As soon as someone invents a device that can beam you instantaneously from one place to the other, Star Trek style, most of these gadgets will become pretty much obsolete. However, until that happy day, we need gizmos like these to make travel for business less stressful.
Here’s a list of travel gadgets we wish we had as we travel around the globe bringing you first-class accounting news.
Swiss Army dongle: This tricky little device contains a whopping 32GB USB drive, along with all the usual gadgets you’d find on a regular multi-knife. However, perhaps it’s not one to carry in your hand luggage, unless you fancy an unscheduled appointment with an airport security officer in a windowless room with a rubber glove.
Power-assisted suitcase: Why expend your own energy dragging your travel bag around various airports when LiveLuggage can provide you with these power assisted beauties? With an internal rechargeable battery, they say that once this case is fully charged, it should run at a steady 1.75 mph for at least two hours. It cleverly uses the same kind of regenerative breaking found in hybrid cars to keep itself juiced for longer.
Wi-Fi keyring detector: Don’t waste time getting your phone or laptop out all over the place on the off chance that there might be some Wi-Fi access. This keyring will not only show you where the hot spots are, it also tells you how strong the signal is.
The ultimate travel adapter: Okay, so this isn’t the most exciting item on this list, but it does what it says on the tin, and then some. Hammacher Schlemmer claim that their device automatically detects the incoming voltage, converts it to 120-volt AC power, and provides plug adaptation for over 150 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Caribbean, and Australia. The plug configures to fit a variety of international sockets, and it has a built-in USB port that allows you to leave chargers for mobile phones, digital cameras, iPods, and other devices at home.
Brief safe: Yes, this looks disgusting, and may dissuade you from handling your own valuables, but this imaginative security idea allows you to hide your documents and cash in its secret compartment. If any would-be thief takes the trouble to search some dirty pants, perhaps they need the money more than you do anyway. Alternatively, these could be used to ensure the seat next to you on the plane remains unoccupied...
Caffeinated soap: Stayed up a bit too late during your overnight business trip? It happens to the best of us, but now you can get your caffeine hit while you wash. Shower Shock is an all vegetable based glycerine soap which its makers say doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients. It’s scented with peppermint oil and infused with caffeine. Each bar of Shower Shock Travel Edition contains approximately 4.5 showers per bar, with 200 milligrams of caffeine per shower. We’re going to get hold of some of this to test it out.
Rocket belt: If you have the cash, you can actually buy these from Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana. For just $250,000, the firm will kit you out with your own belt, a machine to manufacture your own rocket fuel, flight and maintenance training. Within months, you may have even forgotten the word ‘easyJet’ altogether.