Be Smart

I refuse to use the "iPhone killer" moniker to describe phones with large touchscreens, finger-friendly user interfaces, and slim form factors with touch controls, but Samsung sure makes the term tough to avoid with its series of Instinct vs. iPhone commercials. The 4.4-ounce iPhone-rivaling Instinct features built-in GPS, EVDO Rev A mobile broadband connectivity, microSD card expansion slot, video and still-photo recording, live TV, and on-the-go music downloads (without wi-fi) and will be available from Sprint on June 20th.

Pricing hasn't been formally announced yet, but it's expected to be priced at under $300.

Via MobileBurn.

Gone are the days when I judged watches at least partly based on how easy it was to read the time from them. Now, the time of day flashes everywhere - on our cell phones, computer screens, TVs. Try ignoring the time for half a day without taking yourself to the middle of the woods with no electronic connection to the rest of the world. Really, it's hard to get away from it without drastic measures.

Online store Tokyoflash Japan, which trades on the idea that these days, telling time from a wristwatch is rather beside the point, sells watches with sometimes complicated LED displays which are fun to look at but challenging to read time from.

Isn't it amazing how something as simple as a new color can get a two-year-old device back into tech headlines?

The latest "news" about the 2006-introduced Nintendo DS Lite is that it will soon be available in more colors in Europe. While Americans must remain content with the two-toned cobalt/black model released a few months ago, Europeans (and Europe tourists) can choose from ice blue, lime green, and a shade of red that could only be called very cherry.

Via DS Fanboy.

If you'll be in or near New York City in the next few weeks, please go where I went last weekend. Here's why:

At the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, the garden gnomes have re-imagined the 19th century English garden that changed the world. This particular garden led pretty directly to the 21st century genetic technology that feeds us, discovers and cures our ills, and could eventually cure this century's ills too. Some of them, anyway, like climate change and pollution.

Call me strange (hey, it wouldn't be the first time - or even the hundredth) but when I shop online, I usually have a specific something in mind. A book, some pants, that episode of The Hills I missed on cable, you know, something I want.

But some people, they just like to shop. And apparently, they don't care what they actually end up with: as long as they've spent money, they're happy. The Something Store is the perfect site for these people - or anyone with an affinity for playing the odds.

You send the Something Store $10, and they will send you... something. Something non-returnable, at that. It could be something posh and exciting, it could be something you'll never use. You might like it, you might hate it, but at least you'll have got rid of some of that pesky cash burning a hole in your pocket.

Via Shiny Shiny.

Unless every single song on your MP3 player is something you'd be happy to hear when you're working out at the gym (good luck on staying "in the zone" when a sappy Michael Bolton ballad follows a round of rock tunes), your low-capacity gym companion needs a built-in screen.

That, of course, rules out both generations of the iPod shuffle. Consider instead the Creative MuVo T200, which so happens to have just received a flash memory upgrade. Previously offered with only 2GB of internal storage, the lightweight player that features a built-in USB plug, FM radio, 65K-color 128 x 32 display, voice recorder, and 9-hour battery life is now available with double the gigabytes.

Creative Japan has priced the 4GB MuVo T200 at 6980 yen (about $67), so you can probably expect to pay a similar amount in the US. The new capacity is already up on the Creative USA site, where the 2GB version can be had for $50, so it's only a matter of time before that drop-down menu lists the 4GB as well.

Via SlashGear.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking about turning EVA foam into chairs, footstools and wall hangings, as professional artist Carla Tennenbaum did.

Today, I'm inspired by crafter Kianee, who made a new sixties-style lampshade from discarded pudding pots - and the end result looks as funky as anything you would see in a trendy New York boutique. (And yes, it can be safely used with a bulb - a low-energy one is apparently best!).



If you're inspired to make one of your own, choose the pudding or yogurt you use with care: the lamp will only look pretty if the pots are a nice design! Then simply string them together using little metal rings and attach to a lampshade ring. The only downside is you'll have to eat a lot of pudding to get the lamp of your dreams...

Read more about the project on the Craftster forum.

Via Crafty Crafty.

We know you're still digesting those Hello Kitty sushi cell phone charms we showed you recently, but since some of you would like nothing more than to see Miss Kitty . . . oh, I don't know . . . thrown into an oven and baked up nice and golden brown perhaps (hey now, don't judge us; you're the ones who want it done), we just couldn't let this one go. Making your dreams come true is one of our top priorities, after all.

