Having trouble leaving behind your techie toys? You’re not alone.

We all love our handheld gadgets, whether its in the form of an iPod, label maker, or universal remote.

Here are the must-haves to take with you on your next trip. From water filters to road apps, these are the perfect travel companions.

Water Filters

Sometimes we don’t travel to places with the freshest running water, whether it’s a small town in who-knows-where, or a camp ground near your home. The SteriPEN has the answer. This water purifier uses ultraviolet light to clean your water, making it safe to drink. It does it in a matter of seconds, so when you’re thirsty, yo’re ready to go. It takes care of 0.5L of water in under 50 seconds, 1L in 90 seconds, and can provide about 100 cleanings per battery.

steripen.com

Electronic Translator

If you travel a lot but aren’t very savvy with foreign languages, consider the Global Talking Translator. For under 50 bucks, this mini-translator speaks 11 languages and contains 7,700 travel-related phrases–just enough for you to get by without shelling out a lot of dough. It can speak it for you or help you out to say it on your own, complete with basic and necessary phrases such as “Good morning!”, “Where is the hospital?”, “What time does it open?”, “I would like to reserve a table.” and “I have a reservation.”

gadgetshack.com

Solar Charger

We sure do love the sun and might as well take full advantage of its power. The Solio solar charger is perfect for camping, but also handy for a trip abroad to tackle different electricityoutlets . This small powerful plug fans out into three different solar panels, able to charge all your devices.

solio.com

Handy Camcorder

This tiny HD camcorder lets you record your vacation with awesome quality. Its about the size of your hand, but can record up to 120 minutes of high definition video on 8GB of built-in memory. It’s great for touristy areas, when you don’t want to carry anything bulky with you. At under $250, it’s a steal.

theflip.com

Map Apps

Simple, yes, but you just need to know how to get there. Driving directions, street view, business listings… It’s all there, right on Google Maps’ app for your phone. It works on a variety of devices–Blackberrys, iPhones, Android and others–and you’ll find your Googling everything you’re looking for… And finding it in a matter of seconds. A must have, whether you’re on bike, foot, air, sea or car. Either way, you need to know the directions.

google.com

But don’t worry…This isn’t your typical escort service. Although its still a unique, one-of-a-kind rendezvous.

Berlin-based Art Escort delivers their expertise with personalized tours to show art lovers the city’s best artwork and personal studios.

Berlin is known for its modern art scene which attracts art lovers from around the world. Home to 6000+ artists, there’s an abundance of offerings – and most visitors don’t know where to begin.

Enter Norbert Kron and his agency Art Escort, where art lovers can hire artists for private tours of the city’s galleries, ateliers, and visit the renowned bar and club scene.

Clients can visit art-escort.de and make an appointment with one of ten artists available to provide them with their services.

These tours – also available in English – are truly a unique experience, but it doesn’t run cheap.

Prices range from 50 to 85 euros ($70 to $120) per hour for a two or three-hour tour. But for art lovers, the experience will outweigh the cost.

For more information, visit their website art-escort.de or contact them at artescort@aol.com.

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Needless to say, there is a load to see and do. But how do you navigate through everything to, well, see and do?

The folks at ABC news recently put together a great list for NYC newbies. Here are our favourites from their Ten Tips for New York Tourists.

Wander, wander everywhere

With the city so people friendly, none of it is off limits. Most of Manhattan is laid out on a grid system, making it very easy to navigate.

Learn the subway system

Don’t be intimidated by using the tube. The trains run 24 hours, making it easy to get from A to B and beyond. Use HopStop.com for destination help, and definitely opt for the 7-day unlimited ride MetroCard.

Try something new

New York City is a mecca of new cuisines, so definitely think outside what you already have in your own local area. Try some authentic (and cheap) dishes while enjoying the diversity that NYC has to offer.

Go culture rich

Don’t shy from Broadway because of ticket prices.  Instead, try free discount ticket listings at www.theatermania.com and www.playbill.com, or visit a TKTS Discount Booth on the performance day.  If your show’s sold out, check out www.stubhub.com or www.razorgator.com.

And for music, make sure you see all the different genres NYC has to offer, such as indie rock listings at www.ohmyrockness.com, classical music  at www.classicaldomain.com and jazz at www.gothamjazz.com.

Read the full article Ten Tips for New York Tourists from ABC.

