2005
Christmas Gadget Gift Giving Guide
The Travel Insider's 2005 Top Ten List
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Delight the special
people in your life by placing some of these items under the
tree this Christmas.
Better still, delight yourself with a personal treat or
two also. |
Here is a selection of
the best of the items received and/or reviewed during this year. They've
been chosen for their low to moderate cost, their novelty value, and their
usefulness.
Ranging in price from sort of
free and with most items priced under $50, you're sure to
find something that will be a creative choice, a
useful gift, and something that even 'the person who has it all'
does not yet own and would want.
I own, use and recommend all
these items myself.
Motorola Razr V3 Cellphone - Free (with new T-mobile or
Cingular service) |
The distinctive slim shape of Motorola's V3 Razr phone has
proven outstandingly popular. |
This is the most popular phone
in the US - and possibly the entire world - at present.
A year ago, they were costing
as much as $500 each. Now you can get one for free
when signing up for new service with T-mobile or
Cingular.
But you won't get this special
offer direct from the wireless companies. To get
the phone for free, you need to buy it through
Amazon.com.
Reviewed
here.
Black phone, Cingular service
Regular phone, Cingular service
Regular phone, T-mobile service
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Clipper
Gear Micro Light - $4.95 |
A tiny little unit giving a powerful white light.
Stick it on the back of your phone or attach it to your
keyring. |
This tiny device can be stuck
onto your phone (or just about anything else), or hung
from your keychain.
Two bright LEDs give you light
when you need it. A great thing to have for those
occasional semi-emergencies when a bit of light would be
much appreciated, especially in the long dark nights of
winter.
At a mere $4.95, it is perfect as
a stocking stuffer for just about anyone and everyone.
No longer available.
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Clipper Gear Emergency Phone Recharger - $9.95 |
A small lightweight unit that can recharge your phone's
dead battery. |
Why is it that one's cell
phone battery always goes dead at exactly the worst
possible time?
We can't answer the question
of why,
but we do have an answer for how to solve the problem the next time it happens
to you.
Our Clipper Gear Emergency Phone Battery Recharger will quickly get you back on the air again.
No longer available.
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Kipiis Traveling Bib for Infants - $11.95 |
A simple concept that creates an emergency bib for
children |
Wondering what to buy for a
family with a young child? The Kipiis Bib Clip is
sure to be something they'll use, and probably something
they don't already have.
Two clips loop around the child's neck and clip to
anything that can be used as a bib. A sheet of
paper, a table mat, handkerchief, whatever.
Innovative, imaginative, and a
friendly fun looking thing for the child.
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Travel Tow - $12.85 |
Easily velcro this to the handle of any roll-along suitcase
for easy towing |
Most luggage has a major
ergonomic error. The towing handle needs to be
rotated 90° from how it is designed
for maximum comfort and easiest towing.
This accessory
velcros onto the regular handle and provides a super
sturdy ergonomic solution, which can be rotated to any
angle for your best comfort.
Ideal for the
traveler who has to tow too heavy luggage, too far, and
too often!
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Pack-A-Cone Road Safety Cone
- $24.85 |
In the long dark winters, and sometimes in the snow, the
chances of needing a road safety cone increase.
Here's an innovative approach. |
This is a great idea - a
collapsible bright orange safety cone.
You can conveniently store it
in your trunk, taking up only 2" of space, but when you
open it up, you have a large 16" high cone with either
a flashing or steady warning light inside.
An ideal present for this time of
year.
Reviewed
here.
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Nice Flights Airplane Seat Cover
- $29.95 |
You just know the airlines seldom if ever clean their
seat covers.
Here's a slip-on cover you can bring with you to ensure
you're seated on a clean piece of fabric. |
Have you ever wondered about
the history of the seat cover you're pressing yourself
closely against on your next flight?
You just know it has seen
tens, if not hundreds, of people sitting on it since its
last deep clean. Oily hair, smelly sweaty bodies,
spilled food and drink, and who knows what else.
So why not bring your own
convenient slip on cover to protect yourself from the
dirt and germs that lurk on the seat.
Reviewed
here.
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Petzl Zipka Plus Night Light - $42.95 |
This very clever unit can fit around your head, or arm,
or just about anything else to provide light where/when
you need it, and without disturbing others around you. |
Do you feel guilty when
turning on the light on an overnight flight, disturbing
your fellow passengers? Or do you like to read in
bed while your partner is trying to sleep?
This unit is a great way of
getting convenient and unobtrusive light where you need
it. Very long battery life, variable intensity
light, and a clever way of mounting/positioning make
it flexible and suitable for may different uses.
Reviewed
here.
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International radio-synched Travel Alarm Clock - $44.95 |
The compact alarm clock comes with different plug-in radio
receiver modules for different regions of the world, all
presented in an attractive carry kit. |
I never rely on hotel
alarm clocks or wakeup calls. I used to use the
alarm on my watch, but nowadays my watch is too
complicated to understand and program.
So I've now gone back to a
dedicated alarm clock. But not an old fashioned
one. This one is fully electronic and synchronizes
itself with regional time signals to ensure your alarm
goes off at the exact time, to the very second!
This makes a nice gift for the
business traveler in your life. Or for any other
traveler too, of course.
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Self-powered Emergency Radio - $49.85 |
Batteries, mains power, or a hand crank can be used to
power this multi-band emergency radio. |
One of the most popular items
reviewed this year has been the self-powered Emergency
Radio.
It has multiple power sources
so it will always work, no matter where you are and what
the situation.
It also has a built in flashlight,
a siren,
and can be used to recharge your cell phone too.
An ideal addition to
everyone's emergency kit.
Reviewed
here.
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Solitude
Noise Cancelling Headphones - $199.95 |
Plane Quiet's new Solitude noise reducing headphones set
a new standard of performance, and cancel out much of
the tiring background noise on a long flight. |
If the person you're buying
for already has a set of active noise cancelling
headphones, consider upgrading them to a set of the
high-end Solitudes. Or, if they don't yet have any
such device, treat them straight off to this wonderful
product.
Priced $100 below the similar
Bose product, and performing almost identically, these
headsets offer high end performance at a wonderful value
price.
Reviewed
here.
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Still More Ideas....
If the ten (actually,
eleven, but who's counting!) ideas above
don't help, perhaps visit our
2004 Christmas Gadget Gift Giving Guide or our
2003 Christmas Gadget Gift
Giving Guide
- maybe one of these items will be just what you are looking
for instead.
Related Articles, etc
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Originally published
2 Dec 2005, last update
20 Jul 2020
You may freely reproduce or distribute this article for noncommercial purposes as long as you give credit to me as original writer.
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