technology

Travel smart with these digital essentials.

TomTom GO 910

$899
You don't just travel, you go places. And when you're really on the go, it helps to have someone (or something) along to show you the way. The new GO 910 GPS navigator from TomTom can do just that—not only in the United States, but also in Canada and Europe. It's the first ever portable GPS device to come preloaded with maps for multiple continents, and it also plays MP3 music files. Plus, its four-inch-wide, touch-sensitive LCD display is easy to use when you're in transit, reducing the odds of careening off the road while entering your next waypoint. (We still recommend pulling over to make adjustments, though.)

HP iPAQ hw6515

$399 with two-year contract; hp.com, cingular.com
Some phones are smart; others are brilliant. The HP iPAQ hw6515 is one of the latter. Building on Hewlett-Packard's legacy of powerful PDAs, this smart phone packs in a powerful 312MHz Intel processor and 128MB of memory to do some serious number crunching in Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0. So, you can take Excel spreadsheets on the road and keep important figures just a tap away on the iPAQ's spacious three-inch display. The iPAQ hw6515 also includes Bluetooth, a media player and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Just make sure you've got room in your bag, because at nearly five by three inches, this six-ounce handheld isn't what you'd call pocket-friendly. If you work in an office where security concerns forbid the use of camera phones, look for the iPAQ hw6510—an identical smart phone with no camera. Unfortunately, there's no discount for the camera-free version.

Suunto N6HR Wristop Computer

$399
Geeks aren't generally known for their brawn, but the Suunto N6HR is one piece of gear that appeals to your athletic side and your inner nerd. At its heart, this watch is all about fitness. Its built-in heart-rate monitor gives you plenty of customization options for setting your own rate limits and training zones, while the training log lets you track your last 20 outings on the watch. Connect it to your PC, and you can track your entire training history. After your workout, the N6HR gets down to business with Microsoft's MSN Direct service, which wirelessly blasts news, weather, sports and Microsoft Outlook appointment information directly to your watch. Just make sure you wear loose shirtsleeves, because this wrist-mounted brainiac is anything but petite.

LaCie SAFE Mobile Hard Drive with Encryption 120GB

$370
If you have files important enough to warrant carrying an external hard drive, you might want to think about keeping them safe from prying eyes. LaCie's SAFE Mobile Hard Drive lets you take up to 120GB of mission-critical data on the road without compromising company security. Just connect the drive to your computer's USB port, slide a finger over the built-in biometric scanner, and you're ready to work. You can store up to 10 fingerprints for five different users (two fingers per person) on any given drive.

Jabra JX10 Bluetooth Headset

$180
If an executive talks in an airport and nobody can hear her, does she make a sound? If you can answer that question, you've made a few too many frustrating calls with overpriced wireless headsets. The Jabra JX10 uses smart digital signal processing to eliminate annoying background noise, so your voice comes through loud and clear. And its sleek styling makes it comfortable to wear without making you look like some sort of crazy cyborg. We wish it were cheaper, but the price is right if your calls really matter.

Sierra Wireless Aircard 860 PC Modem

$199 with two-year contract; cingular.com
Cingular Wireless has finally launched its third-generation cellular network, and that means high-speed data service for millions of business travelers. Just slide the Sierra Wireless Aircard into your notebook's PC Card slot, and you'll get DSL-quality Internet service in just about any major metro area. Because the service is still rolling out, Cingular's network isn't as robust as Verizon's—yet. But by year's end, the two companies will be neck and neck.

FujiFilm FinePix V10

$499
With all the gear you take on the road, the last thing you need is a bulky camera weighing you down. The FinePix V10 gives you 5.1 megapixels of shooting power for blow-'em-up-big prints, and its 3.4x optical zoom lets you get up close and personal with your subjects. And if you get bored on your flight, this little digicam doubles as a video game console—a first in the camera industry. Sure, the games are limited and perhaps a little frivolous, but your pictures will look stunning on the generous three-inch display.

D-Link AirPlusG Wireless Pocket Router

$60
At long last, we've reached a point where most decent hotels offer in-room Internet service, but in-room Wi-Fi is still a rare and precious treat. If you want to get some work done in your room without hunching over a desk at the end of the day, get a travel router. This pocket-size wireless hub promises you up to 300 feet to wander in. In our real-world tests, that estimate drops to about 200 feet, but that's still more range than you'll need for the average hotel suite.

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ROBERT STROHMEYER is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Email Robert at editor@executivetravelmag.com.