The thing I dislike the most about using my netbook when I travel is that on many occasions when I am working I need an optical drive. My netbook and 99% of all others on the market lack an optical drive. The only option is to use an external drive, but most of those are too large and heavy.

Pioneer has announced a new external DVD/CD burner that it aimed at users of netbooks and other computers that lack optical drives called the DVR-XD09. The tiny drive looks more like a CD case than an optical drive.

The big problem with the iPod shuffle for most users isn’t the small size or the fact that it has much less storage than more expensive iPod models. The big issue is that the shuffle has all the controls built into the headphones so you can’t just use any headphones you want.

Belkin has announced a new adapter cable called the Belkin Headphone Adapter that allows shuffle owners to ditch those junky stock headphones and use any set they want and still get full control of the player. The cable plugs in to the shuffle and the headphones plug into it.

Philips’s new Wake-up Light Alarm HF3490 won’t jolt you awake. Instead it will wake you up gradually by increasing the amount of light a little at a time. That way you can wake up the way nature intended. With light, not harsh sounds.

If you want you can also use the FM radio, natural sounds or music from your iPod or iPhone. You can pre-order it now for $199.99. It’s great for those living in apartments where the lighting may not be great.

The 2.1 Harley Davidson Headlight Stereo Speaker System with Alarm Clock for iPhone or iPod will bring a little Harley in the house. It functions as a standard alarm clock and iPod/iPhone dock, but it also features authentic Harley Davidson motorcycle sounds in case you miss your Hog in the garage.

You get a fully functional remote and it functions as a fully functional dock too. Only $129.99 and best of all, with this Harley, you won’t have to worry about any bugs in your face.

LEGO fans who are also foosball fans will love this one. This LEGO Coffee Table Foosball Table features custom minifigs and an authentic “faux” oak woodgrain finish. The creator says that he still has to tweak some of the finer details, but it looks pretty amazing. Much nerdier and cooler than the Barbie Foosball table.

The only question we have is, how durable is this? It has some amazing detail and looks like a lot of fun. The pirate flag is a nice touch. Now, who will battle him in the first official LEGO foosball championship? You know it’s coming. Better keep an eye out and get your tickets.

We all have a special place in our hearts for the Cassette tape, despite the fact that we would never EVER go back to using them. Remember what a pain it was to rewind and fast forward? Bottom line: Cassette tapes make better lamps.

And these lamps pump me so full of nostalgia that they have fast forwarded my heart, ejected it from my chest, flipped it over to the B side and made it start beating again. We want one real bad.

At last you can have your very own Darth Vader robotic arm. It’s good for more than just wielding a lightsaber you know. It can help you grab stuff with it’s opening and closing fingers. Plus you can insert anything you want in it to see what Vader might have looked like while holding it.

Funny stuff, like a bottle of lube, a rubber chicken, a can of Bud, maybe even a hot blond action figure so you can pretend that Vader is King Kong. The kit features 45 snap-together parts that you can use to build it.

Archos just recently got into the small MP3 player market with the Clipper, which will obviously target the SanDisk Sansa Clip. All they did was add the “er”. Though I don’t think that SanDisk will be bothered much since Apple dominates them both in the portable media player market.

Like the Sansa Clip and Creative Zen Stone, the Archos Clipper has no display and is designed to be clipped onto your belt or pocket. For $30 you’ll get 2GB of storage space, but we’re not sure anyone is interested. Anyone?

Verismo Networks recently added Roxio CinemaNow streaming media purchases for the VuNow IPTV box, further enhancing the usefulness of the device. The video-on-demand box can already show streaming content from local network storage or YouTube, but now adds access to Sonic Solutions’ 250 content providers.

The VuNow system is a set-top box that comes in both standard and HD versions along with a USB Wi-Fi dongle to stream content straight onto the VuNow. That’s not all though. Apart from CinemaNow content and YouTube, this setup will be able to connect to popular websites, internet TV and will play content stored on USB drives.

KDDI’s collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Information & Communications Technology has resulted in the most advanced fiber optic cable in the world. This new cable is able to zip data around at amazing speeds that are up to 10 times faster than existing cables.

We’re talking 30 terabits per second compared to 3 that we use now. Just to put that in perspective for you, that’s 720 DVDs(Each two hours) transmitted to the destination within a single second. Keanu Reeves says Whoa.

Do you prefer your keyboard soft to the touch? Like your gadgets furry? This one might be for you. The name means “soft and fluffy” in Japanese, and the white fur lining the sides makes typing more like petting a soft kitty…That’s been flattened under your keyboard.

Don’t type that hate e-mail just yet PETA, the fur is synthetic. The Fuwa-Fuwa Fur Keyboard is perfect for pimps, men who dance in broadway shows, Vegas showgirls, Strip club PCs and Richard Simmons.

Any gadget lover knows the frustration of trying to extract a new gadget or toy from it’s clamshell packaging. Each of us has probably stabbed or sliced ourselves just trying to open the packaging. Exacto knives work great, but your chances of injury increase dramatically. It’s a fact that many of us here at the ‘Brick have less than ten fingers. So why not have an electric gadget that will open these packages for you?

The ZIPIt simply slices through the demon package like butter. The device runs on 3 AA batteries. Just remove the protective cover, and slide your package into the end of the cutter. A few seconds later, your package will be open and all of your fingers will be intact.

These “Deep Red” and “Metallic Blue,” controllers are the mot patriotic dualshocks we’ve ever seen. Combine them with a white dualshock and you can call yourself an all American gamer. Sony says they should be available this October.

October is a little late for fireworks, parades and barbecues, but at least you’ll be rocking true American colors year round as you game with these babies.

Acer is offering a trio of new affordable LCD displays to the Japanese market. The 17-inch V173Bbm, 20-inch P205Hbmd and 21-inch H223HQFbd. The 17-inch V173Bbm features a native resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 250cd/m2 brightness, 160/160 degrees viewing angle, 1W +1 W built-in stereo speakers and low power consumption.(14W)

The 20-inch P205Hbmd sports a 1600 x 900 resolution, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness, 160/160 degrees viewing angle and 1W +1 W built-in stereo speakers. While the 21-inch H223HQFbd supports a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 5ms response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 300cd/m2 brightness and 160/170 degrees viewing angle.

Creative has launched a hardware and software platform called Plaszma which allows developers to simultaneously develop for Plaszma and Android. The Zii EGG was developed to compete with the iPod touch and will deliver an energy efficient device with the following specs:

1080p output, 3.5″ touchscreen display at 320 x 480 resolution, 16 million colors LCD, Capacitive 10-Point Multi-Gesture Touchscreen Display, Text-to-Speech Engine, SDHC memory card slot, 32GB internal memory, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS receiver and Creative X-Fi audio processing.