__ Fetish __
__ Collection Box __
Why lug around - and risk losing - your paper trail of business cards, parking stubs, and restaurant receipts? The 7-ounce Freedio pocket scanner captures them on the spot, in color or monochrome. Watch the biz-dev types gawk when you pass their cards through the palm-size reader, which has an automatic document feeder, limited text-recognition capability, and 150-dpi resolution. Or you can snap off the roller mechanism and scan larger pages manually. The Freedio uploads images and text to your PC via an infrared link or parallel port.
__ Freedio FZ-700S: $249. Casio: +1 (973) 361 5400, www.casio.com. __
__ Action Painting __
Paintball is war, pal, and it demands decisive action, like firing 62-mm paint bombs that turn a 75-foot area into a Jackson Pollock death zone. This bipod-mounted mortar can shoot up to four rounds per minute from its 4-foot aluminum barrel, with consistent aim controlled by traverse and elevation-adjustment screws. The M1A's cardboard-jacket shells contain 20 ounces of nonlethal, water-soluble ordnance in a thin urethane casing that explodes harmlessly on impact. Back in the urban jungle, the 46-pound, CO2-powered cannon doubles as an effective billboard-liberation device.
__ M1A-TOC mortar: $1,300; rounds: $10 each. Tippmann Ordnance Company: +1 (970) 613 2051, (888) 315 5270, www.ezlink.com/~martyt. __
__ Crystal Clear __
Glass Sound speakers are so elegantly understated, they approach invisibility. Suspended by speaker-cable wires, the see-through loudspeakers are at once eye-catching and ethereal, using a glass membrane and conductive glass circuitry to make the internal workings transparent. With a 25- to 30-ohm impedance, Glass Sounds still need a powerful amp, along with a subwoofer to handle frequencies below 200 Hz. Then again, leaving the muscle work to someone else might be called the pinnacle of good taste.
__ Glass Sound: $3,070 per pair. Glas Platz: +49 (22) 615 5557, www.glas-platz.de. __
__ Bladder Control __
Start running in Raven sneakers, and within seconds you'll feel the lightweight, water-resistant shoes gently squeeze your feet to provide extra support. Take a breather, and they loosen up for comfort. Raven's EVA-rubber composite soles house a microprocessor-controlled system that senses activity level and pumps up or deflates air bladders in key locations to adjust the fit. The power supply: lithium-ion batteries, which fit into the EVA-foam midsole and last for two months (a warning light comes on when they start lagging).
__ Raven: $175. VectraSense Technologies: +1 (617) 225 9468, www.vectrasense.com. __
__ Screen Double __
PC monitors and TV screens have been separate for so long that many of us have a hard time seeing it any other way. Samsung's convergence-play SyncMaster 150MP aims to correct this myopic incompatibility. The flat-panel XGA monitor has its own television tuner and can handle NTSC, PAL, and SECAM video formats. You can switch instantly between computer and video inputs, or use the picture-in-picture window to keep an eye on both.
__ SyncMaster 150MP: $1,500. Samsung Electronics: +1 (800) 726 7864, www.samsungmonitor.com. __
__ A Real Charge __
Given enough candles and Bordeaux, power outages can be a blast. But things can turn grim if you're left too long without essentials like a cell phone. Enter Stepcharger, which keeps your rechargeable-battery-operated devices running without a wall jack. Pumping the pedal delivers 18 volts of DC current at up to 6 watts. So bring on those sunspot blackouts - and get ready to give your legs and your corkscrew a workout.
__ Stepcharger: $100. Bridge Technologies: +1 (813) 681 8211, www.aladdinpower.com. __
__ Copycat __
Is it live, or is it MP3? The C@MP so effectively masquerades as a cassette that it fools even your stereo. Pop the device into any tape deck, hit Play, and listen to over an hour's worth of Net tunes on your boom box, old-school walkman, or car stereo. Or just plug in your headphones directly. Music downloads fast via the USB port, and the rechargeable Ni-MH battery yields eight hours of play.
__ C@MP: $200. Human Information Technology: +82 (2) 3775 3930, www.mp3player.co.kr/indexk.html. __
__ Lap It Up __
Away from your desk, a laptop can dump a lot of work in your lap. That's where Intrigo's Lapstation comes in - it's an on-the-go workspace that cradles your computer and makes room for coffee cups and paperwork, whether you're waiting at the gate or working in the lobby. The 4.5-pound collapsible platform has ergonomic handles that adjust to varying heights; side pockets carry cables, pens, and PowerBars. Eight ports on the top secure accessories like minilights and document holders. And should your business trip take a social turn, Intrigo can host breakfast in bed.
__ B2 Lapstation: $134.95. Intrigo: +1 (805) 494 1742, www.intrigo.com. __
__ Fully Vested __
If you hit the road on two wheels, odds are someday you're gonna hit the pavement on none. Along with a good helmet, it wouldn't hurt to have Eggparka, a nylon vest that quick-inflates like an airbag. Triggered by a simple rip cord that clips to your bike's frame, Eggparka's 100-cc CO2 cartridge blows when you're thrown off the saddle. Just remember to detach the cord before dismounting normally, or you'll puff up like the Michelin Man.
__ Eggparka HP: $360. Mugen Denko: +81 (52) 807 7750, www.eggparka.com. __
