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Technology Review

NO NEED TO LUG A LAPTOP WHEN A GREMLIN WILL DO

Gremlins are imaginary creatures that love to destroy machinery, but the Music Gremlin is of a different breed. This device is the gateway to a music-on-demand service with a twist — you don't need a computer to download music, just a WiFi hot spot.

The player, which weighs about 230g and costs US$300 at Amazon.com, connects to the Music Gremlin service, which gives you access to the more than 2 million songs on the MusicNET network. Once you have signed up for the US$15-a-month service, you can download as many songs as you want, at least until you fill up the device's 8 gigabytes of storage space. The music will disappear when you stop paying for the service, unless you buy permanent copies at US$0.99 a track.

The Music Gremlin lets you share playlists with other Gremlin owners, meaning that if it takes off you will be able to sample the musical tastes of the strangers around you who have agreed to share.

The device works with most free and paid WiFi hot spots. It is a convenient way to get your music fix without ever having to touch a keyboard or mouse.

LOOK UP ALL THOSE BIG WORDS ON THIS PLAYER

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary and MP3 Player (www.franklin.com) combines a dictionary, world clock, calculator and digital music player into one small device that slips easily into a vest pocket.

The dictionary's Google-like search window and a chicklet QWERTY keyboard provide access to 274,000 definitions. I did not count them, but can attest that there were five best guesses for the word “errent,” including “Orient” and the correct “errant.”

The calculator is straightforward, transforming the letter keys into a numerical keypad, and offering standard math functions.

But what makes this not your average electronic dictionary/calculator/clock is the ability to store and play back a recorded lecture through the included earbuds. You can either use a USB cable and a Mac or Windows computer and simply drag the files to the 128-megabyte hard-drive icon, or insert an SD storage card.

Powered by two AA batteries, Franklin's dictionary makes you wonder how many other everyday devices will soon have MP3 players.

SWEAT-RESISTANT HEADPHONES: BRING ON THE WORKOUT

The average gym rat may not wonder what cascades of sweat will do to a pair of ear buds, but the headphone maker Sennheiser has (it can make them corrode or short out). So Sennheiser has introduced a series of water- and sweat-resistant headphones specifically for the sports-minded.

The Series 3 Sport line of headphones has six styles of phones that can be spotted by their neon green accents. The headphones, currently available through Amazon.com, range in price from US$35 to US$55. They adjust to the ear by lengthening and turning the phones for optimum sound and have soft rubber ear pieces for comfort.

The phones are made with rubberized speaker parts and are sealed at seams where water might infiltrate.

The package warns not to use the headphones in salt water. But because they require occasional cleaning with mild detergent, you could always use them to sing in the shower.

HOW MANY RAYS TODAY? CONSULT YOUR UV MONITOR

Fun in the sun is all good — until somebody gets burned. To keep track of how many rays you're getting while enjoying the weather, there's Oregon Scientific's Personal UV Monitor, which includes an exposure timer to help you get back in the shade before it's too late.

The potential exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation varies with seasons, weather conditions and the state of the ozone layer. (Spending time in the sun on days with a high UV index can lead to skin damage from the sun more quickly than on days with a lower UV index.) The Personal UV Monitor keeps track of the current UV levels as well as the temperature, and calculates a recommended exposure time based on your skin type and the sun protection factor of any sunscreen lotion used.

The Personal UV Monitor is available for US$30 or less at www.oregonscientific.com or weather-gadget Web sites like www.partshelf.com. The device also comes with a splash-proof case and a wrist strap to keep it close at hand when you venture out into the light.

MUST CLICK OFF NOW, I NEED MY CURSOR BACK

In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, the crew travels back in time to 1986, and Scotty tries to communicate with a computer by picking up a mouse and talking into it. Sony's new MouseTalk won't allow you to talk to your computer, but it will let you talk to your friends over the Internet.

The optical mouse, smaller than a standard desktop version for easy portability, connects via a USB port. It has the usual two buttons and a scroll wheel. But if you want to make an Internet telephone call, the mouse transforms into a flip phone. The scroll wheel becomes the volume control, and if you click it, it mutes the call.

To make this work, you need to install some software, which Sony provides, to control the phone functions and you need an Internet phone service. The MouseTalk is certified by Skype (www.skype.com), one of the most popular of these services.

One drawback is that while you are on the phone, you cannot use the mouse as a mouse.
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