New Cool Up-and-Coming Travel Gadgets - January

New Cool Up-and-Coming Travel Gadgets - January

GoPro Karma is the action cam company’s first drone, coming 2016
pocket-lint.com/news/136144-gopro-karma-is-the-action-cam-company-s-first-drone-coming-2016

11 Ways OLED Technology Is Amazing
OLED screens are flexible and require a lot less electrical power than current screens to work. These characteristics would be great for travel gadgets that can go anywhere without cracking and take up less space and also need less time and frequency of charging them.
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/why-oled-technology-is-amazing

Ultra-Efficient Folding Wings on Boeing 777X
Wing size matters—bigger wings generate greater lift, which can improve an airplane’s fuel efficiency. Boeing’s new 777X twin-engine airliner will have lower fuel consumption and operating costs per seat. Its wings, while larger than most, are strong and flexible with tips that fold up so it can fit fine within today’s airports.

New Patent Allows Passengers to Fly on Top of the Plane
The latest seat technology isn’t jamming more passengers onto a plane or adding new gadgets to your seat back. Instead, you may soon be flying on top of the plane—that’s right, on top. The SkyDeck, a 360-degree, teardrop-shaped bubble, is ready to radically redefine the term "window seat." For even more luxury and Jetson-level technology, passengers will access the two seats through an elevator and, once inside, will be able to rotate their seats to see what it’s really like to fly at 300,000 feet. ...More

Screen As Solar Charger
A new type of battery is in the works that will let phone, for the first time, utilize solar power. Sunpartner Technologies' Wysips, turns a phone's screen into a solar collector. It's similar to the way Casio solar watches and calculators used to be powered. Though now this is being tested for phones, tablets, and notebooks.
At the moment, the solar cells can generate roughly 2.5 milliwatts per square centimeter in typical sunlight conditions. After 10 minutes in the sun, the screen could generate enough electricity to power a phone for an extra couple minutes of talk time. Currently, the technology of the solar screen to meant augment gadget's battery rather than fully power it. Though more development is on the way to increase the power output. This would be great for travel, since sun energy is a lot more abundant then electric plugs

IC-R Rider Concept Helmet
www.intelligentcraniumhelmets.com/ic-r-rider-edition
Built-in heads up display includes rear-view cameras, speedometer and trajectory view, and mobile software that enable rider to make and receive calls.
LED lightning warning system for approaching danger, ie spidey sense.
Built-in solar panel that charges all of the helmet components.
And would have e-tint visor technology that is the fast to respond to light adjustments.

Sound-off: What do you think? Let us know below

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New Cool Gadget Find of Today: Wrist watches making a comeback?

I have a great time piece by Fossil that I have had for quite a few years. Actually since I finished high school as that was a graduation present to myself. And until a couple of years ago I would not have gone anywhere without it. However, I have not worn the watch in quite awhile since, like most folks these days, I always have the phone with me to tell me the time. This new watch/gadget might be changing that.
Fossil is looking to make wrist watches relevant once again with their new model Metawatch, that will be available in stores in July 2011.
There are two models, one analog/digital with two 16x80 white OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays and digital with 96x96 reflective/always on display technology. The analog watch has two hands, and the 2 screens appear above and below that can show updates and information. The digital watch has a reflective LCD face that can display just about anything, but only in black and white.
The Metawatches use Bluetooth technology to sync with the phone and are able to display email notifications, Twitter/Facebook updates, and other short messages. They also have a rechargeable battery.

...

Metawatch press release:

Meta WatchTM offers developers freedom to start their own wrist revolution

Richardson, TX, May 3, 2011 - Meta WatchTM is proud to announce a wearable development system that enables rapid development of 'connected-watch' applications. With Meta Watch, developers can quickly and easily extend the interfaces of devices and applications to the wrist. The Meta Watch platforms utilize embedded Bluetooth® technology to connect to smartphones, tablets and other electronics devices. The Meta Watch SDK/API makes it easy for the watch to display information from mobile applications or Internet services. For complete information, visit www.metawatch.org.

Meta Watch platforms are available in analog digital or digital versions, and include: a 3 ATM water resistant stainless steel case; leather strap; mineral glass crystal; vibrating motor; three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor. Optimized for low-power operation, both watch platforms are based on the MSP430TM ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface solution from Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI).

"Meta Watch makes our everyday mobile experience much better by enabling us to view important mobile notifications at the right time with virtually no effort", said Bill Geiser, Vice President Watch Technology, Fossil. "Of course, you can get this information today, but it requires many different steps. Meta Watch simply makes it more convenient and, in the process, it opens the door to new partnerships like we have with TI and a growing network of development partners."

