Every year, Ziff Davis Media holds the DigitalLife consumer event in NYC in the fall. To get a head start, DigitalLife held a press preview at the Roosevelt Hotel tonight, where companies gathered to showcase their latest products. Here's what I noticed there.

Novint Technologies, a developer of commercial touch applications, has created a new kind of 3D touch controller for the consumer market. The Novint Falcon 3D Controller is basically a robot that provides gamers with interactive touch while playing a video game. I tried out a couple of demos and my fingers could feel the weight of a basketball and the force it took to throw it toward the hoop. It was a bit difficult for me to get the hang of the controller to shoot the ball though. The Falcon's handle moves left and right and forwards and backwards. Look for it in 2007 with a mass market price of under $100.

Polk Audio was also there showcasing its brand new I-Sonic entertainment system. It's the first audio product to include a digital HD radio tuner, a DVD/CD changer, and XM Satellite Radio capability--all in one. The company explained to me that although it resembles the Bose system, they feel that the I-Sonic is better in that it offers controls at the top in case you lose the wireless remote control. It also features 2 auxiliary inputs for an iPod or PC, 30 radio presets, and headphone jack. It will ship in the U.S. in August for $599.

I particularly liked the inMotion iM9 portable audio system. It's powered by an AC adapter or batteries and comes with a retractable dock and a cute backpack to take it along with you. It was a bit heavy when I picked it up though. It charges all iPods and has a composite video outlet for viewing videos from your iPod with video on your TV screen. It retails for $199.95 and is available now.

And for all you tech chicas out there, you'll be interested in LimeLife: a publisher of mobile phone content, games, and applications targeted toward women. LimeLife is working with Time Inc. to deliver women-centric content, such as makeup tips delivered via your cell phone. Some of their products include Word Heaven, a word jumble game and Girls Night Out Solitaire. You can also get a daily dose of horoscope fun or Fashion Graphix: a mobile makeover for your phone with funky wallpapers to match your style. Once you buy and download these applications, they're yours to keep. Be on the lookout for more applications to be offered soon.

Stay tuned for more cool products from my fellow Gearloggers at the DL Press Preview.

Summer Gadgets Countdown #15: Twin-LED Booklight

With summer comes great weather, but also thunderstorms and losing electric. I don't mind it sometimes because it forces me to get off the computer or stop watching TV. Plus, it's usually an opportunity for me to catch up on some reading. The only thing is, you have to light like five candles just to get enough light to read. So that's why something like the Twin-LED Booklight would come in handy.

Design: Made by Renaissance Gifts, Inc., the Twin-LED Light measures 4" x 1 3/4" x 1 3/4".

Features: Two LED lamps with an adjustable head that can rotate 60 degrees. The clip attachment rotates 360 degrees.

How It Works: Powered by 2 AA-batteries (sold separately).

Price: The Twin-LED Light sells for $12.99 at SmartHome.com.

Lovin' Factor (1-10): 6

In the 1200s, Genghis Khan swept across the plains of Asia at lightning speed. Now, Mongols are sweeping across the Internet at lightning speed -- with the first EV-DO Rev A network, able to download data at up to 3.1 MBits/sec and upload at 1.8 Mbits/sec, according to a press release from infrastructure provider ZTE.

Over here, Sprint and Verizon are building Rev A networks which will launch in late 2006 or early 2007. But Mongolia's Skytel will be up and running this fall, ZTE says. Hordes of people in buzzing metropolises like Darkhan, Erdenet and of course Ulan Bator will be able to upload and download faster than Genghis' horde could conquer a petty Chinese principality.

Want to hear something depressing? The land of yurts and the Gobi Desert also has far cooler phones than we do -- check out Skytel's selection, including some wicked SK Telecom models. Then again, given the hipsters coming out of Mongolia today (see picture at left), maybe we should rethink the country's old image as a dusty backwater on the steppes.

Updated and corrected. I originally got the details of Pepper's rebate wrong. The $150 rebate is on the original PepperPad, not the new model.

Original post: Will the third version be the charm for the PepperPad? The original PepperPad, a Linux based home Internet tablet, was one of the worst products I've ever reviewed: heavy, slow, and awfully overpriced. But it looks like Pepper Computer may have learned from my "constructive" criticism: the new Pepper Pad 3 is lighter (2 lbs., which is a few ounces less than the original), faster, more based on open standards (GTK+ and X11) and cheaper at $699.99. Pepper also seems to have switched from Intel Bulverde processors to the AMD LX800.

PC Magazine editor-in-chief Jim Louderback rated the original Pad the third-worst product of last year, prompting an angry reply from Pepper Computer which was posted to their Web site, but seems now to be gone. Lots of big companies have had missteps -- the Apple III, PC Jr. and Microsoft Bob come to mind. It'll be interesting to see if Pepper Computer has raised their game after their rocky start.

