Posted on: Tuesday, December 17, 2002

Tech Toys

New products to delight the techie / Compiled by Gannett News Service

BlackBerry offers walkie-talkie option

The BlackBerry 6510 from Nextel can send and receive e-mail, place and receive voice calls over Nextel's digital voice network and browse the Internet. Plus, its walkie-talkie option lets users instantly reach other Nextel customers in the same calling area with the push of a button. The device also functions as a personal organizer and can run Java-based programs. If you sign up for a one-year service contract, it costs about $500.
www.nextel.com/blackberry

Dial-A-Tech cards serve up support

Know someone who needs help setting up a computer or installing a software program? Sprint may have just the thing: A Dial-A-Tech phone card that provides 24-hour-a-day tech support, even on weekends and holidays. A 30-day card costs $19.99; a 120-day card, $39.99; and a 365-day one, $99.99. Once the card is activated, a customer can call or e-mail the Dial-A-Tech support staff as many times as needed during the card's time frame. Support is provided for a variety of products, including PCs, Macs, scanners, printers and word processing programs.
www.sprintprepaidstore.com

Gamego takes along fun of video games

Long trips won't seem nearly as long with a Gamego in the car. The mobile device features a 5.6-inch color liquid crystal display and a 110-watt power module with a 12-volt cord that lets kids play their favorite video games most anywhere. On road trips, it can be strapped to the back of a headrest, plugged into a car's cigarette lighter and connected to an Xbox, PlayStation or GameCube console. It also works at home, where it can be plugged into an electrical outlet with an optional AC adapter. The Gamego comes with two built-in speakers, one set of headphones and a backpack roomy enough to hold the device and a few gaming accessories. Cost: $399.
www.atctechnologycorp.com

Program tracks how kids use AOL service

SpyAOL lets parents monitor how their children use America Online. The tell-all program records youngsters' e-mails, screen names, passwords, instant messages, chats, keystrokes and the Web sites they visit. It includes controls so parents can block specific sites. The software can be set to work with or without the knowledge of the youngsters it monitors. The Windows-based program works with all versions of AOL, including the new 8.0 release. A Macintosh version also is in the works. The program is available online for $39.95.
www.computer-monitoring.com/aolrecorder.htm

Label those CDS without the pens

Forget about using felt-tip permanent markers to label the CDs you've burned. Dymo Corp.'s Turbo 330 label maker has arrived.

The $199 device is about the size of a desktop electric stapler and prints to rolled circular mini-CD-sized labels that automatically feed and align. In addition to CD labels, it produces a host of others: address, return address, packing and even Internet postage with the appropriate spool-fed label packages.

Dymo's LabelWriter software is a snap to use and switches effortlessly between label types.

Printing is thermal-based. Label costs vary, from $8.95 for 130 standard address labels to $11.95 for 160 mini-CD labels when purchased from the company's Web site.
www.dymo.com