The booming (in more ways than one) home audio market could be worth $6 billion in 2007, according to a January study released by the Consumer Electronics Association. D&M Holdings, which wants a piece of that pie, has launched new Denon stereo headsets with enhanced sound delivery technologies. Meanwhile, KYE Systems may create noise among inveterate scribblers (with its Genius G-Note 7100 electronic pad for recording and converting handwritten notes) and artists (with its Genius MousePen 8x6 digital pad, pen, and mouse set for recording hand-made sketches digitally). Another useful gadget is Apricorn's portable EZ Writer DVD LS burner. And an astonishing new trinket, Brookstone's innovative Digital Photo Keychain, will wow you with its tiny LCD screen for displaying digital images.

Denon Enters Headset Market

Known primarily for affordable, high-quality receivers, Denon in February added five headset models to an already crowded market. Denon hopes to boost its presence in the rapidly expanding home and portable audio/video markets with these stereo headsets.

Two new technologies enable the AH-D5000 ($699), AH-D2000 ($349), and AH-D1000 ($150) headsets to produce superior sound, the company said. "Microfiber Diaphragm" increases frequency transmission rates, thereby maximizing acoustics with low distortion; "Acoustic Optimizer" adjusts sound pressure to deliver better bass.

Two in-ear models--the $200 AH-C700 and the $50 AH-C350--include Acoustic Optimizer technology but not Microfiber Diaphragm. All five headset models are slated to ship in the United States starting in February.

Genius Pads and Pens?

The tablet PC acquires a new form with KYE Systems' Genius G-Note 7100 ($159), an electronic pad that lets users record digital notes. Roughly the size of an 8.5-by-11-inch pad of paper, the G-Note 7100 comes with two pens and handwriting recognition software for deciphering the digitized words. Just scribble your notes, and the G-Note will recognize and record the data in its internal 32MB memory, the company promises. At 2 pounds (counting its leather carrying case), the device is heavier than a normal paper pad, but it could be a great help to students and professionals who jot down information regularly.

Logitech's io2 digital writing system--which includes a digital pen, a digital pad, and software for converting digitized handwriting into Microsoft documents, plain-text files, JPEG images, or files of other types--is a comparable device.

KYE Systems has simultaneously released its Genius MousePen 8x6, a digital pad that comes with a cordless digital pen and a three-button mouse. With the pen, a user can draw on the pad and digitally record hand-made sketches. The pad recognizes levels of pressure applied by the pen when sketching, which helps define a piece of art more accurately. Among the sketching modes provided are airbrush, watercolor, and fountain pen (strokes usually found in imaging software). The pad's drawing area is 8 inches wide by 6 inches long, and the whole thing weighs 1.5 pounds. The mouse lets users scroll up and down, and navigate through documents. It comes bundled with the PenSuite programs for graphics. The product box indicates that it contains Corel Painter 8, too, but the program you get turns out to be just a trial version. Priced at $99, the Genius MousePen 8x6 is available across the United States.

Move DVD Drives Around Easily

To meet laptop users' demand for a portable DVD burner, Apricorn in February launched EZ Writer DVD LS, a lightweight DVD+/-RW drive with LightScribe technology. At 12 ounces, it's easy to shuttle around to burn DVDs or run DVD movies, making it ideal for home use among multiple PCs or on the road. Using it at an airport or cafe could be more challenging, since it can't operate without a power outlet.

The EZ Writer DVD LS can write data to dual-layer DVDs, and LightScribe technology enables it to create CD or DVD labels containing text, images, and artwork. It connects to a PC or Mac via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port and has an 8X DVD write speed and a 24X CD write speed. In Apricorn's own tests, the DVD LS took 20 minutes to burn 8.5GB of data to a dual-layer DVD.

Bundled with the drive is a software combination of Ahead Nero OEM Suite software (for burning DVDs) and Cyberlink Power DVD 5 (for displaying movies). The software will be Microsoft Vista-compatible in the near future, a company spokesperson noted. The $139 drive is available at the Apricorn Web site and through retailers in the United States. For a list of LightScribe-compatible media, visit the LightScribe Web site.

Funky Photo Key Chain

Keychains don't get funkier than Brookstone's innovative Digital Photo Keychain, which displays digital images on an attached 1.4-inch LCD screen. The screen extracts images from the key's 8MB of internal flash memory, which can store up to 56 images. After uploading the images to the flash memory, the Keychain automatically optimizes them for display on the small LCD screen. You can connect the Keychain to a PC via a USB port; and using the bundled software, you can drag and drop images on the key. The device has a 2.5-hour run time on its internal rechargeable battery.

The Digital Photo Keychain has undergone rigorous testing, according to Brookstone, and it can take the odd knock or jolt. But water may be a more formidable enemy: "Do not use while bathing or in a shower," the user manual states.

This pricey $50 keychain won't last a lifetime, but it's a colorful and kitschy item for gadget enthusiasts and would be ideal for someone who wanted to view life-size reproductions of favorite specimens from a stamp collection. Check it out at Brookstone's Web site.