iRiver has dropped us word that it's bringing its "Story" e-book reader to the UK. The South Korean manufacturer, famous for its MP3 players, says that the Story is "stepping up to challenge Sony's version and Amazon's new Kindle".

The reader has an e-ink display like many others, and can get 7000 page turns from one battery charge. It works with epub, pdf and txt formats, and also displays office files like doc, ppt and xls, and image formats like jpeg, bmp and gif - though images will only display in greyscale.

Interestingly the Story has a full QWERTY keyboard, with which the user can interact with an on-board diary and scheduler. It has a voice recorder and headphone jack, too, and a built-in speaker, which can play music or an audiobook, and continue playback while reading other things on the screen.

The device has 2GB of on-board flash memory, along with an SD card slot. That'll fit around 1500 ebooks, iRiver reckons. There's optional Wi-Fi, and it connects via USB 2.0 to your computer for loading content. It comes in matte white design only, and costs ?230. It's available now.

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers ebooks iRiver iRiver Story Video

iRiver Story comes to the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:08:47 +0000

3, that does not offer Apple's iPhone, has announced it is to bundle its wireless connectivity MiFi device with the iPod touch on a pay monthly tariff.

3's MiFi gadget will connect the 'pod to the Internet to browse websites, download music and apps or send emails while you're out and about.

"The iPod touch offers a really great browsing experience, but as with so many devices with Wi-Fi capabilities, the internet function rarely gets used because hotspots are so hard to come by", Charlotte Blanchard, director of products and services at 3, said.

"Now with MiFi on 3, iPod touch users can get wireless internet whenever they want on the network that's designed and built for the mobile internet".

Pricing for the MiFi and the iPod touch comes in at ?23 a month for a 2-year contract. The tariff offers 5GB of internet access, which 3 says is good for 72 hours of browsing, 800 songs and 400 applications.

Tags: Gadgets Audio Phones 3 MiFi iPod Touch Apple Tariffs

3 offers MiFi and iPod touch contract bundles originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:23:54 +0000

If you want to protect your Amazon Kindle, or if you're looking for a great Kindle-themed Christmas present, you could do worse than M-Edge's range of Latitude cases for the device.

Available in a variety of bright colours, the Latitude "Kindle Jackets" are made of durable ripstop nylon and boast a double zip.

Inside there's a soft polar fleece for cushioning, while the case offers a built-in pocket for storing the charger and other small accessories.

MobileFun is offering the range now, priced at ?17.99 each.

Related links:

• Shop - MobileFun

Tags: Gadgets Kindle accessories Kindle eBook readers MobileFun Cases

Tough M-Edge Latitude Kindle cases available originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:38:15 +0000

A survey by Comet has revealed that 48% of women now "feel more comfortable with technology than ever before". Does that make you wince, too? The statistic feels outdated, offensive and wrong for a whole heap of reasons.

Why should gadgetry have a gender? There's nothing masculine or feminine about a computer, phone, games console or operating system in the same way that there's nothing masculine or feminine about a door, bath, sofa or lampshade. They just exist.

Unfortunately, however, what does exist is bad design choices for all those things. Companies seem to go through a process a bit like this in the boardroom:

Executive 1: Surveys are showing that there aren't many women buying our mobile phones
Executive 2: Hmm. This is a problem. Women have money, and we want money.
Executive 3: What do women want from a phone?
Executive 2: A pink colour scheme! Flowery wallpaper! Frilly dangly bits! A compact mirror on the back!
Executive 1: Yes! That's it! Get that man a bigger office! Sod the recession, we're going to be quids in.

Don't misunderstand the point here - there's nothing inherently wrong with a phone, computer or USB drive that's pink, but make it pink because it looks good in pink. Or have a pink option among green, blue, black, white, indigo, burnt sienna, periwinkle and a host of other colours. Let people choose. Don't just make it pink because you want girls to buy it - they won't.

A completely unscientific survey we just conducted amongst six ladies revealed that amongst them, none have pink as their favourite colour. There were four greens, a red, and a blue, which suggests that female consumers aren't all that keen on pink anyway. And if they don't get a choice, it should be green - not pink.

Ir Stilma, assistant professor of Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Twente Enschede in the Netherlands, says: "gender should not be seen as men versus women, as different types of masculinity and femininity can be found in both women and men"

And female bloggers have written at length on how much they hate being treated differently. Priya Ganapati at Wired's Gadget Lab puts it well, saying: "Real women want stylish products. They want products that are fashionable, competitively priced and easy to use". They don't want special versions for their gender - they just want products that work.

It's no coincidence that the companies that get lauded most for their interface and design don't tailor them to a specific gender. There's a whole pile of examples we could take - Apple's minimalist white plastic and silver aluminium.?Spotify's dark grey and green. Google and Microsoft's friendly and accessible rainbows of colour.

It's not just colour, either. Rounded edges are appealing to both sexes. A nifty opening mechanism is awesome, whatever gender you are. Dyson's vacuum cleaners strike a blow for equality in managing to defeat the woman-doing-the-housework stereotype by being pretty much gender-neutral.

So here's what's wrong with Comet's survey. First of all, conducting surveys like the one it has is sexist, and reinforces stereotypes that are increasingly irrelevant, and offensive, in modern society. Second, products should be designed and built around functions - not target markets, gender or otherwise.

Thirdly, be imaginative with colour. Girls may like pink, but they might also like green, red, silver or black. Men might like pink too, and they might like brown, white, purple or gold. And lastly, remember that for some people, gender isn't just M or F. If you're going to design phones for girls, how about phones for homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered consumers too?

There's something that'll get Executives 1, 2 and 3 confused the next time they sit around the conference table.

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Tags: Comment Gadgets Comet Features

Why should gadgets have a gender? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:59:25 +0000

We've seen both ultra-simple and ultra-stylish stands for the iPhone before, but this takes the biscuit as the most flexible - literally - as it's a modified mini bean bag.

"Have you ever tried watching a movie on your iPod touch or iPhone only to realize it's not that fun to hold your device for hours at a time? Did you then try to prop it up against stacks of books or magazines or try to create an improvised stand or holder with limited success?", ask the chaps behind the design.

"So did we. That's why we created the MovieWedge. Hope you find it as useful as we do".

Made of soft microsuede, that can also double as a screen wiper, the squidgy device gets a little lip to hold the gadget in place, but then contours to whatever you've placed it on.

As well as Apple-flavoured products, the teeny beany will also (obviously) work with other mobile phones, other MP3 players and even some of the smaller handheld consoles.

The MovieWedge is available now for $9.95.

Read

Related links:

• Shop - MovieWedge

Tags: Gadgets iPhone accessories Stands MovieWedge Mobile phone accessories

MovieWedge mini bean bag iPhone stand available originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:37:59 +0000

BeBook has announced its latest eReader, the Mini, described as a compact version of its BeBook One, is to be stocked by some major high street and online retailers in the UK.

London book shop Foyles, as well as Borders and Blackwells and online etailer Play.com will now be offering the device.

BeBook says the Mini boasts an easy to read 5-inch, E-ink screen and wide format support including ePub and PDF, with a lightweight and pocket-sized design.

Features include 512MB internal memory and SD card slot with support for up to 16GB cards, a 400Mhz ARM processor and Adobe Reader Mobile software.

The BeBook Mini is on sale now for an RRP of ?179.99, but can be found for less.

Tags: Gadgets eBook readers ebooks BeBook BeBook Mini

BeBook Mini available in UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:08:19 +0000

Amazon?has bumped the battery life and added native PDF support for its 6-inch?Kindle?ebook reader on Tuesday via a firmware update following a 6 month firmware improvement and testing program.

The news means that the Kindle now has battery life of up to 7 days with wireless turned on, compared to 4 days. According to the company, battery life with wireless turned off can be up to 2 weeks.

Amazon has also announced that the 6-inch Kindle now has a built-in native PDF reader that enables Kindle customers to read their own documents, something other ebook readers have been able to do from the start.

To read their personal or professional documents, Kindle customers will have to email PDFs to their Kindle email address or move them over using a USB connection.

Customers that prefer to have their PDF documents converted to the Kindle format simply type "Convert" in the subject of the e-mail when sending documents to their “@kindle.com” address.

The firmware update, which will come as standard to all new Kindles will be sent out automatically via Whispernet wireless to models already in use.

However not all will get the Native PDF support, says Amazon.

"It will also be available for some earlier versions of Kindle via an automatic Whispernet wireless firmware update", the company said in a statement.

Related links:

• Shop - Amazon.com

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Amazon Amazon Kindle Adobe

Amazon Kindle gets better battery and PDF support originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:26:39 +0000

After chucking out a special edition Reader for fans of romance fiction, Sony has now announced it is to offer another limited edition model of the Reader Pocket Edition, this time for thriller fans.

The James Patterson model features the Alex Cross novel, "Cross Country", as well as "selected excerpts" from two James Patterson books and a letter from the author.

The Reader also comes with a download code for "Worst Case", a new James Patterson novel that will be available from Christmas Day from Sony - earlier than its hard-copy release.

