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!

Download the World of Music with National Geographic

Bound for Paris? Off to Rio? There’s nothing better to get you in the mood for a destination than its music. Before your next great trip, start your journey online at NationalGeographic.com. From a scorching blast of Mali rock-n-roll to the sizzling salsa of Brazil and the Mardi Gras melodies of New Orleans, busy travelers can jazz up their pre-trip preparation by listening to National Geo’s free world music podcasts and videos.Experience the soundtrack of the world – at zero cost.

Won’t leave home without your iPod? Check out the growing library of pre-selected music playlists keyed to some of the world’s hippest destinations from National Geographic Traveler on iTunes for your wanderings. Download individual songs or the entire playlist for only 99 cents per tune.

So, go on, get your groove on, and hit the road blastin the destination’s best tunes. I’ll be the gal bee-boppin’ in the airline seat beside you!

Congratulations! It's a Chumby

If it’s been awhile since a gadget made you smile, then you haven’t met Chumby. Call me geeky (you wouldn’t be the first), but this quirky new Internet device had me grinning from the minute I saw it.

Equal parts clock radio, Web browser, music player and digital photo viewer, this adorable Wi-Fi touch-screen device might look like nothing more than a teched-up alarm clock, but don’t be fooled. Not only can your new chum wake you up in the morning, it’ll tell you the surf report, morning traffic conditions, daily weather forecast, celebrity gossip, news headlines, stock updates or last night’s sports scores. Any audio or video you choose. Chumby streams only what you ask for via a broadband connection and your home’s wireless network. 

Enjoy the latest podcasts on your interactive Chumby, video chat with your BFF on its webcam, browse the classifieds on Craigslist, pick it up to play one of its Flash-based games or check in with friends on MySpace or Facebook.

Compact in size and wrapped in yummy Italian leather (latte, black or pearl), the stylishly funky Chumby fits in anywhere. Whether you put it on your nightstand, bathroom counter, office cubicle, kitchen counter, end table or out on the screened-in porch, don’t be surprised if the cute little bugger draws as much attention as your kids.

 $179.95; chumby.com 

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.

Blackberry, Crackberry, I'm Hooked

Blackberry Tour 9630Once upon a time my basic needs were simple: food, water, travel… Now, I can’t live without my Verizon BlackBerry 9630? What the heck happened?

24/7 wireless e-mail connectivity, worldwide voice and data coverage, GPS navigation − THAT’S what happened.  They don’t call it CrackBerry for nothing.

I used to snicker at the corporate drones tethered by their techy-umbilical cords to bosses and work, while I, the foot-loose freelancer, jetted off to some remote destination with a flippant “catch-you-when-I-get-back” e-mail auto-response and phone message.

That was pre-BlackBerry. Today, you’ll find me right there with the corporate schmucks, checking e-mail and thumbing back responses before the plane has even pulled up to the jetway. I hardly recognize myself.

But just when I’m ready to go cold turkey, I’ll need to Google a hotel phone number, e-mail the airport shuttle with delayed flight details, find my way to an important meeting with audible turn-by-turn directions, or score a dream assignment from the beach in Rio just because I was able to dash off a quick “I’ll do it!” on the BlackBerry, and I’m hooked all over again.

Sound familiar? To keep the scales tipped to technical god-send rather than compulsive addiction, follow these simple Rules to Blackberry By at Forbes.com.

Update on 2008-09-17 15:11 by Ellen Barone

FOR TRAVELERS ON THE GO - BUY A NEW BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONE AND EARN 4,000 AADVANTAGE MILES FROM AMERICAN AIRLINES.

If you can’t do without your BlackBerry(R) smartphone and just have to have those American Airlines AAdvantage(R) miles, then now you can have the best of both worlds. Now, you can earn AAdvantage miles when you purchase and activate a BlackBerry smartphone on any of the nation’s major service providers.

Earn 4,000 AAdvantage miles with activation of a new wireless rate plan.

Earn 4,000 AAdvantage miles when you upgrade your existing rate plan, and upgrade to a new device.

Contact Information:
To earn AAdvantage miles, your BlackBerry smartphone must be purchased through this link www.blackberry.com/aa* or by calling 1-877-337-0136.

