All photos by Lola Akinmade.

The email I got from National Geographic’s Maps Division began like this, “…so in recent conversations with Julie and Michelle at Matador, I understand you know a thing or two about maps! ”

They instantly scored two points for tapping right into my soft spot – beautifully crafted, superb quality cartographic maps. Before diving head first into the world of travel writing and photography, I built, designed, developed, and integrated maps for 14+ years, first as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programmer, and finally as a GIS System Architect before resigning last year.

Photo by author

I lived and breathed maps for years. Geography had always been my favorite subject and still is.

So when I received a complimentary stack of pretty National Geographic maps to review, I instantly morphed into a child at a candy store, wondering which pack of gummy bears or Smarties to dig into first.

I remember running little fingers over country boundaries, subconsciously outlining my future path and vowing to tread those lands in my lifetime, God willing.

Could I truly write an unbiased review of a company I’ve so admired since my childhood days in Nigeria?

The Booty

The following set of maps arrived:

• U. S. Scenic Drives road map and travel guide, part of their GuideMap™ series
• Washington, D.C. DestinationMap ™ city map and travel guide
• Southeastern United States GuideMap ™ road map and travel guide
• Shenandoah National Park , VA Trails Illustrated Map
• TOPO! 4 Outdoor Recreation Mapping Software for the Mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia

I immediately went straight for the DC city map, which included all the obvious details such as points of interest and their descriptions, a map of the transit system, a reference legend, and distance scale. An added bonus were a map of Alexandria, Virginia, illustrations of both airports – Dulles and Reagan National – as well as 3D renditions of the tourist attractions so you actually knew what the buildings looked like and if you were approaching them from the right direction.

Photo by author

With traditional paper maps, my pet peeves had been overlapping text as well as easy-rip material (they were made from paper after all) that seemed to tear at inopportune times.

The cartographic quality of these maps in terms of text rendering, resolving text overlap, symbology, feature layering, and labeling are on point. They’re also made from some durable glossy elastic paper material that seemed darn near impossible to rip…and believe me, I tried.

If anything, the maps kept stretching creepily as I tried pulling them apart; which seems to back up their waterproof claims too.

TOPO! Outdoor Recreation Mapping Software

The software was easy to install in 4 steps. I just clicked Next->Next->Install->Finish, and that was it. After entering the complimentary serial number, a screen requesting I enter my mapXchange account information popped up. This account allows you to download all types of maps – USGS Topo Quads and GDT Street maps – to use within the software. You can also choose to sign up for an account later as the software comes with 6 disks worth of map data to use.

Photo by author

Similar to the way an accountant knows his way around a spreadsheet, I felt quite at home within TOPO! The software comes with a slew of GIS tools – from finding locations and coordinates to importing GPS points and creating 3D flyovers of landscapes. You can use the software to plot out your own personal recreational hiking and camping maps, and (I suspect) a whole lot more.

The initial map activating sequences might be confusing for the casual map user, and some of the panning tools such as Centering Tool and Traveling Tool could be merged into one continuous “Move Around” hand tool which would be more natural to navigate.

While I definitely don’t see our regular Matador readers particularly using TOPO! (Unless you really dig drilling down into the nitty-gritty yourself), this software is more useful for those with a little bit of GIS experience and are well versed with navigating and deciphering outdoor maps.

Photo by author

The Practical Stuff

There’s a reason why book publishers keep churning out paperbacks and hardcovers by the hundreds every month. Physically flipping through pages of a book still feels more natural than scrolling down an e-book or Amazon Reader.

Plain and simple.

The same goes for paper maps. Sure, GPS units are extremely popular and location apps on smart phones are being downloaded by the second (statistics not verified), there’s nothing like unfurling a paper map in a new city and plotting out your next route; very much feeling like an explorer in your own way; tourist-in-the-street look aside.

A major plus if you’re also unfurling your map under the pouring rain.