Cheryl Palmer, along with the crew at Club Quarters Inc., are well on their way with the World Center Hotel, located in the spot where the World Trade Center once stood.

The hotel began to take reservations last month, amidst the current construction of the rest of the hotel – it’s still in progress, but already doing well.

The hotel offers guests the latest in hotel design, built for LEED certification. With more than 200 rooms, the hotel focuses on a calming, secure atmosphere with floor-to-ceiling windows delivering a gorgeous view. It’s also located across from Manhattan’s tallest skyscraper, the 1776-foot Freedom Tower.

Alongside a public memorial and hotel rooms, it also has plans for corporate apartments. And with an estimated 7.1 million people to visit it in the first year, its prospects are looking good.

Read the full story from the Associated Press and see more at their website clubquarters.com

It was in 1987 when the previously named “Radio City” was dubbed a historical landmarks, and has continued to grow ever since.

Here are some of the highlights:

Metropolitan Opera

Also known as “The Met”, this building was created by the complex mind of American architect Benjamin Wistar Morris. He initially wanted to include a landscaped garden, an Opera House, tall office towers, shops and terraces, all connected by a series of bridges and walkways. The stock market crash destroyed these dreams, but soon after, Rockefeller formulated a launch for a new radio/tv locations.

Radio City Music Hall

And so Radio City was born, the first being the RCA building, which served as the headquarters of the Radio Corporation of America. The Indiana limestone is 70 stories and 850 feet — the tallest of the complex. It was designed by Raymond Hood.

Top of the Rock – the Observation Deck

The observation deck sits on top of the GE Building (previously known as the RCA building), complete with panoramic views of Central Park and the Empire State Building. Built first in 1933, it spans from the 67th to 70th floors, and includes an exhibition doting the history of the centre.

See more at rockefellercenter.com

We thank our in-house artist and illustrator Mark H. Hayward for this month’s illustration. You can find out more about Mark and his work, and view his Illustration Portfolio at omecca.ca.

3 cups water
4 whole cardamom pods, broken
2 pinches saffron powder
3 black tea bags
1-2 teaspoons sugar

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the water, saffron and cardamom over medium heat. Cover, bring to a boil, then add tea bags. Let tea steep for one to two minutes, based on your tastes for strength.

Strain into two cups, sweetening with sugar if desired.

Image courtesy of mimisrecipes.blogspot.com

Regardless of featuring popular Mexican artists such as Paulina Rubio, and Vicente Fernandez, it seems to have a weak start. It doesn’t currently hold as many songs as the 6 million+ US version, and lacks iPod nano and classic games, audiobooks, television shows, and movies.

According to Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services, “The iTunes Store in Mexico is off to a great start with music from all of the majors and hundreds of indie labels. And the revolutionary App Store in Mexico gets bigger and better with great new apps using amazing new features, and we can’t wait to see what developers come up with next.”

We’re waiting, too.

Pandora – pandora.com/blackberry

This free streaming radio app lets you create stations based on artists, songs or composers of your choice. It also learns from your tastes and offer suggestions you’re sure to like, creating a station that plays your music and more like it.

TeleNav Navigator – telenav.com

Although only free for a 30 day trial, the GPS Navigator gives turn-by-turn driving directions both onscreen and by voice.

Viigo – viigo.com

Viigo maximizes the power of RSS, bringing everything you need in one destination, from news to weather to podcasts to social networking.

Poynt – mypoynt.com

With access to white pages, movie theatre listings, ticket purchasing, businesses, and (soon) restaurant finders, this easy to-use, all-in-tool connects you while you’re on the road.

Image courtesy of mypoynt.com

iPhone  Mobile Application Designers

These swimsuits, available in both men’s and women’s, are to be distributed at poolside at the hotel’s four properties, as well as at their website ShoptheStandard.com.

In a recent press release, Joshua Katz, director of marketing and communications at Quiksilver Inc., explained that, “This is a 24-hour customer, and a lot of times they might not have a swimsuit but want to take a late-night swim, after the hotel’s boutique is closed.”

The vending machines will dispense four men’s retro-inspired styles, and a classic black string bikini for the women. Each men’s suit includes a different design inspired by a different Standard Hotel location, including colour identities and list of addresses of local destinations.

The vending machines also sell ‘zines and local artists’ work.

See more at ShoptheStandard.com.