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What's New, What's Hot is Travel Weekly's look at useful and fun travel gadgets, edited by Joe Rosen. Click here or on the image to open a slideshow of all of the featured products for August.
SwannEye-460 Indoor and Outdoor Surveillance Cam: The issue of privacy rights can be contentious, but who can deny that home invaders, burglars and other undesirable houseguests deserve no privacy when you are out and about on vacation and they are inside where they have no business being? This latest foray into the expanding world of home security comes from Swann, a leader in the field of video surveillance, and it comes with a number of notable attributes designed to keep your mind at ease and your home or workplace secure in your absence. The all-weather, WiFi-ready SwannEye-460 features the following: a plug-and-play Internet camera, an easy three-step hookup to your smartphone or tablet with no need for networking, video and HD photo sharing for viewing on your various devices, day/night surveillance with the ability to see and hear through one-way audio 24/7 and instant email notification. The cam weighs only about a pound and a half and can be mounted to any flat surface, including a wall or ceiling. $179.99; www.swann.com.
Sholdit: This versatile, easy-to-pack women's fashion accessory can be worn as a neck wrap or shrug and boasts a hidden zippered pocket. Easily hand-washed and set out flat to dry, this version of the Basic Sholdit is made of 100% polyester and measures 31 inches long and 10 inches wide and shrinks to a 9- by 8-inch clutch when so desired. Another version, the Original, includes a cinch toggle to adjust at your side and a small side cellphone pocket to weigh at the hip when worn across the body. The main zipper pocket of the Original rests along the front of the body for easy access. Basic, $69.99, the Original, about $49.99; www.sholdit.com.
LiteGear City Tote: The perfect accessory for any holiday, both leisure and working, is this extremely lightweight but expansive tote from the extensive line of easy-to-manage products from LiteGear. The City Tote measures 14 by 11 by 5 3/4 inches and boasts a capacity of 885 cubic inches while weighing only 0.35 pounds. It offers several zip pockets, is made from a durable polyester microfiber and comes in three colors: black, slate and mallard green. A sister product, the expandable LiteGear Travel Pack, is also worth considering. With an expanded capacity of 3,822 cubic inches, the Travel Pack, which weighs 2 pounds, can be hand-carried or used as a backpack. City Tote, $24.95; TravelPack, $99.95; www.litegearbags.com.
BDB Dweller Backpack: This handsome and classy backpack is handmade in Brooklyn, N.Y. Hand-sewn from individually produced prototypes, women's apparel and accessories from BDB (named after designer Bonnie Dana Buchner) are as distinctive as they are practical. Featuring a laser-engraved leather trim, canvas body and gold accents, the backpack, which has four pockets and measures 17 by 12 3/4 by 5 inches, comes in khaki/brown and mulberry/black. $695; www.bonniedanabuchner.com.
Macally BTKEYPRO Bluetooth Keyboard: With the capability of pairing with five separate devices wirelessly via Bluetooth, this slim, full-size keyboard works seamlessly with iOS devices, Android phones and tablets, Apple computers and PCs, a range of options that should be appreciated by any connected road warrior. Pressing a single key on the keyboard, with features soft, comfortable, stress-reducing keys, enables the user to switch among all paired devices. Driven by two AA batteries, the keyboard can also be powered by hooking it up through a USB port to a computer or other energy source. Although not small enough to fit in pocket or purse, the keyboard still measures only 17.5 by 6 by 1 inches, sleek enough for a carry-on or the like, and slightly less than two pounds. About $40; www.macally.com.
Got something for What's New, What's Hot? Email Joe Rosen at [email protected].