Appealing Gadgets
While most people love the idea of high-tech toys, there are still plenty of "baby boomers" that are a little intimidated by them.
But, David Gregg, the senior editor of Best magazine, says there are plenty of gadgets available that even the most non-technical people can handle.
Gregg demonstrated the following products:
Logitech Portable Keyboard for PDA's
Handheld computers are more popular than ever. Now, manufacturers are making accessories that make using your handheld even easier. Logitech's new KeyCase looks like a wallet, which is very thin and lightweight. It's actually not only a holder for your Palm Pilot, but it's a keyboard as well. At $99 it adds a full size keyboard to your Palm -- making writing email and messages easier.
3M Ergonomic Optical Mouse
Ergonomic design keeps the arm positioned for natural, comfortable movement. The ergonomic mouse is clinically proven to reduce muscle strain and discomfort associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and repetitive stress injury. It's compatible with any USB port computer. The Ergonomic Optical Mouse comes in two sizes: $70 for small, $75 for large.
Beamer 2-Way Video Phones
Nearly two-third of all Americans live two or more hours away from close family and friends, and that can be tough during the holiday season, especially if you're not traveling. But, says Gregg, the Beamer Videophone Station can help you see who you've been missing and stay connected to your loved ones -- all year round. Beamer works with any phone, over any standard analog phone line to add video to your calls at no extra charges or subscription fees.
A 2003 winner of Good Housekeeping's Best Buy award, Beamer is simple to set up and simple to use, says Gregg. There's a privacy button if you're not up to being seen when a call comes through. You can buy a Beamer for just $250 at retailers or at Vialta.com.
Earthlink Mailstation Cordless 250
Thanks to the MailStation from Earthlink, using email is now as easy as making a phone call. The new MailStationTM 250 model operates on the same 900-megahertz frequency as advanced cordless telephones. Plug the base station into a phone jack and turn on the MailStation. You can send and receive email from anywhere in your home. It costs about $149.99 for the device and $12.99 per month for the service.
HP Photosmart 245 Photo Printer
With HP's new Photosmart 245 photo printer, Gregg says you can preview, edit and select photos before printing with the 1.8-inch color LCD screen. The printer produces professional looking borderless, 4 x 6-inch photos directly from your camera's memory card without a computer. And its compact, portable design allows you to take it almost anywhere. Connect the printer quickly and easily to a PC and Mac via USB. The Photosmart 245 uses a variety of memory cards -- CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Sticks, Secure Digital/Multi Media, xD-Picture Card. It costs about $199.
Hammacher Deep Tissue Massage Chair
Until recently, many massaging chairs could only offer weak vibrations, and were ineffective at providing deeper, more penetrating massages. Gregg says the Hammacher Deep Tissue Massage Chair offers the most intense and effective massage he could find. Offering Human Touch Technology(tm) in a comprehensive range of programs, it allows you to customize your massage to your individual needs-kneading, compression, percussion, or rolling-or to enjoy all the different modes in one program. It costs about $599.95.
New and Improved Clapper
The new clapper allows you to customize your clap sensitivity -- setting claps necessary to activate an item. Also, it has three LED's on the device that allow you to keep track of how many claps you made in order to properly activate your device. It costs about $29.95.