21 April,2016 08:15 AM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
Whether you're headed for a trek or flying off for a holiday, these handy smart devices will ensure you have a stress-free trip
Smart travel finds
If your job involves being on the move at all times, and in a tight schedule, these tiny hiccups may end up coming at a steep price. We've lined up a few smart portable solutions that might not only save you from the stress that follows, but also prevent them from happening in the first place.
Recently, Samsonite unveiled a new technology called Track and GO, to help fliers identify and locate lost bags. The technology uses Bluetooth Low Energy beacon, Eddystone - EID, developed by Google. However, it'll take a while before it hits Indian stores. Until then, we've lined up a few cool travel picks:
6 smart travel finds
Portable washer
Ever dreamt of carrying a washing machine in your pocket? Recently, Haier made it possible with the Codo Handy Washer. The small washer is as big as a deo spray can, and powered by 3AAA batteries. The device weighs just 200 grams and uses squeeze wash to give instant cleaning in focused areas. It helps you get rid of those unfortunate spills and stains within 30-120 seconds. The Codo can give approximately 50 washing cycles.
Price: Rs 3,590
Available at: Snapdeal.com
Personal water purifier
If you often trek into the wilderness, Eureka Forbes Aquaguard Personal Purifier Bottle or Lifestraw water purifier will come handy.
Both water purifiers work without any batteries, and can remove 99.9% bacteria making it a great companion to places where you can't find safe drinking water. While the Aquaguard bottle requires you to squeeze water to purify it, using the Lifestraw requires a good hard suck.
Track your luggage on the go
LugLoc and TrakDot: While there's still time for Samsonite to launch Travel & Go, try independent GPS trackers like LugLoc and TrakDot that are available on Amazon.in. Both devices use a combination of Bluetooth, GSM and GPS technologies to track your luggage - GPS for exact location tracking, Bluetooth for nearby tracking (say inside the plane), GSM (for places where GPS is not available say airports).
The LugLoc costs Rs 9,399 (plus delivery charges) and comes with 15-days battery life. It offers 15-day's free tracking, post which it's $29.99 for an unlimited number of traces a year. You can also buy 5 traces for ($6.99) and 10 traces for ($9.99).
Unfortunately, Amazon had too many negative reviews of the device. The TrakDot, however, has more positive reviews from users, and also costs less at R6,994. However, it comes with just 200-240 hour's battery life (2xAA), and comes with a subscription fee of $19.99 (for a year) and $25.99 (for two years) and $69.99 (lifetime).
Available at: Amazon.in
Blue Smart: American startup, BlueSmart has created a smart bag, which come with a built-in tracker ID, a location tracking system and a 10,000mAH battery pack.
So, not only do you get to recharge your phone in emergency, the bag warns you the moment you step away from it and can unlock automatically when you come closer to it. It also gives you distance alerts, and the built-in GPS and 3G technology help you track your suitcase anywhere in the world. Sadly, the company ships its bags only to the US and the European Union. However, if you fly to any these two regions a lot, it will be worth a shot.
