MP3s, iPods, Portable DVD and Video - Six Great Gadget Gifts for Travelers

Gifts of Entertainment-on-the-Move to Ease the Time Spent Getting There

How cool is this! Not only a set of portable speakers for an iPod but an alarm clock and charger all in one. Fall asleep to your own music - with a wake up call all set so you can rise to your sounds as well - and while this neat little gadget is lulling you off to dreamland, its charging your iPod too.

Use it with an iPod Touch, Nano or Classic. An external jack means it works for other MP3 players too. It has a dual-voltage AC power adaptor so an adventurous traveler can use it pretty much anywhere. If it's a present though, don't forget to buy the four AA batteries (not included).

Ultra-compact portable stereo speakers are incredibly light and elegant - they weigh a mere 4 oz. in their soft travel case. Plug in an iPod, iPhone or pretty much any small audio device (a 3.5mm jack is included), and enjoy a remarkably full sound wherever you go. Available in a sexy, meshlike finish, in black or silver.

Now, here comes the science part - they apparently use echo-sound technology to enhance the depth and richness of the sound. Three AAA batteries are needed to operate it and, as usual, they are not included.

I love this tiny video camera. It's less than 5 inches tall - so really pocket sized - yet it can record up to 6 hours of web quality video or one hour of DVD quality video on its integrated 2GB hard drive. It's got all kinds of neat features - a big LCD screen, a 2x digital zoom and a built in USB connection. You can compress and email videos with no special software. One short-coming if you're a European buyer and a video fan. The video output is only compatible with NTSC - the television standard used in North and Central America and Japan. Not to worry - just play the files on

You can carry a whole library in this digital reading device, smaller than your average paperback. It comes with 40 volumes of classic works already pre-installed. Thousands more books are available and downloadable online along with MP3 files and photos. Its internal memory is capable of holding 1,000 volumes. Add a 2GB SD card (sold separately) you can pocket 10,000 books on one, 7.5 oz device. The high resolution screen is easy to read and has adjustable fonts. A lithium ion battery provides 20 hours of reading time and the device comes with a dual voltage AC adaptor and a USB Adaptor. Nice.

Talk about a family peace maker. This tiny portable DVD player with its 3.5 inch LCD digital screen is just the right size to keep the kids occupied on a long flight or car journey. It fits into the palm of the hand - so each child can watch his or her own entertainment DVD or memory card-based entertainment. It's also MP3, MP4, CD and JPEG compatible - so it will host all kinds of kid-friendly entertainment. There's a built in, rechargeable battery or it can operate off a USB port. When the inflight entertainment is unsuitable - or too boring - for younger travelers, they can carry along their own.

There's nothing like a good flick to make long flights and long airport waits disappear. And, since lately the airlines tend to edit the guts out of all the best movies so as not to offend anyone, I like the idea of being able to bring along my own movies. The iPod portable DVD player is grown-up portable entertainment solution, with 8.5 inch LCD widescreen display, touch-sensitive keypad controls and a built in, rechargeable battery. About the size of a small laptop, it measures 6.5 by 11.25 by 2.25 inches and weighs 2 lb, 10 oz. It comes with an AC adaptor, a car adaptor, remote control and an AV cable. And it can be recharged through its integrated charging dock.