Ultra Cool Gadgets

The new Reader (model PRS-505) features a svelte body design. Re-styled controls more closely mimic paper page turns and allow for quick, intuitive navigation. A next-generation electronic paper display delivers faster response and a higher contrast ratio for easy reading even in bright sunshine. Eight levels of gray scale provide for crisp and clear text, images, and graphics. This device is designed for people on the go, this device is compelling because it allows them to carry a wide variety of reading materials whether they are on a cross-country flight, in a doctor’s office waiting room, or at a beach resort. The Reader can handle a stack of books and other documents that people would rather not carry, yet offers a ‘book-like’ reading experience unavailable with other electronic devices. With the capacity to store up to 160 typical eBooks, the Reader can act as a mobile library. Expansion slots for Memory Stick Duo media or SD memory cards make the device’s library potential practically limitless.More advanced users will appreciate the USB-based mass storage capability that allows them to use the device as a portable drive for the direct transfer of documents, images and other files to the Reader. A new auto sync feature also lets users set up folders with books and documents that can be automatically synchronized when the device is connected to a PC.

Technical Details:
displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
displays Adobe® PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG and Microsoft® Word files
plays MP3 and AAC files (protected files not supported)
internal 192MB memory
memory slot holds an SD Memory Card (up to 2GB capacity) and Memory Stick® Duo media (up to 8GB capacity)

Customer feedback:

1. The PRS-505 is Sony’s second version of its portable book reader. This unit supports written documents in Sony’s proprietary eBook format as well as PDF, RTF and text formats. The display on this unit is improved from the 1st generation, and the text is highly readable. The display could appear a bit brighter, but does not strain the eyes as the first generation did. Because of the display technology, the brighter the light in which the page is viewed, the more readable it is.
There are a great many public domain titles available around the Internet for free. And Sony’s CONNECT software enables users to brows the Sony bookstore and purchase titles.

2. I’ve read e-books for years on my PDA’s from Palm to Pocket PC. I recently bought this reader from Sony, and I really like it. It has a much bigger screen than the Pocket PC phone I’ve been using most recently (XV6700), or any PDA I’ve used for that matter.
Pros:
-Supports RTF, TXT and PDF formats without any conversion. The included software makes it easy to add books to either the main memory or one of the memory cards-simply drag and drop.
-Nice, clear text, readable under the brightest of lights. It’s easy on the eyes, and after reading for hours on it, my eyes are not strained.
-Supports mp3 playback while you’re reading. Not a feature I use, but it may be nice for some.
-It’s light enough that my hands don’t get tired holding it for extended periods.
-Supports additional books on Memory Stick Pro Duo and Secure Digital. It’s the first Sony product I’ve ever had that supported anything other than Memory Stick.
-Ability to store multiple bookmarks to keep your place if you’re like me and read many books at the same time.
-Reads PDF files. None of my PDA readers could do that, I had to use Acrobat on the reader, which I didn’t like.
-Good battery life. My PDA’s got 3 hours or so if I was lucky. Not sure how many hours I’ll get off of a charge, but it seems like it’ll be a lot.

Cons:
-No HTML support. Seems like it would’ve been easy to add this. There are free converters to convert HTML to RTF/TXT format.
-Refresh rate is a bit sluggish. On my PDA’s it would turn the page instantly, this one has a small delay to draw the page, but it doesn’t bother me. If you think it might, you might want to try a demo unit at a retail store first. Still, it draws the page in a second or less.
-No backlight. Probably not included due to battery life, but you can’t read it in bed at night with the lights off. I bought a 15 dollar LED clip on light and use that, and it works great with it. This way I can read at night w/o bothering my spouse.
-Price. This isn’t cheap. It was worth it to me since I read virtually all my books as e-books, and I was sick of the small screens on my PDA. So I guess the value depends on how much you’ll use it.

