Top Travel Gadget Gifts
Hundreds of new cell phones, digital cameras, and camcorders hit the market this year, but only a handful of them are worthy of packing into a carry-on bag. The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the anxiety of traveling and shopping. Here is a short list of 2007’s best gadgets for globe-trotters.
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Cell Phones
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BlackBerry 8830 World Phone - Calls can be made from Boston or Bolivia with this phone’s ability to operate on either CDMA or GSM networks. The phone is sold for $199 after rebate by Sprint and Verizon, each with two-year contracts and more expensive plans attached. The 8830 has a GPS system for getting maps and directions to the airport, a full QWERTY keyboard for typing e-mails, and a stereo headset jack for listening to downloaded music while on the airplane. The Bluetooth-enabled BlackBerry 8830 has 3.6 hours of talk time and includes a USB cable that essentially transforms it into a modem for a laptop.
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HTC Tilt -The Tilt is another phone that allows users to talk and access high-speed Internet no matter where they are in the world. It works on GSM networks and is sold through AT&T for $299 with a two-year agreement. The QWERTY keyboard is hidden underneath the 2.8-inch LCD monitor that slides and tilts, making the device look like a tiny laptop. The Wi-Fi-enabled Tilt has a full feature set, with a built-in GPS system, a 3-megapixel camera, and 4.4 hours of talk time. It is loaded with Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with Adobe PDF Reader. Users with standard plans might be hit up with big charges when traveling abroad, but the option to talk is there, while most other phones would simply not function at all.
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Nokia N95 - At $699, this smart phone is expensive, but users aren’t tied to a carrier. Users have to purchase their own SIM card and purchase a prepaid SIM card if traveling overseas. The Nokia N95 has a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, making it one of the best cameras on a phone. The N95 also has a built-in GPS system that is handy for quick maps, and a music player to listen to favorite songs. The multimedia phone can access the Internet and instantly load photos to Flickr from any part of the world.
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Digital Cameras
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Olympus Stylus 770SW - This 7.1-megapixel camera has miniscule measurements of 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches, so it can easily slide into a back pocket. Its compact form is only a small part of its travel-friendly nature, however. The 770SW is waterproof to 33 feet below sea level and can be dropped from 5 feet and still function just fine. Its insides are outfitted with rubber gaskets and shock-absorbing components, so a few bumps won’t stop the pictures from coming. The sturdy body is also bona fide crush-proof to 220 pounds. For backpackers and skiers, the Olympus 770SW has an edge on most other digital cameras: it is freeze-proof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. It has 27 automated shooting modes and a high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen to view images and videos. The $379 Olympus Stylus 770SW throws in a flashlight, alarm clock, and manometer that measures air and water pressure to record the elevation to image files.
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2 - If the plane lifts off the ground before you discover you’ve forgotten your memory card, then there’s no need to stress as long as you’re carrying the Cyber-shot DSC-T2. It has 4 GB of built-in memory, which can hold up to 1,000 full-resolution images, even more when the resolution is reduced. It has organizational features and pre-installed software that allows users to directly upload images and videos to online sharing sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Photobucket, Shutterfly, and Crackle. The 8-megapixel Sony T2 has a flat metal body that is only 0.8-inches thin and has a sliding door that protects the non-extending 3x optical zoom lens. It comes in five colors and retails for $349.
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Fujifilm FinePix F50fd – The pocket-sized F50fd comes with an extraordinarily effective 12 megapixels that translate to detailed images. It also has IrSimple infrared technology that transfers images wirelessly from the camera to enabled computers, cell phones, printers, and other devices. This FinePix has a stabilized 3x lens, 2.7-inch LCD screen, and upgraded face detection that recognizes and automatically focuses on and tracks faces, even when they turn. The wireless camera packs a full set of Scene modes, along with a few Manual modes and controls, and retails for $299.
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Camcorders
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Sony DCR-HC96 - This is one of the best sub-$600 camcorders on the market, and is one of the best to travel around with because of its compact size. It uses small miniDV tapes, each of which can hold about 60 to 90 minutes of video. This camcorder is smaller and lighter than most models, but is still large enough to provide a comfortable hand grip. Its great handling complements Sony’s trademark “Easy button,” which transforms the camcorder into a point-and-shoot so users are free from having to set any controls. The simple HC96 takes excellent video in any kind of lighting, making it perfect for recording everything from dimly lit dances to sunny safaris.
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Canon HV20 - If this season’s travels include a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos, why not capture it all in high definition so you can relive it again and again in your living room? The Canon HV20 retails for $999 and accepts miniDV cassettes. It packs an optically stabilized 10x zoom lens and can still fit in a carry-on with its 3.5 x 3.2 x 5.4-inch dimensions. It won’t exactly fit in a fanny pack, but the HV20 is worth its weight. The high definition videos look clear and colorful whether recorded in bright or low light.
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JVC Everio GZ-MG555 - If you don’t want to carry lots of tapes around, pick up the MG555. It’s a 30 GB hard disk drive (HDD) camcorder that holds seven hours of video, plenty of manual controls, and takes great video in almost any amount of light. It can take 5-megapixel still images, so it doubles as a digital camera – one less gadget to pack. Its 10x optical zoom lens and electronic image stabilization system let users get up close, and it has a 2.7-inch LCD screen. The MG555 originally retailed for $899, but can now be found for about $200 less.
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