CEN's Top 10 products of the year

By John Virata

At the end of each year we take a look at the products that have gone through our offices and determine what the absolute coolest products that we've had our hands on for testing. This year we've had several cool products that we wouldn't mind to give or receive as a gift, as well as some others that might just make a difference. So without the added drivel, here they are, in no particular order.

Olympus 1030SW waterproof digital camera
When Pentax first came out with its Optio water proof digital camera several years ago, the company joined forces with nine time surf champion Kelly Slater, packaging it as an ideal digital camera to take out in the surf. The company went so far as to co-sponsor an event with Kelly. Sadly though the camera didn't exactly live up to the hype and was eclipsed by Olympus and its SW series. There is a band of surf bloggers (http://jdubsingles.blogspot.com, http://dalybread.blogspot.com) in California who swear by the SW series.

While the company currently offers the 1050SW model, the current sweet spot, in my opinion is the 1030SW. For starters the 1030SW is waterproof up to 33ft, shockproof to 6.6ft, freeze proof to 14 degrees, and crushproof to 220lb feet. These features make the 1030sw ideal for such endeavors as water sports, winter sports, and more. It takes excellent still photos and shoots decent video in 640x480 and 320x240 image resolutions. The thing with most digital cameras is if you drop it from virtually any distance, damage is likely to occur. Very likely. I dropped a Kodak digital camera just a few feet and the LCD cracked, rendering it useless. I've dropped the 1030SW several times, and it still shoots with no problem. Though out for a while, you should be able to find the 1030SW heavily discounted.

The Flip video mino
The Pure Digital Flip Video line of point and shoot digital video camcorders have changed the way people capture video. The camera since it hit the market has sold more than 1 million units, and it is no surprise because it is so elegant in its simplicity. The Mino is smaller than its predecessors yet retains the same simple form factor that has made it one of the easiest, if not the easiest to use sub $200 digital camcorder on the market. Fire up the mino and its touch sensitive buttons light up around the big fat red record button in the center. Pause/play, zoom in/out, trash can, and video selection buttons for playback are the only controls on the camera. It comes with software for a direct upload to YouTube and it fits in your shirt pocket. The key to the Flip mino (and the HD version reviewed by Ko Maruyama here )is its small form factor and its super easy and fun to use experience.

Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Plus
The flash memory format has permeated virtually all aspects of our gadget society. You can find them in everything from cell phones to digital video cameras. Analog-based devices are fast disappearing. Just take a look at video camcorders. Tape based camcorders have virtually disappeared. Flash and hard drive camcorders are the choice of a new generation. But what to do with all those video tapes? Pinnacle Systems has a solution that addresses the needs of those who still use tape based camcorders but also looks to the future with support for the latest digital video cameras. Called the Studio MovieBox Plus, the hardware/software combination combines Pinnacle's Studio Plus 12 video editing software with a breakout box that enables you to import legacy analog video from S-video, Composite and FireWire based video sources, and video captured from AVCHD, DV, HDV, and MPEG-4 video sources. Think of it as a device with one step in the past but looking forward.

Kodak ESP 5 Multi-function printer
One of the environmentally incorrect practices that I know certain people have done in the past was buy a cheap inkjet printer and when the ink ran dry, they'd just throw that printer away and buy another brand new printer. I know of several people who have done this. Why? Because more often than not, the ink cartridge replacements cost almost as much as a new printer, so why not just get that new printer? Well, bad for the environment all the way around. Kodak, in attempting to address the high cost of inks, introduced a line of printers that makes it very inexpensive to replace the ink, on average just $9 for a black cartridge and $14 for the color cartridge, versus $20 that some of the other big printer manufacturers charge for their consumables. I've had the ESP 5 in for longer than I've supposed to and it is a rock solid unit that outputs outstanding quality images, while still offering scanning and copying functionality. Kodak is claiming that the ESP5 can print 52 4x6-inch color photos for $0.10 cents per photo compared to 18 color photos at $0.28 per photo. This is pushing the photo store prices, but you can do it at home, without driving to pick up your photos. You can also print from PICTBRIDGE enabled devices standard, and from Bluetooth devices with a Bluetooth option. The ESP5 has a built in reader that enables you to print from a variety of card formats, including Compact Flash, SD, and Memory Stick. Pretty cool multifunction printer that makes it inexpensive to print at home.