While I may not sway you from your trusty iPhone apps, in-car Garmin unit, or Blackberry maps, if anything, buy these NG maps as collector’s items. Think vintage in a couple years. Plus, check out National Geographic’s World Atlas iPhone App which Michelle reviewed, and download some candy-sweet cartographic goodness to your iPhone.

Price: $7.95 – $11.95 | BUY online at National Geographic Maps

Feature photo by Cosmic Kitty. Photo above by Loozrboy.

I find dollar stores quite intriguing with their fluorescent-lit aisles of cheap plastic trinkets and dubiously named products that regularly feature on Jay Leno’s Headlines.

Yet on occasion, I’ve found one or two little plastic containers or pouches that have proven useful during trips.

So, I would love to run a photo essay here on Goods that showcases usable, lightweight travel items you can get for $1 (well…less than $5) at your local dollar store.

How to Participate

1) Visit your local dollar store with your camera or cellphone in tow.

2) Look for items you think might actually work as travel gear and snap away.

3) Email your photos to lola [AT] matadornetwork [DOT] com with captions.

4) Please make sure your photos are at least 960 pixels wide/high on its longest side.

Please send in your photos by Friday, July 16th.

All photos by Lola Akinmade

Many professional travel photographers travel light.

This means, one camera body (two if they’re on assignment), 2-3 lenses depending on what type of photography they intend to capture, and a bag of extras such as batteries, memory cards, and sometimes an external flash system.

For many travelers seriously interested in travel photography, a key deterrent is the shear amount of extra gear they may need to carry.

Figuring out what next to invest in after lenses and their camera body can be daunting.

If you’re wondering what additional gear to buy at the moment – from filters to external flash units and other peripheral devices, consider these items below:

Tripod

Photographing a city or street scene at night can be challenging because at that time of day, the light is too low for the camera’s sensor to capture adequately and there is a lot of movement as well.

This combination of low-light and movement makes for blurry photographs.

By setting your camera on a steady surface to help eliminate any type of shake, you have a better chance of capturing a crisper shot of the scene.

From basic table travel tripods and Gorillapods to larger ones, investing in a tripod can help you diversify the types of photos you capture of a particular locale by including night shots.

Cable Release

A cable release system is a lightweight remote device that allows you to control your camera’s shutter button without touching the camera body.

Why this is a valuable tool is that, when used in conjunction with a tripod or flat surface to steady your camera, it helps eliminate any additional movement that you might inadvertently cause when trying to snap a low-light scene.

When buying a cable release shutter system, always check to make sure it is compatible with the brand and version of your camera.

Extra Memory

While filters can help you control some atmospheric elements of your photographs, personally, purchasing extra memory is more important.

Having an extra set or two of memory cards allows you to better focus on snapping as many photographs of that dynamic scene as you can without having to worry about storage or deleting already captured moments.

Community Connection

For more travel photography tips, visit Matador’s Focus on Travel Photography resource.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

SanDisk Solid State Drive

When I think of SanDisk, I think of solid flash memory cards for digital SLR cameras and to a lesser extent, affordable MP3 players around the $40 range.

Now, the storage powerhouse has revealed its new 2.5-inch G3 solid state hard drives, available in 60GB and 120GB versions.

According to Engadget:

You’ll also be thrilled to know that the G3 range supports the newest Windows 7 TRIM feature, which enables the drive to “continuously manage its resources and retain optimized performance throughout its lifespan.”

The drive will cost you around $229.99 for the 60GB version ($399.99 for 120GB).

New Asus Eee Netbooks

Photo courtesy of Blogeee

Ultralight netbooks at just 0.7-inches thick with a purported battery life of 14 hours?

While no release date has been set yet, Asus is planning on releasing three new models of netbooks.

Both the Eee PC 1015P and 1016P will have up to 14 hours of battery lufe (with WI-FI turned off) while the 0.7-inch superthin Eee PC 1018P will have an integrated fingerprint reader and 10 hours of battery life.

