Tools and toys.These gadgets prove tech savvy doesn't have to mean boring CALLING DICK TRACY It's the stuff of spy novels and cartoons--a wristwatch that takes digital pictures. Or is it? The Casio Wrist Camera Watch lets you take up to 100 remarkably crisp black-and-white digital images; just aim and click. Once you're done, beam the images to another wrist camera or to your PC via the infrared adapter (for an additional $49.95). Oh yeah, the watch tells time, too. Casio Inc., $199, 800-836-8580; www.casio.com A SOUND SOLUTION Tired of surfing the Web or watching DVDs on a PC with a tinny tin·ny adj. tin·ni·er, tin·ni·est 1. Of, containing, or yielding tin. 2. Tasting or smelling of tin: tinny canned food. 3. audio system? The Altec Lansing Altec Lansing Technologies, Inc. is a manufacturer and marketer of computer and home entertainment sound systems, headphones, and microphones for personal digital media. five-piece ATP ATP: see adenosine triphosphate. ATP in full adenosine triphosphate Organic compound, substrate in many enzyme-catalyzed reactions (see catalysis) in the cells of animals, plants, and microorganisms. 5 audio system makes every PC experience come alive. This sleek system delivers 80 watts of audio power for high quality surround sound--perfect for multimedia. And it's packed into a small form, which makes it a perfect fit for tiny office spaces. Altec Lansing Technologies Inc., $199.95, 800-258-3288; www.alte clansing.com NOW HEAR THIS Let's face it: Whether it's Internet telephony, MP3s, DVDs, games, or speech recognition, digital audio is the only way to go. And the best way to listen to audio is with the Plantronics DSP-300 digitally enhanced stereo headset. Compatible with both Windows and Mac OSes, the lightweight USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. headset also features a noise-canceling microphone for enhanced speech and comes with a plethora of audio and speech software. Plantronics, $109.95, 800-544-4660; www.plantronics.com/digital LIGHT MY FIREWIRE If you're a power user, you need a powerful hard drive--and that's where the Que M3 UltraSlim hard drive comes in. Available for FireWire or USB connection, the seek, stackable device lets you share and transport large files (such as video and music) in a flash. The 10GB drive reaches speeds up to 7,200 rpms and is Mac and PC compatible. QPS (Queries Per Second) The number of database transactions that can be handled in one second. Inc., $379, 800-559-4777; www.qps-inc.com THE BIG PICTURE If you think it's impossible to fit a 5.3-pound PC with a 15.2-inch screen, 400MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. of processing power, and a DVD-ROM DVD-ROM: see digital versatile disc. A read-only DVD disc used to permanently store data files. DVD-ROM discs are widely used to distribute large software applications that exceed the capacity of a CD-ROM disc. drive in a 1-inch form factor, think again. The PowerBook G4 Titanium has all that and more, letting road warriors stand out from the commuting herd. Apple Inc. pricing starts at $2,599, 800-MY-APPLE; www.apple.com MIGHTY FINE Sleek, stylish, and packed with functions, the Fujifilm FinePix 6800 Zoom digital camera is a welcome addition to your arsenal of business tools. Designed by F.A. Porsche (who brought us the classic Porsche 911 sports car), the camera boasts a host of useful features, including Webconferencing and image-voice annotation, a 3x zoom, and enhanced image processor. With classic features, useful functions, and a pedigreed design, what's not to love? Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc, $899, 800-800-FUJI; www.fujifilm.com PLATINUM IN YOUR PALM The Handspring Visor Platinum isn't just an organizer. With 8MB of storage, the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). is also 50% faster than the Visor Deluxe and features a Springboard expansion slot The SpringBoard Expansion Slot was a versatile expansion slot devised for Handspring's range of Palm OS PDAs. In 1999, the flexibility and expandability possible with SpringBoard modules was unavailable in other handheld computers. that lets you turn it into an MP3 player, phone, or digital camera via a snap-on module (pictured is the eyemodule2 digital camera, $199.95). Handspring, $299, 888-565-9393; www.handspring.com |
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