TECHNOLOGY: ARMED FOR THE ROAD

Your house is loaded up with gadgets, but how about your briefcase? These days, more tech companies are trying to sell business travelers on portable printers, scanners and more. How will you know what to lug around? TIP SHEET tested the latest gear:

Pixma iP90 Photo Printer ($250; usa.canon.com). This wireless printer weighs less than seven pounds--it uses Bluetooth to receive images from your computer or cell. Tip: after you snap those work-related shots, impress your bosses with four-by six-inch glossies.

JBL On Tour Speakers ($100; jbl.com). These mini stereo speakers will turn your laptop into a home-away-from-home entertainment system. But leave them packed on a plane. They were so loud, a flight attendant told our tester to shut them off.

Iomega Portable Hard Drive ($200; iomega.com). An 80-gigabyte hard drive that fits in your pocket. It's the best way to store backup files while you're away. The gadget can hold 100 PowerPoint presentations and still have room for more.

Octave MultiPod ($150; octave.com). This all-in-one gizmo functions as a digital camera, voice recorder (up to 110 minutes) and portable hard drive with 128 megabytes of memory. You can record 12 minutes of video, too, so your colleagues back at the office see what they are--or aren't--missing.

Kensington WiFi Finder Plus ($30; kensington.com). It helps you locate the best signal in a wireless hotspot so you can get a decent connection, because not all airport Starbucks seats are created equal.

APC Universal Notebook Battery UPB80 ($250; apc.com). This two-pound battery cartridge will power up your laptop for a bit longer: eight hours. It's a must-have if you're flying with DVDs. We were able to watch movies for the entire duration of a New York-to-California flight. Normally, our laptop is out of juice before the plane crosses the Rockies.

Concord DVx ($199; concord-camera.com). Two devices for the price of one: a camera with two-megapixel resolution and an MP3 player (the included card stores up to 30 minutes of music). Bored at a conference? This device is so tiny, you can sneak songs during breaks--or hold a jam session in the back row.

OpticSlim M12 ($129; plustek.com). Feed your paper through this wand and, like magic, it'll scan all the words and images. Use it at a conference where you don't want to carry around a lot of handouts.

Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro ($30; turtlebeach.com). This device boosts the audio signal from your laptop, providing a richer sound. Tip: use it during a presentation to blow the competition away.

3Com OfficeConnect Wireless Travel Router ($69; 3com.com). Plug it into your hotel's Ethernet jack, and it turns the room into a wireless haven (the connection reaches up to 96 feet). Now you can sip wine on the terrace while you type out those late-night e-mails.