Travel Gadgets

Sat phones can be your only line of communication in remote areas, but it's a costly way to reach out and touch someone. How do sat phones keep a signal when nothing else can, and why are they sometimes dangerous?

By Nathan Chandler

You don't need to pull out your electronic language translator to figure out that sign, no matter what language you speak. But rest assured that one of these gadgets could come in very handy in your adventures abroad.

By William Harris

Apple’s small, wireless router is meant to let you create a wireless Internet access point almost anywhere. What are the capabilities of the Airport Express, and what else will you need to surf sans wires?

By Nathan Chandler

Instead of buying a GPS system, you may want to know how to use your laptop as GPS. Learn how to use your laptop as GPS in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Traveling can be a lot of fun, but there's no joy in picking up a stomach bug from untreated water. What if you need to sterilize water on the go and you're traveling light?

By Josh Briggs

If you travel and you like gadgets, chances are you've been on the road when the batteries gave out. What if you could generate power for your gizmos yourself?

By Ed Grabianowski

Maybe you have great cell phone coverage in the United States, but what happens if you need to leave the country for a business trip? Can you get a phone that will work everywhere you go?

By Dave Roos

It used to be that you could have boxes full of photos and no idea where you took them. That was the 20th century. Now we have GPS photo taggers.

By Dave Roos

A solar battery charger is very useful if you're trapped in the woods with no cell phone and no transportation -- as long as you're out on a sunny day in broad daylight.

By Josh Clark

Need a charge for your phone when you're on the go? Several new gadgets aim to harness the power of the wind and transform that energy into juice for your phone, camera or MP3 player.

By Julia Layton

When you're directionally challenged and think of north as "up," a GPS may be a lifesaver. But it's not going to be much help if your maps are all out of date.

By Molly Edmonds

If your backpack were solar-powered, you could charge your cell phone, PDA and laptop in the middle of the desert. You might even be able to Google your way out of the searing sun.

By Charles W. Bryant

If you use the computer a lot, you certainly are familiar with the feel of your fingers on the keyboard as you type. Could you type on a keyboard made only of light?

By John Fuller

WiFi access has become so prevalent that it's turned many people into laptop-toting, Internet hunters on the prowl for a signal everywhere they travel. What if there were a gadget that made it easier to find a signal?

By Jane McGrath

Cell phones help us stay connected and call for help in emergencies. But what do you do when your phone's battery dies and there's no power outlet?

By John Fuller

Connecting to the Internet in this day and age is pretty painless. But for really remote populations or frequent travelers, getting on the Web may take a satellite Internet receiver.

By Jane McGrath

Electronic books have been out for years, though none of them met with much success — until the Amazon Kindle. What's so special about this little device?

By Jonathan Strickland & Chris Pollette

For less than $100, you can get a pocket-sized gadget that will tell you exactly where you are on Earth at any moment. As long as you have a GPS receiver and a clear view of the sky, you'll never be lost again. Learn more!

By Marshall Brain & Tom Harris

Before the iPhone and other smartphones, there were PDAs such as the Palm Pilot. Learn about the PDA technology that paved the way to big-time computing power on the go.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. & Carmen Carmack

A wearable device that will translate English into a dozen languages will be introduced later this year. See how it will work!

By Kevin Bonsor