No more loose gadgets or accessories

GRID-IT Gadgets Organizer:

 Why good to have on a trip:
- keeps travel gadgets and accessories of different shapes and sizes in one place
- versatile organization
- can hold smartphones, cameras, music players, cords, SD cards and other travel gear
- no more digging around your luggage for small gadgets or cords

Available on Amazon.com: Cocoon CPG10BK GRID-IT Organizer

 How do you keep your gadgets organized while traveling? Let us know below

Got new gadgets this holiday, now what...

Post-Holiday Tips and Gadgets:



What do you think? Let us know below

Most important pack when traveling

First aid kit is an essential pack of supplies that can be a difference between continuing a great vacation and not.

Smart Travel kit, is designed to support one or two people on an extended trip. The kit is essentially a well stocked medicine cabinet that you can take with you wherever you go. Weighing in at just over a pound, the Smart Travel comes packed with bandages, gauze, a thermometer, tweezers, medical tape, and much more. It also includes medications to treat a variety of stomach ailments, blisters, dehydration, fever, and other minor aches and pains.

Baby-proofing kit by Travel Tot is a great pack to have while traveling and home also. The easily packable kit comes complete with corner, outlet and doorknob covers, plus a cabinet lock, cord-wind up and other assorted gadgets. Other items included in the kit are: finger pinch guard, electrical outlet plug covers, foam corner guards, door knob cover, cord wind-up, sliding door lock, cabinet lock, multi-purpose straps, water thermometer, bandages, forehead thermometer, and “shhh, Travel-Tot sleeping” door hanger.

Why good to have on a trip:
- things happen
- keep all travelers on the go
- quick access and treatment of medical issues
- provide basic medical supplies to treat common ailments
- eliminate the need for trips to a pharmacy
- travel safe

Did You Know?:

Some things to pack in a first aid kit:

• Prescription medications (with labels for use)
• Band-aids
• Antibacterial ointment
• Hand sanitizer
• Anti-diarrhea medicine
• Antihistamine pills (for any allergic reactions)
• Advil (or pain relief of choice)
• Vitamins (you may be subsisting on cereal bars)
• Nasal decongestant (will help relieve nasal pressure during flights)
• Hydro-cortisone cream
• Gauze All Purpose Dressings 
• Scissors 
• Tweezers 
• Water 
• Ice packs 
• Flashlight

Happy Holidays to all!

Happy Holidays:

Whatever holiday you celebrate or wherever you are in the world Go Travel, Take a Gadget^tm

Last Last-minute Travel Gift Ideas

Last-minute gifts are those that require little mulling over or research and can be grabbed and done with quickly. Here are some that fit perfectly:

Joby Gorillapod - bendy tripod that once connected to your camera’s tripod mount can be twisted around and secured to virtually any surface. We have used one on our trip to Cali (California Tripping) for some self-shots.

JBuds Noise-Reducing Ear Buds - for only 10 bucks, these are great in-ear headphones to take along on travel or anywhere you go.

Tweakers Portable Mini Lighted Speaker - palm-sized speakers deliver amazing sound from your laptop or MP3 player.

Pico key chain light - this little light runs for 15 hours and packs 10 lumens of light into a 30-foot beam.

Luggage Scale - every traveler flying anywhere would need one of these gadgets. They are great at weighing all of your suitcases to avoid fees and unnecessary hassle at the airport. I got a digital one of these as an early holiday present to replace an analog one, already weighted a bunch of things around the house, its that easy to use.

ZOMM Wireless Leash for Mobile Phones - A wireless leash, a speakerphone, and a personal safety device combined into one sleek device -connects to all Bluetooth enabled phones. Never misplace your phone again, ZOMM alerts you anytime your phone is more than 30 feet away.

Though the simplest last minute gifts that you cannot go wrong with in the last our are Gift Cards. They make great stocking stuffers and gifts that need to be there tomorrow. A lot of them can be sent by e-mail or overnight, printed out at home, and even posted on Facebook:

Amazon.com Gift Card - Don't know what to get your traveling buddy on the list or just ran out of time, this card makes a great holiday gift as they would be able to purchase just about anything they want with it at amazon.com. This gift card can even be used to get Android Apps.

iTunes gift card - music, movies, shows, and much more can be downloaded through iTunes. All sorts of entertainment for a larger variety of tastes.

Magellan's Gift Certificates - a great source of unique and useful travel products.

Holiday Air Travel Tips

TSA Holiday Travel Tips:




Did You Know?: 
One of the things discussed in the video is keeping your small valuables and accessories all in one place and not throw then into a bin. It is a great tip. And there is a great invention just for this purpose, a Scanner Bag. We have 2 of these ourselves which we have used on our trip to California as described in California Tripping. It is the size and look of a luggage tag, but it also expands into a bag to hold all your small gadgets, wallet, watch, and so on, in one place. And since it is attached to your carry-on, it is easy to grab and go once done with the security screening. Available GadgetDuck.com

What do you think? Let us know below

So that's where Batman gets all his high tech gadgets...

How to make good use of your car's unused plug

I have been looking to make the cigarette lighter in the car more useful. I have no use for it for its original indication.

Up until recently it only has been used to plug in the charging cable from the GPS. And once in a rare while to charge a phone. However, it did not seem enough. With more and more of today's gadgets using a variation of USB connections, the large plug is becoming outdated.

This is where my newest gadget comes in, the dual USB plug. The one I recently purchased and is already in the car's secondary cigarette lighter is Anker 24W Dual USB Car Charger PowerDrive. When I first find out about such a cool and useful gadget, I started my search for the best one available and a good price.

There were quite a few models listed on Amazon.com. Though after doing some comparisons two models stood out. They were similar in price, and most of the features. And at first glance, I could not pick between the two. But then I read more into their features. What separated the Anker USB charger for me from other dual USB car chargers was that it has twice as much juice as the competitor. I thought it was too good to be true, so I did some more digging and it was correct. This unit has 5 volts @ 1 amp per plug, while the other one offered 500 mA of power per each. More power to quickly charge my travel gadgets, yes, please. It also has built-in SmartFuse for circuit protection to keep the devices safe.

The car charger plug fits snugly into the outlet, not sticking out at all, and converts it into a quick charging USB port. Great for plugging in just about any gadget that you would take a long on a trip, be it a phone, tablet, or game that come with the USB adapters.

Why good to have on a trip:
- Charge several devices at once
- With 1 amp power per USB port, it has plenty of juice to charge most devices
- Works with iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, cellular phones, MP3 players, PDAs and more
- Built-in SmartFuse for circuit protection
- Use your existing USB charging cables to charge most USB powered devices
- Space-saving design fits two USB ports into a compact device

Did You Know?:
Circuit protection devices are used to protect connectors from being damaged by the excess current caused by an overcurrent or short-circuit.

What do you think? Leave a Comment

Keep on Traveling Safe - Check the app, Pull out a Pen, and Drink Up

To follow up on my earlier post this week, There is a Travel App for That: Can I Drink the Water?, I have came across a very useful travel gadget that would go great with this app. Once you check if the water in the your destination is drinkable, it would be a great idea to have a portable water filter with you. Even if the place checks out for the most part, it is still better to be safe during travel since being far away from home, some things might not be as easily accessible. And eating contaminated food and drinking contaminated water can increase the risk of developing certain infectious diseases caused by germs such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, and norovirus, among others. Additionally, after an emergency, especially after flooding, drinking water may not be available or safe to drink for personal use. Not very fun facts when on vacation. That is why there are technologies that have been developed to more easily filter the water. These gadgets have become small and easy enough to use that they can be taken along on any trip. One of such gadgets is the SteriPEN, which purifies the water using ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect it. Water filters have been shown to be the most effective interventions amongst all point-of-use water treatment methods. They allow you to clean liters of water to use in bottles or hydration packs. To operate it, simply turn it on, remove the protective cap and place it in a cup or bottle of water. Sensor prongs ensure the UV light won't turn on when the pen is not immersed, protecting your eyes from the UV radiation. While it good at removing harmful bacteria from the water, it is not going to remove any dirt or other small debris.