Panasonic’s 3MOS HD Camcorders

Panasonic loyalists swear by their products’ topnotch Leica lens optical quality.

Hence, why photographers Uncornered Market, Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View, and myself all carry backup Panasonic Lumix digital cameras in addition to our main DSLR cameras.

Panasonic has now released a range of handheld High Definition (HD) camcorders for shooting professional-quality video – the HDC-HS700, HDC-TM700 and HDC-SD700.

They come with 35mm Wide-Angle Leica Lenses (sweet!), 18x Intelligent Zoom, SD card slots, and 240GB hard drive in the HDC-HS700. All three snap still photos with 14.1 pixels and support Full-HD 1920 x 1080pixel resolution recording – the highest resolution for handheld camcorders currently available.

Panasonic plans on releasing the camcorders in March and prices are rumored to be within the $1,100 – $1,800 range.

Community Connection

For more nifty technology, check out Top Gadgets To Travel With In 2010 and our lineup of cool gadgets in Technology Bytes.

Know of any new, practical, and cool gadgets coming out soon? Please share with us below.

Photo courtesy of tomsun

Travel gear and technology continue to evolve exponentially with vamped-up smartphones, faster digital cameras, enhanced fabric engineering for adventure wear, and netbooks bordering on microscopic in size. While the variety of tools to pack can seem daunting, one overarching fact remains – aim for multipurpose gadgets.

Utility tools that have several uses will not only save bag space but will also provide a ton of services you’ll most likely need while on the road.

Open Travel recently rounded up Ten Smart Gadgets For Smooth Traveling, and the tools range from Swiss army knives to medical kits and the solid Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 compact point-and-shoot camera.

A staple for travelers, traditional Swiss army knives come with base utensils and toolbox items like a pair of scissors, corkscrews for wine, nail files, bottle openers, and screwdrivers.

However, the SwissArmyFlash 2 GB kicks the kit up several notches by including a 2 GB USB Flash drive and an LED flashlight.

With 10.1 megapixels, a 12x optical zoom lens, and high resolution video recording, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 does double-duty as a quality compact camera churning out pin sharp images, and a camcorder with high definition (HD) video recording capabilities.

Other multi-purpose items on their list include the Tumi Slim Universal Power Adaptor Kit which comes with a ton of adapters and stores enough energy to power your notebook while away from constant supply of electricity, and the ultralight MacBook AIR laptop which is essentially a mobile office.

Traveling with kids? Open Travel also mentions the Bag-buggy, a travel suitcase that transforms into a kid’s stroller.

Anyone who has traveled with kids knows that pushing a stroller and pulling a trolley bag at the same time is quite challenging and exhausting.

Thank God, the Castiglione Morelli team has designed a suitcase and a buggy in one.

When closed, it looks like a traditional bag.

When pulled out, it stretches over the metallic frame and turns into a comfortable and safe stroller.

Now both you and your kid can enjoy the journey.

Clearly missing from Open Travel’s list is the quintessential multi-use gadget; a smartphone such as Apple’s iPhone or a Blackberry.

From making calls, playing music, shooting video, snapping pictures, surfing the web, finding directions, storing data, and fiddling around with thousands of apps, pocket-sized smartphones practically take up no luggage space while providing most of the tools you’ll be needing on your travels; neatly rolled up into one device.

Now, all we need is a mutant Smartphone-Swiss Army knife device and we’ll be set.

Community Connection

For more multipurpose tools, check out 10 Multi-Use Items You Should Consider Packing and Matador Team’s Favorite Travel Gadgets.

Know of any other multi-purpose gadgets worth adding? Please share below.

Photo courtesy of mobile-t-mobile

According to Poynter Online,

A decade ago, we wondered whether the arrival of 2000 would shut down our electrical grids and phone systems and leave us without pagers. Now, as 2010 dawns, we look back on a decade that had more downs than ups, but at least created some cool stuff to play with.

