Super devices, almost for a song

The economy may be lagging, but portable electronic gadgets keep surging ahead, with technological breakthroughs that make last year’s models look practically archaic.

Compact digital cameras can shoot faster, sharper and with cooler-than-ever tricks —- such as making blemishes and wrinkles vanish or zipping between a huge range of focal lengths, from wide angle to super zoom.

Wireless headsets provide stronger, more static-free reception, with fewer disconnects and easier pairing with cellphones and other devices. Little speakers in newfangled shapes produce beautiful sound and versatile connectivity.

And tiny audio recorders, equipped with digital chips, USB ports and sometimes memory card slots, can capture and play virtually unlimited amounts of conversation, stereo music, even podcasts, without the tinny sound that plagued their predecessors.

And surprise, whether you’re on a budget or willing to splurge, you are likely to get more bang for the buck than ever before, especially with stores competing madly for your discretionary dollars.

Prices listed here are average cost, since manufacturers’ list prices are higher than retailers charge. For comparative pricing, check out pricegrabber.com, shopping.com and amazon.com. When shopping online, be sure to factor in any tax or shipping charges.

COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS

These cameras all have built-in zoom lenses and include slots for digital memory cards, rechargeable batteries and chargers, and USB and AV cables. All provide both an eyepiece viewfinder and a large LCD screen for framing shots, and have movie modes.

Budget: Casio Exilum Ex-Z85 ($180). Blotchy skin? Crows feet? Zap, they’re gone with the tiny (4 inches by 2 inches by 1-inch-thick) Ex-Z85’s “make-up” mode, which discretely blurs unflattering facial features. The camera’s face-recognition function can detect up to 10 people’s faces and bring into sharpest focus the ones who have been preprogrammed into the system as “priority.”

Midrange: Olympus Stylus 1050 SW ($300). Drop it, soak it, freeze it. The tough little 1050 SW will keep on shooting thanks to waterproof seals guaranteed to 10 feet underwater, a shock-absorbing metal body that can withstand a 5-foot drop onto solid rock, and insulation that keeps the battery from going dead in cold weather down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Measures 4 inches by 2.5 inches by 0.75 inches thick.

Cutting edge: Nikon CoolPix P80 ($400). Nikon’s high-quality optics now come in a point-and-shoot camera with a vast focal range, from 27 mm wide angle to 486 mm super telephoto, in a single fixed lens. At 3.5 inches thick, the P80 is fatter than the typical svelte pocket model, but it’s worth the extra bulge for the freedom of choice. In-camera editing includes redeye fix, cropping, small copies of a picture suitable for e-mailing, and D-lighting, which selectively enhances underexposed areas of a shot after the fact.

BLUETOOTH HEADSETS

Headsets listed below pair easily with Bluetooth-enabled cellphones, work with phones’ voice dialing functions, and include AC and USB charging cords as well as a selection of in-ear tips for a comfortable fit.

Budget: Jabra BT 530 ($75). This is hands down the best Bluetooth headset for the price. The sleek black and silver featherweight device provides excellent reception and range, good background noise blackout, and, in addition to a selection of gel tips for in-ear use, includes flexible ear hooks for wearing over the ear.

Midrange: Plantronics Discovery 925 ($100). The 925 gets extra points for the included carrying case, which has a built-in rechargeable battery, so the headset stays protected while charging or stashed. The long V-frame design, in shiny black, cerise or gold, looks like something a Vulcan would wear while beaming aboard.

Cutting edge: Jawbone 2 ($130). With no visible buttons and a curved diamond-patterned design in black, silver, rose or gold, this snazzy number deserves its label of “ear-wear.” The functions are controlled by pressing different parts of the textured front shield, which can get tricky, but fashion has its tradeoffs. The Jawbone 2’s “noise assassin” technology does a good job of blocking external sounds.

PORTABLE SPEAKERS

When you want to ditch your headphones and share your music, or use external speakers for mobile computing, just plug in the neat portable models below. Unless noted, batteries are not included.

Budget: Altec Lansing Orbit iM207 ($30). This lightweight palm-size pod produces surprisingly big, 360-degree sound. The integrated cord has a 3.5 mm plug for connecting to MP3 and other electronic devices, as well as a 2.5 mm adapter for cellphone universal jacks. Runs on three AAA batteries. A downside: There’s no AC adapter jack.

Midrange: iHome iP27 ($100). This speaker has a digital alarm clock as well as a built-in dock and adapter inserts for charging and playing iPhones and most docking iPod models (fourth generation or later). Wake to a buzzer or your own music. An auxiliary line-in jack works with MP3 players and other audio devices. Runs on the included universal AC wall adapter or four AA batteries. Includes a remote control, padded pouch and back-up lithium battery for clock/alarm.

Cutting edge: iPIG ($120). Not just a piggy face, the cutesy iPig has five speakers, including two for eyes, double tweeters under the ears and a 4-inch subwoofer integrated into its chubby 5-inch-diameter cartoonish body. There’s an iPod docking slot on top, and a jack for other devices. Touch-sensitive ears control volume. The smiley mouth lights up when powered on and blinks when it registers commands from the included remote control. Pick pink, white or yellow, and get oinking.

DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDERS

The newest digital recorders can capture and store many hours —- some more than 1,000 hours —- of sound. No more tape cartridges that can quickly run out of space, deteriorate or tear. The battery-operated models below can transfer audio files to or from a computer via USB connectivity (PC and MAC compatible), have built-in microphones as well as jacks for external mikes, and can record from electronic devices using the auxiliary inline jack.

Budget: Sony ICD-UX 80 ($140). A built-in 2GB memory chip lets this tiny recorder (4 inches by 1.5 inches by a half-inch thick) capture and play up to 590 hours of voice or 24 hours of high-quality MP3 stereo audio. A built-in USB plug eliminates the need for cables. Playback using the built-in speaker sounds weak and tinny, but listen with the stereo earbuds, or any decent speakers, and wow. Push-button navigation through quality modes, playback speed, volume and file folders is easy. Runs on one included AAA battery.

Midrange: Samson ZOOM H2 Handy Recorder ($200). Four built-in microphones, a USB port, an SD digital card slot that can accommodate up to a 16GB SD card (a 512MB SD card is included), and the ability to record MP3 audio and WAV files and create 360-degree surround sound makes for one versatile powerhouse. (There’s even an onboard chromatic guitar/base tuner for musicians.) The 4.25-inch by 2.5-inch by 1.25-inch-thick H2 takes itself very seriously, so it doesn’t bother with a dinky built-in speaker. Do your listening with the stereo earbuds or external speakers. Includes a desktop stand, USB and stereo Y cables, and an AC adapter (or runs on two AA batteries, not included).

Cutting edge: Olympus DS 71: ($350). This baby made me love it right off the bat because it literally talked me through the setup navigation and told me the battery level. (Voice guidance can be turned off.) A 4GB memory chip records up to 1,062 hours of talk or 135 hours of high-quality music files. The detachable stereo microphone at the top of the unit can be plugged into the included remote jack, which can be clipped onto a shirt collar for, say, lectures. (The remote jack remains connected to the main unit via a 3-foot cable, so you can rest the recorder on a lectern or stash it in a shirt pocket.) The built-in speaker isn’t bad for reviewing, but the earbuds or external speakers are better music to the ears. The 4.25-inch by 1.5-inch by half-inch-thick DS 71 has designated folders for direct downloading of podcasts and for recording audio books, with bookmark and chapter marking functions. Includes USB cable. Runs on two included AAA batteries.

HOW TO GET IT

Altec Lansing: www.alteclansing.com; 1-800-258-3288

Casio: www.casio.com; 1-800-706-2534

iHome (SDI Technologies): www.ihomeaudio.com; 1-800-333-3092

Jabra: www.jabra.com; 1-800-826-4656

Jawbone: www.jawbone.com;1-800-254-7426

Nikon: www.nikonusa.com; 1-800-645-6689

Olympus: www.olympusamerica.com; 1-800-553-4448

Plantronics: www.plantronics.com; 1-800-544-4660

Samson: www.samsontech.com; 1-800-372-6766

Sony: www.sonystyle.com; 1-800-905-7669

Speakal: www.speakal.com. No phone contact available