More Yet: 2008 Consumer Electronics Show

Digital Foci (www.digitalfoci.com) introduced a cool and convenient way to show off photos: Pocket Album OLED 1.5 or 2.8, portable photo albums hold up to 120 photos (1.5 model) or 3,000 photos (2.8 model) and display them on a 1.5 or 2.8 inch OLED screen. The OLED (organic light emitting diode) display, besides being bright and sharp, even in sunlight, has a wide viewing angle. The 2.8 model includes an alarm clock and calendar, and either model can display photos manually or as a slide show. Available in February from Digital Foci Web site, $49.95 and $99.95.

The new DYMO DiscPainter (www.dymo.com, Windows or Mac, $279) is a standalone unit that prints labels onto inkjet-printable discs. Using the included "Discus for Dymo" software, you can design and print colorful custom labels that included backgrounds and graphics, or add your own photos, graphics and text in a plain or fancy layout. DYMO DiscPainter covers the entire printable surface, printing a disc in one to three minutes by using a patented spin technology. Three inch mini-discs can be printed as well.

Golla Bags (www.golla.com) has maintained its reputation for cool designer prints, style and color in their new 2008 bags, sleeves and backpacks for portable electronics such as phones, PDAs and laptops. Their swirly-doodle prints and colors let you say good-bye to boring black. Bags are well built and superbly padded and are also available for larger-screen laptops.

The world’s smallest and lightest camcorder was introduced at the show: Panasonic HDC-SD9 Camcorder (www.panasonic.com, $1,100) records on SD memory cards, including the new Panasonic 32GB SD card. This camcorder features three CCD sensors to record superb color, full HD resolution (1920x1080p, 24fps), a sharp Leica lens, optical image stabilization, face detection, 5.1-channel surround sound and intelligent shooting guides. Despite its size (0.6 pounds) and rugged qualities (because it uses SD cards only), the camcorder is able to create breathtaking movie-quality video.

WowWee Robotics Rovio (www.wowwee.com, $300) is a WiFi robotic webcam that can roam around your home under your remote control or under its own control (no stairs, please). As the robot moves about, you see and hear what it sees and hears--either on your home PC or remotely via the Internet. When under its own control, the robot uses the proprietary NorthStar navigation system so it knows where it is and the location of objects in its environment, including its home charging station, where it can return automatically as needed or on command. Ready Fall 2008.

eAgency Radar (www.mymobilewatchdog.com) lets you monitor your child’s cell phone activities, including emails, text messages, photos sent and received and changes made to the child’s phone address book. You receive instant alerts on your phone when unauthorized communication occurs and can use the information to help keep your child safe from predators and also as a teaching tool to show some of the dangers of wireless communications. The object is to help children use their phone wisely and safely while still enjoying its fun and convenience. A separate data plan and charges from your cell phone carrier are required for each monitored phone, and not all phone models are supported at this time.

A personalized, colorful and professionally printed cookbook is easy to create and available from Tastebook (www.tastebook.com). Just go to the Tastebook Web site and select from more than 25,000 recipes available from Epicurious. Or add your own recipes and include photos of the finished item, cooking tricks and photos of the creator. The cost for a beautiful hardcover book with 100 recipes is $34.95, delivered in about a week.

SPOT (www.findmespot.com, unit $169.99, service $99.99/year or $9.99/month) is a personal satellite messenger and the only one of its kind. Spot uses the GPS satellite network to acquire its position coordinates and then send its location, a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed e-mail message to a selected recipient via a commercial satellite network. SPOT is designed for outdoor use only and is geared for sportsmen, woodsmen, outdoor laborers, elderly or anyone concerned about personal safety while outdoors. But SPOT does more than just call for help--it can be used to track your progress, check in with loved ones and call for non-emergency assistance--all at the push of a button. Because it uses satellite technology, SPOT works around most areas of the world, even where cell phones don't. For the latest in world-wide coverage maps, see the Spot Web site. The unit is water, drop and vibration proof, with one-year standby battery life or 7 consecutive days in 911 mode while sending a message every five minutes.

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