In a "midnight blue" finish with a "premium" case with an embossed Alex Cross logo on the front, the James Patterson Pocket Edition Reader goes on sale from Waterstone's and Sony Centres, as well as online, from 30 November 2009.

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony James Patterson

Sony offers James Patterson-themed Reader originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:47:08 +0000

"Modern day pickpockets don't need to touch you to steal your money", warns ThinkGeek on the emergence of RFID-enabled credit and debit cards.

Although such thieves would have to be high tech wizards complete with the necessary kit, if you want to be belt and braces secure then the Flipside wallet is for you.

The card side of the wallet holds up to six cards and is "fully RFID shielded, keeping your info locked up and secure" and protected from sneaky scanning scumbags.

The cash side of things has space for notes, receipts, tickets, photos and the like and the whole shebang closes - no doubt with a satisfying click - with a secure locking mechanism.

The Flipside wallet is on sale now from ThinkGeek for $39.99.

Related links:

• Shop - ThinkGeek

Tags: Gadgets Wallets ThinkGeek RFID NFC

Flipside wallet safeguards RFID cards originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:41:42 +0000

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are back, letting you know what the best products of 2009 really are.

Now in its sixth year, the Pocket-lint Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year from around the world.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Nominations for the award categories are being taken now and the final list of nominations (five per category)?will be announced on Monday 16 November with the winners being announced at the awards party on 7 December 2009.?

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TICKET DETAILS

You are welcome to buy as many tickets as you like, and can bring journalists and others from your company.

We will be providing drink and nibbles on the night.

Tickets will be on a first come first served basis.

So just to recap:

What:?The 6th Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards?
Where:?The Light Bar, E1?
When:?7pm Monday 7th December?
Dress:?Smart casual (not black tie)?
Price:??25 a ticket
Drinks/nibbles:?Included?

Any queries etc give me a shout on email or phone.

Stuart

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:13:14 +0000

Black Friday, the notorious shopping day from hell, is almost upon us. Akin to the first day of the January sales in the UK, it's the day where Americans across the land battle their way into the malls of America to get the best deals available from shops keen to kick start the holiday (read Christmas) shopping season.

Here is Louis Ramirez from Dealnews, a site that aims to bring you the best deals available on the hottest items on the Internet, 10 best tips to help you maximise your efforts when you hit the shops the day after Thanksgiving.

Start your Black Friday on Thursday

The "big-box" stores will have most of their Black Friday sales online on Thursday. Our number one Black Friday tip is to begin shopping online on Thursday, as early as possible (if you live on the West Coast, start Wednesday night at 9 pm).

Shop online on Black Friday too

Major online retailers like Amazon.com, Buy.com, and Overstock.com will have Black Friday sales. Expect to find aggressively-priced electronics from each store.

Don't buy Apple before you check Apple's sale ? ? ? ?

Apple hardly ever slashes its prices, but if you're hoping to pick up a new iPod touch, look for the Apple Store's Black Friday sale, a tradition that's been running for several years. Apple typically offers discounts of 10% off iPods and 5% off Macs during its Black Friday sale.

Uncover the secret deals

Want to score a deal no one knows about? On Thanksgiving Day, retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are expected to advertise additional Black Friday deals that weren't in their circulars. These "secret" deals will only be found online (e.g., at BestBuy.com), so the trick is to uncover them on the Web on Thursday so you'll know about them when you get to the store on Friday.

Ask for gift receipts

Nothing is worse than giving a gift on Christmas morning and realizing it's the same sweater you gave them last year. In those cases it pays to have your receipts so you can exchange your gift for something your loved ones really want. Better yet, attach gift receipts with your presents so that they can return their gifts themselves while you kick back and relax at home.

Be wary of mail-in rebate hassles

If you never remember to fill out rebate forms in time, then that $1000 item with a $300 rebate costs $1000, not $700. Also be wary that some manufacturers and store chains are still struggling in this bad economy. If they go into bankruptcy, you won't get paid.

Buy highly-sought after items ahead of time

Afraid a product is going to sell out? Find out your store's return policy, and if they honour Black Friday prices and offer price matching, buy your item there before Black Friday. That way when Black Friday comes, you'll already have the item you want and can leisurely look for deals on that item (which, naturally, your store will have to match).

Do your homework

No one wants to sit in traffic on Black Friday, so make sure to map out the stores that you want to hit. Know when they open, when they close, and if applicable, what hours during the day their best sales will take place. Plan on buying a massive flat-panel TV? Make sure your car has the space you need to store it so that you don't waste time shuttling purchases back home.

Be first in line

Some stores will hand out first-in-line vouchers for shoppers who wake up at the crack of dawn and stand in line outside their store. These deals are typically substantial, but very limited. The only way to get them is getting up early so you can get a leg up on the competition. Hey, there's a reason we listed that sleeping bag/tent bundle last week.

Be wary of extended warranties & in-home installations

These services are a big source of profits for the stores. Add them, and you may spend much more than you initially bargained for. Don't be talked into buying a long, pricey warranty if you know a 1-year or 2-year plan will do the trick. And it's cheaper to buy a geeky friend dinner in exchange for help than paying for in-home setup.

You can check out more Black Friday deals at Dealnews's Black Friday homepage?

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Tags: Gadgets Home Cinema Audio Gaming Black Friday Features

How to: Shop Black Friday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Sony's latest generation of digital voice recorders is angled firmly at the consumer and student market with colourful finishes and MP3-playing abilities.

The slimline ICD-UX200, ICD-UX300 and ICD-UX300F are lightweight 3-in-1 devices that offer voice recording, file storage and music playback via the built-in speakers or the supplied in-ear headphones.

Voice recordings are captured in stereo as MP3 files with a background noise filter helping to keep them clear while 21-step digital playback speed control claims to help when listening back.

Compatible with PCs and Macs, and boasting drag-and-drop file support, the new devices get a slide-out USB connector, folder options and a LCD screen with easy-to-read 5-line display.

Battery life comes in at up to 15 hours in LP mode, while playback extends to 83 hours, presumably less if via the speakers.

The 2GB ICD-UX200 will be available in black, silver, pink and red finishes. The 4GB ICD-UX300 will see black or red finishes while the 4GB ICD-UX300F, complete with an FM tuner, will just be available in black.

The ICD-UX200, UX300 and UX300F digital voice recorders will be available from December 2009 - pricing to be confirmed.

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Tags: Gadgets Sony Hardware Storage Audio MP3 players Sony ICD-UX300 Voice recorders

Sony launches colourful 3-in-1 digital voice recorders originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:28:53 +0000

The high-tech version of the sticky yellow Post-It note, the new Digital Video Memo from Firebox offers a 21st century way to leave a note to your significant other, offspring, housemates or colleagues.

The tiny device (it measures just 5.6 x 5.5 x 1.1cm) has a magnetic back so is fridge or filing-cabinet friendly and can record a 30-second video message.

Charged up by USB and boasting a 1.5-inch OLED display, the gizmo has an LED light that flashes to alert that there's a message recorded and ready to go which will play at the press of a button.

The Digital Video Memo is on sale from Firebox now for ?29.99.

Related links:

• Shop - Firebox

Tags: Gadgets Home And Kitchen Firebox USB gadgets Cameras Camcorders Kitchen gadgets Office gadgets

Firebox launches the Digital Video Memo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:11:13 +0000

Ebook fans hoping to get one for Christmas in the US are seeing their options dwindle by the day as Barnes & Noble announced that it has sold out of the?Nook, which hits shops at the end of the month.

"The hottest gift of the season may be sold out, but with our elegant nook holiday certificate you can still let loved ones know it’s coming", said the company to prospective customers looking to pre-order the dual screen ebook on their website.

The news comes as Sony announced earlier in the week that its 7-inch 3G sporting Sony eReader Daily Edition wouldn't ship until 18 December, or possibly after.

Barnes & Noble says customers ordering a Nook will receive their devices the week starting 4 Jan.

Amazon, having sorted out stock issues it experienced last year, is saying it has plenty of stock.

However with more ebook readers confirmed for January at CES 2010 and Qualcomm showing off a colour ereader, out sometime in 2010, it might be the reason you need to get them something else in the meantime.?

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Barnes and Noble Nook Barnes and Noble Amazon Sony

Barnes & Noble Nook sold out originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:47:27 +0000

Back in the southern-hemisphere summer of 2003, a gang of Antipodean gents came up with the idea of growing a moustache for a month. 6 years on and nearly a quarter of a million men around the globe are cultivating face fur on their upper lips all in the name of charity - well, and because it's kind of fun too. To tell us some more about the background of the annual event and where it's at today, Pocket-lint measured up mos with JC, the man in charge of Movember for Europe.

So, how much money have you guys managed to raise since you've been doing this?
It wasn't about money to begin with. It was just to bring back the mo. Our dads and sporting heroes had them and we just wanted to have some fun. So there were just 30 of us in 2003 in Melbourne but then in 2004 there were 500 of us and we raised AUS$55,000. We wanted to do something for guys because we thought men's health was getting neglected. So, we researched into what the biggest killers for guys were and the single largest one turned out to be prostate cancer. The next year we got 9000 mo bros together and raised AUS$1.1 million which the Australian government matched to give us AUS$2.2 million. That was amazing. We asked them to and they did.