These “cool stuff” cover the gamut of technology offerings – from GPS devices and Smartphones to High Definition TV and DVRs. Interestingly, Poynter notes that these advances in technology have “had a significant impact on the work journalists do.”

The decade’s top techno-tools, in no particular order, are:

• GPS devices
• iPod
• BlackBerry
• Digital Cameras
• HDTV
• HD cameras
• Flip camera
• DVRs
• 3G phones (The first 4G network just launched in Sweden)
• High-speed Wireless Phone Cards
• Cell-phone Apps
• Big flat-screen TVs – LED, LCD
• Slingbox
• Nintendo Wii
• Flash Drives
• eBook readers
• Noise-canceling headphones

Both Gizmodo and PasteMagazine have compiled their own similar best gadgets lists.

With all the visionary goodies this decade has produced, I’m certainly looking forward to what techno-tools the next 10 years will bring.

Did Poynter miss any gadgets? What do you think is the single most important gadget developed over the last ten years? Do tell us below.

Rosetta World™ allows you to play with your newly acquired language skills. Literally. You can play games, engage in chats, and other activities to help you apply your knowledge in everyday situations.

Brief Overview

Rosetta World ™ provides three modules – Solo, Duo, and Simbio. In Solo mode, you get to play games by yourself in your new language (in my case, Swedish). Duo mode means you get to play against another player, and in Simbio, you’ll actually share your native language (in my case, English) with other members and take turns helping each other out. TOTALe’s dashboard is intuitive and so accessing a particular Rosetta World ™ mode was just a click away.

Solo Mode

I had two game options available to me: Mengo and Gambo. Opted for Mengo since it kind of reminded me of mango, plus I couldn’t access Gambo anyways because I hadn’t reached a crucial learning milestone.

The goal of the game was to flip two cards over, find pictures and their matching words or phrases. The game seemed impossible to win or even get into since each time you flipped two cards that didn’t match, it kept saying you were wrong.

If there was some hidden sequence or way of figuring it out besides flipping two random cards, as a Solo player, I didn’t get it right away (read more on Duo mode below).

A cool aspect of the game was the fact that the words were read out in the language you were learning so, in a sense, you kept learning whether you got the concept of the game or not.

Duo Mode

In Duo mode, there were a lot more gaming options. World ™ lets you know how many people are available online to play with and you can also “Find partners” as well. Like Solo mode, some games are in lockdown until you’ve reach certain milestones.

Finding a partner to play with took two days, mostly because Swedish isn’t a popular language but I was finally able to connect with Oleg, another native English speaker learning Swedish. We first played Nimba, a word matching game, but quickly tired of it and moved on to the picture games of Tingo and Mengo.

This was where Rosetta World ™ truly shined.

Once Oleg and I got into the games which required mental mapping and matching pictures with words and phrases, our competitive juices began to flow.

I smoked Oleg while playing Tingo which required quick fingers, matching pictures to words, while Oleg left me in the dust while playing Mengo – the same flipping-of-cards game I didn’t get under Solo mode.

And I finally understood how Mengo worked after playing with a real partner.

Once we were done, I found a way of instantly messaging Oleg using the Connections manager to say thanks for playing, including asking if he was up for one more round of Mengo for the road – which he subsequently won.

Simbio Mode

Simbio mode is when you get a chance to teach others your native language (English) by speaking with them while they teach you theirs as well (Swedish). Since most Swedes already speak English pretty fluently, my Simbio mode had “0 People” available for me to chat with.

I wasn’t able to find a Swedish partner to verbally engage with mostly because of the time difference and because there weren’t too many students studying Swedish so I really couldn’t test Simbio like I wanted to.

But if it’s anything like Studio where I actually got to speak with a live person, I probably would have really liked it.

The Verdict?

