Green gadget: Sanyo is addressing the space issue in cities such as Tokyo with a new model of folding bicycle. The CY-SPJ220 is a rather small device with 20-inch tires. It folds in half for fitting into elevators and stowing in apartment foyers or on balconies. The bike weighs just 18 1/2 kg, making it portable. Sanyo is promoting it as part of a "micro park-and-ride concept." The idea is that you carry the bike in your car, park and then ride on to your final destination. On top of its portability the CY-SPJ220 is also no simple pedal pusher — it is an electric hybrid bike.

Apart from the bulging middle of the frame that accommodates the electrical gear, the three-speed bike has a standard simple folding design. Sanyo has adopted what it calls a Two-Wheel Drive System for the CY-SPJ220, which means the electric motor powers the front wheel with the rear linked to the pedals in a conventional style. Sanyo claims this provides greater stability. The battery lasts for 16 km to 46 km of riding distance, depending on what mode is used, and takes just over two hours to recharge. The bike's motor can even charge the battery while coasting down a hill without pedaling.

The CY-SPJ220 will retail for around ¥100,000 when it hits the streets Sept. 21. The electric assistance gives Sanyo's model greater range than a conventional folding bike, thus making it a more realistic transport option in a big city. products.jp.sanyo.com

No curtains yet for VCR: Obsolescence is not the same as extinction. Toshiba, in the form of its new D-VR8K shows it understands this concept. The D-VR8K doesn't come with a hard disk, but goes retro by combining a DVD recorder with a VCR. The hybrid recorder lets users copy the contents of their video tapes to R- or RW-DVDs. It also plays JPEG files, though it doesn't work with MP3 and DivX files. The D-VR8K is also limited in having only a single analog TV tuner, reducing its effectiveness as a user's main DVD recorder. The flip side of that is its price of just ¥27,800 when it comes out this month. This makes it a cheap alternative, albeit one with limited design appeal.

While Toshiba has copped flack for refusing to embrace Blu-ray, criticism directed at the D-VR8K is undeserved. Just as a niche market has developed in providing products to convert obsolete records and audio tapes into digital, so there is probably a much greater latent demand for something similar for videos. If Toshiba and others start churning out DVD/VCR combos, that might raise some red flags. However, a few of these types of products can address a real need. www3.toshiba.co.jp

Basic Blu-ray: Toshiba is giving in to Blu-ray and is expected to bring out its own version later this year. Less-famous electronics maker Marshal is already riding the Blu-ray bandwagon and is boosting its presence in the market with a new Blu-ray recorder, the MAL-BDP02U2. A slim device, the Marshal gadget burns BD-R/RE disks at 2× for a single layer and 1× for two layers. Naturally it works with various types of DVD, including DVD-RAM and CDs. It weighs around 300 grams and has dimensions of 135×20×145 mm. The appeal is all in its slim form, as the design is a functional black square devoid of flair. Mac users need not apply as the Marshal burner only works with Windows 2000, XP and Vista.

Lacking the usual Blu-ray visual perks, the MAL-BDP02U2 might appear too utilitarian to warrant much attention. But considering it costs just ¥24,800 and Blu-ray burners aren't too common yet among home computers, the Marshal product is actually pretty attractive. www.marshal-no1.jp