Kitchen Tech

There are now more than six billion mobile subscribers and a billion smartphones in use – and all of them need to be protected or extended. Here's a collection of new smartphone and cellular accessories, including environment- and kid-proof sleeves, stands, bike mounts, speakers and car kits.

Hard to believe, I know, but sometimes technology is handy for something other than entertaining or informing. Sometimes, technology can turn chores into fun – or, if smartly designed, make them at least a little less laborious. Here are some truly smart labor-saving handy home appliances and gadgets.

This week we present a hot water-dispensing fridge, Peanuts-themed iPhone/iPad cases, an outdoor TV, a skinny smart phone, a 24-megapixel D-SLR, a literally handy iPad stand and a literally Jammin' ecologically-correct boombox, and a Web site where you can sell it all a few years from now.