FireWinder - Outdoor light that lights up when wind blows

Sun, Nov 30, 2008

Home Decor

Want to do your bit in keeping the earth green while decorating your home? Well, there are many ways to do so, including solar-powered fairy lights, solar-powered lawnmowers and the like, and today we have yet another idea for you to consider - the Firewinder. Let’s face it, any product named like it will definitely be interesting to look at, and the Firewinder certainly doesn’t come up short when it comes to looking cool! This decorative outdoor light is able to visualize the wind’s energy, turning just about any breeze into light to give your garden a lovely glowing ambience.

100% wind-powered, Firewinder is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. By day it’s a relatively unobtrusive dangling corkscrew doodah that spins in the wind. But when night falls and the wind blows, it lights up, creating a beautiful spiraling effect. The faster the blow the greater the glow, so in a real gust Firewinder becomes a pulsating pillar of light. It’s truly spellbinding and eco-friendly to boot. Firewinder’s helical wing captures the wind from any angle, and it’s so light it will catch the lightest of breezes. Simply attach it to a tree, roof terrace or wall using the included hanging kit (featuring sturdy stainless steel quick release fixing points) and wait for the wind to blow.

The Firewinder was specially designed to spin clockwise, so those who wish it to do so otherwise are out of luck. Small issue that, though. It is also nice to know that the Firewinder has been specially engineered to withstand just about any kind of inclement weather, capable of offering year after year of mesmerizing entertainment without adding to your home’s carbon footprint. Firebox is currently carrying the Firewinder for £99.99 a pop. Why not go green this holiday season instead of further burdening the earth with more plastic devices that do more than just sip power?

Source

Smart Heater

Sat, Dec 6, 2008

Apparels & Utilities, Home Decor

The Vortex TVH 600 is supposed to be the world’s smartest heater, on account of the fact that it features a wirelessly connected thermostatic remote control. Oh and it also comes with automatic climate control and auto tip-over protection. OK, so fair enough. Admittedly I was hoping for something more along the lines of R2D2 and a nice hot cup of tea but you can’t have everything can you? $199.99.

Automatic climate control eliminates annoying hot and cold cycles, maintaining the set temperature using less energy. The TVH 600 incorporates Vornado’s signature energy efficient Vortex Technology to fully circulate the warm air throughout the whole room, creating an even temperature. Includes a Smart Remote which intelligently reads and relays temperature to the unit, for a more accurate temperature reading. The touch screen control panel allows you to easily adjust the settings. Includes multi-level safety protection with automatic tip-over protection, non-glowing heat element, cool touch cabinet, and tight grill spirals to keep even the smallest fingers out of harms way.

Via RedFerret

Buddha Machine 2

Wed, Nov 19, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

Every so often a gadget comes around that manages to transcend the cheap plastic frame in which it’s encased. The first Buddha Machine was one such device. Created by a little -known Chinese company called FM3, the ambient-musical-loop-playing gadget proved a bit of a surprise hit, garnering a writeup in the New York Times and a compilation record of remixes, and eventually went on to sell an impressive 50,000 units.

Last week, Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian, the duo behind FM3, announced the release of the second-gen Buddha Machine. Save for the three new color selections (burgundy, gray, and brown), the second incarnation of the box looks nearly identical to its predecessor–something along the lines of a cheap transistor radio you might pick up in Chinatown.

The gadget is roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes with a large speaker monopolizing the front. There are two dials on the top of the box, with a 3.5-mm headphone jack between them. A single button and a power light sit on one side. The rear of the device opens up accept two AA batteries. buddhamachine2.jpg

The Buddha Box 2 features nine new ambient sound loops. The new selection is noticeably more diverse than those of its predecessor–a welcome change. One of my biggest issues with the first incarnation of the box was its relatively limited aural palate. The selections on number 2 should fit a wider range of ambient-suitable scenarios. For further variation, the box also includes a wheel that bends the loops’ pitch, to help you tailor the sound perfectly to its surroundings. buddhamachine3.jpg

On a whole, the changes to the device aren’t really major. But let’s face it, the first version of the box wasn’t really broken anyway. If you purchased the first incarnation, all you get with the second-generation is a couple of new sounds and the option of pitch bending, but if you’re a fan, it might be worth the $25 price tag.

