Big Idea, Small Package

The new Lenovo IdeaPad U110 shines. That’s due in part to its glossy finish, but the specs are what really make this ultraportable laptop a star. Smaller even than its competitor, the MacBook Air, the U110 is a little titan, with a 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 120 GB hard drive, and 2 GB of RAM. Also impressive: even when equipped with the larger of two included batteries, which runs for six hours, the computer weighs less than three pounds. The external dual-layer CD/DVD recordable drive is something you won’t find on lower-priced ultra-portables, though the U110’s integrated webcam is pretty standard these days. But the IdeaPad leverages the webcam for security, incorporating VeriFace software that allows only authorized users to operate the computer. That’s a smart move, since everyone will want to get their hands on this bright little machine. ($1,849; lenovo.com)

One-Pound Wonder

Intel has seen the future, and it is small. The company’s new Atom processor uses the world’s tiniest transistors and consumes less power than any other Intel processor, pushing mobile Internet devices like the Gigabyte M528 to perform incredibly well. With a 6-by-3-by-1-inch frame, this tablet packs built-in GPS, a touch screen, Wi-Fi, a webcam, a digital camera, and a 4 GB solid-state disk — and it still weighs less than a pound. (price undetermined at press time; www.gigabyte.com.tw)

A Trusty Sidekick

When looking for a partner for your main computer, you’ll want the same features a superhero would seek in a sidekick: strength, speed, dependability, and diminutive size. The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, a sturdy new 2.8-pound, 1-by-10-by-6.5-inch laptop, delivers these traits with a 1.2 GHz VIA processor, a 120 GB hard drive, and 1 GB of RAM. An upgrade to 2 GB of RAM would help its Windows Vista operating system run smoother, but it’s hard to complain when you’re talking about a laptop that’s the size of your average hardcover book. Add a glossy 8.9-inch screen and a VGA webcam, and you’ve got a great way to chat with your buddies at Justice League headquarters — or wherever they are. ($599; hp.com)

The Pen Is Mightier

With the ability to record audio and link it to notes written on any piece of paper, the Pulse Smartpen can connect the droning of a board meeting with shorthand notes, or turn a hand-drawn flowchart into an interactive experience. The device comes with either one or two GB of memory, a 3-D recording headset, and a notebook that features handy playback controls on each page. Inspired by the LeapFrog Pen that was all the rage with the elementary school set, the Pulse is also great if you’re an incessant doodler — now you can remind yourself exactly what was being discussed when you were tuning out. ($149 for 1 GB, $199 for 2 GB; livescribe.com)

That Old Black Magic

Consider the Netflix Player by Roku a threat to big cable’s on-demand programming. Netflix provides the service free for subscribers who purchase the box, allowing them to stream select films from the company’s library over the Internet to their television. The service can be networked within the home via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. But unlike its competitors — VuDu and Apple TV, for example — this HD-video box has no hard drive, which means you can’t save downloads for future viewing, though you can rewind and pause while watching. ($99; roku.com)

Cup of Juice

Targus’ Auto Power Inverter allows users to charge up to three devices through a car’s cigarette lighter, all at once. Designed to fit in a cup holder, this power station kicks out a minimum of 100 watts of power and puts a USB port and AC power outlet within arm’s reach of the driver, allowing phones, computers, MP3 players, portable DVD players, and other electronic gadgets to draw a current from the car’s battery. The third output, tailored for Targus’ Auto/Dual Digital Device Adapter, fits those funky-sized plugs that come on everything from BlackBerries to Treos. ($69.99; targus.com)

Driven by Design

If the performance of the Klipsch Palladium Series P-39F Speakers resembles that of a classic BMW, it’s probably no coincidence: The speakers are a joint effort by the elite pair of BMW Group Designworks USA and Klipsch. The audio drivers of the Palladium series were reengineered to utilize titanium as well as two powerful neodymium magnets, and the cabinet is handcrafted to ensure minimal resonance and maximal acoustic integrity. And with their gorgeous wood-grain finish, these 56-inch-high speakers look as good as they sound — as they should at this price. ($20,000; klipsch.com/palladium)

How Do Solid-State Hard Drives Work?

The new hot add-on in the laptop market is a solid-state drive (SSD), which runs faster and uses less power than older, platter-based hard drives. “Basically, they are big USB drives,” explains Michael Yang, flash product marketing manager with Samsung. “A USB drive, if you look inside it, is basically one or two chips, but an SSD is about 30 or 40 chips.”

Unlike USB flash drives, SSDs connect to a computer the same way that platter-based hard drives do — using either a Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) or Serial ATA interface. “Behind the PATA/SATA interface is a flash memory controller, which connects to a bunch of flash memory chips in the SSD,” Yang says. “That’s basically how it works.”

There’s another way to answer the question of how SSDs work: very well. According to Yang, Samsung commissioned some independent tests that revealed SSDs boot computers running Windows Vista three times faster than traditional drives, and SSDs can launch some programs up to nine times quicker than platter-based drives. And because there are no moving parts in SSDs, they require less energy to operate.

Older hard drives need to spin in order to read and write, says Yang. “And if you’re not reading and writing, it’s still spinning, waiting for the next time that you will,” he adds. “Contrast that with an SSD. If you’re not reading or writing, you’re using zero watts.” On average, this will save about 75–80 percent in power compared with older hard drives. Aggregating that with the rest of a computer’s power-consuming functions, SSDs can reduce the entire system’s power use by about 10 percent. — J.P.P.