Stuff Geeks Want

We featured a few weeks back a Nikon digital camera with built-in pico projector. Here we go again, but this time one that works with thr Apple iPod.

It’s the PK101 Pico Pocket Projector from Optoma. Smaller than any iPod and weighing only 4 ounces, this little baby displays images as large as 60 inches up to 10 feet from your iPod.

At 4.1 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches, it is not much bigger than the remote control bundled with many larger projectors, yet it’s able to accommodate not only a DLP imaging engine and an LED lamp but also a rechargeable battery capable of powering the device for 1.5 hours—and even a tiny speaker.

We were very impressed with the image quality and ease of use. We were able to get images up to about 8 feet diagonally from about 12 feet away. Color was good, but the better the resolution of your images or video the better the projection quality will be.

Based upon the latest LED illumination advances and DLP imaging technology, it’ll give you two hours of viewing time. it’s got a built-in, re-chargeable battery that you hook up via USB or with the included AC power adapter.

Buy for $219 from Amazon

The iGo Green Power Tower Surge Protector is your power saving friend. It automatically cuts juice to devices when they’re in Standby mode but has four always-on plugs for constant running gadgets like a DVR or digital clock.

It’s energy-saving power management system with integrated iGo Green Technology automatically reduces wasted standby power. It automatically powers down outlets when not in use and powers back up again when devices need power – reducing standby power by up to 85 percent.

It includes an instant wake-up button to immediately power the outlets with iGo Green Technology, in addition to two USB ports to charge mobile phones. It features four fixed and four rotating outlets to accommodate all sizes and shapes of wall plugs.

Buy for $80 from iGo

There’s was little doubt Cisco (owner of Pure Digital) wouldn’t take long to hit back at Apple for their iPod nano with on-board camcorder. It wasn’t that long.

Now there’s the Flip MinoHD 2nd Generation camcorder with eight gigabytes of capacity (versus 4GB) and a bigger two-inch LCD display (up from 1.5 inches). The double RAM capacity gives users now two hours of 720p (1280×720) video.

In addition to its signature, flip-out USB plug, it also now comes with an HDMI connection (despite them being cheap and not including at least one, short, HDMI cable). Also new: a “Magic Movie” software mode that “automatically trims and arranges a user’s selected video content into their own movie.”

So compared to the Apple’s iPod nano the new Flip Mino HD v2 is more expensive ($50 more), but does have HD video where the nano doesn’t. On the ‘flip’ side, it doesn’t play music or have an FM radio or have the looks of the nano.

It all comes down to the features you want in your pocket. That’s something you should do in the privacy of your own home.

Buy for $229 from Amazon

It’s time to shoot like a pro. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 is a full high-definition camcorder that records to Flash memory or an SD card. It’s a camcorder with pro features that the entire family can use.

It’s got a newly-developed 3MOS system that previously was only available in Panasonic’s higher priced models. It packs three full HD sensors to process red, green and blue color elements individually so video comes out more vibrant, yet natural, even in low light situations.

The video quality is superb…1,920×1,080-pixel resolution at 30 frames per second at 17 megabits per second. Don’t worry about storage. You can record about eight minutes of video per gigabyte, or approximately four hours of video in the internal memory.

It features a 2.7-inch touchscreen, 32 gigabytes of internal Flash memory and a SD card slot, takes still images at 10.6 megapixels, has a time lapse recording mode at one second up to two minutes, a pre-record function of up to three seconds before the ‘record’ button is pressed, plus a manual control and intelligent auto mode.

Buy for $1177 from Amazon

We recently told you about five Blu-ray players below $200. But here’s a player plus surround sound system that delivers majestic picture quality and an absorbing sound stage.

The Panasonic SC-BT300 is a 1250 watt, 7.1 channel system that integrates a Blu-ray player and an audio receiver with a built-in iPod dock. The system is made up of two tall-boy speakers that sound fatter than they look, four small speakers for the surround/surround-back channels, a center channel and the subwoofer.

The receiver uses Panasonic’s VieraCast system that lets you download additional content via the Internet from services like Amazon’s Video On-Demand.

It’s a well-thought-out system that combines the same excellent video quality of the standalone Panasonic DMP-BD60K Blu-ray player with a solid ‘above-par’ 7.1 surround-sound speaker package.

