Gadgets

Where is the hydrogen that's going to power the fuel cell going to come from?
As the H in H₂0, hydrogen is one of Earth's most plentiful elements. So why do fuel cells get their hydrogen from natural gas?

Consider HAL. The artificially intelligent computer in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey knew where every crew member was on the spaceship Discovery, what he was doing, and even how he was feeling. From a distance, HAL's ubiquitous red eye, attached to a mainframe network, watched its subjects with curiosity, empathy, and eventually disdain.

At the nuvera fuel cells lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 25-year-old chemical engineer Darryl Pollica stands in front of a prototype 5-kilowatt fuel cell -- a miniature powerplant that can make most of the electricity needed by a family of four. Its metal skin has been removed to reveal a cubical frame about 5 feet on each side, packed with tanks, valves, and electronics. Conspicuously taped to the outside of the frame is a Nokia cellphone.

Twenty-three years after the first Walkman, its natural successor -- the handheld video machine -- is ready for its close-up. A new compression format called MPEG-4 finally makes it feasible, and Korea-based MagicEyes Digital gives us a peek at what to expect with its $250 MkiVki. The tiny (3.7- by 2.8- by 0.9-inch) handheld is designed to synchronize MP3 music with images, but the company says future models will support full-motion MPEG-4 video. Philips has also shown a prototype that downloads video wirelessly from the Internet.

The palm-size, battery-powered DPP-MP1 digital photo printer from Sony provides instant gratification: Put in a Memory Stick (or connect it to your PC with a USB cable), and it churns out film-quality wallet-size prints in 2 minutes. Best of all, it weighs less than a pound, keeping your camera bag light. Price: $280; optional battery back, $70.

Soon, drumming your fingers on the conference room table may no longer be a sign of boredom. Instead, it may be a way to take notes. How? Korea-based Samsung's Scurry (below) and Switzerland-based Senseboard Technologies' Senseboard (left) are virtual keyboards that use sensors on the back of your hands to track the movement

With the Canon S820D, printing photos couldn't be any easier. You can use it the old-fashioned way, by connecting it to a computer. Or you can cable it directly to a Canon Powershot S30 or S40 digital camera. If that doesn't suit you, simply insert your camera's flash memory card into an adapter. There's even an optional color LCD ($99) that lets you preview shots before printing them. Price: $399.

USB FLASH MEMORY

Great For: People with two or more unnetworked computers, or those who ferry files from home to work.

Think Twice If: Your files come from digital devices that require a specific type of memory card.

What to Buy: Sony Microvault ($49 for 16MB to $299 for 128MB), IBM Memory Key ($89 for 32MB), Agat Q ($69 for 16MB to $199 for 64MB).

PERSONAL HARD DRIVES

Great For: Data hogs (think 40GB), such as those who want to carry around their collection of MP3s.

If it were merely an all-in-one desktop, Hewlett-Packard's Concept PC 2001 would be impressive enough: Inside its 18-inch LCD is a 48GB hard drive, Pentium 4 processor, CD-RW drive, Bluetooth module, Webcam, and speakers. But it has many more tricks up its screen. You can pluck the monitor from its stand and unfold it into a traditional laptop -- or turn its display away from you for presentations. Finally, it also transforms into a tablet PC, complete with a touch-screen.

OK, so maybe you don't need a camcorder that surfs the Internet, but you can't deny the appeal of the Sony DCR-PC120BT Handycam's other capability: It's the first camcorder that lets you shoot video and send it wirelessly to friends and family -- no computer is necessary. The 1.25-pound device connects via a Bluetooth modem that you plug into any phone jack. Available this month for approximately $2,000.

Nothing says amateur like magic-marker notations on your recorded CDs -- or glued-on labels, for that matter. Now you can print directly onto the discs. You just feed a CD through the 2,880- by 720-dpi EZ/CD Print inkjet printer, which also accepts regular paper and stickers. Price: $400.

In an impressive feat of optical rhinoplasty, Minolta has created a shirt-pocket-size 2-megapixel digital camera, complete with a 3X zoom lens that fits entirely inside the camera's body. With no movable external lens to add weight or depth, the wafer-thin DiMage X measures 3.3 by 2.8 by 0.8 inches and weighs just 4.9 ounces. Price: $500.

Toshiba's Portg 2000 is a notebook computer that takes the designation literally. The supersleek machine is less than three-quarters of an inch thick and weighs 2.8 pounds. But it's more than good looks, packing a 20GB hard drive, a full-size keyboard, and built-in Ethernet and WiFi wireless access. Price not yet set.

In Samantha Diaz's mind, it's one day after an Arctic storm. Scientists are stranded on an ice sheet and hungry polar bears are closing in. All that can save them: a robot, designed by 11-year-old Samantha and classmates at CS 61 in the Bronx, New York.

1. On-Air Schedule:

Four computers (two on each side of the room) display play lists as they're chosen by the DJs.

2. Repeater Status Map:

More than 800 repeaters amplify XM's signals, ensuring you don't lose reception under bridges or
in tunnels. A green dot means the repeater is fine, red means it needs maintenance.




3. Parabolic Speaker:

Broadcasts any of XM's stations into the room.




4. Satellite Projection Screen: