Years ago I was convinced that Logitech makes the best portable and wireless keyboards, so I wasn’t surprised when I recently tested the company’s K250 Wireless Keyboard.

The keyboard hit the market within the company’s “Fantasy Collection” but its performance is far from a fantasy.

From the start it worked great and, most importantly, Logitech has designed it in a way where every key feels comfortable to your hands and wrist.

I guess what makes it fit into the fantasy title is the design; mine had a swirling black and white design.

For a connection, simply plug the Unifying Receiver into any open USB port on a Mac or PC and a 2.4HGz wireless system makes an instant connection.

Since I also use a Logitech wireless mouse, it’s nice that the receiver works for both that and the keyboard, instead of requiring separate receivers.

The keyboard lies flat, so it gave me the natural feel of typing on a laptop, which I prefer. Rubberized feet on the bottom kept it in place at all times.

Two AAA batteries (included) power the keyboard, which is built with smart power management to give users up to a 15-month keyboard battery life. Obviously this will vary from user to user depending on much use the keyboard gets. Logitech bases the 15-month total on “an estimated two million keystrokes per year in an office environment” so start counting now.

The Logitech Fantasy Collection also includes colorful webcams, speakers and mice. The collection has colors and fanciful patterns inspired by trends in fashion and pop culture that combine storybook fancy with dark mystery, according to Logitech.

www.logitech.com, $29.99

Mobi Technologies has added two characters to its heaphonies line, Striker and Sunny.

Headphonies are 3-inch designer amplified speakers _ not headphones _ and are designed with both sound and style in mind.

I was kind of skeptical when I first opened up my “Striker” up, but just as advertised they pumped out music from the soccer ball-headed character who wears a red, white and blue USA jersey along headphones

The sound is released from the back of the head.

A built-in amplifier for sure helps produce the sound to better than average from what you would expect from something designed this.

Specifically, Mobi rates the speakers at 2 watts with 40 Ohm.

A rechargeable lithium ion battery keeps the music playing for about 4 hours. The unit can connect to any music player with a standard audio output port.

The only control you get is on/off, while the volume is set with your music device itself.

The new additions bring the total to 16 for the series, so collect em’ all!

www.headphonies.com, $19.99

Getting tens of thousands of local and international Internet and broadcast radio stations in the palm of your hand was an impossible task just a decade ago, but it’s now possible for just $1.99!

With the new iHome+Radio Internet radio music app, anyone can do this on an iPhone or iPod touch.

The app is powered by RadioTime, which gives users direct access to what seems like an endless supply of Internet stations from all over the world broadcasting music, sports, talk, news and sports.

“iHome+Radio is a great stand-alone app for enjoying a multitude of Internet radio stations from around the world,” said Evan Stein, Vice President of Marketing, iHome in a recent press release.

“However, when integrated with one of our app-enabled units like the iA5 and our award-winning iHome+Sleep app, the level of enjoyment and overall experience is enhanced, giving our customers the ability to sleep, wake or casually listen to their favorite radio stations from around the globe, regardless of their location” Stein added.

Currently the app supports streaming in MP3 and AAC formats, and plans to add formats in the future.

www.ihomeaudio.com

–Gregg Ellman

With college classes starting up during the next few weeks, there is the usual endless supply of must-have/cool/can’t live without gadgets for the shopping list.

The Kiwi U-Powered Solar & USB Portable Charger assures users that, as sure as the sun will rise, they will have power for most any portable gadget anywhere, anytime.

This includes cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, iPod, iPhones, portable gaming devices and anything else that needs a charge to keep such essential power-hungry gadgets going.

To charge the solar power unit, built with three solar panels, unfold the panels and put it in the sun to charge.

Kiwi rates solar charging time at up to 17 hours for a full charge or about 4 hours with AC or USB.

You can charge the battery up to 1,000 times, and expect an output of 2000 mAh.

Very often portable batteries come with a small selection of charging tips and you must order and buy additional ones.

Kiwi supplies 11 different small tips and a USB port for the supplied cable.

The following are listed on the company’s web site as being compatible: Nokia, Samsung, LG, Palm, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, Motorola, Sony, Bluetooth, GPS, digital cameras, PSP, ebook, Nintendo DS, Kindle, etc.

www.kiwichoice.com, $49.99

The iLuv iMM178 Vibe Plus does what every college student hates doing – getting up in the morning.

It’s built with dual alarms and sets the time with a new time sync feature, which sets the clock directly from an iPhone or iPod to ensure everything synced with the same time.