For those unfamiliar with the device, you can check out some sound samples at FM3’s site. It’s hard to really express the appeal and therapeutic nature of the box beyond that, but if you find the concept intriguing, you don’t have much to lose by picking one up.

Thanks GearLog

Sony Rolly

Thu, Nov 20, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image, Toys

The Sony Rolly is perhaps best described as a break-dancing MP3-player. Simply fill the egg-shaped curio’s 2GB of storage with MP3s or AACs (ideally with something upbeat for maximal effect), turn it on and watch how it proceeds to roll, pitch and spin on the spot in time to the rhythm.

If that sounds silly, well, that’s because it is. But it is highly entertaining to watch, I tell you that. The sound pumped out from its side-mounted speakers is better than you’d imagine, thanks to its inclusion of a dinky digital amp, and users can ever program in their own choreographed moves via the bundled editing software. Once you’re done fiddling, you can then upload your finished routines to a dedicated online forum and share them with others.

Despite being unapologetically frivolous and arguably a touch overpriced for what it actually does, the Rolly’s cute additions, such as switching to shuffle mode when you shake it and Bluetooth audio streaming support, help to make it an endearing, and deceptively sophisticated toy.

Turn an Old iPod Into a Cigarette Holder to Look Cool, Get Cancer

Fri, Nov 21, 2008

Apparels & Utilities, Audio,Video, & Image

If you have an old, dead iPod kicking around and are also looking for a way to disguise your disgusting cigarette addiction, here’s a nice way to kill two birds with one stone: hide your cigarettes in your iPod! It’s a pretty straightforward operation, involving getting rid of the guts in your iPod and then filling said iPod with cigarettes. A better DIY project? Quit smoking. Just saying.

via Gizmodo

Hands On: i360 Music Infused Polar Headband

Sat, Nov 22, 2008

Apparels & Utilities, Audio,Video, & Image

It’s getting chilly, and we’re starting to think about keeping warm. This means hats, scarves, and gloves, but if you look closely, the dangling white iPod headphones are bound to be hiding somewhere in the mix. A little cold weather won’t keep us from rocking out!

This is where i360 and its Music Infused apparel step up to bat. The company offers headbands, beanies, and hat beanies that have built-in pockets in which to stash your iPod nano and its provided headphones.

I had the chance to try out the Music Infused Polar Headband ($49.95 direct) that was designed for the 1st-generation nano. This model comes in black or white for both the 1st- and 3rd- generation nanos.

Installation is simple; plug your iPod and the packaged headphones into the pre-threaded wire and then slip them into the side pockets. The headphones stay completely hidden within the band, while a round hole in the front gives you access to the iPod controls.

After I had my iPod loaded into the headband, I tried it on. And here’s where the first and biggest problem arises.

Though many will concur that I have an exceptionally large mental capacity, my actual head is average size. The one-size-fits-all headband was too snug for me, though, causing the integrated electronics to push uncomfortably into my scalp. Additionally, to get the phones in a good listening position requires pulling the headband down to a point where it both looks and feels awkward. And if you’re an eyeglasses wearer like me, expect to have the frames dig into the side of your head, adding more pain to the mix.

Had this been a product I wasn’t reviewing, it would have already ended up right back in the box for a swift return. Grunting through my discomfort, I felt around haphazardly for the nano controls, which were exposed near the front of the headband. When I finally figured out how the buttons were orientated, it was time to hear how these puppies sounded.

A tinny tone and a severe lack of bass were immediately apparent. I continued to fiddle around with placement, thinking that was causing the degradation in sound, but the only improvement came by pushing the headphones even more uncomfortably close into my ears. This created an improvement in the bottom end, but it’s not a reasonable solution.

Volume-wise, these things can get pretty loud when you crank the sound up, and I heard no significant degradation in sound or distortion at full volume. The downside is that even when you’re listening at normal sound levels, the people around you hear it too, since the speakers are unenclosed.

My recommendation is to stick with your favorite pair of ear buds and throw a comfortable hat or headband over the top. This is especially true for any classic iPod owners out there who wouldn’t otherwise be able to fit their players inside the i360 headband.

