Accessories

The coolest invention of 2008? Pocket projectors, according to a review by David Pogue in the New York Times. I'm hoping Santa will bring me one of these. Here's how he describes the Optoma Pico Projector: "a video projector so small, you can carry it in your pocket.

3M recently sent me a sample of their new 3M Mobile Privacy Film, a twelve dollar adhesive screen protector with "microlouver technology" (essentially what looks like a polarization filter). When applied, this layer makes the screen appear dark and fuzzy when not looking directly at the screen. The margin of angle is fairly tight and the filter does what it advertises. Of course, this also means that watching videos on the iPhone can become a challenge due to the exact nature of the viewing angle necessary to watch without blurring the image.

The iPhone 3G is a wonderful device to behold. That is, if you have some kind of charging adapter to keep its thirst for power quenched. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, high-speed data, and don't forget that it makes phone calls too. Let's face it, the iPhone can't get too far from a real power source... until now.

Solar Arcadia, a company devoted to solar power alternatives, has developed a curious and seemingly very useful solar charging accessory for the iPhone.