So please sit back, relax, and feast your eyes on the Deliciously-Browned Kitty Cell Phone Strap. Imagine: for just $4.36 from Strapya World, you could hang a baked Hello Kitty from your cell phone to show everyone how cruel, I mean cool, you've been to a defenseless feline who stepped into a dark room, put a finger where her mouth should be, and thought, "Hmm. Is it just me or is it getting really hot in here?"

Although we were the ones to bring this to your attention, we will deny any involvement when the Kitty Avengers appear on your doorstep.

It's been quite a week for kooky concept designs. First, there was Triumph International's "solar-powered bra", above, a funny-looking prototype for underwear which includes solar panels to charge a cellphone or MP3 player plus refillable water-filled sacs to reduce our reliance on bottled water... Oh, and it also holds your breasts aloft. Good job: it doesn't yet operate when the user is wearing clothes.

Phillips' idea to integrate fashion and function is to build a charging station into a woman's handbag, and being a purse fanatic (and someone who generally keeps her underwear from public view) I like this idea a bit better. It sounds somewhat complicated: the bag will have different sections, for your different devices to charge in their own areas while you're on the move, and the strap will conceal a USB port. As to how pretty it will be, we'll have to wait a while to find out: it's only at patent stage for now.

Via Ananova and Engadget.

UrbanOutfitters.com knows that your appetite for food-shaped USB drives is absolutely insatiable.

Don't believe me? Then check out their 1GB pizza flash drive. What reason other than capitalizing on your foodie-drive hunger would the company have for charging $50 for portable storage that can often be had for less than $10?

Via geeksugar.

As much fun as constant sneezing and itchy eyes can be, most of us who suffer from hay fever dream of spending an entire summer symptom-free. British company Health Innovations claims they can now make that dream a reality, thanks to a new gadget called Medinose.

Medinose works by using to photo therapy to inhibit the release of histamine. Insert the prongs of the device into your nose for 4-5 minutes, two or three times a day, and you could apparently see a reduction or even elimination of your symptoms. This has to be worth a try: it's drug-free, simple, and at £79.95 ($158) is a lot less expensive than weekly prescriptions...

Via Shiny Shiny.

Okay, so even though I freely admit to naming my electronics, pampering them with accessories, showing them off to family and friends, swaddling them in cases, I'm not crazy. Not certifiably so, anyway. That's why even I know that the $80 laptop backpack from Built takes the "gadget-as-baby" phenomenon to new heights.

Designed for 12" to 17" notebook computers, the water-resistant neoprene backpack features three compartments (one for accessories, a shoulder pocket for whatever would fit there, and one for the laptop itself) and can be machine-washed and left on the line to drip dry. That's more than I can say about those handwash-only real babies.

Via Crave.

Okay, so even though I freely admit to naming my electronics, pampering them with accessories, showing them off to family and friends, swaddling them in cases, I'm not crazy. Not certifiably so, anyway. That's why even I know that the $80 laptop backpack from Built takes the "gadget-as-baby" phenomenon to new heights.

Designed for 12" to 17" notebook computers, the water-resistant neoprene backpack features three compartments (one for accessories, a shoulder pocket for whatever would fit there, and one for the laptop itself) and can be machine-washed and left on the line to drip dry. That's more than I can say about those handwash-only real babies.

Via Crave.

You've heard the expression "More fun than a barrel of monkeys? " I know, I never understood it either, but how about "Party with your Parrot?"

Now this makes sense since it's a mobile soundbox that you can take anywhere. And it's Bluetooth so it works with any Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) source: Bluetooth A2DP mobile phone, Bluetooth-enabled PC computers, or Bluetooth MP3 players. Just send your playlist - it automatically detects the music source whether its Bluetooth or line-in (let's say you have one of those ancient analogue music devices such as a CD player.)

Light and compact - only 21 ounces - the Parrot PARTY is only 9 inches long but packs a punch, thanks to the Class-D amplifier and two wide-band speakers whose response curve was reconfigured especially for the Parrot PARTY.

Equipped with a built-in rechargeable battery, it gives you more than 4 hours of uninterrupted music wherever you use it – at home or out at a party, the beach, work, . . . So party down with your Parrot. $139 at Parrot.

Don't miss your chance to win a Parrot PARTY in today's Popgadget Drop email. Not a subscriber yet? just SIGN UP now.

I already own the original black OtterBox rugged Defender case for my iPhone because it provides drop, shock and bump protection, but I've never been crazy about the way it looks. Now Otterbox is offering the case - plus an iPod Nano 3rd Generation number - in pink to benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. 10 % of the purchase price will be donated to the Cancer Crusade "to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved."

What's to Love:
- There are 3 layers of protection; a clear Polycarbonate sheet with high performance hard coating that offers chemical and abrasion protection.
- Hi-impact Polycarbonate skeleton.
- Silicone skin to absorb bump and shock. (Though the company specifies that these are not water-proof, my experience indicates they're water resistant.)
- All ports remain accessible through convenient Silicone plugs so you can sync and charge your iPhone right through the case.
- Included with the case is a holster style belt clip, for those who swing that way.

It's PINK!

And best of all, part of the proceeds go to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. There, I made it a guilt-free purchase. $49.95 at OtterBox.

I don't know anyone who couldn't use this mini battery pack from Kensington. Not only does it power and charge your iPhone or iPod, it's small enough to slip in your purse so you'll always have it with you.

It extends play time up to 30 hours of music (nano 3rd generation only), 6 hours of video, or 3 hours of talk.

The rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery pack comes with a retractable USB charging cable for recharging the battery pack, and the LED battery meter displays the remaining power level . If you let the battery pack run out you're on your own. $49.99 at Kensington or Amazon.

Eating only half an apple is easy, but eating half a banana isn’t. Well let me rephrase the statement. Preserving a left-over apple is easy, but preserving a left-over banana isn’t.

Which is why the NANA Saver Banana Holder seems like a good idea. The plastic banana holder can be clipped to the exposed end of a sliced banana to minimize air contact. So that the slice remains fresh for a longer duration – just don’t ask how long as it is not mentioned on the site. What the heck, it is definitely innovation at $2.98.

Via Random Good Stuff.

Our fellow gadget bloggers over at Crave are extremely sceptical about the merits of the TextCu.be, and I admit the self-consciously wacky spelling turns me off: we get it manufacturers, you're so modern and funky. Now can we go back to proper spellings?

But I still think this little keyring with social networking capabilities (the little keyring that could, if you will...) has promise. For starters, it could appeal to anyone who is banned from using social networking sites at work (just don't tell them I told you that!). The ability to send Twitter messages and communicate via Facebook could prove cheaper and more convenient than text messaging (although I haven't checked out how the pricing system for Internet access works, so don't quote me on that).

Finally, as it's customizable, the Textcu.be sounds like the ideal gift for an online networking-obsessed teen. (You might even get them to come to a family dinner if they feel confident they can leave their computer for a couple for hours without missing anything!)

At $100, it's a lot to pay for a gimmick, but I'll be very interested to see what version 2 can do.

When I saw that Olympus mju cameras now come with a choice of colorful skins, my heart started beating a little faster. You see, not only do I have an Olympus mju camera, but I'm frustrated by its limited (3x optical) zooming capabilities and will be looking to upgrade soon!

I'll have to be quick if I want one of these little beauties, though - the mju µ 1020 with three specially-designed skins is limited edition: only 5000 are available. Not only does it look good, it sounds like a darn good camera too, with a 2.7 inch LCD screen, 10.1 mega pixels, 7x optical zoom, 23 scene modes and the ability to shoot underwater. The bad news is they don't seem to be available in the US yet...

My home town of Sheffield, England has become the unexpected new home of young women with quirky yet ingenious design ideas. A couple of months ago, I shared Rachel Gilbert's design for feline false teeth with Popgadget readers, and now I've just read about Ruth Amos, an 18-year old student from Sheffield who has invented the StairSteady handrail, a simple but brilliant idea.

The StairSteady is a rail that attaches across any flight of stairs and moves in front of you as you walk - so that someone with problems staying upright can hold on to this to help them get up and down stairs safely. It costs £329.00 ($642) plus the cost of fitting, so it isn't cheap, but it is a lot more affordable than moving to an apartment because you're scared of falling over!

Miss Amos told the BBC that she was inspired to create the device to help the father of one of her teachers - who had suffered a stroke.

When I was 18, pretty much all I cared about was where I'd go to college and whether I'd over-plucked my eyebrows (I invariably had). Something tells me she'll go far...

