Fetish
A Big Brother for Baby
What's Junior up to? Has he swallowed his rattle? Is he eating paint flakes? Has he gotten hold of your laptop and bought 30,000 shares of Microsoft? You'll never again have to haul your butt out of an ergonomic chair to find out. The BabyCam mounts over your child's crib and sends a black-and-white video feed to a 5.5-inch monitor. You can also route the video signal to your VCR to record your progeny's every move. The system is wireless and works up to 120 feet from the camera. Hook up multiple cameras and watch everybody in your family. BabyCam: US$349. Smart Choice: (800) 444 6278, +1 (214) 280 9380.
EZ Road Show
Taking your multimedia show on the road is easier than ever with the new QA-1500B LCD projector from Sharp. You can even leave your laptop at home: this spruced-up slide show projector has a built-in PCMCIA slot. Zap in a 105-MByte hard-drive card and, using the remote control, click through up to 100 hi-res images in five separate presentations. If you want to wow 'em with a multimedia presentation, the QA-1500B will accept video and audio input. It's even got built-in speakers. QA-1500B: US$4,695. Sharp Electronics Corp. : (800) 237 4277, +1 (201) 529 8731.
Faster Mph
You've upgraded to a titanium frame, drilled out your chain wheels, opted for a wind-resistant helmet, and shaved your legs. Of course, you wouldn't even think of carrying the extra weight of a kick-stand or water bottle. So why are you huffing around on those old spoked wheels? The Ultralight Composite Wheel uses three broad spokes with built-in airfoils for superb aerodynamics. Wind-tunnel tests show that racers might be able to pare 10 minutes from a 100-mile trial. Ultralight Composite Wheel: US$399.99 for the front, $499.99 for the rear. Specialized Bicycle Components: +1 (408) 779 6229 or on the Web at www.specialized.com/bikes.
Built for Speed
Remember when putting the top down on your car didn't require the assistance of an onboard computer? Those days are long gone. The new Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder VR-4 uses a 64-Kbyte computer to make sure the emergency brake is on and the car is in neutral before the hardtop retracts and folds itself neatly away in the trunk. Once the top is stowed, hop in and groove on the kick-ass performance (maintained, of course, by a furiously busy little microprocessor). 3000GT Spyder VR-4: US$64,449. Mitsubishi Motors: (800) 779 3371.
Ping-Pong Cross-fire
Spice up your office life with the air-powered Burp Gun, re-created from the original 1950s model. Now trigger-happy boomers on a nostalgia jag or vid kids giving their controller thumbs a break can load up - the gun holds 15 ping-pong balls - and fire in single shots or rapid bursts. Best of all, every time you pull off a round, the gun emits its deeply satisfying braap! Arm your entire zaibatsu and start a happy war. Burp Gun: US$19.95. Burpco: +1 (616) 327 6331, fax +1 (616) 323 1518, or on the Web at http://www .branch.com/burpco /burpco.html.
Tabi Trainers
Long-distance runners from Kenya's Rift Valley start their training in bare feet. They have a hard time adjusting to running shoes because their toes get bunched together. Now Nike has introduced the only running shoe in the world with an articulated big toe. The Air Rift shoe allows the big toe to work independently of the other four toes, providing comfort and flexibility - enhanced by Nike's cushy Air-Sole, a breathable mesh upper, and adjustable Velcro straps. Stock up on Rift Socks with the split toe, too, or you'll end up with a vicious wedgie. Air Rift: US$85; Rift Socks: available soon. Nike: +1 (503) 671 6453.
Voicemail Mate
When I signed up for voicemail, I thought it'd make my life easier. Unfortunately, my old telephone hadn't caught up with the service. To check my messages, I had to pick up the phone and listen for a certain tone, then call the voicemail center and enter a password. Now, my life is far simpler. The Message Phone from SNI is designed to work with my voicemail. A blinking button alerts me when I have new messages. When I press the button, the phone dials my voicemail box and plays the messages through a speaker, freeing my hands to write. Message Phone: US$69.99. SNI Innovation: +1 (617) 736 9007.
Color Me Cheap
I've owned lots of color printers, but I've only dreamed of owning a color copier. They were always too expensive and required servicing far too often. Finally, somebody's introduced a relatively affordable, plain-paper color copier. Leveraging the success in printing and scanning of its OfficeJet printer, Hewlett-Packard has created the CopyJet, a copier-printer that produces high-quality color copies for just pennies per page. CopyJet: US$2,495, CopyJet M W/ PostScript: US$3,199. Hewlett-Packard Company: (800) 752 0900, +1 (208) 323 2551.
Talk Radio
When I drive to a new place, I write the address on a scrap of paper and take off. When I think I'm getting close, I pull out the paper and read it while trying to stay on the road. A few blocks later, I realize I've forgotten the street number, so I retrieve the paper from my pocket, vowing not to forget the address this time. But I'm so worried about running into a fire hydrant, I forget the address as soon as I look at it. What I need is the new CQ-DP655 stereo. It can record my voice for up to 20 seconds. To listen, all I do is push the button. I'm just worried I'll wear it out. CQ-DP655: US$449. Panasonic: +1 (201) 348 9090.
The Wheel Deal
You wouldn't use a joystick to drive your car, would you? (If you would, let me off right here.) So, why play driving games with a stick? The Arcade Racer for Sega Saturn is the first steering wheel peripheral for the next generation of videogames.
It uses analog tech like arcade driving games and comes with eight action buttons. Currently compatible with Daytona USA and Cyber Speedway, the Arcade Racer will also work with several new games to be released down the road. Arcade Racer: US$79.99. Sega of America: (800) 272 8876.
Bawling Ball
Back when, balls didn't have things dangling from them and pretty much kept quiet, aside from a slight woosh when you threw them. The Power Ball from Koosh Toys uses an elastic string to add power to your throw. Swing it around until the string is nice and taut and let it rip. Aerodynamic tail and air ports give the Power Ball extra distance and create a two-toned whistling sound that will keep other park visitors acutely aware that you're having a good time. Power Ball: US$8. OddzOn Products Inc.: (800) 755 6674, +1 (408) 866 2966, fax +1 (408) 866 2972.
Keeping Tabs on Your Tabs
It's easy to burn through money on a business trip - and even easier to forget where it all went. If filling out your expense reports has become an exercise in restrained creativity, try the new Pocket Quicken software for Bookman. The Bookman electronic organizer weighs in at 4.5 ounces, and you can track expenses as you incur them using the mini-keyboard and display screen. You can also share data with your desktop computer through a serial connection. Pocket Quicken on Bookman: US$129.95. Franklin Electronic Publishers: (800) 266 5626, +1 (609) 386 2500.
