(Or course, what MagicJack doesn’t tell you in their infomercials is that theirs isn’t the only internet telephony service. See our comparison of MagicJack, Skype and Vonage. Ooma also has a VoIP product that’s more expensive but otherwise superior to MagicJack’s).

Starting in the spring of 2010 MagicJack will be expanding their competitive sights to the cell phone companies. A new MagicJack device will allow users to use their mobiles to make and receive free calls.

This new MagicJack has received a great deal of press. The AP even ran an article titled MagicJack’s next act: disappearing cell phone fees.

But will the new MagicJack really let you ditch your cell phone company?

The answer is, in a word, no.

What the new MagicJack will do is act as a femtocell, a localized base station that links cell phone signals to the internet. Install the MagicJack femtocell, place a call on your cell phone and instead of the signal going to a cellular tower it will go to the MagicJack and your call will be made over a broadband internet connection (for free!).

The major downside of this system should be obvious: A user must be be within range of their operational MagicJack femtocell for it to work. The new MagicJack will not help you make free cell calls while driving, or walking down the street, or waiting for a flight at the airport or annoying a store receptionist while making a purchase or any other situation in which you’d regularly use a cell phone out in the world. And being mobile with your mobile is the whole point, no?

This is not to say that the new MagicJack is useless. There two useful features to it:

First, let’s say you live in a remote area beyond the reach of cell towers. The new MagicJack will provide you with cell phone access. If some one calls your mobile number and you’re at home the call will be routed to you via the internet for free; if you’re away from home and within cell range you’ll receive your call that way.

Second, the new MagicJack will let you cut down on your cell phone minutes by routing the calls you make or receive via the MJ’s femtocell through the internet.

MagicJack will not be the only femtocell option. Most of the world’s major mobile companies, such as AT&T and T-Mobile, are working on their own products. In the U.S.A., Verizon currently has a femtocell product but it’s laughably bad. In Europe, Vodaphone sells a femtocell that works well but is overly expensive.

Comparison to Skype

There is one product currently available that’s very inexpensive and has some of the same benefits that the MagicJack femtocell is expected to: Skype Mobile. Skype has an app (for many, though not all, cell phones models) that allows you to use a cell phone to place an internet call via wi-fi. (The Skype solution is technically not a femtocell since a wi-fi signal is used to transfer your call to the internet and not signals on a mobile phone spectrum).

Our chart below compares Skype Mobile to the expected MagicJack femtocell device. The big advantage of MagicJack: You use it with your current cell phone number; with Skype you either need to get a new number, purchase a Skypephone or use it exclusively for outgoing calls. However, Skype mobile can be used with any wi-fi signal (at your home, airport, coffee shop, etc.) and there’s no hardware to buy or install. Skype mobile also has the slight added advantage of being available now whereas the MagicJack femtocell device is (as of January 2010) still theoretical.

MagicJack still has some legal hurdles to overcome before it becomes available. When it does the MagicJack femtocell device might or might not have some of the same quality, privacy and customer service issues that plague the current incarnation of the MagicJack.

We will, of course, conduct a hands-on review of the MagicJack femtocell once it comes out. Stay updated on that, and all our other tech posts, by following us on Twitter, subscribing to our RSS feed, signing up to receive our posts by email (in the red box at the top right of every SCS Tech page) or simply return to our tech blog often.

LEARN MORE & BUY: MagicJack / SKYPE | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts:
MagicJack vs. Vonage vs. Skype
Is Ooma Worth Your Moola?
The Best Skype Phones
How To Make Free Phone Calls Via Twitter
Another Preview of the MagicJack Femtocell (external link)

The Viliv S5.

Tthe Viliv-S5 isn’t the only hand held device that lets people surf the web. Besides a plethora of smartphones there are several gadgets built wholly—or in part—for that purpose. Two worth mentioning here are the Archos Internet Media Tablet and the Apple iPod touch. Here’s how two models of the Viliv S5 Net-Tablet stacks up with them:

Notice that the Viliv S5 isn’t your cheapest option, or your lightest. But it does have two huge advantages:

First, the Viliv S5 has built in GPS. The iPhone and other mobiles have that feature too but GPS is uncommon in a MID. And even on an iPhone if you are traveling internationally you’ll need to either buy an expensive data package or map of your destination on the iTunes store.