In addition to being a great sounding unit, which iLuv has come to be known for with their jAura acoustic speaker technology, users can have the device shake the bed to help make it to class on time.

This is done by plugging the bed shaker (about the size of a hockey puck) into the back of the unit and then placing the device under a pillow or mattress.

Once the alarm goes off, the shaker vibrates to help you wake up.

If the bed shaking isn’t your thing (I’m with ya), then choose from seven different alarm sounds or wake to music of your choice from your charged up iPhone or iPod.

Old school users can even choose to wake to FM radio.

www.i-Luv.com, $99.99 is the list price, but you can find it for about $70 online.

Regardless of whether it’s for home, work or play, everyone needs some extra digital storage these days and a good start is the Iomega Skin-branded portable hard drive for Mac or PC users.

The company designed the look of drives in conjunction with Skin Industries so the drives stand out in today’s hip culture.

There are thee different eye-catching USB 2.0 powered models in the new line with 500 GB of storage for documents, videos, images, videos or music.

Iomega rates the 500GB to hold up to 200,000 photos, 125,000 songs or more than 190 hours of video. These numbers can vary depending on the size of each file, but regardless they will hold a lot.

Users can choose from the Radical, Red Hot or the Knock Out hard drives, all of which store your data in the same secure way.

What I like about the Iomega drives is they are built with the companies Drop Guard protection. This helps protect the unit from damage if dropped from up to 51-inches on industrial carpet.

Also included is a copy of Iomega Protection Suite, which includes backup and anti-virus software.

www.iomega.com, MSRP is $119.99, but you can find it for $84 online.

The AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand puts a new meaning to the word portable.

I’ve used the stylish laptop accessory several times on the road recently and each time I’ve been asked, “what’s that” while setting it up.

A recent press release called it the world’s thinnest laptop stand and who can argue, since it folds down to 1/4”?

Setup takes about 3 seconds: pull it from its sleeve, unfold and snap it together.

Once you place your laptop on top, it provides optimal ergonomic angle of 12 degrees and has rubber feet and guides to ensure the computer stays securely in place.

The body of the stand is German-made Hylite, which the company says is a composite material comprised of aluminum sheets bonded to a polypropylene core.

To make it portable, they milled off the aluminum and left the polypropylene. Thus the material becomes flexible so it folds up to the small travel-friendly unit.

Since it keeps the laptop elevated, air flows underneath to keep it cool, helping it run more efficiently.

www.AViiQ.comm, $79.95

The Hercules: XPS 2.0 35 USB powered speakers provide needed sound where the speakers built into today’s laptops falls short.

When you open the box, one thing that’s missing is a power cord, and that’s because you don’t need one. Simply plug them into any open USB port and you get all the power you need.

The reasonably priced speakers are light and portable and even come with a bag for easy transport.

Volume and on/off can be controlled with a knob on the front of one of the speakers. There are also ports for connecting headphones or a microphone for VoIP or other chat applications.

www.hercules.com, $19.99

Logitech always seems to have new cool stuff and today is no exception.

The Logitech M305 wireless mouse puts some style in the your hand with an ergonomically comfortable design.

A cordless USB nano-receiver plugs into any open USB port (Mac or PC) and the setup is complete once you put in the included AA battery.

Design and style was considered in making this product; it’s available in seven colors and patterns.

What makes it comfortable is how it feels with your hand on the non-slip, rubber side panels.

The left and right click buttons have grooves to keep your fingers in place and the scroll wheel has ridges for easy gripping.

$29.99 is the list price, but you can find it for about $20 online.

The new Logitech HD Webcam C510 has a fold-and-go design for portability along with great output quality.

HD 720p video can be made with the pocket-sized USB device, which will also let users upload HD videos directly to YouTube or Facebook.

It’s built with a lens, which can rotate 360 degrees and attaches to laptops or other hardware in a scratchproof manner with its rubberized pads.

Included is a built-in microphone with Logitech RightSound technology. It also produces 8-megapixel still images.

Logitech lists the PC system requirements as Windows XP (SP2 or higher), Windows Vista or Windows 7.

www.logitech.com, $59.99

As one friend told me recently, I don’t put a cover on my iPad because Steve Jobs doesn’t.

Well, I bet when he drops or breaks his iPad, a new one is within reach. Most everyone else must reach for a credit card first.

There are lots of solutions out there for iPad protection and the Ten One Design Particle Case gives you a little extra.

The case surrounds the perimeter of the device, enabling the user to have full access to the entire screen and controls.

