Electronics
The Pebble E-Paper Watch – The world’s first customizable watch
Kickstarter is a fabulous place for new technology and innovative ideas, and the latest project to receive funds from enthusiastic backers is the Pebble E Paper Watch. The Pebble is the world’s first fully customizable watch, in which you can download internet-connected apps and stunningly different watch faces. All Pebble watches are designed to connect to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, and you can use the watch to alert you to incoming text messages, emails or calls. The Pebble E-Paper watch will retail at $150, and at the start [...]
Xbox One: New games announced
The Xbox One has already been hit with its fair share of criticism even before it arrives on the shelves, with disgruntled fans unhappy about plans to require online check-ins every day and to introduce charges for playing used games. But, keen to turn the tide of unfavourable opinion, Microsoft has launched an offensive designed to appeal to serious gamers by unveiling a raft of new games at the E3 expo in Los Angeles. Initially revealed earlier this month, the X-box one launch focused on the hardware and Microsoft’s new [...]
Technology fit for Don Draper? The modern-day radiogram by Ruark Audio
The hit American TV series Mad Men has inspired us to look to the retro-styling of the 1950s and 1960s in our fashion and our interiors. And now, the Mad Men effect has come to our technology. Family-owned British company Ruark Audio, renowned for its elegant designs, has now created an up-to-date version of the radiogram. A portmanteau of radio and gramophone, radiograms reached the peak of their popularity in the post-war era. Available from autumn 2013, the Ruark R7 brings a very modern twist to a retro concept. A [...]
New Philips DesignLine TV that leans against a wall
Just when you think design cannot get any more innovative and grandiose, Philips launch their new DesignLine TV, which boasts a frameless front and is made from a sheet of gradient black glass that you literally lean up against a wall. The new TV does not require any wall brackets or TV stands, and is manufactured to be light and transparent. DesignLine TV Sizes The new DesignLine TV will be available in two sizes, either in a 46″ or 55″ screen size, and should be ready for consumers in the [...]
The Canon PowerShot N: Anything but square
We’re used to our compact cameras being rectangular so Canon’s new gizmo, the Canon PowerShot N is a bit of a departure from the norm. It’s a shape that immediately sets it apart from the competition, giving it a feel that manages to be both up-to-the-minute and retro at the same time. Its square shape and rounded edges look somewhat akin to an Instagram snap or Polaroid picture. Coming in at £269, the Canon PowerShot N is set firmly in the middle of the compact market so, while it will undoubtedly [...]
The Toshiba 55ZL2 glasses free 3D TV
It’s the next natural step in 3D television, glasses free viewing, but at £7,000 a set, is it worth whipping off the specs for the Toshiba 55ZL2, or should we be putting up with looking a little bit silly for a cheaper price? How 3D TV free glasses works And how exactly does a glasses free 3D set work anyway? Well, once the television has been set up, and the screen has detected an incoming 3D signal, you have to press the ‘tracking’ button on the remote control. There is [...]
The battery that can charge up your phone in seconds
No matter how high end your phone is, there’s no getting away from the fact it takes a few hours to fully charge it. Breakthroughs have been made, notably with wireless charging, where you just have to place your handset on a charger rather than actually plug it in. But now researchers have gone a giant step further by developing a battery which can charge a phone, or even a car, up in super speed. It could mean you’d be able to charge up your iPhone in just five seconds [...]
The camera that prints your Instagram snaps – instantly
It seems we have come full circle. First we loved using our Polaroid cameras to create instant snaps. Then, when the world turned digital, we moved to Instagram which made our online snaps look retro. Now Polaroid is making a camera so we can print out our Instagram shots. Instagram is famous the world over for its Polaroid-style imaging. Socialmatic, with the help of Polaroid, is now set to turn this retro app into an instant, printout snapper. The Polaroid-branded instant digital camera will be available in the first quarter [...]
The radio that’s perfect for vintage lovers
For those who like to give their interiors and clothes something of a retro feel, it can be difficult to find the perfect way to listen to your music – after all, the iPod wasn’t invented in the 1950s or 60s. So, the new range of radios styled by renowned Irish fashion designer Orla Kiely, best known for the vintage feel of her creations, could be just the ticket. Available from Orla Kiely and John Lewis, the Pure Evoke Mio DAB radio allows you to receive lots of DAB stations along [...]
The world’s next best-selling camera? The Nikon Coolpix S3500
Nikon has announced the latest in its Coolpix series, in a bid to compete with the ever-increasing megapixels of smartphone cameras. The Coolpix series is one of the most popular and enduring in the compact camera market. And the Japanese multinational has now revealed the latest in the range – the Nikon Coolpix S3500. There’s no doubt compact point-and-shoots are struggling to cope with competition from the constant improvements being made to smartphone cameras. There’s the LG Optimus G with 13 megapixels, for example, and even the HTC Titan II, [...]
With extra stickability: The headphones made for sport
We all know that listening to music can make workouts more effective – multiple studies have found it creates an increased sense of motivation, distracting the mind while increasing the heart rate. But, if you’re exercising in the great outdoors, you’ll need to take your music with you. And, there’s nothing so frustrating as your headphones falling out while you’re running. That’s why choosing the right pair of specialist sports headphones can make all the difference to your training regime. Here’s our pick of some of the best. Denon Exercise [...]
New Camera models set to go on sale during 2013 from CES
The giant new televisions and super-thin smartphones tend to dominate the headlines at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show. But some of the world’s biggest camera makers were there too showcasing some of the most exciting products to come onto the market for quite some time. Here’s our pick of the new models set to go on sale during 2013. Canon Powershot N Its body may be square but this little gizmo is anything but. What it is, however, is aimed squarely at amateur photographers who want to take professional-looking snaps [...]
Fujifilm’s new compact cameras
A few details have already leaked out about Fujifilm’s two newest compact cameras. And, now it’s official. Called the X100S and X20, the new gizmos are expected to build on the popularity of Fujifilm’s previous generation retro-styled cameras. X100S When Fujifilm first unveiled its high-end X100 two years ago, it was, for the most part, well received. Its autofocus speed did, however, come in for a bit of criticism. But, that’s something Fujifilm has been working on, and then some. Not only has Fujifilm improved its autofocus, but it is [...]
The new shape of television? Samsung set to release innovative new design
The unofficial city slogan may be: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”. But, for the technology innovators showing at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the opposite is the case. They will be hoping their inventions go global. And, while it’s always exciting to see what cutting edge gizmos will spring up at CES in the world’s entertainment capital, this year could be more interesting than ever. One of the key attractions is widely expected to be a radical new portrait television screen set to be revealed by South [...]
Televisions for children’s rooms: Top of the TV sets
There’s a lot of controversy over whether you should let your child have a television in their room. Previous research has established that more screen time is linked to higher rates of obesity. And a new study has gone even further, finding that kids who have a television in their own bedroom tend to watch even more, something scientists have linked to a greater risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. But, if you’re confident of monitoring your youngster’s viewing even if they do have a set in their room [...]
LG Launch New Flatscreen 8K TV, but where can you actually buy one?
The Korean tech giants LG have now released the ‘world’s biggest’ ultra-definition TV, but if you want bigger, you have to pay for it as it costs an eye watering £22,500. The new LG Ultra HD SMART 3D 84in TV has a massive 84in (213cm) screen (currently smaller than a 90in model made by Sharp), but LG’s screen boasts 8 million pixels per frame, which is four times the resolution of 1080p high-definition displays. There has been a lot of publicity surrounding the release of this massive Smart TV as Chief executive of LG [...]
Microsoft files patent for reality smart glasses to rival Google’s Project Glass
Microsoft have filed a patent for augmented smart glasses that could seriously challenge their rival Google’s similar technology of Project Glass. The Microsoft patent suggests that these new glasses could relay information, such as sports statistics or musical lyrics, onto the lens, but still allow the wearer to view through the glass. The glasses would work by the user attaching them to a wrist worn computer. Several problems have arisen during the design of such devices, as in previous prototypes, the lens of the glasses did not allow the user [...]
NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System Review
Are you in need of a device that lets you scan, store and organize all those stacks of papers you have lying around your office? Perhaps you wish you could have a database that stores all of your business receipts for your future records? NeatDesk’s Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System boasts just that. But is it all it is cracked up to be? My company just took the plunge and brought one of these guys into our office and the following is an honest guide to my torrid affair [...]
Buying a Digital TV Recorder
There are going to be many different choices to look through when it comes to digital TV recorders so it will be important to see what some of your options are before you make a final decision of any kind. You will find that the more time and effort you invest in looking at some of your options the better your chances will be of finding exactly what you need. It will be important that you purchase a digital TV recorder that gives you what you are looking for at [...]
Wonderbook: Book of Spells now available
Fans of Harry Potter will be pleased to learn that a new game called Wonderbook™ is now available from Sony, and it promises to offer a completely new gaming experience. The Book of Spells is the first title available for PlayStation® and includes exclusive new writing from J.K. Rowling. In the Harry Potter™ films, the Book of Spells was written by Miranda Goshawk over two hundred years ago, and it provided students with a safe environment to learn spells and reveal amazing secrets, just like a student at Hogwarts™. In [...]
