| Apple iPhone is cool, but so is iPod Touch
At its original price of $600, I thought Apple's iPhone was an overpriced toy. But now that everyone who absolutely had to have an iPhone has bought one -- and Apple conveniently has dropped the tariff to a mere $400 -- I decided to take a closer look.
After a few weeks of fooling around with one, I can report that the iPhone is, indeed, a fantastic gadget -- a stunning example of industrial design that borders on art.
On the other hand, I still wouldn't buy one for everyday use. In fact, most of us can get the iPhone's most important bennies from a newer Apple toy that's a better value -- the iPod Touch. More about that later.
Just in case you've been off-planet the past few months, let me describe the iPhone: a slim, handheld do-everything gadget with a sharp, 3.5-inch touch screen display.
Notebook mouse takes on extra chores
Microsoft's new Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 isn't just another clicker. Loaded with 1 gigabyte of memory, the rechargeable mouse doubles as a storage device. With the help of a three-way transceiver, you can work wirelessly with the mouse, save files in the mouse's memory and recharge it through just one USB port. The 2.4-gigahertz mouse also includes a wireless Bluetooth option, a battery status indicator, an on-off switch, a tilt wheel and a magnifier. Cost: $100. www.microsoft.com Chargers use batteries to keep gadgets going .
2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: Toyota Unveils All-New 2008 Sequoia
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2007 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., unveiled the second-generation Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicle at a press conference today at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. Sequoia is completely new for 2008, with a new body, a new interior, a new chassis, an available new 5.7L V8 engine/six-speed transmission combination and an increased focus on efficiency, performance and driver/passenger comfort. Since the Sequoia was introduced in 2000, the world has changed. With both gasoline prices and environmental concerns on the rise, Toyota's engineers and designers have taken steps to increase not just the 2008 Sequoia's performance and comfort, but also its efficiency and environmental awareness. To that end, the Sequoia is equipped with an available powerful new 5.7L V8 engine that generates excellent fuel efficiency and very low emissions.
PCs reach saturation in Japan?
Consumers in Japan are losing interest in buying PCs; it seems they're finally good enough. The example of Masaya Igarashi illustrates the point. A student, he is looking to buy a pair of expensive headphones for his iPod, and is trying to decide whether to get a Nintendo Wii or a Sony PS3. His purchase after that, when he's saved up, is a camera. Apparently, Igarashi considers his PC,–a three-year-old laptop–is good enough for now. .
Health Alert-Hearing Loss
As your holiday shopping season begins, keep in mind: If mp3 players or iPods are topping your list, you may want to listen up. With the baby boomer generation reaching the age of social security, you may associate hearing loss with that particular age group. But doctors are seeing a significant rise in hearing loss among pre-teens. "These children are coming in with hearing loss because they're turning up the volume on their headsets to the point they want to block out everything else," says Audiologist, Susan Marshall, of Brookside Specialty Center. Marshall compares the units of sound in an iPod to the number of units at a rock concert. The numbers come in at about the same; between 110 to 120 decibels. But there is one difference. "You don't go to a rock concert every day for six hours.
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