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In every issue we select a dozen or so gadgets that embody what PopSci is all about–taking innovation a step further. But it’s not just innovation for innovation’s sake; The Goods is made up of the gear that’s doing things no one’s ever done before while still managing to be available now.
Here, we’ve rounded up the entire year’s worth of the Goods, all in one place.
So whether you’re looking to get an extremely early jump on Christmas shopping this year or just into ogling the best gear of the year, MegaGoods is here for you.
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Ostendo CDM43
This 41-inch-wide curved display can replace several computer screens or create wraparound views for gaming. Software inside splits data from your PC into four images, which are emitted by four miniature projectors and blended into one. (As eye-popping as the view: the price.) $6,499
Microsoft Zune HD
The new Zune music and video player is the first gadget with Nvidia’s Tegra chip, the most powerful ultra-low-energy processor. That lets the Zune decode high-definition video for playback on its standard-def OLED screen or in full HD on your TV. Look for the Tegra to power phones and netbook computers soon. Price not set
Nikon S1000-pj
This camera snaps pictures and displays them in 20-inch glory on the wall. It uses a built-in pico projector, with an LED that bounces light off an LCD screen to shine images through a second lens on the front cover. $430
Cideko Air Keyboard
This mini keyboard does triple duty as a motion-sensing mouse and remote control. Plug a small receiver into your computer, and you can use it from across the room to type, move a cursor by waving it, or flip TV channels on a media PC. $120
HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web
Print directions or movie tickets without a computer. This inkjet connects to a home Wi-Fi network, and its touchscreen lets you view Google Maps, Fandango and other sites. $400
Sitka Coldfront Jacket with Gore Optifade
Mask yourself from deer in hunt- ing camouflage based on their vision, not ours. Optifade uses only the two primary colors (blue and yellow) that hoofed prey see, plus blocky shapes that disrupt your body’s outline instead of trying to match the forest. $550
Belkin TuneCast Auto Live
No need to futz with the radio dial to find the clearest frequency for beaming iPhone tunes to your car stereo. The TuneCast uses the phone’s GPS to determine your location and then searches a database for empty stations nearby. $80
Clear-Lite ArmorLite
Clean up a broken ArmorLite bulb without risking a cut—or mercury poisoning. A translu- cent silicone cover traps glass shards as well as the mercury gas that can be released when the compact fluorescent inside breaks. $8
Logitech Flight System G940
Serious flight simulations get even more realistic. Two motors inside this joystick allow minute force-feedback movements, and the stick rides on steel bearings instead of molded plastic for more-precise steering. It even comes with a throttle and rudder pedals. $300
Zeo Personal Sleep Coach
Wear Zeo’s headband while you sleep, and its conductive fabric senses your brain waves. It beams info to a bedside display, which charts your REM, deep and light sleep, so in the morning you can figure out why you’re still groggy. $400
Blackfire Clamplight
Clip this LED flashlight anywhere, stand it upright like a lamp, or just wield it as an ordinary handheld. The handle hides a clamp; lock it open and rotate its feet outward to turn it into a stable base. $30
Sonim XP3 Quest
The world’s most rugged cameraphone is molded from a rubbery polyurethane, which can absorb the shock of a six-foot drop, and a rigid polycarbonate plastic so strong you could drive your car over it. $500
Navigon 8100T
Other GPS devices show you twisty roads, but finally there’s one that shows you an upcoming cliff. The 8100T is the first unit to display terrain features all across the U.S., such as hills, valleys and drop-offs. It uses a built-in 3-D graphics chip to render topographic data provided by NASA. $600
Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7
This LCD prevents blurry motion scenes by refreshing images 240 times per second—twice as fast as any other set. Because images flash faster, the change between frames doesn’t appear abrupt. Price not set
BlackBerry Storm
You won’t accidentally launch an application by brushing the Storm’s touchscreen. You tap the display to highlight icons but push down firmly to select one. This depresses the entire LCD against a button hidden underneath. Price not set