"TI welcomes the opportunity to work with the Meta Watch team on creating a new channel for the community, and to helping developers push the watch's capabilities to the next level," said Eran Sandhaus, Director of marketing, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. "TI's MSP430 ultra-low-power microcontroller and CC2560 Bluetooth host controller interface provide a solid foundation for the next- generation, connected devices based on the Meta Watch's sleek form factor. We look forward to seeing the Meta Watch community flourish with ideas for wearable technology that will spark new consumer experiences for years to come."

Why good to have on a trip:
- easily view messages, emails and notifications without taking out the phone
- safety, no need to display your expensive phone/gadget
- a reason to keep wearing a wrist watch

New Cool Gadgets for Today: bike power, lifehammer, and pearly wipes

1. Phone charger powered by bike power. Nokia came out with a gadget that is able to charge your cell phone while paddling. Speed of 8 mph is enough to generate juice that equates what a wall charger can output to your phone.
There is also ReeCharge power pack by BioLogic that can charge most any USB-chargeable device, including iPhones, iPods, cell phones, cameras or GPS units
Why good to have on a trip:
- power up your cell phone while bike touring,
- no need to stop and look for an outlet
- no extra batteries to carry around
- use less electricity
- make the planet greener

2. LifeHammer® allows people to escape from being trapped in vehicles by cutting jammed seat belts and breaking car windows. Saw a demonstration of how it works on a show today, and it is definitely a tool to have in the car and it can have other uses in emergency situations.

3. Pearly wipes - moist towelettes for cleaning your teeth from stains while on the go.
These wipes have all natural ingredients as described below from the official website (http://www.winewipes.com/pearly-wipes.php)
Ingredients: Baking soda, Hydrogen Peroxide, Calcium, Glycerin, Peppermint oil
Why good to have on a trip:
- remove coffee and tea stains, red wine reside, and other staining beverages from teeth
- freshen your breath
- keeps teeth and gums germ-free
- quick and easy to use
- compact and cheap
- peppermint oil can naturally relieve toothaches, stress, headaches, and indigestion

The Racktrap - packing it in for your next trip

  Earlier this morning I, for the first time, heard about this gadget for ladies that I thought is a great idea and would be awesome to have along on a trip. And it seems quite a few people agree as it has been written up about in a lot publications and has been discussed on several shows.

The Racktrap™ (http://www.theracktrap.com/) is an undetectable one-size-fits-all personal bra pocket that holds everyday essentials including license, cash, credit cards, and a photo ID, conveniently in a bra.

If you put stuff for "safe keeping" in your bra, this is a great product. Not that I would know first hand, though I recently got myself one of these things that is a bit similar, to keep valuables close to me. But it seems it would a great accessory for a trip to keep your money and other documents close while on a trip. It is a great solution for females who need to carry the essentials, but either don’t have pockets or a purse to store them in. It is an undetectable pocket that fits inside a sports bra while exercising, walking around town, on a tour or on a trail.

These smart little pockets are made of smooth fabric that nestles right inside the bra. It is hypoallergenic and fits well no matter the bra cup size.

They also could be useful when it’s time to hit up the club for a night of drinking and dancing. You would not have to worry about your bag and who’s going to keep an eye on it while on the dance floor.

Using the Racktrap™ is also a lot more sanitary than just tucking in the dollar bills straight into your bra, since as the research shows, US dollars have been found to have the most bacteria on them compared to other currencies.

http://www.theracktrap.com/

  

Why good to have on a trip: 

- Designed to fit comfortably in any size or style bra

- Designed for women on the go

- Holds your small essentials in one safe place
- No need for purse or pockets

- Perfect for running errands, jogging, touring, trailing...

Did You Know?:
A study of American coins and currency revealed the presence of bacteria, including staphylococcus, E. coli, and klebsiella, on 18 percent of the coins and 7 percent of the bills.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67218/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__Dirty_money_1_Expect_germs

Keep your travels neat during and after

Update: There is an app for it, and its free. I came across the article below about an app that lets you record and snap photos of receipts to create monthly/annual reports. This app is available for multiple smartphone operating systems, quick to input and import receipts and such into accounting software. And its free.

App of the Week: Track Your Expenses – For Free

This week's cool gadget is Portable Scanner.

