Gee-whiz products that impressed at tech show

NEW YORK -- Shows such as TechXNY are packed with gee-whiz products we can really do without. After wading through a sea of new offerings at this year's gathering, only a few came across as gems. Here are the ones that impressed us most.

Motorola MyMail

Price: $30 for MyMail Desktop e-mail software, $50 MyMail Desktop Plus for e-mail, calendar and contacts.

What it does: Software that transforms a Motorola two-way pager into an affordable ``always on'' e-mail device; Plus version also remotely accesses calendars and contacts.

System requirements: Motorola says the mail portion will work with virtually any e-mail account. The calendar and contacts work with Microsoft Outlook 97 (version 8.03 or better), 98 or 2000; Outlook Express 4.0 or higher; Eudora Light or Pro version 4.0 or higher; and Netscape Communicator version 4.5 or higher. Will be available on Motorola T900, P935, and Accompli 009 two-way pagers.

Availability: Version for T900 now available for download (http://www.motorola.com/), version for P935 due in late July, version for Accompli 009 due early next year.

Why we like it: The one-two punch of MyMail software and this lineup of devices could make Motorola the undisputed champion in two-way messaging. Motorola says you simply install MyMail software on your desktop and configure it to work with your e-mail account. As long as you're logged on to the Internet, MyMail will check for messages and push them out to your pager as they arrive. When you use your pager to respond to messages, they appear to come from your e-mail account.

Best of all, this solution is affordable. The $100 T900 Talkabout uses the low-bandwidth pager network, which usually costs as little as $10 a month for service and works across the country. This compares to $400 for the BlackBerry device, the most popular two-way e-mail pager, and at least $40 per month for service. The T900 has already created a loyal following with the MTV crowd -- they're a mainstay in R&B videos. And Carson Daly, host of MTV's Total Request Live, says he exchanges two-way messages with rap-rocker Kid Rock every now and then.

Compaq Evo N200

Price: About $2,000, plus about $200 for optional second battery.

What it does: Compaq says this 0.8-inch thin, 3-pound ultralight laptop gets eight hours of running time with the second battery.

System specifications: An ultra-low-voltage Pentium III processor from Intel running faster than 600 megahertz, 128 megabytes of memory, a 20-gigabyte hard drive, built-in modem, Ethernet and infrared, two USB ports, VGA out, a PC Card slot, and a 10.4-inch XGA screen. An optional 1.7-pound docking station adds legacy ports, two more USB ports and various optical drives such as CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM and combo CD-RW / DVD. Will run Windows 2000.

Availability: October.

Why we like it: At last, a laptop that will run all day on one charge. This one got our nod over the Casio Cassiopeia Fiva with Transmeta's Crusoe processor because the Evo has a docking station.

Minolta-QMS Magicolor 2200 DeskLaser

Price: $1,000, after rebate.

What it does: Prints 5 color pages or 20 black-and-white pages per minute at 1,200 dots per inch.

System requirements: Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0 or 2000.

Availability: Now available (http://www.minolta-qms.com/).

Why we like it: Color laser printers have been out of reach for consumers and most small businesses, until now. Minolta's daring charge to the $1,000 price level should prompt others to follow suit within the year, especially since price competition gets ugly in a down economy.

zTrace Gold 4.0

Price: $50

What it does: zTrace software helps law enforcement officers track the physical location of a stolen laptop computer. Sitting invisibly inside a laptop, the software calls home when the thief logs on to the Internet. zTrace captures the IP address or the phone number of the dial-up connection and forwards that information to police. The software can only be uninstalled when the hard disk is reformatted -- which thieves rarely do -- or when the customer contacts zTrace.

Availability: Sold as packaged software or a download (http://www.ztrace.com/); a scaled-down free version is also available on the Web.

System Requirements: Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, or 2000.

Why we like it: Like _______ for cars, this is a safeguard for laptop owners that allows them a greater chance of recovering stolen computers. zTrace executives shared the story of a corporate customer whose employee reported a laptop stolen. The laptop was later traced to the home of the same employee, who didn't know that his employer had installed zTrace, via its network, on all of its laptop computers. Busted.