Tunebase revs new generation of iPod-to-auto links
Once upon a time, there was FM radio. This service offered music and talk almost 24 hours a day. Now, however, FM radio is just another conduit for the iPod juggernaut. The Belkin Tunebase FM connects to almost any iPod, including the new Touch, and transmits its audio to any car’s radio. It plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter and charges the iPod while connected. The Tunebase can scan the airwaves for an open channel that is not being used by a radio station to ensure audio quality. When you click a button, the transmitter displays the best frequency, allowing you to tune into that same frequency on your car radio to hear the audio. The Tunebase also includes a jack for use with other devices like cassette tape adapters, if your car stereo plays tapes. Available this month for $90 in stores and online.
Heavy speakers for blasting heavy metal
A new iPod amplifier and speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins may have the airy name Zeppelin, but at 16.5 pounds, it seems lead-like. The weight of this 2-foot-long ovoid comes from five speakers and an amp that the company says puts out an average of 100 watts of power.
An iPod Nano, Classic or Touch can clip into a chrome mount at the center of the unit. The back panel has ports for S-video, USB and mini phone jack connections, so that it can play sound from a TV, computer or CD player as well as from an iPod. The five speakers produce impressive sound, but they don’t work well in the middle of a room.
At a suggested retail price of $600, this Zeppelin may be just right for playing your favorite ’70s blues-inflected rockers. Say, maybe, Cream?
Robot retriever ideal pet for couch potato
Ideal for reconnaissance on a moody big sister, the $200 VEXplorer Robotics System is a durable six-wheeled vehicle that can be safely controlled from the next room with a wireless remote. An onboard camera can transmit live video and audio to your TV, and an adjustable gripping claw makes it possible to grab items as large as a soda can. VEXplorer requires 11 batteries, and includes 24 gears, four motors, a camera and a six-channel remote, plus a trial version of SolidWorks, a professional computer-aided design program. The VEXplorer could come in handy for simple spying or trickier jobs like retrieving a stolen sweater.
Say “Cheese!” when you use Sony’s new camera
Sony’s popular line of Cyber-shot point-and- shoot digital still cameras has added a new model, the DSC-T200. This camera has raised the image resolution to 8.1 megapixels. The T200 has a larger LCD screen – 3.5 inches – than earlier models and is touch-sensitive, so most functions are easily accessible. A special “Smile Shutter” mode takes a shot automatically when you have fixed the focus and your subject laughs or smiles. The Cyber-shot DSC-T200 is priced at $400.
It’s like your laptop’s cute baby sister
As phones and computers converge, it is becoming harder to tell them apart. Take the AT&T Tilt, for example. This phone shaped like a candy bar has a sliding keyboard, 2.8-inch touchscreen and a processor running at about 400 megahertz – the speed of many PCs just a few years ago. Its screen pops out at an angle, allowing it to sit on a desk like a laptop. It can operate for about eight days in standby mode on one charge. Price varies depending on wireless plans.