Hoover Platinum Carpet Cleaner
The first carpet cleaner with computerized controls begins dispensing water with the flick of a dial, instead of making you constantly hold a trigger. Sen-sors alert you when the dirty-water tank needs to be emptied. $400
Tiger Electronics U-Dance
This standalone videogame system lets you virtually boogie by stepping or sliding in any direction, without having to hit specific parts of a dance mat. A camera in the receiver tracks the movement of reflective tags that you strap on your feet. $80
D-Link DIR-825
Connect a printer to this router’s USB port to send documents to it from another room. Software on your computer streams files over Wi-Fi or Ethernet to the router, which converts the data to USB signals. $190
Griffin Clarifi
Improve your iPhone’s photos. The built-in lens on this case slides over the camera and enables it to take clear close-up shots—such as readable pics of business cards—from just four inches away. $35
Freestyle Audio FA300
See this MP3 player’s display clearly even in direct sun. It’s the first gadget with Qualcomm’s color Mirasol screen, which creates images by reflecting light—becoming brighter as your surroundings do. $80
Ovation iDea Guitar
Save your songs with this acoustic guitar’s built-in MP3 recorder. A “pickup” near the strings, like the one in an electric guitar, converts vibrations into a voltage signal, and a microphone on the side captures your crooning. $600
Fitbit Tracker
Track your daily calorie burn without expending extra energy. Fitbit’s pedometer automatically uploads step counts to your computer whenever you walk by its Bluetooth-enabled base station. $100
ClickFree Transformer
Back up your files just by plugging one end of this cable into your PC and the other into any USB hard drive. A chip inside the cable holds software that automatically manages the transfer. $60
Craftsman NexTec Auto Hammerhead
No need to swing a hammer. Slip this tool over a nail, and a small internal weight vibrates up and down 2,000 times a minute. It drives nails without straining your arms and makes it impossible for you to miss and bust your thumb. $100
Optoma Pico PK-101
The Pico may not be the first mini-projector, but it’s hands-down the slimmest. The four-ounce box creates 60-inch images the same way many office models do—by bouncing light off a mirrored DLP chip—but uses a 0.17-inch chip and replaces bulky lamps with colored LEDs. $400
Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite
Wirelessly send video to your TV from a PC, Mac, Linux computer, networked storage disk or all of the above using the only streamer that works with all these systems. It finds clips on each device and displays their names in one easily searchable menu. $400
Akuma Gemini Tinted Visor
The Gemini visor, built for Akuma motorcycle helmets, darkens at a button-press for instant shade. A one-color LCD inside turns from clear to amber within a tenth of a second. $180
Lenovo ThinkPad W700 DS Mobile Workstation
View all your computer windows at once. At the touch of a button, an extra LCD slides out from behind this laptop’s main 17-inch display, adding 40 percent more screen space. $3,660
Motorola Motozine ZN5
The first phone with a Kodak camera includes features usually found only in stand-alone shooters, such as soft-ware that brightens colors. See our tests at popsci.com/ZN5. $350
Steel-case Cobi
This chair supports both pristine posture and fidgety contortions. The back, made of flexible glass-reinforced nylon bars, conforms to your shape even if you sit side-saddle. The rubbery top bends if you hang your arm over it. $585
Staples M5 MailMate
This shredder won’t jam even if stuffed with crumpled sheets. The blades are angled to pull pages toward the center, where the cutter’s higher torque can churn through bunches up to 12 sheets thick. $90
WowWee Spyball
Use any Web browser to steer the Spyball Wi-Fi robot and its built-in video camera from afar. It cuts sharp turns by spinning its two powered wheels at different speeds. A smaller wheel flips out of the back to provide stability. Price not set
Duracell Powerpack 450
Know when your emergency power will run out. Plug gadgets into the outlets on this 450-watt battery, and it calculates their draw, determines how long it can run them, and announces the result through a speaker. $170
Vizio VF550XVT 55-inch FHDTV
This TV automatically turns down the volume during blaring commercials and other deafening clips. Its audio processor is the first with SRS TruVolume, which lowers the decibel level when it senses ear-piercing frequencies, such as high notes. $2,000
Burton Technologies Acoustibuds
Slip these silicone covers over cheap earbuds to make them both fit and sound like pricier versions. Their cone shape directs waves into your ear canal; flexible ridges seal out noise. $13
Nokia N97
The N97 cellphone lets you customize a home screen of widgets (software that displays constantly updated snippets of info) like weather forecasts and Facebook feeds. Price not set
OQO Model 02+
Get brighter pictures and consume less energy on the first PC with an OLED display. In addition to showing 43 percent more colors than LCD-equipped PCs, the five-inch touchscreen computer consumes 20 percent less power than its predecessor. $1,000
Gregory Miwok
The waist and shoulder straps of the Miwok flex and move with you, reducing annoying backpack-bounce when you run or cycle. Two elastic strips, instead of a single fabric one, connect each strap to the bag. $100
Energizer Hard Case Tactical 2AA Second Generation Handheld Light
This LED flashlight can save one of its two AA batteries for later. Flip one around to deactivate it, and a chip dims the beam to a brightness that one battery can handle. Price not set
Shure SE115
These earphones are ultra-small for comfort but produce high frequencies as well as larger models do. An unusually flexible speaker diaphragm reproduces a wide range of vibrations despite its minute size. $100
Panasonic SDR-S26
Film close-ups from across the street with a 70x optical zoom, the biggest ever in a camcorder. A sensitive image-stabilization system ensures that small movements won’t spoil magnified shots. $330
SanDisk Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive
SanDisk’s flash drive is the first with a built-in backup button. Plug it into your PC and click to save selected files—from 8 to 64 gigabytes’ worth, depending on the model. From $40
GE Energy Smart CFL
This compact fluorescent bulb is the same size and shape as an old-fashioned incandescent, so it fits in all the same lamps. GE shrunk the bulb’s electronics to fit in the neck. From $6
Schwinn Tailwind
This electric bike helps cyclists as they pedal through long commutes, and it recharges in less than 30 minutes instead of the typical four hours. It uses Toshiba’s quick-charge battery, made with nanoparticles that rapidly absorb lithium ions. $3,200
Expedition Tools HK1
The HK1 grips like a spanner wrench, which fully encloses a bolt, but changes sizes like an adjustable wrench. Move pistons to adjust the opening, and close a valve to lock them in place. $30
Sony DSC-G3 Cyber-shot
Use the first camera with a Web browser to log on to any Wi-Fi hotspot (you can enter a password on the touchscreen), and upload to or view pictures from any photo site. It’s even possible to search Google in a pinch. $500
Xamance Xambox
Find important receipts without digging through drawers. Like other scanners, Xambox turns paper documents into searchable elec- tronic versions. But its software also remembers which cardboard box the Xambox dropped each document into after scanning. $2,800
ioSafe Solo
This hard drive resists fire and floods—and the overheating that can occur in sealed-up high-power drives. Vents allow air to flow during normal use; at 250°F, a waxy substance melts to block the openings and prevent heat from entering. From $150
Sony PlayStation 3 Slim
The trim new PlayStation 3 has shed nearly three pounds. And thanks to an update to its powerful processor and more-efficient fans, the 120-gigabyte Slim also uses 10 percent less power and runs cooler than its bulky 80-gigabyte predecessor, without sacrificing any of its performance. $300
Sony Party-shot
Meet your new event photographer. The Party-shot cradle pivots 360 degrees around and 24 up or down while a docked Sony camera scans the room for faces. When it sees one, the cradle stops, the camera snaps, and then it starts searching again. $150
Archos 5 Internet Tablet
Archos’s 500-gigabyte tablet is among the first nonphone Android devices. Apps designed for its larger, five-inch screen, like the ebuddy chat client, can have wider layouts and larger buttons than on Android smartphones. It also has an HDMI port to send HD video to your TV. $500
Taylor Digital Measuring Cup and Scale
This cup ensures exact measurements. An internal scale and computer chip convert the weight of five ingredients—water, milk, flour, sugar and oil—to cups, fluid ounces or milliliters. $35
Samsung Reclaim
Forty percent of the Reclaim is made from corn instead of the petroleum used in most plastics. Its bioplastic begins as corn sugar, which becomes a resin that’s molded into the back and battery cover. $130
Vizit
