With parental concerns in mind, the LoudEnough earbuds from Ultimate Ears have volume-limiting safeguards built into the hardware. The earbuds, available in three colours, sell for about $40. Each pair comes with two sets of silicone tips in three sizes (extra-small, small and medium) for keeping the buds in place inside the ears. Although safe volume levels are still important, the components in the LoudEnough earbuds also reduce sound-pressure levels up to 20 decibels, or one quarter of the volume of other earphones. They use a standard 3.5mm stereo plug, which allow the Ultimate Ears to fit just about any portable MP3 player or other audio device.
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Buy
While the chunky Suunto X10 might not go well with a tuxedo, James Bond would still love it. The watch hides a Global Positioning System unit, a stopwatch, compass, barometer and an altimeter into a package not much bigger than 007’s favourite Omega. On the X10, you can record and download your last run or hike to Google Earth or other digital mapping programs. It offers 33% longer battery life than its predecessor, the X91. If you are lost, a press of the “Find Home” button will direct you back along the same route you came or even offer a more direct route.
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Network
Iogear’s new USB Laptop keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) Switch ($130) is a double-ended cable that connects two Windows PCs or laptops (a Mac version should be available soon). Then you can use one PC to control the other and even drag files and folders between the machines. You can also use your laptop as a second screen: Your email inbox could live on the laptop’s smaller screen while, say, a larger excel spreadsheet is on your larger monitor. And since you’ll also be using your full-size keyboard and mouse for both machines, you won’t just be more productive. You will be more comfortable too.
©2008/The New York Times
Play
Nostalgia gnaws at you every time you see your precious VHS tapes collection. Sighing, you wonder how to play it all back... Now banish those media format obsolescence blues with the $230 Ion USB VCR. A device that gives you a direct USB link to your PC for capturing the tapes in MPEG4 in up to 720x576 resolutions, this VCR comes with bundled EZ VHS Converter software that allows you to burn PAL/NTSC videos to DVD, and port them to your PSP, iPod or laptop. Happy rewinds! (Ashish Bhatia)