DVD burner gets connected
— -- This weekly roundup takes a look at the practical and sometimes quirky aspects of tech products.
DVD burner gets connected
Want to save your smartphone's videos onto a disc? No need to power up the PC. With PlexEasy, you can burn DVDs directly from a smartphone, camera or tablet. Equipped with a USB connector and a media slot, the CD/DVD burner can back up video, audio and photos from connected devices, USB drives and SD memory cards. When connected to a computer, the burner from Plextor also functions as an external drive. The PlexEasy External CD/DVD Burner costs about $150.
Case keeps phone, keys dry
Ready to hit the water? Whether you're sunning at the beach or paddling a kayak, you'll want to take your phone with you — just in case. Only problem is electronic items — be they phones, MP3 players or electronic car keys — don't mix well with water. One solution is the Eco Extreme, a waterproof speaker case from Grace Digital Audio. Designed to withstand up to three feet of water for 30 minutes, the shockproof case can protect your phone, electronic keys and other personal items from water, sand, dirt and the inevitable drop to the ground. If you also crave music, its speaker can deliver your gadget's playlist via an inside audio jack. Priced at about $50, the floatable case comes with a detachable carabineer clip.
Thin with a big zoom
You don't have to be up close to capture a close-up with Sony's DSC-HX200V Cyber-shot camera. Part of the new H-Series, the compact camera sports a super-thin yet powerful 30x optical lens that can take great shots from across a room. The speedy point-and-shoot 18.2-megapixel camera can auto focus in about 0.13 seconds in daylight and 0.24 seconds in low-light settings. The camera also can capture high definition video. Priced at about $480, it has a 3-inch tilting LCD screen and a three-way image stabilizer.
Photo clock cues kids in on time
If your child — or teen for that matter — has trouble going to sleep, not to mention getting up on time, maybe he needs some new cues. One option is the Zazoo Photo Clock. When it's time to get up, the alarm clock displays an "awake" image. When it's time to nod off, it displays an "asleep" image. Or if you'd prefer, you can set it to display your own images. The multimedia clock can also play video and music, including 11 preloaded songs. Priced at about $90, the clock from Zazoo Kids includes a 7-inch screen, a built-in speaker, a headphone jack, a USB slot and a memory slot for SD and MS cards.
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