Awesome Gadgets

With a 2.8″ touchscreen, Wi-Fi, 3G, aGPS, 3MP camera and secondary VGA camera for video calls, Motorola’s SURF A3100 squeezes a lot in; too bad it’s Asia and Latin America only.

Lenovo isn’t known for its desktops, but their all-in-one IdeaCentre A600 makes a splash with a 21.5″ frameless screen a-la iMac, Blu-ray drive and remote that doubles as a VOIP handset.

Apple’s 17″ MacBook Pro is finally here in unibody form; other specs: non-removable battery good for 8 hours, 9400M/9600M GT video, optional SSD and add-on antiglare screen.

Canon has dropped a slew of camcorders for 2009; at the top: the Vixia HF S10 packs an 8.59 MP CMOS sensor, 10x lens, HDMI out and 1920×1080 full HD recording at 24Mbps.

Psyko’s 5.1 gaming headphones truly live up to their insane moniker; they produce 3D surround sound by squeezing in five speakers and a subwoofer. Also included: mic and 5.1 amp.

An update to its entertainment-oriented Y-series, Lenovo’s Y650, Y550 and Y450 are 16″-14″ notebooks with a 16:9 glossy screen, multi-touch trackpad, and tapered design cues.

Also debuting at CES: Blaupunkt and miRoamer are teaming up to release the first in-car internet radio receiver; early models will connect via Bluetooth to a 3G/HSDPA/HSPA device.

A more affordable version of Kodak’s Zi6 camcorder, the Zx1 gets a smaller 2″ LCD, but it also includes two hotly requested features: 720p HD at 60fps and an SD/SDHC slot.

Give your first or second gen iPod a second lease on a musical life by turning it into a 2.25″ speaker; DIYer Jordan Horwich details how to build a pair of your own for under $100.

Debuting at CES this year, Kodak’s Z980 is packed with all sorts of goodies including an incredible 24x image stabilized optical zoom, HD video recording and 12 MP sensor.

The lack of a physical keyboard has been a downer for many iPhone fans, but Mat Brady’s proposal for a third party solution might do the trick; it’s sleek and also doubles as a case.

JA Michell’s TecnoDec is an entry-level turntable with a low-noise DC motor, advanced bearing and a solid plinth, yet is still easy to use; it requires no user setup or maintenance.

With a growing collection of gorgeously photographed case mods and custom desktops, Million Dollar PC will help to satisfy your appetite for sweet, sweet gadget pr0n. Thanks, Jack!

These s-Jays earphones come with a SIREN armature that bumps up output and dynamic range; they also include extra sleeves, a stereo splitter, airline adapter and extension cable.

Mac Funamizu over at Petitinvention is well known for his ultra-sleek gadget concepts that often favor form over function; his Lupa phone is part Aura, part iPod and all sexy.

No more ghetto white balancing with a sheet of paper: baLens White Balance Lens Cap not only protects your glass, but features a translucent dome in both warm and neutral colors.

With declining marketshare, Motorola might want to consider Brad Mitchell’s MotoFocus concept; two touchscreens allow for dynamic displays that separate work from play.

A New York City tradition since 1907, yesterday’s Times Square Ball was double-sized with 32,256 LEDs, yet was 20% more efficient than last year’s ball. It’ll also remain up all year.

Although details are light, we’re excited by the Oppo Muse G11; it’s a portable game emulator with an SNES-like d-pad, PlayStation buttons and a 3.2″ swiveling touchscreen.

Too large to be a netbook with a 12.1″ screen yet running an Intel Atom CPU, Asus’ S121 appears to be an upsized Eee S101 with a larger keyboard and chintzy textures aplenty.

Not to be upstaged by the LG GD910, the heretofore unknown hipsters at Phenom have dropped the SpecialOps; it sports a 1.3″ touchscreen, external keypad, and camera.

NAS servers are a dime a dozen nowadays, but HP’s ex485/7 MediaSmart Servers are one of the few non-Apple devices to support Time Machine; choose from 750GB or 1.5TB.

MSI’s U115 Hybrid Netbook takes a page out of Apple’s MBP playbook: it has the ability to run both SSD and HDD drives as well as selectively turn off the HDD to save power.