Second—and more importantly—the S5 runs a full version of Windows XP. It is, in fact, the smallest consumer device we know of capable of running a full version of Windows.

Any program you can download and run on your Windows XP desktop at home you can run on a Viliv S5: the full version of Photoshop, the full version of Skype, the full version of MS Word and Excel, et al.

Like nearly every MID, the Viliv S5 has a touchscreen. (An onscreen keyboard pops up iPhone-like when you click on fields that require typing). Unlike most MIDs, you can also use a Viliv with an external mouse and keyboard either by pairing via bluetooth or through a USB port. The S5 also comes with a built-in old school stylus, a feature Spot Cool Stuff initially thought was needlessly redundant (and also superfluous) but eventually came to find useful when surfing websites with small buttons difficult to hit with finger tips.

We wish the S5’s screen was capable of producing a bit more brightness but the high pixel resolution makes it easy on the eyes. Of course, the screen only measures 4.8 inches diagonally. For creating large spreadsheets or playing first person shooter games you’ll be much happier with at least a 10-inch screen (like that on the fabulous Asus Seashell netbook). If you plan to use your MID primarily for music listening the iPod touch is superior; for watching videos we’d rather have Archos Media Tablet.

But if you want a device you that can carry around in your pocket that’ll help you find your way around and is capable of running a real version of Windows the Viliv S5 is brilliant.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts & pages:
The Best SLR and Point-and-Shoot Cameras For Travel
The Kindle 2 vs The Kindle DX
Travel Gadgets
Computer Reviews

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

It’s the Beamz Interactive Music System.

And, oh yeah, you play it with lasers.

The Beamz has been dubbed by some the “laser harp” though the nickname is a misnomer. On a harp each string produces a note. The six laser “strings” on the Beamz are programed to produce a particular instrument or sound effect when the beam is broken. Which musical instrument or sound effect a beam controls depends on what setting the Beamz is on. Yo-Yo Ma wannabes would use the classical mode, the Van Halen-inspired will find their muse in the “death by metal” setting. In either case, it is impossible to play the Beamz off-key or make a musical mistake.

(Tip: playing the lasers in the “death by metal” setting is especially fun and impressive when paired with a fog machine).

Altogether the Beamz comes pre-programmed with 20 genre settings, 30 original songs and over 100 musical instruments. Hook the Beamz up to your computer (Windows only, sadly, not Mac) via a USB connection and you can download addition songs or personalize the instrument selection via the Beamz Player ($19.95).

The Beamz Interactive Music System will set you back $200. Spend an additional $75 on the Professional model and $100 on the Beamz Studio software and you can compose your own songs and incorporate your own MP3 files.

Despite Yo-Yo Ma’s endorsement we have a hard time believing that serious musicians would find long term satisfaction playing the Beamz. (Then again, we ourselves aren’t serious musicians).

The Beamz is excellent for those who want a sense of being a serious musician without all the hassle of learning how to, you know, actually play an instrument. It is also perfect for creative types who want to some control music as part of some artistic endeavor (to accompany a video, for example).

But we are especially keen on the Beamz as a way to get children to interact with music. For very young children the Beamz has a special setting with farm sound effects, for older children the Beamz is a wonderful introduction to the joys of playing an instrument.

Check out the Beamz Interactive Music System in the two videos below. The first features Quincy Jones with Yo-Yo Ma and Herbie Hancock, the second is of a nine year old girl (who’s apparently a big fan of Texas, so don’t mess with her) putting on a Caribbean-styled Beamz performance.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Related posts:
Bose QuietComfort 15: The Best Noise Canceling Headphones
8 Free Websites For Expanding Your Music Horizons
A Few Great Albums You’ve (Probably) Never Heard
Sonos: Play Music, Wirelessly, Throughout Your House

It will have a touchscreen that will be 7 inches diagonally. Or 10 inches. Or 11 inches.

