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- jfdolier, on 11/25/2008, -1/+56#1: Scotch
- giveer, on 11/25/2008, -7/+30
#1 Peek Email Device
This Mobile Device Only Does Email -- Perfectly
Not every gadget needs a carnival of features. Take the Peek, which tackles just a single task: mobile email. No phone, no browser, no camera—and no apologies. It won't satisfy convergence-rabid smartphone fetishists, but for the rest of the world (i.e., the majority of it), this one-trick pony is a godsend. In terms of looks, its slim profile stands up to the big boys. But the real treat is the interface. Instead of forcing you to wrestle with laborious setup menus, the Peek asks for a name, email address, and password. That's it. Message from your Comcast.net account? Done. Gmail, Hotmail, and other webmail accounts? No sweat. Peek has an army of techies behind the curtain to handle the digital diplomacy that makes their device work flawlessly with every major email purveyor — and quite a few minor ones. It runs on T-Mobile's massive cellular network, so even the most itinerant technophobe can use it on the go.
#2 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700
Sleek Sony Cam Shows Off Family Photos on the Spot
Face it: No one checks your Flickr page. The only time friends see your photos is when you whip out the old digicam and cruise through whatever happens to be stored on it. The crafty folks at Sony know this, which is why they made the Cyber-shot DSC-T700, a pocket snapper that's as adept at displaying images as it is at capturing them. Just 0.7-inch thick, the sleek case incorporates a 10.1-MP sensor and Carl Zeiss lens, giving pictures a crispness rarely found in compact cameras. Flip it over and you'll find that the back is literally all display — a 3.5-inch, 16:9 touchscreen that replaces every hard button except Review, Zoom, Power, and Shutter. But this rig's beauty goes way beyond the surface: 4 gigs of onboard memory hold up to 950 hi-res shots. So enough with the uploading. Quit spamming the world with links to 40 shots of your lunch and start bragging with this. —John Mahoney $400
#3 Stage a Water-Cooler Ambush With Pump-Action Nerf Blaster
Workplace warlords must master a complex arsenal — the preemptive status report, the perfectly timed personal day, the BCC. And ever since Nerf released its N-Strike line of "toys" in 2002, we've had one more: the foam bullet, expertly aimed at your coworker's concentration-furrowed brow. For the serious open-plan warrior, there's no better weapon than the Recon CS-6. This pump-action blaster comes outfitted with a shoulder stock and a red-dot sight for cubicle sniping. Should you get caught in a watercooler ambush, the CS-6's six-shot magazine staves off the dreaded hollow click. But if you're going under cover, you'll need a sidearm you can conceal behind a manila folder. No problem, because the Recon is a transformer. Remove the stock and barrel extender and it becomes a stealthy Nerf pistol. Keep one in your desk drawer and those hooligans from accounting will never even look at your parking space again. —Cliff Kuang $20
#4
Brammo Enertia Limited Editiion
Commute-Friendly Electric Cycle Does 0 to 30 in 3.8 Seconds
The electric vehicle is a cool idea too often poorly executed. Today's batteries don't have the oomph or range to be practical — unless you drop 100 grand for a Tesla. That's why Brammo's gearheads started with motorcycles. They're so light that even readily available batteries can make one commute-worthy. The 285-pound Enertia is proof of that. At its heart is a lithium-iron-phosphate power cell designed to be as safe as it is efficient. "A plasma fire is not something we want to see," company founder Craig Bramscher says. The Enertia charges in just over three hours and is good for 45 miles. The 13-kW motor silently propels the electro-cycle to 30 mph in 3.8 seconds — quick enough to beat that cab away from the light — and to a top speed of 53 mph. Brammo hasn't created a highway-ready monster (yet), but Bramscher takes heart in what his creation can do: The electric motor's instantaneous torque is perfect for wheelies. —Chuck Squatriglia $15,000
#5
Mitsubishi LaserVue HDTV
3-D-Ready HDTV Uses Laser Light to Double Color Range, Save Energy
