A Techie Holiday Wish List

Gadget makers hope you have some money to spend this holiday season.

By Kristin Burnham
Tue, November 18, 2008

Look, No Hands!

If hands-free legislation has crimped your cell phone usage, Funkwerk Americas' Ego Flash—a Bluetooth-enabled, hands-free car kit—is the solution. Its OLED display allows you to view phone contacts (it stores up to 10,000), call logs and caller ID; make phone calls via voice recognition; and it can even read aloud incoming text messages. The console also integrates with your car's stereo system and can play MP3 music downloaded to your mobile phone or any other Bluetooth-enabled player. $240 www.egohandsfree.com

Hunt and Peck With Style

Spice up your workspace with this hand-crafted, retro-inspired keyboard, The Aviator. This custom-made keyboard is constructed with a brushed aluminum frame, a black, felt faceplate and jewel-style LEDs similar to those on an airplane's instrument panel. $1,200-$1,500 www.datamancer.net

Watch While You Work

Late nights at the office don't mean you need to miss The Office. Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD streams HD content from a home television source, such as a cable box or satellite dish, to a laptop, desktop or smartphone. System requirements include a high-speed network connection with upload speeds of 1.5 megabits per second and an HD-compatible laptop or desktop computer. $300 www.slingmedia.com

No Outlet? No Problem!

A BlackBerry or iPod battery that is dying—especially when there's no outlet or charger in sight—is the ultimate inconvenience. But Solio has developed what it boasts is "the world's most advanced hybrid charger," the Magnesium Edition. Solar panels collect and store power—one hour of sun will power your iPod for an hour—and its adapter tips plug in to a variety of mobile devices, limiting the need to lug multiple chargers around. $170 www.solio.com

Can You Hear Me Now?

Crying baby on your six-hour flight? Get some shut-eye with Sennheiser's PXC 450 NoiseGard travel headphones, which reduce ambient noise by up to 90 percent. They also include a talk-through function to help distinguish between sounds such as those of a plane's engines versus the voice of person—enabling you to communicate while wearing them. The headphones collapse for easy transport and come with adapters for in-flight entertainment systems. $400 www.sennheiserusa.com

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