Your Technology

By Anita Hamilton Monday, Jan. 25, 1999
    • Chefs' Creature Comforts
    Comfort food is supposed to make us feel happy inside, but the kitchen devices that help make those dishes are rarely as endearing. Black & Decker's new line of Ergo appliances aims to take the edge out of unfriendly utensils with its cushioned handles that are angled for more comfortable, natural hand positions. Available in July, the hand mixer, electric knife and can opener will cost $20 to $25 each.

    You've Got Scrabble!
    Addicted to scrabble? In March Hasbro Interactive will offer an e-mail version of its popular board and CD-ROM game. Here's how it works: one player buys and installs the $15 program and makes her first move, which is automatically saved as a file that can be sent as an attachment in any Windows e-mail program (including AOL 4.0). When the second player gets the file, he opens it up and makes his own move, which is also saved and routed back to the sender. Hasbro promises more e-mail games this year.

    Watch Where You're Going
    You're hiking along a lovely trail when suddenly you forget whether you should follow the path to the left or the right to get back home. What now? Casio's new satellite navigation watch ($490, available in June) could help you out in a pinch. The first watch with a built-in global-positioning-system receiver, it records your longitude and latitude (within 100 ft. or so) to help keep you on track.