Not just hot air
www.dyson.co.uk, £270.00
First Dyson consigned the humble fan to the junkyard with its Air Multiplier and now it plans to do the same to heaters. The Dyson Hot heats a whole room quickly, eliminating the waste of heating a whole house or office space via central heating. The three years of research spent investigating thermo dynamics has proven worthwhile as it effortlessly channels air through its sleek design, amplifying it six-fold in a process known as ‘inducement and entrainment’. For precision temperature, the Hot can be set from between one and 37°C, promising to monitor the room temperature by measuring the surrounding air and adjusting itself accordingly.
From old to new school
www.ionaudio.com, £299.95
Ion’s LP 2 CD music convertor is the fastest and most reliable way to convert vinyl records to CDs without having to connect them to a computer. If you simply want an LP to CD conversion, play your album into LP 2 CD and record one or more CD copies in the internal CD burner, or to download directly to iTunes, iPod or an MP3 player, connect it via USB. Just place your record on the turntable and insert a blank CD, play your vinyl and hit record. It comes with easy-to-use software, including EZ vinyl Converter 2 software (PC) and EZ Audio Converter (Mac), and sound recording/editing software to reduce unwanted noise.
On the right track
www.solrepublic.com, £59.99
At the cutting-edge of sound development, these brand new headphones from equally new company SOL Republic are very impressive, notably for the price, which is extraordinary for a pair of headphones offering this level of sound quality. The Tracks are designed to emphasise clear mids and highs, while still keeping a respectable level of bass quality. The headphone market is fierce, but SOL Republic has entered the market with a product destined to do big things. The in-ear model (£39.99) is also available, with an HD version of the Tracks coming soon, aiming to provide a bigger, fuller sound.
Perfect views
www.vuzix.com, £299.95
Using dual 16:9 LCD screens in the lenses, these ‘personal display system’ glasses offer the equivalent of a 75 inch display, as seen from 10ft away. At present, they are the highest resolution personal display system on the market. Supporting 2D and 3D video, the Wrap 1200 feature independent left and right eye focal adjustment and are wearable with most prescription eyeglasses. They offer connectivity to a wide variety of media sources and also look rather nice, eschewing clunky practicality in favour of attractive looks as well as functionality. Battery life lasts up to seven hours and detachable earphones are included.
World music
www.rothradio.co.uk, £200.00
Roth’s KRadio offers the opportunity to ‘listen to the world’ in your home. While that may sound a rather exaggerated claim at first, its powerful Wi-Fi connection allows it to connect to thousands of internet radio stations. It allows 10 channel presets to be assigned, but the user interface is robust enough to make navigating all of those stations simple rather than tiresome. It includes a digital tuner, so devotees of digital radio won’t be missing out on anything. The KRadio also comes equipped with an iPod/iPhone dock, and a remote control. The glossy black exterior case is a nice added benefit, and the sound quality is high enough for real music lovers.
Shining light
us.blackberry.com, (£TBA)
Powered by the BlackBerry 7 operating system, this latest Torch model, the 9850, comes with a clear, high-res 3.7 inch touch screen – the largest on a BlackBerry smartphone to date. Improved software has increased the performance and ease of use, while the browser has been updated to provide faster webpage load times. It also offers 720p HD video capture, voice-activated searching and plenty of app and third-party software support. This model enters a crowded market and much of its business will probably come from existing BlackBerry devotees and those who have earlier models and wish to upgrade.
A closer look
www.sony.co.uk, £1,250.00
Most people have little need for binoculars, particularly those that cost as much as a holiday. But if called for, you can’t get more advanced than these Dev-5 digital recorders, which feature the ability to record high quality HD video, both in 2D and 3D, which can then be stored in HD or 3D TVs. Autofocus ensures sharpness of image and unique SteadyShot image stabilisation irons out the effects of shaky hands or windy conditions. Lesser model the Dev-3 is also available for around £899.99, but loses the extra 10x digital zoom and GPS features. Battery life lasts around three hours for 2D footage.
The big screen
www.samsung.com, £175.00
Samsung’s latest generation of compact camera features an adjustable LCD screen which flips from 0 to 180 degrees, perfect for taking high-quality snaps in crowds, or simply when there’s no one around to take your picture. The Samsung Multiview MV800 camera also features three shutter options to aid photography from every angle. This is complimented with a tasty 16.1MP sensor, 5x optical zoom with Schneider lens and rich HD video capture. Another nice feature comes in the form of the Live Panorama function, which allows you to take seamless landscapes by simply holding the shutter button.