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The latest trend in portable devices lets you pocket all your albums. In addition to packing days' worth of music, these hard drive-based handhelds hold thousands of digital photos. You can use one to force friends and families to watch impromptu slide shows - complete with musical accompaniment - or flip through last night's drunken hijinks on the commute to work. Will these players revolutionize how we interact with our photos the way the first iPod did for our tunes? Probably not. But they're a lot of fun and at least give you something else to put on that massive hard drive. - Seén Captain
HOW WE TESTED
• Setup: Each unit's bundled software was assessed on a PC running Windows XP.
• Image quality: The same photos were displayed on each player and - for units with video-out (iPod photo and m:robe 500) - viewed on a TV.
• Sound quality: To judge output, 192-Kbps MP3s were played through earbuds and stereo speakers.
• Extras: Features exclusive to individual players were tested. With the iRiver, for example, we made recordings from its FM radio and line-in port.
BATTERY LIFE
To measure battery life, we played music at 50 percent volume until each unit conked out.
Apple iPod photo: 16.5 hours
Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox: 7.0 hours
Olympus m:robe 500: 4.0 hours
iRiver H320: 17.7 hours
Apple iPod photo
Though not perfect, the 40-Gbyte iPod photo is way ahead of the competition. Apple's iTunes software provides a simple method for loading photos. The signature click wheel is handy for browsing through pics on its tiny screen (though using the menu to dig through both photo and music collections requires a lot of clicking). And as a bonus, iTunes can import photos already organized with recent versions of iPhoto or Adobe Photoéshop Elements. Colors were rich on the 2-inch, 220 x 176-pixel LCD as well as on a TV via composite or S-video connections. And - of course - the iPod photo rocks as a music player, providing decent quality and plenty of volume.
Wired: Supports most photo formats - BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. Long battery life.
Tired: Dim screen with no brightness adjustment. Video-out displays only slide shows, not individual photos.
$499, www.apple.com
Olympus m:robe 500
Wired: Built-in 1.3-megapixel camera. The 3.7-inch LCD doubles as a touchscreen interface. Displays most common file formats. 20 gigs.
Tired: Takes dreary photos. TV output not as good as the iPod's. Sluggish response to controls. Clunky navigation. Measly battery life.
$500, www.olympusamerica.com
Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox
Wired: Same price and 4-Gbyte capacity as iPod mini (though not as dainty) but adds photo abilities. Downloads pics directly from some cameras.
Tired: Doesn't support photo syncing; you have to drag and drop files. The 1.6-inch LCD displays only JPEGs, which look blurry. Narcoleptic controls.
$250, www.gateway.com
iRiver H320
Wired: Ultrabright 2-inch color LCD. MP3 recording from mike, line-in, or FM radio. Can drag and drop music to and from the unit (without copy controls) via USB 2.0. Long battery life. 20 gigs.
Tired: Interface is so bad, the player's almost unusable. Takes JPEG and BMP files only.
$330, www.iriveramerica.com
Take your gadgets to the streets! These jackets have pockets galore for toting all your essential electronics, plus-features designed for using gizmos on the go, even in the rain. - Ryan Sommer
Burton Shield iPod Jacket
Wired: Soft buttons on the left sleeve control an iPod in chest pocket. Stylish design.
Tired: No button-lock feature for sleeve controls. Hard to get iPod in and out of the stitched-in holster.
$360, www.burton.com
ScotteVest Three .0+
Wired: More than 30 pockets. Openings in jacket's lining allow covert linking of gadgets with cables. Detachable hood and sleeves.
Tired: Weighs almost 3 pounds. Marred by multiple lame logos.
$200, www.scottevest.com
Nike COMMJacket
Wired: Integrated speaker and microphone work with some Motorola cell phones and two-way radios.
Tired: Doesn't work with most phones. Hard plastic speaker tends to poke wearer in the neck.
$500, www.nike.com/acg/
Marmot Phenomenon EL
Wired: Electroluminescent panels in the shoulders, arms, and hood make you visible on the mountain and will even illuminate a map.
Tired: Expensive. Bulky battery pack. Shoddy construction.
$750, www.marmot.com
Sure, using the standard Xbox Live headset to trash talk online while playing Halo 2 is fiscally wise. But you owe your cauliflowered ear an upgrade. These plush comm systems let you curse out your 15-year-old competitors in comfort. - Todd Zuniga
Plantronics GameCom Halo 2 Edition
Wired: Snug and comfy. In-ear bud guarantees you'll hear all pleas for backup. Works with cell phones.
Tired: $30 Xbox Communicator-module (required) sold separately.
$50, www.plantronics.com
Nyko Wireless Headset for Xbox Live
Wired: Wireless! No interference within 35-foot range. Cozy fit.
Tired: Maxes out at six hours of play per battery charge, which could curb game-a-thons.
$60, www.nyko.com
Nyko SpeakerCom
Wired: Unique controller-mounted, squawkbox design. Good sound.
Tired: Doesn't fit all third-party controllers. Xbox Communicator not included. Push-to-talk activation takes trigger fingers away from the action.
$20, www.nyko.com
Logitech Cordless Headset for Xbox
Wired: Wireless. 30-foot range. Includes Xbox Communicator.
Tired: Pricey. Occasional crackling and hissing. Tiny controls. Battery needs recharging every six hours.
$80, www.logitech.com
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