I love travel gear shots. I’m always curious to know what people consider essential items & what tech gadgets people can’t live without on the road. This photo was taken in 2005 and at first glance, seemed pretty outdated.
These days, it’s rare to see a camera that shoots on DV tapes, a Powerbook, or an iPod without a touchscreen (gasp)! It just makes me wonder what we’ll consider outdated in 5 years from now – laptops? Full-sized SLR’s? Guide books / printed materials altogether?
This photo was taken in Canada by Flickr user Jon Rawlinson. Thanks for sharing what was in your bag Jon! If you’d like to share your travel essentials leave a comment below or take a quick photo and post it in our Flickr Group – we may just include it as our next Photo of the Day.
With every new iPhone there is another option for bling. Now that the iPhone 4 is stocked on Apple’s shelves, it’s time for the designers to make their mark.
Enter: Stuart Hughes, the London-based luxury designers who turns everyday items into works of (pricey) art. His latest masterpiece: the world’s most expensive phone.
The iPhone 4 32GB Diamond Rose Edition cost a total of £5 million (almost $8 million) to construct. The bezel is handmade from rose with approximately 500 individual flawless diamonds for a total weight of over 100 ct. The rear section was created using rose gold and, as an added touch, kept the Apple logo in rose gold with the slight embellishment of 53 diamonds. The phone’s main navigation is made from platinum and holds a single cut 7.4 ct pink diamond. If pink isn’t your color, you can ask to have a rare 8 ct single cut flawless diamond put in its place.
Not just any iPhone case will do. This work of art sits in a chest made from a single block of Granite in Imperial Pink. The inside is with Nubuck top grain leather and weighs massive 7kg (approximately 15 pounds).
Intrigued? You should be. There are only two of these in the world.
Want more? Get your dose of daily pampering right here.
No more will you have to pedal your heart out to make an impression. Thanks to Sanyo’s pedal assist-hybrid bicycle, you can take your lady out for a ride and let the bike do most of the work.
Sanyo’s eneloop pedal-assist hybrid electric bicycle allows you to pedal like a normal bike, or allow the synergetic three-speed regenerative bicycle to sense when you need help on tougher terrain and give you a boost of power. The bicycle recharges along the way, and is also a greener and more eco-friendly way to travel around town (up to 46 miles).
The price of this sweet ride? $2,299.95
Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.
Chances are, the laptop you’re reading this article on was not made here in the U.S. It’s a well-known fact that most of the world’s consumer gadgetry, from mobile phones to laptops to gaming consoles, is created abroad, in places ranging from Japan to Europe and beyond. A visit to one of these tech-centric destinations is a great chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind tech product or grab a great bargain. But gadget travel is also about more than just buying cool stuff – it’s also chance to experience the future of technology. Wondering where you can get in touch with your inner geek on your next trip? Check out our ten picks below.
Batam, Indonesia
If you have the hankering for inexpensive Asian-made electronics, the island city of Batam in Indonesia is hard to beat. A twenty-minute ferry ride from Singapore, this city offers duty-free shopping for a variety of imported electronics. Be sure to check out Mega Mall Batam Centre located in the Batam Central Business District, as well as Nagoya Hill, the biggest shopping center in Batam. Beware of knock-offs and be willing to bargain to get the best prices here.
Stockholm, Sweden
Early adopters will drool with envy over Stockholm’s city-wide WiMax network. With WiMax’s increased connection range and high-speed bandwidth, Stockholm is surely the world’s most wired city.
Yongsan Electric Market – Seoul, North South Korea
With over twenty buildings and a bustling outside flea market full of electronic bargains, Yongsan Electric Market located at Yongsan Station is a haggler’s paradise. Shop the nearly 5,000 stores for steep discounts and a wide selection of Korean and imported gadgets.Science Museum – London, England
For the young geek or the geek young at heart, the Science Museum in London offers a dizzying array of gadgets and gizmos, along with a good dose of science. Admission is free, which is good, because the fun gadgets in the gift shop are not.
Glodok – Jakarta, Indonesia
Offering a gigantic variety of electronics, Glodok’s 500,000 square meters will require several days to shop. Well known to Indonesians, this area sells dirt-cheap Asian-made electronics and offers some of the cheapest, although not always legal, DVDs and video games. The best way to get to Glodok is by TransJakarta, a bus that stops in front of the district. Watch your bags if you go, as the area is known for pickpockets.
