Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

While I like the idea of incorporating solar panels on a bag or backpack, because of their relatively small size they’re obviously not going to produce a lot of power. So when it comes to a solar charging solution that’s also portable, I would probably opt for these SolarRolls from Brunton instead.

The largest version, the SolarRoll 14, is 12 inches wide and 57 inches long when fully opened. When compared to the small panel used on a bag, this has a lot more surface area for capturing the sun’s rays. And as the name implies, the SolarRolls can be rolled up and stored in a tube when not in use thanks to their tough ‘Tefzel fluoropolymer’ construction. It also makes them waterproof if you enjoy the great outdoors, but don’t want to leave your toys at home.

The 57 inch SolarRoll 14 is available for $479 on the Brunton website and is recommended if you intend to recharge something large like a laptop. The SolarRoll 9 is a bit shorter at 40 inches in length, costs $349 and is intended for use with cellphones and digital cameras. Finally, the SolarRoll 4.5 is just 22 inches long, costs $199 and is geared towards phones and PDAs.

[ Brunton SolarRolls ] VIA [ Inhabitat ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re visiting a foreign land and don’t know the language, the last thing you want to do is spend your time looking up translations in a book. So this pocket sized translator will not only display 8,400 phrases in 8 conversational categories, but it will speak them as well.

Supported languages include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, Turkish and of course English. It also includes a headphone jack so you don’t walk around annoying the locals while you try to find the nearest bathroom. Of course with 8,400 phrases and no keyboard, I have to wonder how easy it is to find the words you’re looking for.

It’s currently available from Taylor Gifts for $69.98, and hopefully works a lot better than the Hungarian Phrasebook seen in Monty Python.

[ Talking Translator ] VIA [ Gear Live ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you hate swimming in hotel pools when they get too crowded I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about here. The outdoor pool at the San Alfonso Del Mar resort in Chile is 8 hectares in size, 1 km long and is acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the world. It’s filled with about 250,000 cubic meters of salt water which, if you’re wondering, is roughly equivalent to about 6,000 standard backyard pools. It cost about $1.5 billion to build and maintenance alone is about $4 million a year.

Besides swimming (and lots of it) the pool also includes a temperature controlled indoor beach, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving and even a water shuttle service for quickly getting from one end of the resort to the other.

[ San Alfonso Del Mar ] VIA [ Spluch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s no secret that tourists are ideal targets for muggers and thieves so carrying around some sort of alarm is really not a bad idea. The CAVIUS is roughly the size of a small flashlight and provides a bit of extra protection in several different ways. The simplest is as a personal attack alarm where pushing the red button on top produces a 130db alarm which should scare off most assailants, or at least get someone else’s attention.

It also works as a motion detector and can be placed in front of the door to your room alerting you when someone enters with the same 130db alarm. It’s even a good idea to leave one attached to your bag or suitcase while at the airport, preventing someone from taking your luggage without you noticing. Finally, the CAVIUS even includes an optical smoke detector for those times when you question the fire protection that’s been provided at your accommodations.

The CAVIUS is available on the Travelsafe website for $69.95.

[ Travelsafe CAVIUS ] VIA [ Smart Stuff ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Tired of trying to hunt down a decent 5-star hotel while traveling? Well why not just bring your own next time. While cruising down the highway the HotelMóvil looks like your standard 18 wheeler (well maybe with a few more wheels) but once you arrive you simply detach the cab from the trailer and hit ‘Play’ on a remote control. After a 30-minute hydraulic unfolding process you’re left with a 2-story mini hotel complete with 11 bedrooms, private bathrooms and an outdoor terrace on the second floor.

The HotelMóvil can also be custom-built for a variety of other uses including a mobile hospital, a portable film studio and even a school. Optional amenities include heating and air conditioning, flat-screen TVs and internet access via Wifi.

A HotelMóvil with a standard configuration will run you about $500,000 but if you don’t need it all year round they can also be rented for around $8,000 a weekend. And unless you have your truckers license you’ll also need to hire yourself a driver before you hit the road.

