Autumn Years Summer 2023

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

I t is hardly a surprise to learn that Americans have regained their desire for new travel experiences, both domestically and internationally. About six in ten adults plan to take a trip in the next several months, despite economic concerns, according to research conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence, which specializes in syndicated and custom market research for the travel and tourism industry. If you are one of those six-in-ten folks, you might want to look into some of the latest tech gadgets designed to help make your travels a little easier and in some cases more fun.

Polaroid Now+ The first Polaroid camera went on sale in 1948 at a department store in Boston and quickly sold out. The Polaroid Now+ is a revamped analog instant camera with some creative tools. Yes, it is the Polaroid camera you grew up but a great deal more. Its blue tooth-connected app features full manual control—double exposure, light painting, noise trigger and more. The app is available for iOS and Android. ($129, Amazon) How about a pair of sunglasses that con nects to your phone so you can listen to music or podcasts, answer calls and even take pictures and videos with a simple tap or voice command. And they charge in their case! Ray-Ban Stories requires a Facebook account and the Facebook View app to share social content. Take photos and videos hands-free using a dual 5MP camera that automatically adjusts to the light around you to help create high reso lution photos and quality video for up to 60 seconds. ($240, www.amazon.com) Kindle This is the newly released Amazon Kindle, the lightest (about the weight of a deck of cards) and most compact of the readers, with a six-inch high-resolution display screen and more than two times the storage space of its predecessors, which translates into enough room for thousands of books, including all those essential, though heavy, travel guidebooks. It also has an extended battery life—one charge via USB-C lasts up to six weeks. ($99.99, www.amazon.com) Ray-Ban Stories/Wayfarer Smart Glasses with Photo, Video & Audio

Zendure Passport II Pro Travel Adapter The Zendure Passport II Pro is an all in one travel adapter that covers more than 200 countries across the globe (including Eu rope, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Asia and the Middle East). The quick-charge adapter charges six devices at once and is compat ible with all USB devices, such as iPhone 13/12/X/8/7/6, Samsung S8/S7, XiaoMi Mix2, HUAWEI Mate 10, MeiZu, laptops, tablets, digital cameras and shavers. ($75, www.amazon.com) Monocular with Smartphone Adapter The Monocular with Smartphone Adapter makes it easier to shoot close-up photos and videos with your smartphone. The adapter enables you to hold your phone and experience 8X magnification of no table sights, nature, etc. Share pictures and videos instantly via text message, email or social media. You can also use the monocu lar without the adapter as a standalone 8X magnifier. Included is a soft pouch, wrist strap and lens covers. The monocular is compatible with all iPhones and Android/ Galaxy smartphones. ($111.99, www.shar perimage.com)

Dynotag Web Enabled Luggage Tracker Your smartphone has become a standard part of your life; now you can have a smart luggage tracker to help give you some peace of mind when you check in your suit cases at the airport or lose sight of them elsewhere. This location-enabled smart tag does not require batteries or a subscrip tion service to operate it. Instead, it works via a web browser—you simply set it up to view on your phone, tablet and/or laptop computer. The tag has a scanable barcode that allows anyone who finds your bag to contact you through email, text or phone calls; info includes times and locations where the tracker was viewed. ($24.95, www.dynotag.com) RFID-Blocking Travel Ticket Organizer This ticket organizer, with its inside slots to hold ID, currency and travel documents, not only keeps your essential travel docu ments organized, it also blocks transmis sions from RFID readers, which can be used by identity thieves to access personal in formation from your passport, credit cards and ID cards. ($34.95, www.llbean.com)

60 AUTUMN YEARS I SUMMER 2023