Pelican 1510 Carry-on Case with Lid Organizer

In the pre-9/11 pre-digital photography days, I could carry my photography equipment in a Lowepro shoulder bag that fit under the seat in front of me. I’d sling it over a carry-on sized roll aboard packed with clothing and I was good to go.

Not any more.

Today, I could find myself forced to check all baggage without warning due to a terrorist threat. No way would I put thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment in a canvas bag through checked baggage. Nor can my kit fit into a shoulder bag any longer, thanks mainly to the power cords, electronic adapters, battery chargers, cables, back-up hard drives and laptop computer, and the various other accessories digital photography requires.

Enter the Pelican 1510, a hard-sided, fully padded, waterproof case that could (and has) survived checked baggage when  security personnel leave me no other choice. In addition, when push comes to shove, I can even fit my laptop (snuggly protected in its Built cargo sleeve) in the Pelican for extra protection. It’s the perfect travel solution for transporting and protecting my equipment when flying commercially.

And, so that the case doesn’t catch the eye of an unscrupulous baggage attendant who might recognize it as something valuable, I shove it into an ordinary looking large Eagle Creek duffle bag I carry for just such an occasion (or overflow shopping) and hope its mistaken for the luggage of any shoestring traveler.

Happy trails,

Ellen 

WARNING: This Game is Highly Addictive

How Well Do You Know Your World?

Play the fun and highly addictive Traveler IQ Challenge to test your knowledge of world cities and landmarks. Go on, see if you’re a natural-born travel whiz!

 

Click to Play!

Never Be At A Loss For Words Again: Talking Language Translators

Fortunately, for the techy traveler there’s no shortage of geek-chic gadgets sure to make communication easier and a whole lot cooler. Bring along one of these snazzy talking translators and never be at a loss for words again.

 
Lingo Navigator, is a sleek, affordable pocket-sized talking translator that translates and speaks thousands of words and phrases in 12 different languages - English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish and Russian. Other convenient features include currency and metric conversions, games, world time clock with alarm and sightseeing information. $79.95 www.acornonline.com

iParrot Phrase for iPod/ iPhone
For those who’d never leave home without their iPod, iParrot Phrase offers instant multi-language translation software. Designed exclusively for the iPod/iPhone/Apple TV, it’s stocked with over 20 kinds of perfectly pronounced oral language for instant use.  Organized into categories such as: Greetings, Transportation, Shopping, and Asking for helping etc., it is easy  to find the sentences you need. Organized for instant access and ease, it’s an essential travel tool for the high-tech traveler. Virtual fluency available in Chinese, English, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Arabic, Thai and Vietnamese. Available for download at www.apple.com

Franklin’s Speaking Global Translator contains over 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases, and speaks 115,000 words in recorded human voice. Ideal for communicating on almost any continent with 12 languages and translations to and from Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Enter a word in your native language and the translator will speak and show the translation in the language you seek. A voice recording feature allows you to record custom words and phrases appropriate to travel or business needs. Also included, MP3 player, earbuds, games. $229.00 www.franklin.com

 

About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel expert Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher of EllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. Learn more here and connect on Twitter at,Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

Update on 2008-05-07 17:46 by Ellen Barone

Learn the Lingo on your iPod - Join the locals and have fun with Lonely Planet’s World Nomads  free language guides that contain around 30 basic phrases that you can download onto your iPod.

Small, Light and Water Resistant, a Satellite Phone Designed to Travel

Do you think satellite phones are only for bullet-dodging troops in Afghanistan, remote scientific expeditions in Antarctica, or thrill seeking mountaineers calling in from atop Everest?  I did. But times are changing fast.

As 250,000 subscribers have already discovered, today, you can dial up outerspace and phone home, text message and even check e-mail from anywhere on the planet at international rates less than the cost of some cell phone services.

At nearly a pound, the 6.2 inches by 2.4 inches by 2.2 inches sat phone may look like a clunky 1980s-era handset, but as I recently discovered, its services are most definitely cutting-edge 21st century: satellite paging, text messaging (SMS), emergency 911 service and Internet access from almost anywhere on the surface of the Earth (including oceans, airways and polar regions). It also includes a menu of travel friendly features that business travelers will especially appreciate, such as caller ID, voice mail, data transmission and digital facsimile.

