This story appears in the
May 2012 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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The squeeze is on. From airplane seats with no legroom to tiny hotel rooms with minimal amenities, road warriors have every right to feel the travel industry is cramping their style. The solution? Go small with devices that boost productivity, protect gear and handle multiple functions.
Flipit Travel Surge ($20)
The days of unplugging the hotel-room clock and desk lamp to power or charge multiple devices is over, thanks to the Flipit Travel Surge. This palm-size surge protector has three well-spaced power outlets, two USB ports (yup, it'll charge an iPad) and industry-standard surge protection (612 joules). Photo courtesy of Flipit.
Scosche freeKey Keyboard ($60)
If typing on a smartphone or tablet's virtual keyboard induces shouts of "Damn you, Autocorrect!" the freeKey wireless keyboard is for you. Made of rugged but flexible silicone, this nearly full-size, Bluetooth-connected Qwerty keypad features a spill-resistant surface and a 60-hour battery (rechargeable via USB). When you're finished typing, roll it up like a chunky ACE Bandage and stow it. Photo courtesy of Scosche
Logitech Cube ($70)
The Logitech Cube is both a wireless mouse and a presentation remote. As a mouse, the matchbox-size device uses neither a scroll wheel nor visible buttons; instead, tap its surface to click, navigate and execute commands, and swipe it to scroll up and down. For presentations, simply hold it aloft and tap its top surface to move back and forth between slides. Photo courtesy of Logitech