Media Platforms Design TeamMedia Platforms Design TeamLet the Resolutionary War BeginThanks to a pricing nose dive, nearly any average joe can lug an HDTV into his living room. But most hi-def video cameras are still esoteric objects aimed at the wealthy digital elite. So if an average joe wanted to make hi-def home movies, we’d hand him the Sanyo Xacti HD1, an 8.1-ounce, pocket-size hi-def machine that records to SD cards and also has a 5.1-megapixel still camera inside. Its most intriguing figure is the $899 price, which is some $1000 less than the next cheapest–and significantly larger–HD recorder.–Glenn DereneLook Ma, No TapeTapeless high-definition recording keeps the HD1 light and compact, but it requires a super-high-capacity SD card to be practical. Plan on spending $70 for a 1GB card, which holds about 20 minutes of HD video at a resolution of 720p, or $150 for a 2GB card.Media Platforms Design TeamFunction-PackedThe HD1 has a big bag of tricks: a built-in pop-up flash, a variety of shooting modes, a stereo mic, 10x optical zoom and shake correction. It also has an industry first–a 2.2-in. self-luminous Organic LED screen, which is easier to view in bright sunlight than a standard LED screen.Wish ListMedia Platforms Design TeamThe Midair MouseA wireless mouse is nothing new, but how about a flying mouse? Hold down a button on the Gyrotransport ($199) and it will move the onscreen cursor in whatever direction you tilt the mouse, from up to 100 ft. away. You also can program hand motions to activate specific programs or commands, like shaking the mouse horizontally to skip music tracks. The RF receiver doubles as a 1GB USB flash drive. gyration.comMedia Platforms Design TeamThe demand for clutter-clearing universal remotes has given birth to a strange new category–the high-end universal remote. The Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote ($250) doesn’t come cheap, but it features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (good for one week per charge), a color LCD screen, and a USB interface that makes setup surprisingly easy. A computer and Internet connection are required, but we were able to set up eight devices–including a TV, a stereo and an Xbox–in just 30 minutes. logitech.comMedia Platforms Design TeamBaby TalkJust because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean the neighbors can’t pick up your baby monitor’s audio signal (probably by accident, but you never know). Which is why the imonitor ($60), the first all-digital baby monitor in the States, operates on a digital spread spectrum, improving sound clarity and ensuring that the signal can’t be received by analog-spectrum cordless phones or other baby monitors. gracobaby.comMedia Platforms Design TeamSlide ShowoffTablet PCs have always been equal parts nifty and pricey. The TravelMate C 200 Series Convertible Tablet PC ($1399 to $1899) has an even niftier design, at a realistic price. The monitor slides over the keyboard, switching between tablet and laptop modes. The $1899 model features fingerprint security and an extra battery, and weighs 5.7 pounds. us.acer.comWish ListMedia Platforms Design TeamThe Faceplant ChannelRecord your next spill over the handlebars for posterity with the ATC-1000 Action Camera ($120), a hands-free video camera that mounts on a helmet, handlebar or your own body. The footage is standard Webcam quality (15 frames per second at 640 x 480 pixels) and can be stored on SD memory cards. The camera is shock- and splash-resistant, so a tumble probably won’t kill it, but a dunk will. atc1000.comMedia Platforms Design TeamRisk-Averse DiscThe polymer coating on Scratch-Less Disc CD-Rs ($13.49 for a spindle of 10 discs) prevents minor scratches, but the real innovation is the elevated inner ring and row of bumps along the disc’s outer edge. The new shape adds about 0.5mm of height to the disc, keeping the fragile underside from touching any surface it falls on or scrapes across. scratchlessdisc.comMedia Platforms Design TeamWireless AVThe Pure AV RemoteTV ($500) is the rare wireless gadget that’s as simple as it should be. Connect the transmitter to a VCR, DVD player or cable box in the living room, and the receiver to a TV in another room within 350 ft. Now you can watch movies or television in either room, with no intervening wires. A remote-control extender lets you use the device’s original remote in both locations. pureav.comPrinter ShowdownA Photomat in Every HomeAre the new crop of specialized photo printers worth the money? To find out, we asked an expert panel to weigh in on four options.BY TRACY SAELINGERPrinter photographs by Dan SaelingerExpert PanelNancy Jo Iacoi, Director of Photography, EsquireToni Ann Paciello, Photo Director, Good HousekeepingAllyson Torrisi, Photo Director, POPULAR MECHANICSWith the exception of the Kodak in-store kiosk, each test printer came with a specific paper recommendation–sold, predictably, by the printer company. As a side test, we tried printing photos on both the suggested paper and off-brand paper. The somewhat surprising result: The Olympus wouldn’t load non-Olympus paper at all, and as for the two other printer models, the suggested paper really did perform better in every way.Media Platforms Design TeamBargain-Bin Inkjet: HP Deskjet 5440 $80Cost per print: $0.24 Speed: 2 min., 49 sec. per 4 x 6 printExpert opinions: This simple but effective printer produced photos that most of our panel found difficult to distinguish from the $549 model’s prints. It even received one first-place vote in the blind test. “Wow,” one expert said after we revealed the Deskjet’s price. “Unless you’re doing larger-scale printing, I see no reason to pay more.“Verdict: High quality at a surprisingly low price.Media Platforms Design TeamPhotos-Only Printer: Olympus P-11 $150Cost per print: $0.39 Speed: 38 sec. per 4 x 6 printExpert opinions: This compact printer not only refused to load anything but Olympus-branded 4 x 6 or 3.5 x 5 paper, it also earned the lowest marks in our test from all three panelists, who called the color “dull” and “muddy.” The fact that it can print directly from some digital cameras is handy, but with prints this bad, who cares?Verdict: Easy to use (in theory), but hard to like.Media Platforms Design TeamPro’s Choice: Epson Stylus R1800 $549Cost per print: $0.53 Speed: 1 min., 20 sec. per 4 x 6 printExpert opinions: “This is clearly the best one,” said one panelist immediately. With eight ink cartridges, this high-end model delivered the clarity and color accuracy you’d expect for the price. Verdict: Only worth it if you want large (up to 13 x 44) or archival-quality prints, which supposedly will last for 64 to 200 years, depending on the paper you use.Media Platforms Design TeamIn-Store, Self-Service Lab: Kodak Picture KioskCost per print: $0.28 Speed: 10 sec. per 4 x 6 printExpert opinions: Using a touchscreen, you can transfer and print photos from a memory card, CD, cellphone or USB drive. The prints could have been crisper, but they won one top vote for their traditional photolab-like brightness. “Visually, it’s nice for the consumer. The colors pop.“Verdict: For printing snapshots, this is the cheapest and–if you don’t mind leaving the house–most hassle-free option.