The 10.4-inch touchscreen Vizit is the first digital frame to receive and send photos over a cellular network. You can also use VizitMe.com to send shots to friends’ frames. $280
Motorola Endeavor HX1
Even when it’s noisy, this Bluetooth headset will only pick up your voice. In loud conditions, its mics can turn off, and a vibration sensor on the earbud re-creates your voice from sound waves transmitted through your jaw. $130
WebTVPlug
Watch Web videos on your TV without a PC. This mini-computer connects to your network and TV to let you browse and stream 300,000 free videos—including 6,000 in high definition—from ABC, CNN and more, all from the comfort of your couch. $100
Craftsman Dual Ratcheting Wrench (set of eight)
This wrench combines the best of open-ended designs and closed ratchets. It fits into tight spots like an open wrench does, and a spring-loaded button inside the head allows it to swivel back and forth without letting go of the bolt, like a ratchet. $100
Milwaukee Tool M12 M-Spector AV
Find and document leaks inside walls or under the floor. The Spector snaking monitor takes photos and video in tight spots using a 1.3-megapixel camera and LED light on a three-foot bendable arm. $400
Bushnell Sync Focus ImageView
Binoculars with built-in cameras use separate lenses for the cam and the specs. These are the first that let you focus both sets by turning a single knob, ensuring that your five-megapixel picture is as sharp as the view you see through the binoculars. $280
Samsung HMX-R10
Aim your camcorder with less effort. The HMX-R10 puts its lens and sensor at a 25-degree angle, so they point straight ahead when you hold your hand up naturally—no need to tilt your wrist or elbow backward. $550
Roland AX-Synth
Roland updates the 1980s-style keytar by building in a sound generator, so the AX-Synth doesn’t require an extra synthesizer or other equipment to turn its digital notes into sound. Just plug it into an amp, and rock out. $1,250
Navigon 4300T Max
This GPS unit tailors route recommendations to its owner’s driving habits. It records your average speeds on different types of roads, like highways and local streets, and uses that info to estimate drive times. $280
Sperry Top-Sider ASV Solution
This boat shoe saves knees from the vibration of a humming motor. Hard plastic inserts keep your foot steady, and a small air pocket in the midsole redirects force out to the sides. $140
Aliph JawBone Prime Earcandy
This Bluetooth headset lets pals hear you on windy days. When gusts prevent its microphones from picking up low tones, it adds sound gathered by a vibration sensor against your skin. If winds really howl, it warns you to move. $130
Fujitsu FLEPia
The first color e-reader can display thousands of hues. One charge powers it for 40 hours, thanks to a new kind of LCD that consumes electricity only when you turn pages (although page flips take longer than with grayscale e-paper). $1,000 (est.)
Archerfish by Cernium
Archerfish is the first home security system that analyzes the video it records. It can recognize key events, such as a person entering a room, and send an alert by e-mail or text message. $2,500 plus $25/month
Seagate Replica
Back up your entire PC, including documents, programs and the operating system, without complicated software. The 250-gigabyte Replica hard drive begins copying data as soon as you plug it in and updates continuously as long as you leave it connected. From $130
Fujitsu ScanScap S1500
This scanner listens for doubled-up pages to avoid misfeeds. It sends ultrasonic waves through incoming paper, and a sensor recognizes the change in sound caused by air trapped between two sheets. $500
Heys USA BioCase
Keep out snoops with the first fingerprint-reading suitcase. Press your thumb to its sensor, and an electronic lock opens only if your print matches one of several you can store in its memory. From $1,100
Panasonic GH1
Get crisp shots whether taking 12.1-megapixel stills or 1080p high-def movies. The GH1’s autofocus motor works in both modes and is even insulated to keep its whirring sound out of your movies. Price not set
Wilson Electronics iBooster
Don’t get stuck on a lonely road without reception—or power. Plug the iBooster into your car’s cigarette lighter, and it amplifies weak cell signals by picking them up with a high-power antenna and rebroadcasting them. Meanwhile, its USB connector powers your phone. $240
Air Hogs Wind Chaser
This radio-controlled kite does the tough tricks for you. It still has a string, but a remote in the handle controls a motor under the wings. As the motor tightens and loosens the cables, the kite spins and dives. $30
CloudEngines Pogoplug
