When we started seeing remote-controlled mini-helicopters and mosquito choppers buzz into the market, we kiddingly warned that a locust-like invasion must have been imminent. We're now sorry to say that the joke may be on us.

RoboCommunity is reporting that WowWee--maker of the hugely popular Robosapien--has submitted applications with the FCC for a remote-controlled "FlyTech Dragonfly." Quoting a user manual submitted to the agency, RoboCommunity says the device "has wings (like a dragonfly) and a tail rotor like on many helicopters, and is supposed to be 'crash-proof' due to what they term the 'high-flex' design. … Read more

As the retail industry learned long ago, it's never too early to start targeting products at consumers--and that means kindergarten or younger. So which brand do you turn to? The gold standard, of course: Disney.

Following the Mix Max, mobile phones, DVD players and countless other products, the OTO music player from Japan's Run-At is targeted at the youngest of consumers with the Disney imprimatur. Newlaunches says the square-shaped MP3 device has no built-in memory and works only with Windows software. But it costs only $25 and bears the images of Minnie Mouse and Stitch in pink and … Read more

MP3 players have already become fashion items and, as they've shrunk to Lilliputian size, we were wondering how long it would take for them to be designed as jewelry. After all, why take pains to sew them into clothing when you can make a statement right on your body?

That's apparently the thinking behind the limited-edition MusiQ from BenQ, an aluminum-magnesium music player that doubles as a dog tag, complete with a metal earphone chain. Anything But iPod says a 512MB version of the player will be available in December for about $88, but pricing for a 1GB … Read more

Perhaps the best thing about this mouse is its name: DeathAdder. Now that's marketing.

The serpentine theme is continued with the blue logo of gaming gear maker Razer on the black mouse, which Electronista says delivers high performance with its "third generation infrared sensor." Other features include five programmable buttons and a Teflon base for quicker action that's obviously invaluable when you're blasting through enemy lines.

And even if you're only mildly into gaming, we think it would be the perfect accoutrement for those of us who multitask while watching our favorite episodes of … Read more

This may not look like the most crushworthy item, but it's a classic case of form following functions--and many of them, at that. Depending on how you position it, the "multi-functional clock" from Japan-based Muji is a clock, a calendar, a thermometer or an alarm. Its utilitarian design lends itself for use in the kitchen or, as Ubergizmo suggests, as a space-saving travel device. And at $12, you won't fret too much about it when your luggage gets lost.

With monitor prices plummeting in recent years, it's not uncommon to have a few sitting idly around the house. If you use a Mac, there's a new way to connect them all without breaking your budget.

Matrox has just released Apple-compatible versions of its DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go devices, which can drive two or three monitors at the same time for desktops and laptops. Gizmag says the palm-sized boxes sell for $169 or $299 for the two- and three-screen models, respectively. That's a relatively inexpensive way to impress your friends when looking up stats at your Superbowl party … Read more

We weren't terribly fond of the LED mirror we spied recently, mostly because we thought its scrolling messages might deliver insults about our lifestyle. But just to prove that we don't have anything against such objects, we wholly endorse this combination mirror, radiator and digital clock from Italy's Tubor, a heating device and technology specialist. (Who knew Italy had such stuff?)

Behind the reflective surface is a stainless steel facade that ingeniously hides an electric or water radiator. We liked this item not only for its practicality but also for the black, monolithic design that Trendir accurately … Read more

We fully admit to having precious little information about this item, but the photo alone is simply too good to resist. According to a blog called Big Marketing for Small Business, "A revolutionary new miniature computer is being worked on in Japan that comes in the shape of a pen that you can slip in to your pocket." It's especially interesting given that the whole concept of "pen computing" became something of a laughingstock years ago, at least until the PDA stylus came along.

This pen-sized device supposedly projects a virtual keyboard and screen, recogizing … Read more

It wasn't that long ago that mobile devices were pretty easy to distinguish from one another: A phone looked like a phone, a PDA looked like a PDA, etc. Today, everything could be anything, at least at first glance.

When we first saw this MP3 player from Germany-based Maxfield, for example, it could have been any number of gadgets or combinations thereof but--gasp--it just plays music. The "MAX-IVY" does display pictures on its 1.8-inch screen but has no video, camera or phone, according to Tech Digest. So why do we like it? Two reasons: It has … Read more