Tiny Technology
Call it a case of the incredible shrinking gadgets. With technology going forward at a feverish pace, the size of many consumer electronic products is drastically decreasing.
David Gregg, senior editor of Best magazine, is scheduled Tuesday on The Early Show to show off a sampling of some of the latest mini marvels.
Consumer tech products like camcorders, digital cameras, cell phones, GPS, and MP3 players once required large cases to haul them from place to place. While retaining and improving their functionality these devices are now becoming increasingly smaller, to the point that the Lilliputians from "Gulliver's Travels" fame may feel more at ease with these tiny devices than Gulliver himself.
Here is a sampling of some such devices that are changing the way we live our tech centered lives.
Panasonic D-Snap SV-AV50 Multi A/V Device
The SV-AV50 is a camcorder, 2 megapixel digital camera, MP3 player and digital voice recorder -- all in one device! The D-Snap syncs up to your television or camcorder and allows you to transfer video to watch your favorite shows when you're on the go. $399. For more information, go to Panasonic.com
ARCHOS AV-320 Personal Entertainment Center
The AV-320 allows the user to play up to 80 hours of DVD quality video, record from another video source plus take and store over 100,000 digital photos. This innovation replaces the portable DVD/TV combo. $550. For more information, go to Archos.com
Philips Key019 Camera/Video Recorder
It's a 2 megapixel camera and video recorder that can shoot up to 24 minutes. The device is about the size of a lipstick case and fits on a key ring. Available May 2004. $250. For more information, go to Philipselectronics.com
Canon Sd10 Digital Camera
Mini-tech stuff has become synonymous with making fashion statements about our personal style. Until recently it has been reserved for cellular phones and MP3 players. However, a new line of digital cameras has entered the fashion fray. The Canon SD10 is a thin, sleek, cool looking 4-megapixel camera. The SD10 features 4 individual "flavors"-iridescent white, piano black, bronze, and silver. The SD10 has many features: 4 megapixels, movie mode, 5.7x digital zoom, lens-pict bridge ready, built in flash. $399. For more information, go to USA.canon.com
Ericsson Bluetooth Wireless Headset MP3 Player
This digital music player doesn't just play, it communicates to your phone, via Bluetooth. A 64MB MagicGate Memory Stick Duo gives you storage space for plenty of playback and quick sharing of files, making this a very well-connected little performer. Not only does the HBM-30 offer wireless connectivity, but the music (10 hours play time) gets automatically muted when you are receiving an incoming call through your Bluetooth wireless earpiece. $149. For more information, go to Sonyericsson.com
Siemens PenPhone
Besides operating on Bluetooth wireless technology, it also allows the user to write with the pen and sync it up with a computer to save your handwritten document! (the PenPhone is presently being used in Europe and will be available in the Unite States in the future. For more information, go to Siemens.com
Extras:
Magellan Roadmate 700
Global Positioning System devices have really shrunk over the last year. The Magellan Roadmate 700 is a hand-held driving navigator that speaks, has a touch screen and has over 2,000,000 points of interest pre-programmed, negating the need to upload maps or information from a computer. $1,300. For more information, go to Magellangps.com
Wherify GPS Child Locator
The Wherify GPS Child Locator is a GPS device that also uses wireless cell phone technology to track where kids are, within feet, through the Internet or any phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wherify's next-generation GPS locators will soon be available, and retail for about $150. The new locators include such features as two-way voice speakers, programmable buttons for one-touch dialing, and emergency 911 panic buttons. Smaller and lighter than their predecessor, the Wherify GPS Locator for Kids, they will also come in a variety of forms -- from handheld devices with unique designs, to GPS locators about the size of a matchbox. For more information, go to Wherify.com
Rio Nitrus
The main MP3 music device we hear about today is the Apple iPod, but there are other devices on the market that are smaller, less expensive and offers the option of not having to manage an encyclopedia of music. The Rio Nitrus can store up to 375 MP3 music files (over 25 hours of music) and gets an amazing 16 hours of playback on its battery. Gregg says it is the perfect music device for workouts. $199. For more information, go to Rioaudio.com