Just got a new XV6700 PDA/Phone from Verizon. Very sweet toy. Lots of bells and whistles, but the thing I like most of all is the “push” email feature. As soon as someone sends an email to my campus Exchange account, it shows up on the phone within a minute or two. For an email junkie like me, this is ambrosia. 🙂

And because my 740iL is in the shop yet again, I’m driving a loaner. Maybe the dealer felt sorry for me or maybe they feel I’ve paid my dues, because they gave me a brand-spanking new 330i for a few days. Last night I made a late run to the store (for kitty litter, of all things) and discovered the joy of adaptive headlights. These headlights turn as you move the steering wheel so they are lighting your path around a bend or corner. There’s a 90 degree turn off the main road and down a side road on my way home that’s particularly hairy because it’s very dark and the side road has very steep drops on both sides. Overshoot the corner and you’ll be calling AAA to tow you out of the field below. With these headlights, the minute you start to turn the wheel, the path around the corner is suddenly illuminated. And as you drive through the turn, the headlights shift back forward. Very trick, indeed. The only thing I don’t like about this car is the color. I can only imagine what folks think when they see me driving a candy apple red BMW at my age. 😉

The last gadget isn’t really a gadget at all. It’s a website. But Google Earth is still fun to play with. Apparently it has given birth to a whole new hobby of treasure hunting for strange images, such as the KC-135 refueling the Galaxy C-5 in mid-air. Gotta love technology.