All posts in Gadget of the Week

Everyday Awesomeness – Win yourself some gadgets!

by Jo B on February 8, 2012 in Gadget of the Week with No comments

Are you in need of an extra USB port, a solar powered gadget charger or a cordless power tool? Awesome science and technology magazine, Popular Mechanics, is running the following competitions on their website.

Win 1 of 10 Unitek’s Infinity USB hubs – each worth R75

If you find yourself running out of USB ports on your laptop for your plethora of gadgets, then Unitek’s range of Infinity USB hubs could be just the thing you need. Each mini-hub comes with a different adaptor (USB, mini-USB, micro-USB or iPhone) on a 15 cm cable and a pass-through USB port, allowing you to daisychain as many units as you require. An external power adaptor supplies juice to the ports (and anything attached to them).

Win 1 of 3 Suntrica’s SolarStrap portable solar-powered chargers

Adventurers looking for a convenient way to power their mobile gadgetry should consider Suntrica’s SolarStrap portable solar-powered chargers. Two models are available – the basic SS-W100 (with three tips: Nokia 2,1 mm, Motorola mini-USB, and micro-USB) and the SS-W204 (made specifically for iPods and iPhones). Both feature splash-proof and virtually indestructible flexible solar panels and lithium-polymer battery packs with intelligent charge control electronics.

The 85 g SS-W100 provides over one hour of talk time (or 50 hours of standby time) from a one-hour solar charge. The SS-W204 comes in a range of funky colours, provides 16 minutes of talk time, and weighs 65 g. The batteries in both models can also be charged via a USB port, a vehicle’s 12 V auxiliary socket or a wall charger. Expect to pay about R400 for the SS-W100 and R800 for the SS-W204.

PM is giving away:

* 2x SS-W100, which ships with three tips: Nokia 2,1 mm, microUSB and Motorolla miniUSB

* 1x SS-W204 for iPods and iPhones

Win a Dremel Multi-Max 8300 tool worth R1 999

The Dremel 8300 variable-speed cordless Multi-Max oscillating tool offers power and freedom to take your DIY skills anywhere. With fast side-to-side motion, the Multi-Max can take on a variety of projects that involve repairing, remodelling or restoration – without the hassle of plugs and cords. Whether it’s cutting, grinding, sanding, scraping or grout removal, the Multi-Max provides optimal control and precision thanks to its high-performance motor with speed variability from 2 000 to 23 000 r/min. Ergonomic and safety features include a separate on/off switch that enables the speed setting to be maintained even after switch-off; Quick Fit™ for faster accessory change; soft-start and electric brake.

Longer runtime is possible thanks to the high-capacity 10,8 V lithium-ion battery. A “fuel gauge” lets you know when it’s time to recharge. The Multi-Max 8300 comes with a two-year warranty.

Included in this gift pack are 2 x 10,8 V Li-Ion batteries, charger, wood and metal flush cut blade, wood and drywall saw blade and delta sanding pad + 3x red wood + 3x white paint sanding sheets (60,120,240).

To stand a chance to win these prizes, visit the Popular Mechanics website.

Know of any other fantastic competitions? Share in the comments!

A must have for you iPhoneographers

by Chris M on February 1, 2012 in Equipment, Gadget of the Week, Mobile with No comments

I think iphoneography is pretty darn cool, I love how people have taken the concept and involved into something that so many people know and appreciated. Another reason Apple products get more and more popular.

Check this out, the iPhone Lens Wallet – Simply put, this wallet allows you to keep your iPhone lenses easily accessible and protected. Telephoto and Magnetic lense holders are provided as well. Look, the words don’t do it justice so let’s look at the photographs:

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iphone-lens-wallet-f512_600.0000001326268141
iphone-lens-wallet-2041_600.0000001326238268
iphone-lens-wallet-0bd7_600.0000001326238220

You can pick this awesome kit up for just $15.00.

I finally have a watch I love!

by Chris M on January 22, 2012 in Gadget of the Week, My Life with 3 Comments

I started looking for a watch that I would fall in love with about 3 or so years ago and the only one I came across was a CK watch, which was well out of my price range, so instead I resorted to a Guess watch as a temporary measure. It was quite trendy and professional, but it never sat on my wrist as I would have liked it to have and after 2 years the thing finally died and it was an opportunity to find something new.

I wasn’t expecting to have to by a watch, so I opened up my budget and looked at my personal/gadget expense columns and because the columns were much lower than usual for November, December and January, I decided to spoil myself despite. I looked at my projections, decided what I was able to afford and started looking. Amazingly, I stumbled across a watch on an overseas website, one which literally fulfilled this image I’ve had in my head for all these years. The problem was now whether I’d take the chance of ordering it online and praying that it would make it to South Africa, or would I go into Hugo Boss and see if they could source it. Century City wasn’t too helpful, so I went through to the Waterfront and decided to go to the ladies store, as the women in these stores are often far less arrogant and more helpful, which was the case. The lady there explained how I could go about it, but she said I should cruise past the gents store and it was apparently quite a good one, so I did just that.

She was right. The watch that I wanted was sitting right there in the front counter, I couldn’t believe it! The sales guy, who was incredibly nice told me (after I’d purchased it) that they were very popular and that I was lucky to get one as he’d sold 3 last week alone. I was thrilled with my purchase and really think it’s going to fit into my style perfectly :)

Here’s what it looks like:

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Quite a nice one hey?

Everyday Awesomeness: gadgets and gizmos

by Jo B on July 20, 2011 in Cars, Equipment, Gadget of the Week with No comments

If you’re one for gadgets and gizmos, keep an eye on Popular Mechanics’ “Great Stuff” web page. Here are some favourites I spotted this week:

Sony Cybershot HX100V

Forgotten your camcorder? Don’t stress. At the touch of a dedicated movie button, Sony’s 16,2-megapixel Cyber-shot HX100V delivers full HD video recording and stereo sound. Ideal for intrepid travellers and photo enthusiasts alike, it features a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonner lens with T coatings on all optical surfaces to virtually eliminate flare. It also features 30x optical zoom, allowing you to capture detailed close-ups of distant subjects, and a manual control ring for adjusting focus and zoom.

A smart image stabilisation system with “3-way shake cancellation” significantly reduces camera shake and a sweep panorama mode allows you to capture landscapes simply by pressing the shutter button and sweeping the camera (now you’re talking a mind-boggling resolution of 10 480 x 4 096 pixels). High-speed autofocus locks on to subjects in as little as 0,1 seconds, allowing you to grab the most fleeting of moments. And here’s a nice feature: Background Defocus mode automatically combines two successive frames captured at different focus settings to yield professional- looking images with crisply focused foreground subjects against smoothly blurred backgrounds. Price: about R4 500. Contact Sony on 011-690 3555 or visit www.sony.co.za

Sandisk 32GB Extreme Pro

It’s all very well having a sophisticated camera that can take high-res photos and shoot HD video, but if you can’t capture the action, you might as well not bother. Enter SanDisk’s 32 GB Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-1 memory card, which delivers write speeds of up to 45 MB/sec in continuous burst mode. It adheres to the new UHS Speed Class 1 video rating, offering minimum sustained write speeds of 10 MB/sec, so it’s able to record HD 1080p videos and 3D content. It’s also water-resistant, and is said to withstand extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, X-rays and magnetic fields. Price: about R2 520. Contact distributor Tudortech on 011-803 2226, or visit www.tudortech.co.za

Garmin nüvi 3790LT

If you’ve come to view the GPS market as being a tad predictable in terms of innovative devices, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Garmin’s latest beauty – the nüvi 3790LT – is a real keeper. Resembling an iPhone, and measuring a modest 8,77 mm thick, it comes packed with a host of features to ensure you never get lost again.

An 11 cm 800×480 pixel capacitive LCD touchscreen allows you to slide, tap and pinch to zoom in and out or browse surrounding areas. You can set your own “wake-up” command to activate speech recognition mode for hands-free navigation. Negotiating tricky intersections becomes a breeze, thanks to Lane Assist and Junction View, which indicate the correct lane for your chosen route. A built-in safety camera data base provides real-time alerts to keep you on the straight and narrow. This nifty gadget will even mark the position of your parked car on the map to ensure you can find it again. Price: about R4 350. Contact Garmin on 011-251 9999 or visit www.garmin.co.za

Samsung Galaxy Tab

If you’re looking for a swanky mobile tablet for both work and play, check out Samsung’s second-generation Galaxy Tab, available with either a 25,6 cm or 22,6 cm WXGA (1 280×800) display. Both versions feature an Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system, a 1 GHz Dual Core application processor, expandable memory (via microSD card) up to 32 GB, a 3-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera. In addition, you’ll fi nd surround sound stereo speakers and support for Adobe Flash 10.2. Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 (a/b/g/n), HSPA+ and a USB 2.0 port ensure you stay connected. Samsung’s Social Hub aggregates e-mail, instant messaging, contacts, calendar and social network connections into a single interface. Expect to pay about R8 000 and R7 500 for the 256 mm and 226 mm models respectively. Contact Samsung on 0860 726 786, or visit www.samsung.co.za

Mr Handsfree Solar car phone kit

We all know that talking on a mobile phone while driving is irresponsible, if not downright dangerous. However, built-in hands-free car kits can be prohibitively expensive. The solution may lie in the Mr Handsfree Solar car phone kit, which attaches to the windscreen with suction pads and does a good job. Smaller than an iPhone and convenient to use, it can support two Bluetooth-enabled handsets simultaneously. It has a battery life of up to 900 hours and features an integrated solar charging panel. Price: about R600. Contact distributor Gammatek on 011-201 0800 or visit www.te-group.com

 

Flexible silicon keyboard

by Chris M on March 30, 2011 in Equipment, Gadget of the Week with No comments

I’ve read about flexible keyboards before, but this is the first time (I think) that I’ve come across them locally. The flexible keyboard is highly robust, has a standard QWERTY keyboard and it’s easy to take anywhere. The keyboard is plug and play – you get a USB to PS/2 Adapter when you purchase it.

