BillyKnowsBest

The Best Projection Clocks: Oregon Scientific

I've always been a fan of Oregon Scientific's atomic projection alarm/weather clocks. There's something really comforting about waking up in the middle of the night, and just having to open your eyes to see the current time projected on the ceiling.  And it's really useful having the outdoor temperature displayed as well. The first ones I had were fucntional, but not terribly stylish.  The next generation were designed by Philippe Starck, a big improvement.  The newest generation offer truly intriguing design and more advanced technology like infrared motion sensors and induction chargers, which make them perfect for design freaks and tech geeks.  Find them lowest=priced at newegg.com.

The Best Outdoor Speakers: Newton from Cambridge Soundworks

I've had these at my house on Fire Island for a few years, and other Cambridge Soundworks products for decades.  They produce great sound, come in three different sizes (though unfortunately, only one color) and sell at extremely competitive prices.  Order them direct online at hifi.com .

Best iPod Speakers for Travel: Altec Lansing iM600 iPod Speaker System

I had planned to pick up the Polk Audio miDock on Friday before leaving on my trip, but had to go to a funeral, and by the time I got home, B&H Photo had closed for the Sabbath, and I didn't have time to trek downtown to J&R Music World.  Resigned to waiting for my next trip instead of buying an inferior product, I wandered into my local Best Buy, just to see if they had something I liked as much.  Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, a shockingly knowledgeable (for Best Buy) sales clerk directed me to the new Altec Lansing iM600 speaker system It's a perfect size with a travel-friendly folding dock and remote control storage, boasts "highest power" in it's class, and rechargeable internal batteries boasting 7 hours of unwired playback time (plus a built-in FM tuner).  The only people who don't like it are the guys in the room next door, who were forced to listen to Avril Levigne's "Girlfriend" 3 times in a row yesterday. $153.98 at Amazon.com with free shipping; $149 at Jandr.com

Hidden IR System

Hiding all of your media components allows your flat screen TV to look all sleek. But it totally defeats the purpose of remote control if you have to get up off the sofa to open the cabinet anytime you want to change the channel or volume.  That's where a Hidden IR system comes in.  You place a discrete IR sensor somewhere near your screen.  A single wire runs to a a small distributor box in your enclosed media storage, and controls up to eight devices with little wired IR "flashers" that you stick on the IR sensor area of your components.  It plugs into an ordinary electrical outlet, and is super easy to install. $109.99 (or $69.99 on "open box" special) at smarthome.com. 

NB: Save 10% on any smarthome.com order through 3/20/07 using the above link and coupon code ESPRING10

Best International Travel Plug Adapter: Kensington International All-in-One Travel Plug Adapter

Although most business-class hotels offer 110v outlets and outlet adapters from the concierge desk, I've always found it helpful to carry a plug adapter of my own, so that I can plug in my laptop in airports, budget hotels and local homes.  I used to travel with a bag full of plugs, but now just one.  By sliding out the appopriate blades, this plug adapter works in 130 different countries.  Remember, it's not a voltage converter, but since most laptop power supplies work from 110v-220v, you may not need one. $12.99 from Amazon.com. (FYI, when referring to a device, either adaptor or adapter is correct.  When referring to a person, adapter is the correct spelling.)

The Best Retractable Cables: Zip-Linq

It's Road Warrior week at Billy Knows Best, with seven posts this week dedicated to the frequent traveler. If your briefcase is starting to look like a snake pit of cables, it's time to discover Zip-linq.  Zip-linq makes retractable cables, like USB, iPod and Ethernet, that stay conveniently spring-coiled when not in use.  They also make "charge and sync" cables, so you can charge (and often, sync) your cellphone or PDA using the USB port on your laptop, which means you may be able to leave your cellphone charger behind as well.  Find a great selection of Zip-linq cables at tigerdirect.com.

The Best 1080p HD Television for the Money: Westinghouse LVM-37W3

It's an exciting time to get a new TV.  Flat-panel plasma and LCD TV prices are dropping fast, and High Definition content availability is growing rapidly.  Personally, I prefer LCD to Plasma, and the industry is definitely moving in that direction.  Consumer Reports TV Buying Guide is a great place to learn about the different options.   This Westinghouse set is a 1080p monitor.  1080p is the highest resolution standard available, and won't even be relevant without an HD-DVD or Blu-ray DVD player (which are available for their first christmas, but locked in a Betamax vs. VHS standards war). but I wanted to be ready.  The monitor part is relevant because this TV doesn't have a tuner (which technically makes it a monitor, not a TV)... but if you have cable or satelite, you don't need one.  You would, however, need an HDTV Tuner to receive free broadcast HD signals.  It does, however, have six different HD inputs, meaning you can connect lots of AV gear - game consoles, DVD players, cable boxes - without having to choose which gets the HD input.  And it has an amazing price, compared to the other 1080p sets from Sharp, Sony and Samsung. The list price is $1749; but you can find it for less than $1,000 at a few retailers, including etronics through amazon.com. (I snagged mine on a Thanksgiving day sale at Crutchfield; It's out of stock there, but a good place to read about the features.)

BKB: 01/07 Update: Good Westinghouse LCD pricing, availability and service from JR.com.

Personalizing Your Cellphone or iPod

If you're tired of seeing your cool pink or charcoal RAZR phone coming and going down the street, or not sure which iPod on the table is yours, it's time to customize it.  Skins are custom-sized printed vinyl covers for your electronic gear that allow you to personalize it with your choice of hundreds of stock photos and logos (sports teams, colleges etc.), or your own digital images.  I used Skinit.com to create this custom skin for my phone using a photo of my dog Duey.  You simply upload the photo, pay about $20 bucks, and it arrives in the mail. myTego.com offers even greater customization, allowing you to place and edit your images, add text, and create skins for the inside surfaces of your flip phone as well.  Templates are available for virtually every gadget, including notebook computers, PDAs, GPS and gaming devices.  The skins adhere tightly, last 5 months to 2 years, and are easily removable (though not reusable), leaving no residue, so you can change them easier than you can change boyfriends.

The Best Earbud Headphones: Ultimate Ears

If you're still using the earbuds that came with your iPod, it's time for an upgrade to Ultimate Ears. Their top-of-the-line, custom-fitted, studio reference model is designed for professionals and celebrities, and priced accordingly at $900! But the consumer models are a sound investment for anyone who spends a lot of time listening to portable music.  Regularly $99-249, they're $69-169 at Amazon.com.

The Best Technology Gadget Source: Smarthome.com

We've all read about the homes of the future, with lighting, security, a/v equipment, heating and airconditioning all resposnive to your presence, schedule or voice command.  While the technology is far from perfect, all of it is available today.  No one really needs the coffee maker to turn itself on when you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock, but if that kind of technology integration interests you, check out SmartHome.com.  Not only will you get a glimpse into the future, but you'll find some really cool and practical things to buy today that will simplify or enhance your everyday life.  Start on the Gadgets & Gifts page.  And to jump start your holiday shopping, save 15% on your entire purchase when you use promotional code ERET07 at checkout through Friday, November 10, 2006.