I initially approached World ™ skeptically. Nowadays, finding the time to learn a new language, let alone spend hours playing games in that language seemed very unrealistic.

So Solo mode didn’t really work for me, but once I got into Duo mode, I was re-energized because of the one-on-one interaction with another player.

With Duo, I could easily spend hours just playing games with someone else.

Overall Assessment of Rosetta Stone TOTALe

After hours of reviewing TOTALe, an extremely high quality and dynamic product, where it clearly excelled was when there was some real life interaction with someone else. Rosetta Studio is rock solid as is the Duo play mode in Rosetta World.

Like I mentioned in Review 2 of Rosetta Studio, if some of the interactive aspects of the program could be packaged separately, then the pricing structure won’t be a big issue for potential customers.

If you truly are serious about learning a new language while also remotely immersing yourself in the language with native speakers, I highly recommend Rosetta Stone TOTALe.

Read Review Series: Rosetta Stone TOTALe – Part 2.
Read Review Series: Rosetta Stone TOTALe – Part 1.

Pricing information

The entire program costs $1,199 per year and this includes unlimited online access to the three modules outlined above and an accompanying audio kit to use offline for learning the courses.

This second review covers Rosetta Studio™ which allows you to practice what you’ve learned by engaging you in “structured conversations with learners at your level”. A way of building your confidence to verbally practice what you’ve learned.

Getting Started

The way Studio works is this: once you’ve reached a certain learning milestone, for example, you’ve completed all 35 lessons under Level 1 Unit 1, you can choose to “Schedule” a studio session.

You can always schedule sessions without reaching any recommended milestones, but once you’re in class and you begin interacting without any basics, you’ll quickly understand why milestones are important.

Each studio session is a live chat session with language learners at your level as well as a Studio Coach that facilitates the discussion for 50 minutes each session. You choose your day and time slot from a calendar and you get a reminder to log in a few minutes before it starts.

My Studio Experience

So I signed up for an 11 PM session slot, eager to find out what Rosetta Studio was all about. Right on schedule, my coach Anna was waiting for me. I could see Anna in the top left corner box and I was the only student or “elev” who’d signed up for that time slot.

This turned out to be advantageous. I had Anna’s full attention.

Easy access to one-on-one conversations with a native speaker at a time of my choosing from anywhere in the world was fantastic.

After pleasant introductions, she’d ask me questions, waiting patiently, listening, and politely correcting me when I goofed. She’d point to various visual learning elements, ask questions, and prompt me to ask follow up questions as well. She sometimes typed up the right spellings for clarification so I could see what the right words looked like in written form.

By the time we were halfway through our 50 minute session, we were laughing (mostly because of intentional nonsensical answers I gave), and….wait for it….we were actually having a ton of fun.

Jättebra! (“Very Good”) she’d exclaim when I answered correctly or kind of answered correctly by saying what the item wasn’t. For example, I’d answer “Det är inte gult” which means “It isn’t yellow” when she’d point to an odd color I didn’t quite recognize and such.

Once our session was up, I’d learned a lot in just that short time frame. After exchanging “Hej då” (goodbyes), Anna noted she’d like to see me in the Studio again and I promised to set up a new session once I reached another learning milestone.

The Verdict?

This feature alone is what makes TOTALe ™ a superb learning product. In my previous review, I addressed the pricing structure in the comments section because (let’s face it) Rosetta Stone isn’t cheap.

But its interactive TOTALe ™ Studio module and the easy access it provides to live chats and sessions with a real teacher and fellow students is such an invaluable tool.

It fosters remote learning from anywhere in the world where internet access is available so you could be learning Swedish with a live native speaker while island hopping around the South Pacific.

Rosetta Stone should consider the option of also selling Studio as a standalone subscription product.

Seriously.

What to Watch Out For

Since Studio uses Flash, make sure you’ve installed the required plug-in. You will also be reminded to do so before you start the session. Also, if your internet connection isn’t fast and reliable, your experience will be miserable.