And what about since Movember has gone global?
Well, we went global in 2007 by which time we'd managed to raise ?15million, but last year with 173,000 registered mo bros worldwide we doubled the figure to ?30million - in a single year! This year we've got around 243,000 registered out there and I had a look at the current total and we're somewhere around ?8million for 2009 but we reckon each mo brings in around between ?100 - ?120 per head, so it's set to be another great year.

What do you think has been the key to the success of the event?
Men are inherently lazy. We're not asking guys to do a lot. Just grow a moustache. Actually, though, it's a lot more effort than it sounds having to shave around your mo for a month. I hardly take a razor to my face any other time of the year but it's our ribbon. That's how we look at it. It's also a lot of fun. We get people from all walks of life - lawyers, accountants, bar guys, sporting heroes, mechanics to milkmen, even a few mos in Parliament this year. There are hundreds of passionate people that really drive Movember. We just provide the bus. All you guys put the passion in and the fund raising just happens.

Do you ever hear of any problems for mo bros at work with companies who aren't happy about it?
We get that all the time. Some start off saying no but then the next year, you'll see mos from the CEO down. This year we've got companies like Sainsbury's, Tescos, M&S, PWC - we even had the Federal Police Authority in Australia all growing them last year. We're changing the face of men's health and the workplace too.

Out of all the mos you see, which are the ones that have impressed you the most?
The one that always gets me is a guy called David from Barcelona. He's amazing. Last year he grew a moustache that started with an M on his left cheek and went into an O on his right, so that his mo actually said MO. He's hilarious. He e-mailed us the first year he did it a couple of months after the event saying: "So how long are we supposed to keep these things for anyway?" From then on he just seems to keep them all year round and shaves again for the beginning of each Movember.

And how far do you expect Movember to go? What's the vision for you guys?
You'll see Obama with a mo. You'll see it. It's going to happen. Actually, we're going to Downing Street this year, so we'll have a chat with Gordon and see if we can get him to do one too. Really though, it's all about awareness. One man dies every hour from prostate cancer in this country alone and it's curable from early detection in 90% of the cases. The money we raise is great but go to a doctor. That's what we want you to do. There are key markers to look for at all age groups. We should all be going in for check ups.

How's your mo growing going this year?
It's great when it starts. I get on the Tube, you can see other mo bros with them starting to kick in and you get nods from each other. This year, I've got a handlebar going at the minute, just so as I have a canvass of something to work with later for the Gala party. The thing is though that you don't choose the mo. The mo chooses you when you look in the mirror and then your 30-day journey with you and your moustache begins.

Are there any particular mo growing products you recommend?
Dermalogica. They're actually sponsoring the event this year and, honestly, I'm not pushing the product. I'd never do that kind of thing. When we first got it in the office, I just thought, "yeah, another shaving balm" but it's amazing. We had Jackie Hughes growing a mo down at Mo's Emporium the other day. This is the guy who I like to think of as the love child of the Rolling Stones and Iggy Pop - and even he's standing there going "Dermalogica. How good is that stuff?".

Thanks for taking the time out to speak to Pocket-lint today, but before we let you go, we have to ask you the most important question. Who's the most inspiring mo bro out there for you?
It's got to be Magnum, hasn't it? We talk about this all the time. Jimi Hendrix is obviously another great one but you ask that question to everyone everywhere and they always say Magnum. He lives in a house in Hawaii, he drives a Ferrari, he has ladies everywhere and he does it all in a Hawaiian shirt - and his best mate has a helicopter! That's hard to beat.

You can follow the Pocket-lint team's diary and even donate a little too.

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Tags: Gadgets Movember Bathroom gadgets Shavers Features Interviews

INTERVIEW: Just how big is Movember? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:34 +0000

Firebox has announced it is offering a new novelty kitchen appliance in the form of a peanut butter maker.

However, unless you chug the good stuff down on a daily basis, we think it's highly likely that this kitchen gadget will sit languishing in the back of a cupboard for the large majority of its life.

But, if you are a big fan of the nut-themed spread, this is clearly the gadget for you and even caters to both fans of the smooth offering as well as those that inexplicably prefer the crunchy, bitty, horrid stuff. We're impartial, obviously.

The real magic comes in with the fact that all this machine needs to create yummtious butter of peanut is peanuts and that's it.

Stick your nuts in the top, flip the switch and soon warm, gooey beanut putter will be oozing out at you ready to be spread liberally on white, buttered bread and washed down with a glass of cold milk.

This making method also means you can experiment with other nut butters, although we'd steer clear of coconuts, doughnuts and Grape Nuts.

Mains-powered and measuring 25cm tall, the peanut butter maker is on sale now for ?29.99.

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Tags: Home And Kitchen Gadgets Kitchen gadgets Firebox

Firebox offers peanut butter maker originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:59:41 +0000

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today? Of course you do. The news roundup always aims to bring you a nice mix of the stories from the last 24 hours and today is no exception as we have a myriad of news as well as a cheeky review creeping in there.

First up is the story that Sony Ericsson's Nexus Android skin - designed to give a? more graphical user interface - might be available on devices other than the Xperia X10. Keeping with the Xperia X10 theme, if you're keen to find out some initial thoughts on the new handset you'll want to check out our First-Look review.

There's also news that the Apple tablet has been delayed due to the introduction of an OLED screen, the Nokia N900 goes on sale in the US minus a carrier for $649 and the Sony Reader Daily Edition is now available for pre-order.? Here are the top stories from the last 24 hours:

• NEWS:Sony Ericsson's Nexus Android skin promised for more devices
• NEWS:Apple tablet delayed by late decision to add OLED display
• NEWS:Nokia N900 goes on sale in US
• NEWS:PS3 Remote Play for Android "makes sense"
• NEWS:MS Office 2010 beta now available
• REVIEW:Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone - First Look
• NEWS:TomTom for iPhone updated
• NEWS:Sony Reader Daily Edition available for pre-order
• NEWS:Want a big TV? Don't move to California
• NEWS:WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Fingertips

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Daily news roundup: Xperia X10, Apple tablet, Nokia N900 and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:29:22 +0000

Mirasol, the team at Qualcomm responsible for its e-reader division, has been showing off a new set of eBook readers that are built on "interferometric modulation" display technology. In slightly less geeky language, that means that they can do colour, and they can do video - something that e-Reader devices can't currently do.

The tech is based on the natural principle that makes butterfly wings shimmer. Tiny membranes that can be controlled with electric charges are laid onto a mirrored surface. Light coming through the membranes gets refracted and the interference can produce colour. As a result, no backlight is required, and the experience is better - rather than worse - in direct sunlight.

That usage of natural light also extends the battery life of devices. The company says that devices with a regular e-ink display could last 20-40% longer if they were equipped with an interferometric display instead. It's possible to do colour and video on an e-ink display, but it ramps up the refresh rates so much that it slaughters the battery life.

Mirasol reckons that when combined with a touchscreen, interferometric modulation?could be a powerful display tech for the next generation of tablet PCs and mobile phones, as well as e-readers. Scrolling and animation effects are possible, unlike with current e-reader displays. We saw a very small 5cm display in action with video, however the pictures you see above were a static display, "locked" in a lab and?unchangeable.

It'll be interesting to see if Qualcomm can build Mirasol's display tech into something that can be bulk-produced, and then roll it out over a wide range of devices. The company already has a gaming controller prototyped. At the moment the quality of the screen still needs a bit of work, if the prototypes are anything to go by, but early versions of a commercial product of some sort are due on the market by late 2010.

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers Qualcomm Mirasol

Mirasol shows off colour E-reader displays originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:22:47 +0000

Livescribe has announced the beta launch of an online application store, taking the craze for apps further than the world of the mobile phone.

The store offers over 30 paid-for and free applications ranging from productivity and reference tools to games and entertainment to travel and education.

Applications include language translations, "fun" facts on a variety of topics, a "sexy oracle", games such as? Blackjack and Hangman and even the option for users to "play a guitar - right from the 'pentip' of their Pulse smartpen".

Coinciding with the launch, Livescribe has released 2.0 software upgrades for both the smartpen and the Livescribe Desktop software - which allows consumers to save, organise and share their notes and recordings from their computer, as well as now download and install the apps.

The store can be found at www.livescribe.com/store or can be accessed through the Livescribe Desktop software.

Related links:

• Livescribe smartpen - best gadget 2009 nomination

Tags: Gadgets Livescribe Software

Livescribe launches app store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:30:50 +0000

With wireless charging being the current crazy, its no surprise to see GEAR4 putting forward a solution for the iPhone.

The unit consists for two elements, the first is the inductive charging pad, on which you'll have to place you iPhone. The second element is a case into which you'll have to place your iPhone. Put one on the other and you have wireless charging.

The case is needed because the iPhone doesn't contain the necessary technology to support wireless charging. The case has a rubberised effect on what is otherwise a plastic body, which splits into two pieces. The top removes so you can slide your iPhone into the case, connecting with a dock connector at the bottom, which is how it makes contact with the battery.

