The Perfect Travel Companion?

This certainly would have come in handy on many of the trips I've been on -- particularly business trips working out of a hotel. It would also replace both my iPod and cell phone charger. Did I mention it's a surge protector too?

Back in 1998 (ten years ago, whoa!), people could travel with their monstrous laptop and gargantuan cell phone and charge them both at the same time with the outlet on the desk lamp.

Now that it's not rare to see a suitcase full to the brim with two cell phones, an iPod, a digital camera, a GPS, a PSP and a MacBook—and that's just for your little brother—it seems that we're running out of outlets.

But Belkin wants to help us traveling techies stranded at airport terminals. Their new Mini Surge Protector features three AC outlets and—get this—two powered USB outlets. No longer will we have to yank out our laptops just to charge our cameras.

Features:

• 360-degree rotating plug with 4 locking positions
• Provides complete surge protection through all outlets
• Offers compact, lightweight, efficient design
• Features mini-USB cable to charge virtually any USB device—including BlackBerry(R) and Motorola(R) RAZR phones
• Comes with Lifetime Product and $75,000 Connected Equipment Warranties

You can order one on Amazon for $22.40.

P.S. -- I just picked one up at MicroCenter in Fairfax tonight for $19.99. It looks like the USB ports will charge my iPod, but not my Treo for some reason...