Mega Roundup: Part 3
Collection of 2007's best Gadgets, Goods and Gizmos
This metal finder locates studs and and nails in older structures buried deep beneath plaster walls too thick for your typical stud finder. So that the next time you tackle a home-improvement project, you can actually, you know, improve your home. MetalliScanner M40 $39; zircon.com
Rise and Shine 
Clean hard-to-reach spots-second-story windows, SUV roofs-with this battery-powered scrub brush, extendable up to 10 feet. Its wires hide inside interlocking fiberglass poles, which are sturdy yet light enough to lift overhead. Black & Decker 18V Power Scrubber $100; blackanddecker.com
Think Ink 
Most inkjet refill cartridges include the electronic print nozzle built in, making them resistant to clogging but expensive. New ink technology from Kodak, however, leaves the print heads in the printer, making the refills cheaper by half. And what's inside is good too-pigment-based archival inks won't clog the printer's nozzles while making prints that you can pass on to your grandkids. Kodak Pigment Based Inks $10 black/$15 color; kodak.com
Private Press 
Always the master of making photos fun, Polaroid (by way of spin-off research company Zink) is at it again with this mini photo printer. Send pics from your cameraphone via Bluetooth-regular digicams can connect via USB-and print them instantly using an innovative "zero ink" process that uses heat-sensitive dye-forming crystals to render your image. Zink Pocket Photo Printer approx. $100; zink.com
Small Talk 
About the size of a remote control, North America´s smallest satellite phone keeps you in touch from anywhere on the planet without weighing you down. Globalstar GSP-1700 $1000; globalstarusa.com
Back it Up 
Have thousands of photos on your hard drive, but always forget to back them up? Plug in this completely automatic USB storage device and have it locate, copy, and store all the images on your system with nary the push of a button. Polaroid Backup $140; polaroid.com
Pointing Fingers 
Slip this compact mouse onto your index finger and move your cursor by running the laser along almost any surface, whether desk or denim. Use its side-mounted buttons and scrollwheel with your thumb. Logisys Optical Finger Mouse $30; logisyscomputer.com
Pod People 
Midday productivity lag? If only there were some sort of "pod" where you could take a "nap." This chair, designed for workplace power naps, has a privacy visor to block out ambient noise and rouses the sleeper after a short but energizing 20 minutes with gentle vibrations and alarms. MetroNaps EnergyPod $8,000; metronaps.com
Medical Memory 
If youre diabetic, you know how hard it can be to remember if you took insulin, let alone how much your last dose was. A digital memory chip embedded in this insulin pen automatically records the date, time and size of your last 16 doses and displays them with the push of a button. Dose size is selected by spinning the end of the pen, which dials it up or down in one-unit increments. HumaPen Memoir About $45; humalog.com
Brusha Brusha Brusha 
If you're like us, you don't think much about your toothbrush until the three-month mark when it begins resembling a toilet brush and youre forced to chuck it and begin again. If the cycle is beginning to wear thin, consider the latest in dental technology: titanium. Whereas nylon bristles absorb water and bacteria, the titanium alloy is resistant to both and has better elasticity, which makes for a more effective cleaning. Best of all, the brush lasts two to five years, so you can spend what was previously toothbrush-shopping time on something more worthwhilelike floss comparison. TiFinity $47; tifinitytoothbrush.com
Source: Popular Science
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