Adding the dock connector does extend the length of your phone, with the rest of the case adding bulk – although you do have the added benefit of the protection that the case brings. The case measures approx 127mm in length (compared to 115.5mm) and is 19mm thick (compared to the iPhone's 12.3mm).

It doesn't contain a battery of its own, so it won't extend the battery life of your iPhone.

The PowerPad itself is constructed from plastic with a depressed matte area where you place the phone. It is otherwise finished in black gloss and looks minimalist enough. The power pack plugs in around the side and four rubber feet on the bottom stop it from sliding around.

GEAR4 claim that the PowerPad will charge your iPhone at the same rate as a regular charger and we found this to be true. You simply place your iPhone onto the correct place on the pad and off it goes.

A blue LED illuminates showing that the charger is working, but you won't necessarily need that LED, because of the noise. Yes, the PowerPad might be wireless, but it isn't silent.

Place your iPhone on the PowerPad and you'll hear and excited chirping coming from the pad, which then slows down into a regular chirping about 4 times a second. If you have the PowerPad on your desk in a quiet office it may well drive you mad.

We tested the PowerPad initially in the kitchen and it could be heard over the sound of the fridge. Then set on a desk next to a Mac and it was a distraction. If you was going to put this in the hallway and not spend much time near it, then fair enough, but for us, the noise was irritating.

And that's not all. We also found it clicking away, albeit faintly, whilst there was nothing on the pad. A handy reminder to turn it off at the wall.

Verdict:

The PowerPad is an effective wireless charge if you happy with the increased size that the case brings to your iPhone. The case will also give you a degree of protection, but it would have been nice to see options over the standard black plastic.

But the noise that comes with this charging solution might be too much to bear. In a noisy environment, like an office with aircon, heaps of computers, phones ringing, or even music, it won't be much of a problem. But in a quiet home office, or next to the bed a night, and it might just be too irritating.

Tags: Gadgets Phones Chargers iPhone Apple GEAR4 Gear4 PowerPad

GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Sony?has put the?Sony Reader Daily Edition?up for pre-order in the US on its SonyStyle website, hoping to maximise on the current appetite for digital readers (ebooks) in the run up to Christmas.

Costing $399.99 and available on or around the 18 December, the Sony Reader Daily Edition, as it is known, will offer a 7-inch screen, come with 3G connectivity for downloading books and take the top of the pile mantle above the Pocket and Touch Editions from Sony.

However some are worried that the late December date means many could miss out on Christmas deliveries if the postal service doesn't deliver in time for the 25th.

"Leaving it to the 18th is cutting it terribly fine", one expert we talked to commented.

The ebook market, which has seen a price reduction from Amazon and the Barnes & Noble Nook launch imminent, is current booming as book sellers try to convince bookworms that they need to go digital.

However, with the promise of more ebook readers at?CES 2010?and Qualcomm this week showing a colour screen ebook reader, which is promised for next year, the consumer has plenty of choices ahead of them, something Sony hopes won't deter them from signing up to its Reader in the mean time.

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Read

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony Sony Reader Daily Edition

Sony Reader Daily Edition available for pre-order originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:36:18 +0000

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Awards 2009 public vote is now live, letting you - our valued readers - have your say in which gadgets you think should be crowned top for 2009.

As you will see over on the voting page, each of the nine categories has five products that have been nominated as the best of the year.

We need your help to narrow the five down to one overall winner for each category, the result of which will be announced at our Awards ceremony on 7 December.

The public vote will count towards 10% of the overall scores, with the other 90% weighting from the official Pocket-lint judges (a panel of industry professionals from around the globe) so your vote will make a real difference to the final winners.

Head over to the voting page now where there's simple instructions on how to cast your vote and stay tuned for the results on 7 December.

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Tags: Audio Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Vodafone Pocket-lint Awards 2009 public vote is now live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:30:29 +0000

Today's tech deal points you in the direction of an 11% discount on every order made at GadgetsUK.com, offering a wide selection of electronic novelty items and niknaks.

In order to take advantage of the discount you will have to head over to MyVoucherCodes.co.uk first, where you can pick up the relevant code to use when you place your order.

If you're already a member, fine, if not it'll involve embarking on a relatively painless sign-up process. To take the sting out of having to sign up, MyVoucherCodes.co.uk is also starting a huge give away, which will run from 18 November for 30 days. This involves earning tickets by being involved with the website and thereby being entered into a prize draw.

Prizes are daily with a minimum value of ?500 and you'll be notified immediately if you've won. There's also an obscenely large give away at the end of the 30-day period where one person will win ?1500 worth of prizes.

This link will take you through to MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, where you'll be able to sign up and take advantage of the discount at GadgetsUK.com and hopefully win something to boot.

Tags: Gadgets MVC GadgetsUK Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: MVC's big prize giveaway and discount at GadgetsUK.com originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The countdown to?CES 2010, the biggest electronics trade show on the planet, has begun, but what can we expect from the show, and what should we start to get excited about? Here are six areas that are going to dominate the news come January.

Don't forget, Pocket-lint will be bringing you all the news, reviews, comment, photos and video as it happens in the run up to CES and live from Las Vegas for the duration of the show.

You can bookmark our CES coverage at pocket-lint.com/CES2010

Digital Living

Technology has gone mainstream supposedly, so that means the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center will be filled with technology launches that embrace all of us rather than just a select few. In real terms that means everything from gadgets for kids, gadgets for mums and dads that look after kids, and gadgets for the silver surfer. Expect new toys for health, parenting and higher education.

Apple

Don't get too excited,?Apple isn't attending CES, regardless of how many rumours you hear, but that doesn't mean companies that work in the Apple eco-system aren't going to be in Vegas launching new gadgets. With a whole area dedicated to the iPod,?iPhone?and Macs, expect a fair share of iPod speakers, cables to connect to something else in your life and the usual array of cases to protect it all.

eBook readers

If you're planning on getting an ebook reader for Christmas you might want to think again. The ebook market has exploded in the US with Amazon,?Barnes & Noble?and?Sony?all fighting over each other to offer you the digital reader you supposedly need. Plastic Logic has already confirmed that it will be launching a new ebook at CES and there is bound to be other manufacturers like?Spring Design?and iRex offering new models.

3D

Riding on the wave of euphoria that Avatar will no doubt give the industry, consumer electronics manufacturers like?Sony, Toshiba, LG?and?Samsung?will be likely to be pushing?3D TV?hard at CES 2010. IFA 2009 already showed us the concepts, CES will show us the reality. Expect new televisions, announcements from the Blu-ray Disc Association, television makers, graphics card companies like Nvidia and movie companies all trying to get in on the action.

Netbooks

While most people have surely moved on from the popularity of netbooks, CES organisers CEA believe netbooks are going to still be big news at CES 2010. What that means is a barrage of computers that don't do much but let you surf the Web and write the odd document. Of course manufacturers will be trying to tell us otherwise with improved graphics courtesy of Nvidia and ATI. You should also probably expect a barrage of tablet devices with touchscreens allowing you to surf the Web around the home.

Green

With the economy making a comeback, manufacturers can once again turn their eyes to saving the planet. Although the idea of being green for green's sake is still very niche, generally manufacturers will be trying to tell you to ignore the thousands they are spending on lighting their booths and the sheer carbon emissions the show creates, by concentrating instead on how they've made advancements in the glass they use or the boxes your favourite gadgets go into. At least you can sleep at night knowing that we haven't had to chop down any trees to let you read this.

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness CES2010 ebooks Televisions Netbooks Sony LG Samsung Toshiba Apple iPod iPhone 3DTV Laptops Eco Amazon Barnes and Noble Spring Design

CES 2010: What new gadgets will be announced? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Dyson's Air Multiplier made waves upon its release in October, promising a highly-efficient non-buffeting fan replacement, complete with the product design that Dyson has made its name on. But with that promise came a hefty price tag. Does the Air Multiplier live up to its lofty goals? Read on to find out.

Firstly, let's go through briefly how it works. A turbine pulls in air through the base, which is then ejected at a speed of 55mph through a tiny slit around the edge of the ring. That air pulls more air with it thanks to friction, resulting in approximately 15 times more energy efficiency.

That bit of engineering isn't new - it's used in cabin air conditioning systems on planes and to dry water-based paint, according to Pocket-lint readers - but Dyson has certainly reimagined the fan as a considerably more efficient device than its contemporaries.

The noise level is about equivalent to a regular fan - maybe a smidge quieter, but not vast in difference. The lack of "buffeting" (caused by a regular fan's blades) is noticeable when it's pointed out, but it isn't really a game changer. There's still a bit of exhaustion on your skin after using it for a while.

The safety aspects shouldn't be neglected, though - no blades means no sliced young pinkies. Speaking as a reviewer who bears a scar from nearly losing a finger by stretching out in the night and colliding with a running metal fan, that's not something you should overlook - particularly if you have young children in your home.

It's hard to say whether the Air Multiplier looks good. It looks distinctive - its magnifying glass shape will attract "what's that?" comments from dinner party guests - but it won't fit into anything but the most modernist, minimalist, interiors. It does, however, look nicer than a normal fan. There's a lot to be said for that.

