The Buzz: What's New in Technology

Winner of the 2007 CES Innovations Award, the VR920 by Vuzix is being touted as the world’s first fully immersive virtual reality video eyewear. The slim 3.2-ounce PC video “specs” feature a 32-degree field of view, head tracker, 3-D support, and a virtual 62-inch screen. “Gamers and simulation enthusiasts alike will experience firsthand the awesome, out-of-body experience that the VR920 provides,” explains Paul Travers, Vuzix CEO. “From flight simulators and first-person shooters to online strategy and war games, the VR920 will revolutionize how games are played and developed. $399.95. www.vuzix.com.

Debuting this month, the flyPhone is designed for kids ages 8 to 12 and boasts high-end features, such as an MP3 player, video player, and mobile games, as well as access to customized ringtones, wallpaper, photos, and slideshows. Meanwhile, proprietary new software flyKicks, free to flyPhone users, restricts access to age-appropriate material. Creator Firefly Mobile has also updated its glowPhone, for kids ages five to eight. The flyPhone retails for $124.99. Minutes can be purchased in bundles at www.fireflymobile.com. Best of all, there’s no contract.

We interrupt “The Buzz” with a gratuitous side comment: SLJ staffers admit to playing with, and enjoying the heck out of, toy guns when they were kids. But none of them are homicidal maniacs, at least outside the office. Now back to our regularly scheduled text. Nintendo’s new Wii Zapper “targets fun,” according to the company, encasing both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers in a single unit. The Zapper, which goes on sale Nov. 19 for $19.99, wil come loaded with Link’s Crossbow Training, software based on the popular Zelda game series. Other products to support the Wii Zapper include EA’s Medal of Honor Heroes 2 and Capcom’s Resident Evil. www.nintendo.com.

Transform your notes and other handwritten material from plain paper to your PC with IOGEAR’s Digital Scribe. The new gadget includes a digital pen, which connects to an electronic receiver, and handwriting recognition software that’s able to decipher cursive writing in 10 different languages. The Scribe can also capture drawings and export them as JPEG images, eliminating the hassle of using cumbersome digital drawing tools. The writing device takes standard ink refills and unlike earlier digi-pens, no special tracking paper is required. $99.95. www.iogear.com.

Look DIY cool with this accessory hanging from your shoulder. The make-it-yourself camera cozy comes from the folks at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (www.evilmadscientist.com), where you can find a detailed and fully illustrated set of instructions. For a retro look, cut up an old pair of jeans and some batik cloth, as shown. Designed for Canon models, the cozy can also be adapted to fit other cameras. Still have time to spare? Then make a Lego trebuchet or burn graphic symbols on toast.

If you have opinions about library materials—and we know you do—there’s another place to share them. My Discoveries, a new social library platform from visual search software AquaBrowser, allows users to review, tag, and share catalog items. Now LibraryThing has gotten in on the act. The popular Web-based service (www.librarything.com) that allows book lovers to catalog their collections and connect with other readers is now available to My Discoveries subscribers, who can access data on the 17,000 million books logged by LibraryThing-ers thus far. www.aquabrowser.com.

Fans of unitedstreaming, the popular multimedia database of 40,000-plus educational videos, will now be able to access these materials directly from Gale’s databases. The giant digital library, which has undergone a name change—unitedstreaming is now Discovery Education Streaming—will appear initially in five Gale products, including Student Resource Center (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Junior, and Canadian Edition) and Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Visit www.gale.com.

Plantronics has released the Voyager 855, the first mono-to-stereo convertible Bluetooth headset with noise reduction for MP3 mobile phones. The Voyager 855’s sound-isolating earbuds and convertible cable offer clear stereo sound when listening to digital music, as well as complete binaural immersion while conversing. When attached, the stereo cable also enables wireless AVRCP remote control capabilities. Plantronics’ stereo multipoint technology alerts users to incoming calls and allows easy switching between conversations and music. At 15 grams, the Voyager’s also the lightest Bluetooth device available. $149.95. www.plantronics.com.

Bubble Wrap, what would we do without it? It protects our stuff from breaking into bits. Then there’s the strangely gratifying therapy of squeezing those airy little pillows ’til they pop. Now, Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap, is inviting students in grades 5–8 to submit designs using the stuff in its Competition for Young Inventors. But get a wiggle on, the deadline’s Nov. 1. www.sealedair.com.