Sony PlayStation 2 white (SCPH-70000 CW)

Thanks to Apple, white has never been quite the same color since. Now it's de rigueur to offer at least one ceramic-white item in a vendor's stable of goods, Sony notwithstanding. Our fav maker of cool gaming consoles has dished out a whitewashed version of its slim PlayStation 2 which, despite the fact that it's likely to suffer wear-and-tear less graciously than its black sibling, will be on every PlayStation gamer's "want to have" list. Me, 2.

Check out the console | what's in the box | the review of black version

Price: US$219
Availability: Currently at PlayAsia.com and LikSang.com
Device:: Gaming console
Basic specs: Analog controller DUALSHOCK2, AV cable (integrated audio/video), AC adapter, built-in network connector, 230 × 28 × 152mm, 900g

Yamano 61-key Hand Roll Piano

More fabric-ated gadgets, this time in the shape of the Hand Roll Piano. Yamano (not to be confused with Yamaha) has quite literally rolled out a 61-key version of its silicon rubber-based piano which you can wrap up like a hand roll and carry with you. This lightweight instrument packs a 1kg lugging weight and is wafer thin at just 2.8cm. Sound comes out of the speaker on the right panel which also houses the batteries. If you're not terribly fussy about tinkering with real ivories, this porta piano should offer you an anywhere, anytime musical fix.

Click for the close-up

Price: 19,740 yen (US$183) for 61-key version; 14,490 yen (US$134) for 49-key model
Availability: Yamano
Device: Music instrument
Basic specs: 102.5 x 18.5 x 2.8cm, 1kg, 20 built-in tunes, headphone external speaker output terminal, silicon rubber, ABS resin, AC adapter pouch

Samsung 40-inch OLED TV

It must be wearisome being king of the hill. With the competition eating dust, our favorite Korean chaebol has dug into its Doraemon pouch and whipped out another world first--a 40-inch OLED TV. Until recently, Organic Light Emitting Electronic Diode was a manufacturing challenge and good as only itsy displays found mostly on MP3 players and phones. With Samsung's breakthrough expected to lead to super-skinny TVs just 3cm thick and far less costly, there's nothing more satisfying then knowing your snooty neighbor's 40-inch plasma is going to be so yesterday.

More Samsung firsts that have been reported: a 3GB music-phone | 7-megapixel camera-phone | an 82-inch LCD TV | slimmest CRT TV

Price: N.A.
Availability: Due 2006
Device:: OLED TV
Basic specs: HD display, 1,280 x 800 resolution, amorphous silicon backplane that enables fast video response times with low-power consumption, maximum screen brightness of 600 nits, black-and-white contrast ratio of 5,000:1, color gamut of 80 percent

Euphori-Lock

Well, we know that this won't stop some people. But ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's combination lock, which slips around the tub's upper lid, also works to keep your Cherry Garcia from roommates with long fingers. What can we say? Everyone needs one of these.

See larger image

Thanks to Popgadget

Price: US$5.50
Availability: Ben & Jerry's
Device:: Food accessory
Basic specs: N.A.

gelfrog

Watch out, Apple. Here comes gelfrog. Looking like something right out of Mars Attacks! ("We come in peace") with its green elastic outer "skin", the organic-looking notebook utilizes super-pliable elastomer to act as a smart skin. The result: An almost durable yet lightweight device that won't be toast if you drop it. The clever folks at Frog Design have factored in chameleon-like functions that include the gelfrog acting as a mobile mirror, a photo slideshow, a video projector, and even running a cloning algorithm that scans the user's outfit and re-projects a matching and complementary pattern. Now when can we get one?

Click to see up close | another perspective

Price: N.A.
Availability: Concept, read more about it here
Device:: Smart notebook concept
Basic specs: N.A.

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