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JURASSIC LARK
Ugobe Pleo Robotic Dinosaur
Typically £250, from www.dixons.co.uk
Those fascinated by robots or dinosaurs will adore Pleo, the dinobot. Green
and cute, he is much more than a remote control toy. Pleo reacts to his
surroundings in a similar manner to Sony’s Aibo robot dogs. He has a camera
in his head, microphones for ears, and sensors in his feet – along with 14
motors so that he can shuffle about with a convincing prehistoric plod. When
he’s awake, Pleo reacts to and even learns from external stimuli. Call his
name and he turns towards you; hurt his foot (you beast) and he limps for a
few moments. Apparently, Pleo will exhibit moods or even a persona depending
on how he’s treated by his owner. In terms of what he is able to do, he will
progress through three stages of development, from hatchling to juvenile, as
you play with him. Feed him with a plastic leaf and he’ll purr contentedly.
Deny him food for long enough and he’ll start to wail. When he tires, Pleo
will curl up and sleep until you recharge his battery pack. Four hours of
charging provides about 90min of play, though we didn’t have the energy to
test him for that long. It’s a remarkable creature but the price may
persuade you to wait until this is no longer the must-have of 2007. That
said, this robot dinosaur is as much an adult toy as one for children, and
so it merits a grown-up price tag.
DIRECTOR’S CUT
Panasonic HDC-SD5 camcorder
Typically £600, or £539 from www.purelygadgets.co.uk
Until recently it was hard to shoot decent high-definition (HD) footage onto
flash memory cards because they were too small. But they have grown and this
new Panasonic uses a special compression format known as AVCHD. This model
is the best of the current crop of camcorders for several reasons. It
captures colours especially well, has a feature that takes a few seconds’
footage before you press record and has a decent image stabiliser. Granted,
its SD memory cards cost at least £60 for 8GB, but that does give you 3hr of
action. The footage is a swine to edit, mainly because the data files are so
big, but this is still the best consumer-level camcorder around this
Christmas.
SMART SOUND
Tangent Quattro wi-fi radio
Typically £190, or £180 from www.digitaldirect.co.uk
Why restrict yourself to conventional digital radio stations when you can
listen wirelessly to more than 8,000 internet-based stations with this
clever wi-fi “radio”? To enjoy the Tangent’s aural charms, owners must have
broadband and a wi-fi router. The Tangent does not even require a computer
to be switched on. It is dead easy to set up and tunes itself into all
manner of stations from around the world. Interestingly, several provide
higher sound quality than do DAB-based stations, and – a real blessing – no
adverts. To avoid the need to scroll from Abu Dhabi to Zaire there are six
station preset buttons, and the top-notch sound is as smooth as Stan Getz.
This Scandinavian-styled gadget is well made, has a clear display and comes
in a choice of four smart colours. Ideal for gadget lovers who thought they
had everything.
PARTY IN A BOX
Ixos Disco Cube
Typically £60, or £49 from www.johnlewis.com
It may not exactly turn your front room into the dance floor at Studio 54, but
this mains-powered baby will nonetheless enliven a Christmas party. Slot
your iPod into the cube-shaped dock and enjoy the disco lights that flash in
time with the music. You can also attach any other MP3 player via a standard
3.5mm jack plug. There is a small subwoofer to beef up the bass, plus a pair
of side-facing speakers, yet the sound is modest compared with that of a
proper stereo or pricier MP3 speakers. Nonetheless, this Ixos offers great
fun for the money.
MR UTILITY
Gerber Suspension 22-01471 Multiplier
Typically £40, or £27 from www.shop4gerber.co.uk
Whether it’s needed for prising out fairy-light bulbs that don’t work or for
opening the battery compartment of a child’s new toy, there are few handier
things that you could find in your yuletide stocking than a decent
multi-tool. And in extensive tests, this compact-sized Gerber device proved
to be the best. The stainless steel handles open in butterfly style to
reveal a pair of spring-loaded needlenose pliers, plus nine other
tough-as-old-boots tools. Unusually, each can be locked into place for user
safety. This compact multi-tool is supplied with a basic nylon pouch,
although it is also available in a rather swish presentation pack that
includes a mini-torch or a bonus keyring-based tool for a mere additional
fiver.
SPARE ROOM ENTERTAINER
Teac DR-H300 mini DVD system
Typically £300, or £260 from www.digitaldirect.com
Want a compact hi-fi that can play DVDs without much compromise on audio
quality? Look no further than this system, as Teac specialises in making
weeny audiovisual components that punch well above their weight. Although
it’s only 10in wide, with the right speakers (not supplied) this Teac sounds
great in a modest-sized room, and its digital (HDMI) video output improves
DVD pictures by upscaling them on an HD-ready TV. It also boasts a DAB radio
and will play MP3 files via a USB socket. It has functional looks but is a
class act for the kitchen or study.
