Beach-Worthy Electronics

If you’re planning a trip to the beach this summer or any potentially water soaked locale, you consider upgrading your favorite electronics to the waterproof variety. But there’s more to being beach-worthy than waterproof. Here are the qualifications for truly beach-worthy products:

Easily fits into a beach bag along with towel, sunscreen, and large bottle of water. Think small. A compact camera, a mini-camcorder, a netbook and an iPod Shuffle are the right size as opposed to their full-sized cousins. And the smaller version usually means less expensive. If it’s lost, it won’t be quite the disaster a DSLR, camcorder, laptop or nano would be.

Provides hours of entertainment. The extra hour or two of battery life may be crucial with no nearby outlet. The Flip Mino will run up to two hours longer than its HD counterpart, and you’ll save a few bucks. And if you’re planning to get a little work done on your netbook, know battery life varies as well. The new MSI Wind U115 lasts all day. If you’re a reader, try Amazon’s Kindle 2. This wireless ebook reader is sturdy, runs for up to two weeks on one battery charge and gives you instant access to days’ worth of material. Beach reads are priced at under $10, less than half the price at the airport bookstore.

Actually usable in glaring sun. The Kindle’s screen is still readable in full sun. If you’re considering a phone, camera or camcorder, look for one with an LED screen to cut down on glare. What’s worse than trying to take a picture and all you can see is a black screen? Also, look for one-button functions. Think point and shoot. The beach is not the place for fumbling with complicated settings.

Waterproof, water resistant or at least can fit in a Ziploc bag. A flotation device would be welcome. Yes, I’ve dropped my phone over the side of the boat, never to be seen or heard from again. If you’ll be in open water, try the Waterbuoy from firebox.com, a keychain-like device which will keep up to 2.2 pounds afloat.

Preferably comes in a range of bright colors to match several bathing suits or at least a color that is easily spotted in the sand. Fujifilm’s FinePix Z33 waterproof cameras and iPod Shuffles cover the rainbow.

Multi-functional. Cameras and camcorders usually take photos and video. It’s a matter of which one you’ll do more. Decide and buy only one. It’s easy to switch between functions, much easier than digging through your beach bag for a second device.

Wireless sharing. I’m not going back to the beach house to send my mom photos of her grandchildren splashing in the waves. Cameras are just starting to have wireless functionality, but we’re still waiting on the mini-camcorders. The best solution may be your phone. The new iPhone 3GS can take both pictures and video, and when you download a free app for Facebook and flickr, you can easily upload to both, email or send a MMS text without ever leaving the shade of your umbrella.

The three essentials that will go with me to Capitola next week: 1) red iPod Shuffle, 2) Kindle 2 loaded up with Ruth Reichl’s Not Becoming My Mother and the TopTenREVIEWS News blog, and 3) the newly reduced $99 iPhone. For me, it’s carry-on only.

Utah-based TopTenREVIEWS.com guides consumers by comparing products in the world of technology inall forms of electronics and other entertainment media. Have a question? Email Leslie Meredith at leslie@toptenreviews.com