New GPS device for cars small, portable
Alpine has a new entry in the portable navigation device market with the Blackbird PMD-B100. The global positioning system device can be moved from vehicle to vehicle and is small enough to fit in your jacket pocket. The system, to be released in February, has maps of the United States and Canada, including Alaska and Hawaii, and features a 3.6-inch LCD touch screen with voice instructions. The device has a built-in radio data system traffic tuner to alert you to road congestion and can also function as an MP3 player through your car’s stereo or headphones. It will cost about $750.
www.alpine-usa.com
A new view on USB storage
Have trouble remembering what you stored on which USB drive? The cleverly designed Royal EZVue Vista Drive can help. A scrollable window on the USB device displays the drive’s contents, so you can see what it contains before you plug it into your computer. Designed to work with PCs and Macs, the 128-megabyte drive costs $50, and a 256MB
version costs $70. A 512MB drive costs $100, while a 1-gigabyte model sells for $150. The company also will make a Royal EZVue Vista Secure Digital Card Reader/Writer with a two-line display for $30.
www.royal.com
Portable mouse wields might
Don’t be confused by the looks of Newton Peripherals’
portable mouse. Even though it resembles a metallic business card, the MoGo MouseBT functions as a portable mouse that communicates wirelessly with a notebook through Bluetooth technology. Indentions on its top are designed for left-clicking and right-clicking, while a kickstand underneath locks it into place. When you’re not using the mouse, you can stash it in your notebook’s PC Card slot, where it can be fully recharged in less than an hour. Cost: $70.
www.mogomouse.com
MP3 player works with paid services
Samsung’s newest MP3 player isn’t just another Apple iPod wannabe. Besides supporting popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio, the YP-Z5 Music Jukebox also works with music subscription services, such as MTV’s Urge, Napster, Rhapsody and Yahoo, and can display JPEG images. Weighing just over 2 ounces, the pocket-sized player has a scratch-resistant aluminum body, a 1.8-inch color screen and a rechargeable battery that delivers nearly 24 hours of playing time. Available in February in silver or black, the 2GB version will cost $200, while the 4GB model will sell for $250.
www.samsung.com
