Buyer's guide to Internet gadgets Part 2

Gadget freaks love these great new Internet appliances
Pocket-size handhelds are also breaking into the Internet appliance market
Game fans will be able to play each other long distance from the comfort of their living rooms

Gadget freaks love these great new Internet appliances

Gadget freaks love these great new Internet appliances that enable users to access the Web, retrieve information and read or send e-mail messages. Small and portable enough to use in the kitchen, the garden or in the car they are being snapped up by gadget lovers and people on the move who can't be out of the loop for a minute.

Casio has introduced three watches guaranteed to turn some heads. The Wrist Audio player features and MP3 player that stores about 30 minutes of CD-quality sound about $300 US dollars. A USB cable makes it easy to download music from a Windows PC.

The PC-Unite watch doubles as a personal information manager that can exchange contact and calendar information with Windows PCs via infrared beam. The Wrist Camera (about $200) is a wearable digital camera that can store up to 100 images. All three 'wrist data devices' should be available very soon.

Casio have also launched the Cassiopeia E105, a handheld computer that serves as a music player, e-mail reader and organiser

Sega's Dreamcast game console connects to the Web via a built-in 56K modem and has over 2 million units sold in the US since its launch in the middle of last year.

Pocket-size handhelds are also breaking into the Internet appliance market

Pocket-size handhelds are also breaking into the Internet appliance market, offering wireless access. 3Com's personal digital assistants (PDAs) started out simply as personal organisers that could connect to personal address books on the computer, and more than 5 million units have been sold.

The newest model, the $499 Palm VII, lets you send and receive wireless e-mail and allows limited Web browsing.

Even cellular phones from countries like Nokia and Sanyo now have Web browsers. The Sanyo SCP-4000: Digital/analog mobile phone cruises and searches Web sites.

To satisfy gadget freaks, Sony Corp's Playstation @ will hit the market in the US next fall. Besides 3-D game graphics that can rival anything on the PC and DVD movie playback, it will come equipped with two Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. USB will enable people to hook up regular computer modems and, eventually devices like cable and DSL modems that can deliver high-speed Internet access.

Game fans will be able to play each other long distance from the comfort of their living rooms

Game fans will be able to play each other long distance from the comfort of their living rooms, much like they do now.

The Motorola two-way pager, the PageWriter 2000 is equipped with a tiny keyboard that can be used to send quick e-mail messages, the pager helps to stay in touch with the office and available to deal with urgent requests. Another pager - the BlackBerry - a wireless e-mail via pager gizmo - has a built in keyboard.

For a handheld PDA check out the Handspring Visor - an electronic organiser and e-mail viewer via Internet access.

Check out these Web sites:

www.casio.com
www.sega.com
www.palm.com
www.motorola.com
www.handspring.com
www.blackberry.com
www.sprintpcs.com

By: Mario Cacciottolo

© Copyright 2001. Galt Western Personnel Ltd. Unless otherwise specified, you may reprint this article, quote from it, use it in research or projects, duplicate it or distribute it. Credit of authorship and source MUST be given to galtglobalreview.com. Ownership of Copyright remains with Galt Western Personnel Ltd.

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