Coolest New Tech Ideas

The latest portable gadgets for the gizmo-addicted traveler.

TAPELESS CAMCORDER JVC's Everio GZ-MC500 records to a hard drive or memory card, not a tape, so it's easy to edit (no rewinding!) and copy to a DVD. DETAILS $1,800; 800-252-5722 or jvc.com.

WIRELESS CAMERA Kodak's EasyShare-One connects to the Internet over Wi-Fi, so you can instantly e-mail pictures without downloading them to a computer. DETAILS $600; 888-368-6600 or kodak.com.

SUPERCONNECTED LAPTOP Tiny and sleek, the Flybook laptop can connect to the Internet using a cell phone's SIM card, so there's no need to find a wireless hot spot. DETAILS $2,490; 866-551-3680 or flybookstore.com.

UNDERWATER TUNES H2O Audio's waterproof case makes an iPod safe for swimming. A neoprene armband keeps it secure. DETAILS From $40; 800-708-6080 or h2oaudio.com.

MP3 PLAYER PLUS For about the price of the the iPod Nano, the Creative Zen MicroPhoto holds twice as many songs—up to 4,000—and doubles as a photo viewer. Plus you can use it to rent music from Napster and its ilk. DETAILS $250; 800-998-1000 or creative.com.

POCKET GPS The Garmin Nüvi, a portable global-positioning-system unit, displays 3-D maps and pronounces foreign phrases. DETAILS $970; 800-800-1020 or garmin.com.

VIDEO TO GO The Archos AV 500 records TV shows and movies, but unlike most digital-video recorders, it's portable and has a 4-inch LCD screen. DETAILS $500; 800-503-6034 or archos.com.

Published May 2006