After spending all year working on designs, the holiday season is the perfect time to take a break and kick back with our tech toys. This year we chose products that will brighten up your work or play. The items range from inherently practical to merely fun, plus we've included a book section for those long winter nights.

Check out the credit-card- sized computer, watch the sunrise on Venus via a CD-ROM, or road trip through the Internet. You can play with neural-network software, turn your printer into a fax, or increase your night vision. You can design at high speed using a shared-port RAM, or liven up any data by using data-analysis software with 3-D capabilities. Check out a tiny video camera or let a software package show you how to make a better paper airplane.

Some of these toys are inexpensive, so treat yourself to more than one. Take a break, have a happy holiday season, and enjoy the toys.

HANDY CALCULATOR QUICKLY COMPUTES VSWR

This inexpensive, pocket-sized calculator eliminates the need for complex charts or complicated formulas for calculating VSWR, return loss, feed-line loss, or amplifier gain. You make calculations by lining up the appropriate marks on the two outer scales and reading the result. The device's diameter is 4 in. $5.95. Ant-Ventures, McHenry, IL. (815) 344-1702.

CREDIT-CARD-SIZED COMPUTER

The Cardio-486 is a fully functional IBM PC/AT computer that measures 3.4×2.2 in. You need to add just an interface and an input device, depending on the application. The card consists of an Intel 486SL super chip set including 8 kbytes of cache and an FPU. The card also contains 4 or 8 Mbytes of memory, PC/AT BIOS ROM, and an I/O controller with two serial, one parallel, and one speaker port. Products using the board include point-of-sale systems, test and measurement equipment, set-top boxes, and global-positioning systems. The 8-Mbyte version costs $1800. In quantities of 1000 or more, the card costs approximately $1000. S-MOS Systems Inc, San Jose, CA. (408) 922-0200.

TINY CCD VIDEO CAMERAS

These micro-sized video cameras come in color and black-and-white models and facilitate design into most enclosures. The unit's low price ($149 for the black-and-white model) provides you with a range of design options, including surveillance and security devices, industrial equipment, and PC multimedia applications. The cameras operate on low power (80 mA) and contain an IR-LED array that allows for monitoring in dark areas. Polaris Industries, Atlanta, GA. (404) 252-3340.

HOW TO GET A WELL-TRAINED NETWORK

BrainMaker Professional v4.0, the upgrade for BrainMaker Professional neural-network software, provides versatile data handling and features more spreadsheet functions and formulas than its predecessor. The software lets you create networks that learn from experience, not by programming. The added features include cell and column formulas and functions, easier data exchanges with other programs, and full Windows functionality, including user-definable windows. The software costs $795. Upgrades are $250 for BrainMaker Professional users and $595 for Standard BrainMaker users. California Scientific Software, Nevada City, CA. (916) 478-9040.

EXPLORE THE WORLD OF VIRTUAL REALITY

The VREAM virtual-reality development systems allows users to develop and execute interactive, textured worlds on a PC. The system's 3-D word editor lets the you draw objects that comprise the virtual reality, and the runtime system allows you to enter the world and interact in real time. Because the system doesn't require user programming or additional interface hardware, it suits beginners. $795. VREAM Inc, Chicago, IL. (312) 477-0425.

LIGHT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS

The LED-Tric Christmas tree's 18 multicolored, ultrabright LEDs form a fun centerpiece. The 7-in.-high tree consists of three branches that display the red, orange, yellow, and green lights through open circuitry. The tree operates for one month on two alkaline C batteries (included). A preassembled tree costs $45.50, or you can buy the materials to assemble it for $35.50. Vista, Bolingbrook, IL. (708) 378-5534.

CARRY DATA AND SOFTWARE WITH YOUR PORTABLE COMPUTER

If you are tired of waiting for your modem to transfer data to your computer, the Pereos may be for you. The device, a mobile-companion storage product for notebooks and subnotebooks, allows you to carry all of your information and software in a package that weighs less than 10 oz. The Pereos runs on two AA batteries and can store from 1 to 100 Gbytes of information. It plugs into your computer's parallel port and uses a standard Windows interface. $595, including software. Datasonix Corp, Boulder, CO. (303) 545-9500.

USE YOUR WORDS INSTEAD OF A MOUSE

If you are tired of battling with a mouse to navigate through Windows, check out the JustVoice speech-recognition system. The software responds to commands such as "Open a file" and "E-mail the document" without requiring additional keyboard input. The software operates with an 8-, 12-, or 16-bit card. The system has an unlimited vocabulary size and allows you to input commands as needed. The software costs $79.95 and includes a manual. Interactive Products Inc, Eugene, OR. (503) 341-4964.

CHECK YOUR STARS

Imagine watching a sunrise on Venus or viewing a total eclipse of the moon. Now you can, and without a high-power telescope or having to visit a planetarium. The Redshift CD-ROM allows you to place yourself anywhere in space and time, from your own backyard to the most remote corner of the solar system. Redshift displays over 300,000 stars and more than 40,000 comets, asteroids, and deep-space objects. You can purchase the CD-ROM for either the Mac or PC. $99. Maris Multimedia, San Rafael, CA. (800) 336-0185.

DATA ANALYSIS GETS EASIER

KwitStat 4 allows you to quickly summarize data into understandable charts and tables. The software's 3D SmartPoint feature displays the data "behind" the graph. You can use the software for forecasting, quality control, analysis graphics, and comparative statistics. $229. TexaSoft, Cedar Hill, TX. (214) 291-2115.

TAILOR BASIC PROGRAMS WITH TINY CONTROLLER BOARD

The Xplor-32 personal digital controller (PDC) combines read/write technology with a Basic interpreter. The board, which measures 2.15×2.2 in., includes an Intel 80C32 CPU, an 8-kbyte EEPROM, a serial port, and a 5V regulator. You can use the board for embedded control, to limit monitoring, and for data-logging applications. You can interactively edit Basic programs, and any stored Basic program automatically executes on power-up. $59.95. Blue Earth Research, Mankato, MN. (507) 387-4001.

MAKE THE PLAY THIS SEASON

Attention all you arm-chair quarterbacks: "NFL's Greatest Plays," an interactive CD-ROM, could be the perfect addition to your football season. The CD contains 75 of the greatest plays in football history, as determined by the NFL. The program allows you to study each play from three camera angles and run the plays at any speed, forward or reverse. You can also call up the statistics of each play, including the players, score, field conditions, and game outcome. The CD requires a Windows PC with 2 Mbytes of hard-disk space, 4 Mbytes of memory, and a 386 processor (486 recommended), or a Macintosh with 2 Mbytes of hard-disk space, 3 Mbytes of RAM, a 68030 processor or better, and System 7.0 or higher. The CD costs less than $30. Turner Interactive, Atlanta, GA. (800) 294-0022.

GIVE YOUR PRODUCT A VOICE

The ET-VM2000 module allows you to design natural voice recordings on a 1×2.4-in. board. The module has 20 sec of recording time, an onboard microphone, a record button, and an LED record indicator. The device has a 100-year message retention and does not require a programmer. $50 for two. Electronic Design to Market Inc, Toledo, OH. (419) 389-0354.

INCREASE YOUR NIGHT VISION

The Night Vision B-19 is a high-performance night-vision device ideal for amateur astronomers, scientists, or nature lovers who want to explore their surroundings at night. The device contains an electrostatic image intensifier tube with low power consumption and has a built-in illuminator. $695. Pressebo Electronics, Ventura, CA. (805) 659-4055.

SUBNOTEBOOK EXPANDED TO INCLUDE DISK-BASED APPLICATIONS

The OmniBook 430 PC allows users to access and run their choice of applications. The PC contains a 105-Mbyte hard drive with 6 Mbytes of RAM. It's easy to carry, measuring only 11.1×6.4×1.4 in. and weighing just 2.9 lbs. Special features include instant on, which allows you to resume working in the same program when turning on the machine, even if you didn't save the file. $1599. Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, CA. (800) 443-1254.

TURN YOUR FAX MACHINE INTO A PRINTER

Datafax+ Windows fax software comes bundled with Trio FaxConverter, a pocket-sized device that converts any fax machine into a scanner or a local printer. The converter lets you scan a document into a PC and process it by using OCR (optical character recognition). The software includes a DOS client so the device can run under Windows or DOS workstations. Features include a quick-fax icon that lets you take information from any Windows application and instantly fax it, without needing to leave the application. Best of all, the software lets you block incoming numbers to prevent junk faxes. $129. Trio Information Systems, Raleigh, NC. (919) 846-4990.

TEXT TALK

This text-to-speech software converts ASCII text into natural-sounding artificial speech under Windows 3.1. To generate text to speech, the software's linguistic module first analyzes the ASCII text input. The phonetic module then takes the linguistic module's output and calculates speech parameters, and the acoustic module generates the speech. The software package includes sample programs, a reference guide, and an evaluation package. $1999. Lernout & Hauspie, Woburn, MA. (617) 932-4118.

THUMBING ON THE INTERNET

If you haven't cruised the Internet yet, try picking up the CD-ROM, "Hitchhiking on the Information Highway." This Windows software package is fun for first-time and experienced user alike. The CD includes Softerm communications software and terminal emulators, instructional video clips in AVI format, trial subscriptions to several on-line services, and reference documentation. The on-disk document library has text to books, such as Internet Basics and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet, along with a SLIP (Serial-Line Internet Protocol) TCP/IP (Transmission Internet Protocol, Internet Protocol) kernel for serious Internet users. You can also look through a database of more than 15,000 BBS descriptions. And, just for fun, you get Icon Hear-it, a software package that adds sound to your Windows icons--and even lets you cheat at Solitaire. $99.99. Moon Valley Software, San Luis Obispo, CA. (805) 781-3890.

HIGH-FLYING SOFTWARE

"The Greatest Paper Airplanes" provides a high-tech twist on making paper airplanes. The software requires Windows 3.1 or higher and contains 3-D tutorials and text explanations to give you a step-by-step guide on how to fold each of the 25 airplanes. The software supports color printing to give your airplanes an artistic or military design. The software regularly costs $39.95, but the price is taking a nose dive to $29.95 through December. KittyHawk Software, Tucson, AZ. (602) 797-4583.

ONE-TOUCH CURSOR-CONTROL AND CLICK FUNCTIONS

The ClickStick computer pointer combines cursor-control and primary-click-button functions in one joystick for PCs. One tap of the joystick acts as a mouse click; two taps initiate a double click. The $150 price includes software and design instructions. Interlink Electronics, Camarillo, CA. (805) 484-8855.