Best New Technology

The Future of Shopping
Master Card just released its Pay Pass, a high tech card that could change the way we shop forever. Billed as contactless transaction, The Pay Pass allows you to swipe your own card for purchases without handing it off. PayPass cards feature wireless technology via an embedded computer chip and radio frequency antenna. After a consumer taps his or her card on a special merchant terminal, it wirelessly transmits payment details that are then processed through a secure payment network, just like any other payment card transaction. Seconds later, payment is confirmed and the consumer is on his or her way! What’s next? Cell phones that allow you to talk and buy your favorite stuff? www.mastercard.com

Smell a CD
Febreze Scentstories is a high tech machine with a variety of themed scent discs that delivers candle-like scents by simply pushing a button. Safer than candles and perfect for home or smelly dorm rooms this back to school season, Scentstories disc feature five flavors that play for fifty hours before replacing. The machine sells for $30 and replacements disc sell for around six bucks. Could the concept of Smell- a -Vison be far behind? www.scentstories.com

CELL PHONE TECH: What’s Hot?
According to a national poll (Juniper Research) Mobile Ring Tones account for over 3.6 billion dollars worldwide in 2004 alone. While most are music downloads, a number of companies are getting into the act giving away free downloads to promote its brand. One of the more popular downloads is from Purina (the cat and dog food people). If you are one of the 140 million dog or cat owners in America you will really get a kick out the free ring tones on their website. The tones include a barking dog, meowing cat, and the “ting-ting’ of a spoon hitting a glass dish to get that Pavlov thing going on with your four footed friend! You can also download free cell phone “wall paper” and informational podcasts that will supply you with useful information from noted pet authorities about nutrition, health and training. www.purina.com

Directions with a New Twist
Car GPS systems are also blending in with communications. The Tom Tom Go 700, due on streets this month, not only audibly gets you from point a to point b, it can communicate with your Bluetooth cell phone allowing you to send receive calls hands –free in the car. Best of it’s portable so you can move it from car to car. Other features include a hard drive with built –in maps of the US and continuous satellite pickup even in tunnels. $800. www.tomtom.com/

Combo Players Consolidate your Media Empire
For the back to school set, or anyone looking for an easy way to consolidate all your media in one set top box, a combo DVD/ VCR player is just the ticket. LG’s LDX-514 has added a slot for your digital cameras media card so you can playback slide shows on TV as well. You can also hook it up to your speakers and use it as your stereo with playback from multiple media sources (CDs, DVDs, MP3’s etc) $199. www.lge.com