Take Jimi with you

Posted by Staff in Travel Tech Tues.

Whether you choose to go the route of real France or faux France, you definitely want to take your camera along for the ride to capture each romantic moment.  

Although the advent of the digital camera has made it more compact to travel, as there are no pesky rolls of film to contend with…we now have to battle the world of fragility, as itty-bitty memory cards are not as tough as their film counterpart. Usually it is as easy as popping the card into your camera and on you go…but for those that are snap-happy, it is necessary to take along more than one card.  

That is where the Jimi Multi Media Case comes in handy.  This nifty little case attaches to a key ring and holds 2 cards of the 13 most popular formats used.  The case is water resistant and shockproof, so you can rest assured that your photos will be kept safe.

Costing $8.95, it will be the cheapest insurance policy you ever bought…find one at www.thejimi.com

Napoleon-esque lantern

Posted by Staff in Travel Tech Tues.

Every guidebook that lists “what to take on a trip” always says to bring a flashlight…but with all the weight restrictions while flying, who wants to waste precious pounds on traveling with a flashlight?

I recently found the answer to this dilemma in a keychain…a very adorable keychain that looks like a mini camping lantern. The Coghlan’s Micro Lantern looks like something Barbie would take camping, but this is no kiddy toy…it is actually a very powerful LED lantern that is capable of lighting everything within a 6.5-foot diameter.  How does this micro-wonder accomplish this?  Through a specially designed conical reflector and a bright Nichia Ultra-Bright LED…for those who don’t subscribe to scientific mumbo-jumbo, just believe me that it’s bright considering it’s only 1.5 inches tall.

The Micro Lantern is water resistant, comes with a clip-on keychain and has a flashing mode to attract attention in the event of an emergency.  This mini powerhouse has a battery life of 25 hours and costs under $10, available at amazon.com

Bond like security

Posted by Staff in Travel Tech Tues.

For travelers that want to stay connected (a.k.a. laptop junkies…me), security should be a big concern.

Why? Because you never know who is looking over your shoulder trying to steal your passwords…and a stolen password can result in a hacked computer system or even a stolen identity.

What better way to protect that information than with something that is easy and small enough to fit right into your pocket and only requires your finger! UPEK’s Eikon To Go, a portable USB-sized fingerprint reader, is the solution to forgotten passwords and low-level security on the road.

I found the device extremely easy to set up and use…and felt very much like James Bond using my finger to unlock my computer.  My only concern is…if you are not Bond-like and tend to loose things, you could be locked out of your laptop if you misplace it…and although the Eikon works with both Mac and PC, it is much more customizable on a PC. With a Mac the device can only be used for the login password, but with a PC you can use it to unlock individual website passwords as well.

The Eikon To Go costs under $50 and is available on Amazon.com.

Harnessing the sun

Posted by Staff in Travel Tech Tues.

Renewable energy is where the future is, so why not take some with you while traveling…in the form of the Solio Hybrid 1000.  This five-inch long by two and half inch wide portable solar panel can be used to charge most mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras and handheld games. When fully charged, the Solio will charge a typical mobile phone once or give 10 hours of MP3 music…just 1 hour of sunshine equals 14 minutes talk time or 40 minutes of MP3 music.

The Solio features a built-in-carabineer, which makes it easy to clip to a backpack and catch rays on the go…and only weighing 5.6 ounces; it is a light-weight travel companion.  The charger comes with three adapter tips that work with most gadgets, but if your phone does not play nice with the included tips, Solio sells many other adapters through their website.

Harnessing the power of the sun on the go will cost $79.95 and is available at Solio.com.