HIDDEN POWER
Newton Peripherals MoGo Mouse X54 Pro
Typically £65, or £61 from www.allmacshop.co.uk
Who wants to lug a mouse around while on the move? Nobody, so the answer is
this flat laptop mouse, which folds up and stores snugly inside the
express-card expansion slot of newer laptops. It works wirelessly by
Bluetooth and recharges while stashed. This updated version of the MoGo also
acts as a multimedia remote control to play, pause or adjust volume during
music or videos on a variety of software, such as iTunes and Windows Media
Player. It will even control a PowerPoint presentation. Available in Dixons
from today.
MEMORY MAESTRO
Kingston Datatraveler Reader 1GB
Typically £12, or £11 from www.shop-com.co.uk
Transferring photos or video clips from a digital camera to a laptop can be a
real faff if your computer lacks a handy memory-card slot. This USB-based
pen drive neatly solves the problem as it can be fitted with either an SD or
an MMC memory card. The Kingston also works as a standard USB pen drive and
its memory can be boosted from 1GB to 9GB by inserting the requisite card. A
great stocking filler.
DIGITAL DEGAS
Wacom Bamboo One A6 graphics tablet
Typically £50, or £32 from www.amazon.co.uk
Graphics tablets enable you to add pictures or navigate software menus on a
computer by scribbling on a touch-sensitive pad instead of manhandling a
mouse or keyboard. The pad is operated by stroking it with the tip of a
cordless, battery-free stylus that directs a pointer on your computer
screen. It’s ideal for digital drawing or handwriting recognition, if you
have the right software. The Bamboo One is the most basic model in the Wacom
range, but this good-quality A6-sized tablet is a serious bargain as it is
well finished and effective. Snap one up.
TIME LORD
Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Bluetooth watch
Typically £200, or £180 from www.mobilefun.co.uk
Pay attention, 007: this watch alerts you to incoming texts, allowing you to
take instructions from M while pretending to glance at the time. It connects
to your phone handset via Bluetooth and vibrates for incoming calls and SMS
texts. It also shows the caller’s name on a tiny one-line display. You can
mute the phone’s ringtone or reject a call, and even control music playback
on a Walkman phone. In tests, it was easy to set up and worked well. As a
watch, it’s chunky, though fortunately it needs recharging only once a week.
GOOD DAY SUNSHINE
Power Monkey eXplorer recharger
Typically £65, or £60 from www.ethicalsuperstore.com
Dragging around a load of cables to recharge your gadgets is a pain, but this
gizmo can free you from such tyranny. It has a 2,200mAh rechargable
lithium-ion battery that can be charged from the mains or from a computer’s
USB slot. It can then power up all your tech toys while you are on the road.
In tests it proved highly effective.
The eXplorer is supplied with connectors for most mobile phones, an iPod and a
Sony PSP console, but you can buy extras for other items. It comes with a
clip-on solar panel for trickle charging from the sun, or is sold without
the panel for £35.
SUPER SNAPPER
Nikon D40X camera
Typically £400, or £380 from www.rankhour.com
Snappers eager to move their photography up a notch will find this an
attractive choice. It is an SLR (single-lens reflex) camera, which means you
can see through the viewfinder exactly what you are shooting through the
lens, and you can swap lenses to adapt to situations from, say, close-up
botany to long-distance safari. The supplied 18-55mm lens is of good
quality, and a version with vibration reduction costs £90 more. An
impressive universal 18-200m lens option (not included) delivers 11x zoom.
Compared with most SLRs, it has a compact body and its menus are easy for
newcomers to operate. Images are excellent for the money and despite the odd
gripe – for instance, there’s no dust protector for the sensor – the D40X is
sensational value.
TALKING HEAD
Transformers Optimus Prime Voice Changing Helmet
Typically £30, or £25 from www.johnlewis.com
Slip on this helmet and you’ll be able to speak like the robotic Optimus Prime
from the film Transformers, thanks to an internal, battery-powered
microphone and processing circuit. The helmet also plays quotes from Prime
and the cool sound effect that accompanies the Transformers as they change
shape. Get in quick because it’s going to be snapped up.
MOVIE MAGIC
Creation Station movie-making kit
Typically £100, from www.firebox.com
This kit will occupy aspiring film directors throughout Christmas. It
comprises a webcam with a built-in microphone and tripod. There is also some
easy-to-use video-editing software, plus a green screen that lets you film a
subject then add any background. It records video onto a computer and once
your masterpiece is made, it’s child’s play to upload it onto YouTube. The
basic nature of the equipment means you won’t be creating The Lord of the
Rings (yet) but it’s an inexpensive introduction to the magic of movie
special effects and will keep teen film buffs amused well into the new year.
