An intriguingly geeky alternative is the I-Tech Virtual Laser Keyboard, in which a small device connects either by cable or Bluetooth to your mobile device. It then projects an image of a keyboard onto a flat surface and you type on that image. It supports a wide range of mobile devices on virtually all widely used platforms, including BlackBerry, Palm, Symbian and Windows Mobile.

There are drawbacks to these types of keyboards. For instance, you must be sitting at a flat surface, although the Stowaway includes a so-called lap-lock for using the keyboard on your lap. And they are pricey -- the Bluetooth-enabled version of the Stowaway is about $150 and the Virtual Laser Keyboard is about $180.

But they can provide a big payback for use by mobile users who only do light editing of documents and check e-mail periodically. Why buy an expensive laptop for such users when a smart phone and foldable keyboard will make them feel like they're on the cutting edge and keep them sufficiently connected without spending a lot of money?

Home security appliance

While the other items in this list are for mobile users, this gadget is for the ever-increasing hordes of home workers. While telecommuting has some compelling advantages for both workers and their companies, one big potential problem is that, if somebody breaks into an employee's home network, they also can break into the work network.