Buy for $489 from Amazon

Everyone expected it would happen in the last month and it did…Blu-ray player prices have plummeted with many feature-packed, entry-level models now going for well under $200.

This development may surprise some, but it shouldn’t when you realize the holiday buying season we’re about to enter. Industry estimates are as many as six million standalone Blu-ray players will be sold before year’s end.

So without further ado, here’s a list of five Blu-ray player under $200 that are worth taking a look at:

LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player: Buy for $137 from Amazon

Sylvania NB530SLX Blu-ray Disc Player: Buy for $160 from Amazon

Sharp AQUOS BD-HP22U 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player: Buy for $167 from Amazon

LG BD370 Network Blu-ray Disc Player w/Netflix: Buy for $170 from Amazon

Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray Disc Player: Buy for $172 from Amazon

So Blu-Ray players below $200. Not only will consumers be happy, but so will retailers and especially movie studios and producers of Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray disc prices have fallen as well, with many new titles available for around $20.

The BD390 is LGs top of the line Blu-Ray player with wireless network connectivity. VUDU is a US-only, on-demand, high-definition video service that you use via the Internet. The service and device are now married as VUDU announces you’ll be able to use the BD390 to access its service.

As for the BD390, its got excellent image quality, loads DVDs super fast, and has a number of features that make it rich indeed.

You’ll be able to get 1080p, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound movies from VUDU with no monthly subscription fee. This isn’t the first partnership announcement VUDU has made with consumer electronics manufacturers like LG and it won’t be the last. But as we get closer to the launch of VUDU later this month, now’s the time to look at a Blu-Ray player that offers more than just playing DVDs and this is it.

Buy for $292 from Amazon

So we’ve now got our TVs mounted on the wall. Why not everything else hooked up to it? The 1.5-inch Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player ditches the traditional black, brick-shaped design for something more, shall we dare say, Apple-like.

Comes with a USB port on the side and under the back to add a $80 WiFi dongle so you can access Pandora or Netflix, uses a low 16-watts of power when watching a movie and less than one watt in standby, discs load fast, and has great picture quality.

Buy start at $399 from Amazon

Apple’s newest Mac mini is not only a great stand-alone computer, but also an impressive media center rig. The new Nvidia 9400M graphics chip is optimized for x264 playback… which in regular English means the mini can play back gorgeous 1080p movies and not skip a beat doing it (unlike older minis).

Upgrading a mini ain’t easy (you need a #0 Philips screwdriver, a putty knife, and a combination of patience and confidence), so if you want the easy route pick up the $799 model which comes ready with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive.

If you’re not intimidated by upgrading the mini, score the $599 model then add two 2GB DIMMs from Crucial (via NewEgg) for about $60 shipped. This will take you to 4GB of RAM for a fraction of what Apple charges ($150).

While you’ve got the Mac mini open, take out that stock 120GB 5400RPM drive and replace it with a 320GB 7200RPM model. Not only do you get almost three times the storage, you also get a 20% faster drive. We like the HITACHI Travelstar 7K320 for $67.89 from ZipZoomFly. Or buy the same drive from NewEgg for $59.99 if you want to purchase all your upgrades from one place. (Apple charges $175 for the 320GB upgrade, and it’s a slower 5400RPM drive.)

As for the Mac mini itself, there’s not any deals to be had so keep things easy and order from Amazon. You won’t pay for tax or shipping and you save a few dollars over Apple’s prices.

Buy 2GHz/1GB/120GB model for $594
Buy 2GHz/2GB/320GB model for $790

Let me save you some time: I already know Logitech’s Harmony 880 Universal Remote is one of the best out there because I spent copious amounts of time last year shopping around for a universal remote, and finally settled on this one as having the best features for the price.

Last year, this remote sold for $200 ($250 retail). This year, Circuit City is dishing them for just $99 for a limited time. Update 12/1 Amazon has it for just $79.99 at the moment!

At that price, I’m not even going to see what the competition looks like in the single-Benjamin category because I have better things to do, like finding other great deals out there for us to spend our money on.

Having said all that, if you’re looking for remote controls that don’t have fancy LCD screens and other features, check out The Register’s recent group test of some remotes. They range from cheap $25 models to $500 ones.