Feeling übercool and gadget-giddy, I travel-tested Iridium’s 9505A portable satellite phone during a yacht cruise in Mexico’s remote Sea of Cortez. Using the phone was as simple as using a conventional cellular phone, with one exception – the device can only be used outdoors. It must “see” a satellite in order to connect. Multitasking with a margarita in one hand and the sat phone in the other reclined in a comfy lounge chair, was hardly an inconvenience. But, had I been in the arctic deep freeze, you can bet I’d have kept the calls short.

• The Good: Beyond the novelty of calling my parents and overseas friends from the middle of nowhere, having the satellite phone aboard ship enabled one passenger to learn of a life-saving new medical procedure - turning a ‘final voyage’ into a celebration of hope. Perfect for cruising.
  
• The Bad: Outdoor-only capability might be a bit of a nuisance in cold or rainy climates where an international mobile might be a better alternative.
  
• The Bottom Line: Small, light and water resistant and designed to travel, the 9505A is the ideal communications option for people who work in or travel to remote locations. Take it with you on your next trip.

Telestial Satellite Phone Service

Telestial satellite phone rental and purchase solutions offer service from industry leading satellite phone providers including Iridium and Globalstar.

For a brief introductory section on each satellite phone describing the highlights: coverage area, rates and popular features visit Telestial: Wireless Solutions for Travelers to find the satellite phone that best suits your needs.

Technical Specifications:
•    Water, shock & dust resistant for rugged environments
•    Data Capable (use your satellite phone to transmit and receive data with an optional adapter)
•    Global SMS
•    Headset/Hands-free capability
•    Simple GSM style dialing
•    Up to 30 hours of standby time/3.2 hours of talk time
•    Dimensions: 158L x 62W x 59D mm
•    Volume: Under 375cc (22.9 ci)
•    Weight:Under 375g (13.2 ounces)
•    3.2 hours Talk Time
•    30 hours Standby Time
•    Operating range: -10 to +55 ºC

Dropped Your Cell Phone in the Drink? No Worries. With Verizon's Waterproof Phone, We Can Hear You Now

The other day my house cleaner panicked when her cell phone accidentally fell off her belt clip and into the Cloroxed bubbling abyss of our toilet. Another friend returned from Key West with a ruined, salt-encrusted mobile after he put it in the drink sea kayaking. Then, I drenched mine in coffee.

Too bad we didn’t have Verizon’s submersible, travel-tough G’zOne cell phone. Drop it, scratch it, shake it, bake it, the indomitable 5.3-ounce phone can handle just about anything you throw its way. Tougher than you are, the military-tested mobile is built to withstand exposure to temperatures in excess of 140ºF, extreme vibration, solar radiation, conditions set to simulate storm conditions of two inches of rainfall per hour with high winds and submersion in one meter of water.

You don’t need a 007-lifestyle, however, to want this phone. Thanks to industrial-grade seals and enhanced shock resistance with the G’zOne you can snap underwater pictures, talk in the shower and run over it with your shopping cart and we’ll still be able to hear you now.

To learn more, click HERE. 

MIL–SPECS
Certified to MIL–Standard 810F For:

• Water Resistance, Humidity
• Shock
• Dust

Camera/Video

• Built–In 300K CMOS Camera with Flash & Digital Zoom
• Camcorder

Services

• Mobile Web 2.0 Capable
• Email, Mobile IM, & Chat Capable
• VZ Navigator^sm Capable
• Chaperone^sm Parent/Child
• Get It Now® Capable
• Picture & Video Messaging
• Text Messaging
• Voice Mail

Tools

• Address book with up to 500 Contacts & Picture Caller ID
• Calendar, Alarm Clock, World Clock
• Calculator, Notepad
• Countdown Timer, Stopwatch
• Speed Dialing

Voice and Audio

• Push to Talk Capable with other Verizon Wireless Push to Talk Capable Phones
• Polyphonic ringer and sound capability
• Speakerphone
• Voice Activated Dialing

General

• Bluetooth® Capable for the following profiles: Headset (HSP), Hands–free (HFP), Serial Port (SPP) and Dial–Up Networking (DUN); it does not support Bluetooth Object Transfer OBEX Profiles
• Dual Mode (800/1900 MHz CDMA) 1XRTT
• Dimensions: 3.8” (H) x 2.0” (W) x 1.1” (D)
• 8 Lines of Text
• Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Main Display: 1.8” 65K Color TFT (176 x 220)
• Sub Display: 1.3” Black & White STN (96 x 96)
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4
• TTY Compatible
• SAR: Head –1.07 / Body –0.413
• Battery: 1050 mAh Li–Ion
• Usage Time: Up to 203 Minutes OR
• Standby Time: Up to 170 Hours
• Handset Insurance is Available

