iGo Everywhere Saves Packing Space

If you want an example of an industry that is about as far away as you can get from "green," it's the consumer electronic gadget industry. There are four cell phones in my house and every one of them has a different charger connection for both the wall outlet and the car. (This includes two phones from the same manufacturer). Then you need a different charger for a Blackberry, an Apple device, a handheld game device, every digital camera, and on and on.

So when you travel with your gadgets, you are forced to carry along a whole array of chargers to keep everything juiced up. Unless you have a power adapter from iGo that is.

If you pack an iGo and a few tips to fit your particular gadgets, you can carry one charger that works for everything. Instead of three or four different plugs, you've got one plug and the interchangeable tips---all fitting into a handy little travel case. Despite the small size, it's also dual-voltage, so as long as you're carrying a plug adapter too, you can use this around the world.

After I wrestled with the treacherous plaster blister pack the iGo Everywhere came in, the device was intuitively easy to set up and use. The plug itself is one part, the retractable cable is another, and then each tip is separate. So the whole thing takes up about as much space in your bag as a pack of cigarettes would. The $40 "iGo Everywhere" version also comes with a car charger. It worked flawlessly charging up my iPod and phones as fast as the proprietary charger does.

The tips are labeled with cryptic markers that don't mean much (A133 for an iPod for instance) and the main downside of this product is that you have to buy each tip separately, at a list price of $13 a pop. So if you have four devices with different connectors now, you're up to $92, or more than $100 if you buy the splitter to enable you to charge two devices at once.

In comparison, the Chargepod Callpod I reviewed before has a much bulkier profile (mainly because of the clunky plug), but it will charge six devices at once and you can buy an $80 bundle pack that has the six most common plugs supplied---including USB and mini-USB.

Overall, this is a sleek and cool device that solves a major annoyance for frequent travelers. If packing small and light is more important than the simultaneous charging offered by the Callpod, the iGo charger could be a worthwhile investment. Just understand that you will have to pony up $13 every time you get a new gadget---unless the electronics companies join the 21st century and start cutting down on wasteful proprietary connectors.

Get the iGo products at your local electronics store, Amazon, or igo.com.

Parrot Minikit Chic for Hands-free Dialing

When you're driving in your car, talking on a cell phone can be distracting. When you start dialing numbers with your fingers while you are driving, you become downright hazardous.

In some states (and countries) you could get a hefty ticket for dialing while driving, in others it's just not very smart. Enter the Parrot Minikit Bluetooth device. With this clipped to your visor, you can dial away and chat away without ever touching your actual phone.

I normally shy away from the most geeky travel gadgets, but this one is truly practical. It also does exactly what it's supposed to do, without requiring hours consulting a manual. You just sync it up with your Bluetooth-capable phone (easy), clip it to your car visor, and start using it. When someone calls, you touch one button and start talking. Press the same button when you're done. The manual is only six pages long.

Here's the really cool part though: its software "reads" all the contacts in your phone and when you just say that person's name, the device dials it for you. On a four-hour road trip I made a series of calls with no hitches. When I first turned it on, the Minikit asked, "Who would you like to call?"

I replied, "Mom," A few seconds later, I was chatting away with my mother. I tried my wife, my dad, and a couple names--one being a rather odd foreign one that the Minikit nevertheless picked up on and dialed. You can specify which number to dial if you have more than one for that contact, such as "Paul mobile" or "Cindy home."

The only real drawback is the sound quality on the other end. Like most speaker phones, the device picks up a lot of extraneous car noise, so it's not as good as say, a Jawbone that has a built-in filter. The person talking to me sounded fine though.

The Parrot Minikit plugs into a car charger to recharge. The regular Minikit looks like a small science fiction spaceship model, but I tried out the Chic version, which lives up to its name. It's fashionable enough to get some, "What's THAT?" questions from passengers and is far more minimalist than most of these nerdy devices. There is no visible speaker: a vibrating panel of the device itself supplies the sound. It lists for $110, but goes for less at a lot of outlets. Very cool, very useful, and yes, practical.

Get it at Amazon

Comfy TravelRest Travel Pillow

I always carried an inflatable travel pillow with me when I was backpacking around the world and there are times I still use one on a stingy airline with no pillows. There are basic flaws in the two main types though: the basic pillow-shaped ones and the C-shaped ones that go around your neck. Neither is all that flexible in terms of how you can use it and where it will fit when you're in a cramped coach seat.

I've been testing this new TravelRest inflatable pillow from HiGear Design and as is often the case, a slight change in outlook has made a huge difference. By reimagining the shape and design of a travel pillow, this company has turned out something that looks strange but works really well.

Deflated, it rolls up into a small and light package about the size of a pair of tube socks. A snap keeps it from unraveling. You can even snap it to the outside of your carry-on bag for easy removal on the plane.

Once you're ready to use it, a few puffs into the valve gets it ready. What you're holding looks like an oversized quotation mark, one that can be used in several ways. The attached cinch line allows the TravelRest pillow to attach to the back of your seat and stay in place when your head starts lolling around. You can snap the bottom of it to your seatbelt to keep it more secure. If you're stuck in the airport, you can just sling it over your shoulder, hug it like a Teddy bear, and snooze for a while during your delay. (Don't be surprised if you start dreaming of your childhood bedroom...)

This pillow is also handy in the car. It can attach to the headrest and seatbelt for a nice nap during a long car ride---especially good for kids who have to be stuck in a car seat for hours on end. It's easy to wash after someone drools on it too.

