__ Breathe __
You've been taught CPR; you think you remember it, but how would you perform in an emergency - when someone's life is on the line? County Line Limited's CPR Prompt is a simple, battery-operated device that will calmly talk you through CPR using its microchip voice technology. The unit offers guidance for three age categories and four emergency conditions, and it includes a pause key, in case you get flustered or need to stop for a moment. CPR Prompt even has a practice reminder light that flashes every 45 days.
CPR Prompt: US$99.95. County Line Limited: (888) 728 5433, +1 (216) 765 1234.
__ Blue __
Alien hardware. That's what Blue Room calls its Minipod loudspeakers. And while they do lack the boxy dimensions that traditionally say speaker, these Minipods beg not to be feared but to be coddled and softly rocked in one's arms. With solid B&W components inside, these 100-watt, two-way sonic wonders will certainly improve the sound and look of your audio system, and they may well flush those long-suppressed motherly urges into the open.
Blue Room Minipod: US$800. B&W Loudspeakers: (800) 370 3740, +1 (508) 664 2870, fax +1 (508) 664 4109.
__ Boob __
Moms warn about sitting too close to the TV. But if you're a serious gamer, let's face it, you don't listen to your mom. If you're one to sit too close for too long with the volume too high, Samsung's built a screen especially for you. The GXTV is a 13-inch monitor flanked by a 21-watt multispeaker stereo surround system - including a 15-watt subwoofer. On top of everything, the GXTV includes a 181-channel TV tuner with dbx noise reduction. Stick your head in that, Mister. GXTV: US$349. Samsung Electronics Co.: (800) 726 7864, +1 (201) 229 4000.
__ Thin __
At 1.2 inches thin, IBM's ThinkPad 560 is one of the first true "notebook" computers, meaning it actually comes close to a real notebook's dimensions. By taking out the floppy drive - which most of us don't use that much anyway - IBM was able to flatten the 560 while retaining all the goodies you've come to expect, like a Pentium processor and a 12.1-inch color LCD. Though the big screen enlarges the 560's footprint, its wafer-thin, four-pound design fits more comfortably in your satchel.
ThinkPad 560 with 120-MHz Pentium: US$3,749. IBM: (800) 426 2968,+1 (914) 766 1900, on the Web at www.pc.ibm.com/thinkpad/.
__ View __
Sharp has carried its LCD-viewscreen camcorders into the digital arena. The VL-DC1U - besides its impressive name - carries a mini DV cassette that offers high-resolution digital recording of images captured by the quarter-inch CCD. The 4-inch viewscreen functions as viewfinder, playback monitor, and programming display. With a 30-power digital zoom and 16-bit stereo output, this camcorder offers the best of Sharp's design with the benefit of digital recording.
VL-DC1U: US$3,595. Sharp Electronics Corp.: (800) 237 4277, +1 (201) 529 8200, on the Web at www.sharp-usa.com/.
__ Spin __
While CD-recordable drives have built a niche as archiving tools, ease-of-use has never been a selling point. Sony wants to change that with CD-R File System, a technology that allows CD-R drives to be used as easily as a floppy. Spressa houses four-speed playback, two-speed recording drives that write without the usual staging process. If a recording error occurs, a recovery algorithm seals that section of the disc, leaving the rest clean.
Spressa CD-R drives: US$899.99 to $1,059.99. Sony Electronics Inc.: +1 (408) 342 0191, on the Web at www.sel.sony.com/SEL/ccpg/.
__ Pod __
Cubicles can be friendly places, assuming you choose the right type to cage yourself in. Eco-Work Stations from Studio eg are that type. These work spaces are made from 100 percent recycled, organic, and recovered materials. They are ergonomically designed and flexible enough to allow for several different cubicle configurations. You may not love your work, but you shouldn't hate your space.
Eco-Work Stations: approximately US$2,950. Studio eg: +1 (510) 763 8812.
__ Jump __
At first glance, these tennies look like a revival of Dr. Nakamatsu's flying shoes, but they are actually serious trainers. Each heel has a 1-inch spring that not only absorbs shock, but pushes up your body with a force equal to half the load. Basically, you can run with less effort. And don't worry about sprained ankles: the spring works like the suspension in your car to reinforce your sta- bility, making these shoes appropriate for running cross-country. The springs can also be changed to match your momentum and weight.
Recoil Shoes: &YEN19,800 (US$180). Z-Tech: +81 (3) 5469 0186.
__ Mo' __
With hard drives getting bigger and computers going mobile, that old floppy drive is becoming more of a hassle than it's worth. Upgrade your storage solution with Fujitsu's new DynaMO portable MO drive. The drive will run off four AA batteries or an AC adapter, allowing you access to your data anywhere. And data can be shot through the PC card interface at 8 Mbytes per second. At only a pound, the DynaMO can relieve your storage nightmare.
DynaMO: US$499. Fujitsu Computer Products of America: (800) 626 4686, +1 (408) 432 6333, on the Web at www.fcpa.com/.
__ Arachnophobia __
Place the Sound Spider behind your sofa, extend its retractable arms, and turn up the stereo volume. This is no ordinary speaker; it will blast you with 16 channels of 3-D imaged sound, orchestrated by the Taylor Array Process software that mimics the way sound travels in "the real world." You can even tuck the Spider away when it's not being used.
Sound Spider: price not yet available. Dimension Audio: +1 (310) 573 1050.
__ Box __
The inescapably seductive black box. The wonderous tangle of wiring wrapped inside, the absence of buttons and friendly ergonomics, the realization that black boxes survive plane crashes while paying customers die. The Audio Signal Enhancer works its magic on the audible spectrum and puts the warmth and life back into cold digital recordings. It does what all black boxes do so well, quietly cheat the laws of physics with only a small, red LED meekly heralding its presence to the world.
Audio Signal Enhancer: US$198. Z-Man Corp.: (800) 478 9727, +1 (616) 246 7929, on the Web at www.z-man.com/.
__ Play __
Entertainment and software are paid for. So why does a virtual toy seem so strange - and not so much the toy itself, but paying for it? The free-wheeling Net should disdain a Cybertoys 'R' Us. But kids, as always, live in worlds of their choosing - perhaps biplanes built of bits have as much appeal now as yellow-painted, cold steel Tonkas did years ago. Each virtual toy: US$1.99. Virtual Toy Shoppe: on the Web at www.virtualtoys.com/.
ScanMate F8: US$39,995. ScanView Inc.: +1 (415) 378 6360.
__ Bright __
Sometimes a PC just isn't small enough. But Computer Dynamics's DisplayPac-MiniBrite is compact enough to fit where other computers can't. Its 6.4-inch TFT LCD can be outfitted with a touchscreen, and it packs a Pentium processor and up to 64 Mbytes of RAM. With all these features, you may find yourself putting PCs everywhere. Now that's ubiquity. DisplayPac-MiniBrite: US$3,880 (10-piece quantity) for 100-MHz Pentium, 4 Mbytes RAM, and touchscreen. Computer Dynamics: +1 (864) 627 8800, email sales@cdynamics.com.Thanks to Steve Silberman, John S. Couch, Harry Case, Wired *Japan, and *Wired UK.
Quiet Zone 2000: US$199. Koss Corp.: (800) 872 5677, +1 (414) 964 5000.