Enjoy high quality stereo sound with these compact travel speakers. It features two powerful speakers and it’s compatible with your iPod, Mini iPod, or any audio player with a 3.5 mm jack. When used with an iPod, it will also function as a stand. It can be powered either through an USB power Cable or four AA batteries or AC Adapter. The unique fold-up design protects the speakers and makes it easy to carry around. You will be amazed by the sound quality of these mini speakers, with a signal to noise ratio of 63dB and a near full dynamic range of 200Hz-12KHz. They can fold up so they can be carried around easily in your pocket.
Features :
- Stylish white color that matches iPod Ideal for iPod, MP3 player, PDA, CD player and more
- Foldable lightweight design Volume Control Completely portable palm-sized and easy to carry
- Operates AAA batteries or USB power cable Works with iPod and iPod mini
- Specifications : 200 Hz - 12 KHz frequency response 50 mm speaker, 4 Ohms 3.5-mm audio line-in cable
- Power input: four (4) AA batteries or AC adapter (DC 6V, 350 mA)

Customer Feedback:

1. The speakerset is very convenient to carry around but don’t expect big sound out of the package. I bought it because the speakers on my laptop don’t seem to work.
Pros:
- Kinamx product can be powered by the USB
- Compact and easy to carry around
- Sound is fine in the midrange.
- Construction seems sturdy
- Very inexpensive

Cons:
- Included wire for connecting is very short. It is good enough for a mp3 player but needs maneuvering for a laptop
- Performance with some bass is mediocre. The speaker start vibrating a bit. I would have preferred to reduce the bass tones via a filter rather than attempting to play them badly
- Need to buy a power adapter to be able to play mp3 player

2. I purchased these speakers to make my purchase eligible for free shipping. I didn’t pay much, and these speakers are worth the price. They sound fine, they’re portable, and I like that they accept USB power

The Philips SBA1500/37 is both a portable and powerful speaker system to boost your music. Play extra powerful, rich sound to thrill your friends. These speakers come with their own power pack to amplify the music, which also neatly clips together with the speakers for true compact portability . Take them anywhere.

Technical Details:
- Powerful Speaker drivers produce realistic sound
- Acoustically-tuned air channel that turbo charges bass notes
- Wide stereo soundstage
- Compact and lightweight
- Plug and Play Speakers

Customer feedback:

1. I’m not an audiophile, so I can’t really comment on the quality of these speakers, but they sound fine to me. However, they do NOT have a “wall plug for extra power” as stated in the product description. The only power comes from three AAA batteries. I was looking for something that wouldn’t require me to carry batteries around, so this was disappointing. The speakers and power pod do pack together into an ostrich-egg sized unit, so the whole thing can tuck into an odd corner of my duffle bag.

2. Despite the fact that no AC power cord comes attached, I was stunned by the sound output of these tiny speakers. They’re superb. My only quibble would be that I’d prefer them in black, but that matters very little once you hear these titans. I’ve bought other mini-speakers within this price range and basically junked them… but Phillips comes through again and exceeds expectations. Don’t judge them by their size.

Bring your media with you wherever you roam with the Creative Zen 8GB player. Watch 32 hours of videos, enjoy up to 2,000 of your favorite songs or share hundreds of photos with your friends. And do it all on a device that’s about the width of a credit card.
The Zen sports a 2.5-inch TFT color display with 320 x 240-pixel resolution and support for up to 16.7 million colors. This razor sharp display is packaged in a device that weighs just 2.1 ounces and measures 3.26 x 2.16 x .44 inches (W x H x D). The internal battery powers the Zen for up to 25 hours of continuous audio playback and up to five hours of continuous video playback. Use the Zen’s SD slot to expand your portable media library with music, photos and videos stored on your SD card. There’s also a handy built-in microphone for capturing notes on the go.

Features:
- Product Type - MP3 Player
- Connectivity - USB 2.0
- Memory - 8 GB
- Voice recorder
- Clock and alarm function

Customer feedback:

1. Overall, great player with a very large display. The firmware needs some work. Audiobooks show up in the music list so shuffled playback selects random chapters for your listening pleasure. And a game or two wouldn’t hurt. In my humble opinion this is the best player for the money.

2. I have had this MP3 player for 3 months and I love it. It is extremely user friendly. I can easily import anything I want in seconds. No errors , no fighting. I also have an ipod touch that is an uphill battle the way. I love this thing.