But the most impressive feature of the Air Multiplier isn't the design or the engineering - it's the price tag. The device will set you back a whopping ?200, compared to less than a tenner for a traditional desk fan. Is it worth that kind of cash? Most certainly not.

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Verdict:

The Air Multiplier is a clever bit of engineering that solves a few problems that no-one really had. It's a luxury product, almost a concept product, and carries a price tag that's representative of that status. It's sorta pretty, and has some nice features, but at the end of the day it's just a fan. It's not going to change your life.

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Link -?How Dyson's Air Multiplier works

Photos -?Dyson's Air Multiplier

Tags: Gadgets Dyson Dyson Air Multiplier Home And Kitchen Office gadgets

Dyson Air Multiplier fan originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

eBook readers have quickly become the latest thing that the computer industry is throwing everything it has at, as it's seen as the new saviour product by suffering technology companies.

The latest to join the fray is BenQ which has launched the first of many devices to come in its nReader series of devices. The first model is simply called the K60 and at first it might not look like it has anything out of the ordinary on offer, but dig a little bit deeper and you'll soon realise that BenQ has decided to go down a slightly different route compared to its competitors.

Let's start with a few specifications. The nReader K60 measures 175 x 122 x 11mm and it weighs in at a reasonably light 220 grams. It has a 6-inch touch screen electronic paper display that uses SiPix Microcup technology. The screen has a native resolution of 800 x 600 pixels with 167 dots per inch and it can display 16 grey scales. So far it's pretty much on par with the Amazon Kindle in terms of tech specs, but it lacks the keyboard of the Kindle and is, as such, slightly smaller and lighter.

The nReader K60 features 2GB of built in memory (good for about 4000 books) and it has a microSD card slot that accepts memory cards up to 16GB in size. It also has a micro USB port and a full-size USB 2.0 port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

It supports a wide range of file formats, most notably ePub, PDF, TXT and HTML files as an eBook reader, but it also displays JPEG, BMP, GIF and PNG images and it plays back MP3 audio files.

Although the nReader K60 comes with built in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, the secret sauce so to speak is actually the USB port at the top of the device. This allows for USB 3G dongles to be attached for internet access on the move. We're not sure this is a big plus point, but it should allow for a lower initial cost. BenQ was talking about the possibility of even bundling the nReader with a purchase of a 3G dongle or as a free upgrade deal for users that are willing to sign up for an additional contract period extension.

BenQ claims up to 7500 pages per charge, although this doesn't include Wi-Fi or 3G usage. Initially the nReader will launch in Taiwan and China (no pricing revealed just yet) and BenQ is even planning its own eBook store for these markets. However, BenQ is looking for partners in Europe and has already been in talks with some of the larger European telco's to see if they'd be interested.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers BenQ

BenQ unveils K60 nReader originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:11:01 +0000

Gift and gadget etailer iwantoneofthose has announced the launch of new site -? iwantoneofthosephotogifts.com - or IWOOTPG.com as it will henceforth be referred to on this site, because life is too short and RSI all too close.

In a nutshell, iwootpg.com can photo-ify pretty much any objet you might care to stick a cute photo of your girlfriend/child/puppy/stick insect on.

There's classic photobooks from ?6.00, canvases from ?27, make-your-own calendars from ?5, a set of ten greetings cards from ?4 and a ton of other bits and bobs that you can plaster with your photos such as playing cards, mousemats, mugs, clothing, hats, bags, etc, etc.

To see the full list of photo gifts hit up IWOOTPG.com now.

Tags: Gadgets IWOOT Cameras shopping Online Websites

IWOOT launches IWOOTPG.com originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:08:01 +0000

Croatian artist and self-confessed robot fan, Robert Matysiak, has been working on his Robolamps devices for the last 2 years and is now looking to exhibit the designs to a wider audience.

As the name suggests, the Robolamps - measuring from 15cm to 50cm - are a range of robot-shaped lighting creating, arguably, charming and quirky illumination.

Made of plumbing supplies, with trademark green lightbulbs, the Robolamps each get their own name. If you like what you see, then there's more on Matysiak's Robolamp Facebook page.

Tags: Gadgets Lighting Home And Kitchen Robolamps

Robolamps revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:34:56 +0000

The latest episode of Pocket-lint's Tech Week In View has hit the small screen as a moustachioed Stuart Miles brings his unique take on the big tech stories of the last week or so.

Miles considers Rupert Murdoch's threat to build a pay-wall for News Corp's online content to stop everyone "stealing" it and there's the old faithful of the debate over violent video games as Modern Warfare 2 heads to the top of the charts.

Future tech also goes briefly under the microscope as Miles muses the technology he's seen of late and its implications for the near future.

Finally, has the Twitter bubble burst? An 8% dip in Twitter use in the States during October has seen nay-sayers suggesting that the micro-blogging site has peaked. Hit play on the video above to see Stuart's take on all this.

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Video Comment

VIDEO: Tech Week in View - Murdoch, violent games and the Twitter bubble bursting originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:18:15 +0000

Gadget4All is offering a novelty cup set that will appeal to Windows-based geeks everywhere.

As you can see from the pics, the CTRL+ALT+DEL cups set is a trio of cuppage with the infamous three finger salute to the computer gods.

Made of the finest plastic, the cups measure in at 80 x 80 x 55mm and the set costs $23.90.

Related links:

• Shop - Gadget4All

Tags: Gadgets Home And Kitchen Office gadgets Gadget4All Computer-themed

CTRL+ALT+DEL cups set launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:12:22 +0000

This is Pocket-lint talking to you on behalf of the better part of yourself. Do your Christmas shopping now. Do it now and do it online. You know you/we are right. If you do it now, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home with not a single bit of car park stress, shopping centre hell and no festive argy-bargy whatsoever.

To help out, please find 101 of the best Christmas shopping sites on the Internet and, with 28 days still to get your deliveries in, you'll be laughing all the way to the Queen's Speech. Good luck, and remember that if the shop won't ship worldwide, there are plenty of mail forwarding services that will help you out.

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Home & Design

Art Lebedev - Russian deisgn studio store
gnr8 - Highly original cutting edge deisgns
Charles and Marie - "Quintessential lifestyle navigator"
Labour and Wait - Hyperchic kitchenware with Victorian inspiration
Jamie Oliver - Good quality kitchen and homewares from the TV chef
Present & Correct - Incredibly sylish modern stationary specialist
Conran Shop - Exclusive designer furniture and lighting
Scandinavian Design Centre - Swedish housewares emporium
Dutch by Design - Contemporary lighting and accessories
Where Did You Buy That - Vast repository of stylish, original housewares

Clothing & accessories

Fredflare - Retro-inspired, very stylish, very good value boutique clothing
Urban Outfitters - Well-known trendy high street store - check the US pages too
Etsy - Ludicrously good umbrella store for handmade and crafted items
Asos - Long standing online fashion store
Village Hats - Any kind of hat you could possibly be looking for
Saville Rogue - The only stylish football scarves on the planet
Threadless - Quirky printed t-shirts
Figleaves - Enormous hub of all things undergarment
Busted Tees - Even more t-shirts
Nordic Kids - Funky kids' clothes from 0-10

Cards & Printing

Moonpig - Irritating advert and personalised printing specialist
Kodak Gallery - Printing and gifts from household favourite
Oxfam - Card shopping with charitable heart
Save the Children - More cards, accessories and wrapping paper for charity
istockphoto - Stock prints and images and some equipment too
Photobox - Giant online printing, albums and photographic service
Cafe Press - T-shirt and gift printing specialist
Paperchase - Tasteful stationary and cards superstore
Photo-canvas - Straight to canvas photo printing
Snapfish - Excellent value worldwise photo printing service

Gifts

Spoonsister - Uncommon gifts and care packages US store
Firebox - Top internet emporium of assorted gifts and quirk
IWOOT - Other top internet emporium of assorted gifts and quirk
Prezzybox - As above but slightly fluffier
Cute Bitz - Slightly smaller and slightly quirkier
No More Sox - Online gift shop aggregator
Voucher Express - Haven of gift vouchers for DIY take on presents
Red Letter Days - Shop for gift experiences - motor racing, sky diving, etc
Framed Share - For a wall-hung sense of financial support and belonging
Lazybone - Weird, unusual and freaky gifts
Hammacher Schlemmer - US treasure trove of the unexpected

Food & Drink

The Causeway Deli - Gourmet shop of hard to get items; don't miss the Raspberry shortbread
First4Fruit - Next day fruit and assorted hamper deliveries
The Thrifty Shopper - Wine and beer home brewing kits
Cybercandy/Retro tuck shop - Sweets and chocolate of the word and time gone by
Beers of Europe - Terrible site, wonderful selection of beer and cider
English Cheesecake - Cheesecake of all sizes, flavours and for all ocassions
The Cheese Shed - Mail order, West Country, Artisan, homemade cheese
Leaf/TeaWorld/Rare Tea Company - three specialist tea shops for all your hot brew needs
Bean - As above but for gourmet coffee lovers
Fudge Kitchen - Simply the best tasting fudge ever