Bonus

Though I’ve been using an existing headset to go through the audio courses, I only just discovered a free headset tucked away in a compartment behind the set of CDs in that signature yellow Rosetta Stone box. Sweet!

Read Review Series: Rosetta Stone TOTALe – Part 1.

Pricing information

The entire program costs $1,199 per year and this includes unlimited online access to the three modules outlined above and an accompanying audio kit to use offline for learning the courses.

And now as part of the launch of TOTALe, Rosetta Stone is offering an introductory price of $999. Click here for more details on how to purchase the program.

Photo by Wesley Fryer

My sister who has been using their Italian program for the last couple of years swears by them, and a colleague who’s currently learning Russian once took me through a walk-through of the Rosetta Stone interface.

Though intrigued by this learning program, my constant on-the-go lifestyle meant packing up and carrying along language CDs all the time wasn’t practical. So when I was approached by Rosetta Stone to test out its new TOTALe ™ online integration learning program which allows you to access the program online from any location without carrying around CDs, I was totally on board.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

My language of choice? Swedish.

Why? I currently split time between Stockholm and the US and consider myself an advanced (word loosely used) beginner .

While Swedish is a relatively easy language to learn, what makes it super challenging are those “extra” pronunciations required to differentiate between words that are written exactly alike and sound exactly alike.

Confused yet?

Read about some of my Swedish language learning woes here.

Brief Overview

The Rosetta Stone TOTALe ™ program is a collection of three learning modules that can all be accessed online as long as you’ve got a steady internet connection, a laptop/desktop computer, and a headset for voice recognition and participation.

Its flagship, Rosetta Course™ provides all the audio guidance and learning programs guaranteed to get you up and running quickly in your new language of choice.

The Rosetta Studio™ allows you to practice what you’ve learned by engaging you in “structured conversations with learners at your level”. A way of building your confidence to verbally practice what you’ve learned.

Rosetta World™ allows you to play with your newly acquired language skills. Literally. You can play games, engage in chats, and other activities to help you apply your knowledge in everyday situations.

In this three part series review, I will be testing out each of the three components above, and providing some in-depth analyses on my experiences with this new Rosetta Stone program.

Part 1 – Rosetta Course™ Review

The first time you log on, it checks your system configuration. You will be required to download a “speech component” that allows for voice recognition. You also get to select your Simbo™ language.

According to Rosetta Stone,

Simbio™ language is your native language or the one you speak most fluently. In Simbio activities, you’ll exchange languages: practice with a native speaker, and help your partner practice your Simbio language.

Setting up my system and voice was a breeze, and I couldn’t wait to start a Level 1 course.

Pros

Right off the bat, I was totally taken by the layout and approach to learning Rosetta Course applies – large pictures with native words denoting each activity, action, noun, and such.

As we all know, children are most impressionable when it comes to quickly picking up languages at an early age through recognizing pictures and associating them to words, and Rosetta Stone, with its layout, aims to tap into that base natural way of learning.

I learn best by directly immersing myself into the language and in classroom settings, not by picking up books and learning on my own. This visual-auditory approach worked great for me, and instant feedback was given when I totally messed up the pronunciation of words.

The use of pictures meant I was always wanting and anticipating what the next visual cue would be. In short, I felt like a kid again, which opened up my mind to readily absorbing the repetitive native phrases that were being fed through the program.

If internet connections drop or you’re done for the day, TOTALe™ resumes where you left off the next time you log back into the system.

Cons (Sort of)

What I found a little confusing was some of the matching sequences where the words weren’t on the screen and I wasn’t sure what to do next. I suppose if I’d actually followed their introductory video before diving right it, I would have solved my own problem.

At first, I chucked it up to a slow Internet connection not loading the words, but once I figured out how that lesson was actually structured, it was smooth sailing from there.