The device will be a piece of junk that will cause a massive crash in Apple’s stock price, recently pumped up by the tablet netbook rumors. Or it will be a revolutionary must-have item that will create a whole new product category, spell the end of the competitor’s netbooks and e-reading devices and propel Apple to still greater heights.

Many bloggers and tech columnists write as though they know everything about the soon-to-be-annouced (probably) Apple tablet computer. But almost no one out of an inner circle at Apple really does.

To the extent “facts” are known about this mystery device it are these: An announcement is expected on or around January 27, 2010, the new product is likely to start shipping to consumers in March and it will probably cost around US$1,000.

Instead of engaging in our own speculation about the features this device may or may not have—there are already an abundance of blogs doing that, MacRumors being the best of them—we’ve been trying to work out what these rumors currently mean in terms of real life buying decisions. Here’s Spot Cool Stuff’s take:

If you are thinking of purchasing . . .

. . . a PC Netbook there’s no reason to have the possibility of a pending Apple Tablet change your plans—so go ahead and buy your PC netbook. We especially suggest the new Asus Seashell 1005HA. It runs a lite version of Windows 7, has built in bluetooth and wi-fi, an eye-pleasing display and a 10.5 hour (!) battery life all wrapped in a durable 2.8 lbs body. And at the current discounted Amazon price of $343 it costs around a third of what the Apple Tablet is likely to.


. . . a 13-inch Apple laptop we suggest holding off on your purchase until a probable late-January announcement from Apple and perhaps until after their new device starts shipping. Why? First, it is possible that instead of getting a regular laptop (around $1,000 for the basic 13-inch model or $1,200 for the MacBook Pro) you may rather get a tablet netbook and pair it with Apple’s excellent bluetooth wireless keyboard and magic mouse—assuming the new Tablet runs a full version of Snow Leopard and not (as has been rumored) a glorified iPhone OS. Second, it is conceivable that Apple will also be making an announcement soon about a new MacBook model. And third, MacBook prices may be dropping around the time the supposed new iTablet launches.


. . . an Amazon Kindle then it depends. If you are planning on getting a Kindle 2 ($250ish, 6-inch screen) then we suggest still doing that. If, however, you are contemplating a larger and more expensive Kindle DX ($490ish, 9.7-inch screen) then you may want to wait. The iPhone can kind of, sort of double as a Kindle so it seems reasonable to think that the new Apple Tablet will be able to as well. For an extra $500 you may find yourself wanting to get the iTablet even though it is likely to be heavier and have a shorter battery life than the Kindle DX. If you are uncertain which Kindle model you may want check out our Kindle 2 vs DX comparison.

Do you have your own thoughts on how the rumors of the Apple Tablet might affect your electronics purchasing plans. As always, your comments are welcome below.

PURCHASE APPLE STUFF | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts:
Best of the SCS Tech and Gadget Blog
Acer vs Asus Netbooks
01: The Best Reviewed Smartphone Never Built
Apple iPhone and iTouch Waterproof Cases

Apple patent from 2005 via MacRumors.com

PURCHASE APPLE STUFF | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

We listed this as one of our favorite travel posts too. After months of comparison testing we picked the best camera for nine different types of travel photographers.

A remote town in Africa, an automobile manufacturing plant and the Smith family next door are among the entities that may soon be able to join the United States, Japan and France on the list of those who have a nuclear power plant.

The Ooma internet telephone system promises to forever put an end to your telephone bills. Does it? Find the answer in our 2009 review. And look out for our 2010 review of Ooma’s new Telo.

A gadget that supposedly translates dog barks into human speech—is it cool or just plain kooky?

Our comparison of the internet telephony services offered by MagicJack, Skype and Vonage was our most popular tech posts in 2009. For those who decided Skype was best for them we offered our review of Skype phones.

We started the year with the Sennheiser PXC 450 as our preferred noise canceling headphones. We ended it partial to the Bose QuietComfort 15. Read why in this post.

