Gadgetmania

Previewing the future Solar-powered Bluetooth headsets, radio-controlled beer coolers, a $2,000 iPod dock, and it's hard to tell whether it's day or night. Welcome to the Consumer Electronics Show, 2008 version.

Celestron LCD Digital Microscope
$299This microscope, created for consumers and schools, has a 3.5-inch LCD screen instead of the traditional eyepiece, and can use a 2-megapixel digital camera to take photos or video.

E-Detail Dual Display Tablet PC
This South Korean company has a clever idea that makes tablet PCs more useful: why not add another screen? The dual-display PC, which runs Windows XP, allows you to sit across the table from clients and show them your presentation on a big screen. Connect a keyboard, and you can control the action while maintaining eye contact with customers.

Eton G4
$99Eton is a Silicon Valley company that makes old-school radios but sneaks in modern twists. For example, this G4 shortwave radio includes an SD slot for adding memory, and it lets you record broadcasts onto a storage card.

Eton FR 150 Microlink
$30Consider this the ultimate survival radio. Not only does it sport a crank to make sure you can use the built-in radio, LED flashlight and cell phone charger in a pinch, it uses solar power so you can go easy on your wrists.

Globalstar Spot Satellite Messenger
$170 plus $99 per year for satellite service and $49.95 per month for trackingFor people who like taking trips into the wilderness, it won't be hard to justify this purchase. This $170 device uses satellite communication, so if you're in trouble you can send a 911 alert, complete with your location, no matter where you are. Better still, you can send an "I'm OK" message to let loved ones know you've safely reached that mountaintop or remote village.


Interactive Toy Concepts Vamp
$40This is far more annoying than the typical radio-controlled helicopter, and maybe a little more fun. The Vamp is shaped like a bat, and its wings actually flap as it flies around and emits a spooky shriek.

Kreative Power Powramid
$17-$25Power strips can be frustratingly difficult when you're plugging in multiple gadgets. The Powramid, the brainchild of Southern Californian Khanh Lam, solves this by turning the strip into a pyramid, so there's plenty of room to plug in devices. And because it has some shape to it, unplugging gadgets isn't a hassle.

LG BH200
$799If you don't want to pick sides in the high-definition format wars between HD DVD and Blu-ray, LG just made it a little easier to stay neutral. Its BH200, which plays both formats, is now $799. Yes, that's still quite pricey -- but at least you can watch both "Transformers" and "Casino Royale" in all their digital glory.

Logitech diNovo Mini
$150The Logitech diNovo Mini is the gizmo for that small, but growing, number of people who have connected their PC to a big flat panel television or have one of Microsoft's media center setups. It's a wireless keyboard that is small enough to sit unobtrusively on a coffee table, and that allows you to kick back on the couch and operate your PC, and what's on that big screen, remotely. The $150 device connects to a PC (or PS3) via a Bluetooth USB adapter. A Mac version is in the works.

Logitech Harmony One
$250The Harmony One is the ultimate remote control -- you have to try one to understand. Program it to automatically turn on the TV, DVD player and sound system when you want to watch a movie, and add in all sorts of other tricks.

SentrySafe Firesafe Water Resistant Safe
$420 - $520Your jewelry and documents will be OK in the safe if disaster strikes -- but what about your digital files? SentrySafe, a 75-year-old New York company, is trying to blend its security brand with digital smarts to answer that question. This water-resistant safe stores a 2.5-inch hard drive, and even connects it to an internal USB port to keep it charged.

SentrySafe Firesafe hard drive
$260 - $340This is a Maxtor hard drive wrapped in fireproof and waterproof armor. SentrySafe says it can be immersed in water for up to 24 hours, and still function normally.

Sonoro Cubo Elements
$349Sonoro, a German brand new to the United States but popular in Europe, is launching a particularly sweet-looking Internet radio console. Sleek and jet-black with a glowing dial, it's priced at around $349.

Yoggie Pico
$99Yoggie has a novel take on PC security -- rather than deal with anti-virus and parental control software that slows down your computer, just plug in this USB gadget. The Pico might look like flash storage, but it's actually a tiny Linux computer that polices your system. To really lock things down, you can make sure you PC won't get online without the Pico plugged in.