Memory sticks are pretty much old hat now, but the usefulness of having up to 2GB of storage hanging off the end of your keyring cannot be denied.

So for anyone contemplating a jaunt off to sunnier, less well-connected climes in the New Year, the Sandisk Cruzer is certainly worth packing alongside the 3 month's worth of Imodium and the battered Ernest Hemingway novel designed to make you look mysterious and worldly.

In short, the Sandisk Cruzer has 4 things going for it over your bog-standard memory stick:

1. It's made of titanium (essential for ANYTHING designed to hang off your keyring, especially when travelling), and designed to resist up to 2,000lbs of pressure
2. It has a large capacity (up to 2GB)
3. The USB port retracts, meaning it packs neatly away and is well protected
4. It comes with Skype pre-installed right there on the stick.

Don't underestimate the importance of number 4). There's nothing more infuriating than arriving in a tatty Lima internet cafe to find that they don't have Skype installed, so being able to just stick the Cruzer into the USB port, and pop a pair of headphones into the PC is invaluable.

The U3 technology that Sandisk have employed means that the USB stick acts as a smart drive, meaning you can launch Skype straight from the memory stick and make your calls back home straight away. And 2GB gives you a great amount of storage for backing up all those photos of your new travelling buddies...

The Skype shop has the 1GB Cruzer in the US for $79.99.

Amazon are selling the 2GB Skype-certified Titanium Cruzer for £36.50 in the UK (or E60 in France), and the 1GB at £16.97 . US customers can pick up a 2GB for $64.99, or a 1GB for $36. Bon Voyage...