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The Best Travel Gadgets-On-The-Go

Gone are the days when packing for summer vacation meant buying a package of flash bulbs and some rolls of film for the Instamatic. Today, travelers are documenting their trips with photos and videos made with gizmos and gadgets that our parents couldn't even imagine. CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg has selected some fun adult toys that will make your trip a breeze.


  • POWERSHOT SD1000 DIGITAL ELPH CAMERA - $299.99. This camera has a 7.1 megapixel digital ELPH with 3x Optical Zoom lens and a DIGIC III image processor with improved face detection technology and red-eye correction. It has a vivid, high-resolution 2.5-inch PureColor LCD with scratch-resistant anti-reflection coating for easy on-camera viewing. What does all this mean? It's a camera that's small, light, and takes photos from various distances, with or without natural light.
  • SELPHY ES1 COMPACT PHOTO PRINTER - $249.99. This home printer has an integrated Paper/Ink cartridge that allows for a one-step operation. After you select your prints on a 2.5-inch color LCD monitor, you can print high-quality, water-resistant photos. The printer has an optional battery that allows it to be portable. You can print directly from your memory card via a card slot, or print wirelessly from any Bluetooth-enabled camera phone. For details, go to www.usa.canon.com.
  • PICTAVISION TELEPRINTS. This application lets you print your pictures directly from your cell phone. The digital images are sent to any of the more than 5,600 Walgreens drugstore locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and photo prints are ready for pickup in an hour for just 19 cents each. Users can also choose to have their prints delivered by mail. You are charged a "convenience fee" each time you place an order, plus $0.19 for each print. There is no initial download fee. For more information, go to www.teleprints.com.
  • TELESTIAL SIM CARD/GSM PHONE, $100. The GSM phone available through Telestial also works overseas; you insert a SIM card that will work with a local number and a local rate, so you can forget the exorbitant fees. There is free incoming calls in 40 countries in the world. No contract is necessary.

    Unlike phone rental options, Telestial eliminates problems associated with incompatible cellular networks abroad or being tied to a U.S. network that charges huge overseas rates. Telestial works with international providers, and their customers can get the same low local call rates that international residents would pay, plus the convenience of having an enabled phone prior to arriving in an international destination. For more information, go to www.telestial.com.

  • ELECTRONIC SUDOKU GAMES, $24.95. Slip this into your travel bag to keep a teenager – or yourself – busy during a long car ride or plane trip. The New York Times Touch SuDoku contains more than 800 puzzles, all selected by the newspaper's puzzle editor, Will Shortz. The Touch Screen SuDoku works with a stylus, like a PDA. There are three levels of difficulty and you even can get hints. For more information, go to www.sudoku-electronic-puzzles.com.
  • THE MP4 VIDEO WATCH, $150. What if one small device could do it all? This watch is an MP4 that can download videos from a PC for immediate viewing on a 1 1/2" color OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen. It can also download and play MP3 and WMA music files (compatible with DRM 9), display digital photographs in JPEG format, or be used as a standard digital watch. An integrated microphone allows digital voice recordings and playback, a five preset equalizer and super-bass feature provide enhanced audio control, and color icons ensure ease of menu navigation. The watch can play videos for three hours and music for eight hours. For more information, go to www.hammacher.com.
  • SCALEX MAPWHEEL, $34.95. This is one of those gadgets that's so simple you wonder why it was never invented before. Mapwheel is a fast and accurate way to measure distances on a map. After you set the Mapwheel's scale to match the map, you roll the unit along the route you want to measure and it will tell you the distance. MapWheel measures in miles, kilometers, and nautical miles. It uses two AAA batteries. For more information, go to www.scalex.com.
  • LIGHTCAP, SOLAR-POWERED LED LIGHT & WATER BOTTLE, $24.95. This is a gadget that any camper would covet: The LightCap is a one-liter water bottle with a solar-powered LED light in the lid. A waterproof switch on the cap lets you use a white LED (bright) or a red one (preserves your night vision). You can even leave the red light on all night (minimal energy draw) so you can easily find the bottle. The water-bottle and cap combo weighs only 11 oz. With a four-hour charge of sunshine, the LightCap will stay bright for hours while the rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries will last for at least 300 cycles. For more information, go to www.sollight.com.

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