Gracenote CarStars
Imagine having Bruce Springsteen telling you about an unknown band he's just discovered...only he's in your car. Gracenote CarStars claims that having your favorite recording artist recommend new music you might like from a car stereo is the wave of the future. As an added bonus, you'll be able to instant message friends, so recommending music you've come across will be a piece of cake. Release date: some time in 2010. Price not set.
Palm Pre
Everyone's jumping on the iPhone look-alike bandwagon. But not the new Palm Pre; the company claims they were there first. And, in an effort to fix the problem of multiple apps like Gmail, Outlook, Facebook and the like being all over the place, Palm created one program in the Pre that connects them all: Palm WebOS. Visually, imagine a smaller, rounder version of the latest touch-screen phones, but with a 3.1 inch display, 320x480 resolution, and (gasp!) an actual pull down keyboard.
Release date: First half of 2009, through Sprint. Price is rumored to be $399.
Sony X-Series Walkman
Growing up, we all had one, or a dozen: The Walkman. Sony has had a hell of a time convincing people that the name isn't relegated to old-fashioned tape players, and the X Series might just do the trick. This credit card-sized media player features the line's first touch-screen, has built-in noise reduction, superb sound quality (think: better than the standard digital music player) and impressive bundled earphones. Release date: Summer 2009. $299 for the 16GB model and $399 for the 32GB model.
The Nyko Wand
Videogame lovers on the alert: A new, high-tech alternative for the Wii remote has arrived. Using Trans-Port technology, the new gizmo is reputed to have sensitivity far beyond its Nintendo cousin. Output commands and vibration are accessible through the controller's port at the bottom, a new pistol grip allows full force-feedback, and features a way to use the "1", "2", "+" and "-" buttons without needing to reach around to the top of the device. That, and the basic buttons are larger, too (finally).
Release date: April 2009. Price not set
Fitbit Tracker
In an era of "gimme, gimme!" and "I want now," it's really hard to follow a steady diet...or a workout plan...or a sleep routine. Not with the latest Fitbit Tracker. The tiny device resembles a beeper, and can be worn anywhere as it tracks whether you've gotten enough exercise for the day, how many calories you've burned, how many miles you've walked and if you're getting good, quality sleep-sans the personal trainer and psychoanalysis. The best part? It's wireless. Your data is automatically uploaded to the Fitbit website as it happens. One of the most remarkable items in the show, and one of the best bangs for your buck, too. Release date: First half of 2009. $99.
HP TouchSmart IQ506
The world we live in has become a very tactile one... touch-screen phones, touch-screen MP3 players and now... touch-screen PCs? No, you're not reading the Onion, and their new "Macbook Wheel" spoof. HP has come out with a new TouchSmart Desktop PC: a touch-enabled all-in-one that combines a 22-inch HD widescreen with an energy efficient processor and software that is optimized for touch interaction. An upgrade to last year's HP rollout model, it is more user friendly, faster and comes equipped with standards like Intel Core 2 Duo T5850 (2.16 GHz),
4 gigs of RAM and a 500 gig hard drive.
Available now. $1,499.99.
LG Dare VX9700
In our opinion, there are two types of phones: those used for functionality and those used for their high tech applications. The LG Dare manges to be both. It features a 3.2 megapixel camera/camcorder and Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens, offering outstanding image quality. But that's not the crazy part. You can edit/retouch images on the 3-inch touch screen with handwriting recognition and tactile feedback, enjoy 3G EV-DO connectivity for high-speed Internet, download from over 2 million songs and VCAST Videos and surf on a full HTML browser. Release date: An online release of July 4th through Verizon Wireless, $409.99.
