Tech Toys

The Gigaset 4215 cordless telephone with GigaVoice technology enables voice-activated dialing and voice-announced Caller ID. So, you'll hear your own voice saying, "Mom's calling," as the phone rings, and if you don't feel like talking, you can call her back later simply by telling the phone to "Call Mom." The system recognizes four voices and supports English, Spanish, and French. Its buttonless base means that you control all features—including the digital answering machine—from the handset, and 2.4-GHz digital frequency-hopping spread-spectrum technology means superior voice quality and security. You can add expand the system with four additional cordless handset extensions; no extra phone jacks are required. Phone systems in the 4200 series cost $129.99 to $229.99. Siemens, www.icm.siemens.com.

Tired of typing? With VoicePen DVR, you can record voice messages and e-mail them to friends, colleagues, or family. The message arrives with message-player software, which instantly launches when the recipient opens the message. The VoicePen is capable of more than 13 hours of digital recording and has a 400-message capacity. It comes with a phone adapter, so you can, for example, use it to record a conference call and then e-mail a recording of that call to a colleague who missed it. Recording automatically pauses when no sound is present, so you don't waste recording time, and Intro Scan allows you to easily search for messages. The $199 device includes 11-step volume control, voice-manager software, earphones, a microphone, a parallel cable, and batteries. Sims Digital, www.simsdigital.com.

Be stylus-free with the PDA Keyboard and Case. Open it up: On the left is the PDA docking port; on the right, you get a QWERTY keyboard, a calculator, and function keys. Use it with Palm III and V Series and Handspring Visors (but not Palm IIIc or Prisms). The device is designed for minimal current drain and costs $79.99 at retail outlets. Fellowes, www.fellowes.com.

A featherweight earpiece, a base station, and embedded software from ArialPhone give you 150 feet of untethered communication for your home office, small business, or personal use. Attach the base unit to a phone line and a PC USB port and use voice commands to place calls to contacts from Outlook or Outlook Express. The unit lets you answer and screen calls, as well. If you're quick, you can get in on a $100 rebate through Dec 31, 2001, that brings the price down to $299. Check it out at retail outlets or at ArialPhone at www.arialphone.com.

The GraFX Saver Pro 3.0 screen-saver-creation tool offers thousands of special effects and lets you use as many as 70 audio, video, and image formats. Easy to use, with no programming required, the tool lets you preview images, zoom in and out, and even drag and drop objects from other programs. You can use it to make a slide show out of your vacation pictures, a video screen saver starring your kids, work presentations, and tutorials. The screen savers are royalty-free, so you can freely distribute your creations. System requirements include 64-Mbyte RAM, 166-MHz Pentium processor, 300-Mbyte hard-disk drive, SVGA video mode, a mouse, and a keyboard. The shareware is available for $75, with a 15-day trial period. CDH Productions, www.cdhnow.com.

With the WorldNavigator GPS receiver, software, and a Pocket PC, you can find out where you're going on land, sea, and air and, if need be, track the location of others. The TeleType software features compressed maps on compact flash cards. Keep your eyes on the Autobahn at all times with voice prompts in one of six languages that give turn-by-turn instructions. You can download nautical and aeronautical charts in jpeg format. WorldNavigator ships with street-level maps for the entire United States and costs $299, including the software. TeleType, www.teletype.com.

Light up a dull presentation with Phaser, the first PS/2 handheld radio mouse with a built-in laser pointer. Phaser allows you to highlight material or direct audiences to locations with its light beam from as far as 50 ft from your PC. The wireless tool uses high-band radio waves to provide accurate cursor movement. It has a contour design that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, is Windows PC-compatible, and comes with a three-year warranty. IOgear plans to release a USB- and PS/2-compatible version. Phaser costs $59.99. IOgear, 1-949-428-1111, www.iogear.com.

The smallest digital audio player on the market lets you keep your MP3 collection in your pocket. Smaller than a credit card, Explor BA350 has a built-in 128-Mbyte memory and a lithium-ion battery that recharges while you download files. Fully charged, the device provides you with more than 10 hours of listening power. The upgradeable BA350 comes with a carrying case with a belt clip, headphones, a car cassette adapter, CD-ROM software, a multilanguage manual, and a free unlimited MP3 ripper. Faceplates are available in seven colors, so you can customize your player's look. Bantam is offering the Explor BA350 at an introductory price of $199. Bantam, www.bantamusa.com.

Pro golfers have caddies who advise about distances from tee to green and all shots in between. The average fan can use SkyGolf GPS instead. For Handspring Visors and Palm Vs, the device displays precise distances so you make better club decisions. It also shows how close you are to water hazards, bunkers, or trees. The vendor's Web site contains an extensive database of courses, and you can add other courses as you play them by taking readings in key locations. The device costs $399. SkyHawke Technologies, www.skygolfgps.com.

How 'bout a sleek, sexy monitor to add style and performance to your desktop? Compaq's TFT5030 flat-panel monitor makes it easy with on-screen displays that get you up and running with minimal effort and a setup CD-ROM that automatically adapts to a variety of graphic controllers. The 15-in. TFT (thin-film transistor) display offers 170° viewing angles and 300-nit brightness. Compaq touts the design as "future-proof," because dual connectivity allows you to use analog or digital inputs. A PixelWorks graphics controller keeps images sharp by automatically scaling on-screen images for a variety of resolutions; the monitor also eliminates white pixel defects. The TFT5030 sells for about $639. Compaq, 1-800-345-1518, www.compaq.com.

The kids don't have to sit still long for you to capture clear, colorful digital photos of them. Designed for first-time users, the Brio D-230 starts up in less than 1 second and features 2M-pixel resolution, auto-focus, 5× digital zoom, automatic flash, and red-eye reduction. Special functions include a movie mode that shoots 60 seconds of movies at 15 frames/sec; Composite Image Mode, which merges two images in the camera without a PC; sepia and black-and-white modes; File Resize mode, which lets you save smaller copies of images for Web use; and a burst mode that shoots 1.3 frames/sec. For $349, you get the camera, a 16-Mbyte SmartMedia card that stores 90 images, a USB cable, CarmediaMaster software, a user guide, a strap, and two AA alkaline batteries. Olympus America, 1-631-844-5000, www.olympusamerica.com.

Just about everyone needs more storage space at some point. And with the Personal Storage 3000LE, you get 40 Gbytes of external hard-drive space for $199.95. On top of that, you get a high-speed USB 2.0 interface for storing 40 hours of MPEG digital video, 10,000 four-minute MP3 tunes, or 1000 video games. It works with 1.1 ports, and to upgrade older PCs to USB 2.0, Maxtor will offer a 2.0 PCI adapter card for $49.95 that offers four external and one internal high-speed ports. Buy direct through the vendor or find the drive at retail stores. Maxtor, www.maxtor.com.

The HiPix DTV-200 PC add-in card and application software decodes HDTV and standard NTSC signals for viewing on an HD-ready or analog television or a PC monitor. The card accepts analog audio and video signals from VCRs, DVD players, and DBS receivers, such as Direct TV or dish systems, and converts the video signals to high-definition signals for display. It also features record and playback and costs $399. Telemann, www.telemann.com.

You need to work on your PDA while you're on a crowded plane or subway, but you're worried about someone ripping off your sensitive personal, financial, or business information. Attach the Solovision transparent film to the PDA screen—looking straight on, you see a normal screen; your neighbor to the left or right sees a holographic lock-and-chain pattern. Nothing high tech here—the "adhesive" is static. The screens come two to a package for $14.99. ttools, www.ttools.com.