Via GearLog

Runco’s 100inch Wall-Screen

Sat, Nov 29, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

A few weeks ago former US president Bill Clinton was a guest on CNN’s Larry King Live discussing the financial crisis and Bill said something like, “You and I, we’re going to be fine. Guys like us don’t have to worry.”

We guess guys like them are about the only people who could actually afford Runco’s £26,300 VideoWall VW-100HD 100-inch display.

Now, of course there are businesses that will be interested in purchasing a 100-inch screen, but I get the feeling Runco sells more than a few of these to individuals as well, since according to the company, it is the “leading brand in luxury video solutions.”

OK, enough of our bitter ‘We don’t make as much money as Bill Clinton and Larry King and never will’ hate speech.

The screen supports full 1080p HD resolution, and according to Runco, its VideoWalls are not as susceptible to the washed-out effect ambient light can have on screens. Runco’s Constant Contrast technology allows the screen to incorporate frame-by-frame contrast correction to keep black levels low, regardless of ambient light, and the VW-100HD can purportedly reach contrast ratios in excess of 5000:1 ANSI.

Runco VideoWalls are rear-projection systems with a twist. Where traditional rear-projection video systems require more ‘throw’ room to project the image onto the back of the screen, Runco claims its VideoWalls are “completely self-contained.” The rear assembly is less than 32 inches, which is about a third of what rear projection displays usually require.

The system also includes ‘Positive Pressure Cooling’ that reduces the need for excess cooling fans and makes for quieter operation. The display also includes high-altitude operation (3km above sea level). You know, in case you wanted to watch the game from the top floor of your private high-rise citadel.

Connection options include DVI, HDMI, Component, HD-15, S-Video, Composite and RS-232. The product comes with a two-year standard warranty.

It would be great to actually test one of these things out to see just how good it really is. We’d feel weird, though, being responsible for a £26,300 TV. And anyway, we’re not sure we could actually fit that thing into the test lab.

Via CNet

NEC new MultiSync MD series monitors are for Medical Professionals

Mon, Dec 1, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

When I inquired a NEC professional series MultiSync from a local vendor, he asked if I would be using it for medical application (I wish); apparently, according to him, most of medical clientele are using NEC MultiSync monitors for critical medical imaging applications. Make no mistake, a wrong shade of color could be a life and death matter in medical practice. The NEC Display Solutions of American has introduced a new line of MultiSync MD Series high-brightness, color and grayscale flat-panel monitors for such critical professions.

Designed for medical imaging applications, including radiology and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS); the trio of MultiSync MD Series join the previously announced MD304MC, a 30-inch 4-megapixel color display with backlight sensor technology. The new offerings includes a 21-inch, 2-megapixel MD212MC and the 21-inch, 3-megapixel MD213MC color displays – both with front sensors; and the 21-inch, 3-megapixel MD213MG grayscale display with front sensor.

The new displays also feature DICOM calibration and the X-Light pro sensor system to maintains a consistent light output; 12-bit LUT for most accurate calibration at hardware level; and ColorCom to reduce LCD uniformity errors and compensates for differences in color/grayscale and luminance level.

The MD212MC and MD213MC displays will be available for December shipment with estimated street prices of $3,899 and $4,999, respectively. The MD213MG display will be available in January with an estimated street price of $4,699. The MD304MC display is available now for shipment with an estimated street price of $3,999. As usual, the professional MultiSync comes equipped with a five-year limited warranty and overnight exchange service.

Ad-Tech MP15A is a Full-Blown Mobile Projector

Wed, Dec 3, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

We’ve seen a matchbox-sized miniature projector designed as a modular integrated system for portable platform devices. The Lcos-based miniature projection technology is proven useful and extremely portable. Here’s another with similar technology but a full-blown mobile projector promises to deliver a big picture.

The size of a palm, the Ad-Tech mobile projector is easy to carry and can throw 60-inch of picture from a distance of 7.87 feet. Placement is flexible thanks to its zoom focus lens that allows 4-inch of image from as little as 14cm of throwing distance. The Lcos based small wonder has a standard 4:3 size VGA resolution, 200:1 of contrast, 15 lumens of brightness and life expectancy of 20,000 hours.

Battery might not be the power source you would imagine from a projector but the mobile version certainly has one. The unit has a built-in battery that would lasts 40 minutes of continuous use. That’s not all the small wonder has to offer; it also comes equipped with a built-in monaural speaker, composite video and analog RGB inputs as well as a mini-audio output.

Pricing information has not yet revealed but the Adtech Ad-MP15A is slated to ship in mid-December.

Apple TV

Thu, Dec 4, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

Tired of ripping and having to deal with compressions and codecs to get videos onto your iTunes then on TV? Well don’t nag, you probably don’t have Apple TV. It is still the best way to stream media from iTunes to your TV. An ever-increasing TV shows are now available on HD, YouTube, photostreaming and film trailers. Streaming speed remains highly usable with n-powered computers and the HDMI output gives crispness.

Inflatable Screen

Sat, Dec 6, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image

An Outdoor cinematic experience with an inflatable big screen sounds like a very cool gadget to have. It is even attractive if the package is under 20lb and comes with a blower fan to inflate a 16’ x 9’ giant screen with just few seconds. Open Air cinema has just released its newest 16-foot inflatable projection screen that can be easily folded up into a 20-pound bag, converts your backyard into a huge cinematic experience within seconds.

The screen has a matte white, wrinkle-resistant ripstop nylon projection surface and with black-backed material to block backlight and improves contrast ratio. The screen alone will set you back $1000 if you use you own beamer. A convenient all-in-one CineBox Home package that includes the screen, a projector, an audio mixer, pair of speakers, and a portable DVD player for $3,300 is also available.

Though not the best time of the year for outdoor activity, less alone a backyard movie gathering on Winter night. But you don’t underestimate the heart of football fans would do on toughest weather; get couple cases of beers, texas-sized BBQ grill then pump that 16-foot big screen of yours up, the party is back on. It’s Monday Night Football!

Via SlashGear

White Fruit Radio

Audio,Video, & Image

White Fruit Radio follows how biological organisms organize their internal and external components, both of which are intimately related. Electronics today are often designed linearly with one following the other. White Fruit is made of sycamore for its acoustic properties and an LED substrate is hidden beneath the thin surface. But wait a minute, no knobs or buttons?

The ridges on the top of the radio control volume and station tuning. Simply rub your finger across and watch the LED substrate to see channels change dynamically. The experience is tactile and the fact that the radio is made from high quality wood usually reserved for orchestral string instruments means you get superb sound.

Designer: Swann Bourotte

Via YankoDesign

Printer-to-go

Tue, Nov 11, 2008

Audio,Video, & Image, Desktops & Accessories

You don’t need a computer to use this printer. Thanks to its built-in handle, Canon’s 4.6 pound Selphy ES3 is as easy to carry as it is to use. You can simply insert their digicam’s memory card, and this printer will spit out a gorgeous 4 by 6 borderless photo in 55 seconds. Furthermore, 1GB of internal flash memory lets you store up to 999 of your favorite snapshots right on the printer. Other winning features include a 3.5 inch LCD for previewing pics and the ability to add colorful frames and clip art.

Sperm USB

Wed, Nov 12, 2008

Desktops & Accessories

Attendees can get some pretty cool swag at big conventions, but I have yet to see a product as functionally hysterical as this sperm-shaped USB drive handed out at the American Society For Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) 2008 conference. I’ll tell you what—whipping this thing out at while using your laptop at Starbucks should prove interesting.

via Gizmodo

Ecosol Powerstick V2 is a smart USB charger

Desktops & Accessories

If you are environmentally conscious and need a way to charge up your gadgets on the go, the Ecosol Powerstick V2 is the obvious choice for you. It acts as both a universal charger and a back up power source for all of your mobile devices, from your iPod to your BlackBerry, your Bluetooth headset to your iPhone.

The Powerstick V2 makes it so you only need one charger. All you have to do is charge it by plugging it into a USB port for about 90 minutes. Then it can be used to charge mobile devices. Plus, it is intelligent, meaning it only uses the energy that it needs. Once the Powerstick is charged up, it won’t continue to drain energy from your computer.

You can get the Ecosol Powerstick V2 now at Best Buy or the company’s website for $59.99. It comes with nine adapters and you can get it in either black or white.

via SlashGear

Alienware’s Area-51 750i

Desktops & Accessories

Alienware on Thursday veered away from its normal high-end audience to unveil the Area-51 750i. The system is the company’s least expensive gaming tower but comes with the same lightable casing, wiring and stronger power supplies as more expensive Area-51 models; only the individual components dictate its price, and the system can be scaled upwards to include some of the better features from Alienware’s catalog, such as liquid cooling and noise damping.

The base model is a relatively inexpensive $1,049 and carries a 3GHz Core 2 Duo, a 750W power supply, a GeForce 9800 GT for video, 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. Systems can scale up to a quad-core 3GHz Core 2 Extreme, a 1,200W power supply, two Radeon HD 4870 X2s, 3TB of hard drives, Blu-ray and 8GB of memory. Alienware is promising a relatively quick turnaround for its PC and should ship pre-orders in late November.

Via Gizmodo, Electronista

Sony’s iMac? Vaio VGC-LN1M

Desktops & Accessories

For a stylish, Windows-based alternative to the iMac, look no further than this opstion from Sony’s Vaio range. Part of the LN series, this all-in-one model sports a 20.1 inch screen and a Blu-ray disk drive, allowing you to watch your favorite films in stunning HD quality when the working day starts to drag. As its heart lies a speedy Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB DDR3 memory and a Nvidia GeForce 9300M graphics card, plus a hefty 500 GB storage space for backing up your spreadsheets and the like. On the software front, it comes pre-installed with Vista and a 60-day trial of Office 2007. But hey, no one said you can’t install Fedora linux on this Vaio.

Microprocessor Full Name: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7200, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology
Microprocessor Manufacturer: Intel®
Microprocessor Speed (GHz): 2.53
Microprocessor Type: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor
L2 Cache (KB): 3072
Frontside Bus (MHz): 1066

Memory Speed (MHz): 800
Memory Type: DDR2 SDRAM (1×2048MB, 1×1024MB)
Max. Memory (MB): 4096
Max Memory Comment: A portion of the system memory over 3GB may not be available to the operating system.
Memory Size (MB): 3072

Display Size (in): 20.1
Display Type: X-black LCD with four lamp technology
Resolution Format: 1680 x 1050
Resolution Type: WSXGA+

HP Intros TouchSmart TX2 Multi-Touch Tablet

Desktops & Accessories

For years the computer industry has been pushing consumers on concept of the tablet PC. But save for a small percentage of professionals in specialized fields, the form factor has largely failed to catch on. While plenty of mobile phones have long since proven that consumers love touchscreens, on the whole, that love hasn’t translated to the PC market.

Recently, however, Hewlett-Packard took some interesting baby steps in that direction when it first launched the TouchSmart “kitchen” PC. Designed for family use, the PC proved its usefulness when it came to multimedia, letting users get more hands-on with things such as digital photos.

The company is now looking to expand the relative success of the TouchSmart IQ816 all-in-one with a new touchscreen notebook. Introduced today, the TouchSmart TX2 is the first multi-touch tablet for Windows.

Like its predecessor in the TouchSmart line, the TX2’s touch capabilities are largely focused on multimedia–flipping and expanding digital pictures and things of that nature. Some of the touch functionality extends to other apps, but it’s fairly limited. We got some hands-on time with the computer earlier in the week, and the first thing HP showed us was the ability to launch HP MediaSmart by drawing an “M” with two fingers (even this simple gesture took some getting used to, however).

HP is also being a bit generous with the multi-touch classification: While it supports more fingers, the gestures at this point are still limited to two. An HP rep suggested that there were limited functions that might require more than two fingers, but Apple’s new trackpads for the Macbook certainly make a different case.

Otherwise, the tablet is a lot like its predecessor, the Tx2000z. it features a 12-inch widescreen, a stylus, a dual-layer DVD burner, three USB ports, and a multi-card reader. Inside the tablet has a 250GB, 5400-rpm hard drive, a 2.2-GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-82 processor, and 4GB of memory. Pricing starts at $1,149.

