Jaunted - Tag: Gadgets

Digital Nomad Travel: Packing the World's Smallest Hard Drive

Dan Gould — 2008-09-15T11:30:27-05:00

For digital nomads in a perpetual state of travel, getting the most out of your gear is essential. Less is more is the motto when trying to cram all your necessities into one or two not so big bags.

So the Freecom Mobile Drive xxs should be a blessing for travelers who need to lug around large amounts of data, but don't have much extra space in their carry-on. Designed by Sylvain Willenz, the xxs is billed as the world's smallest external hard drive. At 2.5" wide, it's about the size of a deck of cards, but somehow manages to fit up to 320 gigabytes of data.

All components have been stripped down to the basics and miniaturized to keep the gadget footprint to a minimum. The xxs looks like a great piece of gear--and your bulging laptop bag will thank you.

Related Stories:
· Sylvain Willenz [Official Site]
· Freecom xxs [MoCo Loco]
· Design coverage [Jaunted]

Treviso: Italian Bathrooms: The Good, The Bad, The Squatty

CourtScott — 2008-04-22T10:00:01-05:00

There isn't much to be said for the public bathrooms in Italy. Some don't even have toilets, but rather a hole with two spots for your feet. Trust us, this contraption takes squatting to a newly unpleasant level. It's pretty much pee at your own risk.

And it's not just dive bars and gas stations with squat-a-rific bathrooms. We've seen discotheques and restaurants with the same, er, technology.

All potty talk aside, Italy does have one fantastic bathroom invention, which we came across at a Treviso nightclub, Amami. It's a pay-per-use hair dryer and straightener! Finally, someone is thinking clearly.

The gizmo costs €2 per use and we assume you get just enough minutes of power to sexy up your mane--or dry your pant legs.

Related Stories:
· Amami [Official Site]
· Toilets coverage [Jaunted]
· Italy Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Milwaukee: WiFi Wednesday: Take that, MKE Edition

pbb — 2007-04-25T10:23:16-05:00

Oh, General Mitchell International Airport! You told us we could log on to your WiFi with nary a hitch. Just connect to the network "pcswifi," your PA announcement said. It's offered throughout the terminal, you promised. So we whipped out the computer--and the 'net access didn't work. We tried again from a different part of Terminal D, and got stopped in our tracks by some sort of sign-in screen. MKE, you should know we think WiFi should be free as a bird. Fortunately, when Jaunted goes on the road, we roll geeked out.

We had our Mac set up to pow-wow with our BlackBerry Pearl via Bluetooth. Combined with the Cingular's data service, we could stream data over the air, through the 'tooth and to our laptop. Pretty sweet, no? Before you praise us as some sort of IT wizards, know that we got the idea from Fibble.

And, before you think it's the end all, be all, we did actually have some trouble staying connected. We were able to snag some emails and check a little bit of news before giving up. Even though we're web dorks, some of this stuff is complicated!

Related Stories:
· Use Your BlackBerry Pearl as a Bluetooth Modem under OS X [Fibble]
· General Mitchell International Airport [Official Site]

Shameless Plug

AVB — 2006-03-08T14:51:56-05:00

We want these to be installed in every hotel room in the US, fast. We doubt it will happen, as outlets themselves are getting more and more scare as it is, but we'll continue to dream the impossible dream.

What's the big deal, you say? Hardly. They're outlets that can rotate 360 degrees in the socket, so you can plug in extra stuff and blow the fuses in your house more efficiently. Fine, but we think the technology works better in a place where the plugs are hard to get to, and unless you're traveling with your own power bar, outlets are limited in a hotel.

Now if we can only solve the foreign voltage problem...

Related Stories:
· Plug Outlets [Cool Hunting]

Say I Love You With a Tick Twister

johnrambow — 2006-02-09T09:40:07-05:00

OK, so we're not saying this would make the sexiest of Valentine's Day gifts, but at $4 it's a lot cheaper and more useful than flowers and chocolates. Whether your sweetie is a hiker or just someone with dogs who like to run through the brush, the Tick Twister removal device seems like a really good thing to have. It looks like it's worlds' easier to use than Crisco, a lit ciggie, hairspray, a flame-thrower, or all the other dodgy tick-be-gone methods out there.

Related Stories:
· Tick Twister [Cool Tools, via Boing-Boing]

Forerunner 301

sedona — 2005-10-21T10:14:32-05:00

Next time you're on the road and want to go for a run, no need to carry a sweaty map with you to find your way back to the hotel. Check out the Forerunner 301. It continually monitors your pace, heartrate, calories burned, speed and distance and has a GPS built in to tell you where you are and how to get back.

Happy road workouts!

A Travel Kit for Light Packers

sedona — 2005-10-13T09:10:15-05:00

Sure, we've all heard of the obligatory travel first aid kit that's got everything crammed in and packs easily in your trunk. But this is something a little different. It's a 'travel kit' that fits entirely in an old Altoids box. Pretty amazing. Inside you'll find item for "McGyver-like" solutions should the need arise, such as a mini-lock picking set, an LED light, sandpaper, floss, even a small Swiss Army knife.

The author outlines potential use situations:

I want this kit to work for any situation I find myself in at home or abroad; opening locked doors, boring parties, arts and crafts, sailing, equipment failure, unexpected dust, unexpected anything

And while you can't order one per se, at least you can make your own by example. A world of traveling McGyvers sounds pretty cool to us...

Related Stories:
· Travel Tinker Trouble Kit [EscapeMyHead.com]