Smart devices permeate every facet of our lives these days, and the gadgets don’t always make a lot of sense. The Pluggage from French luggage company Delsey, however, not only makes perfect sense but could make traveling so much easier and more secure.

The company is developing the Pluggage line and figuring out which features would be most useful to travelers. So far the internal features include an auto weight checker to avoid overweight baggage fees at check-in; an inside lighting system; an on-board mobile phone charger; and interior speakers.

Other features, accessed through the Pluggage app, include a fingerprint-activated lock; on-board detection to tell you when your bag has made it onto your plane; a lock check so you can make sure your bag was never opened while it was away from you; and weather, flight, and travel info. Delsey is taking votes on its website to let consumers choose which features should be included in the final product.

The prototype bag is normal looking enough to blend in with the other bags without looking irresistible to luggage thieves, but rugged enough to handle long-haul journeys. Another feature that would totally make traveling better: an accelerometer that can tell you when your bags have been harshly hurled around by baggage handlers.

The post Smarter Travel: Hi Tech Baggage Packs Up Safety + Comfort first appeared on Gajitz.

With an estimated 26 million bags lost every year, the airline industry doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in those of us who like to arrive at our destinations with our stuff. A device called Trakdot can’t keep the airlines from mistreating your suitcases, but it can tell you, in real time, where your bags are. The small palm-size gadget has to be registered before you use it. Once you set it up on the Trakdot website, you simply put the little gizmo into your checked bags.

When your bags are on the move, the Trakdot device goes to sleep. But as soon as the plane lands, you get a text message or email telling you what city your bags are in. You can even track the history of your luggage’s journey on the Trakdot website. So going forward, if you’re in Orlando and your bags are in Cleveland, you can help out the airline employee who doesn’t seem able to tell you anything about where your lost luggage has gone.

The Trakdot will go on sale in March 2013 with an initial price of $49.95, an $8.99 activation fee, and a $12.99 annual service charge. If you’re a frequent flier – or just really unlucky with airline baggage handling – you might find the expense well worth it.

The post Lost Luggage? Suitcase Tracker Lets You Find Them Anywhere first appeared on Gajitz.