Nov
10
Headed to a part of the world that has questionable water sources? Going hiking into the back country? Maybe a portable water filter would be a handy item to take along with you…
Seychelle Water Filtration makes a line of products that are designed to filter the water you drink. Making any water taste, fresh, and clean regardless of the source. I could be from a water source, a lake or river, or even out of the tap.
They make water bottles of various types along with an interesting, easily carried, Pure Water Straw. All containing a Ionic-absorption Micro-filtration system that removes up to 99.99% of contaminants found in fresh water including Guardia, Cryptosporidium, E-Coli Bacteria. Proven effective against bacteria and virus.
I”ve ordered several of their items. I’ll let you know what I think after they arrive.
NOTE: These filters are not designed to deal with salt water.
Oct
20
Red Eye Flights Made Easy? The Zami Pillow
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Most of us know from previous experience that the idea of sleeping on a overnight flight can be a bit daunting. That is where the Zami Travel Pillow comes in. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, I’ve asked the makers to send me a sample, but it looks like it might have promise. www.TheZami.com
The picture pretty much tells the story. The inflatable pillow is made up of three different blow up cells. You inflate each cell untill you have the height you want.
My two concerns would be: Does the weight on your legs become uncomfortable during a long sleep? I’ve found in the past that sleeping on plastic can be very uncomfortable.
I’ll update the posting if the makers send me a sample.
Oct
6
Is the ASUS Eee PC Right for Travelers?
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The Eee PC may be the perfect match for some casual PC users, but if your hard core computer geek you may be disappointed.
If you can live with the limits they make great traveling companions. They have small screens 9-11 inches. Small keyboards that are hard for big fisted guys like me.
They also have limited storage space. They don’t have hard disk drives, but use solid-state memory for storage. The models with memory card ports allow you to expand storage. And with the rapid increases in flash memory densities the port is nice and will allow the unit to grow with you for awhile.
Previous models of the Eee PC have only offered the Linux operating system. A software that is growing in popularity. But now you can get the latest the model 900 with Windows XP Home installed.
Many travelers just want to have a browser to deal with email while on the road along with a simple word processing. This Eee PC should be usable for them, but for road-warriors who want to edit video or photos while on the road this laptop/miniPC/netbook might not make the grade.
Sep
23
Pocket Express in your Pocket
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Pocket Express is a software application that runs on smart phones like the iPhone, Blackberry, and the Treo. The services give you fast access to flight times, news, sports, weather and other information. Some of the services are offered for free, but the majority of the services require subscriptions. A discounted bundle of subscriptions is available for 6.95 per month or $70 per year.
Try out the FREE options, click here. The thing I like about this service is that it is customized to your device so it displays data that websites may not render well on a mobile web browser. NOTE: It can also run on other WiFi connected devices like some of the HP iPAQ units.
Sep
17
Traveling With 8 Chargers, Finding 2 Outlets!
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I guess I fall into the category of “road warrior” when it comes to traveling with lots of electronic gear. One item that has become a real problem for me are charging units. While on the now defunct NCL Pride Of Aloha cruise ship I had only two plugs and a hand full of chargers. It became a project in itself just managing the charging of various devices.
I can carry as many as 8 different chargers with me. Starting with a AA battery charger for flash units, digital audio recorder, and comm radios. I also carry individual chargers for my cell phone, laptop, video camera, a Nikon DSLR, and my Canon point and shoot. And if my Wife travels with me it means adding her camera and phone charger. Luckily we both carry IBM Thinkpads so we only need one laptop charger.
Today’s gadget doesn’t solve the problem of multiple chargers, but it does help with plugging them in. Sometimes it’s a real problem with maybe only one conviently located outlet. Or if mutiple plugins are available you’ll end up with chargers plugged in all over. One next to the bed, one under the desk, and another in the bathroom. You’ll find the problem of limited AC outlets especially on cruise ships.
Belkin makes a possible solution. This companct and lightweight Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger allows three devices to use just one plug. It features three AC outlets and two powered USB outlets designed for charging MP3 players and mobile phones.
