Image-conscious headsets block the noise

Headphones
What you wear on your head says a lot about you, whether or not it's true. My students and my Milton neighbors, for example, say that my vintage black plastic frames make me a dead ringer for some guy who calls himself Clark Rockefeller. But when I see someone wearing a nice pair of headphones, I automatically think "audiophile" or "troubled genius." (Sure beats "alleged kidnapper.")

All of Phiaton's headsets are gorgeous, but its Moderna Series, models 300 and 400, are the best-looking. The "closed ear" design blocks out ambient noise. That way, there is no need to crank up the volume to overcome the screeching wheels and tires that accompany city living.

The Moderna headphones are also a must for frequent air travelers and for those who live across the street from Fenway Park and other super-noisy places.

If you want to look good wearing headphones, the MS 300 and MS 400, at about $200 and $250, may be worth your money. I don't recommend these cans for mowing the lawn, however, even with their noise-blocking capabilities. The Moderna's red padding and the cool grey shells make them too pretty for yard work.

These headphones are designed for travel. Without their cord, they weigh less than 7 ounces. The MS 300 and MS 400 also fold up nicely for storage in a case that comes with the headphones.

Gaming gear

This racy PC helps sets the mood for mayhem

For some, gaming isn't just about the games. It's about the hog you're driving, too. The Paladin 998, from iBuyPower, is among the latest machines designed for Grand Theft Auto junkies and the like. Just the sight of the 998's CoolerMaster HAF Gaming Case should be enough to get those endorphins going.

The PC, which ships with the game Halo 2, is liquid-cooled, and its case exhibits some very cool red aura lighting effects that set the mood for destruction of various sorts.

The CoolMaster case has many practical uses, too. (HAF stands for "high air flow.) The case has a hidden coolant-refueling intake point. Its push-button design makes swapping hard drives in and out easy.

The heart of the 998 is its Intel Core 2 Quad Processor. That, an ATI Radeon graphics card, and 4GB of memory ensure the smooth playback of hi-res game video, according to iBuyPower.

The 998 also comes with a 500GB hard drive and a read-write DVD drive and Blu-ray player. The 998 supports eight-channel surround sound, so you can cultivate a full-blown case of PTSD.

IBuyPower (www.ibuypower.com) expects to ship the 998, priced at about $2,000, next Monday. You can pay a bit less, or a lot more, by customizing your order.

Hardware

Mighty mouse for PC warriors

If the iBuyPower gaming PC gets your juices flowing, you'll get a kick out of NZXT's Avatar mouse, which the company likes to call the "ultimate gaming weapon."

The jagged-edged armor shell makes it look like a Klingon batleth. Its blue lights add to the space-age effect.

There is more to this mouse than a fancy cover, though. The Avatar is super-sensitive, with a 2,600-dpi optical sensor for pinpoint accuracy in gaming. You can also program the seven buttons, using software that comes with the device.

The Avatar is for both the left- and right-handed. You can control tracking speeds to suit the shooter you've loaded into your Blu-ray drive or DVD. (That is where the button configuration software comes in handy.)

The Avatar costs about $60 at Amazon.com, as well as at many brick-and-mortar stores.

Watch Mark Baard demonstrate some of the technology he reviews at boston.com/business.