Gorgeous Gadgetry: The 15 Sexiest Gadgets of 2009

Can a gadget be sexy? There’s no doubt that a computer, a media player, a tv or a telephone can inspire a serious case of tech lust. In 2009, the trends in gadget design pushed the envelope even further, with some of the sexiest gadgets we’ve seen yet. So what did the coolest gadgets of 2009 look like? Here’s a list of the 15 sexiest gadgets (GILFs?) that hit the world in this past year– and in no particular order.

HP Envy Premium Notebook

The HP Envy Premium Notebook has given us a serious case of laptop lust. She’s as smart as she is sexy– this high style portable pc has Intel’s latest and greatest under the hood, the Intel Core i7 processor. On the visual side, the HP Envy runs an ATI Mobility Radeon 4830 discrete graphics processor, capable of a striking 1080p resolution for your Blu Ray movies, image editing or gaming. The HP Envy line is available in 13.1″ and 15.6″ varieties, with the latter getting the full beef of Intel’s Core i7. These premium laptops carry a premium price– be prepared to shell out $1,799 for the 15 and $1,699 for the 13. We’re not far from an upgrade ourselves, so you can bet the HP Envy 15 will near the absolute top of our list.

Amazon Kindle DX

This week, Amazon released the Amazon Kindle DX, a 9.7″ wireless reading device for the tech-minded bibliophile. The Kindle DX can store 3,500 books, periodicals and documents, boast sixteen shades of gray for clear text and sharp images, allows instant downloads of new books on a free 3G network and a long, multi-day battery life. There are currently 275,000 books in Amazon’s Kindle market, with each book costing a standard $9.99. [$489.99 at Amazon via Wired]

The Edelweiss PC by Pius Giger

For some talented designers, computers are art themselves. While today’s graphic designers use computers to create art, these designers fashion computers and their components into artwork in their own light. The Edelweiss PC by Pius Giger is a brilliant example of this– his latest version shown in white above (and in the gallery below). Stat-fiends might dive into the specs of this PC, but we adore it for its’ visual appeal alone. We don’t know how we could leave this one on our desk instead of a glass case in our living room… [milliondollarpc]

The iPhone 3GS: 3G Speed Multiplied

iPhone 3G S – Collectively, iPhone 3G buyers are now doing the classic “facepalm”. How does it feel to face obsolescence so soon after a purchase? It burns– we know, we’re feeling it firsthand as well. Today, Apple revealed the iPhone 3G S to the world at the WWDC in San Francisco, CA. What does this new box of joy hold for future iPhone users? Faster, better, stronger, in short. The iPhone 3G S offers what the standard iPhone 3G does, plus video recording, voice control and an expanded range of storage capacity. If you’re the frugal type, Apple and AT&T are now making their base model iPhone 3G available for just $99 with a contract. If you want the S model, expect to pay a bit more to get a bit more… [apple]

Hasselblad HD4 Digital Camera System

Your SLR is a Fisher Price My First Camera compared to this one. The Hasselblad HD4 Digital Camera boasts 60 megapixels, an expert class lens and more on-board processing than anyone could ever need– all for the slim price of $42,500. We’ve read Hasselblad’s press release a few times, and we know we should probably mention their proprietary “absolute position lock” and “phocus 2″ technologies, but what is the greatest take-away you’ll have from reading this? Somewhere out there, an expert-class camera is being sold for over $42,000 that offers 60MP sensors. Do you really need to understand the basic details not to realize that this thing is bad ass? We love our entry-level Nikon, but we’d be thrilled to see what kind of output this little behemoth has… [hasselblad via photographyblog]

Zune HD Now Available for Preorder

Zune HD Now Available for Preorder – After first confirming the existence of the Zune HD back in May, then hearing about the Zune HD pricing details leaked earlier this week, Microsoft has officially made the new Zune available for preorder. The Zune HD will ship on September 15th, but is available for preorder now for $220 and $290 for 16GB/32GB respectively. While it ain’t easy to compete with the iPod Touch, the Zune HD is a strong step in the right direction with even more hardware functionality than it’s Apple counterpart. Now if only Microsoft can make their marketplace more competitive, this media player could find itself on top very soon. [zune.net via gizmodo]

