way to get all your contact information up-to-date and complete online.

"Plaxo Contacts was born out of my own frustration of out-of-date and incomplete contact information and the fact that nearly everyone suffers from this frustration," said Plaxo co-founder and president Sean Parker. "An incomplete or out-of-date address book means lost productivity, lost business opportunities and lost friends. Plaxo makes it fast and easy to update your contacts." Parker was a co-founder of Napster before Plaxo.

After a quick download, Plaxo Contacts seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Outlook and lets people send a personalized email to friends, family and colleagues asking them to correct and update their contact information. People can make updates by simply replying to the email message and correcting the contact information in the body of the message. Once the email is returned, the contact information is automatically updated within the original sender's address book.

Those who use Plaxo Contacts can choose which aspects of their own contact information will be automatically updated to their friends and colleagues who also use Plaxo. They can also synchronize the contacts on their computer at home with their computer at work. If desired, address book content and most Plaxo tools are also made securely available on the Web so they can be accessed anywhere.

Plaxo, operator of the largest and fastest growing address book network, today announced the availability of Plaxo Mobile Plus. For the first time, consumers can get a single, self-updating address book on their mobile phones, which will synchronize their contact information with all of their other communication tools, including Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, AIM, Yahoo! Mail, the Mac OS X Address Book, and Thunderbird. Plaxo Mobile Plus is immediately available nationwide from a leading carrier on a variety of BREW handsets. Additional carriers will offer the service in upcoming weeks.

Plaxo Mobile Plus enriches the information within mobile phone address books and eliminates the hassle and time spent manually updating and maintaining mobile phone contact information. Users can be confident that they will always have the latest contact information for friends, colleagues, and customers. Whenever a contact is added or edited, whether on their phone or in any other communication tool, it will be updated everywhere, automatically.

“Today's consumer is demanding easier ways to stay in touch with their friends, colleagues, and customers,” said Ben Golub, President and CEO, Plaxo, Inc. “And, they want to be able to communicate seamlessly from home, school, work, or on the road, regardless if they are on their mobile phone, e-mail, or IM. Our smart address book is the solution that consumers are looking for to increase their productivity and personal connectedness. We're pleased to be working with a leading developer like Zingy to bring this solution to mobile phones.”

For more information, visit www.plaxo.com.

iGo Juice 70

This is one product gadget girls, and the tech addicted guys that travel with them, will want to carry along.

The iGo Juice 70 recharges your electronics anywhere, anytime. The indispensable juicer connects to any auto, air or standard outlets without multiple adapters.

Simultaneously power your laptop and mobile phone (digital camera, PDA, MP3 player, or any handheld electronic) with this compact, lightweight all-in-one adapter. Power up en route and work, catch up on your favorite DVDs, or listen to music all you want without worry.

Cost: $119.99. For more information contact iGo toll free at 888-205-0093 or online at www.igo.com.

Update on 2007-06-17 00:21 by Ellen Barone

I just noticed that Brookstone is now carrying the new iGo Everywhere Power 130 with built-in power correction that allows you to power or charge your laptop wherever you are in the world. Cost $150.00.

Flight Trackers

Your globetrotting sister is coming into town for the weekend and you find yourself circling the airport byways awaiting her arrival. That’s right, her plane is late. Again.

Touchdown tardiness is a problem for the ages, whether you’re waiting for someone or someone is waiting for you, it’s inevitable that there will be a wait. Thankfully, technology is improving faster than the punctuality of your favorite airline and you can now know the exact location of your plane, or any plane for that matter, at all times.

Web sites like MyRatePlan.com provide free real-time flight trackers that let you search for a flight in a number of different ways. For flights that are in the air, the flight tracker will display an image with the plane's position overlaid on a weather radar image. The flight tracker results also will show you aircraft type, altitude and estimated arrival time.

While flight trackers may not abolish airport waiting completely, at least can keep for you sanity by knowing just how much longer you’ll need to wait.

*If you're a MAC OSX user, simply add the handy flighttracker widget to your dashboard display.

Apple G4 Powerbook

Here's the truth: I'm on the road at least six months of the year. That means for half of each year my 'office' is a 15" Apple G4 Powerbook. Why Apple? It's secure. It's lightweight. It's durable. It finds wireless networks before I can even ask the question. It's a DVD player on long flights. My music and photo libraries are just a click away in user-friendly programs that come with the machine. Its keyboard is backlit and easy to use in low light. Its a built in tape recorder for interviews. It's plug & play. A no brainer. You get the idea. Is the ease and covenience of its operating system worth paying the extra money. You bet.

