Prelude - Gadgets

Despite often including superior features, less restrictions and lower prices, most vaunted “iPod killers” tend to slink off into obscurity after the fanfare of their launch. Hopefully, a similar fate doesn’t await this latest challenger to the king, which plays video, audio and images, and betters the iPod with its 3.6-inch screen (a full inch larger than the iPod), built-in speaker, voice recorder and an input that allows you to record directly from TV, DVD or other video device. $299 (60Gb), www.mustek.com

You know you’ve made it when your stereo costs more than most cars. Get started with some of the best amplifiers the world has ever seen. Not only are the price tags sure to impress, but the hi-tech electronics are guaranteed to make your audiophile dreams come true.

Of course, you might have to sell your yacht to be able to afford the matching speakers, record players and cables.

EVO 402 (400-watt stereo), $15,000;

EVO 600 (600-watt mono), $30,000/pair, www.krellonline.com

Ever had a vacation moment so wonderful that you wish you could bottle it and take it home with you? Well, you should have pulled out your camcorder.

The latest addition into Sony’s MiniDV family, the DCR-HC26, promises ultra crisp images thanks to the Carl Zeiss VarioTessar lens and the sensitive 680K-pixel “Advanced HAD” CCD. The turquoise waters, fire-red sunsets and dazzling mountain peaks will leave you as awestruck at home as while you were there. $350 www.sonystyle.com

Savvy digital camera buyers know that it takes more than a high megapixel number for a camera to guarantee brilliant images. That’s why on top of the nine megapixels (the highest resolution available in a consumer digital camera), Fujifilm has packed its new FinePix E900 with a host of features, including the ability to interchange lenses. So if you’re a point-and-shoot novice aspiring to become a lens-collecting pro, this is the camera for you. $499 www.fujifilm.com