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GADGETS
Type and play
Creative Prodikeys PC-midi multifunction keyboard; $39
December 5, 2005
Modern musicians, even those not yet out of grade school, are increasingly multitaskers, juggling computers and musical instruments. The combination can be a fruitful one, but bouncing between keyboard and, well, the other kind of keyboard requires a bit of a rubber-arm act. Play music as you type, or vice versa. This keyboard has a simpler design than earlier Prodikeys models and connects to the computer through a USB jack. It features customizable "hotkeys" that can be set to launch favorite programs, along with buttons to control audio and video playback. The keyboard, which works only with Windows PCs, comes with three music programs. Mini Keyboard lets you play with more than a hundred different instrument sounds. With EasyNotes, you can learn to play songs by following on-screen indicators. And finally, FunMix lets you mix sound loops and create files that can be used as cell phone ring tones or background music for videos and slide shows.
SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
REPLACE BATTERY, NOT THE iPOD
SONNET, iPOD REPLACEMENT BATTERIES; $30-$40
Apple's wildly popular iPod has a well-known Achilles' heel: Over time, its rechargeable battery tends to lose its capacity to hold a charge. Apple's begrudging solution has been a cumbersome mail-in program that replaces the entire iPod with a reconditioned one for $60. This fall, Sonnet Technologies released a line of high-capacity 3.2-volt batteries for all iPods except the new ultra-small iPod Shuffle and Nano. Company executives say their products will play up to 78 percent longer than the original iPod batteries. The Sonnet kits include tools to open the iPod's case and remove the original battery. They also come with a step-by-step instructional video on a CD-ROM. The kits are available from the company's Web site, www.sonnettech.com, and through selected retailers; some of the retailers will install the batteries for a fee.
SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
AHEAD OF ITS TIME
WOWWEE, ALIVE CHIMPANZEE ANIMATRONIC TOY; $150
Animatronics are primed to invade the living room in the form of a hairy, interactive digital chimp head and bust. It's only a toy, but its face is eerily realistic to the eye and touch. Roughly life size, the chimp has hidden touch sensors, stereo hearing and infrared sight. It can track objects with its watchful eyes and be startled by loud noises. The chimp also packs quite a range of primate vocalizations, from whimpers to screams – convincingly tied to sophisticated animation sequences that simulate moods such as curious, fearful, angry and happy. The Alive Chimpanzee, which is battery-operated (an AC power adapter is included), can be set to various artificial intelligence modes, including one in which it acts as a guard ape. Its eight hidden motors, which drive its many expressions, can also be controlled by a programmable remote.
SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
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