Yes, you can have a new monitor for around 100 dollars! I’m not making that up. Now, this particular item is going to be at the high end of our $100 limit, but all the same you can still pick it up for around $99!

This 17 inch LCD monitor comes from Acer and it’s a great addition to your desk. Whether you need a new monitor or want to set up a dual monitor system it’s budget friendly and crystal clear!

This is actually on my current gadget wish list! I’d love to have a dual monitor setup here. But, it’s not something I actually *need* right now (like a new laptop bag!) so it’s sort of at the bottom of the wish list. Those of you out there with dual monitors already on your desk, I’m uber jealous!

Whether creating spreadsheets, word processing or searching the Web, you’ll see sharp detail and vivid images on this 17″ LCD. The V173B is ideal for the needs of users in large corporations, small businesses and home settings. The 2000:1 contrast ratio and 300 nits of brightness combine to give you sharp, colorful images, supporting resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 in millions of colors

Well, if you’re not then you should be

http://www.twitter.com/pricegrabber

Next on the list of 10 Cool Gadgets for $100 is the portable hard drive. I chose the eGo, which is what I have. I love these things so much I’m thinking of getting a second one that we’ll use just for picture storage.

These shiny little gadgets come in a large assortment of stylish colors for you to choose from. You can even have his and hers portable drives ;)  The one I have is actually pink, and I’m thinking of getting the red one to use for our picture storage that I mentioned earlier. There’s plenty of space on the one I already have, but I want to keep our pictures separate from all my business stuff and writing so that I’m not always carrying them around with me.

Prices on these are going to vary, but you can grab at least a 360GB in our target price range, no problem!

Take files anywhere, in style, with the Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 - an extremely durable drive which includes patent pending Drop Guard feature to withstand the toughest of travel environments. Available in 320GB capacity, it holds up to 1,280,000 photos, over 5,920 hours of music and 480 hours of video. Plus, the Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive requires no external power supply and includes a free EMC Retrospect HD backup software license.

Okay, so being a bit of a gadget head tends to stress your wallet out! You want to have lots of cool gear and fun gadgets to play with, but with the current state of the economy the budget might not be so big for new toys! That’s okay! There are plenty of totally awesome gadgets out there for under 100 dollars.

To kick off the party we’ve got a great webcam from Logitech. If you’re looking for a headset or a webcam or both I highly recommend Logitech products through and through. They’ve never let me down! At around $59 this webcam has it all.

Enjoy image-perfect detail and clarity. Carl Zeiss optics and autofocus keep images razor-sharp, even in extreme close-ups. et more detail and clarity from Carl Zeiss optics. Logitech’s glass lens designed in collaboration with Carl Zeiss, the global leader in camera optics.

Now, what do you need a webcam for? Well, they come in handy if you’ve got family that is far away. They make a great gift for Father’s Day, which is right around the corner! Send Dad a webcam for his big day and you can have a live video chat with the kids (or grandkids!)

This model conveniently clips to just about any flat-panel monitor or notebook. It’s compatible with Skype, and perfect for video bloggers!

So, normally in Sunday’s Bag I tell you about cool bags that I use or that I’ve come across online. Now, I’m reaching out and asking you what laptop bag you carry. Tell me why your bag is awesome and why I should want one!

I’ve got a bit of travel this year starting with a trip to Pennsylvania in July. We’ll be driving up as a family in the van, but hubby is coming home early to go back to work, and I’m taking the kids camping from there and then catching the train home. We rode the train last year and I found my messenger style bag a bit to big and bulky to carry around through the station and on the train. So, I’m looking for something a bit more compact. My laptop is only a 14 inch, so I don’t need a big bag to accommodate it. (Although I’m hoping to have bought a netbook by then so I don’t have to take the laptop at all!)

I’ve also got some travel in August and October for business where I’ll be taking the laptop for sure so I can work on projects on the fly. I don’t have a lot of extras in my laptop bag, just the laptop, the AC cord/charger, a USB mouse. My flash drives and my cell phone will be in my purse or on my lanyard around my neck, not in the bag.

So, I don’t need a ton of pockets and I don’t need a huge size…. Pretty fabrics make me happy, as do multiple choices when it comes to colors and fabrics when I find a style that I like. If I’m going to carry it I want it to look good. I’ll be flying in August and October so airline friendly is good also!

Bring it on! I want to hear all your bag recommendations! I’ll be blogging about the different choices recommended with thank you links back to those that recommended them as well, so be sure to leave a link to your blog or twitter when you comment.

The iPhone and a sea of look-alikes seem to be the phone of the year. So, how do you tell yours apart from all the others when you’re out on the town? I know we’ve talked about this before, but I’ll have to fess up here, it’s one of my favorite topics. A cell phone makeover is a great way to stand out above the crowd, and it’s generally inexpensive. In most cases you can change the look of your phone for less cash than getting your nails done.

When I saw this iSkin in what they’re calling “sunrise orange” I thought to myself, “Wow! There’s no mistaking that one when it’s sitting on the table with all the other phones!” Not many iPhones are cased in a shiny, bright, orange skin. At least not in my town that I’ve seen any time recently.

There are plenty of other colors and skins out there for the iPhone, so don’t limit yourself to just one. Buy a few and change your iPhone with your mood! I’d definitely recommend adding this sunrise orange one to your collection though, it’s perfect for those times you’re feeling bold and fresh!  Of course, if orange is your color then you must have this iSkin! It’s just meant to be.

On average a new release hardback book will cost you about $20.00, and the paperback version will cost around $7 to $12. A new release downloaded to your Kindle 2 is $10.00. So, logically if you read a lot of new releases it will be cheaper to buy the book on your Kindle 2. Of course that’s only a savings if you already have a Kindle 2 digital reader. Getting your Kindle is an initial investment of almost $400 to start off with.

However, in the long term if you’re an avid book reader it still saves you money, and space! Think of the bookshelves lined with books that you may or may not read ever again. Many people easily have $400 worth of books sitting in their den or stuffed under their bed in piles!

Take $400 divided by the $20 new release hard back and that equals 20 books! If you have just 20 books you purchased when they were a new release that’s equal to investing in a Kindle 2. I think it’s safe to say that most people have more than 20 books somewhere in their home.

Personally, on our main bookshelf right now we have approximately 80 books. That’s not counting the two boxes of books that are under the bed, or the kid’s bookshelves in their rooms! We’re currently in the process of cleaning off the main bookshelf, replacing the books with Kindle versions, and donating the hardbacks to the local library. I have to admit I’m looking forward to the extra space in the house!

This handy little wireless mouse comes in a variety of colors. I chose the green, because it’s my favorite color The Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 3000 is a practical mouse with a tiny snap receiver that will plug directly into your laptop or snaps into the mouse for easy storage.

I have two complaints with this particular mouse, so let’s get those out of the way right off the bat. It doesn’t come with a carrying case. Even though the receiver will snap into the bottom of the mouse it would be nice to have a case to put it in before I toss it in my laptop bag so that I know it’s protected and not getting bounced around too much.

Secondly, this mouse is very sensitive. This can make it a little difficult to get used to. I already have a rough time going from my desktop to my laptop. That’s part of the reason I carry a wireless mouse in the first place, it sort of eases the transition. But, this mouse is a million times more sensitive than what I’m used to and it tends to shake around the screen a bit.

The optical sensor for movement makes for better durability, speed, accuracy and performance. I have never had a problem with it freezing up or loosing the signal. I have used it on many different types of surfaces (table, chair arm, floor, my leg -lol-) and never had a problem with it. The small size makes it easy to maneuver in either your right or left hand. The finger grooves allow you hand and fingers to rest comfortably while moving it around. It’s actually shaped exactly the same as the mouse I use on my desktop (which is not wireless) so it’s a good match for me in that respect.

It’s so easy to install too. Just plug it in. No downloading or installing drivers involved. You can also use it on a PC or a MAC, which I thought was an interesting feature. There is also a nice power saving feature too that shuts the battery down while not in use. This extends your battery life (it takes 1 AA battery ) up to three times longer so that you’re not constantly replacing batteries twice a day.

The Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse is available in the following colors:
Aloe Green	Creme Brulee Gold	Dragon Fruit Pink	Milk Chocolate	Pomegranate Red	Winter Blue	Slate

The number one reason why people buy a Nintendo Wii is for the gaming, no doubt about that. However, there are plenty of other things you can do with your Wii console that go well beyond just basic video games. It really is more than just a game system.

The thing I find the most useful about the Wii is the ability to access the internet from the Wii. It’s a great way for the kids to get online and have fun. You can use the Wiimote as usual or you can invest in a keyboard that plugs into the USB port. While you are on the Internet Channel you can create your own games. Once you have created them you can actually play them on your Wii. How cool is that? Your kids can make up their own game and then play it with their friends and family. (Well, my 8 year old thinks it’s exciting anyway…)

Each Nintendo Wii comes with a sixteen digit code. This is what you will share with others who you want to join games with online. You aren’t exchanging personal information that can let someone know who you are or where you live, so it’s a safe way for the kids to enjoy the fun of playing with others without setting up accounts etc. That sixteen digit number is attached to your gaming console and not to anything about the owner or where it is located at.

This is probably one of the best looking heart rate monitors you’ll ever find. I’ve noticed that good heart rate monitors tend to be dull, black, and boring. This handy friend comes in a few different colors and does more than just monitor your heart rate while you’re out jogging.

In your package you’ll find:
* Forerunner 305
* Garmin Training Center CD-ROM
* Heart rate monitor
* Docking cradle
* Expander strap
* A/C charger
* USB cable
* Owner’s manual
* Quick start guide

Now that’s a lot of stuff for just buying some watch that tells you how fast your heart is beating, right? Well, the Forerunner is no ordinary sports watch! The high-sensitivity GPS tracks and measures distance, heart rate, multiple laps, calories burned, speed, time, altitude as well as pace. If you are a road runner training for your big race, or if you are a triathlete aiming for a big goal, this is your must-have piece of equipment.

If you don’t like running on your own, you have the option of a virtual running partner program. This allows you to compete against a virtual runner that will keep you going.

The Forerunner 305 comes with a docking station and software to upload runs to your PC. You as a user will be able to view maps of your distances run, you will also be able to see your progression during the runs in altitude and pace. At the same time this watch also records your heart rate, which is also available to download.