A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in the IntelUpgrade event at Intel's headquarters, which brought together a group of women bloggers from around the country for a day of learning about Intel and some of its projects - including their education initiatives, their research projects, and I got to get a hands on with some of the latest mobile products powered by Intel processors.

Valentine's Day is just a few days away and if our Top Geekiest Gadget Gift List didn't help you out, here is one more geekily appropriate Valentine's Day Gift. Want to win her over? You could get her a screenless iPod Shuffle or you could get her a Heart Shaped Cupid MP3 Player Necklace. This DAP sports a red finish, a 1GB capacity and she can wear it around her on a lanyard. For $24.95 it might be tacky but it's also sweet. Admittedly we could do without the cupid on one side, that is a little bit overkill, but she can always wear the blank site face-foward.

It's that time of the year again - gift giving time! For this year's gift guide, we promise not to recommend anything that is obvious. Duh - an iPod Touch? Check. Playstation 3? Check. You know - all those big ticket items which we're pretty sure, that unless you've been living under a rock, you know that they'd make great gifts. We've broken down our gift guide in to core categories - each of which includes items with price tags that are more affordable, and then some which aren't quite as affordably priced - but we promise that they are worth every penny....

Being the technology loving connoisseur that I am, I never knew a subculture existed for laser pointers and the people that use them! I mean, I can vaguely remember attending my share of conferences, where the person giving the presentation used a laser pointer. Suffice it to say, the only thing that kept my attention at some of these gatherings was the colorful glowing beam of light that illuminated from the laser pointer! The folks at Wicked Lasers go through great lengths on their web site and in their marketing literature to distinguish themselves from the run of the mill laser makers, by referring to their lasers as revolutionary. We here at Chip Chick never turn down an offer to review a product, and took Wicked Lasers up on their offer to take one of its lasers through its phases!

Products under the Hello Kitty moniker have continuously established themselves in popularity and mass appeal among adolescents and teens as one of the world-wide leaders in the production of cool and colorful gadgets. The Hello Kitty Digital MP3 Player with 3 Changing Face Plates ($39.95, ages 7 to 14) by Sakar continues in that trend! Weighing less than an ounce, this 1GB, battery operated (1 AAA battery) flash mp3 player includes 3 Change Face Plates, earphones, an instruction manual, USB cable and Music Express Software. The minimum software requirements are Windows 2000, XP or Vista (sorry Mac users) and the hardware stats are Pentium II 300MHZ, 128 RAM Recommended, a sound ...

The likelihood of water mixing with oil is very improbable because of the chemical composition of both of these liquids; Equate that same theory with the infamous internationally renown Oakley eye wear giant and one of the top telecommunication icons, Motorola teaming up and perhaps you're left scratching your head. However, in as far as technology is concerned, these two companies have managed to blend high end eye wear with hands free bluetooth wireless technology, with the O ROKR PRO sunglasses ($249). Oakley eye wear is widely known for it's exacting durability and craftsmanship and sets the standard by which all other sporting and leisure eye wear companies emulate (think professional cyclist Lance Armstrong and more than a few professional baseball players that have several pair of Oakley's in their collection).

Ever since acquiring Maxis (the original makers of the Sims Franchise), Electronic Arts (EA) has managed to create and expound on a very viable, highly addictive computer game that has achieved a cult like following; turning it into a sub culture, complete with its very own vernacular that continues to capture the hearts, minds, imaginations and in some respects transcend societal lines in terms of staying fresh in shaping the human condition that is called life. However, the good thing about The Sims is that it continues to entertain and delight millions of fans across the hemisphere! After all, it’s a computer game!

The Consumers Electronic Show (CES) ushers in the New Year by giving one a bird’s eyes view of what products will be available in the months ahead. Some of the electronic products offered cover the gamut of being mundane while other products are innovative. Take for instance, the slick and futuristic looking Boynq Alibi Computer Speaker Webcam and Microphone. We jumped at the opportunity to put this gadget to the test. Dubbed, the Alibi, this USB plug and play combination computer speaker, webcam, and microphone, aims to add a bit of style to the way one uses a webcam. What makes this webcam different from other web cams is that the web cam is enclosed inside of the body and is released by pressing on top. Hence, the web cam pops out and the speakers are turned on as well (this is the on/off button). This webcam can also manually tilt and swivels around. The microphone is located to the right of the web cam lens (it’s a small slit), and the speakers are housed on the bottom of this unit (four stands prop up the body of the web cam, thus allowing the sound to emit from the speakers). The volume “control ring” button for the speakers is located in the middle of the webcam and is smartly labeled “volume”, and minimum and maximum buttons are clearly but cleverly marked. Also, the packaging for this web cam is the best marketing presentation that I’ve seen in awhile.

