It’s the time of year when gadget nuts start thinking about all the new high-tech booty they can get their hands on.
Yes, the annual orgy of consumerism is here. This year the battle of the gaming consoles will heat up with the release of the Microsoft Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube. Digital audio players are smaller than ever. Bluetooth wireless technology has finally arrived. And, digital video fans have new ways to capture video and get it onto their computers.
Stock up on batteries, lock the doors and shut-out your loved ones. There is a lot of fiddling to do because it’s gonna be a gadget kind of holiday.
Mixcrosoft Xbox
The Microsoft Xbox connects to your TV or home theatre system and will run advanced video games from a DVD drive. The $459.99 system is powered by an Intel 733 MHz processor, includes a hard drive for data storage and can connect to high speed Internet services for head-to-head gaming.
www.xbox.com
RCA K@zoo
This matchbox-sized MP3 digital music player has enough memory to store about eight songs. The $199.99 audio player also has a tiny slot for a MultiMedia storage card, which can have up to 128 MB of additional storage space. The device comes with an armband and plastic case that can be strapped to a wrist or arm.
www.rca.com
Hewlett Packard DeskJet 995 Bluetooth printer
HP’s first printer with Bluetooth technology doesn’t need to be connected by wires to a computer. It uses radio waves to receive information from up to 100 feet away. The $599 printer can produce colour inkjet printouts of up to 2400 x 1200 dots per inch. Maximum print speed is 13 pages per minute for colour and 17 ppm for monochrome.
www.hp.com
Panasonic DV Camcorder
This camcorder (model PV-DV151-K) records video or still images to a digital videotape. These images can then be transferred to a computer for editing using an i.Link port, which can receive data at 400 Megabits per second. The i.Link connector works with any IEEE 1394 computer port. The $1099.99 camera comes with software to aid with this transfer.
www.panasonic.ca
Hewlett Packard Jornada 565/568
The Hewlett Packard Jornada 565 (32 MB of memory, $899) and Jornada 568 (64 MB of memory, $999) are colour personal digital assistants that feature the new Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Premium Edition operating system. The devices feature a removable, rechargeable 14-hour battery and HP Safe Store, which gives it 8 MB of extra memory for data backup.
www.hp.com
Sony Network MP3 Player
On first looks, this gadget appears to be a slim silver Zippo lighter. It’s actually a 2.3 oz digital music player. Music is transferred to the Sony Network Walkman player via a USB port, common on most computers built since 1998. It has no moving parts, so it’s skip-proof. The $499.99 device comes with a 64 MB Memory Stick, and storage card that can hold about an hour of music in MP3 format.
www.sony.ca
Adaptec USB xHub
Art meets high-tech in the Adaptec xHub. The Universal Serial Bus hub, which connects four ($120) or seven ($195) devices to a computer, is also a picture frame. It is encased in frosted plastic and brushed aluminum and has a steel stand. The device also supports USB 2.0, a new standard which allows data transfer at up to 480 megabits per second.
www.adaptec.com
Compaq IPAQ 3870
It’s the ultimate computing powerhouse in the palm of your hand with 206 MHz Intel processor, up to 64MB of base memory and Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 operating system. Sporting a new case design, the Pocket PC H3870 handheld is easy on the eyes with a brilliant new 65,536-colour display. Plus, the Pocket PC H3870 comes ready out-of-the-box for expansion, with its built-in Secure Digital (SD) slot for extra memory and more! It also has Bluetooth technology integration to allow you to connect wirelessly with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
www.compaq.com
Bell ExpressVu Personal Video Recorder 5100
Move over video cassette recorders, this $699 satellite box can record up to 60 hours of television on its internal hard disk. The satellite tuner box, called the PVR 5100, is available through Bell ExpressVu. Not only can it record shows for later viewing, it can also pause live TV and produce instant replays. The box comes with a dish and $100 programming credit. The cost to existing subscribers is $649.
www.expressvu.com
Frontier Labs NEX II
In the heart of NEX II is a powerful 32-bit processor offering infinite firmware upgradability supporting a multiple platform of music formats such as MP3 and WMA. NEX II also offers a series of memory configuration, from 32MB to beyond 1G, giving you continuous music enjoyment.
www.coolestgadget.com
Epson C80
The affordable EPSON Stylus C80 speeds through black text at up to 20 ppm, offering up to 2880 x 720 dpi resolution for optimal desktop color printing. Key features include unbelievable 20 ppm black-text printing and practical individual ink cartridges. EPSON Stylus C80 is the winner of Digital Journal’s Best Product Award.
www.epson.com
Apple iPod
The Apple iPod is a 6.5 oz MP3 player that can store up to 1,000 tracks of music so you can take them with you wherever you go. The pint-sized music device has a five GB hard drive as well as a FireWire connector so that data can be transferred from an Apple computer at up to 400 Mbps. It also has a 10-hour battery that recharges when it’s plugged into a computer’s FireWire port. The $600 device also doubles as a portable hard drive.
www.apple.ca
Handspring Treo Communicator
The Handspring Treo Communicator is a small wireless phone with a computer inside it that runs the PalmOS operating system. So it’s a personal organizer that can load the same programs you can load onto your Palm or Visor PDA. Since it’s a wireless device you can also access the Web and check your e-mail on it too. The device comes in two versions. One has a mini thumb-powered keyboard, the other takes input via hand writing recognition. Expect the monochrome screened Treo 180 (approximately $600) in January. A color-screened Treo 270 ($900) will follow in mid-2002.
www.handspring.com
Hewlett Packard Jornada 720 handheld PC
Small and light, the hp Jornada 720 handheld pc delivers the power, speed, and flexibility you need while on the go. Packed with 32MB of memory, it will let you run the applications you need, as well as send and receive e-mail and use the Internet to do business away from your office.
www.hp.com
