Travel used to be about getting away from it all – from the office, from the computer, from the internet. But now I can’t imagine flying anywhere without my trusty notebook in tow. There are loads of cool gadgets out there to make your laptop adventures go more smoothly, as well as super-fun gizmos to help you have a good time. We take a look at five bits of travel tech available right now.
For Adrenaline Junkies: GoPro HD Hero 2
If you’re idea of holiday heaven is carving up powder on the slopes or getting barreled at an Indonesian reef break, theGoPro could be just the gadget for you. This shockproof, waterproof video camera can be mounted on your helmet or motorbike to shoot 180p HD video of your adventures. It’s waterproof to a depth of 197 feet, and can also be used to shoot 11 megapixel stills to make your mates back home jealous.
For Caffeine Hounds: Coffee Cup Power Inverter
Keeping your devices charged up on the road can be a serious problem. That’s where this awesome coffee cup power inverter comes in. It looks like a regular coffee cup and fits into a standard cup holder in your car. But plug it into a 12v cigarette lighter and it’ll up-convert to 120v, offering three power sockets and USB socket for charging your devices. You should be fine charging laptops, tablets and mobile phones, but it might draw the line at hairdryers and soldering irons.
For Scuba Geeks: BladeFishSeaJet
This one’s so much fun. SeaJet is a rechargeable sea scooter that you can hold onto with your hands as it propels you through the ocean. SeaJet only travels at around 4km/h, so you won’t out swim any great white sharks, but it will help you go further and longer when scuba diving. Even if you don’t dive, it’s a lot of fun to play around with in your swimming trunks. This brilliant but pricey piece of kit runs for 40 minutes on one charge and works to depths of up to 30m.
For Data Lovers: Drobo Mini
Whether you’re a documentary filmmaker or digital creative, you’re bound to jump for joy at the Drobo Mini. This rugged little storage caddy lets you lug around vast amounts of data safely and securely. Great if you edit photos and videos on the move. The Drobo is easy to use, fast (featuring USB 3.0 connectivity) and has battery backup to prevent data loss. It holds 4 x 2.5″ hard drives, giving you around 3 TB of storage in total. It ain’t cheap, but no other product out there makes external storage this fashionable and traveller-friendly.
For Tech-Savvy Guests: Yobot
If you’re travelling to New York, you simply must check out futuristic NYC hotel Yotel. This tech-friendly joint offers many cool gadgets, including Yobot, billed as ‘the future of luggage management’. Yobot is a robotic arm which takes guest’s luggage and stores it for them in special containers. Other gadgetry includes motorized beds that fold up to make more efficient use of space.