One of most irritating ironies of going to live sporting events is that you would probably have got a better view if you’d stayed at home in front of the television.

Shelling out for a ticket, travelling to a stadium, queueing to get in and paying £10 for a drink and a sandwich will allow you to soak up the atmosphere, but you’ll more than likely end up watching the back of someone else’s head.

No longer. A new handheld gadget set to be available for hire at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July will enable spectators to witness all the thrills and spills of the race – even when they take place on the other side of the circuit.

Called Kangaroo TV, its maker claims the device will revolutionise the way in which Formula One races are seen by fans, as well as opening up new possibilities for other large live sporting events.

The gadget is about the size of handheld GPS receiver, with a 3in colour screen and navigation control pad. It receives live pictures from a series of cameras around the track that beam real-time video back, meaning that no area of the circuit is ever out of sight. Users are also able to switch to in-car cameras of designated drivers, giving them a behind-the-wheel view of the race. An earpiece connects them directly to commentary.

“People attend live sports events for the atmosphere, the spectacle and in the case of motor sport the smell,” says Alain Charette, Kangaroo TV’s executive vice-president of corporate development. “But the experience can be ruined because most of the action takes place miles away from where you are standing. We offer the best of both worlds.” Fans will be able to hire out the gadgets at Silverstone for a fee of about £50 for the weekend, and Kangaroo says it is in talks with governing bodies of other sports including cricket, tennis and the International Olympic Committee.

The concept made its debut with a trial run at last year’s F1 world championship, but this year the company aims to make it a must-have accessory for racegoers. VIP guests of the AT&T Williams team will this season be provided with customised versions of the handset in the Williams colours, with access to the team’s in-car radio communication.

The idea of live TV at live events has already taken hold in America where many sporting fixtures – including Nascar races and some NFL football games – have signed up to use it.

In Britain it has long been acknowledged that paying spectators need to be catered for in the same way as those who watch events at home. The past few years have seen an increase in the number of temporary radio stations that broadcast commentary at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed to keep visitors updated with the latest news. However, new technology and the public appetite for a more complete experience mean this is now being taken one step further.

Kangaroo TV is not the only company trialling the technology. The American company Sprint Nextel has developed a device called FanView, which is in use at Nascar races and offers live audio, video and statistics, and enables fans to tune in to the team radio to understand its race tactics.

Nintendo, the games maker, has experimented with a system that allows owners of its portable DS console to order drinks, watch video feeds and access match statistics via the gadget’s wi-fi receiver.

All of this begs one question: if spectators are busy accessing replays and match stats on their gadgets, who will be watching the game? Roy Keane, the former Manchester United footballer, once lamented there was no atmosphere at Old Trafford because dilettante fans were too busy tucking into prawn sandwiches. Just wait for him to catch fans on their Kangaroos.

CRIMESTOPPER
Medion GoPal P4425 sat nav
£250
www.medionshop.co.uk
01793 715 715

You can lose more than your sunglasses and CDs if your car is broken into. Police report an increasing number of vehicle break-ins where thieves scroll through entries in the sat nav system to find the owner’s house. They then drive there and help themselves, secure in the knowledge that the owner is unlikely to be home because he is without his car. This Medion sat nav has a built-in fingerprint scanner on its top, similar to those used on corporate laptops; up to five users can register their fingerprint and nobody else can switch the sat nav on. Rival models offer Pin-code security, but this top-end Medion is unique. Tests of previous Medion sat navs have shown them to be credible, albeit not class-leading, and this model with a bigger, 4.3in screen is packed with features. Thanks to its new security technology it’s also the safe option.

MINI BLOODHOUND
Loc8tor Lite
£45
www.loc8tor.co.uk
0870 111 7777

Fed up with not being able to find your car keys, mobile phone or TV remote? Well, the Loc8tor’s almond-sized homing tags can be attached to anything you are likely to lose. Each contains a radio frequency chip that can be located by the main unit, pictured. Two battery-powered tags are supplied; an extra pair costs £25. The maker claims Loc8tor Lite can track items within 400ft, using bleeps and LEDs to show if you are moving towards the lost item.

GET CONNECTED
Loewe Connect TV range
From £1,949
www.loewe-uk.com
01294 315 000

This stylish 37in television lets you enjoy videos and photos stored on your PC wirelessly and with no intermediary set-top box – you need only plug the TV into a wi-fi router networked to the PC. We found it fiddly to set up on a Windows XP laptop, but it handled music and photos well. The TV also has a USB socket and a 160GB hard drive for recording Freeview programmes. Performance was good, but bettered by some rival top-end sets.

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