'50s Knockoffs
They look like reruns, but Telstar Electronics' lineup of art deco-style TV sets is all new this season. Choose one of eight models - like Holiday or Meteor - then pick virtually any finish color. Each set is built around an 18- or 24-inch CRT. Don't worry about catching Jon Stewart's wisecracks in real time; each retro box also includes other modern conveniences, such as cable and AV ports for recording devices.
Predicta: $1,149-3,299 (made to order), www.predicta.com
Small Screen Preview
Sure, your shooter boasts mega megapixels, but the display is grainy at best. Kodak's LS633 (available only in Europe) is the first consumer device to clear up the picture with an organic light-emitting diode screen. The OLED viewfinder refreshes 1,000 times faster than an LCD and has a 165-degree viewing angle. Because each pixel in the OLED's 2.2-inch window is self-luminous, no battery-sucking backlighting is required. What you get: crisper previews and more clicks per charge.
LS633: $399, www.kodak.com
Feel the Burn
And you thought rumble controllers were immersive! Stretch out on the portable PM300 foam mat and send sensations from a PC or video game straight up your spine. As you blast away zombies in Resident Evil: Dead Aim, two 25-watt speakers and a 4-inch woofer pound the action into your person. Or plug the pad into your stereo and ride the bass as it pulses through the 2.5-inch-thick Sensurround-like chaise. When's the last time your La-Z-Boy blew you away?
PM300: $150, www.pyramat.com
The Talkman
Missing important calls because you're rocking out in your cube? Don't let it happen again. Sony Ericsson's HBM-30 integrates an MP3 player and a Bluetooth headset. When calls come in on your cell, the earphones automatically pause the gangsta rap mix you've uploaded onto the plugged-in 64-Mbyte Memory Stick. The display switches from track name to caller ID, so you decide who's worth the interruption: your boss or your bro.
HBM-30: $300, www.sonyericsson.com
Cell Patrol
If Rex is more pussycat than watchdog, you shouldn't trust him to guard your crib. Nokia's Observation Camera, with a GSM transceiver, is a safer bet. Install it anywhere in your house, then view images or listen to live audio via your MMS-enabled cell phone (or a designated Web page). Or, set this digital Big Brother to Motion Detector mode and it will call you when there's movement. You'll soon see whether it's a burglar or just Rex making a mess on the carpet.
Observation Camera: $450, www.nokia.com/us
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Heart and Soul in the Machine
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Call Upgrading
Keiboard Gets the Thumbs Up
The Microsoft IQ Test
Ultimate Truth
Sick Bastard
Time Warp
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bot
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