A shock-absorbing rubber material protects all the edges and can remain when it’s stored in laptop bags or most anywhere.

In addition, it includes a Pogo Sketch capacitive touch screen stylus, which attaches to the side of the case.

www.TenOneDesign.com, $34.95

– Gregg Ellman

V-Moda has done it again, recently releasing the Crossfade LP headphones.

To me, the most important aspect of headphones is the sound; second comes comfort. V-Moda has achieved success on both.

For comfort, supple memory foam ear cushions fit great and this cosmetic feature is unlike anything else I’ve seen recently.

This makes sense after finding out that the company had an assist in the design from ergonomic experts.

V-Moda has always designed their products with fashion in mind, and the Crossfade LP seems to take this to a new level.

A recent company press release called the headphones “the world’s most fashion-forward headphone,” and after seeing them you will see what they mean.

The side of each speaker is designed with lightweight metals and luxurious fabrics are incorporated into the headphones.

Each speaker delivers sound with V-Moda’s patent-pending 50mm Dual-Diaphragm High-Definition Drivers. This lets the sound be heard with multiple drivers, while having the efficiency of a single driver.

They were designed to deliver sound with a deep vibrant bass, organic mid-range, and crystal clarity, and the company delivers.

“Your headphones should be as unique as your style and your music - they are the most visible product that you wear and experience music with every day. We created Crossfade LP to provide an epic sound that recreates the sensations of the best club systems with a distinct design that makes these an essential fashion accessory for all music lovers,” said Val Kolton, CEO, V-MODA in the press release.

Also included with the headphones are two detachable Kevlar-reinforced cables with 24k gold-plated 45-degree plugs, one 3.5mm audio fabric cable for universal audio device compatibility and a 3.5mm fabric cable with three-button remote control and microphone for use with the latest iPhone 3GS, iPad, iPod and MacBook.

They will work with the new iPhone 4 but the company is awaiting official certification from Apple.

Users will also get storage solutions for the gear and a unique replay replacement program.

With this program, after you purchase the headphones, you get a 50 percent –off lifetime discount to replace consumer-damaged headphones – obviously within the V-Moda products only.

www.V-Moda.com, $249.99

Often when I see promotional photos of products and then have the product in my hands, there are differences _ especially regarding the size of the devices.

With the Scosche flipSYNC, they really are as small as portrayed and can easily fit in a pocket, on a keychain or just about anywhere.

The pocket-sized flipSYNC syncs and charges a portable power-hungry device anywhere there is a USB powered input.

They come in two models, one for BlackBerry (Mini and Micro USB) users and the other for the iPhone/iPod world. Both are made in a lightweight black plastic.

Each charger has a USB connection on one end of a cable; the other end connects to the device.

With the cables, it extends out about 4-inches.

www.scosche.com, $19.99 each

Imation’s Defender F200 flash drive puts a lot of security in your hands.

The company designed the product to directly address the issue of data breach, which they state costs U.S. organizations at least $45 billion annually.

An ergonomic fingerprint scanner is built right on the drive to make the hardware itself secure in the event of loss or theft and it’s even built in a tamper-evident metal waterproof enclosure.

Other security features of the FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated flash drive include two layers of password protection, which can be used at the owner’s discretion, but if you’re paying for a device with security, why not use it to its maximum capability?

Imation states that the USB flash drive delivers security through on-board AES 256-bit encryption, authentication, manageability and biometrics.

It also provides hardware protection against malware in any environment, securing your digital information.

Users can get the drive in prices ranging from $99 up to $349 and in capacities of 1, 2, 4, 8, 1 and 32GB.

www.imation.com

– Gregg Ellman

Gary Fong Inc., a developer of handy tools for amateur photographers, has released some really helpful gadgets for point-n-shoot cameras.

The New Flip-Cage Pro-Series ($19.95) is a lightweight 5-In-1 tool for the larger models of pocket-sized cameras up to 3 x 4-1/4 x 1-3/4-inches.

The multipurpose device can be used as a stand to photograph in a macro mode or station the camera for video or still photos in both horizontal and vertical positions.

In addition, it can be used as a cage to protect the camera from damage after being accidentally dropped or for just general protection when in a camera bag or purse.

A tripod mount on the cage attaches any camera securely, which also makes the device a steady-cam for shooting video.

In addition, the company really used its head and built movable flaps on the cage for viewing the LCD screen with reduced glare.

Also new from Gary Fong Inc. is the GearGuard line to help prevent the snatch-and-grab theft of the small cameras.

