Travel Gadget

The new ScanGauge II Automotive Computer helps take some of the stress out of roadtrips and weekend getaways. Just plug in the ScanGauge and you can read you car’s engine trouble codes, track various bits of your trip, extended gauges for tracking fuel economy, batter voltage, etc., and even use it to turn off the “check engine” light! It’s a great tool for road trippers and car geeks of all stripes!

View at ThinkGeek

Less than $100 for a waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof digital HD video camera, with full 1080p HD videos as 5 MP HD stills? Awesome. It almost seems silly to go on vacation and not have one of these.

View at Amazon

The FlipIt! Portable Power Strip solves several problems that geeky travelers have on the road. Not enough outlets in your hotel room? The FlipIt! converts one outlet to three outlets. Too many chargers? The FlipIt! also has two USB chargers, so you can easily charge your phone, clock, or other gadgets. Afraid to plug in to unprotected hotel room outlets? The FlipIt! electrical outlets are all surge protected up to 612 Joules (which is a lot), and the manufacturer provides a $30k warranty on devices! And lastly the FlipIt! plug folds down for easy storage in your carry-on. It’s a pretty awesome device for only $20!

View at ThinkGeek

There’s so much to love about the wireless Belkin Travel Router. First of all, the Belkin wireless router makes it easy to have fast, wireless internet on the road. Hook it up to your hotel internet and the Belkin router turns your hotel room, conference room, or the hotel lobby into a wireless hotspot. Not only does it make traveling with multiple internet users easier, if you only have one computer it makes it easier, too. It’s really a must-have travel gadget.

Available at:
$79 at Belkin.com
$69 at Amazon

With the launch of Google Maps 6.0 this week, users of mobile devices running Android now have the ability to use Google Maps inside malls, airports, and several large stores such as Macy’s and Ikea.

Google’s Indoor Maps works similarly to the regular Google Street Maps. A small blue dot indicates where you are, and it moves along with you. The software is even able to determine what floor you are on.

Another cool feature – if your friends or family use the Latitude feature on the Indoor Maps with you, you’ll see them on the map, too! No more hours spent searching for your friends at the mall!

The few (but notable) caveats are that the release is fairly limited. Currently there are 18 airports mapped, plus only a few malls. The large stores that are mapped include some Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Home Depot and Ikea, but not Target, Wal-Mart or Lowe’s, for example. Another issue is that Indoor Maps works in conjunction with local wi-fi networks and GPS satellites, so it burns through battery power pretty quickly. The last issue – no iPhone release for the foreseeable future.

More information:
Google Indoor Maps Locations

I hate worrying while on vacation. And whether it’s the big things like lost luggage or a stolen passport, or the little things like mosquito bites or bad weather, anything you can do to mitigate the worries is a good thing, and the SteriPEN Journey is a great mitigator. No one wants to worry about drinking unsafe water, and you can’t always drink bottled liquids. The small and handy SteriPEN virtually guarantees that the water you drink will be free of protozoa, bacteria and even viruses – and it’s so easy to carry around and use that you can free up your brain to worry about other stuff. For example, what the heck was that weird meat on a stick you bought from the street vendor?

View at REI

You can feel like you’re flying in first class while you’re jammed in coach with this mini travel bar. Whip out a few martinis and it won’t really matter where you sit!

View at Barnes & Noble

After getting lost amid the craziness of Beijing, I’m paranoid enough that I might actually get one of these. It’d be nice to know exactly where you parked, or where the train terminal is, or where the hotel is, right? It feels a little silly, but I really like these gadgets.

View at National Geographic

I’m not much of a foodie, so the utility of this mobile foodie survival kit is mostly lost on me. That being said, I know many people that consider themselves to be foodies, and this would be an awesome gift for them. The kit contains organic herbs and spices, plus a few extras like wasabi. Here’s the complete list of inclusion: Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne, Onion, Basil, Conventional Wasabi, Nutmeg, Oregano, Garlic, Thyme, Curry, Ginger, Dill. I don’t think they’ve missed anything, have they?

View at Uncommon Goods

Because a poster on your cubicle wall that says “COUNTDOWN UNTIL I GET OUT OF THIS HELL HOLE” my be a little too obvious.

View at Perpetual Kid