Trust Apple to come up with yet another trendy-looking gadget -- this time, an all-white minimalist MP3 player that once again challenges design standards.

As an extension of Apple's award-winning iTunes 2 software (which allows you to rip MP3s and create playlists on your Mac), iPod lets you cram a whooping 1,000 songs onto a portable MP3 player that fits squarely into your shirt pocket.

Concerned over battery life? Don't! The iPod's 10-hour battery life keeps you in tune wherever you are, without worry of constantly running out of power. And it's simple to operate too. Just plug the iPod into your Mac, and you can easily and automatically download your iTunes songs and playlists through the lightning-fast FireWire access.

For more info, visit www.apple.com.sg

Turn your PC into a broadcasting unit. Yes, with the Logitech QuickCam Pro 3000 (retailing at $209), you can send e-mail with pictures and videos or (for the more technology-savvy) make live video calls to your loved ones over the Net.

The QuickCam Pro 3000 is a futuristic-looking Web Cam that you can easily mount onto your monitor to capture live video images or digital stills. With the QuickCam installed, it's easy to chat face-to-face over the Internet using Microsoft's Netmeeting software. Or broadcast video of yourself live from your bedroom over the Web through a few easy clicks and streaming via Spotlife.com.

With provided software, you can also have fun creating personalised video and photo greeting cards for almost any occasion. For more info on the QuickCam, visit www.logitech.com

The print ad for the Casio Pocket Viewer offers you this very attractive proposition: Organise your life for $199. Considering that a top-end Palm can set you back by about $700, this is indeed good news.

The Casio Pocket Viewer PV-S460 grants you access to basic spreadsheet functions, like building your own spreadsheets from scratch and synchronising data with the popular Microsoft Excel software that you run on your PC. If you're a user of Microsoft Outlook -- whether for calendaring or e-mail -- you would be glad to know that you can do Outlook synchronisation with your Pocket Viewer. (And yes, the Pocket Viewer comes with a cradle, just like a Palm PDA.)

Lightweight at 140g (with two AAA batteries), the Pocket Viewer boasts backlit display for operation in the dark, complete with a cover to prevent scratches or damage to its screen. It also comes with travel-friendly features like world clock, quick schedules, language translation and currency conversion.

The PV-S460 has a built-in memory of 4MB, but there is another model (PV-S660) which comes with a memory of 6MB and is priced at $229. For more information, go to www.casio.com.sg

Here's something very "Mezzo" -- a micro hifi from the good folks at Sony that is not only good enough to listen to but also gawk at.

Talk about retro chic, the Sony CMT-VC1 comes in three distinctive colours -- red, black or silver. Its minimalist, uncluttered design reeks strongly of the '70s, especially its removable speaker grilles and its cluster of 15 buttons arranged in three neat rows of five on its front panel. Oh, not to mention the sleek all-white remote control that can easily be passed off as modern sculpture.

A member of Sony's Mezzo family of micro hifi systems, the CMT-VC1 boasts a VideoCD player for your cinematic pleasure. Of course, it also delivers crystal-clear CD sound. This is done through its 35-watt amplifier, the attached set of two-way speakers, and a special built-in feature called Dynamic Sound Generator (DSG) that acts as a music enhancer to improve your bass and treble.

The Sony CMT-VC1 costs just below $500. For more info, check at the nearest electrical store.