Tech Preview 2007
Photo: Tom Schierlitz1/10Nokia N95
$700, www.nokia.com
Available early 2007
Nokia considers this more of a “multimedia computer“ than a smart phone, and with all the things it’s capable of, we’re not going to argue. As a dual slider, it switches easily from phone to media player; both video and music are vivid and sharp. But it does the phone thing well, too; you can receive calls almost anywhere in the world while the integrated GPS makes sure you’re not walking in circles. Of course, it wouldn’t be a “computer“ if you couldn’t connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or over your carrier’s high-speed network. On the flip side, it has a five-megapil camera that lets you upload photos directly to Flickr.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple Computer2/10Apple iTV
$300, www.apple.com
Available early 2007
Resembling a thinned-out Mac Mini, the iTV (a working name that will later be changed) connects wirelessly to your Mac or PC and plays any TV show, movie, or album in iTunes on your TV and stereo, essentially bringing the time-wasting you do in front of your computer into the living room, where it belongs—and without having to run a bunch of cables through your wall to do it. The clean user interface includes cover art, as well as access to movie trailers and your digital photos. This isn’t the first product to stream stuff wirelessly to your flat-screen, but just as the iPod became the simplest, easiest MP3 player in the world, the iTV is poised to become the simplest, easiest wireless-media streamer.
Photo: Courtesy of Art Lebedev Studio3/10Optimus Keyboard
Price TBA, www.artlebedev.com
Available mid-2007
Keyboards are generally unexceptional because, well, they’re keyboards. But the Optimus is about to shatter that rep for good. It is completely programmable: Embedded within each key is an OLED screen that will display any image you want, so instead of remembering to press 5 to launch a missile in Quake, for example, you can turn 5 into a missile icon—so you have no more excuses for sucking.
Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft4/10Asus Laptop with Windows Vista SideShow
$1,800, www.microsoft.com
Available early 2007
Vista is Microsoft’s latest installment of Windows and is much prettier than XP, with a lot of 3-D scrolling windows and automatic thumbnail previews of files and applications. As a bonus, most versions will come standard with the new and improved Media Center, Microsoft’s program to organize your movies, photos, music, and recorded TV—essentially making every PC a DVR. But the Vista feature we’re truly excited about is a technology called SideShow, which allows for a secondary screen on the outside of laptops for easy access to things like your schedule, e-mail, and music. Less time spent waiting for your computer to boot up is always a good thing.
Photo: Courtesy of T-Mobile5/10Samsung T709 T-Mobile @Home Phone
$100, www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com
Available late 2007
Launched in the Seattle area in October ’06 and expected to be found in other cities later this year, T-Mobile’s @Home is the first service to let you switch seamlessly from a standard mobile network to an Internet-based network—a new technology referred to as UMA (unlicensed mobile access). What are the advantages of UMA? For one, when you’re talking over a Wi-Fi network, whether it’s in your home or at a café, you get unlimited minutes. Plus, taking a call over a Wi-Fi network virtually eliminates dropped calls and spotty reception, so you won’t have to stick your head out of the window to order Chinese food.
Photo: Courtesy of Helio6/10Helio Drift
$225, www.helio.com
Available now
The mobile phone’s primary purpose—to make phone calls—takes a backseat with the Drift from Helio, a company that’s less about chatting and more about keeping you entertained and connected. It’s the only mobile device with full MySpace integration, so you can keep up with whatever people do on MySpace. For the rest of us, there’s GPS and Google Maps, the latter of which lets you search for stores, bars, and restaurants and gives you on-foot or by-car directions as well as live traffic reports. But if you do get caught in traffic, there’s Helio On Top, a customizable news ticker, plus access to hundreds of video clips from channels like Comedy Central, Fox Sports, and ABC.
7/10Philips HTS8100 Home Theater System
$1,000, www.philips.com
Available mid-2007
Surround sound from a single speaker has been around for a while, but no other theater system has incorporated a receiver and DVD player into its design, and none look as slick as the HTS8100. Using a technology called SonoWave, this home-theater system is able to simulate surround sound by positioning six drivers at different angles to project sound throughout the room, while the DVD player enhances your video experience by upscaling standard-definition DVDs to 1080p—which is considered “true“ high definition.
Photo: Courtesy of Logitech8/10Logitech diNovo Edge
$200, www.logitech.com
Available now
If your computer has become a part of the living room, then you should get rid of the wired keyboard and mouse and go with the diNovo Edge, a wireless rechargeable keyboard with a built-in trackpad. More mediacentric than most keyboards, it has backlit, touch-sensitive media controls (they fade out when not in use to conserve power) and a TouchDisc trackpad that lets you quickly scroll through Web pages. Cut from a single piece of Plexiglas and surrounded by brushed aluminum, its sharp looks will offset the growing mound of remotes on your coffee table.
Photo: Courtesy of Motorola9/10Motorola RIZR
Price TBA, www.motorola.com
Available early 2007
While not as visually stunning as the other phones derived from the now iconic Motorola RAZR, the RIZR is perfect in its own right. It has a rubbery no-slip texture and a fine-tuned double spring that slides the phone quickly yet smoothly into place. In addition, practically everything can be accessed without sliding the phone open, and it can take pictures in landscape mode while you’re holding it as you would a normal camera.
Photo: Courtesy of Philips10/10Philips ID937 Cordless Phone and Answering Machine
$180, www.philips.com
Available early 2007
The Philips ID937 gives the everyday cordless phone a style and feature upgrade (and it’s about time), combining a sleek yet comfortable design with high-tech features such as a SIM-card copier (so you can upload the numbers on your mobile phone), a speakerphone that doesn’t cut off the other person, plus text messaging when you don’t feel like talking at all.