High-Tech Housewares

The Livestrong Travel Mug by Chantal

Anyone who has tried to drink coffee out of a "commuter cup" knows the perils particular to this form of drinking and driving: When that tiny drinking slot is not where you think it is, the coffee winds up on your shirt instead of in your mouth. The Livestrong Travel Mug smartly solves the problem by making it possible to drink from anywhere along the cup's rim, and its top closes with the push of a center button. A stainless-steel vacuum body makes the cup a great insulator of hot or cold beverages, though you won't get that metallic taste since the lip is made of hard plastic. Best of all, 10 percent of the proceeds from the travel mug and other products in the Livestrong collection go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org), which supports cancer patients. Given the Armstrong connection, it's no surprise the mug fits perfectly into a bicycle's water cage.

Retail price: $20

Available at: Bed Bath & Beyond, www.cooking.com and elsewhere