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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 10 2006, 2:56 PM EST (current) | Patty | 5 words added, 2 photos added |
| Dec 10 2006, 2:54 PM EST | Patty |
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technology
by Mike LangbergDecember 2005
Can gadgets ever be too small, too light or too cool?
We didn’t think so either.
Everything is getting smaller and lighter when it comes to taking technology on the road. Below you’ll find a computer that weighs less than three pounds, a video game player at seven ounces and a wireless mobile-phone headset at a mere half ounce. There are also new ways to get charged up, entertained and saved from traffic jams.
XM/Delphi MyFi satellite radio receiver
$350You won’t realize how much you hate the endless commercials on AM and FM until you try the nearly 70 commercial-free music channels, along with more channels for talk and news, available on satellite radio services XM and Sirius. The seven-ounce MyFi, made for XM by Delphi, is a handheld receiver that lets you carry satellite radio around in your gear bag.
Kodak EasyShare-One digital camera
$599This four-megapixel camera has a slot for an optional $99 Wi-Fi wireless networking card. When you’re within range of a free public Wi-Fi hotspot, or if you subscribe to the T-Mobile hotspot service, you can upload photos directly from the camera to Kodak’s EasyShare Gallery, formerly Ofoto, where others can take a look.
Sony PlayStation Portable video game player
$249Video games aren’t just for kids any more, but traveling executives might be embarrassed to be seen with a Nintendo Game Boy. Sony is making handheld video games respectable for grown-ups with the sleek, seven-ounce PlayStation Portable (PSP). You can also watch a small selection of movies now available in Sony’s UMD disc format and transfer some of your MP3 music to a Sony Memory Stick for listening on the PSP.
Tekkeon ezTalker Mini wireless Bluetooth headset
$79The ezTalker makes a wireless connection to any Bluetooth phone and has a unidirectional microphone to minimize background noise, with a button on the side for answering and ending calls. The battery provides five hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby time. With its 30-foot range, your phone can stay in a purse or briefcase.
Radio Shack iGo everywherepower 7500 Series charging system
$139This is a universal charger that connects to an AC outlet, automobile cigarette lighter or aircraft in-flight outlet to charge two devices simultaneously. With optional adapters at $10 each, you can connect almost any rechargeable device.
Rand McNally Traffic service for mobile phones
$3.99 a monthWhen you subscribe to Rand McNally Traffic on your Cingular/AT&T Wireless, Sprint PCS or Verizon Wireless mobile phone, you can display the roads you need to travel on your phone’s color screen, with up-to-the-minute traffic alerts and congestion reports. The monthly fee provides unlimited use and covers almost every major metropolitan area in the U.S.
Sharp Actius MP30 ultraportable notebook computer
$1,699For now, this is the smallest and lightest notebook computer available in the U.S. that includes an optical disc drive. The MP30, at 2.8 pounds and just over an inch thick, doesn’t skip on specs, with a 10.4-inch color LCD screen, a 1.6-gigahertz Transmeta Efficeon processor, 512 megabytes of RAM, a 40-gigabyte hard drive, internal Wi-Fi wireless networking, 4.6-hour battery life and, of course, a built-in DVD/CD-RW drive.
Targus Dome Protection System notebook case
$79Ever see a thin white line mysteriously appear in the center of your laptop screen after a trip? Turns out many of today’s notebooks are so thin and flexible that the screen can press down on the keyboard-causing a scratch-when the computer is wedged into an overflowing bag. This new Targus case features a “sidewall impact system” made from “a series of layered and modulated foam circles” to prevent screen damage both major and minor. Coming next, perhaps: notebook cases with airbags.
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Email Mike at editor@executivetravelmag.com.
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