Not only does it turn one outlet into 3 it adds surge suppression protection. The 360-degree rotating plug with 4 locking positions makes the unit even more flexible. But the close spacing of the three outlets may make it difficult for attaching multiple “brick” style chargers. It also comes with Lifetime Product and $75,000 Connected Equipment Warranties.
Aug
11
If you find yourself stranded overnight at an airport or train station you may be much more comfortable if you had tossed a new Mini Motel into your carry-on bag. The Mini Motel is a combination tent and sleeping bag that has been designed for comfort and easy set up.
The Mini Motel website says it is made of durable, high quality materials and includes many accessories to provide you with many of the “comforts of home.” It includes the following: Air Mattress / Pillow / Bed Sheet / Alarm Clock / Reading Light / Tooth Brush & Tooth Paste / Ear Plugs / Eye Shades.
The interesting thing is that at $50 this unit will easily pay for itself the first time you use it. You may even be able to make it a profitable venture. You might consider being a volunteer for denied boarding, get the cash or credit offered by the airline, and catch the early morning flight. If you stay in your Mini Motel in the terminal no cab fares or secuirty screenings. You can probably get an extra 2-3 hours sleep before that morning flight.
It also has other uses. Add one or more to your emergency preparedness kit, it would be great to have a little privacy if your sacking out in a shelter. Having family over for an overnight stay? Put the kids in the living room and give them each their own Mini Motel tent. I think kids would love it.
It weighs 4.7lbs, when folded up it is 17″ x 12″ x 3″, when set up it is 80″L x 25″W x 35″H.
For more details and purchasing information visit the Mini Motel website.
Jul
2
Some of us like the big city experience while other would rather be as faraway as possible from any signs of civilization. Preferring the wilderness. It could be steep mountains of Colorado, the dry deserts of Arizona, or the sailing the deep blue sea.
The magic of many of these trips is that you are alone, very alone. But some of you may not realize that distance from civilization comes at a price. And that price could be your life.
You could say it will never happen to me. I’ll never need help, I’m tough. But the reality is that we don’t have any control over our environment. Proper planning can limit your exposure to dangerous conditions, but you never really know what you will find. Remember the story about Aron Ralston, the trapped climber who was forced to cut off his own arm using a dull knife? Read about Aron.
If you run into trouble in the wilderness a new device is available to help you contact help. The new SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker. This cool unit not only helps you when your lost or in trouble, but allows you to create a record of your travels, and let friends and loved ones know your status.
The SPOT unit contains a GPS tracking receiver and a satellite transmitter. The GPS supplies the SPOT with your location and the transmitter sends that info up to a listening satellite above. Pretty straight forward, but the SPOT unit offers some options.
The orange SPOT unit has four option buttons.
- ON/OFF
- OK/Check - This sends your position and a predetermined ”I’m OK” message to a friend or family member. Hold this button down for five seconds and the unit will send this message every 10 minutes for 24 hrs. This repeat feature can allow tracking on a Google Map.
- HELP - This sends your location and a different “I could use some help” like message you have preset to a designated individual.
- 911 - This sends your location and a “send help NOW” message to the GEOS International Emergency Response Center. They then direct emergency responders to your location, and notify your emergency contact.
I think this unit is pretty handy, and an important safety and security item. It is not unlike technology that has been available to boaters for years (EPRB). It also is similar to the location device that is automatically activated in an airplane when it crashes (ELT). I think hikers would enjoy having such a unit, even for a day hike in populated areas. With the GPS tracking feature you could have a mapped record of your hike for later reference.
Having a SPOT unit with me would make me feel more comfortable heading off into any remote location. A location with no land lines or cell phone service.
The unit will need a view of the sky to work, and it doesn’t work everywhere. Southern Africa and some ocean area are not covered. The manufactures website offers a coverage map.
The unit costs around $170. 911, Help and Check-in services are $100 a year, the tracking feature costs and additional 50 per year. The unit is 4.4 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches and weighs 7.4 oz. For more details visit the official www.FindMeSpot.com website.
UPDATE: The Wallstreet Journal on 9/29/2008 has given the SPOT as their Consumer Electronics 2008 Technology Inovation award.
