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It's been said that you can never be too rich or too thin, but Asus' Eee PC S101 netbook gets pretty close to being both.

The S101 weighs in at a waifish 2.2 pounds (0.8 of a pound less than Apple's MacBook Air) and is 0.7 of an inch thin. Fortunately, the company did not substitute substance for style. The S101 is rich with features, including 20 gigabytes of free online storage, a 16-gigabyte solid-state drive and an integrated flash card reader that accepts four kinds of formats.

The netbook also has a 10.2-inch, LED-backlighted widescreen display fitted for 1024 by 600 WSVGA resolution, and comes with Windows XP.

The S101 costs $700 (U.S.) (with other, chunkier netbooks costing around $400, don't forget about the “too rich” part). It comes in a choice of three colours: brown, graphite and – as fashion necessitates – champagne.

Azadeh Ensha

ANOTHER USE FOR THE IPOD

The iPod isn't just a music player – it's a new storage medium. GoStudio from Belkin, for example, can record stereo audio directly to an iPod Classic, Nano or Video just as if the iPod were a memory card or thumb drive.

The $120 (U.S.) device has two built-in microphones, a mono speaker and four external microphone inputs. When you insert an iPod, a recording menu appears. You can then record live audio as a voice memo, which can then be used in iTunes or any other audio-playback or editing program.

The GoStudio has a few professional features including built-in gain and recording-level controls, as well as monitor controls for listening to what is being recorded live. It has two 3.5-millimeter input jacks as well as two combo jacks that support XLR and quarter-inch cables.

The GoStudio, which will be available this month online and in stores, includes two AAA batteries, as well as inserts for both Classic and Nano iPods. The built-in microphones record audio without much fuss, but adding an external mic requires a bit of fiddling, so you may have to summon your inner roadie to get a good, clean sound.

John Biggs

FOR BUDDING SCIENTISTS, A STARTER MICROSCOPE

Of course the old microscope kit would get an upgrade. What used to be the prize of any science-obsessed schoolchild is now a more compact, digitally enabled magnifier.

The VMS-001 USB-powered microscope by Veho lets you see an object 20 to 200 times larger. It comes with an internal white LED to better help you home in on the details and software (which requires Microsoft Windows) so you can convert the images into photos and videos for viewing on your desktop. The microscope also sits on a stand so you can twist and turn the VMS-001 for better angles.

The microscope, $100 (U.S.), is available for purchase on Firebox's website. Mitochondria, here we come.

Azadeh Ensha

RUN-AND-GUN ACTION WITH A WII CONTROLLER

Fans of Nintendo's Wii gaming system are mostly drawn to the console's Wiimotes, a set of controllers that translate physical motion – slashing, jabbing, swinging – into on-screen action. Unfortunately, games involving guns and not golf clubs often get short shrift. The Rumble Blaster, however, turns your entire Wii controller into a two-handed gun system with realistic rumble action.

The kit snaps onto the Wii's remote control and “nunchuck” control and can be used separately as two pistols or together as a riflelike combination. An LED lights up when you fire, and the controller is compatible with most Wii shooting games, including “Ghost Squad” and “Target: Terror.” In fact, because the kit allows you to access most of the controller buttons when connected, it is compatible with almost any game that involves running and gunning down ghouls, zombies or enemy ninjas. The attachment costs $29.99 (U.S) and will be available in stores this month. Marksmanship skills not included.

John Biggs

A SHOWER METER THAT MEASURES WATER USE WHILE YOU SING AND SCRUB

There are many useful ways to conserve water. (No, drinking beer is not one of them.) The ECO Showerdrop from Product Creation bills itself as being the world's first low-cost, universal shower meter.

The company, based in Britain, uses a numerical display to show how many litres of water you've used and how much time you've spent in the shower.

The shower meter also comes with a man-shaped icon that displays the volume of water recommended for a shower (as suggested by British water authorities). When the icon indicates you've used 35 litres, a buzzer sounds for five seconds. The meter continues to measure water use up to 99 litres, after which point, well, get out already.

North American customers can purchase the product for $16 (U.S.) and shipping from the online retailer Ethical Superstore

Azadeh Ensha