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This superscope is a galactic Peeping Tom's dream. Use it to spy curvaceous comets, pretty planets, and naked nebulae with observatory-level clarity from your backyard. Simply enter a constellation and the built-in GPS points the RCX400 in the right direction. Meade's dual-mirror design mimics the Hubble's, but an innovative mounting system better reduces light distortion. The scope's carbon fiber-and-Kevlar shell won't shrink or flex in the heat or cold, so it offers perfect views of heavenly bodies all year round.
16-inch RCX400: $15,999, www.meade.com
Hoisted on your shoulder, Philips' tiny ghetto blaster may not look impressive, but it can still bump beats for your entire crew. The 7 x 2 x 2-inch boom box houses a dual 2-watt Class-D amplifier for crisp sound, 256 Mbytes of flash memory for storing scores of digital tunes, and a USB port for connecting to your PC. The system doubles as an alarm clock - wake to a buzzer, music, or FM radio - and a 10-hour rechargeable battery keeps it from conking out mid-street party.
PSS110: $179, www.philips.com
Get your head in the game. GE's BassShaker surrounds you with first-person-shooter mayhem, pumping 5.1 channels of audio through eight speakers. The woofers are amplified for extra oomph, and a rumble pack rattles your skull with onscreen action. The BassShaker plugs into your PC through three minijack connectors or USB, and a detachable mike transmits important communiqués (or torrents of expletives) to online pals. You'll hear every foe sneaking up on you, every bullet whizzing past your head, and every opponent telling you how bad you suck.
5.1 BassShaker Headset: $80, www.jascoproducts.com
Plenty of gizmos let you send media from your PC to your stereo or TV. The Slingbox streams it in the other direction, piping video from your cable box, DVD player, and DVR to any Windows XP machine on your home network. Then you can channel surf from the bedroom, kitchen, or den. And since the unit can be accessed through the Net, you can keep up with Days of Our Lives intrigue, even at work.
Slingbox Personal Broadcaster: $249, www.slingmedia.com
Pentax makes snapping pics of underéwater life as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Unlike mere "splash-resistant" digicams, the OptioWP features an interlocking, rust-proof metal body with rubber gaskets that make it watertight to 5 feet for up to 30éminutes. Its 5-megapixel CCD and 3X zoom are housed in a barracuda-sleek 4 x 2 x 1-inch body, so it will tuck away neatly, even in your skimpiest Speedo.
OptioWP: $400, www.pentax.com
Burn rubber and your epidermis in Airstream's convertible RV. Aptly named the SkyDeck, this 39-foot mobile penthouse features a rooftop lounge with an entertainment center, a wet bar, and beach umbrellas to shade its 15-plus seats. Down the wood staircase you'll find more amenities, including a full kitchen and bathroom, a 26-inch LCD TV, a washer and dryer, and a king-size bed. Happy, er, camping.
SkyDeck: $261,996, www.airstream.com
- Brian Lam
16-inch RCX400
credit Craig Maxwell
PSS110
credit Robyn Twomey
5.1 BassShaker Headset
credit Craig Maxwell
Slingbox Personal Broadcaster
credit Robyn Twomey
OptioWP
SkyDeck
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