The TravelRest pillow lists for $27 and you can buy it direct from their site or in some luggage stores.

MP3 Car Transmitter in a Cup Holder from Maxell

I love the simple innovations that solve a problem well, at a reasonable price, by figuring out what we really need. This cool device from Maxell blasts the tunes from your iPod or other MP3 player through your radio, on a frequency of your choosing, and remembers up to 10 of those frequencies for later. All well and good, but it plugs into your car socket and then fits in your cup holder! So there it is, in a handy spot, right near your radio.

If you are using an iPod, this Maxell FM transmitter performs double duty by charging up your music player at the same time. So you leave the car with more juice in your player than you had to start with--and you didn't pay the electric company for the power. (Yes, I know, your engine powered it, but you were driving somewhere with that gas anyway, right?)

Maybe I'm so overjoyed because this innovation arrived on my doorstep just as my car CD player started picking and choosing which discs it wanted to play, with no discernable pattern to which ones would be rejected or when it would decide to not play any of them. Like a guy who gets in a fight with his girlfriend and then that night picks up the hottest babe in the club, I can smugly ignore my CD player's moodiness now and wait for it to admit it's wrong. Maybe we'll never get together again--who knows.

Sure, everything has its drawbacks, and in time I'll see the bad side of my new date. For now, the one principle flaw seems to be the printed warning to "store unit at temperatures less than 60 degrees F." Say what? Unless I make a drive up to the Arctic Circle sometime soon, I can't imagine any scenario where my car is going to spend a summer day under 60 degrees. So either this little cutie is going to wilt on a hot day or I'm going to have to take her with me everywhere I go...

She's also playing a bit hard to get. If you want to find one for yourself, search around the web for model P34 or Maxell 191234 transmitter.

Naztech 3-in-1 Mobile Charger

If you have a Blackberry, Razr, Pearl, Curve, or any other electronic gizmo that uses a mini USB to charge, this 3-in-1 mobile charger from Naztech is a terrific item to carry in your travels.

The charger has an AC adapter for wall outlets, a DC adapter for car receptacles, and a USB cable to charge through computers. So basically if you're near a power source, you're set. If outlets are scarce, as in the airport, you could work on your laptop and charge your phone through your computer's USB port. Or charge away when in the rental car with the same device. Only one thing to carry. It works with 120 and 240 current, so you can use it in both the Americas and Europe.

It has a long, well-made power cord and a LED that lights up when plugged in. The compact case makes it easy to shove in any bag. It even comes with a little carrying case pouch so people won't see it in your hand and think it's an, um, personal stimulation device.

The main drawback is that the clamshell packaging it comes in will cause you to curse repeatedly and probably slice a finger if you're not careful, so have some heavy duty scissors ready after you bring this home. Get it for $9.99 at Amazon or check free shipping deals at Buy.com.

SuddenStop for Your Car

While many people worry about flying or traveling abroad, it's the trip to the local grocery store in your car that's far more likely to get you killed or injured. Although our cars have gotten safer, our drivers haven't, especially when you add in the distractions of mobile phones, crackberries, iPod's hooked up to the stereo, and idiots doing text messaging.

Here's a simple solution that could save your bumper and your forehead: the SuddenStop license plate frame. When you slam on your brakes, it flashes, which should wake up the driver behind you and give them precious extra milliseconds to stop. (Just .25 seconds equates to 20 feet of stopping distance.) This is a simple and inexpensive device that requires no wiring to work. You just remove the screws from your license plate, put this under the plate, then screw it back in. It just "knows" when you've suddenly stopped and it flashes with long-use LED lights.


I got a sample one in the mail last week and gave it a whirl over the weekend. I'm happy to report it works, so hopefully now I've got a better chance of not being rear-ended by a chatty soccer mom in the SUV behind me.

The SuddenStop retails for $29.95 and you can buy it at their website or at auto parts retailers like Pep Boys. You may want to measure your license plate space before ripping open the packaging though. This fit on my car fine, but not in the indented enclosure of my wife's Mazda 626.

PowerStation Traveller for Car Charging

Are you a road warrior off to new meetings in your car every day or two? Or do you seem to spend as much time in traffic as you do at home? Then you might want to check into this PowerStation Traveller bag for charging up multiple electronic gadgets at once.

This item is a one-trick pony, but it solves a specific problem of our age: one or two places to plug in three or more gadgets in a vehicle. Older cars usually only have one socket--the old cigarette lighter--while most newer cars have two. But that's not enough for a lot of people, especially those with a few kids in the minivan.

This handy tool lets you share one socket for three items. You lay the items in the bag, use the sliders to keep them from moving around, then plug into one socket from the bag. You can leave it open beside you or zip it up and forget about it, with all there devices charging up as you drive. The 5-foot cord will also reach to the back seat. When it's time to leave the car, you just pick up the one bag instead of fumbling with three gadgets and their cords. The bag has a hand strap, a shoulder strap, and an estra pocket.

The PowerStation is pretty low-tech. There's no voltage converter or adapters, so you already have to have a car charger cord for your item to use this. There's an A/C adapter available separately though if you want to plug it in at home also.

I'm not sure why "Traveller" is spelled with two L's in the name since the item is made in China and distributed by a U.S. Company, but let's chalk it up to a trademark issue. If this makes your life easier, get it for $32.99 plus shipping at CableOrganizer.com. (Scroll down to the second item.)