Tribeca Grand Hotel – New York City, USA
If you are a true Apple fanboy, the Tribeca Grand Hotel in NYC has you covered. Reserve an iStudio room and you can use your room’s G5 Mac, fully loaded with film, music and photo editing software. Don’t forget to bring your iPod for the in-room Sony Dream Machine Speaker Dock. Reserve your iStudio by calling 877 519 6600.
Consumer Electric Show – Las Vegas, USA
Gadgets so hot you can’t even buy them yet! This annual Consumer Electronics Show showcases the up and coming gadgets from around the world. While you can’t purchase these toys yet, you can certainly find one to start drooling over.
Inamo Restaurant – London, England
Even geeks have to eat, but that doesn’t mean that they have to go cold turkey on technology. Inamo, an Oriental fusion restaurant in London’s Soho district, offers a high-tech dining experience. Diners can order dinner, drinks and even set the evening’s mood lighting by interacting with their dining table. Quite an innovative experience and the food is good too.
Cafe Grumpy – New York City, USA
With over 25 coffees on the menu, Cafe Grumpy will jump start anyone’s day, but its not just the coffee that has gadget geeks drooling. Cafe Grumpy’s unique $11,000 Clover coffee machines that the gadget aficionado will fall for.
Akihabara – Tokyo, Japan
Also known as Akihabara Electric Town, Akihabara is giant shopping area a few minutes from Tokyo Station. The newest international electronics are available next to discounted used gadgets. Visit Akky International Main Store at 1-12-1 Soto-Kanda for duty-free shopping. Don’t forget to shop the smaller stores to find the best bargains.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a gadget freak. I love new tech toys, especially ones that can make my life better and enhance my travel experiences. That’s why I was very intrigued when Apple announced the iPad a few months back. Not only did it look like it had the potential to replace my netbook as a lightweight travel computer, but it could also double as an e-book reader, allowing me to leave books at home, lightening my load even further.
Of course, there were questions and doubts about the new device. The virtual keyboard seemed like it could be a challenge to use and the included Safari web browser doesn’t support Flash, a common element on websites across the Internet. Some critics, unimpressed with what was shown at the unveiling, even said it was just a “big iPhone”. But as the days rolled by, and we got closer to the iPad launch, it became clear that the tablet computer had a few tricks up its sleeve, and that new, compelling apps clearly demonstrated how it would separate itself from its smaller sibling.
I’ve had the iPad for a little over a week, having picked one up at launch, and as I prepared to leave the country on a two week long trip, it dawned on me just how quickly the device had become ingrained in my life and how much I was looking forward to traveling with it. As predicted, the iPad is indeed a worthy replacement for a netbook computer. The virtual keyboard is surprisingly easy to use and I found that after a day or two of practice, I could be quite productive on the iPad, especially with the platform specific version of the iWork suite, which includes a full featured word processor called Pages. Throw in an e-mail client that rivals something you’d find on a desktop, not to mention a fast and responsive web browser, and you’ll have no problem handling work while on the go.
Usually when I pack for a long trip, I squeeze a couple of books and an mp3 player into my backpack before catching the flight. But with the iPad, I can simply grab a few e-books from the new iBook store and load all of my music onto the device, cutting down on weight and clutter in my pack. And just in case the inflight movies turn out to be something that wouldn’t even go straight-to-video, I can add a few movies from the iTunes store too. My carry on bag now has a full fledged media center inside of it and if the flight also happens to have WiFi, which is quite common these days, your entertainment options extend even further.
The iPad isn’t just good for keeping you occupied while en route to your destination however. The built in Maps app is great for finding your way around once you’re there, and having travel guide books pre-loaded on the gadget opens up a host of possibilities too. And once Apple ships its iPad Camera Kit, due at the end of the month, you’ll be able to load your photos at the end of the day, giving you an opportunity to share them on the nice big screen, while simultaneously making a back-up of your travel photos too.
All of this functionality comes in a sleek, well designed package with a multitouch interface that is fun, intuitive, and down right addicting to use. But perhaps the most impressive thing about the iPad is its battery life. Having all of this functionality at your fingertips is great, but if it can’t even stay powered up for a coast-to-coast flight, then it’s not really all that useful. Fortunately, Apple hasn’t scrimped on the battery, and it is possible to get 12+ hours of up time on the device. More than enough for most flights.
The iPad is one of those devices that you have to play with to understand. It is an amazing device that does a lot of things very well, and much like its iconic older brother, the iPod, it could have a huge impact on the way that we travel. I suspect in a few years time, the iPad will be an incredibly popular traveling companion for nearly everyone.