This one-piece MP3 player is part of the W series, which means it’s water-resistant. However, this is the first MP3 player in that series (the rest are headphones). In other words, you have absolutely no excuse not to do five miles in the rain — unless you consider laziness to be a valid excuse.

Aside from technology, Walkman design has also really evolved. The NWZ-W252 features a wrap-around neck design not just for the headphones, but for the entire device. The whole thing wraps around your head!

Out of the box, the NWZ-W252 comes with the device and its holder, a USB cable and all of the usual start-up paperwork. It does not have software, since everything you need is stored on the actual device.

Plug in the device into your PC (sorry, no Macs) using the included USB cable. In seconds, your PC will recognize the unit. The install takes a few minutes, but it’s quick and easy, since the Walkman does all the work. After that, the Walkman Guide and an option for Content Transfer will pop up. You can use Content Transfer to automatically pull tracks from iTunes. It’s also just as easy to drag and drop MP3, WMA, AAC and PCM files to the unit. Finally, you can also use Windows Media Player to rip files from CDs. The NWZ-W252 has a 2GB drive, which translates to about 470 stored tracks.

The player boasts 90 minutes of runtime after only 3 minutes of charging. Again, no reason to not run. Oh well…

Even for sponging out the couch, this device provides a nice soundtrack. At a mere 1.6 ounces, having the player attached to your head won’t slow you down. The controls, however, are another story. I highly recommend setting up your playlist in advance because trying to exercise and flip through tracks on a device that’s attached to your head can be a bit tricky.

Sony does make it as easy as possible, having just two volume buttons and a flip-switch to go forward or back. That means no playing tracks by band, album or genre, unless that’s the way you set up the playlist to play back. Sound quality was very good and the unit was surprisingly comfortable, which really says something, because I am not a fan of earbuds.

Another feature that should be noted is Zappin. This sort of justifies not having an LCD screen, by allowing a sneak preview of each song. It allows listeners to choose between long and short clips. Why you’d want this is really puzzling, but it’s there and it’s easy to activate by pushing in the switch until you hear audible confirmation.

Overall, the NWZ-W252 is no-nonsense. It has very few bells and whistles because it’s designed for a specific task. If you aren’t into exercise, there’s little reason to have the unit. For those who actually motivate to be active, this device just might be worth $60 to have as your running buddy.

Other features include:

• USB-based Battery Charging
• LED Battery-Life Indicator
• Built-in Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
• MSRP: $60

The Sony W Series Walkman, is available for about $60 at Sonystyle and other authorized retailers nationwide.

These titanium laser cut collar stays are 3 times stronger than stainless steel and feature a thread cutter, bottle opener, and both Phillips and Flathead screwdrivers. Not bad considering the alternative is walking out the door in the morning with a sliver of plastic that doesn’t have a chance of coming in handy.

I had a couple of weeks to test drive these functional collar stays and although I was hoping they would be used in a life saving effort to hype this review all I needed them for was to cut a stray thread on my cuff during a meeting. That said, nothing aggravates me more than sitting through a boring meeting, staring at a hanging thread, and wondering if I should pull it… so, I was impressed.

I am sure if given enough time these Swiss-Army-like collar stays would get put to some solid use but after only a handful of days, it still made for a handy tool and a hell of a conversation piece. So, if you know a guy that likes the finer things in life, a guy who wants everyone to know he has $50 collar stays, or just a guy who appreciates a solid gadget, go ahead and grab a set of four over at exuvius.com.

The Ritmo is a crazy contraption that mommy-to-be straps to her belly — you know, because she doesn’t feel self-conscious enough. However, instead of measuring her circumference, this device allows her to phone in her thoughts, using a cell phone. You can also hook up an iPod so baby can get an idea of your horrible taste in music in-utero.

Also, if dad is feeling left out of the whole pregnancy process, he can strap Ritmo to mom’s belly and get to work on his “I’m number one” claims.

