Cellular Book paraded

You're about to go on a long road trip, and have forgotten to pack that newly bought paperback along. Have no fear, the Cellular Book is here to save the day. This unique compact device comes with an E-Ink display that works well when displaying e-books and maps, doubling up as a cellphone in the process. The use of E-Ink technology ensures excellent battery life for the Cellular Book, requiring a recharge once every fortnight assuming you read stuff from it on an average of two hours a day. Underneath the hood lies 4GB of internal memory, a fold-up design when you're carrying it around, USB connectivity, and email synchronization. Stay tuned for pricing and availability details.

Nokia 330 coming Stateside

Nokia's new 330 portable navigation system will be making its way into the U.S. sometime next month, and this baby will come with preloaded Navteq maps as well as a 3.5" touchscreen display, turn-by-turn voice-guided directions for the truly lost, and multimedia playback capabilities. This means you will be able to relax to your favorite tunes despite being lost, while keeping the crowd of happy campers smiling with a Simpsons cartoon or two. Basically, the Nokia 330 is pretty much similar to everything else out in the market, making the $499 price tag rather questionable.

iPods and PDAs work well with birds

Avid bird watchers who are technologically inclined will definitely be interested in merging the use of a PDA and iPod to become a better bird watcher. As long as you load your Palm with a database containing nothing but bird species and fill your iPod with bird songs, the job gets easier when it comes to identifying your avian friend outside. I wonder when will software companies take up the challenge of creating a program that identifies bird sounds on a PDA or smartphone device? As for me, I'd rather head off to the local aviary and see all the birds I want to see without going through the pain of waiting, or turn on National Geographic instead.

Pico movie projector from TI

Texas Instruments has finally allowed the public to capture photos of its Pico DLP projector which is so small, it can be fitted at the bottom of the cellphone. Measuring a mere 1.3", the Pico comes with a trio of lasers, a DLP chip that is capable of delivering widescreen TV images in DVD-quality images, and a power supply. I can imagine those business suits using this with their PowerPoint presentations on a Windows-powered smartphone, while the more laidback among us will probably organize impromptu movie sessions wherever there is a big enough space and little light. No word on when the Pico will be released, but it looks like those video recording functions on cellphone can finally be put to good use.

GlobalSat launches GV-380

GlobalSat has released a brand new portable GPS navigation device at CeBIT recently, and it goes by the moniker GV-380. There is no word on pricing or availability, so we'll just have to make do with scant details regarding its specifications for the moment. The GlobalSat GV-380 comes with a fairly standard 4.3" touchscreen display as well as a DVB-T receiver inside for you to watch your favorite shows on the go. I suppose other multimedia capabilities are thrown into the mix as well, and there had better be a memory expansion slot of some kind!

Garmin readies 3 new GPS systems

Hot off the press, Garmin announced three new GPS systems from its 200 series. Each of these new releases come with a 3.5" touchscreen display and turn-by-turn voice prompted directions, differentiated only by the amount of NAVTEQ map data installed within. The n�vi 200 comes with only maps of the contiguous U.S., while the n�vi 250 throws in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico as well. Well-heeled travelers will have to pick up the n�vi 270 since it comes with the aforementioned maps in addition to mapping data for over 30 European countries. The n�vi 200, 250, and 270 will retail for $400, $500, and $600 respectively. There is no word on their release, but my deadpan crystal ball says it will be within this year.

Polk Audio MiDock10 for iPod owners

Polk Audio decided that the iPod accessory market was too good to pass and decided to released the Polk MiDock10 that pumps out your favorite iPod tunes with much more bang when compared to your sissy pair of headphones. This $180 speaker dock features a couple of 3.25" full-range drivers and boasts an auxiliary port for all three of you who have not yet jumped onto the iPod bandwagon. Just in case you can't find a power outlet nearby, there is always the C battery to the rescue. We highly recommended powering the MiDock10 with the former, since purchasing eight C-cell batteries at a go can be quite expensive in the long run.