Versatile device sets the bar high on coolness

Product: Carry Computer FotoBar Price: not set, but earlier vesions retailed for US$180 to US$$200 in the United States Pros: One-touch copying, small, versatile, battery-operated Cons: Cannot select files to copy to CD - it's all or nothing

There are some products that are so beautiful in their simplicity that they inspire awe... and copycats. The Carry Computer FotoBar is one such product, and is likely to be copied by all and sundry.

Carry has managed to load an 8-in-1 card reader and DVD player-cum-CD burner into a unit about the size of a medium-sized paperback.

That alone is not so special, as basically it's a case of combining two devices in one housing. Multicard readers are common these days, and DVD/CD-R/RWs are pretty much standard in all new desktop PCs - and even some notebooks.

The beauty of the FotoBar is that it renders the PC obsolete in the whole digicam to CD burning process. At the press of the Copy button (well, two presses - one to copy, the second to confirm), the FotoBar automatically burns verbatim the contents of your memory card on to a CD or CD-RW. Later versions will include a DVD burner.

The coolness doesn't end there. Not only can the FotoBar connect by USB2.0 to a PC - thus serving as card reader, DVD player and CD burner - it also has full TV compatibility. S-video jacks mean that the unit can plug into any TV, not only serving as a DVD/VCD player but photo viewer as well, allowing for a slide show back at the hotel after a long day of sightseeing. It supports both NTSC and PAL.