Bargains

Quidco - Cashback membership and shopping site
Cdiscount - Discount electronics, wine and furniture
MyVoucherCodes - Assorted discount code offers
Mad About Bargains - Community-based bargain news flashes
FindsYou.com - Post Office window style notice board online
Invisible hand - Silent running, always on Firefox plug-in works alongside all 100 of the others
Gumtree - Pot-based second hand online market
AbeBooks - Bargain books, second hand paperbacks, out of print editions
7dayshop - Low rent, low price tech store
eBay - Auctions, resale shops and lots of them

General

Amazon - Etailer giant
Ethical Superstore - Fair trade, eco-friendly and organic shopping
John Lewis - Dependable quality, good service, high street department store
M&S - This isn't just any online shopping site, etc
Tesco - Wide range, high value superstore online
Not on the high street - Unique online only products under one roof
Harrods - World's most famous department store with gifts to impress; hampers a must
Argos - Seriously good value but seriously check them when they arrive
Woolworths.co.uk - Still going but now under Littlewoods group; same ethos as ever
Debenhams - Mid-level UK department store

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Gadgets

Oregon Scientific - Action cams, weather gadgets and all sorts more
Gadget4all - Funny gifts and surprises for and from people all over the world
Think Geek - US hub of all gifts, gadgets and novelty
Gadget Shop - Alternative home of gizmos and assorted nonsense
Brando -? US site for USB stocking fillers, peripherals and accessories
USB Fever - As above plus easy worldwide shipping
Otherland - RC toys, gadgets, games and collectables
Science Museum - Robots, toys and science kits from a family favourite
Gizoo - UK site with gadgets for the desktop and home
Gadgets.co.uk - More gadgets and novelty with fast UK delivery

Electricals

Play.com - Big name online consumer tech retailer; plenty of stock and plenty of deals
Pixmania - Good value online electrical store good for imaging and AV
Maplin - Superb home for all your components, cables and electrical needs
MyMemory - SD cards, flash drives and all small storage devices
Battery Force - Batteries. Lots and lot of batteries.
YoYo Tech - Leading etailer in PC componenets and custom builds
Novatech - More components and budget PC systems too
Richer Sounds - Hi-Fi specialist store with bags of deals and cut price offers
Ebuyer - Cheap PCs, laptops and computing accessories
Mac Warehouse - Specialist online Mac retailer and Apple accessory store

Specialist

The Glow House/The Glow Company - If it glows, they sell it; something for the cheesy quaver
We are Fish - Home for biorb and fishkeeping
Hello Kitty World - Gifts, bags, clothing and more all from the House of Kitty
The Future Perfect Company - Gifts for the elderly
Cherly Cole Style - For the wannabe obssessive and the too young to know better
Gifts4Fishing - Ideas for the angler in your life
LEGO - Anything you like, so long as it's made of Lego
Wiggle - Hude discount cycle shop
BananaFingers - UK based rock climbing shop with gear, clothing and DVDs too
Store - Unique storage soultions from shoe boxes to cake tins and much, much more

That lot should be enough inspiration for you but if you've got any red hot tips of your own, then please let us know in the comments. Happy hunting.

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Tags: Gadgets Christmas Hardware Home And Kitchen Audio Gifts Online Websites shopping Features

101 life-saving Christmas shopping websites originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:38:55 +0000

Sony is offering an exclusive limited edition model of the Reader Pocket Edition, created for fans of romance fiction.

The Mills & Boon Reader Pocket Edition comes pre-loaded with three eBooks - exclusive to the model - as well as a voucher for ten further Mills & Boon eBook downloads.

The "romantic rose pink finish" will get bosoms heaving while the premium case with the "iconic Mills & Boon rose logo" embossed on the cover will see hearts aflutter.

Each model comes pre-loaded with three Christmas-themed Mills & Boon titles – "Snowbound: Miracle Marriage", "Under The Boss's Mistletoe" and "Christmas Betrothals" - all of which are no doubt classics in the making.

The Mills & Boon Reader Pocket Edition will be available from Sony Centres and www.sony.co.uk from 23 November 2009.

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony Mills and Boon

Sony offers Mills and Boon-themed Reader originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:31:33 +0000

The ebook reader market seems to be gaining momentum if you take an increasing diversity of devices as an indicator. The idea of an ebook replacing your collection of dusty novels is still in its infancy, but with the PRS-300, the "Pocket Edition", we see Sony expanding its offerings, alongside the PRS-600, the "Touch Edition".

We liked the PRS-505, the original Reader that we reviewed last year and we've been using one ever since. There is as much a need to understand the limitation of an ebook reader as there is any features it offers: these devices are primarily designed for reading and the real issues are about content delivery and accessibility and how the device performs its core function. In some cases, like the PRS-300, less can be more.

The PRS-300, then, fits well into that convenient slot. The format is largely the same as Sony's other Readers. We reviewed the brushed silver version, which we prefer over the red/rose version, but if you feel the need to make a statement that's the one to go for. It's also worth mentioning that we are a fan of the accessory cover. Sure, it costs ?30 extra, but it does make prolonged use more like reading a book and you can close the cover to protect the Reader when it is in your bag. A neoprene slip cover is supplied in the box.

The device itself features a 5-inch screen, which gives you an 800 x 600 pixel resolution display. Like other ebooks, this is an E Ink display, meaning it doesn't have a backlight and it uses very little power, essentially only when changing the contents of the page. Some criticise E Ink displays, but it fits the purpose perfectly: it doesn't cause eye strain when reading, you aren't left feeling drained from staring at it whilst reading in bed, plus you get a battery life of weeks, rather than hours.

The front and the spine of the PRS-300 are metal, the back and edges are plastic. The back has a slight tactile feel to it, so it is a pleasure to hold in the hand. The plastic edge perhaps looks a little cheaper than the rest of the device, but it doesn’t matter. Overall, it looks good, and feels good in the hand.

Although the screen is only 5-inches on the diagonal, the PRS-300 is approx 7.3-inches overall on the diagonal (107 x 157.5 x 10.2mm). It weighs in at 220, heavier than most mobile phones. It will fit into an average suit inside pocket, whilst the larger PRS-505 was a bit of a squeeze.

The extra real estate on the front is where all the controls live. Below the screen are Home and Back buttons and Bookmark and a Zoom button, flanking a central four-way controller, and "ok" button. Running down the right-hand side of the screen are number buttons, which can be used to enter page numbers directly, or select options from the menu.

In terms of size and weight, the PRS-300 is comfortable to read in the hand. It is lighter than most paperbacks. Given the overall size, we found accessing the main control, the one to turn the pages, fell into easy reach of the thumb, which is an important point.

Around the edges of the PRS-300 you have the contact points. On the bottom is the Mini-USB and the 5.2V DC input. This uses the same charger as the (now old) PSP, so it is worth shopping around as you'll find one for a fraction of the ?25 that Sony would ask of you for the Reader charger.

The top of the device gives you a power slider and small LED indicator that lets you know when it is connected to the power and receiving juice (it takes 2 hours to charge using the charger, 4 hours via USB). Using the charger is preferable, as you can read at the same time, whereas once connect to your PC, the Reader enters USB mode and you can't get to your content.

Connect the PRS-300 to your PC and you'll find that the software – Sony's eBook Library for both PC and Mac – is onboard. It is basic and but allows you to organise your collection of eBooks, provides links to online stores (Waterstones, WHSmith and Borders) so you can buy titles, and move content over to your device or set folders to sync. You can also use it to read ebooks on your PC if you wish.

If you plan on buying content, for example from Waterstones online, you'll need Adobe Digital Editions to handle the DRM, effectively granting you a license to the title. This is free software, which you can download direct from Adobe, or you'll be prompted to when you come to purchase an ebook online. Again, it's simple, but essential for the process and once you have your verified file, you can move it over to the Reader.

You don't have to use Sony's software for the process and some users have reported problems with eBook Library, but we found it worked with no problems on the Mac (we already had Adobe Digital Editions in place).

File support on the PRS-300 is good, letting you read EPUB (the mainstay of purchased content), PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC and BBeB formats. We found it had some difficulty with Word documents, but it copes with PDFs rather well, allowing you to resize text in multiple page documents, although don't then trust the page count you are given. For the most part, however, you'll be using the EPUB format.

Reading feels natural on the PRS-300. The quality of the device in your hand combines with the E Ink screen that just works. It is comfortable reading it in the same situations that you would a book. Some criticise the lack of its own illumination, but that's exactly the same as a real book and that's exactly the point. What you can do is sit next to a window on a train and still read it.

The menu system is easy to navigate. The bookmark button will let you mark a page so you can dive straight back into that point and keep reading. It encourages you to explore multiple texts at the same time. Perhaps you have a biography and a novel on the go at the same time – here you can easily jump to something different as your mood changes.

Inherently E Ink pages do take some time to change the content, down to the mechanics of how it works. So when changing page there is something of a pause, as there is when navigating the menus but we’ve never found this to be intrusive. It's not that often you are in a hurry to jump to a particular book; no, the Reader is designed for when you are about to sit down and relax and enjoy a little time to yourself.

