Xenofreaks PIX

Korean company Xenofreaks is clearly hoping the younger set will take to its mobile LED display, a disc-shaped device with a 2-inch LED screen that can be worn armband style or around the neck. Fancily dubbed an "ego visualizer", this could almost be a wearable cousin to the Tamagotchi Connection. Like the virtual pet toy, the PIX is designed to search for icon matches on other people's devices, and owners within range can infrared each other with images or text messages. Hey SDU (Singapore's official matchmaking agency), are you listening?

For more pictures, click here

Price: N.A.
Availability: Korea, likely to be rolled out across Asia
Device: Interactive visual display device
Basic specs: Infrared, 2-inch LED display, 177 high luminous LED in 15 x 15 matrix, 70 x 18.7mm, 59g including battery, 2 AAA batteries good for about 4 days, neck strap

Beachworld Biosphere

Have you ever wondered how the ship gets stuffed in the bottle? The same question applies to the Beachworld Biosphere. How cool can it be that an ecosystem actually thrives within a sealed glass sphere? Created by a space station engineer and two of the original Biosphere2 crew members, the Beachworld Biosphere works along the same principles. Light and heat help the micro algae generate oxygen and food for the resident freshwater shrimp (harvested from lava rock pools in Hawaii), which in turn produce carbon dioxide and nutrients for the algae to grow. Voila! The Beachworld Biosphere claims to be good for up to five years, although the first globe introduced to the Singapore Science Centre is still alive and kicking after 11 whopping years. But what we like best about the Biosphere is that it's absolutely maintenance-free.

Price: S$236 to S$988
Availability: Sole distributor Glo-Well (SEA) at Chinatown Plaza, Singapore
Device: Self-contained miniature world
Basic specs: Available in egg shape or round, varies from 10-25cm, weighs between 0.8kg and 1kg depending on model, contains freshwater amphipod shrimp, algae and micro-algae, self-supporting ecosystem, lifespan of 3-5 years

Oregon Scientific MP100

Oregon Scientific, the fellows behind the weather and projection clocks, have apparently gone into the digital audio space. New out is the MP100, which aims for bragging rights as the world's smallest MP3 player with an LCD screen. Though by the time this gets read, some Taiwan or Korean company would have contested that claim, given how everyone's downsizing their gizmos. At 28g, however, the MP100 is certainly lightweight; as is everything else. Batteries are an Achilles heel here at 2 hours of MP3s or 4 hours of WMA files, while memory is fixed at a paltry 128MB.

Price: £80 (US$146)
Availability: Europe
Device: MP3 flash player
Basic specs: 128MB flash memory, earpieces which double as neck cord, choice of four colors (orange, blue, black and titanium)

NEC N900 camera-phone

Available only for the China and Hong Kong markets, we're crossing our fingers the world's skinniest camera-phone could head to this tiny corner of the globe, as the GSM mobile includes English as a menu option. The NEC N900 is so flat, it could easily be mistaken for an EZ-Link card, were it not for the 1.8-inch LCD panel, buttons and--incredibly--a VGA camera sitting flush at the back of this little number. The catch: You'll need a headset to yak as there are no onboard speakers or mic, and it costs as much as a budget notebook. But really, who cares when you'll be basking in the envy of others.

See: Back view | Side view

Price: US$1,140
Availability: Only in China and Hong Kong
Device: Camera-phone
Basic specs: GSM900/1800MHz, 85 x 54 x 8.6mm, 70g, 65,536 TFT color, 1.8-inch display, 2MB memory, 48 hours standby, 45 mins talktime, 40-chord polyphony, VGA camera with zoom, photo light and multi shot, MMS support, PIM and to-do list, battery cradle

Sanyo Hello Kitty Toaster

For those who have everything, and we mean everything, here's a toaster that'll burn an image of Hello Kitty's lipless face onto every slice. You even get a choice of six shade settings plus defrost. Apparently, immediately following Sanyo's release of the toaster, an organized protest was held by members of the Cute Characters Union against what they considered "cool product licensing favoritism". What a hoot. But at least kids will now eat their sandwich, while Hello Kitty collectors will probably consider this the best thing to come about since, well, sliced bread.

Price: US$39.99
Availability: Online stores
Device: Toaster
Basic specs: Two-slice toaster, six shade settings plus defrost , cancel button for instant off , self-adjusting bread guides, separate, removable crumb tray

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