Hone Key finder, Pelican U100 Elite Laptop Backpack and Bowers Wilkins P3 Headphones
Hone Key finder
Searching for car keys (not lost, of course, you simply don’t quite know where they are) is a sure way to infuse any journey with a frisson of tension. Hone is here to change all that. It’s a low-energy, Bluetooth device that works wirelessly with your smartphone or tablet (only Apple so far, with Android versions due, apparently) to help track down your keys.
Simply attach the Hone fob to your keyring and pair it with the downloadable app and you’ve got the sort of kit Q might have showcased for Bond before he started choppering the Queen around. Tap the find button on the app and a proximity sensor should guide you to the keys if they’re within Bluetooth 4.0’s 50-metre reach. Now where did I put my iPhone?
Hone Keyfinder, $49 (€39.19) from kickstarter.com
Pelican U100 Elite Laptop Backpack
This is possibly as hard-assed a bag as the most cautious traveller might need. Or the most gung-ho. Crushproof. Watertight. Pressurised. Impact-protected. Ballistic nylon. Pelican is a renowned toughie in the overhead compartment, with several variations in its Urban series, depending how hardcore you want to be. The U100 has 16 litres of storage, can take up to a 17-inchlaptop and has an impact-protected front pocket for a tablet.
There’s not a great deal of other storage space left once you’ve stashed the laptop. But then if you want to travel with a Pelican case, a change of clothes is probably for wimps.
Pelican U100 Elite Laptop Backpack, €245 from peli.ie
Bowers Wilkins P3 Headphones
Bowers Wilkins has been making high- end speakers since the mid-1960s and continues to deliver superb sonics and cool designs, such as its distinctive Zeppelins. These P3 headphones are the latest from the BW audio lab. Slimline, light and foldable, with their own hard-shell case, though not noise cancelling – some headphones and ear buds actively manage ambient noise to improve sound quality – P3 is a good mid-range option for audiophile travellers.
The aluminium casing and swappable cables are just the sort of detailing you’d expect from such a premium sound house. And with Bowers Wilkins custom-designed drivers delivering the ear-love, well, your playlist may sound sweeter than ever.
Bowers Wilkins P3 Headphones, €200 from Apple stores