The JooJoo Tablet: Don’t Call-it-a-CrunchPad

While the rumors of an Apple Tablet are still a-rumbling, Singapore-based developer Fusion Garage has captured the attention of the tech market with a tablet of their own: the JooJoo. JooJoo is a light-weight, low-profile tablet with a 12.1-inch touchscreen and a total weight of only 2.4 pounds. This tablet was designed as a bridge product between the smart phone and the netbook, a visual/tactile interface with the wireless world. Originally rumored to be the “CrunchPad” as dubbed by Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, JooJoo is on its way to the market as its very own product.

Although JooJoo’s official release is scheduled for midnight of December 11th, Fusion Garage CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan has given early, guided access to select tech media outlets. These reports show that JooJoo’s hardware features a 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 1366 x 768 resolution, 4GB SSD, USB 2.0, audio/headphone jacks and Bluetooth. JooJoo’s operating system is a custom build by Fusion Garage, capable of web browsing, web services and apps that add functionality to JooJoo’s core offering.

JooJoo hopes to provide an easy, low-profile web experience with the size and power of a netbook but the casual control and feel of an iPhone. JooJoo will be priced at $500 per unit and will begin shipping in 8 to 10 weeks. [thejoojoo.com; more at engadget, images via wired]

The Jabra Stone Bluetooth Earpiece

Let’s face it– bluetooth earpieces are far from in vogue. If you must use one, if constant phone contact is part of your livelihood, the Jabra Stone might be the best looking model on the market. The Jabra Stone is a new bluetooth device by Jabra with a smooth, curved form factor that combine to form a simple stone shape when docked. On your ear, the Stone is ergonomic and comfortable, while providing clear communication both out and in. We’re most excited about the Jabra Stone for its industrial design, as it is this alone which makes the Stone so lustworthy. While the product usually comes before the design, the design makes the product in the case of the Jabra Stone. [jabra via gizmodo]

The Motorola Droid: Android Perfected

Motorola has made it official, dropping the full details of it’s iPhone-killer-competitor, the Motorola Droid. Having used an Android phone for the better part of 2009, we feel that this phone could be the next logical evolutionary milestone of Android from the original T-Mobile G1. It will be the first mobile product to feature Android 2.0, an upgrade which includes full turn-by-turn navigation to rival your dedicated GPS device. The Motorola hardware, the new version of Android and heavy push of Verizon could make the Motorola Droid a serious competitor to the iPhone. But let’s get real, nothing will be killing the iPhone any time soon…

When it comes to an Android product, Motorola may have a leg up on other manufacturers. We’re speaking subjectively here, but we’ve been repeatedly let down by HTC quality issues. We purchased an HTC Excalibur many years ago, which needed to be replaced three times for hardware failure. We now own an HTC Dream, which has been replaced twice already– we’re hoping this current unit is going to last. We’re quite careful with our hardware, and we know we’re not alone in this complaint against HTC.

Motorola, however, seems to have a higher quality rate and build factor than HTC, and we’re hoping that this phone improves upon the (subjective) failures that the Dream and other HTC products have experienced. It features a simple slider as opposed to the swivel-slide of the Dream and a full size keyboard and cursor pad that extend the full width of the phone (as opposed to the annoying nub on the right side of the dream). The Droid includes a 3.7″ display, a 5MP camera and 16GB of storage built-in. Compare this to the T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream: a 3.2″ screen, a 3.2MP camera and 1GB of storage built-in. The form factor, the quality control and the basic stats of the Motorola DROID make this one the clear winner in the Android Wars. Oh, and Android 2.0 looks downright lovely… [motorola via engadgetmobile]

