How much would you pay for a turntable? I'm not talking about those all-in-one mini-case jobs where the speakers clipped on over the spindle and you could carry it from room to room by the handle - just so you could drive your grandparents nuts with the 45rpm version of 'Black Betty'.
Younger people might be wondering what the hell vinyl is but for many audioheads, the old LP is still the gold standard for music representation. Bornrich has compiled its Top 10 list of the most expensive turntables, and some of them cost a bob or two alright.
With the £9,500 Teac VPI HR-X1 coming in tenth, you can see just how expensive things are going to get. In fact, top of the list sits the appallingly expensive, Goldmund Reference II at around £150,000.
Jump to the next page for a look at the vinyl spinner designed to end marriages and solvency.-Martin Lynch
Gaming console legend, Commodore, is aiming to fill your pockets soon with an odd-looking little movie and music player called Gravel.
It’s been out for awhile in Holland and Belgium, but a UK launch could be on the cards in time for the Silly Season. The video above is from last year’s IFA show but you get to see it in action.
The company brand, which just made its comeback on the performance PC front, is hoping the Commodore name will still resound with consumers over here that remember the Commodore 64.
The Gravel sports a 2.8in screen, capable of playing movies at 24fps [MPEG 2, MPEG 4, DivX, Xvid] and music [MP3, WAV, WMA]. In a design throwback to the 64, the main control is a wee joystick on the back. Battery life is rated at 11 hours for music and 4 hours for video.
Storage though is only 1GB and 2GB but there’s an SD Card slot for expanding that. The in-built Wi-Fi though is a real boon. Connect to Commodoreworld.com for accessing news broadcasts, music and YouTube videos. The 1GB and 2GB models cost, approximately, £140 and £154.-Martin Lynch
The GM OnStar Ant vehicle uses a Nanorb wheel system, "independent robots that can arrange themselves in any configuration" along with artificial muscles called "electro-active polymer actuators" to change the position of its body panels. It's probably made of adamantium too and it can transform itself faster than you can say "Optimus Prime" into any kind of vehicle, a shelter and, I bet, even in a killer ninja robot if programmed correctly. Fortunately for humans, is just a concept for the Robocar 2057 Design Challenge. -Jesus Diaz
Tall or short, the Ahrend 750 Office Furniture System will give you the fit you need thanks to a built-in electronic height adjustment feature. Users can raise or lower the desk with a simple push of a button. Plus, an LCD display makes re-adjusting the desk to your preferred height a snap. It's kind of like the office version of the "sleep number bed." Co-workers would exchange their numbers during casual conversation and the short and small-torsoed would undoubtedly be singled out and ridiculed. -Sean Fallon
In this decade of bling, girls have to work hard to out-bling their mates. Unless you plan on wearing flashy gold earrings the size of Frisbees, you will have to investigate another way to stand out.
How about some LED jewellery? Yes, it is that tacky but if accessorizing is as important to you as say, breathing, then these chunky, illuminated pieces will certainly catch the eye.
You can choose between the LEDheart, LEDcross, and LEDapple. There’s a small button on the back that lets you switch between different colours, from red, yellow, green, blue, pink and white, to a multicolour smorgasbord.
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is good for 10 hours. Sadly, these can only be bought – right now – in quantities of 500 here.
If anyone out there knows where I can get them in ones and twos, let me know as I’d be up for an instant Daddy Of The Year award with my kids. Jump now for a look at them all.-Martin Lynch
The Apple disease of making everything white is spreading. Yesterday, Sony announced its first white PS3 and now Goodmans is getting all saintly with a new 19in HDTV that sports everything but the kitchen sink.
As usual, it has the sexiest product name ever in ‘GTVL19W17HVFW’ but this white 19in telly features an analogue and digital TV tuner, single HDMI port [a bit stingy], in-built DVD player, SD Card reader for looking at those holiday snaps, USB port and a native resolution of 1440 x 990.
Contrast isn’t anything to write home about at 800:1 but what do you expect for £325? At that price, it’s a reasonably competitive 19in HDTV, although you can nab a black 19in TV from Goodmans for £250 – see, already the white cladding is demanding a Style Tax.
Still, if you want something to blend with your white iPod and Wii, you might be able to stomach the extra £75.-Martin Lynch
Tall or short, the Ahrend 750 Office Furniture System will give you the fit you need thanks to a built-in electronic height adjustment feature. Users can raise or lower the desk with a simple push of a button. Plus, an LCD display makes re-adjusting the desk to your preferred height a snap. It's kind of like the office version of the "sleep number bed." Co-workers would exchange their numbers during casual conversation and the short and small-torsoed would undoubtedly be singled out and ridiculed. -Sean Fallon
How about some LED jewellery? Yes, it is that tacky but if accessorizing is as important to you as say, breathing, then these chunky, illuminated pieces will certainly catch the eye. 
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