The PepperPad is an odd duck - a Linux-based tablet which connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (not cellular networks), with a big screen, a split QWERTY keyboard, 800x480 screen, and a 20 GB hard drive. It's designed for Web browsing or multimedia playback within the home, like a bulkier brother to Nokia's 770 Web tablet. I'll be curious to see if Pepper has made the device more responsive, but it still suffers from its high price: you can get a full laptop PC running Windows XP or Linux for $700.

Take a look at the full specs at Pepper Computer's Web site.

Thanks to senior editor Sean Carroll and lead analyst Oliver Kaven for these writeups!

With its hefty size (18.1" x 10.3" x 14"), the Targus Catalog Travel Roller notebook case (left) can be considered the Suburban of notebook bags. But I like spacious bags, and even though I might look like a traveling salesman or an off-duty pilot, this bag lets me fit a notebook of up to 15.4 inches and plenty of folders or books.

Be careful though: the Travel Roller's roomy interior comes at a price; the bag weighs in at a heavy 10 pounds. You will appreciate the beefy handle but probably resort to rolling the case on its inline skate wheels most of the time. I found the scrape guards on the back of the bag especially nice when pulling it up the stairs in the subway.

The Travel Roller comes with a telescoping handle and two locks for security. The case is made of ballistic nylon, a material which can take a serious beating and may just last you forever.

The roller case has plenty of convenient features. I really like the built-in rack that lets you drop hanging files straight into the case and the front organizer that zips down to unveil a fan file compartment and pen holders.

The notebook pouch felt a bit like an afterthought. It is relatively loose, not padded enough and not adjustable. If your notebook is not as big as your bag, it is likely to bounce around. And with a bag of this size, I would have liked an option to store a second laptop.

What really amazed me, however, was the price! This big two-wheeler will set you back only $89.00. Not bad at all.--OK

I have to admit I was dubious about switching to the sleek Targus Molded Attaché (right) as my primary means of shlepping all my junk into the city. I'm more used to backpacks and oversized messenger bags. Unfortunately, that also means that I'm more used to carrying everything but the kitchen sink in a bulging, unsightly bag that gives me back pains and one shoulder that's significantly lower than the other. So I decided to give the Targus bag a try. And I wasn't sorry.

The slim Attaché is definitely made for those who are disciplined in their everyday packing. I pared down my stuff to just a laptop (an IBM ThinkPad T40), power brick, magazine, MP3 player, and a few papers, and that seemed about right for this bag. I tried to squeeze in a paperback, too, but that caused the bag to bulge. It might have worked better with a book smaller than Stephen King's "Wizard and Glass," but that's what I was reading at the time. My back thanked me, and I looked considerably more professional carrying this attractive case.

The Molded black EVA (a type of rubber-like plastic) case is  stylish and tough, and held up well against the slings and arrows of commuter life. The plastic handle and padded shoulder strap are both well constructed and comfortable to use. Inside the bag is adequately padded and has a single interior slip pocket, on the face of which are pockets for business cards, ID holders, cell phones, MP3 players, and pens, as well as a zippered mesh pouch. The case is 14.33" X 11.81" X 1.69" and it weighs just 3.87 pounds. It costs $69.99 and comes in any color--as long as it's black.--SC

Anyone who works with or near PR people can attest that some of those estimable folks exaggerate from time to time. No, really, they do!

Even taking that into consideration, though, this release for the Easy Chair Mount seems a tiny bit bit over the top: "New Product to Change Computer Use Forever." A chair mount for an LCD screen? It's a fine idea, and I'm sure it's a fine product, but come on. This isn't really on a par with, say... the Internet, Windows, the floppy disk, or [insert your favorite technology milestone here]. The release goes on to name 14 specs; just "some of the features." Oddly enough, the price is left out. Maybe because the mount and LCD Arm together cost $285.

Ringtones are so popular these days there's even a Billboard chart, where, curiously, the Super Mario Brothers Theme currently rules. With ringtones selling for about the same or more than the full length song (although that short snippet of 50 Cent's Candy Shop might be enough for you), you should be able to hold on to your purchases even if you lose or replace your cellphone. I know most people upgrade every year or two--why should you have to repurchase your ringtones, wallpaper and other goodies?

Oasys Mobile makes it possible (at least if you're with Cingular, T-Mobile or Sprint) to store everything in a password-protected online locker. All you need is a phone with Internet access and text messaging capabilities. The catch? You must purchase the content from Oasys. The company does have a wide selection from Kelly Clarkson to Death Cab For Cutie, as well as loads of wallpaper designs and games. But it would be nice to have a place to store all of your media, no matter where it was purchased. 

