The Top 5 Gadgets of 2008
1. Optoma Pico PK-101: Of all the gadgets on this list, this is the one that James Bond is most likely to carry. That is, it's the coolest gadget of the year. It's a pocket projector — meaning you plug the 4.1-inch gizmo into your iPod or iPhone, and it projects your movies on a wall, or even on the seat back in front of you on the plane. It displays images crisply on a surface as close as 8 inches away and as distant as 8 feet away, even in daylight. The super-bright Pico weighs 4 ounces and is smaller than many cell phones.
2. Mitsubishi LaserVue 65-inch HDTV: If you've got several thousand dollars to blow on a TV, chances are you've also got all kinds of other ways to entertain yourself. But this is, quite simply, the best TV money can buy. The first HDTV to use lasers for its display, the LaserVue has a wider gamut of color than any TV on the market — a palette that rivals films in movie theaters — and consumes two-thirds less electricity than similar-sized LCD and Plasma HDTVs.
3. Apple iPhone 3G: It doesn't handle email as well as the cheapest BlackBerry, and as a telephone, it's no better than most cell phones. But this is the gadget that launched the era of mobile computing, and what an epoch that promises to be! With 10,000 free and paid applications
4. Nikon D90: It's a single-lens reflex camera! It's a single-lens HD video camera! It's two digital cameras in one, and that's what makes this the first camera you should consider if you're ready for a hefty upgrade. With a set of features that will please the most demanding of photo prosumers
5. FoxL Bluetooth Speaker: It's a pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker for your MP3 player and a hands-free communication system for your car. Critics love the FoxL speaker, which, though no bigger than an eyeglasses case, transmits sound that's rich enough to please a cranky audiophile. Wirelessly tether it to your cell phone, take it along in the car, and a built-in microphone allows you to handle phone calls on the road.
From TIME
