Next up, things get a bit animated with Packing for Mars author Mary Roach, who will discuss the grosser side of manned space travel, while professional prognosticator (and sometimes rock musician) John Roderick kicks off his new reoccurring segment by explaining how space exploration helps him get out of bed in the morning.
The PSV's speaker stand is what you'd expect -- an iPod dock for the PlayStation Vita -- but the Kindle Fire varient is a bit more substantial, packing a onboard batter not for recharging the tablet, but for amplifying the speakers.
When it comes to packing, Simmons swears by her Louis Vuitton luggage. ("I always need a bit of extravagance, " she says.) Seems toting pricey gear makes traveling less of a chore.