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AnchorDesk

David Coursey
My list of must-have mobile gadgets

David Coursey
Executive Editor, AnchorDesk
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
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There is a joke in my family that I don't just have one of everything--I have two. Of course, the laughing stops when I have an item that's badly needed by some friend or family member. The other day it was a charger for a friend's Handspring Treo.

Talk all you want
Bluetooth headsets give you a comfortable, wireless way to talk on your cell phone. Here's a pair I like.
To me, collecting this sort of accessory is one of the best aspects of mobile computing. We don't have quite as many geegaws available as do Harley motorcycle owners. But ours are light and travel in jet planes--and can even help us get work done more efficiently.

Today I've assembled a collection of useful accessories for mobile computing, including Bluetooth devices, super long-life batteries, a GPS receiver, cool cables, wireless headsets, and remote presentation controllers.

FIRST, let me tell you about the gadgets that use Bluetooth, of which there are several.

Bluetooth is becoming more useful--and less expensive--thanks to Jabra and Logitech, both of which offer headsets for Bluetooth-enabled cellular telephones. Jabra's FreeSpeak fits around the ear with a small microphone extending downward an inch or so. Logitech's Mobile Cordless Headset also fits over the ear and the company claims you can talk with it for up to seven hours. Both sell for less than $100 and, of course, require a Bluetooth-enabled handset.

Logitech also offers a $179 remote control for PC-based presentations. It gives you control of Microsoft's PowerPoint, a two-button mouse, and laser pointer--all in the palm of your hand. Because Bluetooth is radio technology, the Logitech remote doesn't need to have a line of sight to your computer in order to function. This makes using it much more natural than infrared models that must be pointed directly at the computer. (In the non-Bluetooth world, Interlink Electronics sells very nice radio frequency presentation controllers for PCs. The latest model is the RemotePoint Presenter.)

From Pharos comes a Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver that adds GPS capabilities to any Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC--without wires. Usually you need a cable to connect a GPS receiver to a PDA and another one to connect a PDA to a power source, such as your car's cigarette lighter. All these cables make it pretty difficult to handle the PDA.

The Pharos device comes with the company's Ostia software, which provides voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions when used with the receiver. At $365, the device is more expensive than wired models that attach directly to the PDA (such as certain devices from Navman), but not incredibly so. And if you don't need software, the cost of the Pharos receiver comes down to $329.

NOW FOR the non-Bluetooth gadgets. These products solve heretofore vexing mobility problems and are genuinely useful.

The first arrived a month or two ago in a padded envelope from Keyspan. Inside, with no press kit or any other papers, was a collection of Zip-Linq retractable cables. These are the latest and best solution to the problem of needing to carry a variety of cables with your laptop when you're on the road.

The Zip-Linq cables retract into a center spool that's about the size of a quarter, yet extend to 30 inches or more. Available in 10 flavors--USB device, extension, and mini; iPaq and Palm sync and charge; three FireWire versions; phone/modem; and Ethernet Cat 5--a complete set fits into a small pencil case or Ziploc bag. I've seen Zip-Linq cables selling for anywhere from $11 to $20, so shop around if you are looking to buy several.

At the Zip-Linq site, you can read about a universal USB cell phone charger that uses your computer to provide power for charging your phone. I haven't used this yet, but it sounds really cool, as it would allow me to leave the cellular charger at home.

I AM A BIG FAN of the Valence Technology N-Charge battery systems, which offer an additional 5 or 10 hours of mobile computing time over other types of batteries, depending on the model. There are two N-Charge systems: one priced at $199 and weighing less than 2 pounds, and the other priced at $299 and weighing about a pound more. Both are designed to fit underneath the laptop that's being powered and use the computer's power supply for charging.

Besides powering most laptop computers (using removable connectors that can be swapped when you change laptops), the N-Charge batteries also have a port for charging a low-power device like a PDA or mobile phone.

These are a few of the mobile gadgets I've seen and/or played with over the past few months that I've wanted to share with you. I'd also like to clear up one point: I really don't have two of everything, but I am always fully accessorized. After all, you never know what you're going to need.

What do you think of these gadgets? What are your favorite mobile devices or accessories? TalkBack to me!

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