The thought behind most gadgets is to make our harsh and boring lives a little more uplifting and carefree. So forget about the looming economic crisis, and focus instead on stuff that offers both entertainment and bragging rights. On this week’s plate, we take a look at the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II, the Cy-Fi bike speaker and 3M’s pint-sized projector.

• Singing handlebars — Here’s a device that’s either a practical idea or absolutely annoying, depending on how you look at it. Invented by a cycling enthusiast in Los Angeles, Cy-Fi ($200) is a wireless portable speaker that mounts on bike handlebars or backpacks for easy, hands-free listening using any music player.

There are two versions of the speaker. One plays tunes from an iPod via a separate Bluetooth adapter, a wireless signal that transfers data between different devices, and the other is a basic model that connects to cellphones, PDAs and other music players that are already Bluetooth equipped.

The beauty of Cy-Fi is its simple and sleek design. It’s water resistant and exceptionally portable. Powered by a rechargeable battery, the sound quality is fairly good, and the speaker is loud enough to irritate those around you. Although, I’m not sure which is worse: the risk of not hearing traffic sounds when you’re wearing headphones or the risk of a road-raging driver whipping his morning coffee at you because he’s not a fan of Coldplay. If you’re willing to take the chance, check out mycyfi.com to order one.

• The Jesus camera — In the world of digital SLR cameras, there are two main players that strive to be the leader of the pack – Nikon and Canon.

Recently at Photokina, the world’s largest photography expo in Germany, Canon took a giant leap forward in its line of professional cameras, bordering on a miraculous event unveiling the much anticipated and oh-so spiffy Canon EOS 5D Mark II ($2,700).

The second coming in the 5D series offers features that stand head and shoulders above its rivals. Some of the highlighted specs are a full-framed 21-mega-pixel resolution, faster processor, increased ISO sensitivity, upgraded image sensor and longer battery life. What this all equates to for the photo-junkie is faster, high-quality shots and a lot more control over the camera.

This is all fine and dandy, but the camera’s big selling point is its high-definition video recording feature. Although the recently released Nikon D90 was the first DSLR to introduce HD video recording, the 5D Mark II trumps its rival with a 1080 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second, the highest quality possible in video playback. Able to record in either HD or standard, at the top end, the camera can record up to 12 minutes of video on a four gigabyte memory card or up to 24 minutes in standard setting. Photo enthusiasts will have to wait until November to see the camera in stores.

• Projecting the future — A popular trend in gizmos is to make existing things smaller and simpler for everyday use, and the folks at 3M have jumped on board, producing the world’s first pocket projector.

The 3M MPro110 ($360) is about the size of a deck of cards, weighs less than 150 grams and looks like a TV remote from the ’70s. The image quality of the pint-sized gadget is impressive, pumping out a crisp 640 by 480 resolution at 60 frames per second — that’s the same frame rate as television.

It’s a handy device for on-the-spot presentations and sharing photos and videos. In a brightly lit room, images can be projected to about 40 centimetres across before it gets washed out. In a dark setting, images max out at 127 centimetres.

To project the image, the unit is equipped with a VGA output for connecting to a computer, and a composite video jack for most handheld devices like iPods or digital cameras. It shares the same drawback of all projectors on the market — it has no built-in sound. You’ll have to bring along a sound source if you want to hear a video.