Pretty much everyone is familiar with the Roomba, the intelligent vacuum cleaner that does all of the work for you. We can't say that we've ever been very interested in Robotics in the past, but that is because we've been skeptical about whether or not the performance is really there yet. Yesterday, we got to meet with iRobot and hear about their goals and inspirations. iRobot understands the plight of the modern day woman. We're busy, busy as heck. More so usually than our male counterparts. Between raising a family, careers and other important things, the average American woman is constantly working and isn't getting enough personal downtime to keep her happy. That is where iRobot's products come in. Their goal is simple - to take away some of the routine grunt work that is a part of life. The result is that you are left with more personal time for yourself.

External Portable hard drives are a dime a dozen. But Transcend's StoreJet OTG has something extra special to offer. Admittedly its 30gb 1.8" micro hard disk drive alone is pretty impressive since it lets you carry around a lot of files in a device that looks a lot like a MP3 player. But what really makes the StoreJet OTG stand out is the fact that it has a dual color OLED display and that it supports direct input and exchange of data between most USB and mini USB devices such as flash drives, MP3 players, card readers, and digital cameras.

There are certainly plenty of USB flash drives out there - some weirder than the next in regards to design. But no one has really started altering the the tiniest of USB flash drives yet till now. Coolkii is selling what they call USB memory jewels. To put it simply, it is an ultra lightweight flash USB drive that is pimped out in Swarovski crystals. Many designs are available and they are admittedly, quite pretty. The "jewels" can hold up to 1 or 2 gb of space and range from $38.55 - $41.52. Strange pricing for a strange product but hey if you are one of the gadget girls who needs to carry a ...

Admittedly I am a casual Skype user and I really only use Skype to talk to friends overseas, where Skype seems to be even more popular then it is here. I've eyed several Skype handsets in the past but never jumped ship because I didn't like that your computer had to be powered on and that you had to be signed on to Skype in order to use it. Thus the fact that the Phillips VOIP841 lets you talk on Skype without having your computer turned on, well that caught my attention right away. The other main feature that piqued my interest, though not quite as unique is the fact that the handset works with your regular landline as well. Setting up the VOIP841 was as easy as connecting its base station to my wireless router and to my land line. The included instructions were easy to understand and no software installation was required to get it up and running. However you of course need to have a Skype account. The package generously comes with skype credit for 120 outgoing minutes and 12 months of voicemail. When you turn on the phone it initially asks you to enter your Skype username and password account information. Once that is set up you are ready to start sending and receiving phone calls. After you dial a number and hit send, the phone's interface gives you an option to select Skype or landline as the method for making your phone call. It's an easy two step process, that doesn't require any complicated steps to switch between Skype and your old landline - and that is the way it should be. You can also access your Skype contact list and scroll through it and choose who call.

It has been awhile since we've been this excited about a video game launch (sorry, we don't play Halo). Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock launched in New York City today and we're quite excited to get our hands on the latest addtion to the series. What we love so much about Guitar Hero, aside from the great gameplay, is the fact that most types of people enjoy playing it. When it comes to video games, some people prefer first person shooters, some prefer RPGs, and then there is Guitar Hero which everyone takes too. But we digress. Admittedly, the launch today was not that exciting, though we did get to see the gameplay ...

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of ear bud earphones, partly because the few that I've tried don't do a good job at producing an adequate mix of bass, and the highs as well as lows in music. Then there is the matter of jamming tiny rubbery plugs into your ears, which ultimately take it's toll on the ears by tiring them out. Thus, turning any music listening experience into a painful inner-ear aching catastrophe. However, after trying Griffin's Tune Buds ($29.99), I have changed my tune (at least with these earphones). Also, the Tune Buds are made to fit most mp3 players.

We've seen some mighty expensive laptops cases in our day, but Orbino's Linea takes the cake. While admittedly a very good looking case, the $849 price tag is sending our wallets running for cover. Designed for the Macbook or Macbook Pro, the Linea is a slim leather case with a plush suede interior and a handcrafted exterior that is available in red, black or several shades of brown. We love that the case is so slim and professional looking, and that you can work from your laptop without taking it out of the case, but for that price we think we rather just buy a second Macbook.

Calculators have got to be the most boring gadget ever created. Unfortunately, if you're in school then chances are you're using one. Luckily, Texas Instruments has gone ahead and attempted to make the world of scientific calculators a bit more exciting. They have faceplates for the popular TI-84 Plus Silver Edition which can transform your calculator with a shade of pink or blue. They also have removable GraphiTI stickers for sprucing up your drab calc. You can design the stickers on your computer and print them out yourself. A 10 pack costs just $1.99.  Or you can choose from an assortment of pre-printed designs. The stickers are compatible with the  TI-84 Plus ...