Each of these three Nikon SLR cameras are excellent. But which (if any) is best for your circumstances? We compared the options. Plus, in a separate post, reviewed the best Nikon lenses.

iPhone tripods, motion sensing coasters and a $38 (!!) digital videocamera were among our suggestions for cool gadgets to give to another—or to yourself.

Hydrogen and hybrid cars have received a lot of press for leading an eco-revolution among automobiles. But there’s been less about a similar trend among motorcycles. We reviewed eight models powered by electric, fuel cell and solar energy in various stages of production.

The international version of the Kindle 2 might be our favorite new gadget of 2009. Here’s a comparison of that to the Kindle DX. And a rundown of our wish list for the Kindle 3.

Coming in 2010

Posts on the docket for the next year include:

• a comparison of the Nook and Kindle e-reading devices;

• reviews of the PowerMat wireless changing system as well as of two VoIP phones: the Grandstream and the Ooma Telo;

• an update on our selection of best ultra-compact digital cameras;

• an in-depth looks at four in-dash car multimedia systems;

• our choice of the most fun and affordable cars that get over 40 MPG.

We’ll also start reviewing iPhone apps, expand our coverage of netbooks and laptops and continue writing about cool travel gadgets, digital cameras and cutting-edge concept designs.

Stay up-to-date on all of our tech and gadget posts by following us on Twitter, subscribing to our RSS feed, signing up to receive our posts by email (in the red box at the top right of every SCS Tech page) or simply return to our tech blog often.

Related posts:
Best of Spot Cool Stuff DESIGN
Best of Spot Cool Stuff WEBSITES
Best of Spot Cool Stuff TRAVEL

Best of Spot Cool Stuff: Travel Gear & Gadgets
Best of Spot Cool Stuff: Unusual Hotels
Best of Spot Cool Stuff: Animal Travel

Spot Cool Stuff considered all those factors when determining the best travel cameras and then divided our selections into these categories:

For SLRs:

Best SLR For Advanced Amateur & Semi-Professional Photographers
Best Camera For Photo Safaris
Best Value All-Around Travel SLR Camera Without Video
Best Value All-Around Travel SLR Camera With Video

For Point-and-Shoot cameras:

Best Compact Camera for Travel
Best Ultra-Compact Point-and-Shoot For Serious Photographers
Best Still Photograph-Video Camcorder Hybrid
Best Waterproof Ultra-Compact
Best Point-and-Shoot For a Beach Trip

Click on the category that most interests you. Or, continue reading . . .

Canon EOS-5D Mark II     Best SLR For Advanced Amateur & Semi-Professional Photographers     Best Camera For Photo Safaris
	Weight with battery: 28.6 oz (810 g) Megapixels: 21.1 Screen: 3 inches		ISO: 100 to 6400 (auto), plus 50 and up to 25600 Video: 30 fps at sizes up to 1280 x 720 (HD quality) Battery life: approx 900 still images

Wow is the Canon EOS-5D Mark II an unbelievably great camera. If you are serious about your travel photography, and especially if you have an eye on selling or publishing your photos, this camera is our for you.

The 5D Mark II is very capable in fully automatic mode but there’s virtually nothing that can’t be adjusted manually (especially after Canon’s recent firmware upgrade). The powerful Digic IV processor and full frame sensor handles 21 MP images at lightening speed and with vibrant colors. In low light situations shots with the 5D Mark II are virtually noise-free (the ISO can be bumped up to a whopping 25600!). Even the HD video picture quality outstanding though for a comparable quality of audio an external mic is required.

Travelers will also appreciate the 5D Mark II’s high weatherized body, its self cleaning sensor and the micro adjustments it automatically makes when you switch lenses. Additionally, the 5D Mark II also has an exceptionally long battery life (officially rated at 900 still image though while shooting in manual modes we’ve taken more than 1,400 images on a single charge!). Spot Cool Stuff’s only significant complaint is that the 5D has no built in flash (though a flash can be easily added).

Of course all this quality doesn’t come cheap. The body of the Canon 5D Mark II is currently on sale at Amazon for around $2,600. Onto that you’ll either need to add a worthy Canon lens or buy the body along with lens kit. Still, we think the 5D Mark II gives you a lot of camera per dollar and is worthy of its price.

If money is no object—or if you happen to have a spare $25,000 and are looking to buy Spot Cool Stuff a camera—then we suggest the ultra high definition 50MP Hasselblad H3D II. For a smaller camera of the sort you can put into a more traditional camera bag we love the $6,000+ Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and think the $5,000+ Nikon D3S is outrageously good too.

All of which proves our point: You can’t get a camera that’s better than the 5D Mark II unless you are willing to spend at least twice what this wonderful Canon model costs.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Olympus Evolt E620     Best Value All-Around Travel SLR Camera Without Video
	Weight with battery: 18.4 oz (521 g) Megapixels: 12.3 Screen: 2.7-inch w/ swing & tilt		ISO: 100 to 3200 Video: none Battery life: approx 500 still images (w/out using live view)

If you read our review of Olympus’s Evolt E420 you know how high we are on that, the world’s smallest production digital SLR camera. The Evolt E620 is a little larger than the E420—but not much. The E620 is still palm-sized and fits easily into a purse or jacket pocket.

The E620 might be small in size but Olympus has packed a large array of features including in-body image stabilization, supersonic dust cleaning (a very under appreciated feature of a travel camera, we think) and a 100% accurate LCD screen that can swivel out and has live view functionality. Olympus produces the most intuitive, easy-to-use SLR cameras on the market, making the E620 a great option for people who’ve never used an SLR before. Most importantly, the quality of the photos produced by the E620 is absolutely stellar!

The downsides? The E620’s battery life is only slightly-above average for an SLR—if you anticipate needing to go a long time between charges we highly suggest picking up an Olympus battery grip. Also, in low light conditions the E620 produces good, though not superlative, results. (For a long battery life camera that is also outstanding in low light we suggest the Canon 40D or 50D).

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Nikon D90     Best Value All-Around Travel SLR Camera With Video
	Weight with battery: 24.8 oz (703 g) Megapixels: 12.3 Screen: 3-inch TFT LCD		ISO: 200 to 3200 (auto), plus 100 and 6400 Video: 24 fps at sizes up to 1280 x 720 (HD quality) Battery life: approx 850 still images

No other camera category on this post was as difficult to decide upon as was the Best Value All-Around Travel SLR Camera With Video.

We are fans of the Canon EOS Rebel T1i but we don’t quite trust its plasticky case and somewhat-less-than-solid build quality to stand up to the stress of travel in the long run. If you are more of a gentle traveler (eg. taking car trips) as opposed to an active one (eg. going on hikes) then the T1i is a good fit for you—you’ll save over $100 compared to the Nikon D80.

The Nikon 5000 is a superb value; in ideally lit conditions it takes photos every bit as good as our category winner (the Nikon D90). However, the 5000 video quality is rather poor—Spot Cool Stuff would rather get an Evolt E620, which is smaller and more photographically versatile than the Nikon 5000, and then add a Flip Mino pocket camcorder or a video-taking high-value ultra-compact point-and-shoot (like the excellent and inexpensive Canon SD1200IS, for example).

We’re also enamoured with the Pentax K-7 and the excellent photo and video quality it produces. The K-7 lost out to the D90 partly because we like the variety of Nikon-compatible lenses more (admittedly, this may be because we’re more familiar with Nikon products) but mostly because the K7- costs around $250 more than the D90. However, the K-7 is a little smaller, a little lighter, has best-in-class dust mitigating technology and—perhaps most important—has the most rugged and best weatherized body of any SLR currently on the market for under $2,000. If you do a lot of outdoors and highly active travel the Pentax K-7 is your choice.

So it is the Nikon D90 the comes through that crowded field of excellent video-shooting value SLRs by virtue of having the fewest faults. Our only complaint about the D90 is the slow auto focus when the camera is in live view mode. Otherwise, this Nikon is an all-around great camera:

Superb video (for an SLR).

Amazing photo quality, especially in low light situations and especially considering the D90’s relatively low cost.

The ability to add an optional GPS receiver.

Great battery life.

Superb selection of lenses of all types and price points.

Altogether, travelers can invest in a Nikon D90 with confidence.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3     Best Compact Camera for Travel
	Weight with battery: 8.1 oz (229 g) Megapixels: 10.1 / 12.7 (see review) Zoom: 12x (!) optical, 4x digital, 25mm – 300 mm		ISO: 80 to 1600 (auto), plus 3200 and 6400 Video: 60 fps at sizes up to 1,280 x 720 (HD quality) in AVCHD Lite mode Battery life: approx 300 still images

Perhaps no other point-and-shoot camera packs as a big a zoom in such a small body as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. This camera is only 1.29 inches (3.27cm) thick, fits easily in your palm, and yet has a 12x optical zoom! That is, the lens glass is able to zoom all the way from the equivalent from a wide angle 25mm to a telephoto 300mm. That is a remarkably impressive engineering feat for any camera this compact to pull off, much less one that costs a mere $240-ish.

Of course, a quality zoom doesn’t mean anything unless a camera is capable of taking quality photographs. And the Lumix DMC-ZS3 is. The DMC-ZS3 does something few other cameras do: it takes photos at an inflated pixel size (12.7 MP) and then automatically reduces them (to 10.1 MP) in such a way that the edges of the photographs are not subject to the softness and chromatic aberrations they are on other point-and-shoots. The extra megapixels also go towards improving the DMC-ZS3’s video quality.

Speaking of which, the DMC-ZS3 takes outstanding video for a camera of this size. (Video is an area all Panasonic cameras tend to excel). The DMC-ZS3 shoots at 60 frames-per-second (as opposed to the 30 or 24 fps of most cameras) and let’s you use the optical zoom during filming.

Following an industry trend, the DMC-ZS3 doesn’t have a viewfinder. We also found that the photos it produces aren’t quite as vibrant as those produced by, say, the Canon PowerShot S90IS (reviewed below); some photographers prefer this less vibrant more “natural” look, others will find themselves often adding saturation in post-production editing. For all photographers, the large zoom combined with great video and small size makes the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 a worthy travel companion.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Canon PowerShot S90IS     Best Ultra-Compact Point-and-Shoot For Serious Photographers
	Weight with battery: 6.9 oz (197g) Megapixels: 10 Zoom: 3.8x optical, 4x digital, 28mm – 105 mm		ISO: 80 to 12800 Video: 30 fps, VGA quality Battery life: approx 220 still images

The “S” attached to the 90 in the Canon PowerShot S90 IS moniker stands for “semi-pro.” And this camera really is. If you are an SLR photographer who gets frustrated when using point-and-shoot cameras, or if you’ve been using a starter camera and are ready to move up, or, heck, if you just want the consumer ultra-compact camera that takes the best still photographs, the S90 is your runaway choice.

The most distinctive—and coolest—feature of the S90 is the control ring in the front of the camera. This ring can be used to control the focus. (In fact, the S90 is the only ultra-compact we know of with an option for full manual focus). The ring can also be used to set the ISO, zoom, white balance and exposure—all while composing your photograph.

Canon cameras traditionally excel at low light photography. The S90 surpasses even Canon’s high standards in this area. The engineers of the S90 wisely resisted the marketing urge to have the camera shoot at larger than 10 megapixels. (As we’ve noted in a previous post about camera megapixels, any number of MPs over 6 doesn’t add to the photo quality but simply allows you to print larger photos). Instead, Canon gave the S90 a powerful processor, a large 1/1.7″ image sensor (most point-and-shoots have a 1/2.5) and ISO capabilities up to 12800!

So what’s the catch? The S90 sells for around $400, which is more than most ultra-compacts though a price that Spot Cool Stuff thinks is more than worth it. The S90 has no view finder. (We never use the viewfinder on a camera as small as this anyway but know others do). The video shoots only in VGA, not HD. Perhaps the largest drawback for traveling photographers is the relatively short battery life—when Spot Cool Stuff travels with the Canon PowerShot S90 IS we always bring an extra battery ($12).

