What You Should Know about the Latest High-Tech Devices

Up until two or three years ago, who would have thought you could play tennis in front of your TV, wielding a remote-control-like device like a tennis racquet?…Well, Nintendo did it with the Wii.

Not being a member of the Nintendo generation I didn’t see that one coming, although I’m sure N-genners probably did.  Frankly, I’ve never given much thought to getting a Wii, although, I have heard it is a fun way to get in some exercise, which I sorely need.

The Wii is one device listed in an article by Nick Parish in a local Sacramento area magazine called Comstock’s, in which he describes some of the “top tech tools” found in offices and homes.

Even I have heard of some of them. 

I actually know what the Garmin Nuvi is.  A Magellan navigation system was installed in my latest Hertz rental car.  That experience convinced me I had to have it.  But I couldn’t make up my mind between the various models available, from the Tom Tom to the Nuvi. 

My recent purchase of a new car, however, made that unnecessary.  For $6000 it came included in the new interactive gizmo on the dashboard.  And I could have had the Nuvi for under $400.

Then there is the Jawbone.  I didn’t know what a jawbone was until Tom, my associate and office-mate came walking in with one hanging from his ear the other day.  He swears by it, especially now that you can’t talk on your cell-phone while driving in California (keep the snickers down, please).  And unlike Blue-tooth headsets, it employs “noise-shield” technology, which means you can actually hear the conversation while driving with the top down.

There were a couple of things in Mr. Parish’s article that didn’t appeal to me.  The Amazon Kindle was one.  You can download books in a nifty new way, and read them at your leisure, like standing in line somewhere.  Ah. OK.

Another is the Cisco TelePresence, teleconferencing with “real time, across-the-table video clarity”…for $250,000.   Thanks, but no thanks.

Then there was the Nike + iPod.  It didn’t take me long to figure out that Nike’s involvement meant you could have iPod sounds while you are running.  I’ll pass.

There was something in the article that did catch my eye, though.  The V-Dimension Solar Bag.  This thing (it comes in three sizes, up to a back-pack) has a light collecting device, that converts to power for all your portable, powered gizmos, such as lap-tops, cell-phones, iPods, camera, PDA, or in my case, my Pocket Dish (more on that in my next blog).  Any kind of light, from fluorescent to sun-light, will power this bag and pass the power to my gizmos.

I gotta have it.