What do you do when you want to get DSLR-like image quality and interchangeable lenses, but you do not want to lug around a camera of that size? There are many more options in this niche with each passing day, from the Olympus E-PL1 and other PEN cameras to the NEX series from Sony. The latest name to join this realm is Nikon.

Nikon is already very well respected when it comes to DSLRs, but the recently announced Nikon V1 and Nikon J1 bring that down to a much smaller scale. The size of these new cameras is comparable to a Panasonic GF1, making them appear like compact point-and-shoots. However, much like the micro four-thirds system, the Nikon 1 Series is equally adaptable with a powerful 10.1-megapixel sensor, ESPEED 3 image processing engine, and interchangeable lenses.

The ISO can go up to 3200 for low-light shooting and there is the ability to add in a flash for even more light capture, in addition to the integrated pop-up flash. It’s also notable that the Nikon V1 is capable of shooting up to 60 images a second if the focus is locked. It will also shoot full HD video and can capture slow-motion at up to 1200fps too.

It has been announced that the Nikon J1 will ship on October 20th for $649.95. That includes the 10-30mm kit lens. The higher end Nikon V1 will ship in the same window with the same kit lens for $899.95.

The Asus Eee Pad Transformer is one of the more popular Android tablets on the market, partly because it comes with an optional keyboard dock that also extends the battery life. Now, another variant from Asus is hitting store shelves by the end of this month.

What you see here is the Asus Eee Pad Slider. Unlike the Transformer where the keyboard and tablet can be separated, the Slider has the keyboard integrated into the whole unit. This makes it slightly thicker and heavier, but it makes for a more unified approach too.

Many of the other features will be largely similar to the Transformer. There is a dual core processor, Android Honeycomb, and an assortment of ports to go along with the 10.1-inch touchscreen display. The 16GB model will ship at the end of this month for $475, while the 32GB model is $575.

That makes it slightly cheaper than the Transformer, since the keyboard and Transformer sold separately would run you about $550 for the 16GB. Some stores are selling it as a combo for $500, but that would still be $25 more than the equivalent Slider.

The Porsche name has long since been associated with high performance and high speed. What if you want that same kind of experience when sitting in front of your computer? While it probably won’t be the same as getting behind the wheel of a real sports car, this portable hard drive might be just as quick.

What you see here is the LaCie Porsche Design Portable External Hard Drive. Much like other products that bear the Porsche name, the design here is super slick and will certainly grab some attention. The kicker here is that it comes with a USB 3.0 interface, offering much faster data transfer speeds than the USB 2.0 connection that you may currently be using.

The aluminum casing is a solid 3mm thick, helping to protect all your precious data inside. Also bundled with the external hard drive is the Wuala online storage and LaCie Private-Public software, further protecting your data. Keeping the environment in mind, this drive also has an eco-mode that reduces power consumption by up to 40%.

You can find the LaCie Porsche Design 500GB USB 3.0 external hard drive at a variety of retailers and e-tailers with a going price of around $99.

One of the worst things that can happen when you are working on an important project is to suddenly experience a power outage. While a standard surge protector will protect your computer against surges, it is not at all useful when there is a power outage.

For instances like that, you need to invest in a UPS or uninterrupted power supply. Essentially, these devices work like surge protectors, except they also house an internal battery that will keep supplying electricity in the instance of a power outage. This particular example is the CyberPower CP850AVRLCD, which offers 850 volt-amps or 510 watts of power.

Depending on the power needs of your computer system and its connected peripherals, this will have a varying battery life in the case of a power outage. It also comes with intelligent LCD diagnostics, allowing you to monitor everything from that display. It is ultra quiet and comes with nine outlets, as well as protection for your RJ11/45 and coaxial connections. This is great for workstations and personal electronics.

This model is currently on sale on Amazon.ca for $100.98, which is 15% off the regular price and includes free shipping. If you need more or less power, Amazon also has other CyberPower UPS offerings for you to consider at varying price points.

The world of Android smartphones has certainly come a very long way since the original HTC Dream G1 that was released so long ago. Today, one of the best Android phones on the market is the Samsung Galaxy S II, a device that builds on the huge success of the Galaxy S series that preceded it.

With this iteration, Samsung has preloaded Android 2.3 Gingerbread to go along with a dual-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor. The real star here, aside from the sizable performance bumps under the hood, is the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen display. Photos don’t really do it justice and it really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. The color saturation is amazing.

Some of the other notable highlights on this Android smartphone include the 8MP camera on the back with 1080p/30fps video support, Gorilla Glass display, TouchWiz v4.0 UI, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, stereo FM radio with RDS, and remarkable 8.5mm thin profile. The current version ships with HSDPA, but a 4G LTE version will be shipping soon.

