GPS caddie knows course like a pro
The SkyCaddie line of Global Positioning System hand-held devices can help you find your bearings on more than 12,000 professionally mapped golf courses. Priced at $230 and powered by a rechargeable battery, the SG1 model displays the distance to the green from anywhere on the hole. Another model, the SG2, provides distances to the green and hazards on the course and can measure the depth and shape of the green from any angle of approach. It costs $280. Two water-resistant versions also are available. The SG3, which is powered by AA batteries, costs $300, while the SG4, which runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, is $350. Unlimited map access to a state’s golf courses costs about $30 a year, unlimited map access to courses throughout the United States is $50 a year, and map access to courses throughout the world is $60.
skygolfgps.com
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Power without outlet
You can keep your phone, MP3 player and other gadgets going strong with Solio, a universal charger that draws its energy from the sun.
After just an hour in the sun, the company says, the battery in its charger can deliver enough energy to power 15 minutes of talk time on a cellphone or 45 minutes of music on an MP3 player. A fully charged battery has enough energy to charge a typical cellphone twice. The charger comes with interchangeable tips that fit a variety of gadgets.
The charger also can be plugged into an electrical outlet, and its solar panels can be folded together for travel. Available in black, white, silver or pink, the charger costs $100.
solio.com
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Wake up iJammin’
Luna can help you get out of bed in the morning. Designed to work with an Apple iPod or on its own, the Luna alarm clock has two speakers, a two-channel amplifier, an iPod dock/charger and an AM/FM radio. You can set Luna to wake you with a radio broadcast, music from your iPod or a buzzer. Better yet, heavy sleepers can set the radio so the volume keeps getting louder and louder. The alarm clock also comes with a remote control for lazy bones who want to change the settings without getting out of bed. Cost: $150.
xtrememac.com/audio/speakers/luna
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Laptop shows its own pictures
In the market for a new notebook? Systemax’s Pursuit 4155 has enough oomph to handle work projects, play video clips and even take pictures. Powered by Microsoft’s Windows Vista Ultimate operating system, it boasts a 15.4-inch screen, a combination DVD/CD-Rewritable drive, a speedy 1.73GHz Intel Core Duo processor, a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera, 1 gigabyte of RAM, a 60GB hard drive and a six-cell battery. Cost: $1,000.
systemaxpc.com
