Awesome Gadgets

High end yet affordable, Acer’s Aspire AS8940G packs in an 18.4″ LED-backlit screen, Core i7 CPU, 1GB GeForce GTS 250M, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 802.11 b/g/n, and Blu-ray. Thanks, Ashley!

Despite the intergalactic laptop appeal of Sony’s Vaio FW Nebula, its prices are down to earth: $810 fetches you a 16.4″ display, T6600 Core 2 Duo, 250GB and Radeon HD 4650.

The Xperia X10 is Sony Ericsson’s new flagship phone: it packs a speedy 1 GHz CPU, 4″ capacitive touchscreen, 8.1MP camera, “Rachael” Android UI, HSPA, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

Because one man’s oversized fashion faux pas is another man’s mousing surface: the Mr. Tie Mouse Pad is dedicated to cubicle warriors who spend all day “tied” to their desk.

If you’ve got an iPhone or iPod, XM’s SkyDock brings satellite radio to your car with a tuner and FM transmitter; it’s powered by a cig adapter and must be wired to a roof-mounted antenna.

Maingear’s SHIFT case rotates components 90 degrees, maximizing airflow; the sleek, minimalist case sports a brushed aluminum exterior, six drive bays and a top-mounted pop-up panel.

Sleek Audio’s SA1 earphones are perfect for picky audiophiles: two screw-in treble ports can adjust frequency response, while a detachable cable offers wired or wireless wearing.

Part art, part neck-saver, Dr. Dan Steingart’s A-stand is an ergonomic laptop stand with a distinctly industrial look; it’s basically all PVC pipe, so you could conceivably build your own.

AIDA not only acts as a navigator but uses facial expressions to suggest how to drive more safely and efficiently; in other words, the ultimate backseat driver (albeit one that rides shotgun).

Minox’s night vision NV line gets downsized in a good way: the NV mini II measures just 4.2″ x 1.6″ (about as large as lipstick) and offers 2x magnification and infrared illumination.

The Logitech Harmony IR Extender System is a boon for anyone who prefers to keep their gadgets out of sight: all you’ll see is a single receiver while controlling multiple A/V devices.

Coming to Verizon 11/6/09, Motorola’s Droid features Android 2.0, a 3.7″ capacitive display, slide-out QWERTY, 5 MP camera, 720×480 @ 24fps video, Wi-Fi, and Google Maps Navigation.

So spooky that it terrified even Nikola Tesla, the Tesla Spirit Radio is a crystal radio circuit in a jam jar that picks up everything from EM radiation and sound waves to vibrations.

It may be petite at 5.4 lbs and 1.5″ thick, but Dell’s XT2 XFR tablet is rugged to its core: it sports a 12.1″ multi-touch display, MIL-810G chassis, GPS, 3G, Core 2 Duo and up to 5 GB RAM.

We felt shivers up our flesh-and-blood spines watching this PETMAN prototype for the US Army; it walks at 3.2 mph (the same speed as a human) and stays upright even when shoved.

Move over, Magic Mouse: the Titanium ID is so over-the-top we can’t help but drool: the Bluetooth mouse is made with Grade 1 Titanium and features a neodymium scroll wheel.

Lenovo ditches the business suit with its stealthy IdeaCentre B500; it’s a 23″ gaming-oriented all-in-one with a Core 2 Quad CPU, GeForce GTS 250M, 4GB RAM and 1TB HDD.

Due out Spring 2010, the ReNu is an eco-friendly three-fer: the modular solar panel can power a Regen-designed iPod/iPhone dock, a speaker dock, or even an LED desk lamp.

Available in 160GB and 500GB flavors, Brinell puts the bling in portable hard drives with their Purestorage line; each sports a chrome frame with wood, leather, steel, and carbon accents.

Available November with AT&T and T-Mo, BlackBerry’s Bold 9700 is a slimmer version of the first Bold with a 480×320 screen, trackpad, faster CPU, OS 5.0, 3.2 MP camera, 3G and Wi-Fi.

Kiel Johnson’s giant Cardboard Twin-Lens Reflex Camera looks cool enough as he builds it in the time-lapse video above, but here’s what wowed us: it actually takes pictures.

Beyond the Magic Mouse, iMac and MacBook, here’s Apple’s other 10/20 news: a slick Remote, two-battery Wireless Keyboard, reinforced 60W Power Adapter and refreshed Mini.

Mamiya’s DM22 is an entry level camera, though only affordable for professionals; it features a 22 MP 44x36mm sensor, Leaf Aptus II-5 back, 80mm f/2.8 lens, and ISO range of 25-400.