Geek Retreats: Hotel Techno-Concierges

While high-end hotel butlers aren’t losing any sleep and Clefs d”Or concierges have nothing to fear, several European hotels are harnessing technology to better serve both business and leisure guests and free their staff for more complex personal services. In Rome, Paris and Manchester - to name a few - hotels are providing guests with high-tech gadgets and in-room technology that can multi-task to a fare thee well. These techno-concierges seem able to do just about everything for you except serve tea and draw a bath.

At Rome’s five-star Cavalieri Hilton, guests receive a “city navigator” combining MP3 player and digital camera functions. With two pre loaded audio tours, guests can navigate Rome’s streets and famous sites, snapping pictures along the way, which the hotel’s human concierge can then download onto a disk.

In Paris, the Hilton Arc de Triomphe rents a TAO city PDA in English or French for 10 euros. Featuring a touch screen map fitted with a GPS system, it guides guests through Parisian streets to hundreds of historic sites and artwork masterpieces in the city’s museums. Guests can also map restaurants, bars and shops, minimizing guesswork and maximizing enjoyment every step of the way.

At England’s new City Inn Manchester, guestrooms boast iMacs with high speed internet that also function as TV, radio, DVD and CD player. Customers can load files and save them to a memory stick. After shutting off the computer, Deep Freeze software deletes the new information and assures personal security. In addition to 38 television channels, 23 radio stations and a DVD/CD player, the system plays music via an MP3 player and gives guests access to iTunes, iChat, iPhoto and iMovie. If that isn’t enough stimulation, a built-in iSight video camera allows video conferencing for business travelers - all at no extra charge.

Source: Spring O’Brien

Cyber Protection for Travelers

KeePass Password Safe - a secure password manager for your sensitive login information

Do you worry about cyber crime and identity theft when checking e-mail, credit card charges and online banking in Internet Cafes? I do.  It’s the main reason I avoid accessing personal information on a public computer.  KeePass,  a free/open-source password safe which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way, might just be the answer to lugging along a laptop. With KeePass, you can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key-disk and remember one single master password to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish).

It allows you to organize your entries into categories and offers several ways to conveniently enter your username/password; you can use drag and drop, copy to the clipboard, or create auto-type sequences that can enter the login information with a single click.

For more information: www.keepass.info

Leica V-Lux 1: A Quality All-Round SLR Alternative

With 10.1 megapixel image resolution,  a 12x optical zoom that reaches 420 mm, built-in image stabilization and top class optics, it’s no wonder Leica’s V-Lux 1 caught my eye when I went looking for a high-quality, all-in-one SLR alternative.

No, it’s not pocket-sized, but those compacts don’t boast a sophisticated  35 - 420mm zoom that can handle everything from delicate macro shots, to wide-angle views and super telephoto nature shots. Better yet, you can compose  through a full-sized viewfinder and use the swivelling LCD display for unusual or awkward perspectives.

Throw in the convenience of a pop-up flash, 16 custom functions for special shooting situations including video recording,  a choice of automatic and manual focus, exposure and white balance settings and its easy to understand its popularity. Add to that, the ability to record RAW images, as well as the usual JPEGs, and I couldn’t resist travel-testing one on a recent adventure yacht cruise.

The Good:

True to its name, the Leica delivered everything it promised - superior image quality, optimal sensitivity in low light conditions, the built-in convenience of a sharp  f/2.8 to f/3.7 image-stabilized zoom, accurate exposures, saturated colors, and well-balanced flash lighting.

The Bad:

In continuous-shooting mode, capturing JPEGs in bright light was reasonably quick, but in low light, or when set to RAW, the time between shots was slow enough to frustrate.

The Bottom Line:

This is a great all-round alternative for photographers who want to combine top-class optics, a powerful zoom and high resolution image quality with a convenient intelligent design. But, if you want faster raw performance, you’ll have to step up to an SLR.