Another great feature available on certain cell phone models, including the Motorola RAZR V3 and the Nokia 6682, is the ability to wirelessly your contacts into your locker and export them if needed. That's definitely useful. I always end up wasting time, re-entering my contacts everytime I upgrade my phone. You can check their Web site to see if your phone is compatible with this feature.

This is a great service for teenagers and anyone who's really into customizing their phone. Buying content is easy--you can have it sent right to your phone and get billed through your wireless carrier. You can also use Paypal or a credit card, but I found it easiest to use my phone. I tested this service using a borrowed Motorola V400--my own cell phone, the LG VX8100 (Verizon) is not compatible. After you place your order with just a few clicks, you'll get a text message asking you to confirm the purchase. Once you do, you can find your content in your locker and in your phone within minutes. If you're away from your computer, you can purchase content and access your locker  by  visiting the company's WAP site (wap.oasysmobile.com) using your cellphone's browser. It's simple to adjust your profile if you replace or upgrade your phone, and it takes just one click to send the content to your new phone.

Oasys offers two plans, one free, and one with a monthly charge of $7.99. With the paid plan, you get three ringtones and three wallpapers each month, plus three free TrueTones when you register, and a locker with unlimited space. The free plan gives you space for 25 pieces of content. With both plans you get an online profile and the ability to rate the site's content and see what other members think. The company has recently added another cool feature--you can upload and save your camera phone pictures, text messages and blog entries in your Oasys locker.

Overall, I found the service easy to use and hope they continue to add more--and newer--phones like the Motorola Q or the Helio Hero to their list. It would also be cool if they added a plan that would include storage of non-Oasys ringtones and wallpaper. In addition, I would like to see an application in which you could create and share your own ringtones.

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Since the Apple factories in China are rushing the new MacBooks out the door so fast, some of the factory workers have been a little lax with their packing process: some MacBooks are leaving the factory with a protective strip of plastic covering the main vent.  If left in place, this could lead to overheating and excessive fan spool up.  If you're one of our readers that are reading this on a MacBook, check the rear vent for a clear strip of plastic.  Your MacBook will thank you.

Link to Apple Support: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303848

Thanks to Gizmodo for the informative picture.

You're searching through your closet for something to wear with your recently purchased Digital Clock T-Shirt. You suddenly realize, you don't own any other interactive clothing to complement your shirt.

Then you may want to check out Uranium Jeans. What's great about these jeans is the fact that you can personalize them with downloadable pics, messages, colors, or animations. Collections are available for both men and women, although I'm not digging the men's collection so far. (How many guys do you know would wear purple?)

Design: Uranium Jeans is a French company led by Company Director Nadine NININ and Designer Kenneth Scott Ward. The Jeans consist of color flexible micro-screens made up of 273 pixels embedded into the clothing that can be changed to show different images/words using the built-in remote control or logging on to www.uranium-jeans.com. The company claims that some models can work with your cell phone through data transmission to also change images/words. Only 18 slogans with a maximum of 25 characters each and 33 animated pictures are allowed on screens.

Can you wash Uranium clothing just like any other type? Fo' sure! Each micro-screen is waterproof and tested against corrosion.

The Uranium collection will sell for 90 Euros (~$115 USD) for a T-shirt and up to 250 Euros (~$320 USD) for a pair of jeans. (Ouch!) Stores will open in the main fashion capitals of the world in the next months. The first store to open will be in Paris. The Los Angeles opening is planned for late summer 2006. Finally, Americans will be tech-suave!

[via Ubergizmo]

Help Workaholic Dad survive his long day:

First, make sure Dad gets to work on time with a Sound Activated Key Finder ($14.95 sale!). If he can't find his keyring, he'll need only clap his hands, and the key finder will start beeping. The LED light on the key finder will help him find his way in the dark as he walks to his car.

Of course, he'll need coffee for his long day, and he likes his coffee hot. Gevalia's Smart Mug ($34.99) will keep his drink hot in the car. The dishwasher-safe mug plugs into a cigarette lighter and keeps liquids at a preset temperature.

Dad will get stressed at work, so help him relax. Get him a USB massage ball ($9.95) to make use of his computer's free USB ports. And, at the end of the day, he might be needing a cold one. A beer vending machine ($149.00) might look good next to his desk. He'll want to keep his happy hour brew of choice cold using another USB device, a Cool-It USB Beverage Chiller (at right; other people must have had the same idea- it's temporarily out of stock).

Of course, workaholic dad's day isn't done when he leaves the office. Help him catch up on paperwork without waking up mom with a Night Writer Pen ($19.85).