Some people travel to exotic, secluded locales to get away from all the distractions of every day life. But others seem content to pull into a crowded campground in an RV that’s better appointed than the home they left behind. I’m going to assume one of the amenities that latter group couldn’t live without while on vacation is satellite TV, so the VuQube seems like the easiest way to stay on top of all your favorite shows no matter where you may roam.
The most expensive version, the VQ3000, is fully automatic so all you need to do is position it so it has a clear view of the southern sky. Built-in motion tracking allows you to stay tuned even while on the road, and as long as you have power, you can quite literally use this thing anywhere you can carry it. It’s compatible with Dish Network, DirecTV and BellTV, and in addition to your satellite bill you’ll have to cough up $1,699 for the VuQube hardware. Definitely expensive, but that’s the price you’ll have to pay if you want to join in the Mad Men conversation around the water cooler campfire.
Since ‘densha otaku’ or ‘train spotters’ are very popular in Japan, the Washington Hotel located in Akihabara, Tokyo has a special room featuring a 2×3 meter L-shaped model railroad diorama complete with replicas of the local surroundings. It’s fully working too, with two separate controllers for you and another guest and if you don’t want to rent the trains from the hotel (that’s how they ‘get’ you on the final bill) you’re apparently welcome to bring your own. Definitely the first thing I always throw in my suitcase. The room runs about $265 a night, but you’ll have to book at least a month in advance since it’s apparently very, very popular.
Batteries. Let’s face it, you probably can’t live your daily live without relying on them. They’re in your car, your laptop, and even the remote to your TV. It’s likely that the most common ones that you actually have to change are of the AA and AAA variety. These tend to power smaller devices like keyboards, mice, game controllers and the like. They also tend to run out of juice when you need them the most.
If you rely on AA and AAA batteries for a lot of your gadgets, then you’ve no doubt invested in a few sets of rechargeables. This is a great economic way to make sure that you always have a fresh set around (without having to keep buying new ones all the time). Now if you’re on the road a lot with these battery-loving gadgets, you don’t want to clutter up your luggage with another charger, do you? Of course not. Instead, what you need are batteries that can be recharged without a special adapter. These USBCell batteries seem like just the thing.
At first glance, these seem like the perfect solution for the road warrior. They are a set of AA batteries, which have built-in USB adapters. You simply insert each into a free USB port on your computer, and they will start charging up. The question is whether or not they’re actually worth buying.
We’ve all stared in awe at Ben Heck’s stunning portable console mods, and then looked longingly at our own systems, wishing we even knew where to begin making our own. But while none of Ben’s creations have gone into mass production, a company called Gaming and Entertainment Mobile Systems, or GAEMS(yes, hilarious), have created a solution that makes it easy to turn your Xbox 360 into fun on-the-go, and eventually other consoles as well.
In essence it’s a suitcase that features a 15 inch, 720P LCD display in the lid, a collection of speakers and a place for your 360 console which is protected with a layer of dense polyurethane foam. GadgetReview had a chance to check out the GAEMS suitcase at E3 this year, and while the design isn’t finalized (apparently the power cords were still getting pinched whenever it was closed up) the company is hoping to have it perfected and available to the public by the end of the year for about $250.
No one wants to be the stereotypical tourist when traveling, fumbling through phrasebooks in an attempt to find the right thing to say so you can find your way around. So here’s a rather simple and elegant solution to the language barrier, created by Art Lebedev, who’s ironically best known for thoroughly over-engineering the computer keyboard. All you have to do is get a local’s attention, point at what you’re looking for and then point to the question mark. (A confused shrug should work too.) It’s probably a good idea not to wear something over the tee though, as grabbing a stranger’s attention and then proceeding to undress in front of them may not be a graciously accepted custom the world over. Get it from Art Lebedev’s online store for ~$20.
If you’ve got a penchant for racing games, hanging around E3, hoping for a scrap of GT5 news, isn’t the place to be right now. Instead, you’ll want to grab yourself a flight to Lyons, France where you’ll find the I-WAY… arcade? It’s actually kind of hard to describe the place, which took 4 years to design and build, since it houses a spa, conference rooms, restaurants, lounges and even office space. But the real attraction of course is the 18 6-axis simulators featuring full-sized versions of Formula 1, rally/touring and endurance race cars.
To me it looks like a Chuck E. Cheese for anyone over 21, and since single races start at around $73(€60) and racing packages run as expensive as $770(€630) for 10 races, you can rest assured the place won’t be swarming with kids with pockets full of quarters.
You can kind of consider the the Kapten Talking Pocket GPS from Kapsys to be the iPod Shuffle of GPS devices. It’s easily one of the smallest GPS navigational aids on the market, and it manages to stay so petite by foregoing an LCD display. Instead, it talks you to your destination with spoken directions. And to tell the Kapten where you want to go, you quite literally tell it where you want to go using spoken commands and voice recognition like “Restaurant: McDonald’s.”
The Kapten is also Bluetooth-equipped, allowing it to be paired with your cellphone and used to answer or make calls, and there’s a handy geo-tagging button that lets you remember a favorite location and share it online later. 3GB of on-board storage can be used for uploading additional map content (this version covers the United States only) or you can fill it with music since it also functions as a voice-controlled MP3 player, just like the iPod Shuffle. However, unlike the iPod Shuffle, the display-less Kapten doesn’t come with a budget-friendly price tag. It’s currently listed on Amazon for a whopping $475.
I think we can all agree that flying is one expensive way to travel. Unfortunately it’s the quickest way to get around if you need to cross great distances. One of the worst things about taking to the skies is that you tend to get dinged by extra charges. The fees for your luggage can sometimes be avoided, if you know how.
If you want to avoid those extra fees, you have to arm yourself with knowledge. Namely, you need to know your airline’s policies concerning the amount of luggage you’re allowed to bring, and how much it can weigh. Going over these limits will cost you. I’ve seen small contraptions that let you weigh your luggage, thus letting you know if you need to redistribute the contents. However, these do add to the weight and take away some of your packing space. So why not build the scale into suitcase?
Even traveling when on vacation can be stressful and hectic, so I’m all for anything that can make life on the road more bearable. Like these GoToob travel bottles, which surprisingly look like someone has put some actual thought into their design. Made from silicone, the bottles are easy to squeeze allowing you to get every last drop of product out of them, and a ‘no-drip’ valve means the cap, and in turn your toiletries bag, stays clean.
There’s a small window on the collar that can be rotated to indicate the contents of each bottle, and when the cap is removed a generously sized opening makes it easier to fill the GoToobs. The bottles are available in 3 different sizes, 1.25oz., 2oz. or 3oz. though I think I’d definitely opt for the 2oz. or ‘medium’ bottle since it features a built-in suction cup allowing it to attach to shower walls for easy access. The GoToobs seem to range in price from about $6.50 to $9 for individual bottles, though they’re also available in 3 packs for a slight discount.
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