PM360 DECEMBER 2010

CuttingEdge

By Andrew Matthius

What’s not to love about the latest technology and the hottest trendy products? Our Cutting Edge section keeps you on the vanguard of electronic wizardry with our featured gallery of gadgets that are newly launched or coming soon to a store or website near you.

BLUETOOTH BLAST

The Jawbone Jambox ($200) Bluetooth speakers deliver a big sound in a tiny package with an output capacity of 85 decibels. These portable speakers are smart, too: Every time you plug them into your computer, they sync with Jawbone’s MyTalk website to download apps, software upgrades, and the latest features, as well as let you customize the speakers’ buttons. With a built-in microphone, you can also use Jambox for crisp, clean-sounding conference calls.

NOW IN COLOR


Barnes & Noble’s NOOKcolor ($249) has a 7-inch VividView Color Touchscreen that displays more than 16 million colors in high resolution. There are over 2 million books available, and with NOOKfriends you can share your favorite lines or recommend books to others via Facebook or Twitter. Magazines and newspapers are also in vivid color and, with the Article View feature, you can bring content front and center. With NOOKextras, you can listen to music, play chess, and view Microsoft Office files as well as PDFs.

DOUBLE THE DELL



To touch or to type—the choice is yours with the Dell Inspiron duo ($550) with its innovative flip-hinge design that lets you switch between the two in seconds. This duo convertible tablet has a 10.1-inch HD multi-touch display that is also Flash-capable. In tablet mode, you can read books, watch movies, and play games. Or you can dock it into the optional Inspiron duo Audio Station, where it can become an alarm clock, digital picture frame, or music player.

THE WORLD IN YOUR PALM



The Palm Pre 2 ($450 unlocked, coming soon to Verizon) allows you to accomplish more with HP webOS 2.0. Multi-tasking is a breeze as open apps are in card stacks so you can switch back and forth without closing anything. With Just Type, there’s no need to open an app in order to send an email, text message, or search the web; all you have to do is start typing. On the smartphone’s 3.1-inch multi-touch display, you can view full HTML websites and all your email accounts side by side.

LIGHT KEYBOARD



Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 ($80) eliminates all the battery hassles that come with wireless products—thanks to integrated solar panels that keep the keyboard charged wherever there’s light. That includes light from your desk lamp or even the glow from your computer screen. And this keyboard stays charged for at least three months in total darkness. It also features a sleek design at only one third of an inch thick and has Logitech Incurve keys that fit the shape of your fingertips.