Glamorous Gadgets To Go Gaga Over (NAPSA)—Now your music can look as good as it sounds. Five years ago, who would have thought MP3 players, headsets and hard drives could be glamorous, hip and stylish? But that’s exactly what some forward-thinking companies did. They’ve developed products that aren’t just inventive gadgets—they’re the hottest new lifestyle accessories. Small Is Big This Year A big reason for this popularity is size. Innovations in technology have enabled companies to pack more functionality and features into smaller packages. At the same time, product designers have been able to create form factors that are more discreet, sleek and attractive. As a result, a cul- tural and aesthetic shift is occurring in which consumers select their electronics devices the same way they choose their clothes: by design, not just function. Behind the scenes, a full team of design professionals with expertise in humanfactors, color and materials, industrial design and mechanical engineering are hard at work to come up with the latest, most innovative designs. Style And Substance Companies like Plantronics, Seagate and Rio, for example, are paying attention to the desires of their style-conscious customers HEAR THIS—Today’s high-tech devices are portable, functional and fashionable. by delivering products that excel in style and substance. Products as diverse as the portable Plantronics Bluetooth headset, the Seagate Pocket Hard Drive and the Rio Carbon MP3 player have been crafted to satisfy the modern consumer. The result? Consumers are no longer confined to the clunky designs of the past. They can select hip, elegant products that affect them on an emotional and psychological level and that relate to their personal lifestyles. For many, that’s what technological innovationis all about.
