Cell Phone Gadgets Good Enough For 007

An old adage says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But these are a few strides you might consider beforehand to prep yourself and your cell phone adequately.

1. Dial With A Green Thumb: HYmini Solar/Wind-Powered Phone Charger

What a drag to be in the middle of the Gobi Desert with full bars, ready to
call home and brag about the killer sandstorm you just survived, when your
battery runs out. Luckily, you eschew feeling powerless and always
pack your HYmini. One of the cooler looking little handheld green
gadgets around, the HYmini harnesses wind or solar power (or both) and can be used to juice up anything from your cell to your ipod. It’s
even got a USB slot. And if you’re marooned on an island on a cloudy
day during a lull? Just use the handcrank to power the HYmini up
so you can radio the Coast Guard. If those options don’t suffice,
go with the traditional wall plug to recharge or attach the bicycle dynamo
hub generator to Lance Armstrong’s front wheel and you’ll probably be able
to light a small planet. Those desperate to find a downside to the
HYmini will find solace in the $75 price tag (plus a lot of extra dough
for attachments) and the fact that it can’t jump a car battery…yet. Read more at hymini.com.

2. Fire Up A Smokin’ Cellular: Phone with built-in lighter, cigarette holder, camera

If
you’re of an adventurous nature, you’re bound to eventually find yourself
in dicey situations. Sometimes the best thing to do is just bribe
your way out of them. Luckily, there’s a phone precisely designed
for this. In addition to actually being able to call people, the
Wang XYW 3838 Cigarette Phone has a 3 megapixel camera, a music player,
an SD card slot and, best of all, a built in lighter and room for half
a pack of butts. Plus, it looks pretty nifty. So when you’re
being questioned by Cambodian police, try easing the tension by pulling
out your Wang XYW and passing out a few smokes. And while you’re
doing so, hit speed dial for the U.S. Embassy, take a quick pic of your captors,
and maybe even lull them into complacency with a MP3. Read more at wired.com.

3. Scope It Out: Mobile Telescope Lens

Bushwacking
through the rain forest, you happen upon the bizarre and as-yet-unseen mating
ritual of a new Birds of Paradise species. Trouble is your Nikon with the
telephoto lens is at home. Sweat not. You were smart enough
to buy a mobile phone telescope beforehand and have it at the ready. Not
only do you capture the blinding plumes and mesmerizing jig of this little
tweety in stunning clarity, but you’re able to do it from afar so as not
to disturb its complex advances. Your images instantly become twitpics,
your millions of Twitter followers go nuts for them and start retweeting
like crazy and, before you know it, the whole world is flapping about your
amazing discovery. If you think this device looks a little, well,
fragile, you’re right. It’s kind of a juryrig and it only fits certain
phones. But, then again, it’s 18 bucks. That’s only a little
more than one dollar for each of the fifteen minutes of fame you’re guaranteed
with its purchase. Read more at dealextreme.com.

4. Stick It To It: Magnetic Holder

It’s
a tale as old as time. An astronaut goes out on spacewalk. While
fixing the vertical thruster, he discovers he has nowhere to safely stash
his cell phone. Even in zero gravity with it floating by his side,
there’s a chance some space junk comes cruising by at, oh, 2000 mph and
sends his iPhone into infinity and beyond. Imagine what roaming charges
are like in the Milky Way. Fortunately, a magnetic cell phone holder solves this problem. Just attach this $8 doohickey and you can pop
your Treo safely onto one of the spaceshuttle’s heat-resistant panels…or,
say, your fridge while dicing veggies. Not to worry about the magnet
messing with your battery, either. For one thing, you already bought
your HYmini and for another, this magnet’s specially calibrated not to
effect the phone’s charge or reception. Read more at gadgetfind.com.

5. Stop Vibrating: Pen That Flashes When Texts Received

Despite
causing some splendidly odd looks on your coworkers’ faces when they’re
sitting too close to you in a meeting and you receive a text, the vibrate
function is an often not-so-silent way of finding out you have an incoming
call. But guess what? $5 will get you a universal flashing cell phone pen and fix everything. Now when you’re out orienteering and a sharp ring or a jarring pocket vibration could ruin the map you’re
charting, you’ll instead know someone’s calling when the pen in your hand
starts flashing like mad. Perfect. You just may want to stick
to the vibrate option in the board room, though. For whatever reason,
bosses don’t seem entirely impressed when they’re presenting and your pen
turns into a mini fireball. Shoulda brought that oversized souvenir
pencil instead. Read more at overstock.com.

Photographs courtesy of Current Energy;

overstock.com