Despite the recent onslaught of CES, hardware makers are still going strong; this week's hottest pieces of kit include an ultraportable tablet convertible and a pair of... video goggles?
BenQ-Siemens EF81
 Launched this week alongside the lesser-capable S68 and S88, the EF81 is one of newly minted handset maker BenQ-Siemens' first bids to compete in the higher echelons - and not a bad one at that. A 16 mm thick clamshell, it takes square aim at Motorola's RAZR V3x with a 2 Megapixel camera, 3G connectivity and dual 262K colour displays. Naturally, there's also the obligatory music player with microSD card expansion slot, Bluetooth and and USB connectivity, all of which can be had in March 2006 at an as of yet unknown price.
Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook P1510
 We go gaga over Fujitsu Siemens' newest ultraportable tablet convertible (now say that five times fast), a notebook which strikes a fine balance between form and function that will have any road warrior drooling. A highly precise 8.9-inch, touch-sensitive swivel display is backed up by a modest set of specifications excellently tailored for productivity applications with 30 GB of storage and excellent onboard connectivity. Keep in mind, though: from €2,500 EUR and up, you don't get an optical drive - not even in the docking station.
Cingular 2125
 Trailing a quarter behind Europe, Cingular's Windows Mobile 5.0 powered 2125 is similar in most respects to the SPV C600 introduced by UK carrier Orange in October 2005, right down to its comprehensive connectivity which includes quad-band GSM, EDGE, Bluetooth 1.2, Infrared and charge-supporting mini USB. From $200 USD, future owners also get a high-resolution, 2.2-inch display, a 1.3 Megapixel camera and a miniSD card slot to extend the 64 MB of onboard memory.
Creative Zen Sleek Photo
 Take the Creative Zen Sleek, add a pinch of OLED and you have the Zen Sleek Photo. This 20 GB portable audio player sees no need to adjust the feature set of its predecessor, and as such retains its support for MP3, WMA and WMA DRM formats alongside photo viewing and a 10-hour battery life. The only thing which has changed is improved reception for the integrated stereo FM radio - and that is what €300 EUR or $300 USD will get you.
Icuiti DV920
 Of course, if you really want to stand out in a crowd, none of the above pieces of hardware have anything on Icuiti's DV920 video goggles. Designed to work with a multitude of devices such as the Apple iPod Video or Creative Zen Vision:M, the modestly-sized specs dole out VGA resolution in stereo with a claimed viewing experience akin to watching a 42-inch screen at a distance of 11 feet. For $550 USD, its batteries will last you for up to 4.5 hours - or enough for a couple of full length movies on the red eye to Tokyo.
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