Trend that's great #5 out of ten
So you call yourself an early adopter, eh? OK, technojunkie, this is the list for you. We rounded up the latest and greatest gear for work and play, then narrowed our picks to the top 10 gadgets you shouldn't go without. After all, it's all about who has bragging rights of owning the hottest toys.
1. Nokia 3650
We've been waiting for this hot little number from Nokia to hit U.S. shores, and it has finally arrived. The 3650 takes pictures, records video, handles e-mail, and works around the world. It features a large color display, voice-activated dialing, and Bluetooth. Even better, it costs less than $400.
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2. Panasonic DMR-HS2
Panasonic squeezed a hard drive and a DVD recorder into the same case, making it possible to record and edit your favorite TV shows and old videos, then dub them to DVD in a snap. The HS2's 40GB hard drive can store up to 52 hours of video, and a FireWire input is on tap for clean connections to digital camcorders. Its $800 price tag is on the steep side, and it can't control TV like a TiVo or ReplayTV can, but it sure makes your VCR look like a horse and buggy.
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3. Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP (Platinum)
Nintendo has sold millions of units of Game Boy Advance all over the world. The latest incarnation of this irresistible backseat companion has a more compact, mature, flip-screen design, and it finally features a front-lit screen.
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4. Toshiba SD-P2000
There's no quicker way to silence the kids in the car than to plop them in front of their favorite DVD. The SD-P2000 has a big screen and a wide viewing angle so that more than one person can see the action, and its relatively long battery life is great for extended trips.
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5. eDigital Odyssey 1000
The iPod finally has a real competitor in eDigital's striking mirrored-silver 20GB player. In addition to a slew of cool playback features, the Odyssey packs one option that none of the other manufacturers have yet to attempt: voice-activated navigation. Play, we say.
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6. Sony CLIE PEG-TG50
Sony has plenty of experience at the high end, providing handhelds with cutting-edge technology--and exorbitant prices to match. But the company strikes the right chord with its latest CLIE, the TG50. It offers a built-in keyboard and Bluetooth; it's also easier on your wallet and lighter in your pocket.
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