The Zoom button is really useful. Given the size of the display, you might want to see what text size works best for you and each will have a different preference of the small, medium or large on offer. We usually stick to small, which reduces the number of page turns, but when tired, might move up to medium. If you have trouble seeing smaller characters, large might do you justice, but then you'll be "turning" pages with increased frequency.

And therein lies the shortcoming of the PRS-300. The overall screen size doesn't give you that much text on the page, so you'll be turning pages more often than you would with a bigger device. It's a trade-off that has to be made: if you want a smaller, pocketable, device, you are looking at a smaller screen.

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Verdict:

Some might see the PRS-300 as something of a step back. It doesn't have the features that the PRS-505 offers or the more advanced offering of the PRS-600. There is no memory expansion, so you are limited to the 512MB onboard, but still good for over 300 books. You also don't get to play music at the same time, but then we've never really wanted to do that anyway. If there is anything we'd change then it would be to expand the screen size whilst maintaining the dimensions of the device, so you get a few more paragraphs to each page, but we don't miss those features that have been removed.

Getting access to the content you want is a separate issue and it isn't fair to criticise the device because of the immature market. If you are considering investing for the first time, it is worth checking out what you will have access to by browsing the various bookstores online.

The PRS-300 isn't cheap, but it looks and feels like a quality device and does what it is supposed to do, which is let you comfortably read your books, without having to lug around a bag of paper copies.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony Sony Reader Pocket Edition

Sony PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition ebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:42:06 +0000

UPDATE: Half way there and the Mo's are taking shape. How is your mo going?

3 days in and we are happy to report the "Mos" are going well (see pictures below).

You can follow our progress every day on this page with both Chris, Dan, Duncan, Ben and I posting daily pictures so you can see our "slugs" form.

We will also be regularly featuring the latest 'tache management gadgets, for those who want to keep their mo under control.

Why not grow a mo for Movember yourself and help raise money and awareness for The Prostate Cancer Charity here in the UK?

Currently around 30,000 men a year are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and around 10,000 men a year die from the disease. That's over 1 every hour.

Movember plans to stop all that by doing for men what the Breast Cancer causes have done for women and clearly save some lives in the process.

It's not too late to start your own, or if that sounds like too much effort (perhaps having a mo will interfere with your job) you can sponsor us and we will dedicate our mo to you.

Come on, help give us a reason for wearing a Tom Seleck 'tache for the month.

As an added bonus - those who sponsor the TechMo team will get a plug on this page telling our readers what lovely people you all are.?

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Related links:

• Link - Sponsor

Tags: Gadgets Movember Photos

The Movember diaries originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:42:08 +0000

Here is the full list of nominations for The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best of the best in the category, and ones that given the money we would recommend you buy or at least try. All have gone on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.?

The nominations are:

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Best Music Gadget 2009

Sonos S5 ZonePlayer

Monitor Audio Airstream 10

Etymotic/ACS hf2 custom fit headphones

Griffin myPhones headphones

Apple iPod touch 3G

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Best Car Gadget 2009

TomTom XL Live

CoPilot for iPhone

Navigon 8410

Jabra SP700

TomTom One IQ

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Best Digital Camera 2009

Olympus Pen E-P1

Canon PowerShot S90

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1?

Nikon D5000

FujiFilm FinePix F200EXR

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Best Laptop 2009

Apple MacBook Pro

Sony VAIO VGN-Z21ZN/X

Dell Adamo XPS

HP Envy

Toshiba NB200

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Best Software, Service, or App 2009

Spotify

Windows 7

Tweetie 2

Dropbox

Sky Player for Xbox

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Best Video Game 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Guitar Hero 5

Battlefield 1943

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

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Best Home Cinema Device 2009

Philips 56PFL9954H Cinema 21:9 television

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat Blu-ray recorder

LG 37LH7000 television

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim console

Humax Freesat+ FOXSAT-HDR recorder

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Best Mobile Phone 2009

HTC Hero

iPhone 3GS

Palm Pre

BlackBerry Bold 9700

HTC HD2

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Best Gadget 2009

Dyson Air Multiplier

Eye-Fi

Livescribe pen

Logitech Wireless Guitar

Sony Reader Pocket Edition

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Product of the year 2009

HTC Hero mobile phone

Spotify

Apple Mac Book Pro

Eytmotics HF2 Custom Fit headphones

Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera

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Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Nominations in full originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Here are the nominations for the Product of the Year in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best of the best, and ones that given the money we would recommend you buy or at least try. All have gone on sale in the last 12 months and are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

HTC Hero mobile phone

Spotify

Apple Mac Book Pro

Etymotic/ACS hf2 custom fit headphones

Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

?

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Product of the Year 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Gadgets in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best gadgets on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Dyson Air Multiplier

Eye-Fi

Livescribe pen

Logitech Wireless Guitar

Sony e-reader Pocket Edition

A notable commendation should also go to the Messless charging station.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

?

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Gadgets Dyson Cameras Livescribe Eye-Fi Logitech Gaming ebooks Sony Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Gadgets 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

A new gadget has launched to help insomniacs get some sleep. "LightSleeper", described as a "bedside electronic sleep aid", offers a tech alternative to counting sheep.

LightSleeper projects a light onto the ceiling in a controlled, circular motion with the theory being that following it with your eyes encourages the mind to relax into a good night's sleep. ?

The device switches off automatically after 30 minutes and can be reactivated by tapping it.

The drug-free, self-help solution has been designed by a UK student who suffered from insomnia, and is on sale from www.lightsleeper.co.uk priced at ?125 and will soon be on sale in Boots.

Tags: Gadgets LightSleeper Home And Kitchen Lighting

LightSleeper launches for insomniacs originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:13:42 +0000

We brought you news this was incoming from this year's Toy Fair, but the Stylophone Beatbox is now available to buy in the UK.

Following the relaunch of the retro Stylophone, the Beatbox edition produces several different percussion sounds, from bass drum all the way to hi-hat.

With different sound "palettes" - percussion, actual beatboxing (provided by beatbox champion MC Zani) and bass tones - the gadget lets you create a percussion loop, which means you can form a beat over to improvise with other voices. ?

There's also the option to connect up your MP3 player to the Beatbox via the headphone socket and tapping along with your own records.

IWOOT is offering the new musical gadget now for ?19.99.

Read

Tags: Audio Musical instruments Stylophone Gadgets Dad

Stylophone Beatbox goes on sale in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:57:12 +0000

Sometimes rather than ask why, it's best just to ask why not. Case in point is the iDuck.

The iDuck is a wireless two part transmitter/speaker that beams the tunes from your MP3 player to the waterproof duck-styled speaker for some bath-time crooning.

Simply hook up your MP3 player to the "egg shaped" transmitter via the included cable, says retailer CuteBitz.com, select your favourite song and hit the play button. The music will then be wirelessly streamed out of the built-in speaker in the duck.

With a range of around 10 metres, the aquatic gadget requires a total of seven AAA batteries and costs ?27.95.

Related links:

• Shop - CuteBitz

Tags: Audio Speakers iPod speakers Wireless Bathroom gadgets Gadgets CuteBitz

iDuck wireless, waterproof speaker launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:54:52 +0000

It's the 13 Movember 2009 and a few of you out there might be feeling a little envious or indeed entirely left out of the tache growing proceedings. Don't panic. We've got it all sorted for you here. Here's a few moustache-inspired bits and pieces that'll help you feel like you're part of the game, just because you don't have the mo on the outside doesn't mean you're not wearing one on the inside.

Moustache Mugs

Funny yet warm and soothing at the same time, the moustache mug is possibly not the best choice around the boardroom table. Fortunately, it does give the fairer sex a chance to pick and choose their magic mo-ments or perhaps provide men a December and beyond memory of the great sacrifice they went through on behalf of charity. It's also something to keep your top lip warm through the long winter months. Each mug has got two taches of a different style - one on either side - and you can pick them up for around ?12 from Peter Ibruegger.

Humunga Stache

Apologies for the whopping great picture but somehow the silliness of the giant, curly, rubber moustache on a moody-looking bulldog is all the better the larger it gets. It takes a while to figure out what's going on here and, in fact, it's only when you navigate to the Humunga Stache product page that you realise you're looking at the protruding end of a dog chew. Naturally, it's made of non-toxic, very sturdy rubber and will entertain yourself and all your guests no end as your pooch develops a complex about being the permanent butt of the joke. Still, it is very funny and rather good value at ?9.95.

Bottle 'Stache

If you want something that shows more commitment than the Moustache Mug, you'll find yourself in Bottle 'Stache country. These removable rings fit around a standard soft drink bottle neck rim, giving the illusion that you're actually sporting some lip fur guaranteeing it'll fool a few. You can buy them in designs known as Box Car, the Stromboli, the Winnipeg Special and Beans for Breakfast. As the strap-line says: What is more fun than a moustache? Nothing.

Chalkboard Moustache

If you'd rather support the good cause in a marginally less silly and obvious way, then you might want to go for the subtle comedy class of a set of moustache napkin rings. Curiously, they look rather similar in design to the Bottle 'Stache but we're assured they're quite different. They're made of acrylic but have a neat little feature that means you can personalise each one for your guests. They come in a set of four, cost $24 and will probably become more entertaining as the evening goes on.

