Hasta La Gadget!

You have a brand new iPad and you’re enjoying some streaming Netflix or a movie you’ve loaded up on the device yourself, but the iPad’s built-in speaker just doesn’t cut it for you. Perhaps you’re traveling, on a plane or a train, and you want a way to watch video and hear the audio from it without fiddling with headphone cables or bothering everyone around you. Enter the new iSkin Cerulean line of Bluetooth audio gear for the iPad. The Cerulean TX transmitter, RX receiver, and F1 headphones are designed to give you portable Bluetooth audio that looks good without cables or batteries.

The only drawback to the Cerulean line is that it all relies on Bluetooth for audio, which may be great for portability but it’s pretty harsh on audio quality. Most Bluetooth audio peripherals compress the audio stream enough that it’s noticeable even to non-audiophiles, and true audiophiles won’t go near it. However, if portability and flexibility are your goal, the iSkin’s Cerulean transmitters and receivers not only give you a way to get wireless audio from your iPad to your ears, they also work with other speaker docks and peripherals that can make the most of the compressed audio.
 

According to market research firm DisplaySearch’s recently released Pocket Projector Technology and Market Forecast Report, the market for pocket projectors is poised for strong growth in 2010 and beyond. DisplaySearch forecasts that the total pocket projector market will grow from 0.5 million units and $117 million in revenues in 2009 to 142 million units and $13.9 billion in revenues in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70 percent for revenues and 88 percent for units (as shown in the graph here, which is from the report).

“There were over 130 new pocket projector models released in the market in 2009, along with the first releases of embedded projectors into the market. Despite this, pocket projectors still face challenges of low brightness, short battery life and high price. Continuing progress in all the technologies surrounding pocket projectors will be needed to achieve the expected growth,” noted Jennifer Colegrove. Director of Display Technologies at DisplaySearch.

Shortly before Christmas, Twelve South introduced the SurfacePad, which offers protection and sharp looks for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. This leather pad, available for 13- and 15-inch models, comes only in black. But now Twelve South is offering a more eye-catching line for 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro owners: Borrowing a color scheme from the old candy-colored iMacs, the company has created the SurfacePad Colors line, which includes the hues Orange Crush, Cyan Blue, Infinite Grey, and Perfect Pink.

The new pads are still made from leather but list for $29.99, $10 less than the original SurfacePad. Just like the original, SurfacePad Colors pads provide protection from scratches and are slim enough to let you close your notebook normally. An adhesive surface keeps the pad in place. The company is offering free shipping, but only for a limited time. I don’t know what that limit is, but you might want to hurry if you’re interested. 

Can you handle some competition, Razer? Because there’s a new gaming company in town. Rude Gameware has launched with two peripherals that stress style, comfort, and features.

The Fierce 3200DPI Laser Gaming Mouse combines a contoured shape, non-slip grips, and ultra-slick pads. You can make all the quick movements you want and never lose control. It features realtime adjustable DPI, a laser sensor with a quick response time, and adjustable weights for exactly the right balance.

For booming audio that won’t wake your parents, consider the Fierce Primal PC Headset. This model has a low profile design and is lightweight. Extra padding on the headband ensures that wearing it won’t become annoying after a couple hours. It comes with a battery pack adapter so that you can experience force feedback audio while away from an outlet.

Both the mouse and the headset are available now for a list price of $49.95 each.