Dead Battery Begone: Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster September 16, 2007

Read more Cars , Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Motoring

black&decker battery booster.jpg
Anyone who has ever stood by the roadside at night with an open car bonnet and tried to attach jump leads in the lashing rain or driving snow to another car will value this next product. It’s not new, but that doesn’t stop it being really, really, useful.

Meet the Black & Decker Simple Start Vehicle Battery Booster which is small enough to fit in the glove compartment. For £50, you have a device that will let you juice up a flat battery from the comfort of the drivers seat. Just plug it into the car cigarette lighter, give it a few minutes and hey presto, ‘vroom, vroom’.

No jump leads, no drenching, no frostbite and no relying on the good nature of fellow drivers to stop and help, especially since one of them will probably be an axe murderer.

It even sports an ultra-bright LED light for roadside assistance and the 12V DC outlet will let you charge your mobile phone.-Martin Lynch

[Black & Decker]


HMV Resurrects 1970s Icon: The Stylophone September 16, 2007

Read more Digital Audio , Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , MP3 , Music

stylophone.jpg Break out the flares, mullets and dodgy facial hair, the Stylophone is making a comeback. High St. retailer HMV has decided to warp back to the 1970s to bring back an old favourite, the battery-powered pocket organ. Be reassured that Rolf Harris will not be plugging this one.

The device disappeared from UK stores after production stopped in the 1980s, but be warned that these new ones have been updated somewhat for the digital teen. It sports MP3 functionality and a volume control these days but will still let you blast out those electro ditties with the stylus. Old skool fans though can find a healthy number of the original devices for sale on eBay, complete with Rolf’s mugshot.

HMV entertainment products buyer Fran Jones commented:

“We always find there's a massive response from our customers every time HMV sells a classic retro item from the Seventies or Eighties, so I suspect these Stylophones are going to sell pretty quickly.”

Available from next week for £15.-Martin Lynch

[C4]

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