Be Smart

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.