The Microsoft Courier Tablet is Awesome

If you missed this news yesterday, you’re going to want to take a seat. Have you heard the flurry of rumors about a forthcoming Apple Tablet computer? Microsoft just burst their bubble with the Microsoft Courier Tablet. This dual-screen, folding tablet computer manages your personal organization, your media and allows you to interact with other users in exciting new ways. See the video below for a walkthrough, hit the jump for all the dirty details… [via gadgetcrave and gizmodo]

Leica M7 Hermes Limited Edition Camera

The photophile’s muse, the Leica M7 was a gorgeous camera even before Hermes got ahold of it. But for those who desire an even sexier retro-minded Leica, Hermes has touched up the M7 with added vintage appeal. The Leica M7 Hermes Edition 35MM Camera features a soft chrome finish wrapped in calfskin leather, a look certain to make photo film purists purr with delight. This limited edition Leica is only for those with a hefty budget, as the 100 units of this version will come with a $14k price tag. Ouch. [leica via leica rumors and ltdhype]

Barnes and Noble Nook E-Reader

Barnes & Noble has made their debut into the e-reader market with a stunning entrance. The Barnes & Noble Nook was revealed today in direct competition with Amazon’s Kindle line of e-ink portable readers. The Nook steps beyond the Kindle with a series of features that will make owners of Amazon’s device jealous, with a price that will give them a bit of buyer’s remorse. Priced at $259, the Barnes & Noble Nook features free 3G and wifi access, free previews of books before purchasing, 2GB of storage space and a 2nd full color screen for added navigation. Another nice feature? You can lend your Barnes & Noble e-books to friends who also own a Nook, just like you own a hard copy of that book. [preorder at barnes & noble]

Novation LaunchPad Music Control Surface

Since the inception of computer-based music production, the creation of sound has become a visual undertaking. With the release of the Novation LaunchPad Music Control Surface, making music just got a whole lot prettier– and easier to control. The Novation LaunchPad was designed to interface with the Ableton Live music production software, the tool of choice of electronic music producers and other computer-assisted artists. This device allows its users to cue, control and modulate the sound, synth, sample and effect units in Ableton Live’s music environment. If you’re confused, whether you’re a musician or not, just watch the video below and you’ll see precisely what this thing can do. Novation, you’ve infected us with a deadly case of gear lust… We want. [novation via createdigitalmusic]

The Apple Magic Mouse

One common outsider knock on Apple is the lack of extensive functionality in its mouse. No second button, no scroll wheel– no more. Today, Apple revealed the Apple Magic Mouse, a wireless mouse with multi-touch functionality and a design sensibility that continues Apple’s cultivation of cool. This mouse allows its users the typical functionality of a third party mouse, like scrolling and right clicking, but adds gesture sensitivity that allows for side scrolling, page turning and more. Beyond the cool case, the Apple Magic Mouse catches up with and surpasses the PC world, giving Mac users yet another reason to rejoice. [apple via engadget]

Dell Adamo XPS: Available Now

As Dell’s Adamo luxury laptop brand approaches the anniversary of its revelation in January, Dell has officially begun shipping its ultra-light version, the Dell Adamo XPS. The Dell Adamo XPS slides onto your desk at under an inch thick, weighing only 3.2 pounds with the standard battery. The design of the Adamo XPS continues the cool aluminum style of the original Adamo, but adds a gravity-defying fold-out form factor.

Under the hood, Dell Adamo XPS is powered by a 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor with 4GB of RAM and a 128 solid state storage drive. For $1,799, you’re getting a lot more luxury than you are performance, as an equivalent processor and RAM combo can be had in the $500 range. The solid state drive is not only necessary to maintain the Adamo XPS’s sleek shape, but is a nice upgrade that can’t be found in bottom line laptops. All that said, consumers have spent a lot more on style alone, so don’t expect the price to shy off too many interested buyers. All the data and details aside, this is one of the prettiest notebooks we’ve seen hit the market. [from $1,799 at dell]