Stress-Relieving, Fun-Producing Tech Toys

whether they're designed to reduce stress at the office, make life easier, or provide good old-fashioned fun.

On The Early Show Tuesday, Charles Coxe, an editor of Men's Journal, showcased some neat ones the magazine says rank high on the "cool" meter!

They range from "smart pens" to flying robots, iPod video glasses, and mobile robotic Web cameras.

The following descriptions were provided by the manufacturers.

Smartpen

Livescribe's Smartpen is a Montblanc-size computer with advanced processing power and substantial memory for handwriting capture, audio recording, and additional applications. Livescribe combines all four modes of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, in the simple, low-cost, and convenient format of pen and paper. For taking notes during a discussion or lecture, the Smartpen records the conversation and digitizes the handwriting, automatically synching the ink and audio. By later tapping the ink, the Smartpen replays the conversation from the exact moment the note was written. Notes and audio can also be uploaded to a PC, where they can be replayed, saved, searched and sent.
Under $200 http://www.livescribe.com/smartpen/index.html

Vuzix AV920 iPod video glasses

The AV920 delivers a 62-inch "virtual screen" through twin 640 x 480 high resolution LCD displays. Compatible devices include iPods, cell phones, portable DVD players, and gaming consoles. The device includes an AccuTilt viewer that pivots up to 15 degrees up and down, enabling use with or without glasses. The speakers on the AV920 can be moved out of the way or removed completely for users who want to plug in their own headphones. The AV920 also supports iWear 3D movies. The iWear can connect to almost all NTSC or PAL audio/video devices with video-out capabilities.
Starts at $350 http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/07/10/17/virtual.62.ipod.screen/

Guitar Hero-Air Guitar Rocker

The makers of the "Guitar Hero" video game have licensed their name to a $30 toy called Guitar Hero Air Rocker that combines a magnetic guitar pick and a belt buckle with a mini-amplifier.
After the player chooses one of 10 included riffs, from songs such as "Smoke on the Water" and "More Than a Feeling," the toy captures the rhythm of the player moving the pick past magnetic coils in the buckle, without ever actually touching it, and broadcasts the riff. Wearing a T-shirt and sunglasses, toy director Brandon Giraldez of Jada Toys in City of Industry drew cameras and large crowds with his emphatic air guitar playing at the ShowStoppers media event outside the International Consumer Electronics Show. Giraldez said Air Rocker is intended to latch onto "the air guitar phenomenon." The product will be available at major retailers in March.
$30 http://www.jadatoys.com/

FlyTech BladeStar, by WowWee

Unlike other flying robots in its price range, the FlyTech Bladestar is the first that can fly itself using advanced, sensor-based navigation. Yes, it can avoid obstacles, including ceilings! This enables you to use just your hands to guide it, since it will instinctively avoid your hands. That's right, we're talking a flying machine that has auto-pilot! Or, you can have fun using the included three-channel infrared remote control to have it fly wherever you want. Best of all, two FlyTech Bladestars can dogfight! By attaching the Dogfight accessory to the infrared remote control, you can shoot at your opponents and take them down. The sensors on either Bladestar will detect the the "hit" from the Dogfight accessory. Since the FlyTech Bladestar is made from durable "high-flex" materials, they are crash-resistant and designed for indoor use.
$50 http://www.wowwee.com

Golf Launch Pad Tour, by Electric Spin

The kit contains a USB plug-in golf mat with a golf ball tethered to it. You simply hold your club over the mat, wait for the green light, and take your swing. The game offers realistic feedback that lets you feel the results of your swing, thanks to a fast processor and a "real physics"-based interface. But the big news is the addition of a technology from NDS called XTV that enables new 3D virtual interactive experiences. The combination of Electric Spin's ultra-realistic golf simulation technology and NDS's XTV-Ready interactive TV technology is about to create a virtual golf experience like no other. While watching a PGA tour event on television, viewers can use the Golf Launchpad/XTV experience to virtually play and compete with their own clubs, on the same course, at the same time -- and all from the comfort of their own homes. XTV-Ready experience works with the PlayStation 3 and a number of set-top boxes. It's available this spring.
$200 http://www.n4g.com/News-97658.aspx

USB Rocket Launcher

This rocket launcher connects to your Windows 2000, XP or Vista machine via USB. Install the included software, plug in the Rocket Launcher and, with 360-degree horizontal rotation and 45-degree vertical rotation, the USB Rocket Launcher can fire over six meters, giving you coverage of more than 113 square meters of your workspace.
$35 http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/8a0f/

Rovio, by WowWee

Possibly the most exciting member of WowWee's 2008 new product line, the Rovio is a mobile robotic Web camera with omni-directional movement capability, thanks to its unique tri-wheel design. The most exciting feature of Rovio is that it incorporates the incredible Northstar technology. Northstar is a system that creates a micro-GPS system for your home, enabling the Rovio to navigate your home with pinpoint accuracy. Northstar Rovio always knows exactly where it is and where you want it to go next. The built-in Web camera has full audio and video streaming capability, so you can look in on your home from anywhere in the world you have a Web connection and that uses the reliable 802.11b/g protocols for true WiFi access. Check in to see if you home is secure, or to get a comforting look at pets, or to dynamically Web conference with family members or colleagues at work. Rovio's neck-mounted camera and microphone can be accessed over the web from cell phones, personal computers, or even some video game consoles.
$300 http://www.wowwee.com