Top Travel Tech

1 Fugoo Wireless Speaker

Sport $199.99, Style $179.99, Tough $229.99; fugoo.com

The Fugoo wireless speaker system will let you blast out your favourite tunes without taking up too much room in your bag (from 2.1” x 6.5” x 2.6”, 1lb.). It’s also splash-proof, drop-proof (tested to 6ft), cold- and heat-resistant, and the battery will last a remarkable 40 hours before you need to charge it. It sounds good, too, with speakers on all four sides ensuring the deep bass will fill any space you’re in. It comes in three skins: the extra-waterproof “Sport,” the cool, canvas “Style,” and the extra-strong “Tough.”

2 Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline

$59.95; wacom.com

If you’re prone to sudden bursts of inspiration, make sure you don’t get caught short – this stylus will let you effortlessly jot down ideas, diagrams and annotations on your iPad. Unlike many rival styluses, which come with thick, rubbery tips, this one has a fine, 1.9mm nib, making it feel more like a regular pen. It also features palm-rejection technology (in conjunction with supported apps, including the Adobe suite, Autodesk Sketchbook and Notes Plus, sold separately), so you can write with ease.

3 ChargeHub

From $59.99; thechargehub.com

The Chargehub is the ultimate travel companion. It allows you to power up to seven USB devices from one universal source – just plug them in and watch the battery bar go green on everything from your wireless headphones to your GoPro camera. You can also personalize it – the Chargehub station comes in round or square versions (3.5” x 3.5” x 1.25”, 1lb.) and you can get it in pink, red, purple, blue, black or white. It’s great for keeping by your bed to charge all your gadgets overnight – and will certainly make your packing easier.

4 Philips InRange Bluetooth Smart Leash

$9.95; philips.com

Keep your belongings secure with this smart alarm system. Attach the compact (2.3” x 1.5”) fob to your luggage, keys or wallet and if they wander anywhere you don’t, an alarm will sound on whatever Apple device you have it synced to. The companion app (iPhone 4S onwards) will allow you to locate your valuables if you’ve misplaced them by sounding an alarm, so no more searching under desks for your wallet before you check-out. You can also program “safe times” when the alarm won’t go off.

5 OverBoard Waterproof Camera Case

$24.50 (regular), $49.95 (zoom lens); overboardusa.com

The beach is an integral part of most holidays but, alas, sea, sand and cameras don’t mix. Save yourself a lot of worry by investing in a waterproof case from OverBoard. The resealable bag is submersible to 20 feet and will fit most models, taking the stress out of your marine photography. It has clear windows on the front and rear, so you can ensure you get the best possible snaps. It’s sand-proof, so you should keep it on while you’re sunbathing on the beach. You can also get sleeves for tablets and phones.

6 Samsung Portable SSD T1

$359.99; samsung.com

No bigger than a business card (2.8” x 2.1” x 0.3”), this tiny external storage device can back up an impressive one terabyte of data, while weighing just 1 oz. It has read/write speeds of 450 Mbps (so it’s fast), USB 3.0, data encryption, and is compatible with both Mac and Windows computers. With its laser-cut patterning and coal-black metal chassis, it has won numerous awards for its design. Smaller (and, consequently, cheaper) 250GB and 500GB versions are available for $84.99 and $164.99 respectively.

7 Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens

$79.99; olloclip.com

This handy mini lens acts as a Swiss army knife for your iPhone 6/6 Plus to take even more stunning photos. By combining four individual advanced-optic lenses into a single body, users can now choose to capture stunning pictures using the fisheye, wide angle, 10x Macro or 15x Macro lenses. This nifty accessory can be attached to both the front and rear-facing cameras of the iPhone, making it an excellent selfie tool. Installation is easy, thanks to a clever patented design by Olloclip. Users can simply clip it onto their phones – a process done in seconds without any extra parts needed.

8 Intel Compute Stick

$129.99; intel.com

You can go a long way with smartphones and tablets, but sometimes you need more. If you want to take the usability of a PC with you without lugging a laptop around, this could be for you. The HDMI-connected drive will plug into most computer monitors and smart TVs, giving you instant access to a full Windows 8.1 experience. You can also use a keyboard and mouse, either by USB or Bluetooth. It has a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and will link to WiFi networks. Even better, the small device (5.8” x 3.4” x 2.8”, 2 oz.) only costs $129.99 – a steal.

9 Logitech Keys-To-Go

$69.99; logitech.com

Why carry a laptop when you can take your tablet or smartphone and type away on this ultra-portable keyboard? It is designed for use with Apple products and can be synced over Bluetooth with an iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. It’s comfortable to use, despite its diminutive size (5.4” x 9.5” x 0.24”, 6.35 oz.), and the battery lasts a whopping three months between charges, depending on use. It comes with a durable, splash-proof skin in blue, red or black. If you often work on the go, this is an invaluable piece of gear for your armory.

10 Zuta Labs Pocket Printer

$199; zutalabs.com

My favorite new portable gadget is this ingenious pocket printer that’s like nothing you’ve seen before. Instead of inserting paper into it, simply place the fist-sized box (4” x 3”, 12 oz.) on to a sheet of paper and watch in awe as it wheels itself back and forth, printing as it goes (it looks a little like a tiny robotic vacuum cleaner). It connects to your phone, tablet or PC via WiFi and the battery will last up to an hour between charges. You can pre-order now and the company is promising a September delivery.

By Steve Dineen