Sun
Lightning-Strike Personal Protection System
Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cellphone Charger
StealthSurfer
Dell XPS M1730: The Beast
Lightning-Strike Personal Protection System, $80
From Brite-Strike, the makers of powerful flashlights that double as defence products comes a model designed for women. While we are not advocating you rely on its patented tri-strike crown as a weapon to fend off attackers, it can shine a brilliant white light and sound a 100-decibel alarm. With a glow-in-the-dark switch taking it from high to low to strobe functions, it’s tailored for the finest of manicures with a special cutaway to allow women with long nails to operate it. At 10 centimetres, it’s small enough to slip in a pocket or purse and works on one AA battery. www.brite-strike.com.
Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cellphone Charger, $28
For those times when the lights go out just as your cellphone battery dies. Or for other off-the-grid emergencies, these cellphone chargers come in various versions to power-up a range of cellphones including most Nokia, Palm Treo, Motorola, Sanyo, LG and Samsung. Two lithium AA batteries provide automatic power to run your dead phone, with most ready to operate within 30 seconds of plugging them in. The price includes the reusable charger, the phone tip connector and two Energizer e2 lithium AA batteries.
StealthSurfer, $150
Surf the Web anonymously with this mini flash drive that works even over a WiFi connection. The drive lets surfers browse the Web with encryption masking their IP address and protecting their data from interception. Billed as an identify theft protection tool, it is aimed at protecting users from increasing attacks in which Web predators try to cash in by collecting personal information and financial data like passwords and credit card numbers. Key-sized, it plugs into a USB port and can be used when you’re surfing and shopping on any computer.
Dell XPS M1730: The Beast, from $3,000
When money is no object in your virtual gaming world, go for “the Beast” billed as Dell’s “mobile gaming stud.” We’re guessing that puts it in the testosterone division of the 2007 gift guide. If you count yourself as a gaming stud, you’ll appreciate the AGEIA PhysX Accelerator and the next-generation NVIDIA SLI technology with two x16 graphics channels for the latest 3D experience. All with a 17-inch widescreen UltraSharp WUXGA display with high resolution (1920×1200) and full high-definition 1080p support. Otherwise, may we direct you to a tamer, more basic notebook starting at a fraction of the price.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
