Fetish
Come Fly Away
Mosquitoes are a beautiful part of our delicately balanced ecosystem. Just not in my backyard. Unlike regular bug zappers, which lure their prey with heat and light alone, the Dragonfly adds CO2 and Octenol, exhaled-air components that make this electric-powered mosquito motel give off the air of an all-you-can-eat blood buffet. That is, until the little buggers get close enough for the microprocessor-controlled electrostatic panel to zap them straight to hell.
Dragonfly: $279.95. BioSensory: +1 (860) 423 3009,www.biosensory.com.
Record Time
Pioneer's Japan-only DVR-1000 is the first-ever living room DVD recorder - think of it as an infinitely expandable TiVo. Each 4.7-Gbyte disc holds six hours of video, and you can re-record hundreds of times, jump around, dub, and edit without fighting tape's transport delays. For now, these DVDs won't run on most other players, but the next generation, available later this summer, will be able to swap compatibly with almost any setup. A US version hits store shelves in September.
DVR-1000 recorder: $2,288; DVS-RW47 re-recordable disc: $27. Pioneer: (800) 421 1404,www.pioneerelectronics.com.
Portalarm
While you're busy building your B2B homepage, this wireless watchdog looks out for your home. The battery-powered passive IR motion sensor keeps an eye out anywhere you leave it, and when warm bodies pass by and alter the infrared landscape, EchoMotion phones, pages, or fires off an email alert - all via analog cellular network. Meanwhile, its 110-decibel siren sounds the alarm. A secure Web page lets you view a log of trigger events, and a weekly "heartbeat" signal tells you the detector's still on the job. Choose a four-digit security code to disarm the system, or use the keychain remote.
EchoMotion 1000: $299. Basic WatchDog network service: $14.99 a month. EchoPort: (877) 937 3246,www.echoport.com.
Candid Camera
Eyeglass visionary Alain Mikli has been designing radically beautiful frames for nearly two decades, but Miklivision tops them all. A clip at the right temple holds a miniature video camera and microphone, letting the wearer capture firsthand experiences without the psychological distancing of handheld equipment. The mini-CCD transmits NTSC video through a small cable to a battery-powered Sony DVCAM recorder, easily concealed inside a portfolio or under a dark, dramatic coat.
Miklivision with recorder: $8,500. Alain Mikli: +1 (212) 683 3388,www.mikli.fr.
Self-Projection
NEC's MultiSync VT540 makes it easy to project the right image both on and alongside the screen. At work, the 8.6-pound portable projector sets up near-instantaneously by automatically detecting and adjusting to any source and resolution you plug in, up to XGA (1024 x 768). For home entertainment, the unit's hardware video processing makes it compatible with HDTV. While 1,000 ANSI lumens generate dazzling brightness, dynamic gamma correction brings out details in dark areas that most LCD projectors destroy. A credit-card-sized remote stows cleverly in the back.
MultiSync VT540: $6,495. NEC Technologies: (800) 632 4636, +1 (978) 742 8000,www.nectech.com.
Tri-Fidelity
Spread the low-profile, high-design components of the SoundSpace 3 stereo around the room, and visitors might never notice that they're working in concert. The CD-playing main unit (below, at left) and its opposite-side companion host the stereo's left and right speakers; because each operates independently as an alarm clock, you can have one for each side of the bed. Meanwhile, the displayless centerpiece houses the subwoofer. The minisystem's simple little remote looks pretty, not dorky, and the CD player's motorized lid is just plain fun to watch.
Nakamichi SoundSpace 3: $500. Nakamichi: +1 (310) 538 8150,www.nakamichi.com.
Borderless Economy
Dialing IP-style just got easy. Simply hit # before you punch in a number on your plain old telephone, and InternetPhoneWizard lets you do an end run around long distance charges - without the übergeek headphones. Linking phone and computer via USB, the box uses voice-over-IP tech previously limited to PCs and special phones, plus its hardware-based compression improves the sound. You need to sign up with an Internet telephony service provider (ITSP), but there's typically no monthly fee, and rates are lower than international savings plans for most countries.
InternetPhoneWizard USB: $149.95. Actiontec Electronics: (800) 371 0442,www.actiontec.com.
All Aquiver
Pulley-driven twin-cam compound bows had their day. Now Olympians and hunters alike are returning to classic recurves like the Hoyt Axis. At the center of this 68-inch competition bow, a 25-inch aluminum riser with an adjustable, slip-on wood grip anchors a smooth release, while precisely weighted balance points reduce vibrations. Detachable locking carbon-fiber limbs help propel arrows at speeds of up to 250 feet per second. Some hunting bows may shoot arrows faster, but none more precisely.
Axis with FX limbs: $1,100. Hoyt USA: +1 (801) 363 2990,www.hoytusa.com.
Chairfoil
Now your seat cushion can be used as an aviation device. Designer Walter Craven's Camel turns a textbook cross-section of an airplane wing into a comfortable chair. With stainless steel legs, aluminum side plates, a poplar back, and a maple-finished plywood body, the Camel is strong, warm, and lightweight enough to travel gracefully from room to room.
Camel: $1,500. Blank & Cables: +1 (415) 648 3842,www.blankandcables.com.
