TALKING HEAD
Parrot SK4000 Bluetooth helmet headset
£129
www.parrot.co/uk
0161 868 0868

A conventional hands-free phone kit is as much use on a motorbike as an ashtray. This clever Parrot gizmo, available from next March, claims to enable motorcyclists to make or receive calls and even change music tracks without removing their gloves. The kit comprises a hands-free earpiece with boom-style microphone that clips onto a standard helmet, plus a remote control that attaches to the bike’s left handlebar. The headset contains an FM radio but will also connect to a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. You can even plug in an MP3 player via a standard 3.5mm audio socket. It’s a clever idea and Parrot makes a variety of fine Bluetooth gadgets, but there are potential impracticalities. Despite the maker’s claims of a wind-shielded microphone, previous experience suggests this could prove noisy, and earpieces are often uncomfortable to wear inside a helmet. If Parrot has resolved these issues then this is a boon for bikers.

WACS LYRICAL
Philips WAC3500D Streamium Wireless Music Centre (Wac)
£299
www.streamium.philips.com
0906 1010 016

Computer-phobes who aspire to the conveniences of digital music will be intrigued by this gadgety Philips hi-fi. The Wac can play CDs and convert them into MP3 files – at various quality levels – which are then stored on its 80GB hard drive. If the Wac is connected to the internet these files are automatically named too. The Philips contains an iPod dock and a wi-fi receiver to wirelessly play music stored on its hard drive on up to five “receiver stations” dotted around the home (£100 extra each). Arguably a computer can be set up with a conventional hi-fi to do the same things, but the Wac is cheaper and simpler.

GRIPPING IDEA
Black & Decker Autowrench
£30
www.blackanddecker.co.uk
01753 511 234

As any DIY nut knows, there are times when it is simply not possible to use both hands to tighten the jaws of a wrench. In which case, reach for the Autowrench. Place the jaws around a nut or bolt (of up to 1.25in), prod a button in the middle of the handle and it reduces to the correct size. Press the other end of this button, and it snap-releases. The jaws can of course be tightened manually instead and the tool’s lurid orange livery makes it easy to spot in a toolbag. In brief tests the Autowrench proved effective, and though pricey it could well get you out of a tight spot.

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