Steve gives us a 360 degree tour of one of the many plazas of Cuzco, Peru

One of the highlights of Cuzco Peru is the Inca ruins on Saqsaywaman mountain

Here’s ANOTHER video from Machu Picchu

This one from the Guardhouse –one of the highest points at MP. It was WOW 500 plus years ago and it’s still WHAT’S WOW NOW!

Machu Picchu in Peru was WOW more than 500 years ago–and it’s still WOW today. Check out Steve’s tour of this amazing must-see site.

Going green can not only save you money and help save the planet but in some cases it also solves another problem.  Case in point—handsfree speaker phones.  These devices sync with your cell phone and then let you talk handsfree when driving.  Generally the downside of these gadgets is the need to charge them using a wire that runs to the car’s cigarette lighter.  Scoshe Solchat solved that problem by developing a Solar powered Bluetooth speakerphone.  First let’s go over pronouncing this company’s name “Scosche” I’m told its pronounced Sco—as in rhymes with “show” and “-sche” like a librarian saying “shhh”. The Scoshe Solechat includes a windshield suction cup mount and sun visor clip for easy operation.  Since it sits on the windshield all day—it’s always charged, so you never need to plug it into a cigarette lighter.  Other cool features include the Solchats ability to announces calls as they come in for hands-free driving.  It also features a simple three button design and automatic, user-friendly cell phone pairing   Price: $99.99  Website: www.scosche.com

If there’s one complaint I keep hearing about the iPhone is how quickly the battery runs down.  There are lots of iPhone battery accessories on the market, but here’s the first green solution I’ve found—it’s from Novothink and it’s a Solar iPhone Case. This is the world’s only Apple-certified solar charger carrying case– it doubles the battery life of iPhone and iPod Touch using solar panel technology to power up the devices directly from the sun.  It’s perfect for traveling, hiking, biking, trips to the beach, and camping. -The 4 built-in LED lights (one the back of the case) let you know if you have a sufficiently powerful light source in addition to how much charge remains in the battery. Price: $79.95(iPhone) and $69.95(iPod Touch).

It isn’t that people don’t want to go green—it’s just that they don’t want any hassles along the way.  That’s why the inventor behind the EcoStrip came up with this product. This surge protecting power strip plugs into the wall and has a USB plug that goes into your computer’s USB port.  When you turn off the computer, the EcoStrip turns off all of the computer peripherals (as in the printers, speakers, monitors etc.) that are plugged into the power strip.  Most of us normally don’t turn off all of the power sucking accessories.  The EcoStrip does it automatically—so you don’t have to even think about it.  It can save consumers $50-$150/year  USB EcoStrip 2.0  http://www.ecostrip.com  $45

This morning I’m poolside at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL doing a satellite media tour all about summer travel gadgets.

First I have to point out this resort is amazing–there is a pool that crosses on top of another pool–and the top pool has a glass bottom overlooking the lower pool–incredible.

Gadgets I’m showcasing include the Nintendo DS–great for gaming, now great for reading with the new 100 Classic Books software you get 100 great works including Huck Finn and Alice in Wonderland –all for under $20.

Duracell’s Smart Power Line-Up Instant Charger is a must-have for any traveller. Plug into your laptop’s USB and you can store up to 35 hours of power for your cell phone, dig camera or MP3 player.

Also check out Mattels MindFlex.  Not a gimmick. You put on a headset and it reads your brainwaves–then using the visual feedback you learn to use your brain activity to move a little ball through a maze–it’s amazing

Finally there’s the Sub-Jumpa.  It’s an underwater pogo stick.  If this doesn’t drain your kids of all energy nothing else will.

Innovation Insider Steve Greenberg conducts 25 city satellite media tour from 5am to 11am yesterday.  Whew! That’s quite a coup. 

Trade shows got you down?

Can’t handle all the walking?

Maybe you should ride instead.

I learned about riding on a trade show floor first hand–or maybe I should say first foot.

Last week while testing out an innovative new go-cart I managed to fall and sprain my foot.

The doctor said I had to stay off the foot and put me on crutches. If you’ve ever used crutches you know they are a royal pain.

Today I had plans to check out the new products at the Housewares Show in Chicago, but with crutches I was ready to skip (pun) the event.

I thought I would call McCormick Place to see if I could rent a wheelchair. Much to my delight I was told I could rent a wheelchair for $20 –or I could rent a scooter for $50.

The scooter was wonderful and the irony doesn’t escape me. An electric go-cart stopped me in my tracks and now an electric scooter put me back on track.