The products include the Camera Bag Lock and the GearGuard Camera Body Lock.

With the bag lock, users can give the locks on many camera bags, which were designed to open quickly, a more secure locking. This helps prevent theft in crowded environments of most anything stored in the bag including a camera.

The Camera Body Lock attaches one end of a security cable to the camera’s tripod mount and the other to a variety of options such as a chair, desk drawer or even your belt loop.

With the included combination lock, you then secure it for opening only when you want to. It’s three feet long, so photographers shouldn’t have any problem taking photos while the lock is tethered.

The bag and camera body locks sell for $9.95 each, while the combination lock and steel cable are each sold separately also for $9.95 each.

The company has added a Sony and Konica Minolta Puffer ($19.95) to their line of Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffusers.

These are for cameras with a pop-up flash and it softens the light for a more natural image.

The diffuser attaches to the camera’s hot shoe and is fully adjustable to get the right positioning to reduce contrast or glare and reduce shadows.

General Imaging has added the waterproof G5WP to its line of point-n-shoot cameras.

The camera is designed active photographers. It offers a more secure element for taking photos around a pool or any other wet environment since its waterproof up to 10 feet.

The 12.2 megapixel camera is built with a 4X zoom lens, which has a 35mm equivalent of 38 – 152mm (f3.5 wide – F5.15 telephoto) and an ISO setting up to 1600.

Others features include everything we come to expect with pocket-sized cameras; smile/blink/face detections, red-eye removal, Pan-capture panorama, image stabilization and a nice 2.7-inch LCD.

All these features are easy to access with the push of a button on the user-friendly menus.

I gave the camera to some neighborhood kids to test in a pool with the underwater scene mode and a few hours later I pulled the camera away to find some great photos and videos.

The camera has 18MB of internal memory to store a few photos and takes SDHC memory cards up to 16GB to store thousands of photos or hours of video.

With the endless amount of features, and great performance of the camera, one of the best features is the $149 price tag.

Color choices for the camera, which has a sturdy metal body, include ocean blue, graphite gray and raspberry red.

www.general-imaging.com

– Gregg Ellman

Typically, when a brick a brick and an expensive media player are combined, it’s not a great combination.

Aluratek, Inc., has succeeded with the recent addition to the crowded iPod/iPhone speaker dock world with the Brick.

Like most of this type of unit, the Brick docks and charges any Apple media player, along with having an input to support playing any other MP3 player.

The universal dock itself accepts any iPhone, iPod Touch or any iPod with a click wheel.

Many of today’s docking units advertise that they have great sound, when they should really say they just have sound.

After powering up the Brick it was easy to hear the great sound it produced along with exceptional clarity.

What helps set the Brick apart from many of the others is it’s built with a built-in amplifier making it a great choice for any tabletop, nightstand or kitchen counter.

The unit features a speaker with 23W (RMS) output power along with a 15W downward firing subwoofer and 4W on each L/R channel.  All of this produces sound with Harmonic Distortion of less than 2 percent.

If FM radio is still your thing, it does have a built-in FM tuner, along with an alarm clock. All of this can be controlled from a remote.

http://aluratek.com, the suggested price is $149 but it can be found for as low as $119.72 at Amazon.com.

Kidz Gear headphones are just that – headphones designed for kids age 2 and up and are available in wired or wireless models.

The construction has soft padded ear cups, which swivel for comfort and are uniquely designed for kids’ smaller ears.

An adjustable plastic headband connects the two speakers.

The wired model has a cord about 4-feet long with a standard 3.5-inch input jack to connect to just about any device. A volume control is on the cord.

A volume-limiting device works with the wired unit. This will plug into the headphones and the media device allowing parents to limit the upper range of volume available to kids.

If you choose the wireless model, a transmitter must also be purchased to connect to the device and the wireless model requires three AAA batteries.

To control the wireless headphones, an on/off switch and volume controls are located on the ear cup.

www.gearforkidz.com, wired $16.99, wireless $29.99, IR Transmitter $14.99

The Jabra Extreme with extreme noise cancellation and dual microphone technology is a great choice for those wanting to go hands-free with Bluetooth technology.

Pairing it with my BlackBerry was simple and supplied excellent sound quality from multiple callers.

Since these are advertised with the extreme noise cancellation, I chose to make a few calls with the car windows open.

While the call was still manageable I found the performance was obviously much better with the windows up.

For those on the other end of the conversation, these have advanced automatic volume control, which automatically adjusts my voice to the environment and your conversation to ensure proper levels.

