Cool Tech

By Wilson Rothman

Cell phone looking worn out? Camera not as slender as it once seemed? No worries. This year's best gadgets can meet your every need, from photo prints that don't smudge to MP3-player cases that let you listen to music underwater. How about home-theater systems that automatically adjust the sound of their speakers? Or a camcorder that doesn't use tapes or DVDs? Out with the old and in with the new has never been so exciting. Over the next 10 pages, TIME showcases some of the coolest products on the market. Will technological wonders never cease? We hope not.

Bose SoundDock

This sweet-sounding boom box and charging station is a stylish place to park your iPod (shown here with iBeam flashlight). It fits any iPod with a docking port, even the Mini, and comes with remote control. bose.com ($300)

H20 Audio SV-iPod

A watertight case keeps your standard or Mini iPod dry even in the pool or at the lake. The shocking twist: with the included headphones, you can listen to music while submerged.

h2oaudio.com ($150)

iPod Photo

The color-screen iPod synchs music and photos and comes with up to 60 GB of space to hold both. And it can connect to a TV, so you can add music to your (let's be honest) boring vacation slide shows. apple.com ($500 to $600)

HP iPod Tattoos

Make your own custom cover, or download free ones from HP. This mildly adhesive paper comes in 10-packs, so if you get bored with one design, you can peel it off and replace it. hp.com ($15 per pack)

Griffin iBeam for iPods

The flashlight, opposite page, and laser pointer come as a yin-and-yang pair. One helps you find stuff in the dark; the other is a proven tool for annoying house cats and rock musicians. griffintechnology.com ($20)