Eye Candy
iREZ Research boils color laptop video down to its essence -- a stark little eyeball of a camera that comes complete with Mac and Windows drivers, CUSee-ME videoconferencing, and iVisit VideoChat software. This cleverly designed 30-frame-per-second, full-motion video camera has articulated legs that either clip onto the edge of your laptop screen or serve as a built-in tripod. Not adorable enough for you? iREZ gave its camera a sweet little name (Kritter) and a cute little price ($249). DATAVISION/445 Fifth Avenue, at 39th Street/689-1111

The Smooth Type
Nice to see that the engineers at Lexmark weren’t tempted to broadcast the versatility of their 7200V color inkjet printer by cramming it into a clunky button-and-switch-laden case. This baby’s so compact and aerodynamic you’ll want to take it on the road (hey, hook it up to your laptop and use it in your Miata with the top down!). But beneath that understated exterior lies a 1,200-by-1,200-dots-per-inch, six-color, three-page-per-minute (eight ppm in black) print engine and Snappy Inside, a built-in digital-image-capture device that lets you print stills from your camcorder or VCR. Order direct from the www.lexmark.com site ($459.99 including shipping) or call 800-LEXMARK for retailers.

Sound Stylings
Harman/Kardon busts out of the age-old stack-it-on-a-rack mode with the Festival 80 Dolby Pro Logic Home-Theater system. Feed your stereo-TV sound through this sleek all-in-one console and use H/K’s proprietary Wrap Circuitry to tailor the surround-sound field to your own personal aural G-spot. Festival sports a built-in AM/FM stereo tuner and CD changer and comes with speakers (not shown), five satellites, and a floor-thumping hideaway subwoofer. Hold the remote, and your thumb falls right on the volume controls. Lovely ($2,199). HARVEY ELECTRONICS/2 West 45th Street/575-5000

Related:

• Archive: “Smart City”
• Articles by Simon Dumenco
• Table of Contents: Apr 6, 1998 issue of New York | Subscribe!