Tributaries, makers of high-end audio-visual equipment, have put out their latest power management product, the T12. This power strip offers a massive 12 outlets! Now assuming you aren’t drawing so much power that you are blowing circuit breakers, this power-strip has one extremely helpful feature: 8 of the outlets have the ability to rotate 90 degrees to make managing those goofy AC adapter blocks by allowing to to stagger them or rotate them out of the way of their neighbors. Very handy when you have a motley collection of electronic equipment to deal with!

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Part of the lure of a being on holiday is the ability to get away from all of your tech distractions. But if you’re reading this site, then you’re probably like me and derive an inordinate amount of enjoyment from having all of your toys and gadgets with you wherever you go. There’s a lot to be said for putting your smartphone, MP3 player, digital camera or laptop away in order to be able to fully soak in your surroundings, but when used in moderation, I think gadgets can actually enhance your travel experience.

There are all sorts of considerations to take into account when travelling with your tech toys. Will it have enough storage for all my photos and music? Is it durable enough to handle the rigours of the road? Will the battery last me until the next time I get to a power outlet? And what happens if my bag gets stolen?

Gadget insurance is something I’ll cover in another post, but the rest of the concerns are easily take care of with the right tech and accessories.

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I just missed posting this review in time for Texas’ Spring Break, but it should still be timely for everyone who plans on traveling this summer. I’ll warn you now though, in order to use this product you’ll need to give up one of your vehicle’s cup-holders.

Why would I ask for something so uncivilized?

Because by giving up a cup-holder you might just gain the means to charge up to three devices at the same time, all from a single cigar lighter or power port.

Intrigued? I was, which is how I came to be in possession of the Targus 100W Auto Power Inverter.

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Have you ever needed to give your cell phone a little bit of juice to get through a call? Were you near a socket when you needed to do it? If not, then you might wish that you had carried the USB AAA Battery Charger with Torch from USB Fever with you. It’s now become something I never leave home without.

The charger holds 4 AAA NiMH batteries and is very compact. It will fit in your khaki pocket, purse or gear bag very easily.

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I first heard about the Sling Box on Mobility Today. Dave Ciccone was in the process of reviewing a beta version of WM Sling Box client, and posted a video review of what he was looking at. I thought that the idea of a Sling Box was right on the money: I’m in a strange city on business/on vacation/etc., and I want to watch (what ever); but its not on here/on an unknown channel/blacked out/etc.

Enter the Hava Gold. With it, you can watch YOUR TV, anywhere you can get an Internet connection.  Does the Hava Gold give you what you want, or does it provide a gilded experience?  Let’s take a quick look and see how it goes…

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Jason Dunn has just posted quite an interesting experience he had during a lightening storm yesterday. A neighbour’s house appears to have�been struck by lightening and caught fire, threatening the houses around it (including Jason’s).

Between fixing up his UPS setup (yes there is mention of gear in the post, of course!), he tooks some snaps and a video of the fire from his backyard. The story is quite interesting as�are the pictures, so head over to his blog and take a look.

Can you ever have enough electrical outlets in your home office? Perhaps - if you had a hand in designing their layout when your house was built. But for those of us who weren’t even born when our homes were built, deciding which devices get powered - and where it will happen - can be a never-ending balancing act; ensuring that the devices which are plugged into the walls are protected from power surges only adds to the fun. We’ve covered other Belkin surge protectors here in the past, including the Clamp-On and the Concealed; now we’ll take a look at the Compact Surge Protector.

According to the Belkin site, “It’s neat, compact, and powerful. Belkin’s Compact Surge Protector safeguards your electronics, computers, and appliances-and stays out of the way. It sits on the floor, against a wall, under a desk, or behind your couch. Unused outlets stay clean and safe with sliding covers. Designed to be inconspicuous, the Compact Surge Protector keeps your cords tidy with integrated cable management.”

Glorified power-strip? Or is there really anything special to this thing? Let’s take a look…

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I have had my MacBook Pro for about 6 months now, and for the most part I have been very happy with it. The one issue that has been with it from the beginning is battery life. While it may be quite a powerful laptop, the 2.5hrs battery life (I have seen less more than once) is just plain slack. Due to the design of the MBP an extended battery isn’t really practical either as it would be a rather awkward hump in the middle of the laptop.

There is a solution however. It might not be the most elegant of solutions, but it certainly gets the job done, and provides an amazing boost in battery life. It comes from a company called BatteryGeek, who pride themselves in powering your devices far beyond their standard time.

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Clinton has just posted a comprehensive review at Clinton Fitch (Dot) Com! covering two of the power management tools offered by Pocket PC Techs, the Lil’ Sync Penguin and Lil’ Sync Pro Cable.

It does look a bit like a penguin, doesn’t it? But under its plastic cap is a car charger and on its back is an electrical plug. How does this doodad power your Pocket PC? By adding this…

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It never fails at the airport… I always observe some frantic person with their cell phone on life support status � the familiar beep � beep � beep of a dying battery. While not as frustrasting as a dead battery in a car, having power to spare is a good thing. Of course there are disposable battery boosters conveniently for sale at a healthy markup (regularly $7.00 for $19.95) at the airport gift shop!

Tekkeon has a solution for those in dire straits � the myPower Go MP1500. Using four AA batteries, the MP1500 provides the emergency power needed for cell phones. Included are ten adaptors for various phones such as the Blackberry, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

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