Go Gadgets

The Sound and the Full HD

The nationwide switchover to digital broadcasting in February 2009 may require you to get a new TV. But to fully enjoy the new high-def images and improved sound, you’ll also want to upgrade your audio/video receiver. Among the best out there is the Harman Kardon AVR 354, which boasts Dolby 7.1 surround sound and 1080p video resolution, producing the highest-quality image available. Harman Kardon’s typically smooth product design makes the device handsome, but its capabilities are what warrant the investment. The unit includes three HDMI inputs, a programmable eight-device universal remote, and a Bridge II iPod dock to integrate the portable music device with the rest of your entertainment center. Now that’s what we call an upgrade. ($899; harmankardon.com)

Making Waves

Here’s a great way to keep water out of your ears — plug ’em up with the uCan by Ubanana. The 1 GB MP3 player is waterproof to depths of about 10 feet, making it the digital audio player of choice for anyone doing laps in the pool or running in the rain. With its all-in-one construction, the uCan fits snugly around the back of the head and eliminates the need to fuss with cords or cables. And with 15 hours of play time per charge, it keeps working long after your workout is done. Oh, and here’s a smart finishing touch — it floats. ($145; u-banana.com)

Take Two

The JVC NX-PN7 docks — and charges — two iPhones or iPods (or one of each) at once. But there’s more to it than that: the device is designed to block out weak cellular signals that cause static and affect the sound quality of music on the iPhone. The station eliminates the compatibility issues that plague many speaker docks, meaning you — and your devices — can live in perfect harmony. ($149.99; jvc.com)

Movies on the Move

Forty percent smaller than its critically acclaimed predecessor, the Flip Ultra, the Flip Mino offers high-quality video recording capability in a smart-looking device that fits in your shirt pocket. With up to an hour of recording capacity, 2x digital zoom, and only a short, three-second startup delay, you’re sure to capture the action. And with built-in editing software and the ability to upload to YouTube, AOL, and MySpace, everyone else will too. ($179; theflip.com)

A Cut Above

With its stainless steel frame reinforcing an elegant onyx casing, the HTC Touch Diamond’s name might be a tad confusing. But that’s about the only negative thing you can say about this sleek new tri-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) phone. From its 2.8-inch touchscreen to its TouchFLO 3-D interface (which overlays the Windows Mobile operating system), the Touch Diamond shines. Its HSDPA Internet connectivity cruises with all the now-standard phone applications (Internet, e-mail, weather, calendar), and its 4 GB of storage keeps plenty of photos and music handy. Other features crammed into this gem include GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and a front-facing VGA webcam for video chatting. Multifaceted indeed. (price unavailable at press time; htc.com)

Smart Talker

The tiny Bizz combines two of the most frequently forgotten items in a road warrior’s arsenal: a Bluetooth headset and flash drive. You can charge it up in any USB 2.0 slot for six hours of talk time and 10 days of standby. And when a MicroSD flash card is inserted, the Bizz can also serve as a USB drive, capable of storing up to 8 GB of data. ($89; bluetrek.com)

Say Watt?

Those little indicator lights that once told you your VCR was on have come a long way in recent years. One bright example is EarthLED Lightbulbs, which kick out an impressive amount of light using very little energy. We fired up three models. The CL-5 functions best in a desk lamp, emitting white light roughly equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent, while using just five watts of power. The 10-watt XL-10 is more of a spotlight, and if you look directly into it (when it’s off, of course), you’ll see nine LED chips, each smaller than a postage stamp, arranged like a tic-tac-toe board. Finally, EarthLED’s Evolux bulbs are designed to replace standard everyday lightbulbs, but they won’t need to be changed for some time. They boast a lifespan of 50,000 hours — almost 2,100 days, or 5.7 years, of continuous operation. ($59.99–$99.99; thinkgeek.com, earthled.com)

How Do LEDs Work?

LED (light-emitting diode) illumination is currently displacing neon and fluorescent light as the standard for outdoor display lighting, and LED lightbulbs for the home have become popular among early adopters and environmentally minded technophiles. These newfangled lights work in a similar fashion to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, insofar as electricity zips through the wire to bring the light. But instead of lighting up a phosphorus strip, LED bulbs get their circuit boards glowing. “Think of it like a simple circuit,” says Mark Costigliola, managing director of Advanced Lumonics, which makes LED lightbulbs. “An LED is a circuit that can convert electricity into visible light. You have a positive and a negative portion of the circuit, and when you pass electricity through the LED, it emits photons, which are seen as light.”

Why are they just becoming popular now? According to Costigliola, white LEDs are difficult to make. But in recent years, advances in technology have lowered production costs, decreased LEDs’ energy usage, increased their power density and luminosity, and reduced their heat output. For example, a standard 13- to 18-watt compact fluorescent bulb can get as hot as 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but an equivalent LED bulb reaches just 90–100 degrees. Add to that the fact that LEDs use fewer harmful chemicals than compact fluorescent bulbs (which contain mercury and require careful cleanup when they break), and switching to LED bulbs seems like a pretty bright idea. — J.P.P.