Nuvo says the Ritmo system can be effective as early as 17-week gestation, when a baby’s sense of hearing starts to develop.

“While fetuses hear much the way that we hear a next-door stereo-lots of bass, not a lot of high frequencies-they are able to hear voices filtered through tissues, bones and fluid. And by week 24, they recognize-and are calmed by-their mothers’ voices,” says the release. “Of course, they can’t distinguish one word from another. Rather, the rhythm and melody of voices they hear serve as their foundation for language. That’s why so many moms read aloud to their children, even before that first night in the crib.

I’ve heard how it’s good to read to your baby. Play them a Celine Dion retrospective? Not so much.

If you’re ready to start your baby off rocking, you can snag a Ritmo for $130.

We are used to seeing the Rastaman’s face emblazoned on T-shirts, college walls and weed paraphernalia worldwide. Now, Marley will soon grace a line of consumer products made by HoMedics.

The venture is a HoMedics/Marley family joint (no pun intended) titled The House of Marley. The initial products will include boomboxes, docking stations, ear buds and headphones, with the intent to develop other categories in the future.

The House of Marley’s motto is about developing products that feature the Marley family values — as well as developing a controlled brand for the reggae legend. They are planning to feature eco-friendly products, using woods, bamboo, recycled materials, and even less-waste packaging. We can’t wait for the Bob Marley bamboo boombox.

“We are excited to announce this partnership with Marley & Co.,” says Alon Kaufman, CEO of HoMedics. “We translated family values into the design DNA of our products, focusing on details that portray unity, peace and equality.”

The company says that it will also set up “an affinity program,” which will involve charities around the world that deal with “youth, planet and peace.” Jeez, couldn’t they spread it out a bit? For now, how that will work and with what charities still seems a bit up in the air.

HoMedics is pretty well known for making products that massage, lull, sooth and loofah. If you’ve ever used a white noise machine with sounds of the rainforest and birds chirping, most likely, it had the HoMedics stamp on it.

Expect HoMedics to start selling its first House of Marley products in October 2010.

We’ve seen Vuzix video eyewear for years now. At first, it seemed a little goofy. After all, slap on a pair and you look like you’re headed to a Laser Tag tournament. Style issues aside, the individual experience is pretty cool.

Now, to jump on the 3D buzz, the company just announced that they are selling 3D DVD titles. Each one is mastered for use with Vuzix’s Video Eyewear and is also compatible with 3D TV sets — which no one has yet. Another thing they have in common? They are all equally bad.

To start, the company will sell 14 movies. The best two we could find were The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D and Jaws 3D. Even Roy Scheider was smart enough to stay away from the latter. (Dennis Quaid, not so much.) We have to hope that the more recent at-home 3D content will come very soon. What about Coraline? Heck, we’d even take the Jonas Brothers over some of the titles on this list.

We haven’t had the pleasure of long-term exposure to Vuzix eyewear, so we’d have to wonder if it leaves viewers with the same headache and twitchy eye as the current 3D offerings out there. Vuzix says they use the latest side-by-side format, which is what you’ll see on upcoming 3D displays.

If you’re not ready to ditch your current HDTV (or just want to hoard the experience to yourself), Vuzix Video Eyewear can be had for as little as $249.

The jeans, which are being produced in limited supply of 1000 pairs, are specially designed to hold and protect your portable gadgets, particularly Apple’s popular touchables — special pockets are designed to hold the toys snugly and feature microfiber lining to protect the devices from scratches and clean them when they’re taken out.

Don’t have either one? WTFJeans may still be right for you, whether you’re a guy or a girl, as they protect (or show off) your own personal touchables. iPhones and iPods aren’t the only things protected, as the mens’ version features extra padding to protect the family jewels; the womens’ version features Sexyass™ (that’s right, it’s trademarked), so that “the pockets … are positioned in such a way to make your ass stand out in a crowd whether you’re slim or big.” Meaning that the guys aren’t going to be poking your iPod. “Never been groped? There’s always a first time.”

Not enough for you? There’s even a pocket specifically designed to hold a stick. A USB stick, that is. They haven’t taken it that far.

A first “beta” group of 100 pairs has already sold out (they sold at €59, or about $80, each), and the next of 400 are available at €79 ($108) through August 1st. After that, the final 500 will be available for purchase at €109 ($149).

Interested in paying more for your iPhone’s (or rear end’s) carrying case than you paid for the plaything itself? Head on over to wtfjeans.com and order a pair. (And hopefully they do cost more than your rear. That would just be… weird.)

The Force Trainer has two pieces – the first is a headset equipped with dry EEG sensors (a technology developed by NeuroSky…a name just a little too similar to SkyNet for my tastes). The sensors actually read your brainwaves and then relay that information to a fan inside the toy itself. The idea? The harder you concentrate, the more control you have over the fan. The fan lifts a lightweight ball in the toy, letting you then “control” the rise and fall of the ball.

I am not making this up.

The Force Trainer has 15 training levels and built-in voice guidance from Yoda, your Jedi Master. It’s expected to cost between $90 and $130 (seriously?! that’s it?! are brain wave sensors that cheap?!).

The rest of the Star Wars Science line will clock in at a reasonable $25-$45 price point and includes an optics teaching tool, a Darth Vader Robotic Arm, a Naboo Sea Creatures set (I wonder if they’re all really annoying?), a Dagobah Frog Habitat, a Jedi Telescope, a Jedi Projector and a Mustafar Volcano Kit.

So, how long before The Force Trainer replaces beer pong as the drinking game of choice amongst college students?

It comes with an impressive 8GB of storage (note: by the time you’re finished reading this post, 8GB of storage will no longer be impressive), meaning you can record hours of mindless meetings, encounters at the convenience store and an afternoon spent reading Kindle 2 reviews. I’m not actually sure why anyone would need this watch for anything less than clandestine, but it’s still awesome.

Of course, you could think about it this way – let’s say you stop in at the bank on your way home from work. All of a sudden, a hold-up is underway. Well, guess who’s videotaping the perps and nobody’s the wiser? You, that’s who. Local News Hero Status, here we come.

It’s also kind of  a cool watch and certainly beats the calculator watch hands down. It’s full metal, has a glass cover and it’s gear driven in seconds, minutes and hours (how they fit gears in there with a miniature camcorder and flash memory, I have no idea).

The watch comes with a USB cable, user manual, and Power adapter (110-240V 50/60Hz). It sells at ThinkGeek for $99.99

When you get home, simply plug it into a USB-port, download and review your pet’s day. From the 10:00am perusal of the toilet to the afternoon spent licking himself and napping, it will all be there for you, waiting. I’m guessing my own dog’s 35-photo breakdown would look something like this (35 is the maximum number of photos this camera holds):

• 08 photos: Barking at the door.
• 02 photos: Chewing on socks.
• 03 photos: Drinking water.
• 04 photos: Harassing the cat.
• 19 photos: Sleeping.

The novelty would wear off pretty quickly, but at $39.99 this is a pretty fun gift for either the pet lover or the guy who’s convinced his wife cat is “marking” his shoes.

But then Sharper Image closed and I was back to dreary days in Seattle. That is until I discovered this LCD Light Saber Umbrella (that’s “light saber” not “lightsaber”). Available in three colors from eCrater, this is the perfect remedy for the gray drizzle of a city like Seattle.

It’s LED-powered though, meaning it’s not exceptionally bright. On the other hand, it never burns out, definitely has a lightsaber look and won’t be an overpowering beacon of light when you’re trying to inconspicuously creep past a group of surly teenagers with your giant lightsaber umbrella. Retails for $22.95 and takes 3 AAA batteries (included).