Get computer files that are stored at your home, from anywhere. Pogoplug connects any USB drive to your Internet router and has built-in security software that lets you safely log in through a Web site or an iPhone app. $100
POC Wheels Spine VPD
Dirt bikers can stay comfortable and protected with a shirt that’s tough enough for motorcyclists. The foam inside is soft to wear, but its tiny polymer bubbles stiffen on impact (like stepping on a beach ball). $225
Lifetone HL Bedside Fire Alarm and Clock
This clock wakes even sound sleepers in case of a fire. Its microphone senses ordinary smoke alarms from floors away, and it blasts a low-frequency tone that’s hard to ignore. $180
Whirlpool Duet Washer WFW9550W
Most washing machines dislodge uneven, noisy loads by spinning faster, simply trading clanks for loud whirs. The Duet’s NightQuiet mode cuts all the din by slowing down instead, using the pace change to shift clothes. From $1,500
Light for Life UC3.400
Keep the same flashlight in your drawer for 100 years. This model, lit with LEDs bright enough for police duty, can be recharged more than 50,000 times. It stores energy in an ultracapacitor, which collects electrons between layers of metal, rather than in a battery with chemicals that degrade over time. $170
Sharp Mebius NJ70A
The Mebius is the first laptop whose touchpad is actually a small LCD, putting a calculator, Web pages and games right at your fingertips. The four-inch screen senses your swipes by the shadows they cast on built-in light sensors. $1,000
Redrock Micro DSLR 2.0
Turn video-shooting cameras into pro movie machines. This rig lets you outfit almost any DSLR camera with Hollywood-style features such as hand grips, rails to adjust position, and wheels to control focus. From $200
DXG-125V HD Camcorder
Yes, a $100 high-def camcorder. The DXG-125V keeps costs low by using a smaller image sensor—1.3 megapixels, in place of the usual 5—that still captures the 1,280 x 720 pixels needed for de- tailed video. (The trade-off: fuzzy low-light footage.) $100
Plantronics Savi Office
when people ring you on it, you can conference them in with callers on Skype. Savi Office plugs into your phone and your PC, mixes the sound, and relays it to both devices and a headset. $380
Stanton SCS.3m
Design your own DJ system. This digital mixer connects to as many compatible turntables or mixers as you like, using magnets and USB cables. And you can change the effects triggered by its multitouch sensitive pads on the fly. $250
Intel-powered convertible classmate PC
Designed for students, this is one of the smallest laptops that converts to a tablet. Its pressure-sensitive screen lets you select icons with your fingers or write with a stylus. But it ignores pressure applied over a large area—say, from resting a palm on the screen. From $300
Sirius XM MiRGE
No more choosing between Sirius and XM. You can finally get one radio that receives channels from both satellite networks, courtesy of two signal-decoding chips run by one processor. $250
Verizon Hub
This home phone doubles as a digital calendar. Change your kid’s dentist appointment on its touchscreen, and it automatically sends him a text alert. $200 with two-year, $35/month contract
Plustek BookReader V100
Turn your daily reading into daily listening. After the BookReader scans a page of a book, magazine or other document, it signals your computer to use character-recognition and text-to-speech software to read it out loud. You can also save the sound as an MP3 file. $700
Razor Spark Scooter
Make sparks fly while you kick your scooter down the street. When you step on a lever at the back of Razor’s new model, four replaceable strips of ferrocerium—the synthetic flint-like material in lighters—scrape the ground. $70
Motorola W233 Renew
Cutting the energy needed to make the Renew cellphone by 20 percent, Motorola used a plastic that’s crafted partly from recycled water bottles. $10 with two-year T-Mobile contract
Novo Minoru
Add depth to video chats with a 3-D webcam. The Minoru’s twin cameras capture video from different angles; software color-codes and superimposes it onscreen. Your friends can view the image through 3-D glasses. $90
Sanyo VPC-WH1
The WH1 is the first waterproof video camera that films in high definition. It can plunge 10 feet deep and features a 30x optical zoom for close-ups. $400
Psyko 5.1 Gaming Headphones
These gaming headphones mimic a surround-sound system by hiding five speakers in the top band. One plastic tube guides sound from the rear speakers to the back of your ears, and another directs sound from front channels forward. $300
Kwikset Residential Access Control Lock
