All I Want For Christmas …
Every year, perfectly intelligent people wait for hours on lines in toy stores and department stores buying presents that the recipients will spend even more hours waiting on lines to return.
So, to cut this inefficiency (or that dubious joy of "re-gifting") out of the holiday season, I humbly propose that everyone be up front about exactly what they want for the holidays. Frankly, to make the season even more cheerful, let me go a step further: Do not get me anything, I will not get you anything, and, instead, feel free to do a little shopping for yourself.
With that spirit in mind, here is what this old humbug got himself for the holidays:
First, I've frequently mentioned my avid love affair with my Apple iPod and no doubt will do so again. These 10- to 30-gig music players are beautifully designed, easy to use and a snap to take music with you everywhere. (In the next few weeks, we'll be expanding upon other great new peripherals for the iPod that let you, for example, charge the battery on the road; turn your iPod into a voice recorder; play iTunes music in your car stereo with an attached FM radio transmitter, etc.) But, since these are holiday gifts to myself, I had to show you the best presents for my iPod:
Burton's Amp Pack
Earlier this year, Burton Snow Boards introduced the Amp Jacket, the first true commercialization of clothing that integrated wearable electronics, in this case, a snowboarding jacket with an integrated iPod. Using cloth "buttons" on your sleeve, you control the iPod attached in a chest pocket. Now, Burton returns to wearable electronics with a very sturdy and beautifully designed backpack, the "Amp Pack," featuring a much improved control system for the iPod. Now, the hassle of adjusting wires and controls while listening to music on the go is largely eliminated. One strap of the backpack holds the soft, flexible control pad and the other strap conceals the headset wires. Your iPod is enclosed in a strong but lightweight housing in a pouch between your shoulders. Bicyclists, snowboarders, hikers, students, and anybody else on the go, who wants to keep hands free will enjoy this elegantly designed unit. Burton's Amp Pack is available now online at www.burton.com for $199. This obviously does not include the iPod.
Altec Lansing inMotion Portable Speakers for iPod
Since I'm playing Santa for myself (and my iPod) how could I pass up Altec Lansing's beautiful inMotion portable speakers? This small, portable unit usually sits on my desk, safely housing and gorgeously playing the music I have on my iPod. The elegant white case (which takes 4 AA batteries for added portability) handsomely compliments the iPod design. But the sound is exceptional and surprisingly full from a unit that weighs less than 15 ounces. The speakers fold out ingeniously and the iPod can be charged as you play your music anywhere with this elegant ultra-portable device. Perfect for the office desk or to take along on vacations, I've been taking the inMotion system with me on most weekend trips. Now, I can even use iPod as a portable alarm clock when I'm on the road. The inMotion system supports older iPod variants with an additional cable (supplied), but it looks cleaner and less "wiry" with the newer iPod. ($149)
Holosonics' Audio Spotlight Projecting Speakers
This next audio product is not designed to be for everybody, but for me the Holosonics Audio Spotlight is heavenly. Or, more precisely, "unearthly." The Audio Spotlight uses remarkable ultrasound technology to create a "beam of sound" that is exceptionally directional at astonishing distances. I first encountered Joe Pompei's fascinating "projecting speaker" when he was a researcher at MIT's Media Lab in Cambridge. Joe and I had some fun using his ingeniously designed flat and round speaker assembly to surprise people several hundred feet away as they walked through the atrium. Nothing is as astonishing as to hear voices speaking to you, seemingly "in your head", especially when no one is close by. Joe's amazingly directional audio speaker works by translating audio into high-frequency sounds that, at a distance, become audible. Those who haven't personally experienced the joy of hearing this amazing effect may wonder what the heck we need this for. Well, these Holosonic speakers are already revolutionizing museum displays, entertainment arenas, shopping areas, and other public venues. I, frankly, love these for the sheer delight in playing with sound and sharing music and voice with people in a highly directional way. For example, nothing makes people turn their heads at the annual holiday party like the sounds of glasses braking. (You should have seen what happened when we played that effect and people where looking all around wondering who caused the calumny.) Joe's speakers come in a variety of sizes and models and the prices vary. (The problem is not how much they cost, but how fast Joe can make them!)
Sennheiser PXC 250 Noise Canceling Headsets
So, you're flying on a plane or reading a book at home and trying to enjoy the music. If you are prone to, instead, only hear the roar of the jet or the snore of the person seated next to you or the crash of the pots and pans as the kids play a little overture for timpani, get yourself hearing salvation from Sennheiser. The PXC 250 uses "NoiseGard" active noise cancellation technology to return you to what you want to be concentrating on. I found that these were great for listening to music on noisy plane trips and I would keep them on even with the music off, just to lessen the din of the jet engines. Plus, these headphones are completely foldable and come in a handy carrying case for the belt. Street price is $149.
