Gadget Blog

Number 6

Slingbox SOLO

Where it’s available: A list of retailers as well as online purchasing details can be found at SlingMedia.com.
What is it? The latest model in the Slingbox arsenal, the SOLO allows you to watch your television anywhere in the world, either through your laptop or your mobile phone. A streaming device that doesn’t require any monthly fees, the SOLO connects to equipment such as your DVR, satellite system or cable box to deliver HD-quality TV signals to anywhere in the world — meaning you can watch your local news from a hotel in Bangladesh or a documentary on China in your office’s break room. Hottest feature: The SOLO’s easy-to-use software, SlingPlayer, allows laptop-users to watch their favorite programs and use programs like Microsoft Office at the same time.

Number 5
Intel PenrynIntel Penryn

Where to get it: Initially, the Penryn is expected to be  unleashed in next-generation Mac Pro desktop computers.

What is it? The Intel Penryn is the Core 2 Duo’s successor and the debut of processors clocked to 45 nm. It also includes the new SSE4 instructions, which speed up tasks — such as video encoding — to uncharted levels. Plus, it features the new Bearlake chipset and fabrication materials like the hafnium-dielectric. All of these elements combine to create a processor with a clock speed of 3.0GHz and an FSB of 1333MHz.

Hottest feature: Those who said processors couldn’t go any faster were wrong… so very wrong.

Number 4
ZINK Digital Camera
Cost: $199.99

When you can get it: Go to ZINK.com to inquire about retailer locations.

What is it? Like a new-age Polaroid, the ZINK’s camera/printer allows you to take your digital shot, preview it and then print it on 2” x 3” paper, all in a matter of seconds.

Hottest feature: ZINK stands for “zero ink,” that means that there is no toner, ribbon or ink required. Instead, the camera heats the color-spectrum crystals embedded within the paper to bring the high-quality image to the surface. Like the Polaroid before it, this gadget could literally change how society takes and prints digital photos.

Number 3
Microsoft SyncMicrosoft Sync
Cost: $395 (optional feature price)

Where it’s available: Widely available on all high-end Ford and Mercury models, and standard on Lincoln models.

What is it? We’ve all seen the in-car, voice-activated phone, but Microsoft’s Sync kicks it up a few notches. For the first time, your iPod, cell phone, BlackBerry, and Zune can all be controlled with the sound of your voice — thanks to an intricate voice-recognition system — making for an entertaining in-car experience and a safe ride home.

Hottest feature: Now your car’s home entertainment system responds to your velvety vocal stylings, turning your car into possibly the closest we’re ever going to get to Knight Rider’s KITT.

Number 2
Wii Fit  & Wii Balance BoardNintendo Wii Fit
Cost: Currently available in Japan for roughly $75.

When it’s available: Expected to launch in North America in late 2008.

What is it? The active-play craze that began with Wii Sport now extends to the whole body with Wii Fit. Step onto the Balance Board and your Wii will input your body weight into its system and then allow you do to everything from aerobics to hula-hooping, while the character onscreen mimics your every movement.

Hottest feature: Work up a sweat on the Wii and, in the bigger picture, see home gaming technology move closer to fully realized virtual reality.

Number 1
Amazon KindleAmazon Kindle
Cost: $399.99

Where to get it: Amazon.com.

What is it? Weighing less than a paperback at 10.3 oz, Amazon’s new e-book reader includes 88,000 titles, with all bestsellers listed at $9.99. It can hold 200 titles at one time and has a battery life of up to a week without a recharge. It also includes exclusive subscriptions to top U.S. and international newspapers and magazines, 250 blogs, e-mail capability, and Wikipedia access. It’s a one stop shop for all things literary and it’s all delivered wirelessly in under a minute from the Kindle store.