Safety begins at home � something to keep in mind before your next getaway so you can take steps to ensure peace of mind while traveling. There are new travel gadgets to enhance the safety of your home, your luggage, yourself and others no matter where your travels take you.
AT HOME
You've planned the longed-for getaway. Now you should be able to enjoy every minute, confident that safety reigns on the home front. Before you hit the road, install the SwannSmart Video Security Wi-Fi network camera with secure cloud storage ($129.99 plus a monthly fee). An inconspicuous yet sophisticated security system, it captures events in real time in the SwannSmart Secure Cloud and sends mobile updates when it detects potential threats, which are triggered by motion.
Powered by iSecurity(plus), the easy-to-set-up camera can be mounted on any flat surface, upside-down, on the ceiling or on a wall. In-the-cloud, offsite storage means evidence cannot be accessed or destroyed and you can keep watch with the SwannSmart app, viewable on PC, Mac, tablet and smartphone. A built-in microphone delivers sound along with images, and infrared LEDs illuminate low light areas � so there's no hiding from the camera for any nefarious intruders.
ON THE ROAD
Gabbing with your BFF while driving to your weekend retreat? Can you say "distracted driving law"? Talking on your handheld cellphone while driving is a no-no in many states. Enter SmartTalk Solar ($69.99), one of several DriveSafe hands-free initiatives offered by Griffin Technology.
SmartTalk Solar mounts on your window or windshield, charging while you talk hands-free. The Bluetooth speakerphone auto-connects to your phone when you get into your car, so if you want to call the aforementioned BFF and chat, you can do it with your eyes on the road and your hands properly positioned at 10 and two. Just push the big button with the phone icon to place or take a call � it's less fuss than switching radio stations � or activate your smartphone's voice command feature.
ON A TRIP
Speaking of solar, the SunVolt by Gomadic ($99.95/10 watts, $129.95/15 watts) is a portable solar charger that powers up multiple electronic devices � cellphones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, MP3 players � with the speed of a traditional wall-charger. It's like traveling with your own personal power station.
SunVolt comes in a highly functional, custom-designed case that is both lightweight and water-resistant and features both carry handles and a removable shoulder strap plus a zippered storage pocket to hold accessory pieces. Unzip the main compartment and the solar panel within can be quickly and easily propped up at the angle of your choosing. SunVolt has multiple charging outputs to charge more than one device at a time and can be a real life saver on camping trips, beach vacations and sailing adventures.
IN THE BAG
Millions of pieces of luggage are lost each year. Many of them show up at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Ala., a veritable treasure trove of anything and everything travelers pack for their business and leisure trips � and a wonderful shopping adventure, not to mention sociology study. (Moose antlers, vacuum-packed frogs and a full suit of armor have been found in lost luggage.)
To keep your bag and its contents from being added to their inventory, put a Trakdot ($49.95 plus activation and annual fee) in your bag. Made by GlobaTrac LLC, this luggage tracker acts like a homing device. Tuck it into your checked bag and it will report city location in real time to any mobile, Apple, Android or SMS-capable device anywhere in the world, sending you a text with the location of your luggage as soon as you arrive at your destination.
Trakdot fits in the palm of your hand and is easy to use with a free app that works anywhere. You can register your Trakdot tracker on GlobaTrac's website and then track your luggage from your smartphone. Each tracker can be linked to multiple phones, and each phone can track multiple devices.
INFO
- SmartTalk Solar by Griffin Technology, www.GriffinTechnology.com
- SunVolt by Gomadic, www.Gomadic.com
- SwannSmart Video Security Wi-Fi network camera with secure cloud storage, www.Swann.com
- Trakdot by GlobaTrac LLC, www.209.198.195.135:8080/TrackDot/index.jsp
- Unclaimed Baggage Center, www.UnclaimedBaggage.com
Kathy Witt is a Kentucky-based author and travel and lifestyle writer whose columns include Bucket List Adventures, Cruise Trends & Trips and Travel Goods, Gadgets & Gear for McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. She can be reached at WittK@fuse.net.
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