INTELLIGENT INSECT
Flytech Remote Control Dragonfly
Typically £40, or £30 from www.play.com
Tiny remote-control helicopters were a much loved stocking filler last
Christmas, and this Dragonfly promises even more levity this time around.
It’s made by the clever people behind the popular Robosapien dancing robots,
and it is said to be the first ever ornithopter – an aircraft that flies by
flapping its wings. The Dragonfly’s sturdy carbon fibre body means it should
survive an encounter with the occasional obstacle as it whizzes round the
living room at up to 18mph on Christmas Day. A mere 10min cradled in the
recharger apparently delivers another 10min of wing time, which isn’t bad.
Ideal for tormenting the dog or an annoying great-uncle.
SONIC BOON
Goldring GX200 headphones
Typically £50, or £39 from www.ebuyer.com
The earbuds that are routinely supplied with most MP3 players rarely do
justice to their sound output. However, the audio quality of these
excellent-value GX200s will ring the bell of any genuine music lover. The
Goldrings are an in-ear design, which has the twin advantage of isolating
the wearer from background noise and maximising bass response. In fact they
provide a surprisingly rich bass, as well as an unexpected subtlety of aural
pleasure that exceeds all expectations at this modest price. The Goldrings
are sold in a choice of six colours, and although their 3ft cord felt a bit
short and tangled easily, the clever lanyard design is still eminently
practical. All in all, these headphones are a steal. KITT CAR
KITT CAR
Knight Rider remote-controlled car
Typically £30, or £25 from www.argos.co.uk
Back in the 1980s there was no cooler ride than Kitt, the black Pontiac
Trans-Am driven by David Hasselhoff in the Knight Rider television series.
It was almost indestructible, could reach 300mph and, best of all, talked to
its driver. This 34cm-long radio-controlled version won’t fly through the
air with ease, but like the real thing it has a row of sequentially
operating red LEDs on its hood – a pretend version of Kitt’s all-important
sensor. And when you hit a button on the transmitter, that familiar robotic
voice issues forth. One 9V and four AA batteries come included, but you’ll
have to shop elsewhere for a leather jacket, tight jeans and a dodgy chest
wig.
ROBOT ROCK
Gibson Robot guitar
Typically £1,400, see www.gibson.com/robotguitar
for dealers
An axe that tunes itself is a lavish present for budding guitar heroes,
particularly the tone deaf ones. Gibson says this is the world’s first
guitar with robotic technology. Using a specially designed bridge, it
measures the tuning of each string, then relays that information to
motorised machine heads on the neck, which turn to ensure the string is at
the right tension. Guitarists can also preset a number of different states
of tune, which can be accessed at the push of the control knob. The Robot
guitar is modelled on the classic Les Paul design and has a blue silverburst
finish. A lithium rechargeable battery powers the mechanism and Gibson
claims that a 90min charge gives about 200 retunes. It goes on sale on
Friday.
PLUG-IN BABY
Vox amPlugs
Typically £30, see www.voxamps.co.uk
for dealers
This palm-sized guitar amp is the solution for those aching to chug out a few
late-night power chords without waking the neighbours. Plug it into your
guitar, connect a pair of headphones to it and you can hear what you’re
playing without making a racket. There are three models, each with a variety
of sounds, including heavy metal-style distortion. The gizmo purports to
imitate a vintage Vox valve amplifier. This is a tall order, but in brief
tests it made a convincing sound. You can also plug an MP3 player into the
Vox and play along to the tunes. The maker says two AAA batteries provide up
to 15hr of power. Rock on.
WE WILL DOCK YOU
Roth Audio Music Cocoon MC4
Typically £399, or £360 from www.amazon.co.uk
This classily made Music Cocoon combines the convenience of an iPod dock with
the warm sound of a valve amplifier. Better still, its unusual design will
brighten any music buff’s home. You can park your iPod in its cradle and
connect two further audio devices at the rear, then switch between them with
the remote control. Once paired with suitable speakers (not supplied) such
as a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 9s for about £100, the Roth emitted a smooth
sound that flattered the iPod’s inherent harshness. The Cocoon is pricey,
but if you want the best mains-powered dock, here it is.
BEDSIDE COMPANION
Pure Chronos II DAB/FM clock radio
Typically £70, or £58 from www.amazon.co.uk
This bedside clock radio boasts a host of useful features such as four
independent alarms that can be set to go off at different times on weekends
and weekdays. The Chronos II is a DAB radio as well as a conventional one,
which makes it far easier to tune than an FM/AM model. The trim dimensions
will not hog a bedside table and its subtle colouring (white or silver) will
blend into your background decor. This, the updated version, features an
improved LCD display that automatically dims to save power. Granted, the
radio’s compact size means volume is limited but the Pure excels at its
primary purpose.
