Even with a few weeks of trade-show traveling, we found the time to get some quick testing done on some cool new devices. Here are some mini-reviews from the Cool Tools Test Zone.

Gateway DVD Recorder (AR-230)

Company: Gateway

Price: $300

What it does: Just like a VCR, the AR-230 connects to your home entertainment system to let you record TV shows directly onto DVD+RW or DVD+R discs. The device also acts as a DVD progressive scan player, so you can watch pre-recorded DVD movies on the system. The box also supports VCD, SVCD, audio CDs, MP3 CDs and JPEG photo playback.

Why it's cool: Using this device was a superbly easy way to record TV shows onto DVDs. Set-up was simple, and the interface was very intuitive. Several options for audio and video inputs and outputs (such as composite, S-Video and component) made this worthy of our home entertainment center.

In addition, you can connect a camcorder or a VCR to the device and transfer your home movies onto a DVD. If you don't care about fancy menus, title bars and such, this is the most direct (and simplest) way to transfer your old tapes onto the DVD format. And the price is reasonable.

Grade: 5 stars (out of 5)

ZyAir B-220 Wireless LAN USB Stick

Company: Zyxel

Price: About $50 (check www.buy.com)

What it does: This is a USB device that gives you 802.11b wireless LAN network connectivity just by plugging into a free USB port. The device is about the size of a stick of gum and is smaller than a PC card.

Why it's cool: For mobile users, the USB stick is perfect for quick wireless network access and small enough to conveniently throw into your laptop bag. The B-220 also does more than just provide connectivity - it's Wi-Fi-certified and Windows-Hardware-Quality-Labs-certified, and it supports 802.1x authentication.

Grade: 4 stars

AVerMedia TVBox 9

Company: AVerMedia

Price: $180

What it does: The TVBox 9 is an external device that lets you plug in a TV feed for viewing on any CRT or LCD monitor. Audio and video inputs on the front of the device let you plug in a DVD player, VCR, camcorder or video game console. When you connect a PC to the device, you can get TV picture-in-picture, letting you watch TV on your monitor while you surf the Internet.

Why it's cool: The number of different devices you can connect through the box is pretty amazing and give you many ways to use the device. For example, students in a dorm room that doesn't have space for a TV and computer can connect the TV line into their LCD monitor and have both (not to mention an Xbox connection). Setup is straightforward; the only thing that irks us is the short VGA and audio cables, making for a cramped setup when connecting the PC. Still, being able to switch from a computer to watch cable TV, then switch over to a video game, is sweet.