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 Gadgets Digi-Comp v2.0April 2006
Back in the 1960s computers were massive. It was not uncommon to find a single computer occupying an entire room, with a legion of assistants tending to its every vacuum-tube-blowing need. Yet 1968 also saw the release of the Digi-Comp. It was a humble looking little device intended for kids to play with. Little did its inventors know it was to spark a love of computers in a whole generation of kids who are now creating some of the world's most advanced technology.  Apple iMacApril 2006 | Apple
Recent reports indicate a pig has just taken flight over the snow-covered vistas of Hell. Yep, Apple is using Intel processors in its new line of iMacs.  Intel Fender Telecaster Concept GuitarApril 2006 | Fender
The Fender Telecaster has existed in more or less the same guise for over 50 years, and has made an incalculable contribution to rock and roll. The personal computer has been around less than half that time, and made a vast amount of bleepy doofy music. Now, at last, they're together.  Electric skateboardApril 2006 | Skate Electric
Skilled artisans from Venice take layers of solid hardwood and laminate them together, hand-sculpting them with a loving touch into a graceful and smooth skateboard. Then they slap on a 400-watt electric motor. Did we mention that this is Venice, California?  Arcade TableApril 2006
Do Missile Command, 1942, Lode Runner, Double Dragon, and Elevator Action mean anything to you? The future of gaming might be all about massive multiplayer online virtual cyber universes, but when it comes to downright straight-shooting fun, you can't go past the classics.  Optimus keyboardApril 2006 | Art. Lebedev
It's the 21st century, and we're still using keyboards with static keys. What's with that? Well, a Russian design company is coming to the rescue with an invention that seems so obvious you wonder why you never thought of it (or demanded it) before.  Samsung DVD-HD850 DVD playerFebruary 2006 | Samsung
It might look just like a DVD player, and, well, it is - but this is not your ordinary DVD player. Inside the DVD-HD850 is Samsung's special Hypervision chip, a deviously clever little device that takes conventional DVDs and scales them up to highdefinition resolution. This is especially good if you've just forked out several thousand bucks for a brand new widescreen high-definition television, and you're a bit miffed that DVDs still look like they used to on your old box. Epson EMP-TWD1 home-theatre projectorFebruary 2006 | Epson
The problem with projectors in bygone eras was that most of our home entertainment equipment was located at the front of our rooms while projection was set up at the back, necessitating an ugly cable winding its way around the walls between the projector and its 'target area' for your guests to trip over. Epson eliminates this worry (and mess) by the simple but ingenious move of integrating a DVD player and audio stereo directly into the projector itself. Now all you need is a big, blank wall.  Cowon A2 portable video playerFebruary 2006 | Cowon
It's a tough ask to have a device that has a big enough screen to make television watchable, but is also small enough to be genuinely portable, but Cowon is having a crack at finding the perfect balance with the A2. The A2 can handle a wide range of media formats, including MP3, OGG and WMA audio, DivX, XviD and WMV movies as well as text files and JPEG images. It can also record programs straight from your television.  Eminent Technology Model 17 subwooferFebruary 2006
The Eminent Technology Model 17 looks more like an electric fan than a subwoofer, and in a way, that's just what it is. It's built to push air around in an enclosed space to create powerful frequencies down to 1 hertz (or lower!). It needs to be professionally installed in a basement or attic, and then it'll be rattling your home with bowel-shakingly low frequencies.  Samsung TX-R3080WH slim HDTVFebruary 2006 | Samsung
Flat-screen LCD and plasma televisions are all the buzz these days, but the old cathode-ray tube isn't about to give up without a fight. Given that the technology behind CRT televisions is over 100 years old, it's not surprising that it's undergone a tremendous amount of refinement in that time, culminating in the Samsung slim TV design. CRTs might not have the same crisp picture as LCD and plasma screens, but they are usually superior when it comes to brightness, contrast and motion.  Canary Wireless Hotspotter wireless-network finderFebruary 2006
We're not saying it's the right thing to do, but with so many open wireless networks around, it'd be a shame if they went unused. You can do your part by making your own wireless hotspot using the small handheld Canary Wireless Hotspotter.  MyKEY 2300 digital door-lockFebruary 2006
We've been opening our cars at the push of a button for years, yet resort to plain old metal for our front doors. So why not bring your home up to date and do away with keys? That's exactly the promise of the MyKEY 2300. Once you've installed the MyKEY 2300 keypad on your door (and it can be retrofitted to any door), all you need to do is wave your radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag in front of the keypad, and the door will unlock.  Tokyoflash EleeNo G watchFebruary 2006 | Tokyoflash
We might be used to reading the time from an analogue clock face or a digital display, but these aren't the only ways in which time can be represented. Tokyoflash has decided to do away with the traditional methods of timekeeping, and has chosen a graphical system for its new EleeNo G watch. Instead of using numbers, the EleeNo G uses blocks of colour to show the hours and minutes.  Fujifilm Pivi MP70 portable printerFebruary 2006 | Fujifilm
Do you have a camera in your phone, but nowhere to print the pictures you take? You're not alone, but you'll be relieved to know that Fujifilm is on the case with the smart little Pivi MP70. This diminutive printer works as a stand-alone unit and accepts input through either infrared or the PictBridge format directly from phones and digital cameras. Never let your embarrassing photos of friends and family disappear into the ether again. 
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