Backstage Crew: Day one: Doug

If you've been staring down the "check engine" light on your car for the past few months, you might need a CarMD. Every car manufactured since 1996 has an easy-to-access port in the dashboard that this portable device taps into. Plug in the CarMD, turn on the car, and in a few minutes the device will beep, displaying either a green light if the car's diagnosis indicates no problem, a yellow light if there is a problem that will become major soon, or a red light if the car requires immediate service. Details on exactly what is wrong with your car can be found by logging in to the CarMD Web site or, if you're on the road away from the Internet, by calling a toll-free number on the back of the device. Popular uses for the CarMD include checking your car before a long road trip, diagnosing "check engine" light problems before taking your car to a mechanic or checking out used cars before a purchase.

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One of the many IP television providers strutting their stuff at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Gimp TV separates itself from the competition in two ways. First, the IPTV newcomer features all original programming shot exclusively in HD. Second, its programming is all geared to appeal to very specific, targeted audiences. Gimp show topics include motor sports (with a focus on the IMCA modified dirt racing league), entertainment, trends, lifestyle, sports, technology, children, and business.

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Virtual keyboards have been popping up at trade shows and electronics stores for almost two years now, but they keep turning heads. The i.Tech Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard was on display at this year's CES show in Las Vegas. The main unit projects a working keyboard on any flat surface. Using a combination of infrared and laser technology, this newest version more reliably turns your tabletop into your next presentation.

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An innovative but delightfully simple new take on the age-old problem of losing your keys is offered by the Loc8tor handheld. Operating by radio waves, up to 25 Loc8tor tags can be linked to each handheld. The small radio tags can be attached to everything from your wallet or keychain to the family dog. Once something with a tag is lost, you select the appropriate tag on the handheld and follow the beeps of the audio indicator to within 2.5 centimeters of what you're looking for. The Loc8tor Plus also allows users to change different tags' settings so that instead of beeping to find a lost item, the handheld will sound an alarm when you are more than a few feet away from items like cell phones that might otherwise be left behind.

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These glasses employ a patented light-guide optical element (LOE) that allows an ultrathin 2mm lens to be applied on the outside of traditional eyeglass lenses. The LOE creates a translucent viewing surface on which video can be projected from any portable video device such as video iPods or cell phones. The focal point of the screen changes depending on what you look at, allowing a perceived screen size of anything from a video iPod to the virtual equivalent of a 60- to 90-inch screen.

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The MoGo portable mice can be carried anywhere in your laptop without any extra equipment. The MoGo Mouse BT (left) fits inside any laptop's PC Card slot, while the MoGo Mouse X54 (right) fits in any newer laptop's Express Card slot. Both automatically recharge while in storage and work with the Mogo Dapter Bluetooth dongle. The Mogo Dapter uses Bluetooth standard 2.0 and USB 2.0 for the best possible connection speeds. The thumbnail-sized dongle has a very small footprint outside the computer. This is because it is meant to remain plugged in at all times, preventing the need to carry around yet another USB dongle to lose in the deepest recesses of your laptop bag.

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Sensing your height and weight with on a panel reminiscent of a digital scale, Frepar Networks' Subspace Communication Pod creates a 3D interactive character based on your body type. Users will be able to interact with their characters by actually touching the 3D display, calling the character from the unit's cell phone, interacting with a wireless camera, or placing objects on an imaging pad preprogrammed to recognize many common items and convert them into the 3D world.

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The stylish and slim Tango Video Terminal Adapter (VTA) is a standalone unit that works with existing phones, allowing users of the Packet8 VoIP network to add video functionality without giving up their cordless phones. For a $20 monthly rate, members of the Packet8 network get unlimited calls in the U.S. as well as unlimited video to any other Packet8 video phones or users of their free video software client.

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Walletex, an Israeli-based company, produces a variety of wallet-sized devices, none larger than a credit card. Weighing in at around 12 ounces each, the tiny devices are available as Web keys, wireless Internet access finders, flash drives, or even MP3 players with up to 2GB of storage capacity. Each unit is durable enough to be stored in a wallet indefinitely, is completely waterproof, and can be imprinted with company logos, promotional information, or anything else you want.

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If that Live Strong bracelet you've been sporting just doesn't scream Silicon Valley enough, you can replace it with an actual, functional flash drive.

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The Zoom H4 Handy Recorder has two built-in microphones mounted in an X/Y pattern arrangement for accurate stereo recording. Recordings can also be processed through either of the two XLR one-quarter-inch input jacks on the bottom of the device. Onboard processing is capable of multitrack recording of up to four tracks as well as of applying a variety of audio effects. Recordings are saved as either MP3 or WAV files and are automatically stored to the removable SD card while on the go. While you're at home, recordings can be sent directly from any of the available inputs directly to the computer via a USB cable and a bundled audio software package.

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