This motorized lock links to Internet-connected security systems, so you can open or close it remotely from a PC or phone. Price not set
Olympus SP-590UZ
Shoot close-ups from the nosebleed seats with the longest-zoom point-and-shoot camera. It packs 26x magnification into a small body by using lenses that refract light twice, reducing the number of lenses required. $450
Mattel Mindflex
In Mattel’s sci-fi-like toy, your concentration controls how high a ball rises. Electrodes on your forehead and ears measure brain waves; a fan blows harder as the readings increase. Turn a dial to move the floating ball through obstacles. $80
Casio EX-S12
This point-and-shoot has two chips inside—the usual one for turning sensor data into a picture and an extra one for applying Photoshop-style special effects. For instance, it can crop people out of one shot and place them into another. $250
Rubik’s TouchCube
The classic puzzle goes electronic. Instead of twisting, you swipe touch-sensitive squares to change the colors of LED lights inside. An accelerometer senses which side faces up, so touching the other sides won’t scramble your game. $150
LG Versa
When you need to crank out text messages or e-mails, add a keyboard to this touchscreen phone. Remove the rear cover to snap on an included clamshell case with a full Qwerty keypad. $250 with two-year contract
Asus S121
This sleek computer hides a 512-gigabyte solid-state drive—the highest capacity yet. To fit so much storage in a small space, Asus used two 1.8-inch-long drives that each pack several flash-memory chips tightly on top of one another. $1,650
Reebok SmoothFit SelectRide
The SelectRide inflates to add support, switching from a low-to-the-ground cross-trainer to a cushy running shoe. To make the change, push a button on the side to open a valve. Your footsteps activate a pump that draws air through a vent and into sacs in the sole. $150
Samsung Zoom H4n
Own the same sound equipment used on some Hollywood sets. The H4n is the only handheld recorder that can capture four audio channels at once, two from built-in microphones and two from mics (or instruments) that you plug in. This lets you snag dialogue from two people while grabbing ambient sounds, too. Twist the onboard mics to get audio from a wider area. $350
Ambient Mist
Get news and reminders from bed. This clock radio has its own e-mail address, so pals can send it messages—”Let’s do breakfast!”—that appear onscreen. Notes and data feeds, such as weather, are transmitted over a nation-wide wireless network. $200
GigaPan Epic
Automatically create billboard-size panoramic photos. The GigaPan Epic holds your camera, tilts from one end of a scene to another, and uses a robotic finger to press the shutter button from 20 to 2,000 times. Included computer software stitches the pics into one image of up to 11,000 megapixels in which you can zoom in to see detailed close-ups. $380
OXO Good Grips Desktop Stapler
Staple 25 sheets of paper without bruising your hand. OXO’s model has two hinges, one at the back and one in the middle, to transfer force across a larger area—so a palm works as well as a fist. $20
Solar ChumAlong
Campers can charge their gadgets up to 50 percent faster with the first portable solar panel that follows the sun. Throughout the day, four light sensors signal a motor to rotate the panel toward the brightest spot in the sky. $400
Linksys WRT310N
This Internet router runs security software to protect all the computers in your home. It blocks malicious Web pages and lets parents specify which sites kids can view. $130 plus $60/year
Brondell PerfectFlush
Save water by giving any toilet two flushes, one full version and one that uses half the water. PerfectFlush’s electronic valve drains the tank for specified amounts of time. $120
Sony X-Series Walkman Video MP3 Player
This music and video player features a noise-canceling chip, so you can hear your music over the din around you. It comes with earbuds that use a microphone to sample surrounding noise, and the player produces opposing sound waves, a task usually done by bulky battery-powered headphones. From $300
Butterball Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer
Butterball’s electric turkey fryer has a basket shaped like your bird. That lets it sizzle a 14-pounder in two gallons of oil, down from three, and cuts oil-heating time in half. From $120
Finis Aqua Pulse
The first heart-rate monitor made just for swimmers slips onto goggles instead of around your chest. A sensor clips onto your earlobe to take your pulse, and a waterproof speaker announces the results by transmitting sound waves through your cheekbones. $140