[ HotelMovil ] VIA [ bookofjoe ]

By Evan Ackerman

Despite my still tender age of twentysomething, I never thought I’d live to see the construction of an honest-to-goodness commercial spaceport. But by 2010, Spaceport America should be completed and operational out in the New Mexico desert (somewhere around here). The winning design is a 100,000 square foot, $31 million facility designed to be a “Destination Experience,” which is supposed to mean that (since you probably can’t afford a ticket) you’ll be happy just visiting. I’m not too sure about that, but the building is pretty neat looking in a Star Warsy sort of way, and it’s promised to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The primary tenant is going to be Virgin Galactic (no surprise there), but the building will also serve as headquarters for the XPrize Cup and the Rocket Racing League.

[ Spaceport America ] VIA [ Space.com ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Hauling a laptop computer around when traveling is hassle enough but if you’re a cigar lover you can now add to the number of cases you get to carry. The XIKAR 15 Travel Humidor can just as easily be used at home or at the office but it’s actually designed to provide you with a safe place to store your stogies and smokables while on the road.

The airtight, watertight and crushproof case is made from ABS molded plastic and relies on a silicone seal to make sure nothing gets in or out. The inside of the humidor is lined with high density urethane foam designed to protect the cigars against bumps and other disturbances while the stainless steel hinges and latches keep the lid securely closed.

It’s currently available from On The Fly for $25.99.

[ XIKAR 15 Travel Humidor ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve always wanted to travel the world but have been worried about the ‘language barrier’ you’ll be happy to know it should no longer be an issue. Because in addition to making it obvious you’re a tourist the iTRAVL PDA will also serve as a personal translator. Just say one of 63,000 phrases and the device will instantly speak the translated version back to you in either English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

In addition the iTRAVL should replace any and all travel books one might normally carry since it includes the Fodor’s guide for 50 major destinations on 5 continents, the CIA World Factbook for 180 countries, audio guides to major museums around the world, a 1.6 million word audiovisual dictionary including various local terms, slang and useful expressions and it will even function as an audio player. (Presumably MP3s are supported.)

The iTRAVL is available from SkyMall for $499.95.

[ iTRAVL Language Communicator ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While hotels usually provide plenty of hangers for travelers trying to avoid looking like a wrinkled hobo there’s still plenty of opportunities for them to get that way while en route. So before you get to your ‘home away from home’ this folding travel hanger should help keep your suit jacket looking like it was freshly pressed.

When collapsed the hanger easily fits inside a briefcase, suitcase or carry-on bag but when the risk of wrinkled clothing rears its ugly head the hanger can be unfolded in just seconds. And the lightweight but strong aluminum materials should support even the heaviest of coats. Of course if I was the designer of this hanger I would also sell them as Aluminum Folding Travel Car Unlocking Devices allowing me to market the device to car thieves as well as business travelers.

The Kikkerland Design Aluminum Folding Travel Hanger is available from MerlinsBox.com for only $6.99.

[ Aluminum Folding Travel Hanger ] VIA [ ThisNext ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s only by falling asleep in front of the TV every night that I’ve come to rely on its white noise when I’m actually trying to drift off to dreamland. So I can understand why other people might rely on those sound generating devices to help them catch some shut eye. The Sound Oasis for example produces 18 “high-performance” digital sounds but the device is designed for use by travelers who might have trouble falling asleep in a hotel room or even on a plane. In fact it includes a patent-pending sound specifically designed to combat jet lag using “non-linear music and slowed nature sounds that encourage relaxation and can reset the body’s internal clock…”

The sound generator can be set to run continuously or be limited to 30, 60 or 90 minute intervals and can also be set to slowly decrease the volume before turning itself off. It also has a clock with world time functions and can even record voice memos to be used as a custom alarm sound for waking up to. Often times when I wake up in a hotel room I’m not 100% sure where I am for the first few minutes so hearing my voice shout “You’re in Denver!” could be quite useful.

The Sound Oasis sleep sound generator is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $89.95.

[ Travel Sleep Sound Generator ]