NBC Today: Travel Tools

Getting from point A to point B in style is what Beststuff.com's Corey Greenberg is all about Tuesday (November 7th) on NBC's Today Show. Corey has the latest luggage, electronics gadgets and gear sure to please everyone from seasoned road warriors to holiday travelers.



Alarm Clock That Sets Itself
If hotel wake-up call operators know you by your first name, then you qualify for the new self-setting portable travel alarm clock from Oregon Scientific. The clock automatically sets its own time, day, and date no matter where you travel in the US, and it keeps perfect time by synchronizing with the US Atomic Clock in Colorado. To change time zones, press the zone function button. Once the desired time zone is highlighted on the LCD map of the United States, the time will automatically adjust accordingly. It displays hour, minutes, seconds and date and has an automatic adjustment for daylight savings time. $60. www.oregonscientific.com




Best Mini Umbrella
Totes 7-inch long umbrella is so small it fits in a coat pocket or briefcase. The pint size rain protector is no novelty though; as it automatically opens to a full size umbrella and has a cool auto close feature as well, that with the press of a button, shrinks it back to pocket size. $35. www.totes.com




Combination Iron Hair Dryer
Many major hotel chains have stopped stocking irons and ironing boards in guest rooms. For wrinkled travelers, this means adding an extra ½ hour to get dressed while waiting on room service to deliver the gear. Killing two birds with one stone is the new Brookstone combo iron/hair dryer. Featuring a 6-foot cord with dual voltage, this 1000-watt hair dryer/iron actually speeds up the "getting dressed" process as long as you don't iron your hair and blow dry your pants. $35. www.brookstone.com




Traveling Joe (DiMaggio)
Ok, you'd have to be a nut to travel with your own coffeemaker, but the next time you pay $5 for a triple grande latte at a hotel coffee shop, you may want to rethink your position. Considering that in-room hotel coffee makers predate Joe DiMaggio's Mr. Coffee, and hot bath water makes better brew, an $80 coffee travel kit is well, almost justifiable. Starbucks Deluxe Travel Coffee Kit comes in a compact, zippered nylon tote bag with a 32-ounce French press style coffee maker and an electric water kettle that boils water in an instant. Also included are two 8 oz. thermal tumblers with sip-thru lids, and an air airtight 1 1/2 lb. coffee container for your private stash plus a scoop. www.starbucks.com




Tiny Camera/MP3 Player
Fuji's tiny 40ix is not only a great pocket sized filmless digital camera for the road; it doubles as a portable MP3 player as well. Users can download their favorite tunes on a smart media card and either listen to music or take photos. You cannot listen and make pictures at the same time, however, if you buy a separate wafer thin Smart Media card for music and use the other one for photos you can swap out. The camera features a 3 times digital zoom, an 80-second movie mode and comes with a 8MB Smart Media Card. It also includes an earbud headset for audio. $700. www.fujifilm.com




Ultimate Mobile Music Machine
Imagine storing your whole music collection (up to 150 CDs) on one portable device. That's the idea behind Creative Nomad Jukebox, a 6 MB Beststuff award winning portable music player. Simply download your collection via the Internet or existing CDs to the Nomad Jukebox. The USB, multi-format portable audio player weighs only 14oz. and features built-in storage that holds over 150 albums or up to 2,600 hours of spoken word. Other features include a Line-In for analog recording from external sources and dual lineout connections for connecting speakers. It is unlike other hardware-based products because it features an onboard real-time digital signal processor (DSP) for audio playback and customization. This SDMI-capable portable digital audio player supports multiple formats including MP3, WMA and WAV file formats. It also supports downloadable features including new effects algorithms, security features, and auto play list generators. $499. www.nomadworld.com




Pocket Electronic Maps
Paper maps are a thing of the past with the iGPS-180 GPS (global positioning system) product. These electronic maps track a series of satellites on portable electronic devices to pinpoint your exact location. When used in conjunction with one of the latest Pocket PCs using Microsoft's Windows CE software, This integrated GPS receiver can tell you your exact location in less than 60 seconds. It needs little power and is water resistant. The size of a matchbox, it can interface with computers, PDA's and automobiles; turning products with the appropriate software into mobile navigation systems. $70 Software. Receiver: $200. Pocket PC device $500-$700. www.pharosgps.com




RIM Blackberry 957
Wireless email is one of the killer apps in the wireless business. The RIM Blackberry is the best. It allows you to send and receive email from just about anywhere. Synchs with your PC and best of all, its $40, single rate monthly fee destroys competitive plans. $499. www.rim.net




Pocket Air Hockey
Sure PDA's and PocketPCs are great devices, but pocket air hockey? Now that's innovation. This miniature air hockey table really works. You play with your thumbs instead of paddles. It sells for $12. www.basicfun.com



Best Luggage
When it comes to carry-on luggage, Tumi bags are the best in the business. Although pricey, Tumi bags are durable and spacious, and feature whisper-quiet in-line skate wheels that make rolling through airports and parking lots a snap.


For business travelers, Tumi's new Carry-On Vertical Office is just the ticket. This office on wheels features a padded front compartment for your computer, a removable divider panel/file section for business documents, and enough extra space for an overnight change of clothing. $595.
View the streaming video of the Tumi Vertical Office




Because of airlines' unpredictable carry-on policies, many frequent fliers are switching from wheeled carry-ons to duffel bags. Tumi's new 18-inch Carry-On Duffel meets today's domestic carry-on regulations and features an easy-to-access main compartment, four outside pockets, and a padded shoulder strap. $250.



Other Tumi Favorites



Tumi WHEEL-A-WAY 24'' EXPANDABLE PACKING CASE (Style: 2281)
Roomy main section expands, extra 3" for greater packing flexibility; three interior pockets. 18'' x 24'' x 11.5''. $675.




Tumi Wheel-Away 25" Duffle with Suitor
This bag features a top duffle, suitor underneath, and a compartment for shoes on the very bottom all in a wheel-away package. $575




Tumi SafeCase Computer Briefpack (Style: 2641.9641)
Large main compartment holds computer, files and papers; outside U-zip pocket. $495. www.tumi.com