Carry a complete Merriam-Webster 300,000 word dictionary and 500,000 word thesaurus, plus a style guide, grammar guide, geographical dictionary, biographical dictionary, and 5-language translator with you, wherever you go. There’s even an electronic organizer with calculator, clock, and money/measure conversion features. It’ll all fit neatly in your pocket!

This electronic reference set helps you write better with functions like phonetic spell correction and a “confusables” alert that lets you know when you’re using a word that’s commonly confused with another (like their or they’re), and helps you build your knowledge of words and grammar with helpful quizzes and games. You can build a personalized list of vocabulary words you commonly mistake and play games with those words, or from a database of SAT vocabulary words. There’s even a crossword puzzle solver to help you when you get stuck! Whether you’re traveling, working, playing, or studying, you’ll find the Franklin Merriam-Webster Electronic Reference Set an indispensable tool!
Price: $49.99 Buy here: Franklin MWD-1490 Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus with Comprehensive Reference Set

Wake up to a personalized weather update. 12-hour, radio-controlled clock (updates itself to the U.S. Atomic Clock 6 times every 24 hours, and automatically adjusts for Daylight Savings and leap year) and date display in your choice of English, French, or Spanish. Choose your time zone from U.S. map display. Projector is 180 degree-adjustable, has manual focus, and shows the time and outdoor temperature (in Celsius or Fahrenheit) in large, red display on ceiling, wall, or any other surface.

On battery power, projector displays in 5-second bursts, at the touch of the snooze button; on AC power, you can also select continuous projection display. Includes one wireless outdoor temperature sensor, which is accurate to 100 ft from base unit. Base unit displays indoor temperature, 12-24 hour forecast icons, and has HiGlo electroluminescent backlight. Crescendo alarm with 8-minute snooze. AC adapter and batteries included.
Price: $43.99 Buy here:
Oregon Scientific BAR338PA Projection Clock With Weather Forecaster

This mini slider cell phone features a built in MP3 playing boombox that gets surprisingly loud. The best part, you don’t have to forsake your existing cell phone (unless you want to). Simply pop the SIM card out of your current cell phone from AT&T/Cingular or T-Mobile and insert it into the back of the Mini Boombox Cell Phone and power it up. Call your existing cell phone number and your Mini Boombox phone starts ringing. Of course you get all the standard cell phone features you would expect including a 1.3 megapixel camera, voice dialing, SMS/MMS messaging and WAP Browser. One nice trick we like is the ability for the phone to read aloud the numbers of incoming calls using voice synthesis. The Mini Boombox GSM Cell Phone comes with 256 MB of built in memory to store your MP3 music files or videos, and the storage is expandable up to 2GB via a Micro SD card slot. Now you can share your musical tastes with everyone around you without making your old phone mad.
IMPORTANT
The Mini Boombox GSM Cell Phone is an unlocked tri-band GSM cell phone with no included SIM card. You will need existing service with either T-Mobile or AT&T/Cingular to use this phone in the USA. It will NOT work with Verizon or Sprint. You can use your existing SIM card from your current cell phone (in which case the Boombox phone will just become your cell phone with the same number and same voicemail while the SIM card is inserted), or buy a pre-paid SIM card from T-Mobile or AT&T/Cingular.

Product Features
- Mini cell phone features a sliding keypad and built in boombox for playing MP3 music files
- tri-band unlocked GSM Phone (850/1800/1900 MHz), GPRS Speed for Data
- Powerful Amplified Speakers
- Sends SMS and MMS messages. Supports SMS group sending
- Can play back MP3 music files and display Movie Files
- Supports MP3 or MIDI based ringtones
- WAP Browser
- Built-In Speakerphone
- Optionally reads the numbers of incoming calls with voice synthesis
- Built in 256MB Memory expandable up to 2GB
- Transfer files via USB
In the Box
- Mini Boombox GSM Cell Phone
- Two Lithium Ion Batteries
- Travel AC Charger
- Wired Stereo Headset
- USB Cable
- User Manual
Hardware Specifications
- Phone Dimensions (Closed) 3.5″ x 1.3″ x .8″
- Tri-band unlocked GSM Phone (850/1800/1900 MHz)
- GPRS Data
- Powerful Amplified Dual Stereo Speakers
- 1.3 Mega Pixel CMOS Camera/Camcorder Function
- 1.5″ 65K Color TFT LCD Screen
- Built-in MP3/MPEG4 Player Functions
- SMS, MMS, WAP Support
- 64 Polyphonic Sound
- Expandable Micro SD card slot
- Video Recording up to allowable memory space
Price: $149.99 Buy here: ThinkGeek.com

The latest in weather and hazard alert monitoring technology, providing you with the information needed to keep you safe. Public Alert Certified. Unit has a special receiver that tunes to the 24/7 broadcast issued by the National Weather Service. The combined All Hazards/Weather Alert broadcast network is the single most immediate source for comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public. Innovative automatic alert system.
In the event of a special warning broadcast, the radio is automatically activated along with a loud tone, a flashing LED indicator and an “alert” message on the LCD. Emergency weather bulletins include alerts about: tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, ice/snow storms and other severe weather. Other emergencies might include: Amber alert, hazardous explosions, fires, chemical spills and other civil emergencies.

In addition, this weather radio has the “S.A.M.E. Digital Weather/Hazard Alert” feature, providing you with constant monitoring of your localized NWS broadcast. The S.A.M.E. decoding receiver allows you to hear only messages for the area(s) concerning you. Choose which information will be brought to you by adding, editing, and removing alerts. Built-in AM/FM digital radio, date & time display, and alarm clock function. Runs on AC power (adapter included), or 4 AA batteries.
Price: $44.99 Buy here: MIDLAND WR-300 All Weather/Hazards alert radio

Don’t let an illness (like one of these) spoil your next backpacking, vacation or important business trip. The iStraw Emergency Water Filter is a personal water filtration drinking straw. This means you don’t have to worry about using local tap water or ice cubes and also means that you are playing your part in helping the environment by not using plastic bottles of water that release harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

iStraw is a polycarbonate straw fitted with a special membrane, which uses micro-filtration technology to clean your water rather than expensive and bad tasting water cleaning tablets. It is suitable for personal use to help protect you, your family and friends against water borne bacteria and protozoa that are present in the drinking water and ice of many countries. In this day of extensive personal and business travel it is no wonder that many travellers often incur health problems during their holiday or business trip.
The iStraw is compact, lightweight and simple to use, an essential companion for all travelers. Unlike water purification tablets, it leaves no funky aftertaste. It reduces up to 99.99999% of all waterborne bacteria, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium. When used properly, the iStraw is capable of filtering up to 500 litres of water.
Price: $39.99 Buy here: ThinkGeek.com