The lightweight, portable HEM-629 Portable Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor measures blood pressure and pulse from the wrist with completely automatic inflation and deflation. Operation is as simple as pushing a button. Simply wrap the cuff around your wrist and press the “START” button. In seconds, your blood pressure and pulse rate appear on the large, easy to read digital display. Cuff fits wrists 5-1/4 to 7-3/4 in circumference. Outer Dimensions - Approximately 1-1/2H x 3 x 3. Includes instruction manual, carrying case. Limited five year warranty

Product Features

* Fourteen memory storage
* Watch style design
* Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included)
* Battery Life - Approximately one year when used once a day for two minutes
* Weight - Approximately five ounces with batteries

Customer feedback:

1. A doctor and myself measured readings done manually and readings done by this little machine, and found either way to be only a couple of numbers different.
My mom loves it, and we found the same model on Amazon for alot cheaper than 100.00. I have had poor experiences with another wrist blood pressure monitor that was 39.99. This little Omron is quick, easy, and correct. Some of it’s features: If you move your arm while you take the blood pressure, it shows an E for error. The batteries last about three motnhs. On this model, there is no battery indicator. It stores over 10 blood pressure readings. It also measures the pulse. There’s no date or time stamp, but I didn’t have good luck with the model with that feature.
To me, every house should have one of these cuffs, not the cheaper priced cuffs that donot work. I’ve used it at home and at work consistently, and I will buy the exact same cuff again. I hope Omron doesn’t stop making them.

2. This is a great product. My stepfather has developed very thin skin as he has gotten older and has to have his BP taken frequently every day. The regular arm cuff has caused quite a bit of damage to his arm. This cuff is around the wrist where the skin is a little thicker, thus saving his skin and not having to worry about infections to his upper arm. Also love the large digits on the screen. He is much happier and more willing to have his BP taken now. Thank you, Omron!

The High Fidelity Travel Companion For Your ZEN V or ZEN V Plus — Expand your music enjoyment with TravelSound ZEN V Simply plug in your ZEN V or ZEN V Plus MP3 player and get the best of both worlds - high fidelity audio and ease of portability. Indulge in a world of clear and detailed audio, courtesy of the four premium 36mm full range NeoTitanium micro drivers. This one-piece system also lets you dock and charge your MP3 player simultaneously. Packed with an extensive range of features such as dual power options, wireless infrared remote, wide stereo effect and clear FM radio reception (for ZEN V Plus only), get ready to take it outdoors and impress your friends at any party. Don’t limit the great sound to your ZEN V — connect any MP3 player, CD player or other audio device.

Customer feedback:

1. No matter how convenient it is to have a portable music player, there are times when you want to be able to listen to music “normally.” The Travelsound Zen V is the way to do so with the Creative Zen V and Zen V Plus players. It’s very small, attractive, easy to hook up, and simple to operate. (You may have to update the firmware on your player, but the download is free on Creative’s website, and the process takes just a few minutes.) There are lots of nice features. It runs on either 4 AA batteries or an included AC adapter. There’s a USB input, an auxiliary line-in input, and a subwoofer output on the back. The manual is pretty minimal, but it covers the basic operation. The remote control is surprisingly convenient, but it is very small, and there’s no on-board storage pocket or clip for it. Of course, the most important aspect of any speaker system is the sound quality. The Travelsound Sen V is outstanding! It’s amazing to hear the crisp sound from such a tiny system fill up a room. Obviously, you don’t get booming bass from such small speakers, but the bass is very good nonetheless.

2. After researching and finding good reviews for the Creative Zen V plus (at the time I bought it an iPod with similar features and size cost twice as much) I bought one and have loved it. A portable MP3 player is great if you’re in a position where it’s convenient to wear earplugs/phones, but the Travelsound makes the Zen V great pretty much all the time and everywhere. The sound from this little system is fantastic for 4W. You’re not going to rattle the windows at those decibels, but if you need your music that loud you’ve already suffered hearing damage! The Travelsound makes me able to carry our music on cookouts, tailgating, to the pool. I play it in my office and I bring it with me when I do surgery in the O.R. (At my facility a “permanent” stereo set up in the OR will be quickly stolen - the Travelsound with my handy little Zen makes me able to set up good sound, then carry it with me for safekeeping.)