Sprint's VM4500 Video Camera Phone from Sanyo
When I saw Sprint's new VM4500 Video Camera Phone from Sanyo, I nearly had to kidnap the nice lady from Sprint just to play with this terrific phone and service. I've been dreaming of a cell phone like this for years and now it's MINE! Like many new cell phones, this handy little unit has a camera on the back. Unlike the others, you can record and share high quality video clips (15 seconds each) in an astonishingly easy and compelling fashion. Previously, cell phones would take many minutes to send substantially less data. But, using Sprint's 3G network, the clips take under a minute to send. It is unfair to Sprint and Sanyo to ignore other fine features of this phone: great screen resolution and brightness; excellent address book and other PIM features; a variety of entertaining games onboard. Plus, Sprint has introduced its version of two-way walkie-talkie-like communication (think "Nextel") that Sprint calls "Ready-Link." But the best part of the system, from my perspective, is the VideoMail service, powered by LightSurf, which uses astonishing compression technology to take the video clip from the phone, store it on a server, and email links of the video so recipients with any web-browser can view them. I was so pleased to send a video of a friend to his father in the Philippines, knowing just moments later the video could be enjoyed and shared around the world.
Handspring Treo 600
Both my partner in gadgetry obsession, producer Bob Bicknell, and I have been enjoying the Handspring Treo 600 for several months now. Here's Bob's love letter (for the Treo!) he insisted we share, and I wholeheartedly agree with his enthusiasm:
BB: I love this thing. Finally, there is one device that will allow me to make cell calls, keep all of my contacts and addresses organized and ready to paste into an email document or phone dialer, browse the full web (not that text-only WAP stuff that most cell phones use), send and receive email on the road and take and send digital pictures, without me having to take my laptop everywhere I go. It's large enough to get the job done, but small enough that I don't look like I'm carrying a VCR on my belt. Sure, there are a few minor drawbacks … one, the screen is lower-resolution … not nearly as nice as the newest Palms or Pocket PCs. Second, the camera is weak, but since I didn't buy it for that, it's a nice little extra. And while the Treo 600 runs most Palm software, a lack of effort on behalf of PalmOne, developers, or both, is keeping key add-ons like Bluetooth and 802.11-compatible SDIO cards out of our hands for now. Service with Sprint is great, and you really can't beat their $15 a month unlimited Internet plan. I use more than my share, for sure. But don't get bogged down by the small stuff. If you are a power user, get the best.
Roomba Pro Elite Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Last year, when we first revealed iRobot's robotic vacuum cleaner, the Roomba, we were more astonished by the novelty. Now, having used two of the latest Roombas for the past two months, I'm astonished by the dust. In my office and at home, I turn on the machine and pretty much walk away. The next morning, I clean out a huge and fairly surprising amount of shmutz collected by these autonomous, relentless spinning disks of cleanliness. It is true that users need to spend a little time making sure that these robotic room cleaners don't get caught in what the manufacturers call "lobster traps" (or areas where the relentless robot could get caught between the loud speaker and the side of a rug, for example. But after a single use with a watchful eye (and the application of the included infrared "barriers" that block off areas you don't want the Roomba to rumble to) you can pretty much let the Roomba go on its merry cleaning way. The best results are, obviously, on wood floors. But I had wonderful results with certain fine carpets. You will not want to use these on plush pile rugs — just forget it. Even though these robotic vacuum cleaners follow their own circuitous but ultimately efficient path, you will undoubtedly enjoy using the remote control that comes with the Roomba Pro Elite. I also enjoy the "spot" feature that keeps the cleaner working on a smaller area over and over again. Perhaps it's a bit cruel, but sometimes I like to watch two Roombas vying over the same piece of carpet: kind of akin to Robot Wars, with a purpose.
Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car
I have to confess that when I suggested "get it for yourself" it isn't always that simple. Sometimes, even in the gadget world, you need friends, especially for that hard-to-find work of sheer genius. Thank goodness, my uber-geek buddy Greg Harper (patron saint of all gizmologists) came through and lent me his "Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car." First, let me explain for the few of you who haven't heard the incessant hype about Bluetooth that this is a wireless standard that is supposed to eliminate wires from everything: wireless headsets; wireless printers; wireless toasters, you get the vision. The hype of Bluetooth is all-too-slowly emerging to become modestly realized: increasingly there are numerous devices (like cell phone headsets and a few printers) that are using Bluetooth capabilities. I suppose the reason I love the Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Car so much (the car is about an inch long, I forgot to mention) is that now, using your phone, you can charge and steer this little model vehicle all over the floor. The range for the car, and for Bluetooth, is about 30 feet on a good day. If you've had to endure the endless hyperbole about the promise of Bluetooth, the joy of seeing a cell phone used as a remote control is kind of fun. The car is a royal pain in the neck to find, but if you do some searching on the Internet, for $100 it can be yours.
Gerber Multi-Plier® 600 Needlenose
Here's one other "Palm Powered" device I think all gadget-lovers need: one of the Gerber's Multi-Plier 600 series pocket tools. Ok, there's nothing battery-powered about this at all. But if you've been crawling around on all fours, as I frequently am, wiring this and cabling that, this little beauty is the thing you'll want on your belt. I've have it on good authority that so many of our military engineers and other troops in the Mideast have ordered this that the tool may be a bit hard to come by this holiday season, but it's a heck of a toolbox for the hand. You can flick the stainless steel pliers open with one hand with a little training. The tools and blades lock in place for safety and I found the wire cutter and crimper especially useful for fixing my gadgetry. One of the tools in this series actually comes with an astonishing hacksaw blade, which would be very handy in most workshops and, uh, prisons I suppose.
And with these happy thoughts, and with visions of sugarplum fairies dancing etc., etc., I wish you all joyous, gadget-filled holidays and a Happy New Year.
By Dan Dubno