So you bought your Pioneer Inno or your Samsung Helix, but you don't like the case it comes with. Sure it's good-looking, sturdy, and protective. But you're not happy that it covers the controls.

Well, you'd be excited to know that Speck has released a leather case ($34.99) for the Helix and Inno that protects your radio's screen while giving you access to the play controls. The case even comes in pink (or the traditional black).

Sorry to disappoint, but when I tried out the case, it was horrible. The magnetic flaps on the top didn't close all the way, letting the radio fall out if I turned it upside down (as well as looking just plain bad, as in the photo at left). The protective plastic scratches easily, and the stitching is pretty bad and cheap-looking. The clip that comes with the Executive case is bulky and makes a lot of noise when you twist it.

On top of all that, the product names are sexist. The black case is named Executive, while the pink one is named Lady. What about the lady executive?

So, stick with the original case, or try another brand (although it looks like Belkin is the only other one available).

I've concluded that besides my love for LEDs, ergonomic products have also entered my list of favorite tech products.

The Hoverstop Sym 8-3 is an ergonomic computer mouse that detects whether or not your hand is actually on the mouse. Why is this useful? To rest your hand when the mouse is not in use. I've already scored a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 at work, but don't have an ergonomic mouse, and I can see why one would be beneficial. I don't know how many times I'll be reading an article online or checking my e-mail, and my hand will be on the mouse, even though I'm not even using it. Then the edge of my palm starts to feel numb and gets all red from resting on the mouse for so long.

The Hoverstop is intended to alieviate all of that. Set to 800 DPI, it includes a built-in sensor and a timer counter. If you're not using the Hoverstop for more than 10 seconds, it vibrates to remind you to take your hand away and rest, man!!

The Web site claims that this system can relax you up to 25 times an hour. It doesn't need any special software; just plug it into the USB port of your computer.

The Hoverstop sells for $89.99 on ThinkGeek.com.

Regular Gearlog readers have been following this story for the past week or so, and I've finally gotten to what seems to be (as Frank Zappa once said) "the crux of the biscuit".   Sony aimed to contrast Blu-ray to older DVD technology using their excellent new luggable laptops, and if there hadn't been such a crush of interest around the machines at the demo, it might have been more obvious. Our reporter on the scene, Lance Ulanoff, saw what he saw, but might have cleared it up with a quick question. Blu-ray does deliver amazing images, as does HD-DVD, and I'm really sorry Lance's curiosity with a camera got turned into an international incident. The good news is that the drives are just starting to ship.  Check out our video review of the first HD-DVD drive for more on that format, and we're working overtime to get a Blu-Ray drive in, now that they are starting to ship.

Let's have a little Gearlog experiment here.

I have a Motorola Q in my possession, and my review of the gadget is going online very soon. (Keep an eye on PCMag.com)  But my reviews, obviously, don't answer all the questions everyone has. So, what do you want to know? And is anyone reading this at all? (Other than you, Phoenix - I know you read everything.)

Go on, now, post comments.

DETROIT -- Integrated car-navigation systems need to get better and cheaper—or other navigation technologies will blow right by. Regardless, the best the automakers can hope for is a delay in the inevitable, because the embedded car navigation system (which first appeared in the mid-1990s) will lose its dominance in a couple years.

That was one of the predictions made by Thilo Koslowski, vice-president for automotive at Gartner Inc., at the annual Telematics Detroit conference. Navigation is a magnet for controversy: It's the most costly and most polarizing technology device inside the cockpit, especially when it's manipulated by a cockpit controller such as BMW's iDrive or Audi's MMI.

Navigation used to be about mapping a route and guiding you to your destination; progress meant increasing screen size, adding more data by going from CD to DVD discs, and updating routes in a second or two instead of half a minute. As prices get lower and basic mapping information becomes commoditized, though, customers are looking for more than just moving maps and turn-by-turn instructions.

"Disruptive forces will ultimately lead to navigation applications losing their premium status and becoming ubiquitous at low price points," Koslowski said. He believes this could happen in five to six years, and if he's right, automakers that are locking in 2009 cars now have only a year or two to react.

To maintain buyer interest, automakers can add functionality to the nav system and an in-dash display to show real-time and predictive traffic reports or weather overlays, or to use as infotainment panels. So far, automakers have been reluctant to include LCD panels in a new car unless it comes with the navigation system; those who do, however (as on some Acura and Mercedes-Benz models) can then sell a navigation system for about $1,000; it can be a dealer retrofit, too.

More people want navigation systems than own them. In both the U.S. and Europe, 40 percent of the buyers say they want navigation systems, according to Koslowski, but ownership of embedded or portable navigation systems amounts to just 8 percent here and 20 percent in Europe. In an earlier presentation, Harvey Cohen, CEO of Strategy Analytics, pegged the number of people broadly interested in navigation systems at 70 percent.