Summary

At the end of each lesson, you get graded and scores are displayed back to you. All in all, I really enjoyed working with Rosetta Course ™.

The interactive, graphics-heavy approach to learning meant I never got bored and boredom is one of the key reasons a lot of people quickly abandon self-learning programs.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – RosettaSTUDIO ™ in the upcoming days.

Pricing information

The entire program costs $1,199 per year and this includes unlimited online access to the three modules outlined above and an accompanying audio kit to use offline for learning the courses.

And now as part of the launch of TOTALe, Rosetta Stone is offering an introductory price of $999. Click here for more details on how to purchase the program.

BNT editor Ian Mackenzie rocking his Matador tee in Plaza del Bolivar, Colombia.

You asked us for a store, and now we’ve opened one up.

Matador Apparel is a collection of original designs that reflect the lifestyles of our members and values of our community. The designs you see on our online store have been contributed by Matador designers, artists, photographers and travelers for people to wear as they explore the world. We also offer a line of custom coffee mugs, catering to our die-hard community coffee drinkers.

Ways of accessing the store:

1) There’s a new link called “Store” under Matador Goods.

2) You can bookmark – http://www.cafepress.com/matadortravel – directly

The team is currently working on new designs within the next few months, and will be expanding the selection to include bags, stationery, and other sweet gear

Bonus – Be sure to send us shots of you in your Matador apparel during your travels! We may run a photo essay on Matador Trips – Where has Matador been?

New from camera giant Nikon is the sleek Coolpix S1000pj camera which – you guessed it – comes with an in-built projector. Touted as the world’s “first camera with an ultra-small, built-in projector”, this 12.1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix S1000pj comes with a 5x wide-angle zoom Nikkor lens and a hybrid vibration reduction (VR) system that minimizes shakes using two stabilization techniques – optical and electronic.

More technical features include:

* Motion Detection which automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement.

* High ISO up to 6400 capability which helps give you sharper results when shooting in low light or capturing fast-moving subjects.(ISO 300 and ISO 6400 are available at 3MP or lower resolution.)

* Nikon’s original Best Shot Selector (BSS) which automatically takes up to 10 shots while the shutter is pressed and saves the sharpest image.

With its tiny projector, you can project images up to 40 inches in size for 1 hour from a maximum distance of 6ft 6 inches.

Pretty sweet for a hand-held gadget.

It uses EN-EL12 batteries and also includes an audio-video cable, a projector stand, and a remote control in addition to the basics (charger, software, USB cable).

Would love to get my hands on one of these for a detailed video review.

Price: $489.99 | Pre-Order on Amazon (Drops on September 20)

That’s been our philosophy here at Matador Goods and I hope you’ve appreciated it so far.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador has built a strong network of diverse, unique, and pretty cool folks who see travel more as a journey that occurs deep within than a quick vacation, and by engaging our community members, you get firsthand, tested advice on practical travel gear to take on your next adventure, favorite travel books and anthologies, environmentally-safe goods, and such.

While one can argue that besides food and water, nothing else is truly essential, we aim to spotlight products that certainly enhance your travel experience without reducing it to just scenes captured through a viewfinder .

The mandatory pose-y shot.

Finding the perfect balance between necessity and nice-to-have has been my challenge.

I strive to regularly focus on goods that are either lightweight or eco-friendly, but most certainly practical and durable.

We give our readers monthly peeks into the backpacks of other avid travelers and occasionally write about “feel good” products (such as TOMS Shoes and Cleanup Soap).

Some proceeds from the sales of these products go directly towards sustaining many communities around the globe and improving overall quality of life.

So, what other types of gear and products would you like us to spotlight regularly?

I’d love to hear from you .

You can send me short recommendations via our contact form or email me directly at lola [AT] matadornetwork [DOT] com.

Interested in writing a gear-related, consumer-focused article? Please submit your piece following our contributor guidelines.

Happy Travels.