Mar 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Ace of Bass

Electrostatic speakers, which make music by vibrating diaphragms between oppositely charged plates, have been around since the ’50s. But unlike poodle skirts, they never caught on, because the distortion-free sound was projected in a fairly narrow sonic field. Nakamichi has widened the optimal listening area by shaping the plates in its Phoenix speakers like teardrops. […]

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Electrostatic speakers, which make music by vibrating diaphragms between oppositely charged plates, have been around since the '50s. But unlike poodle skirts, they never caught on, because the distortion-free sound was projected in a fairly narrow sonic field. Nakamichi has widened the optimal listening area by shaping the plates in its Phoenix speakers like teardrops. And to bump up the bass — notoriously lacking in electrostatics — each speaker has an integrated dual-cone subwoofer. The two drivers move opposite to each other, canceling out errant vibrations that would color the sound.
Phoenix: $8,600 per pair, www.nakamichi.com

A Vast Picture Show

Let 'em know — or think — you care with this 7-inch digital picture frame. It lets you schedule what photos are displayed when, up to a year in advance. Mom coming to dinner? Slip in a memory card with shots of her and set them to display from 6 pm to 9 pm. When the clock strikes 9:01, it’s back to those Girls Gone Wild screengrabs stored in the 256 megs of onboard memory. And thanks to a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, you can snatch the frame from its cradle and bring it to bed with you (you sick little monkey!). Once the battery runs out — or if you turn the thing off — the chromed touchscreen becomes a mirror, so you can look at the fairest of them all.
Ality PFT-80R: $299, www.mustek.com

Side Shooter

After a ton of research, Canon discovered the obvious: Everyone wants a tiny camera with a giant optical zoom. What wasn't so evident was how to cram the bulky optics into a compact case. The solution is in the new 7.1 megapixel TX1. Engineers cleverly relocated the lens from the front to the side of the case, providing plenty of room for the 10X optical zoom lens to telescope internally. Because of the new orientation, Canon added a 1.8-inch flip-out LCD. And it’s not just stellar at stills: The palm-size shooter can also grab hi-def video with stereo sound.
PowerShot TX1: $500, www.usa.canon.com

- Joe Brown