Most of the so-called antennas for cell phones are just gimmicks and not worth the money, but we've finally found one that works. The Griffin case conceals a built-in booster antenna that captures more of the available wireless signal and sends it to the internal antenna of your iPhone. This should result in a better signal, especially in drop-out areas — which translates to fewer dropped calls, wider coverage areas, and faster downloads when browsing.

I gave it to a friend of mine to test, who seems to know ALL the drop-out areas in LA and he put it through its paces. His report: "Seemed to get better signal strength in known areas where I would get completely knocked off or very low signal." He was pleased with it but had one complaint - that the little "antenna stub" made it difficult at times to retrieve the iPhone from his pocket.

If you want to test the effectiveness of the ClearBoost, Griffin has page where you can do a "field test." Or do your own field test. For $29.99, it's definitely worth it.

You know those shopping sites where you have the option to view clothing you're thinking of buying "on a model?" Of course, everything looks great on the model, but for all you know, she's six feet tall and weighs 90 pounds. Some online shopping sites have a virtual model feature where you pick a model based on body type (for instance, you might be given a choice of triangle, upside triangle, or hour glass - but what if you're more of a rectangle?), height, skin tone, hairstyle, etc. I've never found this kind of feature to be useful because the model never looks anything like me.

In Japan, Avielan Company has developed software for a virtual fitting room called Awaseba that lets you create an online model of the real you rather than a cartoonish avatar. The software application is sold to online merchants who provide the service for free to their customers. To use it, you simply upload a photograph of yourself in the designated pose (face forward, standing straight up, arms at your sides not too close to your body).

As I mentioned last week, I recently flew to Australia. While my countrymen and women back home in England are rejoicing at every weak spot of sunlight they get, for the last month I've been waking up to glorious warm, sunny days, even though it's almost winter in the southern hemisphere. (Yes, you should feel free to hate me).

So when I saw these fantastic deck chairs, I couldn't help thinking that one of these would be all I would need to make my happiness complete (apart from maybe a jug of sangria...)



They are each based on classic penguin book covers, and I think that I'd have to plump for the green one, for the simple reason that it's Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep - and sunshine makes me snoozy.

$107.98 from I Want One of Those.

Via Trashionista.

In the last year, I've become increasingly obsessed with watches, especially huge chunky watches which provide a contrast with my oddly small wrists and hands (hey, it's the only part of my body which is oddly small, I'm flaunting it...)

So when I heard new watch news, in the form of a new addition to Casio's much-loved Baby G range, I was excited. And rightly so! Look how pretty they are:



These new watches are part of the The BG-2000/2001 series, and are designed to be easy to use, fashionable and funky. But I suspect that means they don't have as many specs as previous G series. I'm on my third Baby G at the moment, an eighties-style silver and pink squared-off design which, in customary Casio style, can tell me the time in two countries, time my every movement, wake me up in the morning and could probably bake me a cake if it really put its mind to it. I'm not sure I want to give all that up just so my wrist will look prettier... but I'm certainly willing to consider it.

If you take tons of video, as I do, and want to send it to all the relatives, or are making funny YouTube videos to embarass your friends, then you'll love this SmartCapture Lite ($99) which digitizes and compresses the data, making it simple to transfer to your PC or laptop. The size of a USB stick, SmartCapture Lite comes with its own playback software, weighs less than 0.3 oz. and does not require an external power source.

By far the best feature is the one-click settings for popular Apple TV, iPod, iPhone, Sony PSP, and more. High quality and low bitrate video make uploading videos to your favorite site easy.

Over the years, we've seen Hello Kitty dip her paw into just about every industry there is. At this stage in her plot to take over the world, you'd think that masquerading as a piece of sushi was a little beneath her, right?

Ah, your childlike innocence! It's all part of her genius, people. Because although rolling herself up into some plush rice, allowing herself to be restrained by a strip of nori, and diving through the middle of a slice of futomaki look like amateurish tactics on the surface, it's the element of surprise that the crafty feline is banking on here. By the time we tire of the novelty of being able to separate the Kitty-fied rice from the salmon, shrimp, and tuna or "cut" the kappa maki (cucumber roll) -- ah, the magic of velcro! -- Agent HK will have already infiltrated our homes, cars, and work places. Why else do you think she'd want to be attached to our mobile phones?

If you think you can take her, each Hello Kitty Fresh Sushi cell phone charm sells for about $7 from Strapya World.

Now here's a sport computer nerds, or anyone who spends all day at their computer, should excel at: competitive typing.

Thanks to a new site called Typeracer, you can practice your typing speed, and more importantly, race against others in real time! You type out quotes from films and can't move on to the next word until you've got the current one correct (annoyingly, I had no trouble with 'exponentially', but 'cooler' caused me to come unstuck... And yes, I was typing a quote from Juno.)

I'm sure Popgadget readers are much more handy with a keyboard than I am: my top speed was a distinctly average 43 words per minute. Give it a try, and let us know your wpm in the comments - if you can tear yourself away once you've started, that is!

Via Shiny Shiny.

There can be no need as basic and as urgent as the need to satisfy the call of nature. Coming to the point, if you were ever (again) caught in a situation where your bladder wants to do the talking and the only problem is that you are out on the street, fear not as MizPee will help you squat in peace. MizPee is actually a service which lists closest and cleanest toilets, so you don’t have to waste painful moments looking for one yourself. So, provided you have an Internet ready device, you can query the site for nearby restrooms by entering information about your current location.

In return, you can help expand their database of loos by listing ones that are not on the site or by rating those already listed. After all, one good turn deserves another, eh?

Via Chip Chick.

Have you ever seen something that was just so darn cute that it brought tears to your eyes? I know it was probably something legitimately touching and precious like a baby consoling a grandparent or a puppy curled up next to a kitten that had you reaching for the tissues, but for me, what pulls at my heart strings are these adorable, adorable, adorable petite panda cell phone charms.

Yes, you read that right. A photo of a dozen variously posed 1.18" to 1.57" panda bear charms makes my eyes well up. Whether it's the fact that each one has a ring bolted into the top of its head so that it can dangle oh-so-callously from a cell phone, the powerlessness I feel in not being able to select which panda to save (Strapya World chooses one at random), or that the $3.11 handset accessories are currently sold out is to blame for the waterworks is something only my therapist can discover.

Okay, they've done it again. Created some more “foodie” flash drives, I mean. And this time around, it's a tribute to cakes – say hello to the Cake Royale Series of USB drives.

Targeted at budding geeks - age 14 upwards - the USB 2.0 series has some really gorgeous-looking cakes. Black Forest, Strawberry Torte, Fruit Plate Cake and the French Mille-Feuille. In case you're wondering where the USB tip is (I was too), the flash drive is actually the knob-like structure with the crown stamped upon it, and lodges itself completely into the body of the cake. The drives will be available in capacities up to 4GB sometime this month, no word on pricing yet.

Via Fosfor Gadgets.

I’m hopeful, but with a healthy amount of cynicism. Intellectually, I like to keep things sweet and sour.

So, while I loved and devoured and praised Clay Shirky’s newest book, “Here Comes Everybody,” it was important to couch that experience with a dose of anxiety over the current and future states of the Internet with Johnathan Zittrain’s “The Future of the Internet – And How to Stop It.”

Web 2.0 is (to me) more of a social phenomenon than a technical feat. Living in New York there are social mixers around the Web 2.0 hype nearly nightly, and I guess because I’ve always been a happy malcontent, I’m more critical of what we’re all really accomplishing tossing back cheap chardonnay and exchanging business cards.

Zittrain reveals that the Internet and our production of technologies and devices around it are on a path to a “lockdown,” a day where we will stop innovating. I know a roomful of “Web 2.0’rs” who would scoff at the notion.

If there's one thing we're passionate about here at Popgadget, it's the need to make great technology easy to use and available to everyone. So I'm excited that Apple has been busy considering how to adapt its cult cell phone (you know the one...) to the needs of the hearing-impaired.

According to Gizmodo, AT&T has just announced something called the Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone users. TAP will give iPhone customers with disabilities the choice of unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail for $40 a month.

TAP is available to new and existing iPhone users with qualifying disabilities, all of whom will have to complete an application for eligibility to access the service.

AT&T's website has application instructions, if you'd like to know more.

Back on the market for a new music player and you want to avoid the Apple store, the Apple geniuses, and personally you like FM radio and on/off button? A favorite company of mine, Sansa, has recently released the newest member of their family, Sansa Fuze.

Smaller than your credit card (if you lose things this is not a selling point), Fuze comes with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of storage. If you get the 8GB you’re getting a guarantee of 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 2000 songs (est. 4 min songs).

