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London Calling-for Free
The first handset that can switch automatically between landline and Skype Internet calls doesn´t need to be near your PC or phone jack. Its base station connects wirelessly to both. Philips VoIP 321 philips.com; $100
Rock Out
Place the four Lullabub modules under the legs of junior´s crib, and watch in bliss as your cranky rugrat is mechanically lulled to sleep. The remote-controlled vibrating system emulates the motion of a car ride and has an automatic timer and nightlight. Lullabub Cot Rocker babyhugs.com.au; $229
TV to Go
Among the rabble of portable media players out there, Archos´s newest, the 604, stands out. Its 4.3-inch LCD is crisp (though the 30-gig drive is a wee bit small), and besides playing nice with both PCs and Macs, it supports a bevy of popular video and audio file formats and has a respectable four-hour battery life for video (up to 17 for audio). The optional $100 DVR Station is a must-have, however, enabling TiVo-like abilities to schedule and record video straight from your cable or satellite box. Archos 604 archos.com; $350
DVDs and Directions
You may want to get lost with this navigation system, the first to play DVDs on its 5.6-inch screen or CDs through built-in stereo speakers. Polaroid MGX-0550 polaroid.com; $800
Simplify Your Morning
Sip your java while checking the weather on this coffee maker’s three-inch LCD screen-it’s updated automatically using free MSN Direct service. Melitta Smart Mill & Brew Coffee Maker melitta.com; $200
Personal Security
With radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags being embedded in everything from quick-pay credit cards to the new U.S. passports, your personal information is increasingly at risk of being hacked. DIFRWear sells a line of wallets and passport holders that have a built-in Faraday cage to shield their contents from being scanned by RFID readers. DIFRwear RFID Blocking Wallet difrwear.com; $15â€$19
Litter ‘Bot
Bringing cat-pan cleanup into the 21st century, the Litter Robot activates seven minutes after your cat exits, slowly rotating the globe-like top, which dumps waste into a sealed compartment underneath. It works with any clumping litter, and because the removable doodie drawer is moldâ€resistant, it doesn´t smell or require frequent cleaning. Litter Robot litter-robot.com; $299
Video Viewer
A superb add-on for iPod Video owners who like to share, the Memorex iFlip is a docking station for watching your stored ´Pod media in comfort. Its big 8.4-inch widescreen LCD looks great, and the option to use built-in speakers or the dual headphone jacks as well as video out for another screen makes it incredibly versatile. Memorex iFlip memcorpinc.com; $199
Friendly Fire
Fight a willing adversary Mortal Kombatâ€style by throwing hooks and haymakers in the air. Punches, which can be sent through walls, are felt in the vibrating chest plate but can be blocked with the correct defensive hand movement. An advanced mode allows for combo hits and stealthier defense, such as a force field. Includes two complete harnesses. Mazu Kan: Two Player Invisible Fighting Game mazukan.com; $50
Phone Phreak
Making a useful USB 2.0 multi-card reader even more multi, this one can also read and write to phone SIM cards (and comes with SIM editing software). Download your phone book to your computer for when you inevitably lose your cell so you can upload your missing connections to your newer model. Works with both PCs and Macs. **iMOMO SIM card + Multi Card Reader usbgeek.com; $19 **
Two-Timing Trimmer
Keep this rechargeable 18-volt tool’s cutting head parallel to the ground to use it as a grass trimmer. Or switch grips and rotate the head 90 degrees, and it becomes an edger. Worx Grass Trimmer worxpowertools.com; $250
Rugged Individual
For when you absolutely, positively have to drag your laptop through sand, mud water-or off a cliff-there’s the Itronix GoBook XR-1. Made by military supplier General Dynamics, this fully specced-out laptop does everything a top-shelf PC can do but is dustproof, watertight, able to work in extreme sub-zero temperatures (it has built-in heating), exceeds military standards for drop and shock, and still weighs just 6.8 pounds. Geeks on the go, meet true love. General Dynamics GoBook XR-1 gd-computing.com; $4,330
Cinema Paradiso To Go
Don’t sacrifice cinematic audio just because your video player is portable. This speaker-the size of a loaf of bread-cranks out a booming 50 watts of five-channel virtual surround sound. Banshee bansheeaudio.com; $130
