Traveling for business can be a grind. Typically, travelers are at the mercy of tricky weather--and even more mercurial flight delays or other unforeseen traffic jams. But no matter where you are or how nasty the traffic snarl in which you're stuck, work is rolling on.
What's most important when you're traveling? Getting to the right spot on time? Always having the full assortment of your software tools ready and working? Figuring out how to create an oasis of relaxation in the middle of a crazed travel schedule?
For all these demands and more, this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas offered up a boutique of gadgets. Best of all, some of these devices are so sweet you'll want to bring them on a genuine escape holiday, too.
A laptop is the luggage of choice for most working travelers. Unfortunately, not every corner on earth has a power outlet. For the executive venturing to extreme locales, where power resources may not be readily at hand, there's the solar-powered laptop bag, built by Voltaic Systems. Covered in solar panels, a fully charged bag has enough juice to power a typical laptop or small electronics.
Then there's global positioning satellite technology. For travelers who practically live in their cars, and have to find their ways to remote meeting spots, GPS has become indispensable. In general, GPS devices were one of the top-selling gadgets this holiday season. But fiddling with your GPS, especially when driving a new route, can be downright dangerous. For this reason, Garmin's (nasdaq: GRMN - news - people ) latest version, the nüvi 880, features speech recognition software that lets the driver keep both hands on the steering wheel and still get directions.
The new wave of technology is also turning the average traveler into a multimedia professional. Take, for instance, Samsung's latest high-definition camcorder, the SC-HMX20. The 10.9 oz. camcorder may seem small, but it packs a 10x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel still image camera, and 8 gigabytes of storage. For the true multi-tasker, a user can take videos and still images simultaneously.
Many business travelers need a way to snap a few pictures or videos, or record conversations--the rest of us may simply want to take home a few digital memories of a trip to share with family or the folks back at the home office. To lighten the load, gadgets that can pirouette between different jobs are essential. Pharos Science & Applications Trips and Pics promises to be a cool addition to the traveling kit. It’s a GPS attachment that lets you snap pictures and simultaneously record the place and time. Compatible with any digital camera, the geologger device is bundled with software that allows users to map out their photo locations.
Sometimes you need those pictures right away. Instead of searching out the local Kinkos shop, you can pack your picture printer with you. Polaroid has a pocket-sized mobile printer that allows users to print 2-by-3-inch photos on the go. The printer pulls images from any Bluetooth-enabled camera and churns out color photos in less than 60 seconds.
Road trips are marathons, not sprints; the smart traveler needs to find a way to snatch a little relaxation amid meetings and long flights. A growing collection of devices are aimed at helping you do just that. Sling Media, for instance, has come out with Slingplayer Media for the BlackBerry, giving BlackBerry users the option of watching their favorite television shows on their device.
Meanwhile, for music aficionados who want the convenience of a high-powered music player in a cell phone, Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people )Ericsson (nasdaq: ERIC - news - people ) offers the W760. Billed as the "first truly global Walkman phone," the phone features a GPS navigation system, stereo speakers, and fast downloading capabilities.
So pack a full bag, and nothing will get in your way
IN PICTURES:
What's most important when you're traveling? Getting to the right spot on time? Always having the full assortment of your software tools ready and working? Figuring out how to create an oasis of relaxation in the middle of a crazed travel schedule?
For all these demands and more, this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas offered up a boutique of gadgets. Best of all, some of these devices are so sweet you'll want to bring them on a genuine escape holiday, too.
A laptop is the luggage of choice for most working travelers. Unfortunately, not every corner on earth has a power outlet. For the executive venturing to extreme locales, where power resources may not be readily at hand, there's the solar-powered laptop bag, built by Voltaic Systems. Covered in solar panels, a fully charged bag has enough juice to power a typical laptop or small electronics.
Then there's global positioning satellite technology. For travelers who practically live in their cars, and have to find their ways to remote meeting spots, GPS has become indispensable. In general, GPS devices were one of the top-selling gadgets this holiday season. But fiddling with your GPS, especially when driving a new route, can be downright dangerous. For this reason, Garmin's (nasdaq: GRMN - news - people ) latest version, the nüvi 880, features speech recognition software that lets the driver keep both hands on the steering wheel and still get directions.
The new wave of technology is also turning the average traveler into a multimedia professional. Take, for instance, Samsung's latest high-definition camcorder, the SC-HMX20. The 10.9 oz. camcorder may seem small, but it packs a 10x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel still image camera, and 8 gigabytes of storage. For the true multi-tasker, a user can take videos and still images simultaneously.
Many business travelers need a way to snap a few pictures or videos, or record conversations--the rest of us may simply want to take home a few digital memories of a trip to share with family or the folks back at the home office. To lighten the load, gadgets that can pirouette between different jobs are essential. Pharos Science & Applications Trips and Pics promises to be a cool addition to the traveling kit. It’s a GPS attachment that lets you snap pictures and simultaneously record the place and time. Compatible with any digital camera, the geologger device is bundled with software that allows users to map out their photo locations.
Sometimes you need those pictures right away. Instead of searching out the local Kinkos shop, you can pack your picture printer with you. Polaroid has a pocket-sized mobile printer that allows users to print 2-by-3-inch photos on the go. The printer pulls images from any Bluetooth-enabled camera and churns out color photos in less than 60 seconds.
Road trips are marathons, not sprints; the smart traveler needs to find a way to snatch a little relaxation amid meetings and long flights. A growing collection of devices are aimed at helping you do just that. Sling Media, for instance, has come out with Slingplayer Media for the BlackBerry, giving BlackBerry users the option of watching their favorite television shows on their device.
Meanwhile, for music aficionados who want the convenience of a high-powered music player in a cell phone, Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people )Ericsson (nasdaq: ERIC - news - people ) offers the W760. Billed as the "first truly global Walkman phone," the phone features a GPS navigation system, stereo speakers, and fast downloading capabilities.
So pack a full bag, and nothing will get in your way
IN PICTURES:
Voltaic GeneratorVoltaic Systems
Price: $599
For the extreme executive who has to travel to the far reaches of the Sahara desert but can't afford to run out of battery power, Voltaic Systems' Generator laptop bag is a must. Covered in solar cells, the Generator is the world's first solar bag that can charge a laptop. According to Voltaic, it generates up to 14.7 watts after a day of direct sunlight. It can carry a 17-inch Apple Powerbook and comes with adapters so you can charge other electronics like your cellphone. The Generator will debut in spring 2008.
Slingplayer Mobile for the BlackBerrySling MediaPrice: estimated $30
Now that the BlackBerry is the phone of choice for the corporate world, it was only a matter of time before the minds behind Sling Media figured out how to stream TV into the BlackBerry. Now all travel-happy BlackBerry users can watch TV and DVR programs while they're on the go. The Slingplayer Mobile currently runs on Windows Mobile, Palm and Symbian systems but the BlackBerry version won't be out till the fourth quarter of 2008.
SC-HMX20SamsungPrice: not announced
For all the vacation moments, when a simple digital camera just won't do, Samsung offers the SC-HMX20, a full high-definition portable camcorder that weighs only 10.9 ounces. The camcorder features high-speed capture, a touch screen, 10-times optical zoom, 8-megapixel still images and dual recording, which allows the user to take photos and video simultaneously. Videos and still images are saved on a 8-gigabyte flash memory. The camcorder will be available in May.
HP iPAQ NavigateHPPrice: free
Now that you have all the neat gear, how do you put it all together and organize your trip? HP's solution is its new Web site, iPAQ Navigate. The site helps users put together customized travel itineraries. Users can edit their itineraries by deleting or adding new points of interests like restaurants and attractions. When you're ready to head out, you can print out your schedule or load it onto the HP IPAQ 300 Series navigation device. Best of all: It's free and available now.
W760Sony Ericsson
Price: probably $100 (after carrier rebate and subsidies)
Especially those working hard need music on the go. Yes, you can pack your iPod. But in the interests of having a phone that does a little of everything, Sony Ericsson has created the W760. Sony bills this as the "first truly global Walkman phone." The phone is equipped with a GPS navigation system, stereo speakers, a 3.2-megapixel camera and fast downloading capabilities allowing users to get music files instantly. It should be available in the second quarter.
Price: probably $100 (after carrier rebate and subsidies)
Especially those working hard need music on the go. Yes, you can pack your iPod. But in the interests of having a phone that does a little of everything, Sony Ericsson has created the W760. Sony bills this as the "first truly global Walkman phone." The phone is equipped with a GPS navigation system, stereo speakers, a 3.2-megapixel camera and fast downloading capabilities allowing users to get music files instantly. It should be available in the second quarter.
Trips & PicsPharos Science & ApplicationsPrice: $89.95
If you're trying to lighten your luggage, look for devices that have multiple uses. Pharos offers a clever one: a digital camera that doubles as a GPS device with a handy attachment. At the Consumer Electronic Show, the GPS maker unveiled "Trips & Pics," a portable device that easily attaches onto your camera. The product automatically records travel details such as your position, time and direction at regularly timed intervals that you designate (such as every one minute). It will be available later in January.
nüvi 880GarminPrice: $1,072
Don't take your hands off the wheel! Talk to that GPS device instead--at least, if it's Garmin's nüvi 880. Unlike most GPS units, this one features speech recognition that means the user doesn't have take his or her hands off the wheel car to figure out where to go. The product comes with three free months of MSN Direct services, which lets you tap into content like local traffic and fuel prices. With prompts like, "Find place: Starbucks" and "Where am I?" users can quickly figure out what's nearby and where they are. It will be available in the second quarter of 2008.
Mobile Photo PrinterPolaroidPrice: $150
Sometimes digital won't do. For travelers who want to point, click and print in an instant, Polaroid offers the pocket-sized Mobile Photo Printer. It will wirelessly print from any camera phone that can use Bluetooth. The prints are small--two inches by three inches, but the 8-ounce printer churns them out in less than 60 seconds.
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