Why good to have on a trip:
- Get drinkable water no matter which side of the equator you are on
- Together with the Can I Drink the Water? app, keep travel safe
- light, small, easy to use

What others are saying:
Gear Review: SteriPEN Traveler 3-in-1 UV Water Purifier by TravelGearBlog
New SteriPEN Freedom: Smaller and USB Rechargeable! by PracticalTravelGear
Gadling gear review: SteriPen Freedom water purifier

Did You Know?:
Water Disinfection for Travelers Information

There is a Travel App for That: Can I Drink the Water?

Can I Drink the Water?

The last thing you want on a trip is for anything to interrupt the tours and excursions. So keep your travel safe with this interesting app from Two Steps Beyond. The app is location aware so you can quickly look up what the water supply is like nearby, wherever you are in the world. This especially comes in very handy when you are traveling to countries that are not known for their infrastructure. Mexico is one of the countries that most travelers have heard about the water quality. And most folks know to stay away from their tap water and make sure that drinks and ice are made with bottled water. Though there are quite a few other countries where the locals can drink the water as they are used to it, however this same water would do a number on unsuspecting tourists. Can I Drink the Water? has water quality information for over 200 countries. The information is compiled from official government resources, travel reports, and other documentation available to ensure that you travel safe and worry-free and are able brush your teeth and shower without any side effects.

 Did You Know?:
- Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later
- Available on iTunes and Android Market
- 51% of the profits from this app will be donated to Charity Water, dedicated to bringing clean water to developing countries.

Other cool travel apps:
ATM Hunter - fast and easy for you to locate the closest ATM and MasterCard®PayPass™ accepting merchants. And because the ATM Hunter is location aware, there’s no need to input your address or current location, no matter where in the world you are.
iBeers Pro - definitive references for beer drinkers around the world with over 2,700 different beers in its database
Maplets - The most comprehensive offline map app on the app store, with over 6000 maps in the US and worldwide including Yosemite, New York Subway, London Tube, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, State Parks, and more

Stay safe this holiday travel season. Go Travel. Take a Gadget ™

Best Bottle Openers, great for travel too

Best bottle openers ever
- collection by coolmaterial.com

1. Bottle Opener Tie – TBD

2. Stainless Steel Bottle Opener Cufflinks – $50

3. Nail Bottle Opener – $22

4. Titanium Multi-Tool Collar Stays – $30

5. Bike Fork Bottle Opener – $30

6. Alessi Pop Up Bottle Opener – $48

7. Recycled Bicycle Chain Bottle Opener Key Chain – $8

8. Odd Job Hat – $46

9. Brewsees – $40

10. i-Ecko Bottle Opener & USB Flash Drive – $20.40

11. Bull Bottle Opener – $20

12. Pen Bottle Opener – $9.99

I especially like the number 4 and 12. How cool would it be at a business casual party as it becomes more casual with some bottles of beer brought in. And they are not screw top, but the good kind. Then, to open one, you take out the bottle opener James Bond style from the collar of your shirt! Awesome party trick.
And then there is the Pen Bottle Opener. Can open a bottle of bubbly and take down the number, email, or name all in just a couple of moves. Stocking stuffer?

 Why good to have on a trip:
- Multi-functioning tool
- Some of these can be used to open a bottle, as a screwdriver, or as a pen
- saves space and always ready to get one open

 What do you think? Leave a Comment

Light up your travels

Travel flashlights:

Crank LED mini-flashlight - this flashlight fits in the palm of your hand. It does not need batteries, as it works on hand cranking for one minute which generates about 20 minutes of light.

LED flashlight with multi-tool. Includes 8 common stainless-steel tools. Additionally, it has a power-saving green light vision mode to save energy and make it last. Multifunctional and green.

Waterproof Solar flashlight - bright, long lasting and energy efficient solar flashlight. It's lightweight design makes it great for traveling. It is the perfect gift for the traveler and environmentalist on your list.

Mini camp lantern - hang it anywhere or stand it anywhere. These new twist on an old classic light has a sleek and compact design. This lantern contains a super bright krypton bulb and a cylinder reflector system, allowing for 360° of light output.