It Gets Your Lingo
Finally, a gizmo that makes an effort to understand you. This in-dash navigation system employs IBM speech-recognition software to accept more natural commands. Instead of “Enter addressâ€New Yorkâ€Two Park Ave.,” you can say “Go to Two Park Avenue, New York.” Pioneer AVIC-Z1 $2,250; pioneerelectronics.com
Hot Java
What’s the point of brewing a whole pot of coffee if every cup after the first is tepid? This French press insulates your brew with a double layer of heat-resistant borosilicate glass. Bodum Chambord Double-Wall Coffee Press bodum.com; $80
Maniac Action
Wanna look possessed on the playing field? These disposable contact lenses, co-developed with Bausch & Lomb, improve your game by filtering 95 percent of UVA and UVB rays without the need for cumbersome shades. Look like a cat in amber lenses that help you see fast-moving objects better during games like football, baseball or tennis. Or use the gray-green pair to reduce glare during noncontact sports like golf and running. **Nike MaxSight $60 for three pairs; nike.com **
Diminutive Disc-Corder
The smallest DVD camcorder, nearly pocket-size, also records to dual-layer DVDs for double the storage. Get up to 220 minutes of standard-definition video and capture two-megapixel stills. Canon DC22 canon.com; $800
Knots Ending
This low-tech but reliable device sorts out the web of twisted headphone and charger cables in your backpack. Pop it open, insert a cord of your choosing, close the top and then spin the crank with your thumb to reel in both ends. It has a belt clip on the back and can handle up to 6 feet of cable. Cordgo Cord Retractor cordgo.com; $9.95
Music Without Wires
This universal wireless dock streams music directly from any digital audio source over Wi-Fi without the need for a computer. Whether you´re toting an iPod, PSP, MP3 phone or just about any other digital audio player, the iDea´s universal dock connectors have you covered. **FriendTech iDea Wireless Home Dock $90; friendtech.com **
Photo Flipbook
Send FlipClips.com a brief video clip worthy of memorializing, and the company will send you back a custom flipbook-sort of like the karate-fighting stick-figure type you used to make, only made of archival paper and ink. FlipClips flipclips.com; $9
Is That the Web in Your Pocket?
This dinner-roll-size gadget lets you instant message, make VoIP calls, or surf the Web wherever there’s Wi-Fi. It has a gigabyte of memory built in; add more with a Memory Stick. Sony Mylo sonystyle.com; $350
Who’s Calling?
Link this watch with your Sony Ericsson Bluetooth phone, and receive incoming caller-ID info on your wrist. Don’t like what you see? Save the frantic bag-rummaging for those extra-special calls. **Sony Ericsson MBW-100 $400; sonyericsson.com **
Hybrid TV Tuner
A missing link for many Mac (especially Mini) users, this bargain USB 2.0 tuner grabs analog (via cable or antenna) and digital (via antenna only) signals for watching, pausing, and recording uncompressed live TV. Although it will work with most relatively new Mac models, watching high-definition content requires a beefy processor such as dual G5 chips or an Intel Core Duo. **Elgato EyeTV Hybrid elgato.com; $150 **
Top Gun
Top Gun Your hot-looking, compact point-and-shoot might be convenient and easy to use, but it can’t it take razor-sharp portraits or spectacular action shots. Pics like these are child’s play for high-tech digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras like this one. In addition to all the typical DSLR features, the DMC-L1 features an image-stabilizing lens from renowned optics manufacturer Leica. Lumix/Panasonic DMC-L1 panasonic.com; $2,000
Three’s Company
This new high-def moviemaker employs three CMOS chips instead of the more typical three CCDs, delivering greater light sensitivity and more accurate color reproduction at 1080i resolution. Other key features include a 3.5-inch LCD, Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization, 20x optical zoom from the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens, and an HDMI port for connecting to your HDTV. Sony HDR-FX7 $3,500; sonystyle.com
Annihilate Wrinkles
Instead of just heating water, this iron employs a steam generator-a tiny piston that vaporizes hot water-to produce up to 40 grams of steam per minute. That´s more than any other iron with a water tank. Siemens Steam Iron siemens.com; $126
