Tis the season to make a list of all the cool toys you want Santa Claus to bring! And if you have to play Santa Claus yourself, here's our list of some of the year's cooler games, gadgets and gizmos for all the people on your list, naughty or nice.
Sony KLV-20WS2 Wireless LCD TV
For those who can't miss an episode of C.S.I., Sony offers a wireless TV that you can carry from room to room. Hang the laundry, make dinner then take a bath without missing any of the good parts. You can also surf the Internet with the screen's picture-in-a-picture and touch-screen technologies. Comes in 7-inch and 12-inch models that cost about US$1,000 and US$1,400, respectively. The only complaint from most early adapters is battery life; about 60 to 80 minutes before needing to recharge. Any less than that and you'll miss the climax of your show.
LG has just announced it's own wireless TV, a 15-inch model they say will have longer battery life. It looks impressive, but no word yet on how impressive the price will be.
Meade CaptureView Binoculars
Finally someone got smart and included a simple digital camera inside a pair of binoculars to capture all the action outdoors, in the arena or at live performances. Meade's CaptureView binoculars come with 8 x 42mm lenses and a 2-megapixel camera with a flip-up LCD screen. You can take up to 40 images at the highest resolution and capture video clips as well. An SD card slot allows you to add more memory. List price: US$80.
Pyramid
The Pyramid is a little desktop device that's becoming popular in Japan among those who can't live without TV. If you have an SD-enabled phone, simply put one of the SD cards in the Pyramid and program the device to record your favorite television program. Then stick the SD card back in your phone when it's done, and the next day during your commute to work you can watch the show on your phone's LCD screen and listen through the headphone.
Pyramat Sound
Lounger
For a more enhanced viewing experience, get a Sound Lounger. What better way to enjoy computer gaming than laying on a 3-speaker sound system with a vibrating backrest and subwoofer positioned directly behind your head? It's compatible with all gaming consoles and any audio device -- TV, VCR, DVD or MP3 player. String up to eight loungers together and everyone in the room can get the most out of your media. Priced at US$145.
Ms. Pac Man/Galaga Arcade Game
This is video gaming old-school style -- 1981 to be exact. Like millions of other kids, I'd ride my bike to the local Pizza Hut and pump the Pac Man and Galaga machines full of quarters. I was more of a Galaga guy than a Pac Man fan -- the vibrating cone that doubled your fire power was mesmerizing. Pac Man was cool for the names of the ghosts: Inky, Blinky, Clyde and S.
Now you can have them both combined into one full-sized arcade game. The ultimate in nostalgia toys for only US$3,000, through Brookstone.
Airswitch
Mathmos, the same British company that invented the lava lamp way back in 1963, now introduces Airswitch, a lamp controlled by motion detection. Pass your hand horizontally though the air above the beaker-shaped lamp and Airswitch turns on or off. No big deal, you say? Raise or lower your hand vertically above the lamp and Airswitch will brighten or dim. Beam us up, Scottie! Currently only available in the UK.
Light Sleeper bed set
Light Sleeper supposedly serves as a natural-feeling alarm clock. Luminescent materials woven into the sheets and pillow cases begin to slowly glow at the preset time, triggering your biological mechanism that tells you it's time to wake up. Whatever. I just think they look totally cool. The London-based designer who invented Light Sleeper also makes wallpaper that responds to ambient sound. As the sound in the room grows louder, the wallpaper glows brighter. What purpose that serves is anyone's guess but, again, it's totally cool. Check out http://www.loop.ph for more info.
Wave Pillow
Here's a different way to wake up for surfers. Instead of crawling out of bed every day at 5am to see if the surf is good, Wave Pillow will wake you if the surf is good. Connect it to your computer through a spare USB slot, install the software, and choose your surf spot on the accompanying map. Wave Pillow will monitor wave buoy Web sites in the area and, if the surf's up, it will shake you awake with a vibrating motor built into the pillow. Check out www.wavepillow.com for details.
USB Snowman
This cute little desktop snowman plugs into a USB slot and glows red, green and blue. At about NT$300, it's a perfect stocking stuffer or office party present. Also in the line of USB stocking stuffers, check out the USB cup warmer. It does pretty much exactly what you'd think it does and for about the same price as the snowman.
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