Mama always told you not to stare into the sun. She might have added lasers to the list of no-nos — looking directly at the concentrated beams can burn your retinas. So who'd have thought they'd make an ideal light source for televisions? Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue taps this tech to produce an astonishingly vivid picture. The rear-projection set's color range is twice as broad as a typical HDTV's, yet it consumes 33 percent less energy than a similar-size LCD. Though this 3-D-ready TV may seem straight outta Solaris, you don't need to fear its newness; unlike most nascent technologies, lasers have stamina. The company claims they'll never need replacing. So go ahead and screen those Lost DVDs 24/7. Or if you're feeling reckless, fire up your Blu-ray player to savor Angelina in all her Beowulfian glory. Kind of like staring at the naked sun, only hotter. —Jose Fermoso $7,000
#6
PlantSense EasyBloom
USB Stake Helps Brown Thumbs Turn Green, Monitors Soil Conditions
Those cacti on your windowsill don't deserve to die. Even if you regularly fail at horticulture, the EasyBloom can help. Just leave it in your proposed planting area for 24 hours, either stuck in the dirt or propped up in its cradle, then plug it into your computer's USB port. The gizmo measures soil conditions, sunlight, temperature, and humidity, comparing the results with an online database to recommend species that will thrive there. And should the weather be wacky that day, the EasyBloom is smart enough to check the National Weather Service for local averages. Your data is stored online for quick reference. If you've already killed everything in the garden, plunk the sensor down in your little Death Valley, set it to Monitor mode, and let it tell you what you're doing wrong. But here's a tip: If you find yourself running the autopsy repeatedly, it could be something basic. You do have to water the crops, you know. The EasyBloom can't do everything for you. —Elizabeth Livengood $60
#7
Voodoo Envy 133
Svelte Ultralight Notebook Comes Fully Loaded
Ultralight notebooks come dressed to impress, but most disappoint when it's time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. Not the Voodoo Envy 133, a glossy black Kubrickian slab of awesomeness that makes other ultralights weep from their USB ports. Encased in carbon fiber, the Envy is just 0.7-inch thick and weighs 3.4 pounds when outfitted with a solid-state hard drive. Its looks will induce pangs of jealousy in the boardroom; back in the hotel room, the Envy proves that it's not just a pretty face. Even the base model rocks the tiny-team roster with a 1.6-GHz Intel processor, 2 gigs of RAM, swappable battery, LED-backlit display, and the widest array of ports — HDMI, eSATA, and ExpressCard — in its class. Like most of the svelte set, the Envy is heavy on wireless (802.11n, Bluetooth), but wired users aren't locked out. Since the case is thinner than an Ethernet jack, Voodoo built the connector into the power brick, which generates a dedicated wireless link with the computer. An instant-on OS lets you surf the Web or make Skype calls without booting up Windows. It all adds up to one drool-worthy package. —Christopher Null $2,100 AND UP
#8 Garmin Edge 705 Cycling Computer
Cycling GPS Tells You Where You Are — and How You Got There
At Wired, we love cycling almost as much as we love melting the chrome off passing cars with our high-powered laser. Almost. But even the combustion crew couldn't help raising an eyebrow at Garmin's top-tier, GPS-enabled cycling computer. This Tour-worthy unit tells you not only where you are but — thanks to heart rate, distance, and elevation tracking — exactly how you got there. The 2.2-inch color screen is as easy to read in the noontime glare as a sundial and offers more data-customization options than a crooked accountant. The Edge plays nice with wireless power meters to let you monitor the wattage you're generating while you pedal. It even lets you beam saved routes to other nearby 705 users. Optional street maps ensure that you can always find your way around town. So program this into your new Edge: 520 Third Street, San Francisco. Just don't roll up on some chromed-out fixie, because not even the 705 can see Lazor coming.—Mathew Honan $500
#9 Roku Netflix Player
It's the All-Digital Future – $100 Netflix Box Streams 15,000 Films