A year ago, my sister (also a freelance writer) decided it was time to upgrade her computer system. Perhaps it was my visits over the years when I'd arrive with my Apple laptop and effortlessly pick up her home wireless network, share my iTunes favorites with my niece's iPod and whip up professional-quality slideshows in an instant, that led her to the local Apple store. Who knows.

What I do know however, is that after 20 years as a frustrated PC user, she went home with a brand new 23-inch flat screen display and two 15" Apple powerbook G4s - one for my 15-year-old niece and one for her. Here's her e-mail to me the next day: "I love my MAC. It truly is intuitive. Why didn't I switch sooner? Not because you didn't tell me. (And all the other Mac lovers out there)." Never even used a MAC before, and she's off an running like, well, it was easy. Imagine that.

The only drawback? Apples last too long. No need to upgrade for at least 5 years. For a gadget geek, that's killing me. But my budget is loving it.

Visible Dust Sensor Cleaning Brushes

As a professional travel photographer, keeping my digital SLR camera sensor clean is a must for blemish-free images. On assignment, I use the Arctic Butterfly 724 sensor brush from Visible Dust. Ideal for airplane travel when I cannot carry a can of Dust-Off with me, the Artic Butterfly's spinning bristles 'charge' the brush's bristles with static electricity that literally attract and safely pick up dust particles off the camera's digital sensor. Using the Artic Butterfly 724 to clean my camera sensor is a nightly ritual when I'm on the road, and this particular item is a permanent fixture in my travel camera bag. I never leave home without it.

*Includes a sturdy hard-sided carry case for added protection and class. Requires two AAA batteries (not included).

Otterbox - Rugged Protection For Your Portable Devices

Armed with Otterbox, an interactive, waterproof, and drop-resistant case, my iPod is ready for any adventure. Available for iPod video, iPod nano 1st gen, iPod nano 2nd Gen, iPod 20GB, 30/40/60GB, mini, and shuffle models, the OtterBox for iPod provides unbeatable protection for my iPod and music collection. Bring on the rain, snow, dirt and dust!

Even better, OtterBox and H20Audio have teamed up to offer waterproof headphones! How fun! What will they think of next?

Update on 2008-05-08 17:59 by Ellen Barone

Strength by OtterBox: Pink Cases to Support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

For all the lives impacted every year, Otter Products, LLC. partners with the Avon Foundation to offer limited edition pink cases as a show of support for those fighting, the survivors and those who have lost someone to breast cancer. By purchasing an OtterBox for iPhone or iPod nano Defender™ Series Strength case, OtterBox will donate 10% of the purchase price to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved.

For more information visit www.otterbox.com or call 888-695-8820.

Update on 2008-09-18 00:12 by Ellen Barone

The Wait is Over: OtterBox Launches iPhone 3G Protection

Wipe that bead of sweat from your forehead, the anticipation is over! OtterBox releases iPhone 3G protection in the semi-rugged, drop and scratchproof Defender™ Series design. Case available now in black and coming soon in white, black/yellow and pink.

“Our waiting list for iPhone 3G cases has been building for months,” said Curt Richardson, CEO, Otter Products LLC. “OtterBox engineers have worked hard to introduce slim and durable protection for Apple’s hottest new device. Good design takes time and we wanted to guarantee our customers quality.”

Click Here to read more…

Apple’s new iPod® shuffle

As a budget-minded freelancer I was thrilled when Apple introduced their new affordable iPod® shuffle, "the world’s most wearable digital music player", priced at just $79. The adorable iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume and weighs in at just half an ounce with a built-in clip. Apple’s pioneering shuffle feature lets me enjoy a continuous mix of my favorite songs anywhere I go. iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory, holds up to 240 songs and is available in five fashionable colors: blue, pink, green, orange and the original silver. How cool is that!

Ellen Launches 'Gadget Girl' A Travel Gadget Review & Advice Column

I confess, I'm a bit of a gadget geek; a mathematician in a former life. Combine that with a career in professional wandering and it's only natural that friends, family and fellow travelers have been turning to me for years for travel gadget and gear advice.

"You're the ultimate gadget girl, you should have a column." a friend told me the other day.

So, violà, just like that, 'Gadget Girl' was born.

Look here for more soon. Very soon.