Fetish
Chic at Minus 40 Feet
Judy Jetson would have loved zipping around in the Breathing Observation Bubble, checking out the creepy ocean creatures while her hair and makeup stayed perfect under the submarine scooter's air-filled dome. And she could gab with her other bubble-riding friends using the built-in microphone and radio transceiver. The air-tank-equipped bubble goes down to 40 feet, and it comes in hot pink, bright yellow, or white. At only US$10,000, you'd be silly not to buy one in each color. Just make sure Elroy doesn't fill the tank with nitrous oxide. Breathing Observation Bubble: Bellaqua Inc.: +1 (407) 478 4200.
Air Chair
Studying astronauts at rest in zero-gravity conditions, scientists at NASA determined that the trunk-to-thigh angle of the human body in its natural stress-free posture is approximately 128 degrees. BodyBilt constructed the K-Series chair to emulate this posture: it has arms designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome as well as an inflatable backrest for custom lumbar support. This seat has so many nifty features, it comes with an owner's manual on floppy disk. Climb in and float away. K-Series chair: US$1,215 and up. BodyBilt Seating: +1 (409) 825 1700.
MacKiosk
Want to set up a groovy multimedia presentation that people can access in public? Forget about using one of those boxy, ugly computer kiosks of the '70s and '80s. Not only is the free-standing aluminum MIKO Plynth eye-catching, it delivers the playback performance of a Macintosh PowerBook 540c. Using the flat, active-matrix touch screen, users can retrieve multimedia information from internal storage, CD-ROM, a local network - even a 14.4 Kbps modem. MIKO Plynth: US$9,900. King Products Inc.: (800) 877 6456, +1 (905) 625 1111.
Egg-Filtered Water
Even what the government calls "acceptable levels" of contaminates can make your tap water taste bad. So, you can shell out bucks for bottled water and break your back loading it in a cooler, or you can save a bundle by using the new PUR self-monitoring water filter. The device, which looks like an egg, attaches to your faucet and uses a three-tiered processing system to remove 93 percent of the lead and other harm-ful chemicals. Each filter can treat 200 gallons of water and sports an easy-to-read usage indicator. PUR self-monitoring filter: US$49.95. Recovery Engineering: (800) 665 9787, +1 (612) 541 1313.
Water Wonder
Turn the throttle loose and breeze through the seas on the 110-horsepower JetBike. With a lightweight, unibody monocoque construction, this machine's narrow profile minimizes aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag. Plus, JetBike's low center of gravity and dual-steering system give it, the manufacturer promises, "superlative balance and control." JetBike: US$8,495. Aquajet Corp.: +1 (310) 522 6610, fax +1 (310) 522 6611.
Robot Muscles
Shadow Air Muscles - originally designed to power a 6-foot-tall, two-legged android - are now commercially available for a variety of applications such as prosthetic limbs. A rubber tube covered in tough plastic netting, the Shadow Air Muscle contracts when it's inflated with compressed air. The manufacturer claims that the 9mm-diameter model "has the strength, speed, and fine stroke of a finger muscle in a human hand." Despite the fact that our fingers have tendons, not muscles, the Shadow looks like a cool tool for students and researchers. Shadow Air Muscle introductory kit: £10 (about US$15). Middlesex University Teaching Resources: +(44) 0181 447 0342.
Get the Lead Out
Tired of trying to erase digital drawings with that clunky eraser in the toolbox? Then check out the Erasing UltraPen from Wacom - it makes drawing and painting on a computer as natural as sketching on paper. You input strokes from its pointed end and use the other as an eraser. The UltraPen is supported by all the major graphics applications, and it even works with some word-processing programs. Erasing UltraPen (and tablet): starting at US$174.99. Wacom Technology Corp: (800) 922 6613, +1 (360) 750 8882.
Puny Printer
Printing from your laptop in a hotel is always a problem. You can fax your document to the hotel's business center, but it's a hassle. The 300-dpi PocketJet portable printer is a much slicker way to do business. Measuring 10 inches long, 1 inch tall, and 2 inches deep, the 1-pound PocketJet is one of the smallest full-page portable printers in the world. It uses thermal paper, but not the shiny kind that looks like it belongs with Eastern European toilets. The PocketJet's 20-pound paper stock looks almost like regular paper; you can even use a pencil or highlighter on it. PocketJet: US$529. Pentax: (800) 543 6144, +1 (303) 460 1600.
Eye in the Sky
A remote-controlled miniature helicopter, the Flying-Cam II features a built-in camera - 35mm, 16mm, or video. The 30-pound, 7-foot vehicle, used by all the major movie studios, also comes with a crew: pilot, camera operator, and film loader. The Flying-Cam II has a forward speed of 75 mph and a reverse speed of 28 mph, and it can fly as low as an inch off the ground or as high as 300 feet. You can also equip the Academy Award-winning chopper with a transmitter for live video broadcast. Flying-Cam II: for lease starting at US$5,775 a day. Flying-Cam: +1 (310) 581 9276, fax +1 (310) 581 9278.
Clean Machine
The Splash-N-Dash is a professional-quality carwash system for home use. The stainless-steel cabinet includes a low-pressure hose for cleaning the tires and engine, and a high-pressure stream to remove smashed insects imbedded in the car's chrome. All the cleaning ingredients are included; you provide the electricity and water. Want to make some money off your neighbors? Order the version with the countdown clock and coin security box. Splash-N-Dash: US$6,261 coin-op; $5,198 manual. Jim Coleman Co.: (800) 999 9878, +1 (713) 683 9878.
Grab That Image
If you're a photographer and work in the digital realm, you probably have a digital camera, a reflective scanner, and a slide scanner. While the FV-7 Image Capture Device from Fuji won't entirely replace your existing equipment, it lets you preview and digitally capture almost any type of color picture, from 35mm slides to live action. Photos, transparencies, and 3-D objects are easily transferred from the 2-pound device to any computer with video-capture capability. Fujix FV-7: US$995. Fuji Photofilm USA Inc: +1 (201) 507 2500.
Fuzz Buster
I thought cops were supposed to prevent crime. They should park their black-and-whites in plain view instead of hiding behind bushes, clutching their precious radar guns. Too bad for them that Rocky Mountain Radar has made the Phazer, the first commercially available system designed to scramble both radar and laser guns. Don't trust it? Rocky Mountain Radar says it'll take care of your ticket if you get caught speeding while using its system. (But the company won't go to traffic school for you, so don't press on that gas pedal too hard, pal.) The Phazer: US$199.95. Rocky Mountain Radar: +1 (303) 794 1297.