At the start of 2008, the Web-streamed movie experience still felt like a half-baked preview of its potential. Digital delivery required expensive hardware, and you paid extra for each rental (cough, Apple TV ... cough, Vudu). It wasn't the future we'd hoped for. Then came Roku's Netflix Player, the $100 video box that could summon more than 15,000 titles at no charge for Netflix subscribers. It was a revelation, wherein we learned what streaming video was supposed to feel like: nothing. That nothing changed everything. So go ahead, tear through all four seasons of The Office on a whim (then the original British version for good measure). Watch Strays because there's nobody home to exercise a Vin Diesel veto. For movies you can't stream, you still get your little red envelopes. And the same Roku box you love now will support hi-def streams when Netflix offers them. This little treasure chest is the real thing, straight from the all-digital future. —John Mahoney $100
#10 Milwaukee M-Spector Camera
Try This at Home: Camera on a Flex Cable Finds Lost Objects
Milwaukee may have designed it to help home inspectors spot hidden mold or shoddy repairs, but the M-Spector is just too much fun to leave to the pros. Did your 5-year-old really drop your diamond ring down the sink — or pawn it for Fruit Roll-Ups? Want to find out the easy way how many bananas your "hilarious" brother-in-law stuffed in your tailpipe? Grab the M-Spector, thumb the power button, and the 2.5-inch screen lights up with 320x240-pixel color video, transmitted from the tiny CMOS camera on the end of its flexible neck. A camera-mounted LED illuminates dark and dismal places, letting you see anywhere you can cram the 3-foot-long cable. Sure, cops could use the M-Spector to peer around corners or ferret out shanks in prison cells, but it's equally effective at locating the perfectly good grape that rolled under your fridge. Just don't get too creative; you'll probably want to draw the line at home colonoscopies. —Chuck Cage $250 - Wag3Slav3, on 11/25/2008, -1/+24Could be re-titled as "10 items that no one bought in 2008." a $15,000 electric scooter? $2,100+ netbook? PDA that doesn't do any of the PDA things? C'mon, no one forgot anything because of this crap in 2008.
- slapded, on 11/25/2008, -3/+24wired and forbes need new web designers
- Supernova36, on 11/25/2008, -2/+13The whole giant number thing is a little annoying in terms of trying to work out the scale and size of each product..
"Flip it over and you'll find that the back is literally all display — a 3.5-inch, 16:9 touchscreen that replaces every hard button except Review, Zoom, Power, and Shutter."
Show us the back of it then! That way I don't have to use Google to understand what you're writing about... - quickgold192, on 11/25/2008, -1/+11those graphics look like they took a lot of work
- 2of8, on 11/25/2008, -1/+11Some people appreciate being able to skim through it quickly, without looking at 10 pages with pictures and squished text. I looked at the article itself, but what giveer did is definitely a welcome favour to some :)
- NewsFeed, on 11/25/2008, -1/+11That easyBloom thing is pretty awesome. I have to get one of them and stop killing all my plants.
- y2j00o, on 11/25/2008, -3/+12Where are all the comments bitching about "Front page with 165 diggs... I miss the old digg."
Not to be outdone by the missing "one list, ten pages?!" comments - StevieJanowski, on 04/02/2009, -5/+13how did nerf make the list? Other thank that well thought out list
- inactive, on 11/25/2008, -0/+7#2: Vodka
- mynameistux, on 11/25/2008, -0/+6who else thought of dirty things for the last one?
- alpinecow, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5Did this phrase scare anybody else: "Want to find out the easy way how many bananas your "hilarious" brother-in-law stuffed in your tailpipe?"
- PGPirate, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5Beer, shots, tequila, wine, moonshine etc etc etc
- MrMysterious, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5The peek sounds an awful lot like the original BlackBerries.
- samard2002, on 11/25/2008, -1/+6Why does Nerf stuff make every list and gadget fetish site? Is this a Silicon Valley thing? I have never worked anywhere that had Nerf toys just lying around. And if I applied for a job at a company where employees had Nerf guns at their desks, I would probably walk out.
- TheSum, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5Wow, I am totally getting the Milwaukee M-Spector Camera. Now I will finally know if that lying bitch really is pregnant.
- Jeeum, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5I don't understand the meaning of the title.
- vertimber, on 11/25/2008, -0/+5I forgot what I read.