 
Thinking of buying one? Don’t just take my word for it, be sure to read the user reviews posted  at www.bhphotovideo.com. Already have one? Use the Post-a-Comment link below to tell me what you think!

Update on 2008-08-23 01:07 by Ellen Barone

Looking for something smaller? Leica has that covered too! Check back soon for my product review on the compact Leica D-Lux 3, The Little Leica that Can…

Gift Giving Gadget Guide

Whether you’re busy writing up your own holiday wish list or looking for something fun, yet useful, for your favorite gadget loving traveler, here are a few ideas….

Charger Bag

How many times have you groped in your bag or briefcase for the charger, cables or the converter for your electronic gear only to find you didn’t have the one you needed? With its six secure neoprene pockets and industrial strength zipper, our Charger Bag keeps cords and chargers organized and intact. Even better, it folds completely flat when not in use. It’s perfect for traveling or just to keep it all organized in your bag.
 

Price …… $24.99 

Built NY 212.227.2044; www.builtny.com 

J. Grundrig AM/FM Shortwave Travel Radio

With AM, FM, and seven international shortwave bands, here’s a pocket-sized travel radio that keeps the world in the palm of your hand. Road worthy extras include a built-in alarm clock, a digital LCD screen, and easy button and dial controls that make it simple to operate. Slips effortlessly in a shirt pocket to keep you connected anywhere. Includes carry case, earphone, and two AA batteries.  

Price ……. $29.95

National Geographic 1-888-225-5647; www.shopNG.org

Digital Luggage Scale

Watch your weight  and avoid unexpected overweight luggage fees at the airport with this compact scale that weighs luggage up to 100 lbs (or 44 kg) so you’ll know instantly if your bag exceeds the allowable weight limit. And it couldn’t be easier to use. Just lift your suitcase, wait for the beep, set it back down, and read the weight on the large digital display. Takes two AAA batteries.

Price …… $24.85 

Magellan’s 1-800-962-4943; www.magellans.com 

Lingo Voyager 2 Translator

Speak the lingo wherever your travels take you. Handheld unit instantly translates and pronounces over 240,000 words and 27,000 phrases in 12 languages at the push of a button. Loaded with useful features: voice/memo recorder, alarm, world/local time, currency and metric converters, talking calculator, 32k phone book, even travel games. Includes 2 AAA batteries and case.

Price …… $199.95 

Kaehler World Traveler 1-800-314-2247; www.worldtraveler.com 

Flexpod Tripod

This three-legged octopus featuring dozens of flexible joints that rotate nearly 360-degrees holds a camera anywhere. Custom-forming around rocks, posts, bike frames, fences, branches, etc., each ball-and-socket joint is ringed by grippy rubber for a non-slip hold. Universal screw mount fits most compact digital cameras. Durable, weatherproof plastic.

Price …… $19.95

Sahalie 1-800458-4438; www.sahalie.com 

Adventure Medical Kit

Don’t get caught on your next trip - Survive Outdoors Longer - pack the S.O.L. Pak.
 
The new S.O.L. (Survive Outdoors Longer) Survival Pak groups together all of the essential survival components you need to stay alive in the outdoors and signal for rescue help if you happen to take a wrong turn or sustain an injury.  All of the gear comes in a waterproof dry bag with a sturdy clip, allowing you to securely attach it to your pack, belt or coat. Ideal for hikers, climbers, cyclists, backcountry skiers, campers, and just about every other kind of outdoor enthusiast. The S.O.L. weighs a meager 5.4 Oz., so it won’t slow you down when you want to travel light and fast. Includes: compass, mini rescue flash signal mirror, slim rescue howler whistle, waterproof and windproof survival matches, waterproof tinder quik, heatsheets survival blanket, survival fishing kit and duct tape. 

Price …… $25.00 

Multi-port Power Inverter

Add AC and USB power to your car without draining the batteries. Just plug this multi-port power inverter into your cigarette lighter socket, and gain a 110-volt AC outlet on the road. Use it to run your laptop, video camera, or portable CD/DVD, or to recharge batteries while you drive. Dual USB ports power your iPod, Blackberry, PDA, or camera. And the additional cigarette lighter outlet means you’ll still be able to use your radar detector. 115 watts of continuous power gives you plenty of juice. Electronic circuit protection prevents damage due to overloading, short circuit, or over voltage. And it’s so small it easily tucks away into your console, or into your laptop’s carrying bag.  Includes automatic overheat/low battery protection.