Features 9 white LEDs that operate on high or low level, 6 red LEDs for an emergency flashing beacon, an AM/FM radio, 120 dB siren, nightlight, high frequency mosquito repeller, and compass. Charge by winding or use the included 12V DC adapter. Also includes adapters to charge a cell phone and audio input cord to use with your MP3 player. 11″H x 3″ dia. Perfect for emergencies or just to keep around the boat or house, Wind N Go products require no outside source of power. Just wind it up and power is generated in the rechargeable battery. There is no need to replace the battery or worry about whether your light or lantern will work when needed.

Product Features

* Lantern/radio
* 9 white LEDs that operate on high or low
* 6 red LEDs for an emergency flashing beacon
* Siren, mosquito repeller and compass

Customer feedback:

1. I’ve used this in a cabin in NH and during a few hour blackout at home. The light is too diffuse to read to, but it does the job to generally illuminate an area to keep you from bumping into walls or trip over a log. The radio works well, but it drains the power fast for some reason. The extras are neat too, like the siren and flashing lights and the ports to plug in cell phones. Well worth the cost.
2. After receiving this item I purchased another one I liked it so much. The handle is easy to crank and it runs for a long time on just a minute of hand crank charging. The handle is much better on this model than older ones. It is easy to turn and the overall design is better. We recently used the lantern during storms we had and it was well worth the money in not having to worry about being without a radio, light or trying to find batteries.

Dash delivers traffic and destination information in exciting new ways, and offers a wide range of new capabilities available from the car that makes a typical GPS practically obsolete. Dash is the smartest way to get from A to B, and find everything in between. Most portable GPS devices offer only a single route to your destination. Dash presents up to three different routes, provides the distance to your destination, and uses real traffic information to calculate travel times for each route. Even after you’ve selected a route, Dash automatically alerts you if traffic conditions change significantly.
Dash approaches traffic in an entirely different way — by collecting it from other people driving real commute routes, during real commute times. Each Dash Express anonymously and automatically sends its position and speed back to servers at the Dash Network Operations Center. The Dash servers then update all other Dash devices in the area with current road speeds. That way, members of the Network always have the best, most up-to-date traffic available.

Product features:

* Get true up-to-the-minute traffic data from the most reliable source–other Dash devices
* Find anything you need right from the driver’s seat using Yahoo! Local Search
* Automatically and wirelessly receive updated software and new features
* Send addresses straight to your device from any computer via your Internet browser or Microsoft Outlook
* Interact with your device and other Dash users on my.dash.net
* A unique “theft-deterrent” feature that can remotely disable your Dash device instantly, removing your personal data, shutting the device down, and making it a worthless target to would-be thieves.
* Automatic Day and Night Mode: Screens can automatically switch between day and night mode depending on the time of day
* Gas Prices: Search for gas stations and get gas prices, so you can compare prices - and then let Dash route you there
* Movie Listings: Search for movie theaters, see what’s playing (when and where) and get ratings - and then let Dash route you there

Customer feedback:

1. I have also been a beta tester since day 1. As it is now, this is the best GPS device available. I can’t stress enough how convenient the WIFI search is. If you need to know how to get somewhere, you just type in ANYTHING and search Yahoo! In the mood for a type of food? Just type it in. Meeting friends at a club you have not been to? Type in the name only, it will find it. Need to find a Target, any chain? Just type in the name of that Chain and pick any of tons of listings it will display in order of closest to farthest. This is sooooooo nice to have I would never have a GPS without it.
2. This device is a little large, but it is very manageable. Also, I have never had a problem with the Dash saying I was blocks away from my location. My experience has been once it has a lock, It even knows what lane I am in on the freeway (I believe I read that it will even route you through carpool lanes on the freeway if it senses you are already in one). I beta tested the very first units, and have been using this newly released unit for about 2 months now. While it does have a few quirks, I will never go to a non-connected GPS unit again. They have truly revolutionized the way that the GPS device functions. I love being able to recieve updates (including maps) for the fee of being connected.

The Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard is the perfect productivity companion to your smart phone, PDA, Tablet, Media Center PC or notebook; almost any device that has Bluetooth supports this hot new product! With its genuine full-size 18 mm spacing between keys, the Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard allows you to quickly type email, memos, or surf the web in optimum comfort. The sleek, award winning, patented folding design is featured in the Design Collection at Museum of Modern Art in New York. Its unique design allows it to easily fit in a pocket or purse, so you can take it everywhere, yet opens to a full size keyboard when you need it. A lap-lock is included that allows the keyboard to be used on a laptop; perfect for airports and other tight spaces! Symbols, and international characters are also supported making this the perfect on-the-go keyboard! Compatible with Pocket PC devices with integrated Bluetooth iPAQ 1945, 2215, 4155, 4355, 5100, 5150, 5450, 5455, 5550 and 5555 series models; Dell Axim x3 series models; Any Pocket PC devices with a Socket Bluetooth SD or CF card.

Product Details:

* Foldable, full-size QWERTY keyboard wirelessly connects to Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and PDAs
* Weighs less than 6 ounces; folds to 5.5 x 3.9 x 0.5 inches
* User-programmable shortcut and command keys for fast access to other applications
* Download drivers automatically from your smartphone/PDA–no PC needed
* Includes carrying case and detachable PDA/phone stand

Customer feedback:

1. This is my third keyboard that I’ve purchased for my PDA (Axim X50v) and I’m thrilled with the quality and performance of this keyboard. I highly recommend this product to anyone considering a keyboard. This keyboard is head over heals better than the other keyboards that I just mentioned. The keys feel nice and they are well spaced. Opening the unit was a little stiff at first, but now slides open and closed easily with a satisfying “click” at either end of the process. The Axim fits PERFECTLY into the cradle that is built into the unit (I use the Axim in landscape position). I was also able to get this keyboard to work in about 30 minutes. Not plug and play, but reasonable. The keyboard sacrificed the number keys to make room for the larger key spacing, but I haven’t found that it’s a problem to type numbers by holding down the function keys. The best thing about this keyboard however is the quality. I paid $90 for it and I’d do it again in a second.
2. My biggest complaint about BlueTooth keyboards is that they lag, as you type —- but this is not the case with the Stowaway — every key I pressed showed up INSTANTLY upon my Treo 650. So far, it has worked terrificly with my address book, calendar, and email (VersaMail). In addition, the keyboard folds together well and is EXTREMELY thin and portable —- I don’t know if you could carry it in a pocket - but a backpack, briefcase, etc will not feel any extra weight with this product

What makes the Panasonic DVD-LS80 stand out among all the portable DVD players is the remarkably versatile multi-angle 8.5″ LCD widescreen. It makes viewing easier in both common and unusual situations. After all, it’s the view that is the prime function!
The large 8.5″ widescreen display pivots for multi-angle viewing so you can adjust the position for optimum comfort and image quality. You can also adjust the screen brightness to get the best view of your DVDs in all kinds of light conditions. You get beautiful images while watching movies on a dimly lit airplane, or when you’re relaxing in the sun at a resort or other outdoor spot. When you’re in the mood for a movie, this versatile player can play back many different types of prerecorded DVDs, including DVD-RAM/-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW discs. If you want to give your eyes a rest and listen to some tunes instead, our portable DVD player handles lots of the most popular audio formats around, including CDs, MP3 - CD, CD-R/RW discs and WMA files.

Customer feedback:
1. Bottom line up front: This DVD player is ideal - it is light, great battery life, evolved smart design, and looks great. It has a faux black leatherlike coating on the screen backing and the black matte finish to the player which looks cool and doesn’t distract from the movie. The hinge that rotates the player from tablet-like flat to most any angle is strong and well hinged - looks like it would survive a fall. The picture is perfect without any adjustments; however, there is a button that adjusts for daylight and moonlight viewing as well as a a button to adjust brightness and color manually. The main menu allows several video adjustments (I used full digital noise reduction and full depth enhancer). Also, I enable bass boost, dialogue enhancer and sound enhancer and use Headphones Enhanced from the speaker/headphone menu. The buttons at the bottom of the player are easy to use and clearly marked for playback and the center button to the right of the dvd door allows up down and side to side menu navigation. I like a small button just above play that lets you advance the movie frame by frame with each push of the button and then hit play to resume. The picture is tight and not pixelated to my eyes.
2. Just returned from a two-week trip to London and Paris: this unit was a winner. Both kids were able to watch movies at the same time which reduced the wear and tear on Mom and Dad. No issues with 250V/50Hz power. It’s small, light and has excellent battery life. Don’t waste your time on the ultra-cheap units: buy this one and be happy.