Mobile Computing: Slick Low-Price Stocking Stuffers
Clothing for gadget heads, great shavers, a great MP3 player.James A. Martin
Feature: Stocking Stuffers
Last week's newsletter was full of cool (but pricey) holiday gifts for gadget lovers, including Apple Computer's IPod, a Toshiba notebook with a detachable keyboard and mouse, and the T-Mobile Sidekick. This week, frugality reigns. The following fun (and sometimes even practical) gift ideas for mobile computer users and frequent travelers are priced under $200.
Wired Jacket
The Scott EVest is the ultimate gift for the gadgeteer on the go. With more than 22 pockets, the water-resistant jacket stylishly stores and conceals PDAs, mobile phones, MP3 players, notebook computers, GPS units, wallets, water bottles, pens, magazines, glasses--everything, it would seem, but a Herman Miller chair. Collar loops keep phone earbud and MP3 earphone cords in place, and you can conceal the cords inside the jacket. The EVest is available in several styles and colors for men and women, with prices ranging from $60 to $140. You can read more about the EVest and the future of computing wear in "Future Gear: Will You Be Assimilated?"
A Pod for Portables
EVest aside, some travelers would rather carry than wear their tech toys. For them, there's the Pod, a small (7 inches high, 6 by 5 inches on the sides) but capacious carrying case for digital cameras, PDAs, and other gear. The cleverly designed ballistic-nylon bag from RoadWired has a roomy main compartment with an adjustable and removable fabric hammock that helps protect sensitive devices such as digital cameras. The bag's twenty pockets can hold memory cards, batteries, and other accessories. It's available in black or red for $50 at Magellan's Travel Supplies. For more details, read what my associate Dave Johnson has to say in his Digital Focus newsletter.
Miniature MP3 Player
Apple's IPod isn't the only MP3 player turning heads. Creative Labs' Nomad MuVo packs up to 128MB of flash memory for your favorite tunes in a stylish, tiny (2.87 by 1.38 by 0.63 inches) device. Nomad MuVo includes two interlocking parts: one piece attaches to your computer and contains the memory, system logic, buttons for playing music, and a plug for your USB port. The second piece holds a single AAA battery that, according to Creative Labs, allows up to 12 hours of music. The Nomad MuVo appears as a storage device on your desktop; just drag and drop music or data files. Earphones and a neck cord for hanging the device around your neck are included. Nomad MuVo is available in 64MB ($130) and 128MB ($170) models.
For our take on it, read "Creative Launches Nomad MuVo." For a good price, go to the PCWorld.com Product Finder.
Wireless Headset
Mobile phone earbud cords tend to get as unruly as a night at Ozzy Osbourne's house. Solution: Jabra's new FreeSpeak headset, a slick-looking silver and blue wireless headset for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. The $99 headset, including an earpiece and microphone boom, communicates wirelessly when worn within 30 feet of your phone--though the closer it is, the better the reception. For laggards who don't have Bluetooth phones (like me), Jabra offers a $179 version with a Bluetooth adapter. Both models are available at Amazon.com, Hello Direct, and other retailers.
Security Checkpoint Time Saver
With today's tight airport security, travelers constantly have to show ID. I quickly tired of pulling my driver's license out of my bulky back-pocket wallet and bought a slim Fossil front-pocket model instead. On one side is a clear plastic window that displays my license. On the other side is a money clip, and in between is a slot for credit cards. Fossil offers a variety of styles, each about $20.
A Good Buzz From Braun
I didn't think a good, power-operated travel razor existed, but the Braun Pocket Twist Plus 370 changed my mind. Measuring 4 3/8 by 2 1/8 by 7/8 inches and weighing 3 ounces, the compact, AA battery-powered razor gives a surprisingly close shave and even includes a pop-out trimmer. Braun's design is particularly intelligent: twist it open to use the razor; twist it closed to protect the razor and save storage space. At only $20, this is a must-have for frequent travelers. Get it online at Magellan's Travel Supplies.
For other mobile computing and travel gift ideas, try browsing these Web sites:
Notebooks & Accessories
News: Pick Your Processor
Hewlett-Packard's new entry-level Pavilion notebook is available with either Intel or Advanced Micro Devices processors, a rarity in the computer industry. A base configuration with a 1.6-GHz Mobile Intel Celeron, a 14-inch TFT display, 128MB of memory, 20GB hard drive, and CD-ROM drive costs $849 after a $100 rebate. HP is throwing in software for editing music and digital images and displaying them on a TV. Models with the optional DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive come with digital video editing software, too.
