GaGa GADGETS.

Tech toys that Angelenos just gotta nave

Forget last year's bogus Y2K scare that spawned such innovations as the paranoia-induced, hand-cranked battery radio.

Now that the real millennium is upon us (ask your high school math teacher), a number of products are making a splash in Los Angeles by taking technology a step or two further than consumers have ever seen.

"High-tech products are really big right now," said Marnie Lerner, whose Van Nuys-based Star Treatment Gifts is a professional shopper for studio executives and other business clients.

Some of the latest innovations to land on store shelves include portable DVD players with five-inch screens, satellite navigation systems, ReplayTV (which allows viewers to freeze live television), and wireless Internet transmitters that can stream audio from a PC onto a home stereo.

Here are six of the hottest high-tech gizmos with L.A. consumers.

The Wave by Bose

It's just a radio, right? Wrong.

Offering the best acoustic quality of any of the major brands, Bose has combined a CD player with its state-of-the-art radio without sacrificing functionality and barely increasing bulk.

Less than 4.5 inches high and 14 inches wide, The Wave comes with a credit-card-sized remote and features a simple and elegant control panel.

Although pricey at $499, The Wave has been drawing rave reviews for its acoustic and aesthetic strengths - a streamlined design and patented sound system.

Sony AIBO robot dog 

Although AIBO has been around for more than a year (or "three adoption periods," according to Sony marketers), the latest version of the high-tech robot is the paws-down top dog when it comes to programmable pets.

The new AIBO, released in December, allows owners to program their pet from a computer. New sensors around the body and improved LED displays in the eyes add emotional range to the robot's personality.

Despite its lofty $1,500 price tag - more than most full-bred pooches - AIBO has been extremely popular in L.A., according to Stuart Wallock, director of marketing for Sony's Entertainment Robot America.

"We're developing a lot of user groups (there)," Wallock said, explaining that robot owners (don't call it a toy) frequently congregate at AIBO fairs and AIBO "clinics."

"It's like taking your dog to the vet. We see how he's doing with his growth pattern and how he's doing technically," Wallock said.

Spoon SAM (Secret Agent Man) Watch

Spoon, a Pulsar brand, has scored a hit with its sleek, rectangular Secret Agent Man Watch.

Besides the usual goodies such as water resistance, luminescence, a stopwatch, timers and alarms, the Secret Agent Man watch can store up to 100 e-mail messages, URLs or phone numbers, and can be programmed to display a message at a specific time and date. And for those bereft of deep thoughts of their own, it comes with more than 45 pre-programmed greetings and proverbs.

The SAM watch retails for about $215, if you can find one on the shelf. "Jim Carrey's assistant just got him one, and he programmed in all his important names and numbers" said Lerner.

Canon Digital Elph

A terrific companion to the SAM for would-be spies. Digital cameras are available by the dozens these days but none is as small -- or cool -- as the Elph.

Measuring a scant 3.4 inches by 2.2 inches by 1.1 inches, and weighing in at a feathery 6.7 ounces, the Elph is the world's smallest and lightest digital camera. This years model, the S100, has the familiar stainless steel shell but also includes a host of new features such as a plug-and-play USB computer interface, improved autofocus and zoom, and a comprehensive software bundle featuring Adobe PhotoDeluxe. The pocket-friendly Elph, which has won several industrial design awards, can store hundreds of images at a time.

Logitech iFeel Mouse

A tiny motor inside this wireless mouse makes this the rodent of choice for discriminating PC users.

The motor emits a soft buzz as an audio cue as the Feel pointer moves over on-screen menus, icons and folders. Comfortable for both right- and left-handed users, the iFeel utilizes an optical sensor for precision accuracy.

While the incessant buzzing and ringing might drive some users to distraction, the $60 iFeel, with its sleek design and smooth functionality, represents the top end of a new wave of mice that do considerably more than just point and click.

Creative Technology Nomad Jukebox

For the audiophile with everything, along comes the Nomad Jukebox by Creative Technology -- offering hundreds of hours of music in a player that can fit in the palm of your hand.

At 14 ounces, Nomad Jukebox looks like an ordinary portable CD player. In fact, Nomad is a souped-up MP3 player with a storage capacity that is dozens of times six gigabytes of capacity, Nomad can store the equivalent of 150 CDs, an entire music collection for many people.

Retailing for about $500, Nomad hooks up to a PC for easy transfer from a hard disk or CD. Nomad has its own speakers and it's also attachable to a home or car stereo or even a hotel television.