TECHNOLOGICAL BEAUTY IS MORE THAN CASE-DEEP
Most point-and-shoot digital cameras still look simple on the outside, but what's inside is getting more and more sophisticated. Sony's new Cyber-shot DSC-T50 is a prime example.
For those of the film camera generation, the lack of a viewfinder on the T50 might take some getting used to, but the 3-inch touch screen should help.
The screen has frame points to help locate the center of the picture and make sure the shot is level.
The T-50 has built-in image stabilization to compensate for camera shake, while the touch screen makes it simple to change settings on the camera, including red-eye reduction, flash, macro mode for close-ups and sensitivity for low light levels when flash might not be appropriate.
The camera has a Carl Zeiss lens with a 3x zoom and produces pictures at 7.2 megapixels. It comes in black, silver and red.
A built-in slide show program lets you display all your photos in a variety of ways, including a mode that provides transition effects with supplied music.
WIRELESS HEADPHONES THAT AREN'T JUST FOR IPODS
The iPod may be the market leader in portable music players, but it has plenty of competitors. In recognition of that, some companies are delivering products that work with both iPods and other MP3 players.
Among them is Logitech's new FreePulse Wireless Bluetooth headphones, which also eliminate the headphone cord. Because few music players have built-in Bluetooth, the FreePulse comes with a Bluetooth transmitter that fits into a standard headphone jack.
The headset, made of very light carbon spring steel, fits behind the head rather than over it. Logitech says that you can hear music up to 10m away from the player, but in informal tests the range was much farther. Unfortunately you can't control your music from the headphones, just the volume.
As with all devices with rechargeable batteries, the headphones require yet another power plug, but a dual-headed cable lets you charge both the headset and the transmitter simultaneously.
THIS MOUSE KILLS VIRUSES THAT INFECT YOU, NOT YOUR COMPUTER
With cold and flu season looming, you might start wondering if that innocent-looking computer mouse on the desk is actually a petri dish with buttons — especially if it is connected to a public computer at a school or library. At least one mouse is fighting back: the Germ Free Wireless Laser Mouse from Iogear has a special coating that its maker says will neutralize 99 percent of the microbes on its surface.
The outer shell of the mouse is coated with tiny particles of titanium oxide and silver, and it uses a chemical reaction to battle bacteria and viruses. The titanium oxide attracts oxygen and water molecules, and when those are combined with light and the titanium oxide's electrons, they give off free oxygen ion bases. Iogear says these ions reduce or eliminate germs — and also create more carbon, oxygen and water particles to start the process all over again, making the mouse self-cleaning.
BRB. THE PASTA IS BOILING OVER.
There is an elusive beast in home electronics called the kitchen computer, a device meant to sit on the counter and serve up online recipes, Internet radio and e-mail to people too busy whipping up brownies to sit down at the PC. The Pepper Pad 3 just might fit that bill.
The US$699 Pepper Pad 3 isn't a tablet or a laptop, and it's far too underpowered to run heavy-duty software. But it has a Web browser and it supports most e-mail systems along with AIM instant messaging. It has better video playback and a faster processor than previous Pepper Pad models and is a bit cheaper. The Pepper Pad 3, the joint creation of Pepper Computer and HanBit Electronics, and will begin shipping next month.
The Pepper Pad has a built-in universal remote for turning on TVs and stereos, and there's a kitchen diary for storing recipes and notes. The entire device weighs 1.1kg. PC software allows you to stream music and photos from any computer on your wireless network.
The Pepper Pad's split keyboard allows for quick thumb typing, although most of the main features appear as icons on the touch-sensitive screen, perfect for jabbing with a flour-covered finger.
A DIMINUTIVE CELLPHONE WITH SIGNS OF INTELLIGENCE
The Cingular 3125, better known in phone-geek circles as the Star Trek because of its similarity to the communicators on the Starship Enterprise, is a full-featured smartphone in a cell phone's body.
The 113g 3125 is the first clamshell-style phone to run Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphones and features a 1.3-megapixel camera. While it does not have a full keyboard, it can be used to send e-mail, browse the Internet and listen to music. It also has Bluetooth wireless networking and a Micro SD memory expansion slot.
Clad in black plastic and featuring music buttons on the front, the 3125 is fairly austere. A 1.2-inch screen lights up to display a song name or identify a caller. Opening the phone reveals punched metal keys much like the Motorola Razr's and a 2.2-inch color display.
The software has contact management tools and a calendar that synchronizes with a Windows PC. While you can't use the 3125 to ask Scotty to beam you up, you can check your e-mail, then call Mom to pick you up from soccer practice.
Make your iPod upstanding
For long-suffering iPod fans, the days of scratched screens, gouged chrome and cramped hands may be over. The Griffin Centerstage is an iPod case but it is also a stand, allowing you to prop the iPod on any flat surface for a more relaxed video viewing experience.
The case consists of a polycarbonate body and an aluminum front that flips out to become a stand. It fits the latest video iPod and is priced about US$25.
While the case's two-in-one package may not appeal to everyone, it will still protect and coddle your iPod against the elements. It comes in black, blue, pink and silver. It is available online from www.griffintechnology.com and in many retail stores.
While it won't improve your battery life, it will keep your iPod looking fresh and clean, not to mention upstanding.
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