Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m pretty sure whoever thought up these Novelty Passport Covers has never been through an airport, nor have they ever dealt with customs officers. Now I’m not going to say that the good people working at customs don’t have a sense of humor, because I’m sure such comments would result in my name being red-flagged in some database. But I will say they take their jobs very, very seriously. And if you were to hand them your passport with a ‘PIMP’ or ‘PLAYER’ cover on it, I’m pretty sure they’d make sure you wouldn’t be making your flight that day.

But if you’re feeling lucky, a set of 2 Novelty Passport Covers with a ‘leather look’ finish is available from eDirectory.co.uk for just over $8.

[ Novelty Passport Cover ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The Brisk Brew looks like the perfect accessory for the caffeine addicted who go to bed every nigh afraid they won’t get their fix in the morning. It’s a compact auto-drip coffee maker that can be packed down even smaller, allowing you to take it anywhere. It has a permanent mesh filter so you don’t have to carry extra paper ones, and will brew an 8 ounce cup of coffee in just minutes. It even includes the coffee cup, a collapsible measuring spoon and compartments for sugar and powdered creamer.

But since I can’t remember the last time I was in a hotel room that didn’t have a coffee maker, or at least some sort of coffee shop in the vicinity, I’m not sure why anyone would waste luggage space bringing this along. It’s not like you can take it camping either, since the species of Douglas Fir tree that included an AC socket went extinct years ago.

Organize.com carries it for $44.99.

[ Brisk Brew ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

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 ]