Border Movie
While not really a product, the Border Movie is a must watch documentary film for those who want to really know what is going on the United States Border. Regardless of what your view is on the illegal alien (illegal immigrant, undocumented worker, whatever you call these non U.S.citizens), it should be a must watch film for all Americans who value being a citizen. This film doesn't so much take a stand on the issue as much as it educates what goes on in the border towns of America and the ramifications these people have on the U.S economy. While it focuses mainly on immigrants who come from south of the border, it would also have been more powerful if it addressed the problem from all sides, including those coming from China, Europe and other countries looking for their piece of the American pie.

HYmini wind and solar powered charger
The 2008 election season brought out a lot of buzz-phrases into the American social consciousness. While there were the familiar, such as terrorist, socialist, clinging to guns and religion, VILF, pit bull, hockey-mom, and war hero, there were others, such as solar, nuclear, biodiesel, wind, and "clean coal" which to me sounds like an oxymoron. On the national level, we Americans have to wait and wait and wait to see if there will be any meaningful change in the way that energy is packaged for us to consume, but on the local level there are things that we can do to lessen our so called carbon footprint on the planet.

Hymini wind charger

With our electronic gadgets alone, we can power them via the sun thanks to devices such as a wind and solar powered charger called the HYmini. This device uses a fan that is spun via wind power, which in turn charges your iPod and other 5 volt device's batteries. The Hymini Solar panel grabs its power from the sun. A 20 minute capture time using the solar panel/battery can give you up to 4 minutes of talk time on your 3G mobile phone, up to 40 minutes play time on your MP3 player, up to 30 minutes of play time on your iPod, up to 40 minutes operation with your PDA and up to 20 shots with your digital camera. Now if Apple will sell a device that you don't throw away after three to four years of use, everything would be a bit cleaner.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
I've been a fan of Photoshop Elements for a long time, so much so it is hard for me to move to another application, notably Lightroom and Photoshop. It is just so much easier for casual digital photographers to get used to, and the features are outstanding with each new release. Version 7 adds some new search capabilities to help you better manage your images, so you know how to find them in the digital domain. Also new to this version is a Blue skies tool that enables you to enhance the skies in your images, because not everyone gets to shoot Hawaii-like blue skies. Photoshop Elements 7's Photomerge Scene Cleaner is also a neat trick that makes it easy to remove unwanted elements in a photograph. The application gives you a heck of a lot of bang for your buck, and still keeps your images adequately organized.

Canon 50D
The Canon 50D is the camera that many amateur photographers would love to get stuffed in their stockings this holiday season. The camera, at around $1399, features a 15.1 megapixel image sensor, better write times to the memory card, 6.3 fps up to 90 JPGS or 16 RAW files with UDMA CF cards, a new Auto Lighting Optimizer, and improved noise reduction for higher ISOs. If you've been using the heck out of your Digital Rebel and are hankering for some new hardware, the 50D might just be the ticket.

Toms Shoes
While not really a tech product, what Toms Shoes (http://www.tomsshoes.com/) does after you buy a pair is worthy. For every shoe that you buy at Toms Shoes, the company will donate a pair of shoes to a child in this world who doesn't have a pair. Does it make you feel good? Well, it should because in this consumptive society, sometimes little things such as this (which is really a big thing, considering what the big shoe conglomerates do with their billions) is what makes the world go round, not right, but it still keeps things spinning.

The company gave more than 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and 50,000 pairs of shoes in 2006, the year the company was formed. In 2008, it has a goal of giving 200,000 shoes to needy children around the world. The shoes start at around $42. Buy a pair, give a pair.

SIGG water bottle
I've been trying to wean my family off of bottled water with limited success for the last year. Two of four in my immediate family have been able to resist the ease of availability that plastic water bottles present. And that is via the SIGG water bottle. Made in Switzerland out of aluminum, the SIGG bottles have been around for several years but have become a trendy bottle in the last year as folks begin to realize the harmful effects that plastic water bottles reap on the world's oceans and landfills.

Fortune Magazine and other news outlets have reported on the Fiji bottled water company. While the water does come from a well in Fiji, the means in which to extract, bottle, and ship that water really is where bottled water has gone awry in all aspects, not just the landfill aspect. The company claims to have installed a windmill to offset the diesel generators that run the bottling plant, but the water still travels via ocean vessel to its destination, and the water is still very expensive for what essentially is a free resource. So do the planet and yourself a favor and invest in some SIGG bottles and fill up at the tap, because after the initial capital expenditure of the SIGG bottles is absorbed, all your bottled water will be free, from the tap.

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John Virata is senior editor of Digital Media Online. You can email him at jvirata@digitalmedianet.com

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