Great gadgets for the digital nomad

At 1.5 pounds and powered by a lithium ion battery, Planon's Printstik PS910 is a go-anywhere print shop.

When you're on the road, you can't call upon the resources that officebound employees enjoy. But whether your temporary workspace is a table at Starbucks, a hotel lobby, an airport or a client's lunchroom, you've still got to get the work done.

Any gear that you lug around has to be small, light and reliable. Here are some great gadgets that any digital nomad will want to consider.

Print Shop to Go

Forget about waiting at a Kinko's to print that hard-copy report. Planon's Printstik PS910 is a go-anywhere print shop. It weighs just 1.5lb., is powered by a lithium-ion battery and fits easily into a notebook bag, yet it can print from a smart phone, handheld or notebook, either through a USB cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth.

The US$300 printer uses thermal technology; a package of three rolls of thermal paper costs US$25. That means you get only monochrome documents, but if you really need a quick sales letter, a map or a proposal, the Printstik could be invaluable.

Power Central

So much work, so few power outlets -- it's the nomad's constant dilemma. To the rescue: Belkin's Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger. It turns a single AC outlet into three, delivering electricity to you and those around you. (Sharing that outlet may get you good karma, or even a free latte.) It also provides a pair of USB ports for charging phones, handhelds or media players. And it rotates so that it won't block the second outlet on the wall.

The Mini Surge Protector weighs just 6 oz., but it packs a powerful punch when it comes to saving batteries. The device costs US$25 but is well worth it -- not the least because it carries a US$75,000 warranty against damage from a power spike.

Clean Machine

It may not be able to stop a coffee cup from tipping over, but Zagg's InvisibleShield keyboard cover can keep a spill from turning into a digital disaster. Made of an ultrathin plastic film, the type-through cover keeps liquids, dust and who knows what else out of your notebook's delicate keyboard. When it gets dirty, just wipe it clean. The US$35 cover has been precision-cut for a wide variety of notebooks and comes with a lifetime guarantee that it won't scratch or wear out.

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Lean and Green

Why spend valuable work time searching in vain for an AC outlet when the sun can power your phone or other equipment? The Solio Magnesium Edition portable solar charger from Better Energy Systems has three photovoltaic solar panels that slide out to provide a total of up to 9 watts of power. This will give you 15 minutes of cell phone talk time for every hour in the sun.

Solio Magnesium's charger comes with a USB adapter tip, plus you get a coupon for another tip of your choice from iGo.com. If you'd rather carry your solar power on your back, you can get Voltaic's solar backpack for US$249. It puts out 4 watts of juice, has its own battery and comes with 11 power tips so it's sure to fit your equipment.

Keeping Secrets

The Fellowes Privacy Filter is essential equipment for mobile workers trying to keep secrets. Whether the sensitive document is a spreadsheet for your company's upcoming IPO or the private portion of a friend's Facebook page, this monitor filter will prevent most bystanders from seeing what's on your screen. Only those looking straight at the screen can see anything, so digital Peeping Toms peering sideways over your shoulder will see only a black screen. Available for 12.1- to 15.4-in. displays, the filter costs about US$35.

Write On

When recording a meeting and taking notes is not enough, Livescribe's Pulse Smartpen lets you do both by linking your handwritten notes to what was said "live." The Pulse Smartpen includes an audio recorder that can play back exactly what was said when you press the pen to any place in your notes. The only catch is that you need to use one of Livescribe's special 100-page notebooks; a four-pack costs US$20.

The US$150 charcoal blue pen looks and feels good, weighs 1.3 oz. and can record up to 200 hours of note- taking activity. The software puts it all together, along with cool apps like a translator and transcription service, but it works only with Windows computers.

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A Good Call

HP's iPaq 910 Business Messenger may look like an ordinary smart phone with a screen on top and a thumb keyboard below for tapping out e-mails, quick memos and instant messages. But beyond calling and Web surfing over a 3G GSM quad-band mobile phone network, this 5.3-oz. smart phone can link with an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi network, whether it's at a coffee shop or a client's office.

Other features include built-in Google Maps with multimodal GPS navigation, mobile versions of various Microsoft apps and an alphanumeric QWERTY keyboard. The iPaq 910 costs about US$500.

Make the Connection

Never seem to have the right cable -- or is it always buried in the bottomless pit of your notebook bag -- Meritline's Ultimate Cable Kit (US$26) can help you make the connection with retractable FireWire, USB, telephone and Ethernet cables and all the adapter tips needed to plug just about any peripheral into your computer. It all fits into a black padded travel case and comes with a travel mouse and headphones.

For those who never seem to have the right AC adapter, IOGear's GearJuice (US$40) can charge up just about any phone, anywhere. The kit includes a power adapter and seven tips that work with an assortment of popular cell phones, media players and handhelds.

Biz Flicks

When it's time to pop a video clip into a presentation, onto your blog or up on YouTube, Pure Digital's Flip Mino does the trick. A mighty mite of a camcorder, Mino weighs 3.3 oz., but it can capture a whole hour of TV-quality clips on 640-by-480-resolution video at 30 frames a second. For those in a hurry (and what digital nomad isn't?), the US$180 Mino can transfer clips directly to online video services such as AOL Video, YouTube and MySpaceTV. And if you're really in a hurry, you can buy an "action mount" that lets you attach the camera to your handlebars or helmet.

Pinching pennies? The Mino is actually at the head of the Flip class. To save a few bucks, opt for the slightly less sleek US$150 Flip Ultra or the basic US$130 Flip Video.

Buy Their Silence

Nomads need to work wherever and whenever they can, but the world is a noisy place. Aliph's Jawbone Bluetooth headset uses advanced digital signal processing technology to block out the racket going on around you and let your voice shine through during phone calls. It can't silence crying babies, traffic sounds or ringing phones on your end, but the people on the other end of the call won't hear them.

Lighter and smaller than other headsets, the latest version of the $130 Jawbone weighs one-third of an ounce. And it's stylish, too, with a leather-covered ear loop and a variety of finishes.

Nadel is a freelance writer based near New York.