Planning a pilgrimage to Palm Springs, a spring break getaway, or got another business trip scheduled? Here’s a guide to gadgets and gear to help a jet-set woman stay connected and collected, whether she’s high flying in business class or gliding on cruise control.
Mobile Office
For the woman whose brief case is keeper of not just her files but all her day-to-day necessities, the Trixy Laptop Bag by Acme Made combines it all – style, functionality and value – in one multi-tasking bag. It’s spacious enough to store your life and intelligent enough to keep it all in place, with lots of internal pockets, a matching padded removable laptop sleeve, and a matching accessories bag. Fits many of today’s most popular laptop models up to 15.4†. $97.50 www.acmemade.com.
Wheeling and Dealing
Whether it’s your main squeeze or your boss blowing up your phone, don’t let it drive you crazy, or cause you to drive crazy. Get the SuperTooth Buddy, the perfect partner for making calls on the road. This user-friendly, hands-free Bluetooth speakerphone clips onto your sun visor and connects two phones at the same time, providing hassle-free talk time in the car. An auto-connect feature reconnects to your phone automatically every time you enter the vehicle. Compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled phones, and provides 20 hours of talk time. In-car charger and handy USB cable included; can also be charged from a PC via the USB. $59. Department, specialty and mobile phone stores or www.SuperTooth.net.
Handy Bag
Keep it together with the Waterfield Travel Case, perfect for your iPhone, iPod and all your accessories and peripherals. The fully padded main compartment has five separate soft pockets to tuck away your cables and cords tangle-free, and a zippered outside compartment with two more pockets. Zip it up securely with a self-locking zipper and stow it in your backpack, purse or messenger bag. It’s thin and cute enough it could almost pass as a sporty clutch, but so functional it could hang on a tool belt. Available in three sizes, $35 to $39. www.sfbags.com.
Sky’s the Limit
Give up the old ball and chain of a wired hard drive and free up space on your computer with cloud computing by SugarSync. You can upload all those work docs, pics, videos, music and other content that clogs your computer with a secure 5GB free online account for anytime, anywhere access anywhere you have an Internet connection. If you need more space, you can get 30GB to 500GB for $4.99 to $39.99 per month. www.sugarsync.com.
Smooth Operator
Forget those el cheapo scratchy travel razors, and pack along the new Schick Intuition, a shaver perfect for the multitasking woman on the go with a travel cap and its own emollient lotion-rich cream bar surrounding the embedded three-tier blade, so you just need water, no need to pack shaving cream. $9.99. Drugstores nationwide.
You Go Girl
For the woman who likes to gab and keep going, and going, the Energizer EnergiToGo AP650 can charge her up, without access to a power outlet or car charger. Just plug your cell phone, Blackberry or other device into the compact key-ring sized power source to extend your talk time up to 90 minutes longer. It’s rechargeable up to 500 times using the original phone charging cable, and you can talk while you charge. $24.99. Find retailers at www.energizerpowerpacks.com.
Sock it to Me
So they might not win any fashion awards, but Futuro Hosiery by 3M are the jet-set girl’s best friend for preventing in-flight blood clots, known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT or “Economy Class Syndrome†), and reducing spider veins and swollen ankles and just generally keeping your legs comfy and energized, especially if you have to sit in one place for a long time. $10 to $35. Drugstores nationwide and www.futuro-usa.com.
Heavy or Not
Avoid paying extra bag fees on your luggage and gear by weighing it before you go to the airport. Do it at home or in your hotel room with the Balanzza Mini Luggage Scale. The slim and lightweight hand-held scale can weigh bags up to 100 pounds and can pack easily in your luggage. $24.95. www.balanzza.com.