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Listen 

Listen to the segment

Listen to the segment

Morning Edition,

Listen to the segment

Listen: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6158302 

Are you a gadget lover? Some of the best kept gadget secrets are revealed by a handful of online companies. These companies scour the Asian and European markets for the latest electronics to make them available for sale in the US. In some cases the devices on these sites are 6-18 months in advance of their US debut and some, will never debut in the states. I discussed several items on NPR's Morning Edition, 2 of them are below. The worlds (to date) smallest fully-functioning computer the OQO 01+ (actually was made by a US company - but was only available online and thru these hi-end gadget sites) and the Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD which is a hand-held digital video recorder and camera that shoots in Hi-def video.Arguably, the worlds smallest computer is the OQO 01+.  This handheld fully-functioning computer pushes the limits of ultraportable computing. The OQO 01+ features Wifi, Bluetooth, a 30gb shock-mounted Hard Drive, and an easy-docking solution so you can dock it at work and use a regular monitor and larger keyboard while at work.   It is a full-featured Windows XP machine--it weighs only 0.88 pounds (398g) and measures 4.9" x 3.4" x .9" (12.4 x 8.6 x 2.3cm). To get an idea how small this is, fold a standard A4 sheet of paper (regular copy paper) into a quarter of its size; the model 01+ has a footprint that is slightly smaller than this, and it is less than an inch thick. 

PROS:

I am impressed with the OQO 01+, it has worked as advertised, battery life is just as good as any other laptop (about 2 hours). The convenience is incredible, I actually carried this device in my back pocket. A full blown computer in my back pocket - that's pretty amazing! In addition to a touch screen, there is a thumb-driven pointing device, scrollwheel and a slide-out thumb-driven keyboard. The device offers usb, firewire and other ports which comes in very handy for external keyboards for easier typing for lengthy documents. You can also dock this device to connect to your standard office network, computer monitor and other peripherals.

CONS:

I haven't found myself typing several page documents on this unit yet (I do with a usb wireless keyboard). The patience curve of only being able to type with your thumbs can make typing anything beyond a couple of pages somewhat tedious. Another drawback for me is that the screen doesn't tilt at all. It only slides straight up to reveal the thumb-keyboard under it. It should be able to tilt at least to a 45-degree angle, this would allow you to place the unit on a flat surface, tilt the screen toward you and type flat on the keyboard. Without the tilt, you have to hold the unit in your hand the whole time while typing which, even at less than a pound can ware on your over time. My last gripe is that the lcd screen should have better protection. LCD screens are costly to replace and the OQO should be designed so that I could flip the screen so that the lcd would be facing the keyboard - essentially providing some added protection to the screen. When you close your laptop, the screen is enclosed and protected - the same rule should apply to the OQO - (they do sell protective accessories but I still think this should have been in the design of the unit). 

Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD1 ($899) is an extraordinary digital movie and still camera, achieving a number of firsts, and all packed into a small chassis measuring 80x119x36mm (3.1 x 4.7 x 1.4 inches), and weighing 204g (0.45lb). Although the HD1 is remarkably small, it records video in HD-format, directly to an SD card.  (Its HD recording mode is 720p, 1280 x 720 resolution.)  This incredible resolution takes its toll on memory space--a 2gb SD card holds 28 minutes of HD recording, but the upcoming 4gb SD cards will handle up 56 minutes.  Of course, given the convenience of such a small camera and the ease of offloading the movie (via USB or by popping the SD card into your PC), this limitation isn't such a big deal.

These products aren't cheap and aren't for everyone so do some research first. Make sure power converters are available for your country and ask to see if the manuals are available in your preferred language. Lastly, read the warranty and ask about turnaround time for replacements or maintenance.

Wackiest Gadget:
According to Dynamism.com, one of the most popular wacky little gadgets that is selling more than expected are the sushi usb drives. These are little external drives that plug into your computers usb port and allow you to store files on them. Much more interesting and fun than the standard usb drives typically available in the US.

Sites for more info: (prepare to salivate):
Dynamism.com - Chicago based but has an office in Japan
Japan-Direct.com - no US office - located in Osaka Japan
Kemplar.com & Icube.com recently merged now based in LA
Compact-Impact.com - New York based showroom by appointment only