- doshindude, on 11/25/2008, -0/+4that is the worst designed webpage ever. buried for being on 10 pages that I couldn't find.
- cathpah, on 11/25/2008, -0/+4if you're trying to forget 2008, and you're going to drink Spaten.....why not drink their Optimator?!
that'd do the trick. - inactive, on 11/25/2008, -0/+4I have worked in a place like that. It was a bunch of very lazy people that spent more time goofing off, throwing shift around and justifying their importance than working. Needless to say I was glad to move on to a higher paying and more productive job.
- TehDoctor, on 11/25/2008, -1/+5All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy - Jeeum, on 11/25/2008, -1/+5Why would someone pay $20/mo. for a PDA that only does email?
- Sakumi, on 11/25/2008, -1/+5Well you're no fun.. that's a solid reason to give your best during the interview ;)
Who wouldn't love to be able to shoot at the boss with soft projectiles? - dynamojoe, on 11/25/2008, -0/+4How can a camera help you forget things? Sounds like the exact opposite of what a camera should do.
- inactive, on 11/25/2008, -3/+7Gee, ya think?
- dbalaski, on 11/25/2008, -1/+4#3 Beer (German -- Spaten Oktoberfest )
- Elranzer, on 11/25/2008, -0/+3Top year that made me forget these products: 2008
- freehunter, on 11/25/2008, -0/+3The back would just be a black rectangle if the display were off, or a picure if it were on. Not much to identify itself as a camera, as much as a PMP.
- computerdave, on 11/25/2008, -0/+3I agree with the comment on the site, I hadn't heard of any of these, save for the Sony camera (I have one). Some cool items to be sure, but what does the title of the article actually have to do with the items on the list?
- computerdave, on 11/25/2008, -0/+3I have one of those and it's awesome. The widescreen photos are great and the picture quality is better than anything else I've had personally.
- secrity, on 11/25/2008, -0/+3There are much cheaper moisture meters and indicators available.
- Gr00veMerchant, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2decent
- Gr00veMerchant, on 11/25/2008, -1/+3Scotch, scotch, scotch... I love scotch.
- wolfing, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2I agree and it's the first thing I look for in a digg when I see an article takes more than 1 page... a comment with the contents. Thanks
- crash331, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2I just got one last week. I normally stay away from Sony camera and their proprietary memory, but this camera has 4gigs built in. I love it so far
And try playing the the feature that "enhances" smiles. You will get some hilarious results. - ksgant, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2A hammer to the head will make you forget 2008...and a lot more. But only if applied right. There's a fine line between using the hammer to help forget and murder-with-a-blunt-object.
- hansolo, on 11/25/2008, -1/+3Yeah a $7000 tv with today's economy.
- inactive, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2Wired's online content really blows.
- Griminald, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2Sum-up posts like these are exactly what I look for whenever I see a Top X list, unless I see another comment from a user amazed that it's on one page. I digg down 10-page Top 10 lists on principle.
If I catch a Top X list early and no copy-paste is here, I'll do it myself. - Pericol, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2nice job. the article had a horrible layout
- locondcoco, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2thought i was the only one...
- InfernoX, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2Ever watch men in black?
- junkneo, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2This will be in the top 10 of worst top 10 lists for 2008.
- kd1s, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2I love how these lists assume that everyone has a spare $7,000 or $15,000 laying around just waiting to be used for something frivolous.
That said, the Netflix box looks interesting. I wonder how that other video pioneer, Vudu is doing. They have a model that says buy the box for $300 and then pay anywhere from $2 to $50 per movie while Netflix I assume has a regular subscription plan.
Bye bye Vudu. - DRC1, on 11/25/2008, -0/+2Should be retitled:
"Top 10 Products That Helped Us Forget 2008 according to WIRED"
like the guy on the comments said...never heard of any of those things except for the Netflix box... - 2of8, on 11/25/2008, -0/+1Agreed. Wired layout in general is kinda weird. Hah. The words are close too. COINCIDENCE? I think not!
- thanatosys, on 11/25/2008, -4/+5pot?
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