Geeky Traveller

You know, I look at a lot of different sites, checking out neat travel gadgets or online widgets, all things to make travel better, faster, more fun, more comfortable, cheaper, etc. But I’m getting a little ticked off, because honestly, how many different GPS units do you really need? How many travel headlines can you read on one site? Is it worth spending six hours scouring deal sites just to save $50 on your overall travel plans? It’s all stuff that’s fine and dandy, but where is the stuff I *really* want to improve my travel?

Here are some things that I’m still waiting for:

1. Vacation shuttles to the moon. I mean really, I have read a lot of science fiction in my life, I’ve watched a lot of sci-fi TV and movies, and I was led to believe that by this time we would have a nice little lunar colony and instead of searching the internet for yet another good deal on flights to Daytona Beach, I could book two weeks in July on the surface of the moon. Bummer.
2. Transporters. Speaking of sci-fi, Star Trek clearly demonstrates how useful transporters are. What on earth could EVER compare as far as ease of travel goes? You could decide you want to be in Paris right now and *poof* there you go. Those things would sell like hot cakes!
3. A device to create a silent personal bubble. Okay, so transporters are still too far in the future. Fine. If we’re all stuck using airplanes and trains for major travel purposes, can’t someone invent a gadget that would create a mini force field around you? No longer would you have to deal with overhearing annoying conversations, that snoring man whose head keeps falling on your shoulder, or listening to babies cry.
4. Auto-translator. I’m sorry to keep falling back on Star Trek, but seriously that show set the bar for gadgets and real life just isn’t standing up! All those different alien races didn’t actually speak English, that was just how it appeared because of translators that converted all language to English immediately so that you could understand. That’s what we need! Then we wouldn’t have to witness all those morons in foreign countries who think the best way to communicate with others is by speaking really slowly and really loudly.
5. All-in-one gadgets. It’s nice that people keep making nifty bags with USB ports and solar panels to carry and charge your cell phone, digital camera, laptop, PDA, iPod, GPS, etc. But can’t they make something that does it all? The iPhone does admittedly come quite close, and it’s Apple, so it has that going for it. It would be great though it you could just carry around a small cube in your pocket and have it transform to whatever electronic device you need at any time.
6. Money converter. Banks suck. They usually involve long lines, tellers who may or may not feel like being pleasant, and it’s inconvenient. We need some sort of device where you can insert your bills or coins from whichever currency you carry, then you simply press a button to request funds in the currency you actually require; then it would access the current exchange rates and spit the dough back at you. Kind of like an ATM on steroids. Then stick one on every second block of every major city in the world. Easy!
7. Wireless everywhere. It’s 2007, why are we still using hotspot websites before we leave home, frantically looking to see where we can access Wi-Fi while we’re out and about? Let’s just get wireless everywhere. With all the people using laptops and everyone practically living their life around the Internet, it’s time to make Wi-Fi as commonplace as cell phone signals.
8. Self-unpacking suitcases. Packing is a drag but it’s not so bad because you get to make sure you’ve got everything you want and need, and you’re hopefully in a good mood before you go on vacation. It’s the unpacking at the end when you’re tired and a little deflated and fed up of your suitcase. This would be a fantastic device.
9. Hologram cameras. Here’s what I’d like to be able to do – I’d like to be able to photograph the scenery of my vacation spot and then come home and press a button that would project a hologram of where I’d been all around me so I could hang on the that utter bliss. Years ago I went to Cancun. The day I arrived home I fell asleep face down on my bed from the exhaustion of landing at the airport before 5 am. When I woke up the sun was streaming in the window on me and my boyfriend at that time was blasting a CD that the DJ had given us, all awesome Latin music. I thought I was still there. Then I realized there were three feet of snow outside the window and I was lying beside my suitcase. What a let down. The hologram would have done wonders.

What about you? What do you wish to have for your travel ease so much that you’re just a little irritated technology hasn’t caught up yet?

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