Handheld Computers | Chips Off the Ol' Block
Trying to lighten your gadget load? These PCs pack most of the capabilities of a laptop into sub-2-pound packages. And since they all run Windows, you can work on your spreadsheets, no sherpa required. — Grace Aquino
FlipStart 1.0 Wired Large 5.6-inch, 1024 x 600-pixel display. 1.1-GHz Pentium M CPU, 512 MB of RAM, 30-GB hard drive, and Windows XP Pro OS provided enough power for speedy operation. Includes VGA camera, Wi-Fi, and Sprint's wireless broadband connections. Tired Keys are a little slippery and small. System fan constantly spins. Feels more like a rugged device than a sleek ultraportable. $1,999, www.flipstart.com 
OQO model 02 Wired Snappy performance with Windows Vista Ultimate OS. Numeric keypad to the right of the keyboard is cool and convenient. Screen is viewable in landscape and portrait modes. Supports HDMI and DVI video connections at up to 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution. Tired Weak speaker emitted distorted, shrill sound. Fan can run very loudly when doing multimedia tasks like video playback. Would've been nice to have a touchscreen. $1,949, www.oqo.com 
Samsung Q1 Ultra Wired Glossy black finish and sleek design cater to the stylish set. Big 7-inch touchscreen. SD media card slot, standard 3.5-mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi, and fingerprint scanner built in. Tired Some input controls (mouse function, buttons for left and right clicks, and four customizable options) are too flat and less effective than the touchscreen-stylus combo. Slow to open and toggle between applications. $1,200, www.samsung.com
Sony Vaio VGN-UX380N Wired Generous features like dual cameras and a fingerprint scanner. Handy quick-launch button for email, music, or whatever favorite apps you set up. Includes Microsoft Streets and Trips. Tired Sluggish, especially when switching applications. Keys are too flat and close together. Lacks Microsoft Office 2007; you'll have to settle for the Works 8.5 suite. Data connection via Cingular's EDGE network is frustratingly slow. $1,950, www.sonystyle.com 
Folding Bicycles | Commute Kings
These collapsible rides have more heft than a Razor scooter — and are worth all the attention you'll get when you lug one onto the bus. We endured weeks of unsolicited remarks from strangers to see which models really help commuters get around with speed, if not with style. — Steven Leckart
| Dahon Mu SL The nine-speed Mu SL is no substitute for a high-end road bike, but its slight weight (19 pounds) and fast folding time (15 seconds) make it ideal for the urban commuter. Thankfully, the streamlined Mu SL also boasts enough name-brand components that it won't look like you're training for the Tour de N00b. Wired Pedals remove easily, so you can swiftly swap in ones with toe clips. The thick aluminum frame and the 20-inch wheels with Rolf Paired spokes give it the appearance of a high tech BMX ride. Tired Toe clips not included. Stiff foam grips. No shocks, so you'll feel every bump (and the optional third-party Thudbuster suspension seat post costs $150). $1,000, www.dahon.com | Brompton M6L Though the handlebar design is 30 years old, the M6L is one of the most compact quick-folders available today. It transforms into a tidy 10 x 23 x 22-inch package in about 25 seconds. At 24 pounds, this bike isn't fun to carry, but a pair of 2-inch casters allow you to roll it. Wired Massive front mudguard shields trousers. Optional titanium folding pedals shave 4 inches off the profile (and add $18 to the price). Comes in more than a dozen colors — even "flamingo." Tired Proprietary drivetrain includes a mostly plastic, cheap-looking derailleur. Hinged rear triangle doesn't lock in place. $976, www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk | Birdy Silver Looks aren't always deceiving: The strange aesthetics made this bike the most complex and frustrating folder we tested. But the goofy front-fork suspension system on this pricey nine-speed delivers a decidedly unbumpy ride. Wired Front and rear elastomers can be switched out for softer or stiffer suspension ($15 each). No-hinge design means a stronger, more durable frame. Shimano V-brakes are precise and powerful. Tired We tossed the folded bike into the trunk of a cab-and, while stowed, the chain dislodged from the gears and wedged itself between the frame and chainwheel, requiring a screwdriver (and a lot of cursing) to fix. $1,250, www.birdybike.com 
| Breezer Zag8 We're not opposed to getting a little workout (we love playing sports on Nintendo Wii), but hauling this 25-pound Breezer up a flight of stairs left us downright winded. Wired SKS fenders and flaps let riders take puddles with less splatter. Folding pedals allow for a more compact package. SRAM 3.0 grip shifters and SRAM derailleur provide buttery-smooth gear switching. Fat tires are great for popping curves. Tired Handlebars needed to be readjusted every time we unfolded the bike. Bulky frame and geriatric aesthetics (including old-fogey kickstand) make us feel like we should be wearing orthopedic shoes and Depends, not spandex and clip-ins. $559, www.breezerbikes.com
Cordless Screwdrivers | Licensed to Drive
Until recently, cordless screwdrivers were of little use to pros. The tools fell into the no-man's-land between manual screwdrivers and large drills and drivers. But improved batteries and power have turned cordless models into actual workhorses-in most cases. — Chuck Cage
| Bosch PS10-2 I-Driver By electronically limiting the I-Driver's torque, Bosch gets rid of the bulky mechanical clutch that keeps other models out of tight spaces. Although petite, it's a real powerhouse: It drove 279 1-inch screws on a single charge-the most in our test. Wired Large trigger. Quick charger fills battery in 15 minutes. Tired High price. Fat-barreled handle is too big for small hands. $149, www.boschtools.com 
