Let the Fun Begin
from
March/April 2007
by Bonnie Azab Powell
Yes, yes, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we, from the days when we didn’t know how to set the clocks on our VCRs and they blinked at us 24 hours a day. Technology at the corporate level can still leave us dizzy, but all but the grumpiest Luddites among us take pleasure in the everyday convenience of cell phones, computers, digital cameras, and the dozens of cutting-edge innovations that make our TV pictures sharper, our shopping easier, and our kids’ and grandkids’ games so dazzling they seem to have been dropped to earth from a Buck Rogers spaceship. Want to send an instant message to Timbuktu or a photo to a friend in Finland? Done, in the time it takes to read this sentence. Lost on a backwoods road or kicking yourself because you’re far from home and forgot to record your favorite TV show? No problem, if you have the right gadgets. Check out the nifty ones on these pages, complete with websites where you—like all tech-savvy people—can shop for them. And enjoy.
You’ll Never Have to Say, “Down in Front!”
Icuiti AV230 Video Eyewear ($249)
Who wants to watch a video iPod’s 2.5-inch screen for the length of a flight? These lightweight video goggles with integrated earbuds (opposite page) magnify almost any mobile or home device’s video output, and even people with glasses can use them. You’ll feel like you’re sitting nine feet from a 44-inch screen.
www.icuiti.com
Walk This Way
Proporta Solar Bluetooth GPS Receiver ($109)
This wireless, solar-powered device will turn your personal digital assistant (PDA) or smartphone into a global positioning system for use in a car, on a bike, or even on a hike. Combine it with navigation software and you’ll get voice-guided directions.
www.proporta.com
One Remote to Rule Them All
Logitech Harmony 1000 ($500)
Remember Tony Soprano cursing operatically as he tried to get his TV to play a DVD? Too bad he didn’t have this brand-new Logitech universal remote. It can program all your audio/video devices through a USB connection to your PC, and since it’s equipped with Z-Wave infrared, home-automation geeks can also use it to control Z-Wave-compatible products like automatic window blinds and lighting setups. You operate this cool clicker via the bright 3.5-inch color touchscreen, and there are hard buttons too.
www.logitech.com
Let’s Put on a Show!
Mitsubishi PK-10 PocketProjector ($799)
If you need to be able to give a PowerPoint presentation at the drop of a hint, just fling this tiny one-pound portable digital projector into your briefcase. You can run it off your Palm Treo or other PDA, or off your video iPod for impromptu movie screenings. With a resolution of 800 by 600 pixels, it can project a 40-inch image. The PocketProjector is powered by batteries, or you can plug it into an electrical outlet.
www.mitsubishi-presentations.com
Now That I’m Here, Where Am I?
TomTom Go 910 ($699)
On the road a lot? The TomTom navigation system will turn any rental car, or your own, into a smart vehicle. It comes fully loaded with maps—not just of the United States, but of Canada and Europe too—and can give navigation directions in English (U.K. and U.S. styles) and 35 other languages. It also has iPod connectivity, Bluetooth (you can use it as a speakerphone for your cell), and 12 gigabytes of available storage for photos and music when you’re not navigating.
www.tomtom.com
Your Very Own Vintage
WinePod ($3,500)
Toss some grapes, which you order online, into this stainless-steel egg, press a button, and a few weeks or months later you’ve got wine—or at least you do once it’s finished aging. The computerized WinePod egg connects wirelessly to your PC or Mac and monitors your wine, offering daily suggestions about adjustments to the pH or temperature, along with other advice. Yields four to five cases per batch.
www.winepod.net
TiVo Triumphs Again
TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder ($799)
Rejoice, you TiVo fans who regretfully abandoned the best brand of digital video recorder when you bought a high-definition TV. TiVo hasn’t supported HD—until now. The Series3 was a long time coming, but it’s here at last. Sure, there are cheaper HD DVRs, but copycat cable-company rentals just don’t deliver the same intuitive interface and reliable recording that the real thing does. The Series3’s massive 250-gig hard drive holds up to 32 hours of HD or 300 hours of regular TV. It also has an Ethernet jack for connecting to your home network, so you can schedule TV recordings from anywhere.
www.tivo.com
A Throne Fit for a King
Toto Neorest 600 Toilet ($5,200)
This is no ordinary john. The Neorest 600 raises its lid automatically as you approach, then flushes and closes it for you. It has a heated seat, an automatic washer, dryer, and air purifier, and a wireless control panel; some models play MP3’s. This is one gadget you’ll use more than any other.
www.totousa.com
Wireless Wonder
Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster ($100)
Sick of conference rooms where there’s only one Ethernet cable available for the crowd, or hotel rooms where the Internet connection is nowhere near the bed? Plug this portable router into a power outlet, connect to an Internet source, and you’ve instantly got a secure WiFi network that others can share, with your permission. And you can work or play on it anywhere in the room.
www.linksys.com
Is This a Microbe I See Before Me?
Elite PRO-FHD1 PureVision Plasma Monitor ($8,000)
This 50-inch plasma is the first to offer the highest available native definition for HD (1080p), which means you’ll be able to see not just the stitches on the ball but also the tiny bugs on the blades of grass in the stadium. A/V gearheads say this extreme pixel density gives an almost three-dimensional effect, and they’re exclaiming over the vibrant color fidelity and dark, rich blacks. Plus, the picture looks great even when you’re sitting up close.
www.pioneerelectronics.com