Customers also don't want to pay what manufacturers want to charge. According to research company Gartner, most U.S. prospects think a navigation system should cost $500. A few portable systems currently sell for that price, but most embedded (automaker-supplied) systems cost $1,000 to $2,500, with the bulk at $1,500 to $2,000. Owners of fleet vehicles say they'd spend $250, tops. A quarter of U.S. prospects say they'd prefer a portable navigation device that they could take from car to car or use while hiking or walking around.

Opening electronic access to the car—whether by legal mandate (required diagnostics connectors), by entertainment (such as the MOST bus in high-end cars), or by already widespread consumer devices (cell phones with Bluetooth)—means that portable devices may gain access to the car's speakers, GPS sensors, antennas, and possibly console displays, making them seem almost integrated. If an entertainment bus can pass information to an instrument cluster panel capable of showing the outside temperature or the song that a dealer-installed satellite radio is playing, that same display can be hacked for a $600 portable navigation device. Automakers may talk the safety-first talk, but they've already firewalled off the infotainment network from the engine and airbag controls. So what they're really saying is, "We make more money from accessories, and now we're losing a grip on that."

Koslowski laid out three phases for the maturing navigation industry.

1. Improved interfaces and more functionality, such as the predictive traffic information announced at Telematics Detroit by Microsoft spin-off Inrix.

To read more about Inrix's real-time traffic reporting system, click here.

2. "Personalization," such as calendars, time management, and media applications. A few nav systems include calendars with rudimentary appointment books, but they can't be transferred from PCs or PDAs. The goal is that your appointments calendar and probably your address book would be wirelessly replicated every time you made a change on your PC.

3. Legislative compliance, meaning the car will be able to calculate and report costs involving tolls, time-of-day usage charges, and pay-per-trip or per-mile car insurance. Like it or not, some of this may be coming, and the question is whether the car's microprocessors manage it, or whether third party transponders (like E-ZPass toll tags, but more complex) are required.

In case this sounds too much like Big Brother, it might work the other way, too: Koslowski suggested one of the map overlays for the navigation system that would be popular with motorists would be current locations of photo radar cameras.

The Telematics Detroit show also had sessions on understanding and making money off the "iGeneration," a codename for younger drivers who bring iPods and other entertainment devices into their cars and expect connections to the car audio/video system; vehicle communications services such as OnStar; how automakers with their longer lead times can keep pace with the quick time-to-market of electronics, communications, and entertainment providers; and on the "value of a standard general-purpose [car] operating platform" presented by—surprise—Microsoft.

I first heard about this iDon't campaign a few weeks ago when SanDisk came into show off it would-be iPod killer the Sansa e260 ($230).  It isn't subtle, but it isn't supposed to be. This would-be viral marketing campaign is designed to take advantage of the iPod backlash.  And for a certain market, it will work.

The truth is for hard-core hipsters and serious geeks, the Sansa probably is a better option. With an FM tuner, microSD slot, voice recorder, and video playback, it just does more than the iPod nano.  It is a tweaker's MP3 player. The iPod still has it beat when it comes to ease-of-use, but so what? Let grandma and the other sheep keep their iPods, the Sansa is edgy. Of course, it is all just corporate spin, but it is fun corporate spin.

[[Via Tech Filter]]

Thanks to Gearlog reader Claudia for sending us this tip!!

As gas prices steadily increase, consumers are forced to find alternative forms of travel, such as the train or bus. But, if your workplace is within 5 miles, you may want to consider using a gas-powered bicycle.

The RevoPower Wheel is a new patented technology that incorporates a 25cc two-stroke gas-powered engine and gears within the front wheel of a bicycle. It can be installed on any bicycle within 15 minutes, and gets over 200 miles per gallon at a top speed of 20 mph.

How it works. "A small motor, turning at up to 7,500 rpm, drives a unique gear train which causes the wheel to rotate around a fixed axle. Reduction gearing within the hub delivers the appropriate combination of torque and speed to the wheel. The bicycle can be ridden as normal when the motor is off, or when the bicycle is traveling faster than the engine speed. The motor only engages when the speed of the bike is slower than the engine is traveling. The Wheel can be used manually or motorized at any time" (from RevoPower.com). 

The Wheel uses a mixture of gasoline (petrol) and oil. To start the engine, begin to peddle and you're on your way to your destination. You can also peddle when the motor is not in use.

The RevoPower Wheel, preassembled in a 26" rim and tire, consists of:
• One fuel tank that fits in a standard water bottle cage
• One water bottle cage for fuel bottle
• One throttle control that clips to the handlebars
• Necessary cables and tools needed to aid installation

Best of all, there's no license required in most jurisdictions to operate one. And you don't have to worry about waking the neighbors: the noise level will be less than 65 dBa, compared to 85-90 dBa of a traditional lawn mower.

The RevoPower Wheel is expected to debut in Q1 2007 retailing around $400, but you can reserve your wheel today at www.revopower.com.