Gadgets: luggage tracker, wheelchair wheels and your own submarine

TrakDot luggage tracker
With a thousand bags a day said to go astray through Heathrow's Terminal 5 alone, no wonder techies are all over lost luggage like a rash.

You set the Trakdot unit in your bag before check-in; it switches off during the flight. Once you and it are back on terra firma, it restarts and uses the local mobile network (presuming there is one) to get a location fix and text you a notification. Hopefully your carousels will coincide. If not, you can track your belongings online or on a smartphone.
Trakdot Luggage Tracker, $50 plus activation fee and service fee. Shipping end of June, see trakdot.com

Morph
wheelchair wheels
Initially designed for folding bikes, Morph Wheel technology is being applied to wheelchair wheels. Each one can fold down to just 81cm x 32cm, reducing its volume by almost 50 per cent. In practical terms, it means Morph Wheels can pack into overhead bins or car boots. They fit any standard quick-release wheelchair axle.
Morph Wheels, $950 for a pair, morphwheels.com

Personal submarine
Personal doesn't even mean you have to be a lonely submariner: this is a two-person model. It's good for about six hours on its batteries, with external halogen lamps, a VHF radio, GPS and the licence to descend up to 300m. The price includes comprehensive training, apparently.
Personal Sub, Just the $2 million from hammacher.com.

Tom Kelly
betweenideas.blogspot.com