Pentax K-7
Reframe a shot without budging your camera from its tripod. Buttons on the K-7 let you nudge the sensor inside slightly up, down or to the side, so you can catch a pal who shifted. $1,300
Bounce Dryer Bar
Leave this bar of fabric softener in your dryer for about four months. Procter & Gamble tweaked the ingredients that coat its dryer sheets, turning them into a solid that rubs off in small amounts when clothes brush against it. $8
Jenn-Air Wall Oven
This oven’s full-color touchscreen helps you make meals that look as good as its pictures. Select what you’re cooking, how you like it done, and even your type of pan, and it customizes instructions on time, temperature and what rack to use. From $1,900
Activision Tony Hawk: Ride
In Tony Hawk’s new videogame, you maneuver a wheelless skateboard that’s just like a real one, only safer. Accelerometers gauge tilt and rotation; infrared motion sensors on the sides detect your foot kicking the floor. Price not set
Yoostar
Make yourself a movie star with Yoostar’s green screen, camera and software. The system digitally removes characters from classic film clips, fills in missing backgrounds, and splices in your image to create a seamless result. $170
Kohler Flipside
Change this showerhead’s spray from gentle to pounding by flipping its face. Each of its two wide sides and two narrow edges has a different nozzle pattern. As it turns, spring-loaded valves inside direct water to only the side that points downward. $110
Simms Guide Boot StreamTread
Fly-fishermen unwittingly spread invasive species from stream to stream when their felt-soled boots, meant for traction, absorb algae. Simms uses a tacky rubber that hangs onto riverbeds but not gunk. $200
Insignia HD Radio Portable Player
receiver chip makes this the first portable radio to get digital broadcasts. It can tune in, static-free, to the many available HD Radio stations and runs for 10 hours on a charge. $50
Dyson DC31
Dyson’s handheld uses the world’s fastest-spinning vacuum motor to cram in more suction than ever.It revs up to 104,000 rpm—more than twice the speed of most vacuums—when it senses heavy or stuck-on dirt. $220
Samsung TL225
Samsung’s point-and-shoot makes self-portraits a breeze with a 1.5-inch LCD next to the lens. The screen lets you frame the shot, display a timer countdown, or get kids to smile by showing cartoons. $350
SawStop 10-inch Professional Cabinet Saw
The SawStop cabinet saw, known for automatically stopping when it senses a finger, now sucks up more dust, too. A series of small plastic wings surrounding the blade turns the wind generated by the saw into a jet stream that directs dust into a bin. $2,900
Vitality GlowCap Connect
The GlowCap bottle top knows if you missed your meds and alerts you with a light, tone, and phone call or text message. It even beams reports to an online system to track your diligence and automatically order refills. $100
Eternaleds HydraLux-4
This four-watt LED illuminates from nearly every angle. Other LEDs use several heat-sink fins that can partially block light, but this one cools itself with oil. $35
MoGo Talk for VoIP and Skype
This Bluetooth headset’s ultra-slim 0.2-inch profile isn’t only about style. The MoGo Talk fits like a puzzle piece into its flat charging adapter, which slides into a laptop’s ExpressCard slot for charging and easy storage while traveling. $100
Bossa Nova Prime-8
This toy gorilla moves at a quick, steady clip. Instead of wheels, his arms swing at alternate times to stay balanced and adapt to changing terrain. $100
Logitech Performance Mouse MX
A second laser helps this mouse work where others can’t—even on glass. The beams reflect off imperfections like scratches and dust rather than passing through the clear surface. $100
Fonera 2.0n
Post your pics to the Web without turning on a computer. Fonera’s Wi-Fi router can automatically upload photos and video to sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa when you plug in a USB storage device or camera. $100
Sony Reader Touch Edition
Doodle in the margins on Sony’s e-reader. Its screen combines e-ink and pressure-sensing tech to capture handwriting, which you can save to a computer. $300 (est.)
iHome iP1
Digital processors inside this iPod dock breathe life back into compressed MP3 files. Its processor analyzes tracks to find and correct gaps across all frequencies, creating sound that’s closer to the original recordings. $300
Zoom Q3
A pocket-sized camcorder doesn’t have to mean wimpy sound. The Q3’s stereo mics adjust to capture more audio—even when it’s quiet—and are set up to keep tracks in sync with each other and your footage. $250