Q&A: Live Luggage sells powered suitcases to shoppers
Last Updated: June 14, 2011
How do they work? The power feature is optional. Pressure sensors in the handle monitor how hard travellers are pulling the suitcase, and they provide a certain amount of torque to the wheels to compensate and make them roll easier.
So do people still have to pull the suitcase? Yes, although the company claims it feels like there's no weight to pull at all because the case simply follows behind. Its batteries are supposed to work for at least two hours, assuming there's a combination of inclines, uneven ground and flat surfaces with about a 32kg load.
What other features does the suitcase have? It has a unique ID called "live locator", which helps travellers find the suitcase if it gets lost.
The mercury has already topped 40°C in the Emirates and, as it's only going to climb higher, it's time to start thinking of inventive ways to beat the heat. Fortunately, consumer electronics makers are releasing a variety of offerings that make summer travel and leisure more enjoyable:
High-tech towels
The Hi-Sun Beach Towel was a hit with some sunbathers when it debuted last summer. Its bright colours and casual feel when converted into a backpack make it best suited for teens of business professionals on a family vacation. But once it folds out, with its integrated speakers and an MP3 connection accessible for music lovers to plug in their player of choice, some parents will find themselves fighting for a bit of time on the£73 (Dh435) towel.
Power luggage
No one likes lugging a heavy bag to and from the airport during July and August.
Available in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, South Africa and other countries, a new powered bag from Live Luggage includes force sensors, tilt switches and special technology built into the wheels to help get the luggage up a kerb or incline at the airport.
The bags sell for between £250 and £395.
Waterproof gadgets
The range of waterproof cases in the accessories market keeps growing, from DiCAPac's offerings for digital cameras to OtterBox's seals for mobile phones. But be sure to scrutinise online reviews to find out how some consumers neglected to seal these correctly, in order to avoid similar missteps.
Top 5: reviewed underwater cameras
1 Canon Elph Sport APS Camera
2 Panasonic LumixDMC-TS2
3 Fujifilm Q1
4 Fujifilm FinePixXP10
5 Olympus StylusTough 8010
Source: ConsumerSearch.com
Reviews on amazon.com for H20 Audio's armbands designed to protect MP3 players underwater, for instance, include 10 five-star mentions but also 14 customers who left 1-star notes after experiencing a litany of problems.
The Quote: "Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road." Stewart Brand, an American writer and past speaker at Technology, Entertainment and Design conferences
