Easy listening
Like audiobooks but lose patience with cassette, CD and MP3 players? Consider a Playaway self-playing audiobook, which comes with one AAA battery and earbuds. All you have to do to listen is press play. There are currently 32 popular titles, such as The Da Vinci Code, available at Barnes Noble, Borders and OfficeMax stores, starting at $35 each.
Get a grip
Is your luggage hard to steer when you make sharp turns at the airport? Simply hook the TravelTow ($13 at Magellans.com) to the handle of your wheeled suitcase. The device hinges, swivels and pivots in your palm as you pull on it, just like the handles on some types of high-end luggage. Available in black only. This summer, TravelTow will debut a line of budget luggage (roughly $90 to $110) with its maneuverable handle built in.
Skip a step
Memory cards for digital cameras, PDAs and other devices seem convenient, until you can't find a cord or card reader to move the data to your PC. But the SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus card sprouts its own USB plug, so you can transfer files directly. Pictured: a version with 512 megabytes of memory for $80. A version with one gigabyte of memory is available for $135. When we tested the card, it let us easily move data between a digital camera, a PDA and a PC.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Foreign friend
Tumi's USB Travel Charger kit ($95 at Tumi.com) allows you to recharge your laptop, PDA or camera in 150 countries. The kit also has a connection cable that is compatible with the most popular cell phones, such as those from Nokia. A cigarette-plug adapter lets you charge devices from many rental cars, too. And with the modem adapter, you can connect your laptop to the Internet in 80 countries.
Small wonder
Casio's Exilim EX-Z120 ($300 at RitzCamera.com) is about the size of a box of Altoids, measuring roughly 3.5 inches wide, 2.4 inches high and 1 inch thick. But it captures enough detail to make good 8-by-10-inch prints -- 7.2 megapixels' worth, to be precise. In our tests, the camera snapped about 170 shots on one charge (from two AA batteries). And we found it easy to control the flash, zoom and other features by selecting settings from the camera's on-screen menus.
-
Are T-Mobile's Prepaid Perks a Home Run or a Strikeout?T-Mobile's prepaid lineup promises MLB.TV, T-Mobile Tuesdays and hotspot data. But do the perks make it worth switching?
-
Verizon Home Internet Is Offering Free Tech to New CustomersVerizon’s latest home-internet promotion includes free tech, but the real savings depend on pricing, speed needs and how long you stay.
-
Retirees in These 7 States Could Pay Less Property Taxes Next YearState Taxes Retirement property tax bills could be up to 65% cheaper for some older adults in 2026. Do you qualify?
-
Why It's Worth Booking a Winter VacationTravel Smart In the early months of the year, travel demand dips — and so do prices.
-
5 Ways to Save on a Trip to the 2026 Olympics in ItalyA guide to going to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics without breaking the bank.
-
The Best (and Worst) Airlines for Flight Delays and CancellationsWhich airlines should you book and which should you avoid if you want to make it to your destination on time?
-
Four Luxury Spa Resorts for Well-Heeled TravelersWe hand-picked these U.S. luxury spa resorts for their serenity, amenities and dedication to the comfort of older travelers.
-
Child-Free Cruises Perfect For Your Retirement CelebrationHow to find a bespoke ocean or river vacation for adults. Many of these options are smaller, charming river cruises, expeditions, or niche experiences.
-
Noctourism: The New Travel Trend For Your Next Trip"Noctourism" is a new trend of building travel and vacations around events and plans that take place at night. Take a look at some inspiring noctourism ideas.
-
My Husband and I Retired at 67 With $3.2 Million, But He's Frugal About Travel. How Can I Convince Him to Loosen Up?We asked financial planning experts for advice.
-
Cruise Lines Sue to Block Hawaii’s New Climate Tourism TaxState Tax Your vacation to the Aloha State could come at a higher price tag next year. Here’s why.
