Digital Gear: Musical Jackets and Power Backpacks

Travelers, take heart: A slew of new summer gadgets may come in handy.

If you travel to Germany to see models sashaying down the catwalk adorned in Rosner's new MP3 jacket, but realize your laptop's power adapter doesn't fit into a power socket, just plug it in to the American Power Conversion TravelPower backpack slung over your shoulder. M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneer's 2GB DiskOnKey USB keychain flash drive is a carry-on item that won't take much space. If you're summering in the U.S., a colorful weather beacon from Ambient Devices will do a magical job of delivering weather forecasts right to your desk.

What did we do without these gadgets?

APC's TravelPower BackPack

The American Power Conversion TravelPower BackPack TPC-1900P ($119) is more than a backpack: It's a computer bag with a power adapter. It can power and charge notebooks, cell phones, and PDAs from any air, auto, or AC power source.

A number of interesting tools make the backpack especially worthwhile for travel. For example, when your laptop's power adapter dies, a built-in airline adapter lets you use the power sockets provided on airline seats. The cigarette lighter plug adapter can charge up devices in automobiles.

APC claims the backpack's universal notebook power adapter works with most laptops. Charging mobile phones or PDAs from the backpack require USB charging cables that are sold separately. The backpack is sturdy and well assembled, but its design is a bit geeky. If that suits your style, this backpack is for you.

M-Systems Flash Drive

Transporting a whole notebook for just a bit of data can be overkill. Instead, the DiskOnKey flash drive, now available in a 2GB version from M-Systems, could be a very convenient way to transport data.

I tested a 256MB version of the drive, which is otherwise the same as the 2GB model. A Windows XP laptop detected the flash drive as soon as it was popped into the USB port, and it showed up in Windows Explorer as a separate drive. It wasn't automatically detected on a Windows 98 laptop, but it worked after I downloaded drivers from the M-Systems Web site.

The drive looks a little bulky, but it was very handy for transporting information from one Windows computer to another. You might not want to shell out for small storage capacities, even in a tiny package, but a tiny USB drive that can contain 2GB of data packs quite a storage punch. And if the flash drive doesn't suit your needs, rest assured that it works well as a keychain.

Ambient Devices Weather Forecast Beacon

If you're sitting in your cubicle deep inside an office building, yearning to step out for air, you might appreciate encouragement from an instant weather forecast. A beautiful wireless beacon from Ambient Devices will help you decide if you'll need a sweater.

The Weather Forecast Beacon is a glass block that changes colors depending on the weather outside. If the temperature is in the 50s it turns light blue; in the 60s, green; in the 70s, light green; in the 80s, light blue; in the 90s, orange--and let's not even talk about the 100s.

When you first turn on the beacon, it takes 20 minutes to activate. Then you log on to Ambient's Web site to set up your location and Ambient sends the appropriate weather data to the beacon. The information is drawn from Ambient's national wireless network, which the company claims reaches over 90 percent of U.S. residents.

The Beacon comes in handy to make a spot decision about whether to take your sweater along for lunch. It is also a beautiful item to add to a desk; it drew quite a few glances in the office. You may even see it on display as a novelty item in stores like Brookstone and museums across the U.S.

Ambient Devices also sells a similar device, called the Stock Orb, that draws a different kind of data to change color reflecting the state of the Dow Jones Industrial average.

The $179 retail price of the Weather Forecast Beacon includes access to the basic channels that provide weather forecasts in major cities. Premium pricing for the Beacon is an additional $6.95 per month or $19.95 per quarter for access to additional channels, including zip code-personalized weather tracking, according to the company.

MP3 Players in Fashion

Last year tank tops and skirts were in fashion; this year striped dress shirts and capri pants are the rage. Next year, it could be MP3 jackets. The German firm Rosner is ready, with a limited-edition MP3 jacket for its 2004-2005 collection.

This wired jacket, designed for men, has a 128MB MP3 player with Sennheiser Electronic KG headsets built into the collar. The player is controlled through soft textile buttons on the left sleeve. The MP3blue jacket also has a hands-free cell phone microphone tucked into the collar, which works with Bluetooth-capable phones. The MP3 player, Bluetooth device, and battery all reside in the left pocket as one tiny module that you must remove when the jacket is washed. The MP3 player works for up to 8 hours, according to the company.

Rosner is taking orders online now through mid-September for the $725 MP3blue jacket. The clothing will ship in February to fashion- and technology-conscious buyers. After all, fashion is meant to come and go.