Travel Tech for Less

Chris McGinn posted a new blog on Digital Landing! Read about new electronics that are convenient for travelers.

Travelers will have some cool new gadgets to help them out this year as previewed at the Travel Good Show this week in Las Vegas.

MSNBC’s travel writer Rob Lovitt profiled a few pieces for under $50, including a take-with-you digital scale to avoid egregious charges for over-limit bags and an alarm to warn you if your luggage leaves without you.

Another favorite is the e-Solar Charger ($49.95) from Everlite that lets you charge cell phones, iPods or digital cameras via power from the sun.

My sister-in-law travels A LOT for work. I may have to look into something from this list for her next gift.

Universal Mobile Phone Charger on the Horizon

Chris McGinn posted a blog up on Digital Landing. Read about the decision of make a phone charger for any and every phone.

The mobile phone industry has finally decided to create a universal phone charger by 2012, according to GSMA, an industry organization.

Currently, chargers can be brand or phone specific, generating more than 51,000 tons of waste as consumers get new phones that are incompatible. For more information on recycling phones, click here.

Another aim is to create an energy-efficient charger to reduce stand-by or “vampire” energy consumption by 50%. The group wants to create the “UCS” or universal charging solution to use Micro-USB for charging.

Among the companies involved in this initiative are LG, Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and T-Mobile.

Now if we can just get the printer companies to standardize those blasted ink cartridges.