Frequent flyers take note - luggage is being wired for sound ... and much more.

Published in The Bulletin, April 30 2003

Airline travellers are familiar with the ritual of removing notebook PCs from their luggage before it goes through security scanning. But what will happen when the luggage itself is packed full of electronics? That day isn't as far off as you think.

For years, luggage manufacturers have customised cases to accommodate the increasing number of electronic devices being stashed, adding everything from mobile phone pockets to notebook protection pads. There are even specialised storage cases for the plethora of wires and cables that plague the modern business traveller. Indeed, some cases seem designed to store little else; RoadWired's Pod bag includes 20 separate compartments for storing PCs and their associated paraphernalia and accessories.

Not content with suitcases full of wires, a growing number of manufacturers are also wiring up the suitcases themselves. Samsonite took this concept to extremes last year when it launched its Hardlite 625 case, with a built-in Bluetooth receiver and transmitter. (Bluetooth is one of the two main standards in the IT industry for transmitting information wirelessly between devices.)

The Bluetooth chip can be used to track the location of the case, and even automatically notify the owner if it is removed from a given location (handy if it's stashed in the luggage rack at an airport lounge). Samsonite also boasts that the case can be sent information by its owner, although this seems less immediately useful.

Prefer to listen to music? JanSport's Euphonic Livewire backpack offers built-in head­phones and volume control. All you need to supply is an MP3 or CD player.

If the thought of all these electronics ending up in the hold of a 747 worries you, there's always the ScotteVest, a jacket with 16 pockets and built-in conduits for wiring, enabling you to carry a CD player, PDA, mobile phone, Game Boy and other electronic device you can't live without. One tip: if you don't take it off before going through security, you could spend a long time being scanned.