GorillaTorch - bright 65-lumen flashlight on flexible, articulated legs. It can be mounted most anywhere.

Pico key chain light - this little light runs for 15 hours and packs 10 lumens of light into a 30-foot beam.


Did You Know?: 

All these and more are available on Amazon:


How do you light up your travel? Leave a Comment

Holiday Gift Guide from Geekbeat.tv

Holiday Gift Guide:



Travel gadgets in this video:

Canon VIXIA HF M40

Panasonic HDC-TM900K - this video camera can take a 3D lens attachment, shoot at 60 fps, and has an external mic jack.

Canon PowerShot SX230HS - if you’re looking for a great point-and-shoot camera, you’d do well with the 12MP Canon PowerShot SX230HS for about $200.

Canon G12 - for a point-and-shoot with some advanced features and great low-light capability, you’ll want to check out the Canon G12, another favorite around our studio.

Capture Clip - a way to hang your camera very securely from your belt, so it stays safe and is always there when you need it.

Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth Speaker - a very compact and portable speaker that connects to your devices with Bluetooth and delivers room-filling sound.

Spracht WS-4010 Bluetooth Speaker - other, less expensive, option for a Bluetooth speaker – it’s only $50.

Samsung Galaxy Tab - great combination of portability and features!

iPhone 4 and 4S Cases

BlackFriday is over, that means it is time to shop shop shop until you or the ball drops!

You already stand in line in airports, stations, and more. Why also do it when shopping?
Get great travel gadget gifts online Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Travel and Gadgets

In a New York Times article, the research by a University of Washington professor revealed that it's not until early December that prices are likely to be lowest for electronics, products that are among the biggest sellers on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday, nowadays, actually means retailers will go from the red into the black on their income sheets, and not the darkest shopping day of the year as it was previously known. Get your gift list done for the travelers in your family.

"The less you shop the less you spend. Never regret missing out on a so-called 'sale.'" - Thomas J. Stanley

Best Anti-Theft USB Charging Travel Gadget Backpack

Shop All-new Kindle Travel Gear

Buy reliable VPN for desktop and mobile for travel and at home

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There is a Travel App for That: Netflix

We signed up for Netflix about 4 months ago and it has been a hate love type of relationship. It is great that we can order movies on DVD we have not seen yet. But it is a hassle to get some of the more popular ones and forget about getting a show you like that is also popular as it will be on back order for quite some time.
Then there is the streaming service, that we still continue with even though they had the whole debacle of splitting up the services. We have thought on several occasions since then to cancel one or the other. While it is great to be able to stream movies instantaneously, and we able to do it through our TV, the selection has been quite small. After the first couple of months we were caught up on most of the shows and movies we would want to see and did not have many choices for awhile.

Notwithstanding, this post is actually about the great benefit for travel that Netflix services can be. On our trip up north for the Turkey Weekend, we had the iPhone and iPad along. And for the first time I tried using the Netflix app away from the house and on the location's wi-fi. It was great. The streaming worked very well and I was able to watch a couple shows. The next day while I was getting my car updated and new wipers installed, my wife watched a movie on her phone while also helping to host a yard sale. She was also very excited to find out that we are able to access and stream movies and show just about anytime and anywhere as long as there is secure wi-fi connection, and also one that has a good reach and not too many other devices using it.

Why good to have on a trip: 
- easy access with app
- movies and shows available anytime
- pre-select queue of stuff to watch on a trip

Available on iTunes and Android Market

Did You Know?: 
- To use this app to stream, you would need Wi-Fi. And that is where another great travel app comes in: There is a Travel App for That: Free Wi-Fi Finder

What do you use to stream movies and shows? Leave a Comment

What is one word to describe your Thanksgiving weekend?

What is one word to describe your Turkey weekend?

Mine is: Salesturkeylicious

Best Gadget Gifts for Travelers

Travel Gifts:

Mix, Match and Save	Save on Two	Gifts under $25	Gifts under $50
Gifts under $75	Gifts under $100	Gifts over $100	Gifts just for Her
Gifts just for Him	Gifts for Children	Gift Certificates