| Hitachi DB3DL You'll either love or hate the Halo plasma-pistol styling. We found it comfortable, even after driving 169 screws on one charge. But we had to hold down the speed-selector switch to keep it from popping out of gear. Wired Good torque for its size. A good flashlight in a pinch: The built-in LED turns on with a switch. Tired Side-mounted trigger is hard to reach. Questionable durability. $79, www.hitachipowertools.com | Black & Decker Firestorm A removable battery and a 2-speed trans-mission are appealing. But wood screws bogged this model down, draining its juice: A full charge drove 22 measly screws. Wired Three-position handle. Nine-position clutch keeps you from overdriving screws. Tired Nickel-cadmium battery technology hurts performance. Plastic bit collet doesn't scream "long-lasting." $50, www.blackanddecker.com 
| Craftsman 4.0V Undersized lithium-ion battery dramatically limits the Craftsman's run time. We managed to drive in just 14 wood screws before the battery crapped out (after a two-hour charge). Wired Kit includes 21 Phillips, slotted, Robertson, Allen, and Torx driver bits. Built-in lightbulb is easily replaceable. Spare bulb included. Tired A lightbulb instead of an LED? How 1999. Integrated battery. No charging stand. $40, www.sears.com 
Active Noice-Cancelling Headphones | Noble Peace Prizes
Back in the day, active noise canceling meant a quick roundhouse for the proud grandmother in the middle seat. Then came the Bose QuietComfort headphones, the first to cut the clamor by generating a sound wave opposite the ambient buzz. Bose still makes a sweet headset; we'd rate the QC2 at a more-than-solid 8 out of 10. But we recently tested four new models and found that Bose is no longer king of the ring. — Joe Brown
| Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 Primarily a pro audio company, Audio-Technica wanted its entry into this arena to boast the best possible sound quality — with or without the noise canceling activated. Thank you, neurotic Japanese engineers. Thank you. Wired Amazing sound, balanced and sweet, from Segovia to Snoop Dogg. Lightweight and comfortable. Battery still kickin' after two weeks of nearly constant use. Oh yeah: excellent, clean noise canceling. Tired The only new model without a monitor button. $220, www.audio-technica.com | Sennheiser PXC 450 We almost couldn't get these phones because Sennheiser was still obsessing over the noise-cancellation data. Boy, did it pay off. Wired Bombastic noise canceling. Oversize cups fit listeners from Dumbo on down. Monitor button useful for hearing the captain apologize for ineffective air-conditioning and impending doom. Tired Uncomfortable earcups made me sorry that security had nabbed my box cutter. Pressure on the cans — as when snoozing against the window-summons terrifying feedback shriek. $450, www.sennheiser.com | Philips SHN9500/37 Philips' product development team traversed the globe and took 86 molds of human ears from every inhabited continent. They created the ultimate average ear shape and made these headphones to fit it. Wired Super comfy for long stretches. Blocks a surprising amount of noise just by virtue of their shape. Already a bargain at list, but we found 'em online for 95 bucks! Tired Sounds muddy once you switch the power on. Overlarge case is a better tambourine than headphone holder. Noise canceling gets buzzy when battery is low. $160, www.philipsusa.com | Sony MDR-NC60 When we first ogled these exquisitely crafted cans, we almost forgave Sony for pushing ATRAC3. When we put them on we were right back to bitching about Memory Sticks and UMDs. Like most of Sony's recent audio endeavors, these look far better than they perform. Wired Oozes first-class, from the swank leather case to the smoked metal accents. Decent sound. Tired Hisssssssssssss. The only pair we tested that produces an audible hum when noise cancelation is switched on. There is just no excuse for this kind of behavior. $200, www.sonystyle.com
From the Gadget lab
Apple TV $299, www.apple.com Give Apple the usual props for ease of use — no other media-streaming device on the market is as simple to set up. Only 10 minutes elapsed between greeting the UPS guy and watching videos on our HDTV. Unfortunately, standard-def footage from Apple's iTunes store just didn't look good. An episode of Saturday Night Live appeared blocky and blurry on our 1080i screen. For users who don't want to spend time hacking, the lack of hi-def content from iTunes is a deal breaker. For everyone else, the Apple TV is an easy hack. We got it to play DivX and other video formats that we, uh, acquired online. — Mark McClusky
Samsung UpStage SPH-m620 $149 with a two-year Sprint contract, www.samsung.com While you're waiting for the iPhone, why not dial into this nifty music-oriented handset? Granted, the innovative design takes some getting used to, but it's worth the effort. At first blush, the phone is a standard candy bar with a dinky LCD. But turn it over and you'll find a larger, 2.1-inch LCD and a set of media player controls. Press a button to tell the phone which side you're using. As a phone, the UpStage works perfectly well; as an MP3 player, it sounds excellent. But we never got the hang of the temperamental touch-sensitive "sweep" controls. — Christopher Null
Dell XPS M2010 The Showstopper Notebook PC $4,077, www.dell.com It's no secret that we like our beer cold and our gadgets small. So we feared that a $4,000 desktop-notebook hybrid called the Showstopper would break the bank and our backs. It met us halfway. A 2.16-GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 graphics card kept processing speedy, and the extra goodies like a detachable Bluetooth keyboard were enticing. But honestly, a better graphics card and more than 2 gigs of RAM would be appreciated at this price. Style points aside, the Showstopper is a quality PC with screaming power and decent features. However, in the end, the cost of admission was still too high. — Terrence Russell
Photographs by Todd Tankersley
Play Previous: Fetish: Mac-Influenced Desk, Souped-Up Ducati
.png){kind=logo}
