Denon's New DVD Players

So you've got your HDTV , but you're holding off on getting a Blu-ray or HD DVD player until the dust settles or a multi-format player becomes available, whichever comes first. But you've still got shelves full of DVD movies that don't look so hot in otherwise glorious 1080p. What to do?

Denon feels your pain, and have released three new DVD players that upconvert standard DVDs and output over HDMI to take advantage of all that 1080p goodness. The DVD-1930CI, DVD-2930CI and DVD-3930CI (is it just me, or is there a pattern there?) are $369, $849 and $1,499. You might think to yourself, "Well, for the price of the DVD-3930CI, I could just buy one of each type of high-def DVD player." Except that you wouldn't get the SACD/DVD-Audio playback Denon offers on all three models, would you? Gotcha.

The USB Hub for Closet Megalomaniacs

Wannabe Bond villians are no doubt giddy right now, as next Monday the Self Destruction Button USB goes on sale. It's a four-port USB 2.0 hub that comes complete with two switches and a security key, which prime give you access to the big red button under the safety cover. Push the button and hordes of flying robot ninja monkeys attack the world's capitals, making you uncontested ruler of the world.

Or not. Actually, the thing just says "Kill! Kill! Kill!" and goes back to its job of being a USB hub. But $61 isn't too high a price to pay so that your world domination control panel -- er, desk -- has that mad-scientist look you know you want.

The Sweet Sounds of Polk's I-Sonic

Polk Audio's forthcoming I-Sonic entertainment system packs an awful lot of digital audio goodness into a small (and, of course, stylish) four-speaker system. Billed as the first all-digital format entertainment system, the I-Sonic receives AM and FM HD radio, XM satellite radio (if you get the optional XM antenna and subscription), and good old-fashioned AM and FM. If you prefer to spin your own tunes, you can connect an MP3 player or pop in an audio CD or MP3 CD. As a bonus, the I-Sonic also serves as a DVD player; just connect its S-Video or composite outputs to your TV.

With all that, room-filling audio and Polk sound quality, the $599 price tag is almost a steal.

MP3 Lamp For Your Eyes, Ears and Nose

One can argue that one mark of creativity is the ability to apply existing material in previously unheard-of ways. Touted as a way to "use limited desk space more efficiently," the MP3 Lamp rather creatively solves the long-standing problem of how to get any work done when your desk is cluttered by a lamp, speakers and air purifier.

Roughly the size of, well, an air purifier -- or at least one with a lamp stuck on top -- the MP3 Lamp allows you to connect your MP3 player so that you can get some good tunes going while you're reading and getting your air conveniently cleaned of viruses, bacteria and "bad odor."

There's No Getting Away From It All Anymore

My scientist dad used to work all the time, but when it came to family vacations, he would put aside the test tubes, 500-page reports, and legal pads, and make time for us. Of course, during the 70s and 80s, he didn't have a lot of options for engaging in business except maybe the overpriced hotel telephone.

In a recent poll of 640 people by the Opinion Research Corporation, 43 percent of people surveyed said that they work while they're on vacation (in 1995, that number was 23 percent). Most respondents said they worked out of commitment to the job or because of an important deadline, while 10 percent said it was because they weren't able to relax if things weren’t done.

Obviously, technology is enabling this. Of those surveyed, 41 percent said that laptops were the number one tool for getting work done on vacation, followed by the cell phone. Personally, I think it sucks. Even if you spend just 30 minutes a day checking email while vacationing (something I'm definitely guilty of), it becomes impossible to remove yourself from the stress and issues associated with your job. I'm all for technology--the ability to get information anytime, anywhere--but sometimes I wish I could be a little less connected from it all.

Your Very Own GPS-Enabled Workout Monitor

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit gets the press, but can it pull a Jack Bauer and get satellite tracking in the mix? Didn't think so. MotionLingo's $149 Adeo Fitness Companion uses a GPS to track you while running/walking/skiing/snowboarding/biking, and verbally tells you how many calories you've burned, how far or fast you've gone, and how close the nearest hospital is. (Okay, I made up that last one, but it's not a bad idea.) If you've got to have a soundtrack while you feel the burn, you can connect your MP3 player to the Adeo's line-in.

With or without tunes, the Adeo hangs on to all the information it gathers, so once you've towelled off and plunked yourself in front of your PC or Mac, you can upload the data to the included MotionTrack software and keep track of your long-term progress.

TiVo Is Watching You

Get used to it: No matter what you do, someone is watching. Whether you're surfing the Internet, making a phone call, or watching TV, your every move is being tracked. The latest Big Brother maneuver comes from TiVo, which has announced a Nielsen-like service to track how consumers watch and react to commercials.

The newly formed TiVo Audience Research and Measurement division will look at how many users fast-forward through certain ads, and will even mark the exact point in which they start to lose interest. This will make it possible for TiVo to produce analytical information about how effective a commercial is, as well as what kind of ad placement works best.

The division will start by looking at a random sample of 20,000 DVRs out its more than 4.4 million units. At least privacy freaks can take some comfort in the fact that TiVo will not disclose any sort of demographic information--for now.

You Can Be Too Thin Without Being Too Rich: Meet the Motofone

Though I haven't been infected with RAZR/ROKR/SLVR fever (which has no doubt created a market for four-letter domain names that end in R), it's hard to deny the appeal and utility of a ridiculously skinny, yet inexpensive phone.

At a svelte 9 mm (.035''), the MOTOFONE is the slimmest Motorola phone yet, but you can't get that skinny without sacrifice. You won't find any of the extras that most phones have now -- no music playback, no camera, and apparently no Bluetooth. Even the screen is monochromatic, using an electrophoretic display (a close relative of the same technology used by e Ink) instead of LCD.

