(Business 2.0) – Flyby Math

Casio Databank CA53W-1; $25; www.casio.com

DAVID NEELEMAN CEO, JetBlue Airways

When this calculator watch first came out in the mid-1980s, it was very cutting-edge. Today, of course, Casio makes much more advanced models that have cell-phone paging, calendars, and built-in world clocks, but I won't go anywhere without this early version. For the past 20 years, I've used it to do a quick calculation--revenue per mile or something--to make a point when I'm talking with colleagues and I don't have my laptop handy. I just punch in the numbers and move on. How attached am I to this watch? One time the band broke while I was working with customers at JFK Airport, and I stapled the thing together so that I could continue wearing it while I worked. Now I always make sure to have extra bands, just in case.

Communications Specialist

iRiver iFP-899 1GB; discontinued (available on eBay for about $140)

PETER BENEDICT Director of communications, Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies

I spend my days spreading company news to the press, analysts, and employees, so for me iRiver makes the best MP3 players on the market. I use mine to record interviews as digital files with the built-in microphone; then I connect it to my computer via USB and simply drag the audiocasts to my hard drive for archiving or posting to our intranet. It also works as a portable hard drive, so I can collect PowerPoint files and other images from people on the spot rather than having to deal with massive e-mail attachments. And unlike rival players like the iPod, my iRiver has incredibly long battery life--40 hours of continuous playback from a single AA. If it runs out of power, I simply pop in a new battery and keep going.

Family Ties

Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro; $100; www.logitech.com

DARA KHOSROWSHAHI CEO, Expedia

I'm on the road a lot, and being away from my young family is a drag. The Logitech QuickCam with built-in microphone helps me stay better connected to home. I just attach the minicamera to my laptop, and as long as there's high-speed Internet access in my hotel room, my family is just a click away. I can see and speak to my wife and help tuck my kids into bed. The sound quality is great, and the picture is very clear. My family never has to crowd together to fit into the frame, and the image doesn't waver or get fuzzy when they move. They can see me clearly too, even when the hotel room lights are dim. I wouldn't say the webcam makes business travel fun, but it means a lot to be able to interact with my family when I'm away.

Space Balls

Ambient Orb; $150; www.ambientdevices.com I'm surprised this frosted glass ball hasn't been a bigger hit. It's basically a wireless communication device that can be connected to any online data source--your stock portfolio, the National Weather Service, company servers--and programmed to change colors as information changes. I use the Orb first thing in the morning to check the results of software tests we run overnight. If the Orb is green, I know right away that the tests worked. If it glows red, the tests failed. I don't have to waste time reading log files or searching through e-mail clutter for the results. Setting up the Orb is really easy. You register the device at Ambient's website, where there's a menu of "channels" you can choose from and a simple set of instructions if you want to customize it. You can make your Orb radiate any color you want.

NATHAN CARPENTER Principal consultant, Raba Technologies

TELL US ABOUT YOUR INDISPENSABLE TOOLS AT favorites@business2.com