Price …… $39.95

Herrington 1-800-903-5221; www.herringtoncatalog.com 

 Global Travel Atomic Alarm Clock

Planning a round the world venture? This state-of-the-art atomic radio controlled clock is the most precise in the world - it’s accurate within one second every million years - and you never need to worry about setting the time zones. Packed with everything you need in a travel clock: day/month display, backlight temperature; and alarm with five-minute snooze. Takes 2 AAA batteries (not included).

Price …… $49.50

Travelsmith 1-800-950-1600; www.travelsmith.com 

Ebook Readers - Are You Ready to Leave the Paperbacks at Home?

With Amazon’s new ebook reader, Kindle, already sold out after only one day on the market, is the writing on the wall that techy travelers are ready to leave the paperbacks at home? For the book loving gadget geek considering going electronic, here are a few of the digital options available.

The Reader Digital Book From Sony:

Sony was one of the first to provide techies with a new way to experience reading. Boasting an impressive 6-inch display that is easy to read even in bright sunshine, the popular ultra portable reader weighs just nine ounces (without cover), is only half an inch thin8 and holds up to 160 eBooks4. And, with its rechargeable battery you can turn up to 7,500 continuous pages on a single charge - enough to read The Da Vinci Code 16 times before recharging is required. With plenty of internal memory and a slot for optional removable memory cards, you can take hundreds of titles, user-selected Web content or other supported documents for reading on the go.

The device connects to a PC for purchasing and downloading electronic books from an online store with 20,000 titles, or digital texts can be uploaded using a memory card. The unit has an integrated music player that is compatible with unencrypted MP3 and AAC formats, and it supports Word documents, Adobe® PDFs, and JPEGs. 7” L x 5” W x 1/2” D.

Price: ………………. $299.95

Technical details
displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
displays Adobe® PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, and Microsoft® Word files
plays MP3 and AAC files (protected files not supported)
internal 192MB memory
memory slot holds an SD Memory Card (up to 2GB capacity) and Memory Stick® Duo media (up to 8GB capacity)
Hardware Platform: PC
Operating System: Windows XP/Vista
Display Technology: E Ink
Display Size: 6 inches
Display Color Support: 4-bit (16 gray levels)

Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device:

 
Three years ago, the folks at Amazon set out to design and build a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle. 

Utilizing  a new display technology called electronic paper, Kindle promises a screen that is sharp and natural minus the strain and glare of a computer screen. Kindle is also designed for ambidextrous use so both “lefties” and “righties” can read comfortably at any angle for long periods of time.

One of Kindle’s nicest features is that Amazon made it wireless. No PC and no syncing needed. Using the same 3G network as advanced cell phones, it delivers your content using their own wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet. Unlike WiFi, you don’t need a hotspot. Better yet, there are no service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills.

With Whispernet, you can be nearly anywhere, think of a book, and get it in one minute. Similarly, your content automatically comes to you, wherever you are. Newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly each morning. Finished your book in the airport? Download the sequel while you board the plane.

With Kindle’s paperback size and expandable memory letting you travel light and the freedom to download what you want, when you want, is it any wonder it’s selling like hotcakes?

 Price: ………………. $399.95

Technical Details
Display: 6” diagonal E-Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 4-level gray scale
Size (in inches): 7.5” x 5.3” x 0.7”
Weight: 10.3 ounces
System requirements: None, because it doesn’t require a computer

iLiad by iRex Technologies:

Differentiating it from other readers, the iLiand not only lets you read anything you like,  exchange documents, receive new content and sync with your PC, its pen-like stylus  lets you make notes or add comments to your documents. While perhaps not quite as easy as Kindle’s innovative wireless capabilities, the iLiad also has a WiFi connection to automatically download content and updates over the Internet.

The iLiad can hold dozens of books and documents and memory capacity can be increased simply by inserting a Compact Flash or MMC card, just as with digital camera. You can even insert your USB-stick into the iLiad to quickly read content.

