Fetish
Pad
There's a place on our desks for touchpads and a place for tablets. Only problem is, those are two distinct places. Until now. Interlink Electronics has developed the VersaPad, a combination touchpad and tablet that lets you use your fingers or a stylus. The VersaPad also offers a programmable five-key toolbar for one-touch response. Using the extra software provided with your driver, you can also cut and paste graphics for use in Windows 95 apps. VersaPad: US$69.95. InterLink Electronics: (800) 340 1331, on the Web at www.interlinkelec.com/.
View
Thinking of buying a TV? You could go with a nice 20-inch, but why stop there? The Digital Home Theater from Projectavision does it all. Its modular design combines a 60-inch rear-projection TV with a removable front-projection system that delivers an image measuring up to 260 inches diagonally. The Home Theater also functions as a computer display - and it weighs less than 130 pounds. Image quality is superb, too, thanks to the Home Theater's new digital micromirror technology. No LCDs here. This is the one - this is definitely the one. Digital Home Theater: US$7,999. Projectavision Inc.: +1 (212) 971 3000.
Clam
Why are CD cases so easily broken? To be truly protective, they've got to stay in one piece. Yet too often they don't. The new CD Shell is different. Made of translucent plastic, the case looks - and works - just like a scallop. Just place your favorite disc inside, close the shell, and press the centers of the panels together until you're rewarded with a satisfying snap. The CD Shell doesn't offer the protection of a hard case, but it doesn't pretend to, either, so perhaps you'll be more careful. CD Shell: about 60 cents. The Dering Corp.: +1 (717) 394 4200.
Shoot
Cameras tend toward the small and the delicate - some have gotten so minuscule, it seems that merely touching them will break something. Not so with Minolta's new Xtreem GX series. These cameras are rugged, with rubber grips and big buttons for gloved hands. They're splashproof, and the GX-4 is even waterproof to 16.5 feet. The GX series uses APS film cartridges for easy loading and more creative picture-taking. Options include armband straps, holsters, and tripods. These cameras simply scream for the outdoors. Xtreem GX: from US$99. Minolta Corp.: +1 (201) 825 4000.
Spine
Probably the most important piece of furniture you'll ever have is your desk chair. Unfortunately, treating your back properly too often requires major surgery on your wallet. Well, the "Hugger" Duo-Back chair is no exception, but the relief it can bring your aching spine is well worth it. The Duo-Back has, yes, a split-back design that adjusts as you move, molding itself to your torso while providing support. The chair is also available in several different styles, so you're sure to get one that matches your personality to a T. "Hugger" Duo-Back: US$300 to $2,000. Grahl Industries: +1 (517) 279 8011, fax (800) 472 4507.
Live
It seems that CPR training isn't enough these days. What you really need is a good defibrillator by your side. SurVivaLink offers the first automatic external defibrillator, a lifesaver you can take with you. This personal resuscitator has a one-button design, nonpolarized electrodes, and audible instructions. Training takes only a few minutes, and in the event of an actual emergency, the defibrillator will calmly issue instructions. The life you save, after all, may be your own. Personal Resuscitator: US$2,995. SurVivaLink Corp.: +1 (612) 939 4181.
Wheels
You love your in-line skates. Trouble is, when you finally get where you're going, you've got to take them off. That means lugging around an extra pair of shoes. But with Rossignol's new Traffic skates, that inconvenience is a thing of the past. Traffic skates have a removable frame you pop off à la snow skis. The shoe's stiff heel provides good support, while the sole's forefoot flexes easily for walking comfort. These are the skates you've been waiting for. Traffic: from US$249. Rossignol: +1 (802) 863 2511.
Strands
Despite all the talk about fiber to the home, it looks like you're gonna have to lay it in yourself. Boston Optical Fiber has developed a plastic version of the data pipeline that's much easier to handle and install, while being less expensive than its glass cousin. The company expects its product to push optical fiber into the mass market, where we can put it to good use replacing copper wires. The fiber supports communications rates of up to 3 Gbps - more than enough for now, and probably more than plenty for the foreseeable future. Optigiga: price not available. Boston Optical Fiber Inc.: +1 (508) 836 2700, on the Web at www.bostonoptical.com/.
Metal
The Tonka truck. It was big and sturdy, all indestructible metal and yellow paint. Then came the age of plastic, and the scrappy Tonka lost weight - both in mass and prestige. This year, Tonka is bringing back a few of the originals in a Classic Edition series. Both the 1949 Dump Truck and 1956 Pickup are making encore appearances. If you ever had one, you know there's no substitute. Tonka Classic Edition: US$20 to $25. Hasbro: +1 (401) 431 8697, on the Web at www.hasbro.com/.
Box
Making room for your stereo has never been easy. To get great sound from your speakers, you have to place them correctly - not an easy task when you've got an odd-shaped apartment. But Ambiance Acoustics' California Cube speaker performs well in these spaces. Its four full-range speakers have no woofers or tweeters, so walls help bolster the bass. The array eliminates crossover distortion, though it requires an included equalizer. It's the speaker for those of us who don't consider interior remodeling part of a sound system. California Cube: US$1,995 per pair, including equalizer. Ambiance Acoustics: +1 (619) 485 7514, on the Web at www.calcube.com/.
Stealth
Lucent's new digital spread-spectrum cordless phone is tops in convenience and privacy. Spread-spectrum technology increases the range well beyond that of mortal analog phones - up to 4,000 feet from the base station. The phone hops frequencies during transmission, too, making it almost completely secure from eavesdroppers. Digital Cordless Telephone 9510: US$379. Lucent Technologies: (800) 222 3111, on the Web at www.lucent.com/consumer/.
Toter
Everyone's looking for a better laptop, and most schools of thought lean toward "less is more." Carrying even a 6-pound laptop with accessories can be brutal. But the Laser PC5 is a mini portable with serious functionality. The little Laser PC5 runs more than 10 hours on 4 AA batteries and includes a database, a wordprocessor, a Lotus-compatible spreadsheet, and a calculator. It's got only 256 Kbytes of RAM, but with a full-size keyboard and a low price, the PC5 gets the job done. Laser PC5: US$290. Perfect Solutions Software: (800) 726 7086, on the Web at www.perfectsolutions.com/.