The notebook is hardly revolutionary. If anything, HP’s primary objective with the computer seems to be testing the waters to see if the company can repeat what it did with the tablet’s older sibling, perhaps assuring that “tablet” is no longer a dirty word in the notebook market. If that’s going to happen, however, it’s going to take a bit more functionality than the TX2 has to offer.

Thanks GearLog

Sony TP3 - Media PC With Style

Desktops & Accessories

The only media center PC we knew of that could pass itself off as a limpet mine or hat box, Sony’s TP3 is anything but a beige slab. Though virtually button-free, it’s easy to set up; simply attach it to the highest-def TV you can find and you’re off. Despite its size and shape, the TP3 packs in the features; Blu-ray, HDMI, twin-tv tuners and, of course, Wi-Fi to name but a few. The only disappointment is the now so relatively claustrophobic 500 GB hard disk.

Linksys WRT 110 - Wireless Router With Speed

Desktops & Accessories

Very few jobs these days can be accomplished without leafing through Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers or eBay, so getting your workstation of choice online is a priority. Linksys’ sleek little WTR110 will get you (and any web browsers in your house) connected in a flash and has, courtesy of a gleaming pearl black finish, the looks to grace the most stylish of desktops. Central to its appeal is its manufacturer’s RangePlus technology, which both increases wireless range and speed, and eliminates pesky dead spots.

Product descriptions from Linksys:

The RangePlus Wireless Router is really three devices in one box. First, there’s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network without wires. There’s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

The Access Point built into the Router uses smart antenna technology to achieve extended range. Unlike ordinary wireless networking technologies that are confused by signal reflections, RangePlus technology actually uses these reflections to increase the range and reduce “dead spots” in the wireless coverage area. The robust signal travels farther, maintaining wireless connections much farther than standard Wireless-G.

With RangePlus, the farther away you are, the more speed advantage you get. It works great with standard Wireless-G and -B equipment, but when both ends of the wireless link are RangePlus enabled, the router can increase the throughput even more by using twice as much radio band. But unlike other speed-enhanced technologies, the RangePlus Wireless Router can dynamically enable this double-speed mode for compatible devices, while still connecting to other wireless devices at their respective fastest speeds.

Setup is quick and easy with the PC or Mac compatible Setup Wizard, and making secure wireless connections is as simple as pressing a button with Wi-Fi Protected Setup™. To help protect your data and privacy, the Router can encode all wireless transmissions with industrial-strength 128-bit encryption. It can serve as your network’s DHCP Server, has a powerful SPI firewall to protect your PCs against intruders and most known Internet attacks, and supports VPN pass-through. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility.

With the Linksys RangePlus Wireless Router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multi-player games, and run media-intensive applications at incredible speeds, without the hassle of stringing wires!

New Motorolla Phones

Wed, Dec 17, 2008

Cell Phones

2009 is a new year for Motorola. The firm’s sales are tracking down, the RAZR might be dead - hopefully - but these four upcoming phones look uncharacteristically good. Little is known beside about the mobiles besides what can be gathered from the pics. The branding indicates that they are Verizon-bound and at least three of the four are touchscreens. And none of the phones have the dumb RAZR-ish names. Each one, including the Flash above, has a normal, fully-spelled product name. Hopefully these devices will breath new life into the dying mobile phone maker. We only have one question, though? Any of these powered by Google’s Android?

More pics after the jump.

Calgary

Inferno

Rush 2

Via CrunchGear

Watch Phone, just like James Bond

Apparels & Utilities, Cell Phones

Michael Knight (from Knight Rider), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek), and even Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory all have communicated with their counterparts vie a wrist communicating device, in other words, a wrist/watch phone. What once seemed fantastical is now a reality: this watch is just like the one Dick Tracy used to call Tess Trueheart on after foiling another of Flattop’s schemes. Rather prosaically named the Watch Phone, it lets you make calls, take pictures using 1.3 mega pixel camera, and record video. It even has more jazzy phone features such as a touch-screen with handwriting recognition, Bluetooth and an mp3 player. All it lacks is a function that renders you temporarily blind and deaf like a stun grenade in a James Bond movie. Price ranges around $300.