Want to catch a movie tonight?
Epson MovieMate 30

Movie theatres are losing business to people who are just as happy to rent a DVD and stay in. The MovieMate 30 from Epson only makes the picture worse for the cinemas.
The MovieMate is a home-theatre DVD projector. The 16:9 widescreen projector creates an 80-inch widescreen image on a wall or screen from just 6.6 feet away, or a 12-foot image from 12 feet away. And unlike a widescreen TV, it can be put away or carted off to a friend’s house for a movie night away from home. Estimated street price is $999.

First appearance in North America
Nokia E62

A year ago the smartphone market was dominated by BlackBerrys, Treos and iPaqs, but the field has opened up recently, first with the Motorola Q and now with the Nokia E62.
The E62 is about the same size as a BlackBerry, has similar functionality and is targeted at road warriors who need access to mobile e-mail and office documents. Sounds pretty similar to the BlackBerry pitch. Rogers is the first North American carrier to offer the E62. It sells for $250 on a three-year contract.

Ruggedized Mike
Motorola Mike i580

The new Mike i580 from Telus is a ruggedized phone ideal for outdoor workers or families who like to hike. Designed to handle rain, snow and sleet, the i580 is also a Mike, so it offers direct, walkie-talkie type communication with other Mike phones. The Push to View feature lets users share contacts, information and photos directly with other Mikes, and the built-in speakers can play music to keep owners entertained. One i580 sells for $199 with a three-year contract.

Built to text
LG 490

Mobile text messaging is very popular, even though typing on a cell keypad can be a challenge. The new LG 490 sports a full alphabetic keyboard, in addition to the numbers needed for phone calls. It’s a breeze to type on, and while the LG 490 is bigger than most cellphones, heavy texters will be happy to make that trade-off.
$80 from Telus with a contract.

The phone for kids
Migo

When Rogers launched the Firefly about a year ago it was the only option for parents who wanted a kid-friendly cellphone, but it wasn’t long before Telus responded with the Migo.
The Migo is small and as cute as a bug. Or an alien. Or something. It sports a simplified keypad that can dial four pre-programmed numbers plus a dedicated emergency number. The Migo itself is free if you sign a contract with Telus.

RAZR 2.0
Motorola KRZR

Motorola’s RAZR is said to be the best-selling cellphone ever. The sequel to that success is the KRZR (pronounced crazer).
The KRZR is about the same thickness as its predecessor but is noticeably less wide, making it a little more comfortable to use and carry. Pricing had not been announced at press time.

Beyond the boardroom
Targus Urban line

The problem with a lot of computer cases is they look, well, a little boring. The Targus Urban Messenger protects your notebook and can tote a bunch of your stuff—like tickets, passports and an MP3 player—but it also looks hipper than most computer bags. The Urban line ranges in price from $69.99 to $89.99.

New Rebel ups the megapixels
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi

The XTi is a follow-up to last year’s well received XT and it maintains much of that model’s body design and feel. However, Canon upped the chip from 8 megapixels to 10.1, made the LCD screen on the back a little bigger and fine-tuned the feel of the camera by improving the thumb rest on the back. The chip is also now self-cleaning, which means the camera shakes it slightly to knock off any dust.
The Canon EOS XTi with an 18 to 55mm lens retails for approximately $1,099.00.

Pro resolution, consumer price
Nikon D80

Staying neck and neck with competitors like Canon, the new 10.2 megapixel Nikon D80 is slightly pricier (body only for $1,169.95 or $1,589.95 with a Nikkor 18 to 70mm lens) but some reviewers have given it a slight edge in overall image quality.

Instead of a Nano
SanDisk Sansa e270

People love the iPod Nano for its eye-catching look and tiny size. Almost as attractive and of about the same size, the new 6GB Sansa retails for approximately $265. A 4GB Nano costs $230.
Add to SanDisk’s price advantage that the Sansa also has a digital FM tuner and can record either radio or voice and you may want to look beyond Apple for this year’s shopping.