Part of the reason for the pared-down features (and price) is that the MOTOFONE is aimed at first-time wireless users worldwide -- which is probably why the multilingual voice-prompt feature is at the top of Moto's list. And given that the African continent is a hot new market, it's no surprise that they also stress its resistance to dust and the clear visibility of its screen in bright sunlight.

MOTOFONE hits the shelves in Q4 of 2006.

Canadian Company Creates Electronic Bikini

Fashion only occasionally intersects with our work here at Digital World -- digital gear is usually too bulky or too dorky to wear -- but that doesn't seem to be the case with Ottawa-based Solestrom's shiny $190 bikini. The SmartSwim UV Meter Bikini's "smart fabric" is connected to an LCD display, which tells you if you've been out in the sun too long.

I suppose you could just use a handheld device instead, but where's the fun in that?

RAZR Phones in Every Flavor

You’ve got to hand it to Motorola for milking the RAZR fad. First there were the different colors of RAZR--black, pink, blue, and a few I’m probably forgetting. Then there were the different variants of RAZR for all carriers, each with different specs (some EVDO, some with better cameras than others, some with expansion slots). Then there was the SLVR, the candybar version of the RAZR. And now, there’s the MOTOKRZR and MOTORIZR handsets. I’m officially giving up on remembering all those monikers.

The KRZR is the newest clamshell in Moto’s line of ultrathin phones. It’s around the same thickness as the RAZR--approximately .6 inches--but loses about a centimeter of width. Available in the later half of this year, the KRZR will be available in both GSM and CDMA variants. The GSM version includes a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth audio, and microSD expansion slot. The CDMA version will be EVDO compatible and will have music control buttons.

The RIZR is the slider version of the RAZR. Measuring .6 inches thick, it’s GSM only, and features a 2-megapixel camera, microSD slot, as well as the ability to turn to landscape display mode. The RIZR will also be available in the second half of the year.

Jamo Introduces Another iPod Speaker

Danish company Jamo has announced another iPod docking speaker system. The Jamo i200 is wide and flat, like the Bose SoundDock, and features a spring-loaded dock for seating your iPod. There’s a sub-out connector so you can plug in a subwoofer, as well as an auxiliary input so you can connect non-Apple-variant MP3 players. The i200 will be available in September for $219 in both black and white. No pictures or info up on the Website yet (great marketing!) but we'll keep you apprised.

Avoid Traffic Jams With Google Maps

You might have heard about Google Maps for Mobile, which provides the same step-by-step directions we've become used to in the Web-based version, including optional satellite imagery, on your cell phone or PDA. You might also have wondered, "If I just want directions, why shouldn't I just buy a GPS?" Here's one reason why: Google has added another feature, the ability to see real-time traffic conditions. Red representing congestion, yellow or orange for slow traffic, and green for clear roads (unless everyone has Google Maps for Mobile, in which case they will quickly become congested).

For now, traffic data is only available in 30 major U.S. cities.

Find a Hotspot With Your Pen

I'm all for gadget watches and gadget pens, so long as they're actually useful. (And so long as I can tell time or write with them.) While it's not something I use every day, I sure could have used Informatica's Wi-Fi Pen while I was at the CHI 2006 conference earlier this year. It would have enabled me to check the Wi-Fi signal wherever I was standing (a row of colored LEDs indicates the signal strength), and the white LED beam would have let me temporarily blind anyone else making a play for the one comfy chair in the area. See, now that's useful.

Averatec Helps You Find Your Way Back

Averatec, makers of budget laptops, is getting into the GPS market. Its first offering will be the Voya 350. Based on Microsoft Windows CE, the Voya has a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides up to four hours of unwired use--a nice feature if you want to take your unit on a hike, or even if you need your car's cigarette lighter for other purposes, such as juicing your cell phone or iPod. It also comes preloaded with maps of the entire United States (including the non-contiguous states) and Canada. You can pick one of these up at various online stores for somewhere around $400.

Microsoft: Zune Is the Name of Our Tune

It's official: Microsoft has stepped up to the mic and confirmed the rumours that they're releasing a new media player, and they've even given us a name: Zune.

The Zune project will be more ambitious than just a media player and service because, well, it has to be. That means, eventually, several different players with different capacities and abilities, and a user community -- most likely tied together by the site, and wireless communication between any Zune players that find themselves in close enough proximity.

Interestingly enough, the Zune will not be PlaysForSure compliant, which means that you're pretty much committing to buying music from the Zune music service -- in my opinion, not a smart idea, as the best way to claw up to the iPod market share is by offering more options, not fewer. We'll also see how this affects the other MP3-player makers who threw in with Microsoft's various Windows Media DRM schemes.

It's Like Home Decoration for Your Laptop

One of the good things about Apple products (or bad, depending on your point of view) is that they look so nice, you want them to stay shiny and unblemished forever. Many companies have responded with specialized cleaning products, but Power Support has an alternative -- at least, for the inside of your MacBook or MacBook Pro. The Wrist Rug and Track Pad Film keep your laptop looking nice and provide a comfortable feel at the same time. The Wrist Rug is a suede-like material that adheres to the palm rest for comfortable typing; the Track Pad Film protects the trackpad from the oils in your grubby fingers and "allows your finger to glide effortlessly." It's always nice when something looks good and feels good.

Double the Price, Undouble the DRM

Yahoo Music is taking a page from eMusic’s book and losing the DRM. The only catch(es): 1) There’s only one song available 2) The song costs $1.99 3) It’s a Jessica Simpson song. But, you do get to play that song anywhere and copy it as many times as you like. Of course, the record label is banking on the fact that you won’t pass it around to all of your buddies because the tune, “A Public Affair,” is customized with your name. When you buy it, you choose your name from a list, and apparently Jessica croons that name at some point during the tune.