Download and watch your favorite video on Fuze’s 1.9” color screen. Tune into public FM radio with 40 present stations. Make your mental notes real audio ones with the built-in voice recorder. And, finally share your photos with friends and family.

Personally, I love my 5th generation iPod Classic, but I'd consider giving it up for a comparable model with a larger screen that didn't cost as much as an iPhone. That would likely create a convert out of me. Mind you, my little music-toting buddy is on the fritz, which is why I'd consider parting ways.

Price: $79.99-129.99 at Sansa here or at Amazon (currently out of stock).

If you're as big a fan of text messaging as I am, then this will be good news for you, too: LG has just released the enV(2), which, if the name didn't give it away, is the updated, sleeker version of the enV, a phone aimed at the text messaging market. It's available with Verizon Wireless for a rather reasonable $129.99 with a two-year service agreement.

The only problem with this new release is, as Nicole Lee at Crave points out, the other specs are are a bit old hat: 2 megapixels for a camera, even on a cell, is just sad in 2008. (That goes for you, too, Apple!)

Also, I wish they would just call it the Envy, instead of the enV: who texts like that?

You know, we technophiles can be extremely demanding. We want our gadgets to be useful, look good, and pack a bunch of impressive specifications that knock our socks off. Oh, and if they could be small enough to pop on a key chain or so large they obstruct all natural daylight (depending on whether we're talking MP3 or HDTV), that would be great too. "Impress us," we tell inventors.

But maybe that's too much pressure. I mean, what about all those inventions that aren't life-changing or even particularly necessary, but are charming and add beauty to the world in their own weird way?

Almost a year ago, I reported on CrunchGear’s first birthday party; it was a quirky and predictable mix of beer and gear. The guys had a good show of fans, but altogether we barely filled the second-floor.

I'm drawing my own conclusion that alongside our own personal and professional online networks, both tech and social scenes have converged in popular, near-trendy ways. The result in this case? A pretty hot CrunchGear party. The line to get into Manhattan’s Red Sky wrapped around the block and the party extended to all three levels of the bar. Passersby must have gotten a good chuckle as so many of the patient partygoers had iPhones in hand and were typing away as they waited to go inside.

The large crowd is definitely evidence of CrunchGear’s increasingly excellent coverage of the gadget market and their rapidly growing audience. But, the fanfare and excitement about the event and those who were waitlisted and still showed, speaks more to the mainstream's love for gadgetry, and the social networking phenomenon that has blown out the tech business. I met several interesting folks who I've "friended" through Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

It really wouldn’t be stylish to be caught cranking this USB power charger to rev up your cell phone battery, but in all probability, that would be the last thing on your mind if the battery went lifeless during an important call.

This cute little power charger connects to cell phones, cameras or any device with a USB cord. All you have to do is crank the handle on the charger fto add those few minutes of extra battery time on the connected device. Precious and completely eco-friendly. The charger kit contains adapters to fit most cell phones (Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and LG) and weighs a negligible 6 ounces. And at $39, it fits the wallet quite decently too. Available from National Geographic Online.

Via DVICE.com.

Stay connected to your cell, VoIP, or landland hands free with Plantronics Calisto Pro handset/headset. A nice device that lets you move around freely without losing your signal. If you're in the market for a new Bluetooth headset and you happen to also make a lot of VoIP or landline calls, this is a remarkably good deal.

Calisto Pro includes a USB port that lets you connect to your PC (sorry sad Macs, the world is still an unfair place) to sync your Outlook contacts in a matter of minutes (the handset has the capacity to hold up to 200 Outlook contacts with three phone numbers each).

Excellent feature set includes:

* Works up to 300 ft away from the base
* 8 hours of talk time, or 240 hours of standby time, per charge
* Handset features a speakerphone
* Noise-canceling microphone and extended mouthpiece
* Single-stop charging base uses a Wi Fi friendly DECTT 6.0 technology for excellent call clarity, a USB port for easy Outlook contact transfers and VoIP PC connectivity, compatible with Skype and Yahoo Voice.
* Base measures 8.1" x 6.1" x 3"
* Handset is 4.3" x 2.2" x 1.3" and weighs 4.5 oz.
* Headset is 5.4" x 2.2" x 1.1" and weighs .65 oz.

Price: $248 at Amazon.

No, we're not having problems with our servers today. That purple blob of an image you see above (the one you've been waiting to come into focus) is, in fact, already fully loaded and ready to accept the position of accessorizing your outfit.

