I have a professional photographer friend who spent $25,000 for a digital camera back in the 90s. Now you can get great pro-sumer cameras for under $800. At CES, Sony debuted its $699 Alpha DSLR-A100. Like the Canon EOS Rebel XTi and the Nikon D40, this is a full featured camera with interchangeable lenses sold as a kit with a starter lens. The new Sony camera features a 10 megapixel sensor, the ability to take up to 3 frames per second and the support for ISOs ranging from 100 to 3,200. What that all adds up to is a camera that can perform well in a variety of lighting conditions. Also, like the competition, it has image stabilization which compensates for our shaky hands, especially when using a long zoom.

Casio introduced one of the most innovative cameras at show. It isnt an SLR, but the new Exilim Pro EX-F1 has a 12X optical zoom and what Casio says is the worlds fastest burst shooting performance.

An eco-friendly inn in Madison

No one turned down the turkey bacon, but I had reservations about the orange juice, which tasted like Tang. Every evening, there's a fresh baked pie put out for guests.

Breakfast is the only time the inn's spell of seclusion is broken. Although there are individual tables, we inevitably ended up at a table with the woman reading "Germs, Guns and Steel" and she wanted to talk all about it.

The inn also offers complimentary drinks each evening, but we declined the margaritas and chips. In the adjoining building, guests have free run of the kitchen for beverages (coffee, tea, soda), which is delightful for insomniacs like me. I checked my e-mail late at night on a free inn computer, then retired to the common area to read by the fireplace.

AREA: The inn is located in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood, which is full of parks and shopping and all measures of cuteness.

Ten Tech Gifts for Teens

Most are purely entertaining, but we've also snuck in a few educational gadgets. So check out our picks for the best techy gifts for teens (below), and be sure to click through to the full reviews.

For the tune-toter:
Toshiba gigabeat U Series ($100 list)
Toshiba's first flash player is easy to navigate, good-looking, and nicely priced.

Are Designers The Enemy Of Design?

Skip your next trip to Milan or Miami and head, instead, for the reservation. Visit the Navajo and Hopi, the Pueblo Indians, the Souix and the Cheyenne. These folks lived a sustainable lifestyle long before it became both fashionable and necessary. There's a lot left to their eco-culture. Learn from them—their contemporary artists in weaving, pottery, painting and jewelry are among the most innovative and creative in the world. Take the Navajo Hogan, a simple six-sided building. Hogans sit lightly on the land—no 10,000 or 20,000 square foot McMansions for the Navajo. Hogan are easy to assemble, use little energy to keep people warm, and have strong spiritual meaning to the families who inhabit them. Today's modern hogans are trailors and they are all over the rez. Now think about trailors.

Sony NSC-GC1 Net-Sharing Cam

The final word: While the NSC-GC1 cannot hope to compete with a dedicated camcorder, it provides an affordable introduction to video sharing over the internet. If you plan to screen your video creations exclusively online, you won't be disappointed.

With an RRP of just $299, the NSC-GC1 is very much a bare-bones device, aimed squarely at casual users who aren't overly fussed by fancy features or high resolution.