A three-in-one laser pointer

GIZMO GALLERY

Everyone needs ball-point pens. Some people need a stylus to write on PDA-touchscreens. And, if you make slide or Powerpoint presentations, you want a laser-pointer to help direct your audience's attention.

The three-in-one Red Laser Pointer from Sharkpen of Taiwan (www.sharkpen.com) combines all these functions without increasing bulk. At Rs 750 upwards, it's not very expensive.

Just pop it into your pocket like a normal pen and use as required. The 650nm wave length laser works off standard 1.5V batteries offering 30 minutes of continuous operation per battery and it comes with a one-year warranty. Just in case you're a professional assassin, the device can easily be clipped on to a rifle for accurate night shooting.

Network walkman

Sony makes your digital music collection portable with the MZ-NH600D, which connects via USB to a PC/ laptop. This network walkman uses MiniDisc technology to pack 45 hours of music on to just one Hi-MD 1GB MiniDisc. The MiniDiscs are small enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

The player has a long life, with 30 hours of continuous playback on a "AA" battery. It is compatible with standard MiniDisc Media and supports multiple audio formats. The Easy-Jog Dial and Navigation lets you scroll through playlists. Active mini speakers are an optional extra.

The best encyclopedia going

The Encarta Reference Premium program from Microsoft is perhaps the best digital encyclopedia around with regular annual updates like the Encarta Deluxe 2005 available at $30 each. The $70 disk is the equivalent of $1400 worth of regular books.

Encarta is configured like a web browser with forward/back buttons, a "home" icon and a search bar. It's a good way to get children used to multimedia web search without worrying about sanitised information. Encarta also incorporates over 29,000 web links so it can be integrated directly into online searches.

It has an interesting feature where randomly-generated lists of subjects rotate onscreen. If you click on a topic, related subjects appear. The latest edition incorporates online mathematics help (at secondary school level) and a separate program, Encarta Kids, for 7-12-year-olds.