This gadget I have come across on several occasions. Mostly in really good advertisements that got my attention. Ok, maybe they were not that great, but I did notice them as someone who is into gadgets and read through and then read up a bit more about it on the site.
The first one of this type I came across was NeatReceipts. I really like what it promised. All of the receipts that I have all over the desk and then "neatly" put a way in a filing case would instead be scanned onto my computer and then I can organize them whatever way I want in digital format. Moreover, since these are now digitized they can be inputted into accounting software or simple data sheet. That is awesome, as that would make it much easier to see what we have spent on and create tracking for the various little purchases. You can also scan business cards and such to keep digital copy of and create pdf files and contact lists.
NeatReceipts is USB-powered, slick at only 14 inches width x 4 inches height and weighs 1.6 pounds, comparable with both PC and Mac, which makes it great for traveling since it fits easily into laptop bag or a backpack.
That is all great, though the thing that kept me away from this gadget is the price. NeatReceipts goes for around 200 dollars. While its a nice tool to have to organize receipts and such, my current filing system works and it cost me about $5, the price of the plastic filing folder.
The other portable scanner I came across was CopyCat Portable Scanner. By dragging your hand across a piece of paper you able to digitize a document into picture file on the Micro SD card in the scanner. It can scan photos, magazines, typed documents, and more. Text processing software also enables you to edit any words scanned. This one is a bit less, but still a pricey gadget.

What do you think? Would this be a good travel gadget purchase or should be left in the office?

Why good to have on a trip:
- easily scan receipts, instead of having a pile somewhere in the bag
- able to create data sheets, reports, and other documents
- easy tracking of small and large purchases
- light and compact
- easily connects to any computer

Did You Know?: IRS accepts digital versions of receipts, bills or other tax deduction documents.
Publication 552 - "Electronic records. All requirements that apply to hard copy books and records also apply to electronic storage systems that maintain tax books and records. When you replace hard copy books and records, you must maintain the electronic storage systems for as long as they are material to the administration of tax law."

New Cool Gadget Find of Today: Wallet Made of Stainless Steel

Woven using 25,000 flexible stainless-steel threads that are three times thinner than a piece of paper, this wallet is resistant to stretching or staining and corrosives such as salts, acids, and seawater. It does not have sharp corners or the inherent bulk of other wallets so it easily fits in front or back pocket.
Also, since it is made out of steel, it passively resists radio-frequency hacking. Which is the latest identity theft technique that attempts to scan newer credit cards and other cards that are RF-enabled (Radio frequency identification chip).
This virtually indestructible wallet feels like silk. Features 6 credit card, two internal and currency slots with a divided large pocket for bills.

Why good to have on a trip:
- it is durable
- resistant to stretching and staining and corrosives
- made out of steel, yet feels as smooth as silk
- resists radio-frequency hacking
- slim, fits easily in front/back pocket
- protects your hard cash

Did You Know?:
Wireless identity theft is a relatively new technique of gathering an individual's personal information from RF-enabled cards carried on a person in their access control, credit, debit, or government issued identification cards.[6] Each of these cards carry a Radio frequency identification chip which responds to certain radio frequencies. When these "tags" come into contact with radio waves, they respond with a slightly altered signal. The response can contain encoded personal identifying information, including the card holder's name, address, Social Security Number, phone number, and pertinent account or employee information. Upon capturing (or 'harvesting') this data, the thief is then able to program their own cards to respond in an identical fashion (via 'cloning').(Wikipedia.org)

Cool Find of Today: How Do Noise Reducing Headphones Work?

As a follow up to several posts (More on making travel fun with cool headphones,Travel gadgets for the frugal traveler, Traveling in comfort, Noise canceling headphones - life saver for travelers?) about headphones and especially about noise reducing headphones that make travel oh so much better, here is an article that explains different types of headphones available and how they work to reduce outside unnecessary noise:
HTG Explains: How Do Noise Reducing Headphones Work?

Did you know that listening to music can make you more productive?
- studies done by F. F. Cripe (1986) , L. Morton, J. Keshner and L. Seigel 1990) that conclude that music with a prominent beat stimulates an increased arousal in students which overrides the effect of environmental distractors…repetitive beat produces a reduction in muscle tension, thus reducing hyperactivity… (there was) significant reduction in distractability among students after being exposed to music. Short term memory was also beneficially affected by having to listened to music

New Cool Find of Today: article - Pack Light for Geek Travel

A great article on Wired "Pack Light for Greek Travel"

It talks about what to pack and how to pack, including all the accessories needed, in todays world of multiple gadgets and restrictions.

