Gap year gadgets: Exciting devices for travellers in 2012

Gap year travellers may have to leave their friends and families behind when they head overseas, but there's no reason to be parted from their favourite consumer devices.

Having access to gadgets such as iPods, e-readers and smartphones can be highly comforting during those lonely moments out in the wilderness.

And with Christmas upon us, this could be the perfect time for those planning a gap year to get hold of the latest devices.

But what are the hot consumer gizmos for 2012?

Technology expert Pollyanna Woodward, from Channel 5's The Gadget Show, said it has been "a fantastic year" for electronic devices, meaning people have a wide range of options.

Her first recommendation is the Samsung multi-view camera, which she describes as compact - so ideal for backpackers - and "very cool".

"They've really cornered one part of picture taking – the arm's-length shot, when you take a picture of yourself and someone else," Pollyanna told the Daily Star.

"The camera has a 180-degree viewing screen, which means you can pop it up and take photos at a really awkward angle. And it’s also 16.1 megapixels, so you've got great quality photos."

And for people travelling to amazing destinations across the world, being able to document their experience in photographic form is all-important.

For those who invest in a milipower projector for the iPhone, it couldn't be easier to look at the pictures they've taken and compare them with other people's.

This gadget allows groups of people to look at snaps without having to pass the phone around the room.

All you do is plug your phone into the dock on the projector and it will project whatever is on your phone on to a blank surface, Pollyanna said.

For those heading away to winter destinations - such as gap year travellers working a ski season - knitted headphone earmuffs could be the ultimate treat.

Pollyanna explained that they help keep people's ears warm in cold weather, but also have built-in headphones which can be plugged into your MP3 player.

"They even come with the cable to connect the two," she noted.

An alternative to this could be the Wowee one slim speaker, which is described as being one of the more innovative devices in this particular market.

Pollyanna explained that the Wowee is different to most other speakers in the sense that it is powered up by a computer, so has the power to deliver a strong bass.

"It works with a gel pad on the bottom of the speaker, which sticks to any surface. The vibrations come through the gel pad and turn the surface into a bass speaker," she noted.

One interesting gadget for the beauty-conscious is the Mememe light-up lipgloss, which contains two LED lights in the lid which illuminate when the cap is twisted.

So even in the darkest of places - such as the Australian outback - gap year adventurers can still look their best.

"There's a mirror on the side as well so you can see what you're doing," Pollyanna told the news provider.

Click here for more gap year information.