If you’ve ever cut it close on making a flight, or if you’ve had to change terminals to make and had to go through airport security for a second time in one day while desperately trying to make a connecting flight, you know that the 50 people in front of you with laptops can slow you down. The line just seems to pile up as people (most likely you included) reach into bags to pull out computers, portable DVD players, and any other large electronics they might have. Well, the TSA feels your pain, and they want to do something about it. Or at least, they want to consider doing something about it. The TSA is in search of the perfect laptop bag; one that will let you run your laptop through while it’s still in its bag. Keep reading to see exactly what the TSA is planning…

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Ever sit around, trying to figure out how to work that cheap little radio/alarm clock in your hotel room? Don’t bother, they never work. Oh, and ever left a wake-up call, that you never got? Rest easy, my friends. I have the solution. And it won’t cost you a dime. You know what to do here: click that little “more” thingie on the right…

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We had such a good time trying out the Knee Defender on the FareCompare Grumpy Santa tour, that we contacted the good people of GadgetDuck.com to see what else they had to offer the travelers of the world. They were kind enough to send us the Scanner Bag. While Scanner Bag might not cause the controversy that Knee Defender inspired, it can come in handy when you’re taking to the skies. It’s designed to double as a luggage ID tag and a handy carrying case for personal items such as keys, a Black Berry, cell phones, watches, coins, and more. The Scanner Bag is meant to make your life a little easier when walking through security lines at the airport or anywhere else you might have to go through security. The three different models range from $13.45 to $24.85. Visit GadgetDuck.com for all the details, and keep reading for for a close-up…

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OK, so don’t expect to look up and see Big Mouth Billy Bass flying over head anytime soon, but the future of air travel might owe something to our aquatic neighbors.

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This week’s travel gadget has been featured in Delta’s Sky magazine, several newspapers, and it functions on what many would claim are sound scientific principles. It still kind of freaks me out, though. Using a combination of light and sound, the MindSpa is said to relieve jetlag, help you focus, and let you live an overall more relaxing life. It’s, you know, like a spa treatment…for your mind:

The principle behind MindSpa is easy to understand and yet very effective. It has been known for many decades that by introducing specific auditory and visual frequencies, the mind will quickly and effortlessly attune to these frequencies. This process is known as frequency following response. Two common natural examples are the flickering of small fires and candles and the sound of ocean waves.

Just because I’m afraid doesn’t mean you have to be. Check out the MindSpa, and decide for yourself if it’s worth the $200+.

When talking about air travel gadgets, it’s important to remember that the brains behind said gadgets don’t always run their ideas by the airlines. That is why we’re sometimes faced with travel gadget ideas that literally don’t fly.

Case in point: Personalized Airplane Seat Covers. They’re meant to keep things clean, comfortable, and germ-free when you’re traveling. The only problem is, you can’t use them:

“Airplane seat cushions and covers must meet stringent flammability standards before they are certified for onboard use. The personalized seat covers that are now being marketed, and that have been seen on several televisions news shows, will not meet the certification requirements. The FAA has recommended that airlines not allow these devices to be used onboard.” (From Fly Away Cafe)

Before you shell out the cash or take a TV reporter’s word for it, make sure you contact the airline to see if your travel gadget of choice is really ready and legal for travel.

Last week, we covered a story in which a passenger was arrested for an altercation that arose between he and a flight attendant after said attendant asked him to turn off his iPod. Well, those pesky Apple products are at it again. This time the culprit is the ever-popular iPhone.

An ATA passenger switched the iPhone to “Airplane Mode,” basically disabling any cell phone, bluetooth, or WiFi aspects of the device. The passenger proceeded to watch Jennifer Love Hewitt try desperately to escape a hook-handed killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer. The flight attendant, either not accepting the whole “airplane mode” theory or disagreeing with the turn Western cinema has taken over the last decade, told the passenger to turn the iPhone off. From there, things got ugly, and according to Consumerist, eventually led the flight attendant to remark, “You have to do anything I say, I am going to have you arrested…” When the plane landed, the passenger was detained, but no charges were brought.

