Sam Runco is known as both a tinkerer and a talker. A motivational speaker before he became an inventor, Runco relied heavily on both skills when launching the video company that bears his name. His efforts in the 20 years since have paid off, though, in a series of front projectors and rear-projection and flat-panel TVs that have consistently set new standards for high-end home theater.
May the flash be with you! For daily data transport, Star Wars fanatics can now stay on target with USB flash drives that are both practical and whimsical. Mimoco's Star Wars mimobots include a storm trooper as well as Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 & all designed to the exacting standards of Lucas Licensing.
• LaCie Hub ($80; lacie.com). Prevent a peripheral pileup with this handy hub. The eye-catching gadget enables you to connect as many as six devices simultaneously - such as external hard drive, keyboard, mouse - via four USB and two FireWire ports. It comes bundled with eight flexible cables.
With summer just around the corner, there's no better time to upgrade your digital camera. CASIO's Exilim EX-Z75 ($230; casio.com) is perfect for a day trip or an extended vacation. I used mine for some basic around-the-house stuff, but this 7.2 megapixel would be a great travel companion.
Home theater or place to party? These days, folks are opting for both when renovating a basement or a media room, says Scott Jordan, systems consultant for Piscataway, New Jersey-based Electronics Design Group (edgonline.com; 732-650-9800).
Now nestled in a converted gas station, CSA Audio Design (csaaudiodesign.com; 973-744-0600) has built a name for itself over the past 30 years as a custom-installation resource and retail store in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