More information about the Galaxy S 2 can be found on the Samsung website and through the comprehensive review on Mobile Magazine.

Not everyone wants to have a Bluetooth headset dangling from the side of their head while driving down the highway. Sometimes, having a speakerphone is just more convenient and more comfortable.

The Superooth HD Bluetooth car speakerphone was recently reviewed by MEGATechNews and it offers some functionality beyond giving you a hands-free calling experience in your vehicle. For instance, it uses a speech-to-text service for Twitter and Facebook updates, as well as for text messages and e-mails.

As far as the handsfree calling is concerned, the voice-based menu is very easy to navigate and is offered in a number of different languages. The large volume knob is easy to access and the main features are primarily controlled through that single large button too. The speaker is very loud and the microphone is quite clear.

The Supertooth HD carries an MSRP of $129 and is available through a number of retailers and e-tailers, as well as directly through the Supertooth Store.

You might remember last week’s post where I talked about a computer mouse with a built-in scale. Having a digital scale seems interesting, but it may not be all that useful. This, on the other hand, could prove to be more appealing to the masses.

It’s a USB optical mouse with a digital photo frame. The mouse itself isn’t all that exceptional, giving you the usual scroll wheel and additional function buttons, but your palm rest area contains an embedded 1.5-inch LCD. That lets you always have your loved ones close at hand (no pun intended).

The photos themselves are stored directly on the 8MB of memory found within the mouse, rather than being fed through from your computer. In this way, you can connect the mouse to any computer and still have your pictures. Given the smaller resolution, you can store around 50 photos here and have them automatically cycle in slideshow fashion. It supports both BMP and JPG formats.

Yes, this is largely a novelty factor, but I don’t think it’s one that will wear off too quickly. After all, you can keep changing up those photos from time to time. The quick power off key helps too, when you don’t want the display to be active. Find this mouse on Brando for $32.

Convergence devices are all around us. Your cell phone likely has a camera in it. Your portable GPS device might have a Bluetooth speakerphone. And this USB optical mouse has a digital scale in it.

This has to be one of the stranger spins on convergence, as I would never have thought to combine these two functions. On the surface, this looks like any other generic computer mouse. It has two buttons and a scroll wheel in the center, along with the USB cable for connecting to your computer.

Remove the cover toward the rear, however, and you discover a fully functional digital scale. It’s not going to weigh you, but it could come in handy for little trinkets. The scale only goes up to 500 grams, but it can also display weights in oz, gn, or ct. In this way, it might be handy for jewelry stores, for instance.

You can find the USB Optical Mouse with Pocket Digital Scale at Brando.com for the reasonable price of $22. Strangely, the scale appears to need its own AAA batteries, not running off of the supplied USB power.

The Apple iPad has certainly taken the world by storm, but you aren’t getting the maximum value out of the popular iOS tablet if you are using it on its lonesome. That’s why there are so many different accessories available for the iPad and while some are more fashion than function, there are some really useful ones too.

One such example is the recently announced iMM514 ArtStation Pro from the fine folks at iLuv. In effect, it works as a powerful docking station for the Apple iPad. The concept is largely geared toward enjoying multimedia content, as there is an articulated and swiveling arm that attaches to the iPad itself. This lets you change the viewing angle to suit your particular preferences and situation.

The base itself houses a large speaker, pumping up the sound output that you would normally get out of the portable tablet. This could be useful for business presentations too, as your hands can stay free while going through your PowerPoint slides (complete with sound). Better still, the wireless remote attaches magnetically to the back of the docking station so you’re less likely to lose it.

We’re hearing that iLuv will start shipping the iMM514 ArtStation Pro later this month with the MSRP set at $169.99. Find it at various retailers and e-tailers that already carry other iLuv iAccessories for iDevices.

Most jurisdictions have some sort of cell phone ban when it comes to driving your car. These usually extend to you using a camera while behind the wheel too, so how can you get the kind of video documentation that you desire?

One possible option is the Mini Car DVR. The CVSB-DC43 comes equipped with a small, but perfectly usable 2-inch screen, along with 24 powerful IR LEDs. This allows you to record both in daylight and under the cover of night.

As you can see in the picture above, the Mini Car DVR can easily attach to your car’s windshield or dashboard with the suction cup. This can be useful in case you get into a fender-bender, but you can also use the motion detection feature to deter would-be thieves too!

Find more information about this useful product at Chinavision, which is where you’ll be able to order one of your own. A single unit is about $60, but the price goes down as you increase the size of your order.