The Pixelated Posey Necklace hangs from a lilac lace strap and is available from Mod Cloth for $25.

Via Shiny Shiny.

© 2008 John Bentham

Are you "tech help" for your Mom and it's driving you bonkers? "Dear, just show me how to re-size this photo so I can send it to Aunt Patti." "Why are my photos always so dark?" "What's this Photoshop everyone's talking about?"

Then give yourself and your Mom a gift of a digital camera class through Panasonic's Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide digital photography workshops, which is offering a Mother’s Day special so when a course gift certificate is purchased for a mother, the gift giver can attend the same class with Mom at no additional cost. This two-for-one Mother’s Day special can be purchased by calling 1-877-DP-ACAD-1 or just go to their information page at Digital Photo Academy which details the three course levels available, and view course schedules and locations, hours, and instructors. (Courses are available in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C.). And no, you don't have to own a Panasonic camera - any digital camera will do. (Though check out our Mother's Day give-away in this week's Popgadget Drop newsletter, where we're giving away a Panansonic Pink Lumix digital camera for some lucky Mom, or me, if I figure out how to rig the contest.)

In what amounts to little more than another animated i-Dog speaker alternative, The Sharper Image has recently come forward with the iDance WALL-E MP3-playing robot ($25) in preparation for the buying frenzy that will likely accompany the summer release of Disney-Pixar's new WALL-E flick.

The 8-inch trash-compacting robot dances and makes sounds when it's packed with a trio of AA batteries and nearby or plugged into an audio source. Pretty cute in a useless sort of way, don't you think?

Via Crave.

In what amounts to little more than another animated i-Dog speaker alternative, The Sharper Image has recently come forward with the iDance WALL-E MP3-playing robot ($25) in preparation for the buying frenzy that will likely accompany the summer release of Disney-Pixar's new WALL-E flick.

The 8-inch trash-compacting robot dances and makes sounds when it's packed with a trio of AA batteries and nearby or plugged into an audio source. Pretty cute in a useless sort of way, don't you think?

Via Crave.

The Buddha cell phone probably does not adhere to the Buddha’s Middle Path in design or appearance, but incorporates Buddhist aesthetics – down to the startup screen and ringtones!

The specs for this customized Nokia N70 are downright flashy – a “golden” outer case that has apparently been made by using 24-carat gold plating over a steel base, a huge “jade” button for video (looks more like plastic), and a jewel encrusted camera. The other “regular” features include bluetooth, mp3/mp4 compatibility and video or still photography (duh). The screen also has handwriting recognition – which means, for example, you could just pull out the pen concealed at the side and write down insights that you might want to share with others. Pretty handy.

Posts on my hunt for a cool MP3 player-plus-Web-access that was also less expensive than the iPod Touch brought in comments suggesting other ways to shop. Knowing that the appetite for shopping tools is near-insatiable in these precincts, I have now gotten around to checking those suggestions out.

For my trial runs on all the sites I have searched the Archos 605, an MP3 (and video) player with Web access and a touch screen that has gotten splendid reviews but lists for $200 less than the comparable Touch. (It appears that I am getting one for my birthday because this morning my SO asked for the model number. Goody.)

John wanted me to try out the shopping site he co-founded, Bountii.com, which covers electronics and accessories for same. On the basis of my one tryout, this seems like quite a nice place to shop. It found all the retailers of the 605 that had turned up on Google and CNET, and then some.

I was devastated when I saw that one of them was selling the 605 for a dollar less than the best price I had found. But a lovely feature of Bountii.com is that it lets you compare taxes and shipping costs as well as the item's price. So it was easy to tell that, with taxes and shipping, the "low" price was actually several dollars more. Whew!

Bountii.com is a clean design, well-organized and intuitive to use. A big section of the site covers price drops, and you can track them easily by adding it to your feed reader. I am too ignorant to comment on what powers the searches, but - whatever it is - it's clearly excellent. Oh, and one last bit of praise: Bountii is very fast. I plan to come back.

Away with the signature Transformer-toy looking black, grey, and blue Linksys router! Linksys newest line is black, sexy, and very sleek. They're camaflouged to blend right in among your sexy peripherals and almost disappear on your desk.

The four new units range from $48.99 - $114.99 and each has a set of smart features that promise fast connection and a lot of protection (from nosey neighbors, international spies, and the freeloader who lives next-door).



Really super features include: