High Tech Toys for the Holidays

Late nights with the new baby have given me time to do some online “window shopping.” And being the high-tech geek that I am, I’ve put together my own little holiday list of items:

• Handspring’s Visor Prism
I know I’ll get a lot of hoopla because I picked the Palm OS over WinCE, but let’s face it, for the moment, the Palm OS is the benchmark for PDAs. Handspring, a Palm licensee, has really put out a great product with the Visor Prism. Based on their popular-selling Visor PDA, the Prism now adds 65,000 colors and a lithium battery that will go two weeks. Since it is a Visor it also offers the patented Springboard slot allowing plug-and-play capabilities for a number of modules ranging from cellular phone to MP3 player to digital camera. The 8MB Prism will run you $449 and can be found at www.handspring.com.

• Stowaway Keyboard
As a PDA owner, I hate typing out notes with my stylus. That’s where the Stowaway Keyboard from Think Outside has been a lifesaver. This device is a full-sized, full-functioning laptop keyboard that folds up to about the size of the PDA itself. The keyboard’s design (which has won them awards) is also a real head-turner. Instead of hauling out a laptop and firing it up, I whip out my PDA, attach it to the keyboard and I’m ready to go. Check out Think Outside’s website at www.thinkoutside.com. The keyboards start at $99.

• Cobra Electronics FRS Radios
These are one of the hottest items around this season and having received a set, I can see why. These aren’t your daddy’s old walkie-talkies. Utilizing the FCC’s Family Radio Service frequencies, these high-powered handheld radios offer two miles of coverage and a number of other features.

Cobra’s Microtalk 310WX model adds even more functionality. Besides the standard features of an FRS radio it also offers a rugged body with features such as a silent vibrating alert and voice scrambling to protect communication. The 310WX is also a 10-channel NOAA Weather Radio and Weather Alert device.

So whether you are using it to talk between cars on a road trip, track down the family in the mall, or harass friend on the other side of the fairway, these handheld radios are a fantastic stocking stuffer.

Cobra offers a full line of radios with the 310WX costing around $100 each. Check out www.cobraelectronics.com.

• Casio Wrist Technology
They don’t just call them “watches” anymore. I’ve been eyeing Casio’s new line of timepieces ever since I owned one of the original Databanks-a watch, stopwatch and calculator that even held 10 phone numbers. This new generation of watches takes it a step further with models that are also GPS units, cameras, remote controls or mini-PDAs.

I’m most impressed with their digital camera watches. While the quality is not the best in the world (resolution is limited to 16 grayscales), the watch holds up to 100 images in 1 MB of memory. Plus you can view the pictures on the 120 x 120 pixel watch face/monitor and enter alphanumeric text along with each image. The built-in IR port allows quick and easy transmission of photos back to a laptop.

This would make a great timepiece as well as conversation piece. Click on over to the Casio site at www.casio.com for more information. The watches run about $200.

• Rand McNally GPS
I hate asking for directions, and I’m sure I’ll get an “Amen” from the road warriors out there. That’s why I really like Rand McNally’s line of GPS units. The King of the Maps now integrates satellite technology into some of the most popular and powerful software out there.

Whether you own a Palm 3 or 5 or even a laptop, they’ve got a StreetFinder GPS unit for you. These plug-and-play units allow you to track your progress, speed, latitude and longitude all overlaid on maps you’ve chosen from the software for your journey. The software offers more than 1 million business listings (hotels, restaurants, etc.) and U.S. streets, Mobil ratings and the ability to customize your maps with your own markers and notes.

These units range from $99 for the laptop unit to $120 for the Palm units and can be bought from www.randmcnally.com.

• Olympus Eye Trek
Imagine watching a movie on a 52-inch screen with full stereo. Now imagine watching it on a device that you wear like a pair of sunglasses and listen to with integrated earphones. Weighing in at only 4 ounces, the Eye Trek is the latest in wearable video/audio. Hook these babies up to a VCR, DVD player, or even a game console for pure pleasure-and without bothering anyone or anyone bothering you.

These units are proving so popular that airlines like Japan Airlines provide them to their first-class passengers for use on long flights. And now they can be yours for a measly $550 or $850 depending on the model. More information or purchasing information can be found at www.olympus-eye-trek.com.

• Ceiva Internet Photo Frame
You know grandparents must have come up with this little ditty-it’s an Internet-enabled picture frame that operates independently from a computer. In fact, you don’t even have to have one. All you need is Ceiva’s 8×10 inch frame, a phone connection and Ceiva’s monthly service.

What happens? Anyone can upload or e-mail pictures to your Ceiva account. Then every night the frame downloads the pictures and displays them on its 5×7 inch high-resolution LCD. No more film, developing, or mailing. If you tire of Junior’s pictures, you can log on to Ceiva.com and download works of art or the weather.

The Ceiva frame is available online at www.ceiva.com for $249 per frame and $50 for a year’s worth of access to the Ceiva network.

This list highlights some of the new technologies that are out there and I’m sure we’ll see even more gadgets and gizmos during the holiday season. As for me, I’m beginning to sound like my Dad when we as kids would ask him what he wanted for Christmas.

“Peace and quiet,” he’d reply with a smile. I’ll take that-and maybe a nap.

Technocracy is a regular column designed to examine and explain new technology and how it applies to the insurance industry. Readers are encouraged to e-mail questions or comments to John Chivvis at ijwest@insurancejournal.com.

Topics InsurTech Tech