Take a peak:

The Flexible Keyboard retails for just R130!

Interested in more gadgets? Take a look at the gadget of the week collection.

Introducing the NoteSlate

by Chris M on February 7, 2011 in Equipment, Gadget of the Week with No comments

So, tablets are the hot thing right now, but we’re referring to digital tablets, like the Galaxy S or the iPad normally, but now there’s the NoteSlate, which isn’t quite the same.

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NoteSlate is low cost tablet device with true one colour display, real paper look design, long life battery (180h !), together with very handy usage and very simple and helpful interface for pen and paper. This easy, compact and portable gadget is used anywhere you want to make any notes, drafts, sketches, any ideas for future reference. Paper for everyone! Write a note and check it later, save it, or delete it. Maybe send it after. Just one colour is enough to express the basics. Keep your life simple. You will love it. For $99.

I think it’s pretty awesome!

Fall asleep peacefully – ocean projecter

by Chris M on January 22, 2011 in Gadget of the Week with 2 Comments

Do you struggle with falling asleep? Too anxious to take medication? Well, perhaps the DreamWave Relaxing Ocean Projecter is what you need..

Ocean Wave Projector

The device isn’t rocket science, it merely uses LEDs to project ocean-like wave patterns onto your walls, creating a peaceful environment, one which will help you sleep.

It’s powered by USB, but does have a USB to Mains adapter and comes with an audio jack and built-in speakers. It also works with batteries.

Keen to buy one? You can grab one by clicking here for just R299.00!

Check out the other cool gadgets of the week as well!

Do you like to read at night?

by Chris M on January 16, 2011 in Gadget of the Week, Style with No comments

I’m not much of a reader, but I know a great deal of people who are and I know a lot of them do their reading at night time. When I tried to read, it was also at night, I couldn’t find comfortable positions and having a big light on used to bug me.

I came across this cool gadget on Yanko, let me post some photographs rather than explaining it as they paint the picture perfectly:

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How neat is that?

Awesome waterproof lighter

by Chris M on January 16, 2011 in Gadget of the Week with No comments

Ever been in a situation where you need a lighter, but there’s a lot of water around and using a normal one just wouldn’t work? Perhaps you’re fishing and a river, perhaps there’s a lot of rain, whatever the scenario is, I’ve come across an awesome waterproof lighter called the True Utility FireStach:

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The gadget is just 45x15x15mm in size, meaning it’ll fit easily into a pocket or you could add it to your keyring and not worry about too much extra weight. Feature wise, there are quite a few, here’s a list:

  • Dark Chrome Plated Zinc Alloy
  • Petrol Refillable Lighter
  • Waterproof Neoprene ‘O’ Ring
  • 20mm Split Ring
  • Key ring attachment

Best part is that this gadget goes for just R130.00! If you would like to buy one, click here.

Interested in gadgets, click here and have a look at all the ones we’ve mentioned.

Christmas Gifts for Guys

by Chris M on November 22, 2010 in Equipment, Gadget of the Week with No comments

Christmas is just around the corner, it’s arrived far sooner than I imagined and before we know it, it’ll be the night before and we’ll all be looking forward to celebrating. In light of this, I figured that it would be a good time to mention some great gifts for guys.

Keychain Pen

keychain-pen

How often can’t you find a pen when you need one? Admit it, it happens all the time doesn’t it? Well, True Utility has launched an awesome keychain pen, but the best part is that it’s a full length pen, which is only the length of a key when closed. It goes for R95.00 only, click here to buy one!

Solar Powered Weather Station

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Guys love their gadgets and what better than a solar powered weather station. Have you ever seen a weather station? They’re pretty awesome, my father has one and I normally take a good peak on a Friday afternoon so that I can plan my fishing trips accordingly. A bit more expensive than some of the cheap gadgets, but for R499, it’s worth it. Want to read more about it? Click here.

J.Fold Leather Wallets

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What guy doesn’t want an awesome leather wallet? I got one last year and absolutely love it. J.Fold wallets are awesome, they can in unique colours and unique designs. They’re selling out fast, so click here, head on over and grab one before they’re all gone!

Mac Gear

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mac-magic-mouse

Ok, so this one isn’t strictly for guys, but if your man/friend has a Mac, you’ll know how awesome the little extras are. The Mac wireless keyboard and magic mouse are two accessories every Mac user should have at their fingertips! Click here to order one.

Skullcandy Earbuds

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There’s nothing better than a great set of headphones and Skullcandy is exactly that. Out of all of headphones that I’ve used, Skullcandy tops the charts and is highly recommended. Not the cheapest option at R450.00 a set, but definitely one of the best! Click here to check them out.

Mini Garden Growing Kit

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Does he enjoy herbs? Well, this mini garden growing kit is a must! The kit comes with everything you need as well as an assortment of seeds for tabasco, Tepin, Jalapeno and a few others. Just R189, it’s a steal, buy one here!

So there you have it, 5 excellent gifts for guys! Don’t forget to have a look at the Gadget of the Week section for more gift ideas, such as the Handheld espresso maker and the 5 in 1 multi-tool.

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