Best New Travel Gadgets

Verizon’s new Tour has quicker Web browsing, international dialing, and a built-in GPS chip. It’s also our favorite phone for business e-mail because of the evenly spaced keyboard and top-notch text-messaging options.

Best app: VZ Navigator ($9.99 per month), with a built-in GPS system that offers 3-D maps, turn-by-turn directions, and real-time traffic data. verizonwireless.com; from $149.99. —Adam Baer

T-Mobile’s latest iPhone competitor (known as “the Google Phone”) is a touch-screen mobile using Google’s Android operating system. Its virtual keyboard is a bit unwieldy for drafting a quick business update, but it works well for dashing off a short e-mail.

Best app: Google is set to launch a host of new ones next year. For now, we like Wikitude (free), which loads Wikipedia information on landmarks you are viewing through the phone’s camera lens, turning your live image into an annotated map. t-mobilemytouch.com; from $149.99. —Adam Baer

In the smart-phone category, nothing tops AT&T’s touch-screen iPhone when it comes to entertainment. But the newest model has also become a go-to device for business travelers, thanks to its wide array of travel apps.

Best apps: Users love Urbanspoon (free), which recommends restaurants in English-speaking countries based on location. Other excellent options include Worldmate Gold ($19.99 per month) for flight status reports, maps to your hotel, and currency conversions, and Gate Maps ($0.99 per month), which gives you everything you need to know to navigate an airport. wireless.att.com; from $199. —Adam Baer

This Sprint-compatible model combines the best features of the iPhone and BlackBerry with an intuitive interface and a slide-down keyboard.

Best apps: More are on the way, but currently, Pandora (free) turns your phone into a wireless Internet radio; its Translator (free) works for more than 45 languages; and FlightView (free) provides flight information and hooks up to the Pre’s calendar—so you can track your plans even as they change because of delays. now.sprint.com; from $149.99. —Adam Baer

The matte surface of Sony’s 10-inch model makes it more comfortable to type on than most netbooks, but the tiny keyboard is better for smaller hands.

Best feature: Although the steeper price point may not appeal to the budget-conscious, the Vaio’s high-resolution glossy screen is excellent—perfect for people who work with digital images and video. sonystyle.com; $499.99. —Adam Baer

Shiny hinges, powder-coated finish: descriptions of Toshiba’s 10-inch NB200 read like ad copy for a luxury car. But they fit. Despite its affordability, it feels more expensive than other netbooks, with extremely responsive keys and a glossy frame.

Best feature: The nine-hour battery that will outlast red-eye flights—it’s as powerful and efficient as they come. laptops.toshiba.com; $400. —Adam Baer

Asus—one of the first companies to release a small, inexpensive netbook with its famous Eee models—calls this 10-inch version Seashell. It comes with a superslim LED screen and nicely concealed connection ports as well as 10 complimentary gigabytes of online backup storage.

Best feature: At just one inch thick, the Asus Eee is the skinniest of our picks. eeepc.asus.com; $430. —Adam Baer

There’s more to consider than the floral surface design of this 10-inch netbook with an impressive antiglare LED display screen. The battery lasts almost four hours and lifts the device into a more ergonomic position, for easier typing.

Best feature: Full-size keys, uncommon on netbooks, especially for a computer with such a low price tag. hp.com; $329.99. —Adam Baer

Although Lenovo’s sturdy white laptop is not technically a netbook (it has a full-size keyboard, hefty 3 1/2-pound weight, and 12-inch screen), it’s still compact enough to compete in the category.

Best feature: Business travelers in particular will benefit from the inclusion of an ExpressCard slot, which allows for 3G wireless, Firewire, and extra USB ports, meaning you’ll be able to do work you’d otherwise accomplish only at the office. lenovo.com; $499. —Adam Baer

Sony ups the ante on the Kindle with this six-inch touch screen that reads the most common file formats, lets you turn pages with the swipe of a finger, and can access more than 1 million public titles through Google. It’s ideal for people who want to make e-book reading a tactile experience.

Caveats: The device only stores 350 books (you can purchase separate memory cards to hold more) and doesn’t download from the Web wirelessly—although Sony Reader Daily Edition ($299) does. sonystyle.com; $399. —Adam Baer

The forerunner in its category, the Kindle has the capacity to store up to 1,500 files, including magazines, newspapers, and audio tracks. The thin and light Kindle performs wireless downloads quickly, surfs the Internet, plays audiobooks, and has an easy-to-read six-inch screen.

Caveat: Sure, the keyboard buttons could be easier to use when typing a search term or a note, but this is a minor complaint given that it’s the only e-reader on our list with a keyboard. amazon.com/kindle; $279. —Adam Baer

This affordable e-reader has a six-inch screen, the same storage capacity as the Sony reader, and a built-in MP3 player for audiobook and podcast fans.

Caveat: The eSlick only reads PDF and text formats (no Sony or Amazon titles), so it’s best for execs who need a dedicated document reader. foxitsoftware.com; $259. —Adam Baer

An option for the less serious e-lit consumer, the Cool-er is fun and affordable, though less fully loaded than our other picks. Like the eSlick, it only reads PDF’s, but does come with an MP3 player. We like its versatility: You can switch from portrait to landscape mode using the directional pad, which is located on one side.

Caveat: The device lacks Wi-Fi and a keyboard, and the screen isn’t as clear as other readers. coolreaders.com; $249. —Adam Baer

You can work virtually anywhere with this new personal Wi-Fi hot-spot device. Operating like a 3G modem, the tiny black gadget offers you and up to four friends in a 30-foot radius clear wireless Internet access for five hours wherever you can get a signal. verizonwireless.com; $99.99 with a two-year contract plus $39.99 a month for the basic plan. —Adam Baer

Always leave your iPhone charger at home when you need it most? The Mophie Juice Pack—the world’s thinnest iPhone case—happens to double as an extended battery—with 4 1/2 hours of 3G talk time, 20 hours of audio play time, and six hours of video life. mophie.com; $80. —Adam Baer

Here’s the newest solution for setting up a mobile office in a hotel room that has just one available wall outlet. This three-plug surge protector, which could fit in an evening clutch, comes with two USB ports for charging a cell phone or MP3 player. belkin.com; $25. —Adam Baer

The new half-pound Fueltank Duo has adapters for nearly every cell phone, camera, MP3 player, and GPS navigation system on the market. Even better, it allows you to charge two gadgets at once. callpod.com; $70. —Adam Baer

This water-resistant key-chain drive—it’s retractable and smaller than a postage stamp—comes with 16GB of reliable memory, quick download speeds, and a lifetime warranty. supertalent.com; $37.99. —Adam Baer

Previous versions of Bose’s ubiquitous noise-canceling head-phones may have left a lot to be desired, since they failed to cancel out all surrounding noise. But this new, richly balanced set really quiets an airplane’s clamor, thanks to sound-sensing microphones located on both the outside and inside of its ear cups. bose.com; $299.95. —Adam Baer

Wrapped inside a thick black rubber shell, this durable and portable hard drive functions without external power. Its storage capability exceeds that of most laptops (up to 500GB), and if you run out of space, you can get online backup free. go.iomega.com; $129.99. —Adam Baer