When it comes to pressing buttons, nothing beats the sweet tactile feedback a computer keyboard can provide. Now you can experience the same joy whist crunching numbers on the go. As you can see, the Takumi calculator features a computer style keypad, but it is also interesting to note that it can connect to your PC via USB and function as a traditional numerical keypad —which could be extremely useful to laptop owners. -Sean Fallon [Product site via TFTS]
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99340
What on earth would make this Stratocaster clone worth well over a million dollars? As you can see in the pic above, the electric guitar was stuffed with lots of cocaine, that's what. We former musicians are well aware that the gigsters always have the best blow, but this guitar player went overboard when he decided to fly from Costa Rica to Rome with his drastically modified Squier ax in tow. Too bad The Man noticed a bit of telltale powdery residue poking out of a conspicuous spot on this git-box. We have another pic of the guitar before it was dismantled, looking perfectly innocent.
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99339
Here’s a different looking iPod Shuffle speaker dock from Creative.
Looking like a steel wallet, the TravelSound i50 is certainly compact. There are four precision microdrivers and a digital amplifier to produce the sound and a single charge of the lithium-polymer rechargeable battery will give you a generous 21 hours of playback.
A mini-USB port is featured for charging your player and the speakers, as well as transferring music. A mini LED display will let you know when the battery is full. It comes with a protective sleeve for the Shuffle, hand strap and USB cable.
This is as cute a wee iPod speaker as we’ve seen and, although the volume on something this small won’t be blowing off any socks, knowing Creative the audio quality should be decent enough.
Yours for £40.-Martin Lynch
[Creative]
MP3 music creative ipod
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99336
"We really want to see those fingers", the catch-phrase from the old Shooting Stars TV quiz spoof show is about as apt a description of what millions across the UK will be doing this Christmas.
That’s right, hundreds of millions of mouse clicks will set a new record for online shopping across Europe this Christmas according to the latest crystal-ball gazing from Forrester Research. The UK will lead the virtual spending spree.
· The largest online retail market is the UK with 27 million online shoppers expected to spend more than €700 (£490) each during the holiday shopping season — accounting for a record-breaking €20bn (£14bn) in online sales.
· Germany’s online shopping spend has grown to €12bn, followed by €6.5bn in France, Italy with €2.1bn, and the Netherlands with €1.9bn.
· The top three categories this year are leisure travel, clothing, and consumer electronics, which will account for over half of the Christmas season’s online spend
Across Europe, Net shoppers will spend a projected €51bn (£35.6bn) online during the Christmas season. For the year, online sales will be up by a staggering 58%.
If £490 is the average then I’m screwed already.-Martin Lynch
news gadgets home shopping
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99337
Most DAB radios are a bit too big for slipping in your pocket, while iPods could really benefit from a little digital radio action. How about something that solves the problem neatly?
This is the tiny Robi, a DAB/FM radio from Roberts that plugs into your iPod and lets you tune into any DAB/FM stations in your area. The plug-in – a first I believe - measures just 52.4 x 32.0 x 8.1mm and is based on Frontier Silicon’s Kino 2 DAB IC. Not only can you pick up the stations and see what they are on the Robi’s display but its controls can be used for controlling your iPod too.
Leslie Burrage, chief executive of Roberts, said:
“The iPod lets listeners take their music collection with them wherever they go. With this accessory they will now be able to choose to listen to live DAB or FM broadcasts anywhere they take their iPod.”
A damn fine add-on. Out next week for £50.-Martin Lynch
radio DAB ipod music
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99335
It’s pretty, it’s external, it’s a whopping 1TB hard disk drive from Philips.
Meet the SPD5130, boasting a super speedy eSATA interface which transfers data up to six times faster than USB 2.0. It also comes with a USB 2.0 interface though for those without an eSATA slot or adapter. The drive boasts a big 32MB buffer so that files being transferred do so without any errors.
Unlike other double disk drive solutions on the market, this one is a bit slimmer due it housing just a single hard disk but it’s still capable of handling up to 1 million photos, 250,000 songs or 6 weeks worth of uncompressed video.
Philips says the aluminium casing is extra-thick for quiet running and the internal suspension will protect the drive from the inevitable drop off your desk. It comes with one-button back-up and will cost you a cool [i.e. expensive] £299 when it lands next week.-Martin Lynch
storage laptops hard drive PC
Trackback: http://blogs.vnunet.com/app/trackback/99334
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