The Jabra also has Multiuse technology, which allows it to be paired with two different devices.

Once a pairing connection is made, the on/off switch and volume controls are easily accessed on the unit, which is nicely designed in gunmetal gray on the front and black.

To answer calls, simply press a multi-function button on the front of the piece.

This Jabra Bluetooth unit is built with Ultimate-fit Eargels and fits with comfort. Also included are ear hooks in small and large to ensure they properly hook around your ear.

Each Jabra Extreme kits comes with the headset, two sets of eargels, two ear hooks and chargers for car, USB and AC. Also included is a headset holder to store the headset and charger.

Once charged, users can expect more than 5 hours of talk time and 10 days of standby time.

www.Jabra.com, $79.99 at the company store, $55 at other online sites

– Gregg Ellman

The HP Laserjet Pro P1102W printer is good addition for anyone who wants to print anything from anywhere, anytime.

Home printer enthusiasts will love the small desktop unit, which measures 13.74 by 9.38 by 7.71 inches and can print up to 19 pages per minute depending on content.

Users have the choice of connecting this printer directly to a Mac or PC via USB 2.0 or my preferred choice of wireless (802.11b/g), which I used to print from all corners of my house.

Various types of paper and envelopes can be fed via an input slot with up to 10 sheets. The paper tray will hold up to 150 sheets.

The unit was easy to unpack and set up. It took just minutes to go from an unopened box to printing, and the printer performs solidly.

If your system doesn’t load the necessary print drives on its own with the HP Smart Install, just use the included software disc.

It’s always a good idea to check the company website to ensure you’re getting the latest version.

The Laserjet Pro P1102W is equipped with auto on/off technology – a great, energy-efficient feature.

www.hp.com

The new Think Tank Retrospective 20 shoulder bag allows lets photographers carry high-end SLR equipment in style.

Each bag can store a variety of combinations of lenses and flashes up to a pair of digital bodies with lenses along with an extra lens or flash, depending on the size of the lenses. Dividers with Velcro allow you to customize the bag for your particular equipment, which can be changed day to day.

A nice feature allows the Velcro to be silenced, simply by folding a cover over them. This allows the bag to just open and close with a flap, making it much more user-friendly in a quiet environment.

This bag also has inside compartments to store pens, keys, cell phone or an iPod.

Outside compartments allow storage of paperwork and even a water bottle or accessories.

Style and functionality go into everything the company makes, and this bag is no exception.

Traditional camera bags are big and bulky and often unattractive. They say to the world, “I am carrying camera gear.” The Retrospective bag boasts an improved style that doesn’t advertise your gear when the bag is closed.

The bag is made with high-end canvas that is water resistant and includes a fold-over rain cover.

The padded shoulder strap provides comfort, but a hand strap provides options for users.

The Retrospective 20 is prices at $159. The larger Retrospective 30 model retails for $179. The Retrospective 10 is a little smaller and sells for $149.

All three sizes are available in black or Pinestone.

www.thinktankphoto.com

Bigger is not always better especially when it comes to the Verbatim Tuff-‘N’-Tiny Micro USB flash drives.

It wasn’t long ago that 16GB of storage could cost more then a house payment and was the size of a shoebox.

Now, these drives measure just 1.2 by 0.5 by 0.06 inches, and they fit easily on a keychain.

Since they are so small, the contacts for the USB connection are exposed. But fear not: Verbatim’s flash drives are dust and water resistant – appropriately designed for their names.

To be sure, I dunked the drive in my morning coffee and used it as a stirrer. I then dried it off and plugged it into my Apple Macbook Pro. Just as advertised, it mounted instantly.

Each drive is packaged with a small lanyard, which I would recommend using since these portable hard drives could be lost easily.

Users also have a choice of a 8GB purple model in purple for $52; the 16GB version comes in black for $92.

The tiny drives have password security for Windows users.

Verbatim has also downsized its external hard drive with the Titan XS Hard Drives.

The 2.5-inch external USB drives are some of the smallest I’ve seen available and are advertised from Verbatim as just that.

Unlike the smaller flash drives, these are not waterproof – though they could be used as coasters.

They are built with a shock-resistant rubber enclosure, making them truly portable and able to withstand traveling or storage in a pocket.

The Titan XS drives (PC and Mac) are available in 320GB for $123.20 and a 500GB model for $167.20.

They also include a software (PC only) package of Turbo USB software and Nero BackItUp & Burn Essentials.

www.Verbatim.com

– Gregg Ellman