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1     Best Still Photograph-Video Camcorder Hybrid
	Weight with battery: 32.8 oz (930 g) Megapixels: 12.1 Zoom: 4x digital on camera, optical depends on the lens		ISO: 100 to 1600 (auto), plus 3200 Video: 60 fps at sizes up to 1280 x 720 (HD quality) Battery life: approx 300 still images

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is in a class by itself. There are several digital cameras capable of taking video. There are a few camcorders that can also take still photographs. But the DMC-GH1 is the only camera currently on the market that does both equally well. And the only one that works with interchangeable lenses.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is able to stand out so from other cameras because it uses a Micro Four Thirds system. In an SLR camera there’s a mirror between the sensor and the image capture. Using a mirror makes sense for a film camera because that is the only way to reflect an image to a viewfinder as well as to the film. On a digital camera, however, a screen can serve as an electronic viewfinder. The trick is eliminating the mirror while also allowing for interchangeable lenses. And that’s exactly what Panasonic has managed with its Lumix DMC-GH1.

Currently the major drawback of this relatively new technology is the price—the GH1 costs around $1,200+. For that you get a camera that takes photographs similar in quality to Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-ZS3 (reviewed above) that’s only around $240—although the GH1 does have the extra benefit of the interchangeable lenses. In the GH1 you also get an excellent camcorder that takes HD-quality video at 60 frames-per-second and allows optical zooming and continuous autofocus while doing so.

Given all that: if you are a travel photographer that takes more still photos than videos you’d be better off with any of the cameras reviewed above. If you are a serious videographer you’d be better off with a dedicated camcorder. If your ratio of still to video photography is anywhere close to 50/50 the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is absolutely perfect.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Canon PowerShot D10     Best Waterproof Ultra-Compact     Best Point-and-Shoot For a Beach Trip
	Weight with battery: 7.4 oz (212 g) Megapixels: 12.1 Zoom: 3x optical, 4x digital, 35 – 105 mm		ISO: 80 to 1600 Video: 30 fps, sizes up to 640 x 480 Battery life: approx 220 still images

In a previous post we compared our two favorite waterproof ultra-compact digital cameras: the Canon PowerShot D10 and the Olympus Stylus Tough-8000. In our review we argued that the Tough-8000 is the better of the two cameras if ease-of-use is a primary concern or if you are looking for a waterproof ultra-compact to bring along on your trip along with an SLR. The Canon D10 is better if the only camera you are traveling with is a waterproof one. Since we figure more people fall into the later group we decided to feature the D10 in this post. See our full review of these two waterproof cameras for more details on which camera is the better choice for your circumstances.

Note: Casio is about to launch a waterproof version of its excellent ultra-compact Exilim: the Casio Exilim EX-G1. We expect it to be a solid choice too but at the time of writing have not had a chance to test it yet.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

SEE AMAZON’S BEST SELLING CAMERAS | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Related posts:
The Best Camera Daypacks
Reviews of the Best (and Best Value) Nikon Lenses
Canon PowerShot D10 vs Olympus Stylus Tough-8000: Waterproof Camera Comparison
Nikon D80 vs D90 vs D300
Canon EOS Digital SLR Showdown: 40D vs 50D
Useful Websites While Traveling

The Hammerhead Sled.

Compared to those sleds of yesteryear, the Hammerhead is a precision machine. In fact, the Headmerhead recently won a design award from Industrial Designers Society of America

The Hammerhead’s dramatically increased control is the biggest difference between the experience offered by this sled and an old fashion one. On a Hammerhead you guide the sled through a combination intuitively shifting your weight on the sled’s ergonomic body and steering with the two mini-skis at the sled’s front. It is so easy to use that your kids (or you!) will be making sharp, controlled turns from your very first Hammerhead run. On this sled one can fly through a slalom course in a way similar to a skier. The sense of control you have flying down a hill on a Hammerhead is exhilarating!