News: Remote Access Service From LapLink
A new subscription service from LapLink lets you designate three systems to access remotely from any browser-enabled device, whether it's a PC, PDA, or mobile phone. LapLink Everywhere provides real-time access to Microsoft Word files, Outlook e-mail messages, and SQL database records. Unlike BlackBerry or Treo Mail, remote access using LapLink Everywhere is device-independent, the company notes. "Our customers can choose their devices, their wireless carriers, and so on, and not be married to any particular one," says Mark Eppley, LapLink chair and founder.
The Standard Edition is $89 annually; the Deluxe Version is $170 and includes a copy of LapLink Gold Classic, a desktop file transfer and synchronization program. LapLink Everywhere provides security by encrypting and routing data through its secure servers.
Business Travel: Wisecracks, Liquid Lunches, and T1 Connections
Prohibition-era history has merged with 21st century technology at New York's famed Algonquin hotel. The Gonk, as it's affectionately called, was the favored playground of New York's literary set during the 20s and 30s. The likes of George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley gathered around the hotel's notorious round table for long liquid lunches, with clever barbs and witty rejoinders the chief bill of fare. (When challenged to use the word "horticulture" creatively in a sentence, Parker famously replied: "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.") As part of its 100th anniversary celebration, the Algonquin has added T1 Internet portals in each of its 174 guest rooms. Room rates are $199 per night and up; Internet access is included. The Algonquin is at 59 West 44th Street, in the theater district.
Handhelds
News: A Pair of IPaqs
This just in from HP: one new IPaq for the security conscious, another for the budget minded. The IPaq Pocket PC H5450 ($699) is the first mainstream commercial PDA that offers biometric security through a built-in fingerprint scanner. The H5450's scanner is a small, thin strip beneath the navigation button. To restrict access to the PDA, you must train the included software to recognize the print of at least one of your fingers. The IPaq H5450 includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters, a Secure Digital slot, and a removable rechargeable battery.
The IPaq Pocket PC H1910 is smaller than the H5450, both in weight (4.2 ounces, compared to the 7.3-ounce H5450) and price ($299). You get the SD slot and removable rechargeable battery, but no built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or fingerprint scanning. Both models feature the sleek new IPaq design.
First Look: More Budget PDAs
HP has company in the growing low-price PDA market. Dell's first entry PDA is the Pocket PC-based Axim X5, priced at $349 or $249 depending on configuration. Palm recently released its no-frills Zire PDA for $99; ViewSonic has come out with its $299 Pocket PC V35; and Royal's Linea16 (which runs a proprietary operating system) goes for just $100. Based on our first look at these units, the ViewSonic and Dell devices are the best bets for any prospective Pocket PC owner. While the Zire and Royal offer attractive prices, they're too limited for most users.
News: Toshiba's Memory-Packed Pocket PCs
On the other end of the price spectrum, new Pocket PCs from Toshiba go up to a whopping $820. But you get a lot for your dollars: The three new Genio PDAs are based on Intel's XScale processor running at 400 MHz; they have a 4-inch LCD capable of 240-by-320 pixel resolution and 65,536 colors; and they run Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002. The Genio E550GS offers 64MB of memory, while the E550GX and E550GX/MD feature 128MB--the highest capacity yet for a PDA. The E550GX/MD also comes with a 1GB IBM Microdrive hard drive, which is plugged into the CompactFlash slot. The PDAs also have a Secure Digital memory card slot. The E550GS goes for about $492; the E550GX for $575; and the E550GX/MD is a whopping $820.
Wireless
News: Messenger on the Run
For the first time, AT&T Wireless Services subscribers can have text messages sent in real time to their phones by users of Yahoo's instant messaging service, even if the AT&T customer doesn't have a Yahoo account. The Yahoo Messenger client software now has a "Mobile" button that allows a user to send a text message to any AT&T Wireless customer. According to AT&T Wireless, this is believed to be the first time a consumer online IM client could connect directly with a mobile phone customer for instant text messaging. Messages sent by the Yahoo IM user are free; AT&T charges 10 cents per received message.
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