OK, so the flight attendant couldn’t tell the passenger which FAA rules were being broken, and the passenger couldn’t make the case to keep the movie on. I can see both sides of the thing. This new- fangled technology might throw some airline employees off. For my part, I think the problem goes beyond iPods and iPhones. In the days of overcrowded planes, overworked employees, and frustrated travelers, a simple issue like whether someone should get to watch a mediocre horror movie while onboard a plane warrants police action. Perhaps, everybody just needs to calm down a bit. I know the work of Jennifer Love Hewitt always does the trick for me.

With all the high-tech gadgets out there, it’s easy to forget the simpler things in life. Those objects that can, for very little money, truly make air travel more enjoyable. For instance, the pillow.

Sure, you sleep on one every night, so you don’t really think of it as a travel gadget, but there are special pillows out there designed just for the airplane passenger.

Tired of the back and neck pain? Tired of fighting to find a a semi-comfortable sleeping position on the plane? Perhaps the n-a-p travel pillow can help. It’s soft, it stretches, it’s “luxurious,” and it contains “thousands of high-quality, cushiony microbeads.” Now, who doesn’t love microbeads?

Bottom line: It can really give your neck a break on long trips. And that makes it worth trading up from the standard-issue airline pillow. You can find the n-a-p travel pillow for about $25 from Brookstone.

While I think it’s a good thing to highlight those travel gadgets that can make your life a little easier or at least a little more entertaining when you fly, I also think it’s important to reflect on those travel gadgets that just never quite caught on.

I give you…The Techno Privacy Scarf!

Last year, TechE Blog and Gizmodo featured this beauty, and summed it up like this:

“How can you breathe in the thing? Well, if playing your handheld games or watching porn is more important than breathing, and you don’t mind looking like an anteater wearing a burqa, this scarf’s for you.”

Hey, if you’re going to fail, fail big. I salute you totally bizarro Techno Privacy Scarf and your desire to keep us all isolated even when in public.

Looking for the mouse of a new generation? Check out engadget and their feature on the M2000 Travel Air-Mouse. It’s designed for lefties, righties, and anyone who has had enough with flat surfaces. The M2000 can function in the air while in the air, so don’t get too carried away with the flailing arm motions.

The M2000 is scheduled for official release in early ‘08, and it should run you around $70.

Let’s be honest, it’s a germ-filled world out there for us travelers, and sometimes taking a quick shot of airborne won’t do the trick. For those of you who want a little more protection from those horrible little microbes, there’s the Zadro Nano:

“If you’re concerned about germs on a hotel telephone, in an airport bathroom or at a restaurant table, zap them with the Zadro Nano ($79.99). It uses ultraviolet light to disinfect any surface in about 10 seconds, making it 99 percent germ-free.”

I am, by no means, an expert on ultraviolet light technology, but the Zadro Nano made it on to MSNBC’s 20 Great Travel Gadgets and there are claims that the Zadro Nano has been proven to combat a range of bacteria and viruses including:

“Bacteria: Escherichia Coli (E-Coli), Staphylococcus albus, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, B. Parathphosus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Ebertbella typhosa, Dysentery bacili, Streptococcus hemolyticus and many others. Viruses: MS2 and H5N1 viruses”

So there you have it. There might finally be a product out there for the germaphobe inside us all.

Last week while flying to Philadelphia and back, I got to take advantage of the Polaroid PDM-1058 Portable DVD Player. I loved it. It made my flights more bearable than I imagined they could be. I got a great picture on the 10″screen (better than other portables I’ve used), which rotates and collapses, so I could get comfortable and watch even on my cramped flight home. Now, I know a lot of folks just watch movies on their computers on the plane, but the Polaroid 1058 is much lighter, easier to carry, and far cheaper (about $175) than the average computer. It also plugs easily into your TV at home, so it can serve as the perfect DVD player for a bedroom, guest room, or anywhere else. Oh, and most importantly, unlike when you bring the old laptop on board, with the DVD player, you will never be tempted to do actual work while in the air.

