Gadgets

Korea's MPIO launched its latest audio and video player more than five months after it was first announced.

The MPIO-ONE measures a little more than an inch--about the size of a AA battery--and can hold 11 hours of music or two hours of video. The tiny player runs on a rechargeable li-polymer battery and comes in three versions: 256MB, 512MB and 1GB.

It comes in six colors including Smart Silver, Fair Gold, Crimson Red, Mystic Gray, Harvard Blue and Midnight Black and sells in Korea and some online channels starting at $247.

There is a hold switch and reset … Read more

Like most religions, Judaism has its time-honored traditions. If you need a little help remembering exactly what time those time-honored traditions should be honored, the Jewish Watch is here for you.

The water-resistant gadget has the standard time-keeping features of today's digital watches, but it's set apart by a microchip, developed in Israel, that displays messages according to the Hebrew calendar and special Jewish occasions. The watch, can, for example, alert you when it's time to recite the shema (the universal Jewish affirmation of faith), or light candles to usher in the weekly Jewish sabbath. It can … Read more

Tired of your average everyday 104-key keyboard? A couple of Russian companies are taking a fresh look at the 'ole " stickers on key caps" problem with some new programmable keyboards.

iKeyInfinity, out of Moscow, is expected to launch its new multi-language design for Windows and Macintosh platforms starting next year. Connected via a USB 2.0 cable, each key has a 17x17 pixels liquid crystal display (LCD) to show the character according to the language used in the operating system.

When the layout map is changed, the image on each key changes accordingly. The company said the image … Read more

You can now do your own revision of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" without having to purchase a separate karaoke machine.

Panasonic is prepping two condenser microphones with an internal SD-card slot for release next month in Japan. The SY-MK100 (black) and the SY-MK30 (silver) connect directly to a television though an AV cable and come with a sampling of pre-loaded songs. Prices were not disclosed.

The microphone also connects to a PC via USB cable so you can download your favorite tunes. The included software comes with about 50 different stock patterns for the background, along with … Read more

To help promote its SportsCamcorder, a pocket-size video camera with a detachable lens that can be attached to a helmet or jacket, Samsung has launched a Web site that will feature films taken by consumers with the camera.

Right now, the camcorder site features video shot by guys riding Kawasaki ATVs in the desert. Sometimes, the lens is attached to the helmet, sometimes the handlebars.

Starting Monday, Samsung will hold a monthly contest by putting the best video shot by a consumer on the site. The company screens the videos, so even though your film of you going down a … Read more

Ever gotten distracted while ironing? You rush off to answer a phone call or get the door, leave the heated iron on your fancy linen shirt and come back to find an iron-shaped imprint on your garb. Not a good look.

Oliso has come up with a workaround for easily distracted iron wielders--the Touch&Glide, which automatically stands up on built-in legs as soon as it senses a user's hand releasing the handle. Grasp the arm again and digital sensors feel the pressure and command a micro-motor to pull the iron back down onto the ironing board. An … Read more

Panasonic has come up with a consumer electronics battery that it says lasts twice as long as traditional alkaline batteries, which date back to 1959, probably long before PCs were even a glint in little Steve Jobs' eye.

The Oxyride Extreme Power Batteries--designed for "high-drain" devices such as digital cameras and MP3 players--use newly developed technology that releases a high voltage to the material typically used in alkaline batteries. The added power affords faster shooting for photos, faster flash recovery, faster battery-powered toys and brighter flashlights, Panasonic said.

"Digital electronic devices have generated a strong demand … Read more

If you're tired of lengthy cords cluttering up your desk or floor, you might find some solace in the Cableyoyo, an ultra-thin cord management device with a thick mission: reining in the cable chaos.

The Cableyoyo evenly spools cords up to 6 feet long (and less than a quarter of an inch in diameter) within a streamlined case that tucks handily into small spaces. The flat spiral also protects the condition of the wire, so it's straight and manageable when needed for use. Use it in stationary products or on the go.

Cableyoyo was created by California designer … Read more

Now you can have your state-of-the-art cell phone and your unwieldy retro handset too.

With the nostalgically cumbersome retro mobile handset by Phobile, no one will ever have to know you left the '70s. Just hook that big ol' barbell-shaped hunk of plastic into most mobile phones, start reminiscing about Studio 54 and you're on your way.

The Phobile handsets are a bit different than the popular Pokia retro handsets, which are custom made from original handsets from various decades and sold on eBay. Phobile's handset, a replica of the classic Western Electric 500-series model, is mass-produced and … Read more