Say hello to someone's face
— -- This weekly roundup takes a look at the practical and sometimes quirky aspects of tech products.
Say hello to someone's face
If you yearn to see your favorite someone in high-def, you can contact them through Biscotti, a compact device that turns your high-definition TV into a high-def video phone.
Designed to transmit images and sound via your home's wireless network, the device sports a high-definition camera and microphone. When you're ready to video conference, simply tap on its remote.
The device also can be set to turn on the TV, receive calls while the TV is on and automatically answer specific calls. It costs about $200.
Create video newsletters
Want to jazz up your holiday newsletter? Animoto can help you turn your favorite pictures and news into a video greeting that can be shared online.
Using the online service's holiday design templates and your own photos, you can create a snazzy video clip with special effects and music. Select from one of the site's 45 holiday tunes or upload your own.
When your video is finished you can e-mail it to friends, share it online or burn a DVD. The site will let you create a 30-second video for free. A $5 monthly subscription or a $30 annual subscription gives you access to longer videos.
Camera style courts respect
With a black retro design reminiscent of serious film cameras of old, the Fujifilm X10 digital camera insists on being taken seriously. Even though the camera is relatively compact, the 12-megapixel device is loaded with some serious shooting power.
The camera sports a glass optical viewfinder that lets you "really" see what you're shooting, a smart sensor that selects the best shooting mode and a speedy power switch that gets the camera ready for a shot in under a second.
The camera also has a manual pop-up flash, a 4x manual zoom, a 2.8-inch LCD screen and an HD movie recording option. It costs about $600.
Tablet takes aim at kids
Tired of wiping tot-sized peanut-butter fingerprints off your tablet? Maybe your child needs a tablet of his own. One option is the kid-friendly Nabi tablet.
Designed for little ones, the Android-powered tablet provides wireless access to kid-friendly sites and comes preloaded with children's books, drawing apps and popular games, such as "Angry Birds" and "Need for Speed." If mom or dad wants a turn, it can be set to allow full access to the Web.
The tablet has a 1.1GHz Cortex-A9 processor, a capacitive multi-touch 7-inch display, a front-facing camera, 4-gigabytes of memory, a MicroSD card slot and a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. It costs about $200.
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