Swiss Army knife reinvented

Update: There is recently been an upgrade to the model of Swiss Army knife with the USB. The Victorinox Secure SDDhas been released in 128GB and 256GB models in March while the larger 512GB version will debut sometime later this year.

Do you own a classic Swiss Army knife?
Even if you do not have one handy most people know what the classic version includes, what they do, and what it looks like. The basic models include a blade, scissors, nail file with a screwdriver tip, tweezers, and a key ring. There are now a whole lof of various models that SwissArmy is offering. From everyday to garden, outdoor, and executive versions. While a lot of these have cool features and are great utility tools, the one that caught my eye recently is the Victorinox Flash Flight 8GB Ruby. As the name indicates it comes with a built in USB flash drive that is available from 2 gb to 16 gb and is removable, LED mini white light, and a retractable ball point pen. These utilities make it one of the few travel friendly sets that might make it through the airport security.
There is a different version of this model available that also has the flash drive, mini light, retractable ball point pen, but also includes the classics (Victorinox Flash 2GB Ruby).

Travel Gadgets slide show by Lowfares.com

Today I came across a slide show list of travel gadgets posted on Lowfares.com: Travel Gadgets: Digital Luggage Scale and More  This list caught my eye as it lists a few of the items that I have posted about previously and really like as travel gadgets. First one on the list is the digital luggage scale. In my most recent posts, (Travel tech blogger without a gadget, til now) I mentioned that I finally got one of my own and it is one of the best peace of mind travel gadgets that I acquired. The list also lists earphones as good travel gadget. In one of the older posts, Noise canceling headphones - life saver for travelers?,  I listed many benefits of having these around on a trip. I love music. Especially when it helps me tune out and get things done and also enjoy some great sounds. Gorilla pod is another of my fav travel gadgets that appears on the list and that I have used and can say is a great invention for traveling with smaller cameras. On our most recent trip, it was great being able to snap pictures of the two of us without necessarily having to ask for pictures from strangers with questionable photography skills and we could also make many takes without being annoying :)
An interesting gadget that I saw on the list was the Bottle Armor. It protects a bottle of wine or other glass bottles while traveling. Bottle Armor is made of durable leak-proof nylon with a layer of protective padding protects bottles in your checked luggage. It even includes a corkscrew and is reusable. As someone who has experienced many times trying to wrap that bottle in anything possible so it would survive the trip home, I think this might be good travel take-along when going on wine trails, picnic, or a party and bringing a bottle to a dinner.
Though I don't know about the Lucha Libre mask travel tag and the silk travel pouch. Mighty a bit of a stretch there for cool travel gadgets...
What do you think?

New Cool Gadget Find of Today: SPIbelt

Today, I came across a post on the blog Wanderlust and Lipstick about a belt/travel accessory that makes it easy to store digital camera, mp3 player, or phone and keys while out and about on a trip or just a jog. SPIbelt

New Cool Gadget Find of Today: Musuc Bag

What do you ask is the Musuc Bag?
It is a sleeping bag with MP3 pockets where you can fit in your MP3 player or iPod. Moreover, no more feeling trapped once inside the bag or like a todler with restricted movement. This sleeping bags have arms and legs...and you can actually get up in those and not have to get out of the warmth everytime you need to go places.
Here is the full article about these cool sleeping bags on TechyZone
http://www.techyzone.com/reviews/musuc-bag/

New Cool Gadget Find of Today:

Walkie talkie watches - Walkie talkie watches are a great way to keep in contact with your travel companions. No more holding a walkie talkie in your hand to communicate with your friends, just talk into your watch like the great spies of the movies and cartoons. Some of these have an option where you do not even have to press a button to talk as they are voice activated.
Since these double as a cool digital wrist watch, you have one less thing to pack. Actually, it would be at least two less things to pack as you would need more than one walkie talkie to communicate. Hence you would not need to find a place for them or look for them in the backpack. Moreover, the walkie talkie watches come with recharchable Li-ion battery and include an AC adapter. So you would not need to replace or carry extra batteries with you on the trip.
As most combos go, you would not expect much of these in terms of functionality either as a watch or a walkie talkie. However, suprisingly these have great features such as LCD display, multiple channels, and a communication range of 5-6 km (3-4 miles). A lot of these also include earpieces for even more covert conversations. With so many cool features these could be great for communicating between cars on a road trip, keeping track of your family or friends while camping, at amusement parks, and much more

Walkie talkie watcheson amazon.com