 Price: ………………. $699.00

Technical Details
Display: Display 8.1-inch (diagonal) Electronic Paper Display; 768 x 1024 pixels resolution, 160 DPI.; 16 levels of grey-scale
Size:  8.5” x 6.1” x 0.63”
Weight: 13.7 ounces
System requirements: PC Intel® 400MHz XScale™ processor; 64 MB RAM
Built-in Wi-Fi® 802.11B/G wireless networking 

Mobipocket Reader 5 for Mobile Devices :

Looking for a user friendly, versatile, and customizable eBook reader for the PDA or smartphone you already own, or are looking for an excuse to buy? There’s probably a Mobi Reader for it : PalmOs, Windows Mobile, Symbian (Series 60, Series 80, 90, UIQ), Blackberry, Franklin, iLiad (by iRex), BenQ-Siemens, Pepper Pad… And if you have a Symbian smartphone a Franklin an iLiad a BenQ-Siemens or a Pepper Pad. 

Good News: There is a good chance that Mobipocket Reader is already preinstalled on your device.

Bad News:  Mobipocket does not currently  support iPhone,  and iPod Touch.

Digital Bookshelves: Where to Find and Download Electronic Books

Project Gutenberg - the first producer of free electronic books offers an online library of more than 17000 free ebooks produced by tens of thousands of volunteers.

Mobipocket -   choose from more than 40 thousands titles available : novels, series, dictionaries, professional titles at this  Amazon subsidiary.

CyberRead - carries over 40000  from both major and independent publishers.

Ebooks - a leading online source of ebooks, with 102,000 popular, professional and academic ebooks from the world’s leading publishers.

Diesel ebooks - Over 35,000 titles in 50 categories. Don’t miss the free download section. 

Go Solar and Power Up No Matter Where Your Travels Take You

Go Solar: Go Wherever

 

Gadget Girl or not, the vote is still out on whether or not one should bring technology on vacation. Nevertheless, once I retired my film cameras and entered the digital age, traveling with electronics became a professional reality.

Under most circumstances, plugging in to charge up isn’t an issue, but whether I have an electrical source to plug my electronics into or not is. Using solar energy to recharge or revitalize my electronic equipment is a great way to keep my gear running no matter where my travels take me.

For technology that travels, check out these cutting-edge solar chargers and power up your next adventure à la Mother Nature.

PowerMonkey eXplorer

 

 

The PowerMonkey eXplorer kit comes with everything you need to charge most of your mobile devices, including cell phones, iPods, and digital cameras. Charge it up in the wall, or use the Solar Slave (included) to charge with solar rays. This is a VERY handy piece of equipment for backpacking, river trips, backcountry skiing, and travelling.

* Compatible with the majority of standard mobile phones.

*USB connectors power up iPods and accessories, MP3 players, PDAs, smart mobile phones, digital cameras, games, consoles, BlackBerry and Bluetooth headsets and many more digital devices. 

* Includes main travel charger for use in 150 countries - 110V to240V

* Water-resistant, rubberized design - a power source for every adventure.

Solio™ Universal “Hybrid” Charger

 

Powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move, anywhere under the sun.     

* Provides an emergency power source when away from power outlets.

* Adapter tips allow you to power multiple gadgets with a single charger ( tips for most products included in pack.) 

* Works with multiple gadgets, including mobile phones, iPhone™, Bluetooth® headsets, smartphones/PDAs, MP3 players, portable gaming devices, digital cameras, GPS and much more. 

* Reusable - use it again and again.

* Compact lightweight design - convenient for travel or emergency use. 

 Brunton Foldable Solar Array

 
The next generation in foldable solar technology, Brunton’s CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide) is the most efficient thin film solar technology available. Maximizing performance while optimizing portability, a Brunton Solaris panel is one of the most compact high output model available, with a design that instinctively converts incident sunlight into an electrical current, even in low-light conditions.

The unit’s multi-section design folds up into a compact footprint that’s just a bit larger than a DVD case, while still delivering an impressive 26 watts of power, more than enough to charge a laptop or digital video camera or power a satellite or cell phone.

Where Have You Been? Track Your Travels Online at WhereIveBeen.com

Tell Em’ Where You’ve Been, and Where You Want to Go at WhereIveBeen.com

Create an online wanderlist with the free interactive ‘Where I’ve Been ‘application now available as a world map on your Facebook or MySpace profile page.

You can highlight the countries you have been to, lived in, or want to go to by clicking on them and changing the color. Your personalized map can then be quickly and easily shared with friends.

Track your travels at  www.WhereIveBeen.com.