On my flight home, I was able to block out the chaos and take my first look at the TV phenomenon that is Heroes, and I must say, I was a little disappointed when the plane landed and I had to stop watching. Never thought I’d actually be mad to have get off a plane. If only I could have stopped time…

Love your luggage tag but wish it, you know, talked to you more? Well, we have found the perfect travel gadget for you: The Lost and Found Sound Tag. According to the makers, this little device will ensure that if you set your luggage free, it will indeed come back to you:

“Lost and found sound tag ensures luggage doesn’t get lost by letting you record a twenty-second message of important information like phone number, address or hotel name for fast identification.”

Important info in your own sweet voice. What could be better? Airlines not losing your luggage, you say? Ah, that’s a story for another time.

Thanks to the folks at ubergizmo for spotting this one.

Have a great weekend!

Sometimes when on a plane, the sweet sounds of Zeppelin (or Hall & Oates) aren’t enough to block out the hum of the engines, the crying babies, the guy who’s really jazzed about his upcoming business meeting, or the insane Sudoku player who has taken to mumbling random number sequences to himself at a surprisingly loud volume. So, what to you? Well, you seek out Noise Canceling Headphones, of course.

The folks from Sony claim that their model will “reduce ambient sound by over 10dB at 300Hz.” And what does that mean for us air travelers, Sony?

“…you’ll hear more music, and less plane…”

Ah, I know there’s a lyric in there somewhere.

As always, let me know if you’ve traveled with Sony’s Noise Canceling Headphones or those of Sony’s competitors.

Have a great Long Weekend!

Cramped airline seats have never been the best place to rest your weary bones, but now as travelers spend more time sitting on the tarmac and more time in the air, flights can be downright painful. Well, the folks behind Best Seat believe they have the answer to all your in-flight muscle pain woes:

“Best Seat is not like anything you have ever experienced before. This new-patented CCPM Technology gently changes the pressure points under you as you sit to greatly increase the circulation in your buttocks and thighs while you sit.”

Well, who can argue with increased circulation in the buttocks?

Best Seat has been used by air travelers, truck drivers, and people who just sit a lot, and it made it on to MSNBC’s 20 Great Travel Gadgets list. It’ll run you about $225. I’d love to hear if anyone has used it and found it at as exciting as they make it sound.

Speaking of airline seat massages; my fellow Standard Upright Positioner, Anne, will be flying First Class on Virgin America very soon, and she’s going to let everybody know how relaxing their built-in chair-massage truly is. I, too, will be flying soon. Of course, I’ll be in coach on American, so I’ll let you know how those free sodas work out.

Over at our boss’s website, his article on the Knee Defenders has gotten some readers really riled (see OUR post on the gadget below).

Seems a lot of people are outraged over this product, because it could prevent them from lowering their seats.

Will fights break out? Will chaos ensue? Will heads explode? All I can say is, next time you board a plane, keep your cell phone camera handy!

Then send your pictures to us. We’ll share. Promise.

Yeah, yeah, we could all buy our own jets and the problem would disappear. But until then, the fine folks at Gadget Duck have the solution: Knee Defender!

Knee Defender is basically 2-little plastic clips that you attach to your tray table arms which prevents the galoot in front of you from lowering his seat back. Only problem is, it can only be used when your tray table is down, so its great if youre using a laptop or eating, but the gizmo cant do much otherwise. Still, its a steal at $14.95.

And what about that galoot in front of you? The Gadget Duckians arent completely heartless: they have a Knee Defender card you’re supposed to give the fellow before you lock him the standard upright position, a card that politely asks him not recline. But at the first sign he’s going to do it anyway, whip out the Knee Defender and watch the fun!

As they say at Gadget Duck, The right to recline my seat ends where the other mans knee begins.