Yes, there are other portable media players that do more, are more hackable, or cost less money. But there's a reason iPods are so hot - they're easy to use, sound good, and look cool.

The new iPod nano is perhaps the slickest little iPod to date. It's super thin, holds enough music/photos/videos to keep you entertained for a few weeks before you have to update it, and is skip-proof enough to take with you to the gym or on a run.

Now it's got a super high-res screen that makes looking at photos and watching videos pretty bearable despite the tiny screen. And, hey, that tiny screen is a widescreen now! Trick. nano may not be an iPod Touch or iPhone, but it's a lot less expensive. Available in 4 and 8gb models and in several colors.

Learn more or buy now: Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)

Used to be all the cool gadgets were small, thin, and light. Now you can add cheap (I mean, "inexpensive") to the short list. Asus' Eee PC is an ultraportable laptop that measures 8.9 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches, weighs 32 ounces and costs less than $400.

How'd they do it? For one, Asus built the Eee PC around a Linux operating system that avoids costly Windows licensing fees. While that means this might not be a great choice for a computer that will work with your corporate IT setup, it also means it's got a simple, effective interface for Web browsing, Email, and multimedia, and it's a hacker's delight.

Cooler than that, though, the Eee PC literally fits in many a purse or jacket pocket. It's about half the size of a 14" laptop computer and weighs half as much, too. With built-in WiFi and a 7" color display, it's the perfect laptop for taking notes in class or catching up on Email at the cafe - especially if you don't want to shell out three times as much for something more powerful like a MacBook.

Learn more or buy one now: ASUS Eee PC 4G Notebook PC (7", 512 MB RAM), Pearl White