Inbox:If you can't carry your gadgets with you, what value are they? Road warriors should check out the iGo Everywhere Charger (€50) which powers and charges multiple gadgets with an all-in- one AC and DC 8 Watt package, writes Mike Butcher.
This combination AC and in-car charger uses any standard AC or in-car outlet, allowing you to to power your MP3 player or mobile at home or out and about.
The real killer feature, though, is the many attachments that come with the iGo, meaning that instead of carrying four chargers, you carry just one and then change the power tip depending on the device being charged.
IGo makes tips for a vast range of devices from iPods to Palm, from Nokia to Windows PDAs - you name it.
xn On your travels, you're going to need a satellite navigator, right? So why not get an all-in-one sat-nav, MP3 and video device. Harman Kardon has come out with the beguiling new Guide+Play, a sat-nav which slips into your jacket pocket and plays MP3s and video. The system displays MPEG-4 and WMV 9 movies on a crisp four-inch LCD monitor which is also a touch screen. All maps are pre-installed on an internal 2GB Flash memory, meaning you are ready to go as soon as you turn it on.
While driving, the Guide + Play can help you avoid traffic with the built in TMC (traffic message channel) and you can also switch on the speed camera warning feature where allowed. The unit has a suggested retail price of €512.
For more information visit www.guideandplay.eu.
n So what happens if you can't charge all these gadgets and you're heading to one of the many summer music festivals where a power point is as rare as a sweet-smelling toilet?
Orange has launched a mobile phone charger prototype that is powered by wind. The wind turbine, at a light 150grams, is small enough to fit into a weekend rucksack and is easily mounted on to the top of a festival-goer's tent to pick up the wind. The turbine stores power in the control box, trickle charging a rechargeable battery.
The Orange Mobile Wind Charger was developed with the University of Texas at Arlington. While Orange displayed some fully functioning models at this year's Glastonbury Festival, they aren't in production yet.
n Mobile people also hate wires, so rid them from your life with a Plantronics Pulsar 260 stereo Bluetooth headset (€79.99), designed for the increasing number of people who like using their mobile phone as a music player but dislike missing calls.
When a call comes in, the music is paused automatically. You answer by pressing a button on the headset and talking into the in-built microphone.
In addition, you can use the headset in the car simply by removing an ear bud.
The "audio out" feature means you can stream music from the headset straight to a home HiFi unit or powered speakers, making it quite versatile.