Admittedly, I am a huge fan of Kensington; I think they produce some of the most coolest, intrinsically stylish, durable and affordable peripherals and devices in the world. Hence, I was very ecstatic to get the opportunity to kick around the tires on one of their latest offerings: The FX 500 Speaker To Go System ($49.99) for MP3 players. Constructed of high density EVA foam and light weight plastic, Kensington touts that this makes the FX 500 impact and water resistant as well as shock absorbent. Operating the device was a cinch. You simply strap your mp3 player inside of the clear display window (and there's even a foam sleeve to put your iPod Nano or other smaller type mp3 player in. The speakers are enclosed inside of the case and are protected via a light weight but hard foam lining. The last step involves plugging in the speaker cable directly into your mp3 player sound source and zipping the case shut (zippers adorn the case but are barely noticeable). The FX500 is powered by 3 AAA batteries with an estimated playing time of 10 hours. You control your MP3 player controls through the clear window and there is a power button that turns the FX500 on and off. Also, there's a stand that holds up the FX500 which makes it totally portable.

The problem with iPhone cases is that they cover up the beautiful design of the iPhone. But if you don't put a case on your iphone and you end up damaging it, you'll never forgive yourself either. Think of the InvisibleSHIELD as a happy medium. Kind of like the emperor's clothing, the InvisibleSHIELD is designed to protect your iPhone without covering up its lovely curves. Initially, I was a little skeptical about using the InvisibleSHIELD on the face of the iPhone because I was worried that it would interfere with the sensitivity of the iPhone. Fortunately, it hasn't interfered at all with the iPhone's usability. The package included a piece that covers the face of the iPhone, and the back of the iPhone. However the piece for the back of the iPhone doesn't wrap around far enough to cover the metal edges on the iPhone's face. I find that a little disappointing since, since I think that the metal edges are the most delicate area on the iPhone and mine have already been getting a little scuffed up from use. The InvisibleSHIELD also claims to be scratch proof. Admittedly, I am to chicken to test that theory out on my precious, however I've been carrying it around for a couple of days and it has kept my iPhone safe and sound so far. Applying the invisibleSHIELD was simple enough, though it did take concentration in order to take some effort to make sure that no air bubbles got in. A spray on solution is included with shield that makes the invisibleSHIELD movable on the iPhone's surface, so that you can align it as perfectly as possible without much hassle. I succeeded in aligning the front and back piece of the invisibleSHIELD pretty well, minus a bubble that I couldn't manage to get rid of on the back side.

Ok, so mentioning a hard drive just because it comes in pink might be shameless but when it comes to pink gadgets we are admittedly shameless. So yes, EXCELSTOR GStor Wave hard drive's claim to fame is that it is available in a choice of colors in purple pink, blue, green, silver or black. Under the hood there is nothing to write home about. It's just a run-of-the-mill USB 2.0 hard drive with a kind of dismal 4,200RPM hard drive. The hard drive is available in 160G/120G/80G/60G capacities and a carrying bag is included. The 80GB version is available for $69.99 from ChiefValue, and act now and they'll even throw in a free ...

So I'm reading Computer Games Magazine and I see a full page ad for Accordion Hero II. I was A bit confused, a bit shocked, and admittedly - a bit excited. I hadn't heard of Accordion Hero I, forget about Accordion Hero II. My curiosity lead me to the web site address listed on the ad, which was actually a very professional looking, well designed ad. Arriving at the site I quickly determined that this is all obviously a big joke, complete with very convincing 3D renders of the Accordion Hero II package, as well as a scary screen shot from the game. And well, it even gave me a good chuckle. ...

Admittedly, I am a push over for a well designed and constructed laptop mouse. And as laptop mice go, perhaps the adage would be if you've seen and used one laptop mouse, you've seen and used them all. However, that is far from the truth with Rocketfish's Twister Wireless Laser Mouse ($44.99). Twisting the bottom base of this mouse transforms it into a fully functional travel mouse and twisting it back to its flat state, allows one to actually fit this mouse into their shirt pocket with out the lumps (try doing that with a conventional travel mouse or with any mouse for that matter). At 2.4Ghz and weighing less than an ounce, the Twister Laser Mouse, is truly a joy to use. With standard right and left click buttons and its one of a kind middle scroll button which emulates a touch pad found on laptops is a very ingenious and useful feature. The response time of the touch pad worked with remarkable accuracy. From its black matte finish to its handsomely designed chassis, I was also impressed to see a rather slim USB receiver and the fact that when not in use, this receiver fits in a hidden compartment on the right side of the mouse.