The Hammerhead is also relatively light—9.7 lbs (4.4kg) that’s balanced across the length of the sled making it easy to carry. The reduced weight, along with the sled’s soft edges and shock-absorbing materials, make the Hammerhead much safer than your average sled too.

Two more features we especially like: The runners under the Hammerhead’s body can be swapped out to allow the Hammerhead to work well in all sorts of snow conditions (including deep, powered snow). And because the sled’s steering bar is similar in diameter to a bicycle handle it is easy to attach bells, horns, headlights, mirrors and other bicycle accouterments onto a Hammerhead.

So, leave those food trays where they belong in the cafeteria. The Hammerhead makes sledding cool—and fun—again.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts:
The Snow Shoveling Robot
10 Great Gadget Gifts For Under $100
Ride Like (A Virtual) Tony Hawk
The C-Quester Personal Submersible
Have Wood Burning Dutchtub Spa Will Travel
The Best Cameras for Travel

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

This printer is cool enough that we are willing to forgive HP’s gratuitous use of the word “smart” in the name.

Key to the TouchSmart is the 4.3-inch touchscreen at the front of the printer. It is from there that you can access the internet via iPhone-like apps. Some of our favorites:

Coupsons.com – Browse coupons for products you may want, “clip” (ie. select) those that interest you and then print them out.

Google Maps – Type in an address and then print out a map of the surrounding area. (In what Spot Cool Stuff thinks is a huge oversight you can not print out driving directions; according to our source at HP that functionality is being added in “early 2010″).

Snapfish – Sign up for a Snapfish online photo storing, sharing and printing account and then use this app to browse through all your uploaded pics and print out any you like.

Fandango – Purchase and then print out ticket to local movies (USA & Canada only).

Sudoku – Print out one of the popular Japanese logic puzzles. Three different difficulty levels available.

USA Today – Print out news from USA today in a newspaper-like format. Choose from your selection of headline news, sports, life, travel, tech, money and/or weather.

Going through that list of apps you probably noticed that tere’s nothing you can do on the HP printer touchscreen that you can’t also do from your computer browser. The TouchSmart primary benefit is in making those tasks faster and easier. We also loved the TouchSmart apps’ ability to format everything properly to a page. Print an article off the USA today website via a web browser and the text will print in one long column; inevitably, the last few lines of the article will spill over to an extra sheet of paper. Print from the USA Today app and your article will print in columns and neatly fit on a single page.

On top of all that the HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One in a great printer, capable of churning out good-looking color prints at 32 pages per minute. The print quality of the photos is high. The scanner is a little underwhelming—like it is on most all-in-one printers—though it does the job and scans at a respectable 4800 dpi. This all-in-one also works as a fax machine.

The major downside of the TouchSmart Web All-in-One is the cost: around US$340 at the time of writing. Comparing that price to a few non-internet connected printers:

• The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One Inkjet Printer is only around $160. However, it is also larger, has a cheaper build quality compared to the TouchSmart Web printer and doesn’t produce photos quite as well. It also doesn’t look as good. (Not to put too fine a note on it: we don’t recommend this printer).

• The HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One Printer is similar to its web-connected cousin but it doesn’t have a fax and only has a 3.45-inch screen. It costs only $140.

• The Epson Artisan 800 is one of our favorite all-in-ones. It prints faster and is more economical in its use of ink than a comparable HP printer. It has a fax and the ability to print onto CDs but has a non-touchscreen display that’s only 3.5 inches in size. It costs $270. (Click here for our full review of the Epson Artisan 800).

So with the TouchSmart Web All-in-One you are basically paying a $100~120 premium for the internet connectivity. Spot Cool Stuff is divided on whether the extra cost is worth it. But we are certain in our hope that other companies will come out with their own web-connected printers. And that they’ll pull it off as well as HP did.

LEARN MORE & BUY | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER |

Related posts:
Samsung ML-1630: The “I Can’t Believe It’s A Printer” Printer
Epson Artisan 800: An All-In-One Printer That’s All-Around-Great
The Kindle DX and Kindle 2 Compared

LEARN MORE & BUY | SEE BESTSELLING ALL-IN-ONE PRINTERS | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER