__ Fetish __
__ Prêt-à-Porter __
Years ago, when Kaz Toyosato was designing the Sony Walkman, he had to endure skeptical questions - after all, what kind of person would want to strap on a radio and headphones? Now, as a designer for Xybernaut, he gets similar queries about the most advanced wearable computer to date. Xybernaut's Mobile Assistant IV, produced by Sony, weighs less than 1.75 pounds but has as much power as a desktop computer. Options include a 266-MHz Pentium processor, up to 128 Mbytes of RAM, and a battery life of six to eight hours. Sure, there are industrial applications for the voice-activated machine, but Toyosato prefers the possibility of using it while commuting, relaxing at home, or vacationing.
__ Mobile Assistant IV: US$4,995. Xybernaut: +1 (703) 631 6925, on the Web at www.xybernaut.com/. __
__ Ringmaster __
The harsh ring of a telephone can be a jolting way to wake from a nap. With the recordable-ring function of the Philips Elegance 99, you can change the phone's sound to whatever you want - the squawk of your parakeet or the voice of a significant other. And the phone's digital answering machine records up to 14 minutes of calls.
__ Elegance 99: £39.99 (US$65). Philips Electronics: +44 (645) 282828. __
__ Low Rider __
Electric-powered bikes may be fun to ride, but they're heavy and don't travel well. Enter Zappy, a scooter that can whisk you along at 13 mph for up to 8 miles. When you're done, fold it up to stash in a car trunk or locker. Made by ZAP, this cruiser is a true hybrid: a vehicle that relies on both a dry-cell battery and your hooves for its zip.
__ Zappy: US$649.99. ZAP Power Systems: (800) 251 4555, +1 (707) 824 4150. __
__ Express __
Although a fine espresso maker and the microwave might appear to be mortal enemies in the kitchen, Black & Decker has forged an alliance for the sake of better joe in the home or office. The product, Expresso Mio - that's right, espresso with an x - uses your plain old radar range to make a great espresso in a flash. (The kit includes a frother for caps and lattes.) Just fill the reservoir in the base with water, scoop some grounds in the metal basket, and lock it down. After a short zap, you've got hot java.
__ Expresso Mio: US$29.99. Black & Decker Household Products: (800) 231 9786. __
__ Toast Points __
If you favor your bacon-and-egg breakfast with a happy face, Sanyo Electric's Pop-Up Toaster will make your dreams come true. A metal plate inside the appliance blocks heat in certain areas so that your toast comes out adorned with the likeness of a jolly little bear. Next, another manufacturer plans to burn Hello Kitty's image into sliced bread. Kind of makes you wonder if there's an intellectual-property law-yer out there handling the licensing rights for toast.
__ Pop-Up Toaster: ¥7,000 (US$50). Sanyo Electric, distributed by Catalog House: +81 (3) 5380 5131, fax +81 (3) 5380 5135. __
__ Rambler __
Avstar is an onboard navigation system for your car that puts your voice in the driver's seat. When you start a journey, slowly spell the name of the destination into the microphone. It'll give you street-by-street instructions while you keep your eyes on the road. Avstar is portable from one vehicle to another, as well as infinitely patient. If you're not a good listener, throw up your hands at any time and say, "Navigator, I'm lost!" The machine will do its best to find your street location by GPS (or you can tell it your whereabouts) and point you in the right direction.
__ Avstar: US$1,200-1,500. IVS: +1 (626) 256 3100, on the Web at www.avstar.ivs.com/. __
__ Lounge Music __
Before now, you needed one sound system for your computer and another for your living-room home theater. But Altec Lansing's latest speakers work well in both places, thanks to 5.1 channels of Dolby Digital surround sound. The setup's side-firing technology uses the walls of your home as an aural ricochet, making it seem like part of the soundtrack is coming from behind your chair. And the decoder for Dolby's latest surround format is in the subwoofer, so you can plug right into a DVD player or PC.
__ ADA310: US$299. Altec Lansing Technologies: (800) 258 3288, +1 (717) 296 6444. __
__ Workpad __
Pity the poor commuter struggling to type on a portable in a busy airport - with knees clenched together to support the machine, typing becomes a balancing act. Why not forgo airport acrobatics with the Lapdog, a carrying case that unfolds into a portable workplace. Created by Shaun Jackson Design to correct a notebook's poor ergonomics, the Lapdog's rigid platform holds the machine comfortably in place so you can get some real work done between flights.
__ Lapdog: US$139.95. Shaun Jackson Design: (888) 662 4300, +1 (313) 662 2828. __
__ Smooth __
Once the domain of rarefied research projects, piezo-electric materials are finding their way into everyday applications. The latest is a controller in K2's high-end mountain-bike shock that changes depending on the roughness of the terrain during your bike trek. When you travel over ruts and bumps, the shock in the Noleen Cross-Link fork sends a signal to a built-in microprocessor. This, in turn, routes electric current to the piezo material, which acts as a valve to let more hydraulic oil into the shock's cylinder and dampen the bumps. When the road smooths out, the piezo empties the chamber.
__ Noleen Cross-Link fork: US$699. K2: +1 (206) 463 8800, on the Web at www.k2bike.com/. __
