Awesome Gadgets

Robo-Garage’s Murasaki prototype robot is no slouch at storytelling; “she” actually uses an MP3 player. The ‘bot rolls on two wheels and articulates her head and arms with an eight-axis system.

Phone Arena has reviewed iPhone competitor Samsung Omnia, which features vibrating feedback, 5 MP camera, and bluetooth stereo. It falls flat, however, with a wimpy 240×400 screen.

Exterminate a whole new generation of SIL-LY HU-MONS with the Dalek Voice Changer Helmet, available at ThinkGeek. Includes authentic Dr. Who sounds and lights; runs on 3 AA batteries.

We love two-fers, and LG’s BD-300 does exactly that: it not only plays Blu-ray discs, but also streams Netflix movies. Available in Fall, Gizmodo reports that the price should be “well under $500.”

Sanyo’s Xacti line of compact HD cameras gets an upgrade with the HD800. Though seemingly a small step up from the HD700 on paper (from 7 MP to 8 MP), Akihabara News reports big noise reductions.

Maximize your nerd appeal with the Tibida LED watch: the first two modes are fairly simple, while the final binary mode which gets geek-ah-rific. Available in red, blue, black, or orange.

Motorola’s MOTO U9 is a slick clamshell phone (T-Mobile & AT&T customers) with an eye-catching external OLED display. Also nice: MP3-friendly buttons, quad-band GSM, and stereo bluetooth.

Hot on the heels of Dell’s Studio Hybrid, Shuttle’s SLK4800 ($300) steps up from the value K4500 ($200) with the addition of an optical drive and dual VGA/DVI outputs. Standard: Linux; Vista +$180.

Samsung’s flagship Series 9 LCD HDTVs feature “art inspired” Touch of Color accents; ToC is hit-or-miss for most folks. Available: 46″ and 55″ models; LED backlighting; 120Hz technology.

Now available: the latest iteration of T-Mobile’s chat-friendly Sidekick. The 2008 version gives you more features (2.0 MP camera, higher resolution screen) for less ($150 w/contract, smaller size).

The possibilities are endless: a fake shark fin, beginner’s swim class at the local YMCA … all jokes aside, Sea-Doo’s Seascooters are ideal for divers with a max depth of 50m and speed of 3.3 mph.

Nvidia’s GeForce 9500 targets the sub-$100 video card market and competes with ATI’s Radeon HD 3850. Not for serious gamers, but it’s a good mainstream card with low power use and noise.

Netgear’s Wireless-N Upgrade Kit features an access point that plugs into your existing 802.11g/b router or gateway. Also included: a Wireless-N USB adapter which is 802.11g backwards compatible.

Dell’s new Studio Hybrid is 80% smaller and draws 70% less power than standard desktops. Available in six colors and bamboo, it features an HDMI port, 8-in-1 media card reader and optional Blu-ray.

The world’s first 16.4″ laptop, Sony’s FW Series gets a bigger screen in a 15.4″ footprint. Other specs: 6.4 lbs, 1600×900, MacBook-style keys, and optional Blu-ray RW drive.

HTC’s Touch Diamond is a GSM phone with a 2.8″ touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera and clickwheel. Its most unique feature: a glossy, faceted back which is also a bit of a fingerprint magnet.