Awesome Tech

Ricoh’s CX3 updates its CX2 with a 10 MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor, enhanced noise reduction, 16:9 aspect ratio mode, 720p video at 30 fps, and a quiet, no-flash pet mode.

Nikon pitches its hat into the superzoom ring with the Coolpix P100; it boasts a low-light friendly 10.3MP CMOS sensor, 26x optical zoom, 3″ tilt LCD, and 1080p @ 30fps video recording.

Verizon subscribers finally get a taste of Motoblur-flavored Android with Motorola’s Devour; it’s a slide-out QWERTY phone with 3.1″ capacitive touchscreen, 3G, aGPS, and Bluetooth.

It’s not the first solar powered battery for USB gadgets, but Scosche’s solBAT II shines in terms of affordability; $30 gets you 1500 mA of capacity, a windshield cradle, and carabiner mount.

A wallet-friendlier version of the EP-1, Olympus’ PEN E-PL1 is a Micro Four Thirds camera with a 12.3 MP Live MOS sensor, in-body image stabilization, HD video, and polycarbonite body.

Not to be outdone by Fuijfilm’s HS10, Olympus’ SP-800UZ also sports a 30x zoom lens but packs it into the world’s smallest superzoom body; it also features a 14 MP sensor and 3″ LCD.

Make Rock Band and Guitar Hero sessions more realistic with Omega’s GM-1 System, which hooks up to a real drum set via a MIDI or accessory cable; it also includes 2-3 cymbal triggers.

It’s no DSLR, but you won’t mind with FujiFilm’s FinePix HS10 superzoom: it features 30x optical zoom, 1080p video, a 3″ tilting LCD, triple image stabilization, and 1000 fps movie capture.

Rugged yet loaded, Olympus’ 14 MP Stylus Tough 8010 offers 720p HD video and a 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens; it’s also water resistant to 33 feet and can survive a 6.6 foot drop.

Uploaded two days before Apple’s iPad unveiling, this Chrome OS Tablet UI may be a warning shot across Cupertino’s bow; it’s purely conceptual, but it’s also made by a Google employee.

Part of Sony Ericsson’s eco-friendly Greenheart line, the Aspen is the first smartphone with WinMo 6.5.3 and features a full QWERTY, 2.4″ touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3.2 MP camera.

Now available for preorder: Creative’s World of Warcraft Headsets feature THX sound, swappable Alliance/Horde lenses, and a detachable mic; they come in USB or wireless flavors.

Wacom’s Intuos line goes Bluetooth with the Intuos4 Wireless pen tablet; it works up to 33 feet away and offers a 40 square inch work area, Generation 2 Grip Pen, and touch ring.

Microsoft’s SideWinder X4 ain’t afraid of no ghosts: the keyboard’s anti-ghosting tech lets you press 26 keys at once and features macro recording, backlighting, and mod and profile switching.

The DACport headphone amp puts a high-end price on high-end sound; $500 gets you a battery-less USB DAC and Class-A amp with 50 kHz bandwidth, 100dB THD, and 24/96 HD listening.

You may need a nuclear reactor to power it, but this 80-port USB Charging Board is pure gadgety awesome; it doesn’t transfer data, but your army of gadgets will never go thirsty again.

Retro Thing’s Clear Classic USB Joystick is a true retro blast with Atari 2600 emulator w/80 games and MAME support; also: connect it to an arcade joystick plus 8 additional controls.

Incase’s Maple Leaf Slider Cases are pretty slick, even for non-Canucks; made for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, the hardshell sliders are only available in Canadian Apple Stores.

Get two tracking surfaces in one with Razer’s Vespula Mouse Mat; it’a dual-sided pad with a smooth finish on one side for speed and a textured finish on the other for control.

Sing (or stomp) a sweet tune with Apogee’s GiO; the USB guitar interface is controlled by foot and includes five effects buttons, five transport control butons, and next/previous buttons.

Apple’s iPad is official: 0.5″ thick and 1.5 lbs, it sports a 9.7″ capacitive multi-touchscreen, 16-64GB flash memory, 1GHz Apple A4 chip, WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth, and optional 3G.

Good news if you like your gadgets green: Lexon has released a rather large line of bamboo gadgets, appliances, and accessories including radios, calculators, and lighting.

You can be sure that these Rambler Sneakers will never “run” out of things to say: a sensor in the shoe sends a signal via Bluetooth to a mobile phone, which tweets every step.