[ Expandable Rolling Luggage ] [ Magellan’s Travel Necessities ]
[ Ultimate Family Trike ] [ Targus DVD Travel Case ] [ Dress In A Bag ]
[ Instant TV ] [ PC Relocator ] [ Xbox RalliSport ] [ Panasonic Batteries ]
[ Atomic Clock ]

Best Luggage For The Road

HE best travel luggage I’ve found has to be the new Magellan’s III Ballistic Collection. The company has come a long way since 1990 when it was the first catalog to offer upright rolling luggage. This vertical suitcase has become the choice of the savvy traveler. I can’t manage without it.

The Expandable Ballistic Rolling Upright comes in three sizes: the 21-inch for $225, 24-inch for $239, and 27-inch for $255.

Each one is expandable by a single zipper for an additional 3 inches of packing space. The exterior has protective strips on areas where fabric abrasion could occur. There is a grip on the bottom to help you lift it up onto overhead bins and racks.

Inside you’ll find a handy removable wet pocket. What’s more, there’s an organizer board that offers extra hidden pockets and flat packing.

Order at www.magellans.com.

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AGELLAN’S summer catalog has many items that you would be wise to consider when making your travel plans. For our summer trek to Cape Cod and Hyannis, Nina and I ordered the following supplies that we’ll pack into an Expandable Ballistic Rolling Upright. You may order these and other must-have travel items at www.magellans.com.

Wrinkle-Free Shirt is crisp and cool in pinpoint cotton, and looks great on Nina. Machine washable. Comes in blue stripe, rose check, white or blue. Women’s sizes 4-18. Priced at $59.

Woman’s Cardigan is a cozy fit for informal wear. Nina loves its soft smooth blend of acrylic and cotton that doesn’t wrinkle. It has a shawl collar and “J” pocket styling. Hand washable. Comes in off-white, periwinkle, and black. $69.

Tencel Travel Shirt is great for touring and casual moments. This unisex shirt comfortable, breathable, wrinkle resistant and washable. It has two breast pockets. Available in black, earth, moss or oak at $79.

Deluxe Pill Organizer is a compact wallet with Velcro closure that holds vitamins or pills for eight days. It’s neat and looks cool. The eight pockets hold plastic zip-top pouches marked from 1 to 8. There’s an additional large pouch to hold extra medication, plus a reference card for personal medical information. $9.85.

Cocoons are stylish sunglasses that fit right over your regular prescription eyeglasses. No need to change glasses when you go in or outdoors. These wraparounds are so ultralight you won’t even feel like you’re wearing them. They come in a case with belt clip and cleaning cloth. $39.85.

Focalight is a hands-free book light that enable you to read a book, write or tap on your laptop without disturbing anyone. You can clip the light to your book, belt or screen, or hang it around your neck. It turns on when opened, and offers 30 hours of illumination from three AAA batteries. It even has a photo frame for a business card ID or favorite photo. $19.85

Currency Converter/Calculator is a must when traveling in foreign places. The two-line display shows your home currency on the bottom line and the conversion amount on the top. Include neck cord and battery. $6.85.

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Nina steers grandson Johnathan on his Trike

Tyke Takes A Hike In A Trike

OHNATHAN hit the road for the first time in his life, at age 21 months, on a test drive of the Ultimate Family Trike. This three-wheeler from Radio Flyer – maker of outstanding vehicles and wagons for children – comes with extraordinary features for the safety of your l’il one.

If your tyke gets tired of pumping the pedals, you can become his copilot. There’s a pole that you insert in the rear, which enables you to steer the front wheel as you push the bike, stroller style. The freewheeling pedals allow the rider to coast as you push.

The steel tubular frame is quite sturdy. The seat is not only adjustable but has a safety belt, too. The air tires allow for a soft, quiet ride. The storage compartment in the back and the removable backpack are welcome additions.

Suggested price of the No. 48 Ultimate Family Trike, a child’s first bike, is $106.99. The price may vary at your authorized dealer. To find a retailer call 800 621-7613 or consult www.radioflyer.com.

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A Case For The Road

ITH the Vehicle DVD Player Travel Case from Targus, you may safely watch DVDs anywhere in your car. With the mounting straps you can place your DVD player between two seats, or attach the player directly to the center console, or secure the player on the back of a seat.

The travel case supports portable DVD players with up to 10-inch screens. There is a mesh storage pocket for accessories, plus four scratch resistant sleeves to hold 4 DVDs. The security strap prevents the player from moving.

This universal DVD in-car viewing case is available for $39.99 at www.targus.com.

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It’s In The Bag

ERE’S a great idea in hassle-free traveling. Pack a Dress In A Bag. These no-fuss dresses come rolled in a six-inch matching bag that you can simply tuck into your carry-on. If you ever lose your checked luggage, you’ll always have a dress on hand.

Visit www.dressinabag.com to view the various styles and order your favorites.

The Safari number is an animal print in a long tank style. The soft polyester/spandex is a nice blend that forms a figure-flattering silhouette. Priced at $48.

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Saving TV To Disk

ATCH TV on your computer with Instant TV from ADS Tech. Designed for Windows XP and USB 2.0, Instant TV allows you to record any TV program with one click, for later viewing on your computer.

You can capture television shows in VCD, SVCD or DVD video formats and archive them to disk. You can burn to CD or DVD recordable disks.

The box includes an Instant TV device, infrared remote control, audio/video cables, USB cable, a CD containing Ulead Video@Home 2.0 and Windows Media Encoder 9, plus a user’s manual. See more at www.adstech.com.

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Moving To Another Computer?

KAY, you got a brand new computer. Time to move your programs, files, bookmarks and shortcuts from your old machine. What stress!

No longer. It’s now as easy as I, 2, 3, if you have Alohabob PC Relocator UltraControl, which allows you to seamlessly migrate from one machine’s environment to another. Transfer your stuff using a network crossover cable or the Alohabob High Speed Transfer Cable, both included in the package.

The process allows you to multitask. You continue working while the software scans disk drives in the background. Then you may search, select and review any of the items for relocation from the Review and Selection screen.

Priced at $69.95. See more at www.eisenworld.com.

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UILDING on its popular rally racing game, Microsoft has released a second installment titled RalliSport Challenge 2 for the Xbox system. With its killer features, this edition “will test every driving skill you think you have and some you don’t event know were physically possible.” I couldn’t put it any better than those media mavens.

There are double the tracks in the original game, allowing you to race over 90 different tracks in Sweden, Canada, Great Britain and Argentina.

You’ll thrill at the wheel of 40 of the most challenging rally cars. You can make modifications to any of the cars to meet the challenge of each track. How cool is that?

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UMMERTIME means lots of picture taking, for which you’ll surely need Panasonic Rechargeable Battery System. The package consists of six AA batteries and two AAA batteries, besides the Portable Quick Charger.

The charger, smallest on the market, charges one or two AA batteries in two hours; three or four batteries in four hours; and one or two AAA batteries in less than two hours.

These are long-lasting batteries that can be charged hundreds of times, making them a cost-efficient power source for your digital camera, handheld games, portable audio products and two-way radios.

Model No. BQ-390A/8KC is priced at $19.99.

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Never Reset Again

HE Self-Setting Atomic Clock has a built-in radio receiver and constantly synchronizes with the U.S. atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). So it never needs resetting.

It features a month/day calendar and an indoor thermometer. The extra large digital LCD display is easy on the eyes anywhere in the room. Almost a foot wide, in silver and navy finish.

You can hang it on the wall or use the fold-out legs for desktop display. See more clocks at www.mfagifts.com.

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