May's New Technology Toys & Gadgets

By Judy Antell June 1, 2009

Plug and Play
Get a portable music device, preloaded with 1,000 songs, for less than the price of most iPods. The new Sansa slotRadio player, at $99, is perfect for busy parents who don’t have time to load a player; this one comes with an FM radio tuner, a belt clip, and 13 hours playing time. No need for a computer to charge it, either; it comes with a wall plug. The slotRadio player has music in seven playlists, including alternative, rock, and workout; music is chosen from Billboard’s charts. Additional radio cards give you another 1,000 songs for only $39. The square player, about the size of an Oreo cookie, can skip songs you don’t like. At Radio Shack or www.slotradio.org.

Perfect for Mom
Fujifilm has a new, entry level digital camera that has a simple learning curve for busy moms, plus features families will appreciate: face detection with auto red-eye correction, waterproof to 10 feet, and crisp pictures. The photos are easy to share; a blog mode allows you to resize images quickly. And the one-touch movie button lets you switch to filming if your toddler suddenly learns to walk or breaks out into song. In green, pink or black; $199 at www.fujifilmusa.com.

Make Mom a Card
Print photos directly from a camera’s memory card, and add text, frames, and clip art to create greeting cards, scrapbook pages, or large, glossy photos to display. The HP Photosmart A826 Home Photo Center has a seven-inch color touch screen so you can easily edit photos, and there’s a stylus so you can write or draw on photos. $199 at www.hp.com.

Perfect PC
Get a PC tune-up from NortonLive. This 24/7 service works anywhere; the techies at NortonLive access your computer remotely. The $69.99 tune-up checks for viruses and spyware, deletes unused programs, and optimizes your PC – on your schedule. Call 877-788-4877 or go to www.nortonlive.net for more information.