25 Products That Will Change Your Life (page 3 of 3)

High-Tech High Life

Maxtor OneTouch III Mini Edition $80 for 60GB, $126 for 160GB What it is: A compact hard drive that lets you automatically synchronize data between two or more computers. Also offers automated backup scheduling and encryption equal to two added levels of security. The 160GB model is among the largest portable drives on the market.
How it changes life: Quickly and safely back up and store all your important data -- music files, photos, home movies and that unfinished novel -- and bring it with you wherever you go.
Where to get it:
www.mfueldirect.com

Verified Identity Pass Clear Card $99.95
What it is: A biometric ID card for prescreened fliers. Insert it into a kiosk, which scans irises and fingerprints to check identity. Currently used in six U.S. airports.
How it changes life: Lets you skip the long lines at standard airport security. Ideal for business travelers or any frequent flier.
Where to get it:
www.flyclear.com

Artec T14A USB Dongle and Antenna $60
What it is: An ATSC rig that, when plugged into a PC, lets you receive high-definition broadcast TV signals for free.
How it changes life: Get high-def network programming without a TV, anytime, anywhere a signal is available.
Where to get it:
www.artec.com.tw

Scratch-Less Disc $18.99 for 20
What it is: A writable disc coated with a scratch-resistant polymer that has 20 small bumps along the edge of the bottom to keep the disc itself from touching hard surfaces.
How it changes life: With so much of our entertainment and information now burned onto discs, it pays to use those that last longest.
Where to get it:
www.scratchlessdisc.com

Sony Reader $349.99
What it is: Tablet with electronic ink -- positively and negatively charged particles suspended in clear fluid -- that displays text in black or white to re-create a print-on-paper feel. Viewable even in sunlight.
How it changes life: Easy to view and carry, it lets you tote a small library in your briefcase or backpack.
Where to get it:
www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/itpd/reader/

OQO Model 02 Portable PC From $1,500
What it is: A handheld computer that includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and can run Microsoft's newest operating system.
How it changes life: Take your office with you wherever you go and stay connected to home too.
Where to get it:
www.oqo.com

And 6 More in the Works
The Volt
www.chevrolet.com is a General Motors plug-in hybrid that runs solely on electricity. Production models could arrive by 2010. Fully charged, it can go 40 miles without using any gas and recharges via an ordinary outlet (a small gas engine helps charge the battery when needed). It's expected to average 150 mpg on a 60-mile trip, yet it boasts 161 horses under the hood.
Also look for Toyota's FT-HS
www.toyota.com, a hybrid sports car with a V-6 engine.
Hewlett-Packard's Memory Spot www.hp.com, a tiny data chip with wireless capability, lets you attach digital data -- family photos, audio clips -- to any object or document.
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) mix phosphorescent molecules and fluorescent material in a film to make almost any surface a light source, while consuming less electricity than an LCD.
Solar skin uses a thin film of copper indium gallium selenide that can be placed directly onto glass and metal -- and instantly turn sunlight into electricity.
"Self-cleaning" www.usinfo.state.gov clothes are made with a high-tech fabric that repels water, resists stains and is antibacterial. Imagine never having to do laundry again.

From Reader's Digest - June 2007

 

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