Salt & Pepper Tache

It's wooden, so it's kind to the environment; it dispenses salt and pepper, so it's useful; it splits in half, making it even better; it's shaped like a moustache, no comment required and it can be on display at all times being a table top gadget. That, in the business, is what they call a big bag of win. You can make someone's day at the paperdollwoodshop on Etsy for $28.

If you've found all this very inspiring then why not grow a mo yourself and help in the fight against prostate cancer? You can follow the Pocket-lint team's diary and even donate a little too.

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Related links:

• Feature - Moustache toys - The Mo is everywhere
• Feature - Grooming tips for your moustache
• Feature - Top grooming gadgets for Movember

Tags: Gadgets Dad Movember Features Home And Kitchen

Five fantastic moustache-inspired gadgets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:03:48 +0000

Since we announced the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, nominations have been flying in to Pocket-lint headquarters at a rate of knots.

With a lot of lists, flow charts, pie graphs, copious amounts of coffee and a fair few, shall we say, heated discussions, we're almost ready to reveal the final lists for each category.

The numerous nominations have been narrowed down to five products in each of the categories, which will then see the sparks really start fly as our panel of judges whittle those down to the one winner from each.

Check back on Monday when we will reveal the five finalists for each of the nine categories, one from each which will ultimately be crowned best of 2009.

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominations to be revealed on Monday 16 November originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:49:33 +0000

A new tablet has emerged to take on Archos' dominance in the media tablet market from OEM Moto.

The Moto AMP (Android Media Platform) will eventually form a range of three models with 3.5- and 10-inchers due, but for now it's just the 5-incher available.

Boasting a 5-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen good for multi-touch, the tablet offers Wi-Fi, 3G, SD card slot, 720p video and an 8-megapixel camera.

There's no news on which company might pick this up yet, but we'll be sure to keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Internet tablets Moto Android PMPs OLED Phones

5-inch Android-based OLED media tablet unveiled by OEM Moto originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:43:03 +0000

If you are a regular reader of Pocket-lint this gadget probably isn’t for you. You've already mounted the convergence pony and are riding it hard into the future. Your phone is more than just a device that makes calls: it is the gateway to your digital world.

For us convergence has its place and we can see why you would want it. We want a dedicated camera but a phone should do everything. Your phone lets you check email, surf the web, check Twitter, control your home music system and TV, play games, check your business figures and get you home when lost.

However what if you aren't that way inclined? What if you just want a phone that is a phone? So the idea of a dedicated device that lets you just see and read Twitter is an interesting one, isn't it?

Created by Peek, the TwitterPeek is a follow-on device from the company's dedicated email-only handset that emulates the BlackBerry from almost a decade ago. At the time RIM, the makers of the BlackBerry, were criticised and lambasted for making a device that could "only" do email. Why would you want that many asked? Now the BlackBerry is common place around the world, and widely regarded for the email service it does provide.

The TwitterPeek is a slim-line gadget the size of a small notepad with a colour screen (you've got to get that Twitter blue in somehow) and a QWERTY keyboard.

There are two payment options. The first is $99 down with access to your tweets for the first 6 months before having to pay $7.95 a month thereafter. The second is $199.99 down and never having to worry about data costs for the lifetime of the device.

The design is simple, quaint and straightforward to use with a focus on shortcuts for getting you around the system quickly. For the old school BlackBerry fans there is a jog wheel on the right-hand side that can be used by your thumb and a further "back" button beneath this.

The keyboard itself is on the stiff side, but well spaced out and we found easy to use. The hardware is identical to the email Peek. There is also a flashing "envelope" for when you get new tweets and this can be custom set to either tweets from your friends or your DMs and @ mentions.

Connect the device to your Twitter account - as easy as typing your Twitter name and password - and minutes later your Twitter messages will start downloading to your device. Tweets are displayed on the screen just like email in your inbox and you get the author, the first 24 of characters and the time it was received.

The jog wheel allows you to scroll through the list and because the device is always on it makes for a more "all inclusive feed" rather than dipping in and out.

Annoyingly the software is slow in use. Overly slow in fact for what it is and without the shortcuts the process is painstakingly over-designed, but luckily the Peek does offer most of the commands you need as shortcuts. There are shortcuts for looking at tweets, seeing the next, previous, first, or last tweets as well as retweeting or DM'ing.

Frustrations though include the DM forcing you to re-type the persons twitter name again, and the system not just displaying the Tweet in full on the home screen in the first place.

Then there are links. With no browser you aren't going to be able to whizz off onto the Internet to read what's what. However, so you aren't completely in the dark, you can pull the text from the website. It's basic, but it will get you the information you want (just probably not the way Murdoch would want you to).

You can of course see your followers and your following, but can't add more. Search is also limited, to what is on the device rather than Twitter as a whole and features found in applications like Tweetie 2 on the iPhone like translate, location, add pictures, video, search, and trends aren't here either.

One of the best features though is being able to set up a buzzing alert for when you get tweets, @ mentions or DMs. Simple, but lets you know you've got a personal message.

This is for those who want to tweet and check their tweets in the rawest form.

Verdict:

So who is the TwitterPeek aimed at? As we said at the beginning, it's not for anyone who has a smartphone. After all why would you spend up to $200 on a device that an app could do for free? No, the TwitterPeek is for those who've got a basic mobile phone, want in on the Twitter experience, and don't want a regular $30 a month data plan to go with it.

With more and more people using Twitter as a communications and information tool, the idea is certainly interesting. However while the concept (for non-smartphone users) is sound, the realisation of those ideas isn't fully achieved here.

While the TwitterPeek isn't for us (we currently have 12 devices on the desk capable of checking Twitter) I can see why people might want it.

Tags: Gadgets Twitter Twitterpeek peek Phones Mobile phones

TwitterPeek originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:58:50 +0000

Apple has started rolling out its tricked out iPod touch to its stores, to allow its salespeople to swipe your credit card regardless of where you are in the store.?

The iPod touch-based point of sale (POS) systems includes an add-on scanner that lets employees scan multiple barcodes at the same time.

In addition to being able to show off Apple technology, switching to an iPod touch-based POS means employees won't have to rely on the Windows-based EasyPay devices they used to use and allows Apple to banish Microsoft from store all together (apart from software they actually sell).

Experienced first hand, the sales clerk was able to process our order, have a receipt sent to our address and move on to the next customer within a matter of minutes.

The Apple salesperson wasn't overly keen on letting us snap the shot so we promised not to mention which store we were in.

Tags: Gadgets Apple iPod Touch

The Apple iPod touch you can't buy originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:03:22 +0000

We're happy to admit that some tech just doesn't fit into any other category. That's what the Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards Best Gadget section is all about. In many ways these devices are gadgets in their purest sense. They're objects with a clever little function to help make our lives that bit easier. Well, either that or they're pure novelty.

It's a huge and diverse part of what we write about here at Pocket-lint, so make sure to shout out below which ones we've missed and which you think deserves a nomination for this most coveted of awards.

Home & Kitchen

Before newfangled mobile phones and when it was all fields round here, the original gadgets were kept mostly for the home, and it's here where we'll begin our tour. iRobot has continued to bring housework into the 21st century with the launch of the latest hoover droid, the iRobot Roomba 500. These bots are all very well when at the ground level but in Korea this year, civilisation has taken a great leap forward with the arrival of the self-cleaning toilet seat. It's sadly not available outside the country, but any Korean nationals who own one, please do feel free to tell us what it's like.

Another automaton to come to the rescue in 2009 has been the ChefStack Pancake machine that will churn out 200 fried batter slabs per hour and the lardiest family ever seen. The year has also seen the return of a 1960s favourite that is the Swann Teasmade - perfect for that jerk of nostalgia and timely morning cuppa. In the kitchen itself, we've the pleasure of a double barrelled wine cooler to consider as well as a future toaster from Morphy Richards. Who doesn't like their future crispy?

Moving down to the hall we've finally got the benefit of the Dragon's Den success that is the TrueCall nuissance blocker to keep unwanted numbers from ringing in and the fire extinguisher phone for nothing more than pure giggles.

As we head upstairs, there's some decisions to be made on the bedside table with the excellent looking roll of film clock, the really well-crafted HANNspree photo alarm and the same kind of device built specially for Sony Ericsson lovers. All that leaves us to do is to turn off the geek chic ESC and DEL lights. If the company did ALT too then it would definitely be time to shutdown. Time to tuck yourself into your Tauntaun sleeping bag and count electric sheep.

Desktop

The work and computer area is another favourite for gadgets and trinkets of all kinds. For just plain silliness - or if you happen to live in the swamps of the Deep South - then you'll probably be rooting for the Fly Goodbye vacuum gun. For a more serious and rather ingenious windy solution, this time for your cooling needs, Mr Dyson has done it again with the Dyson Air Multiplier bladeless fan, providing you can afford one that is.

Cablox will organise your total mess of leads that you try to ignore and Cyber Clean goo is now helping to de-crumb the keyboards of messy eaters the world over. Combine that lot with the Scratch and Scroll mouse matt that eliminates the need for notepaper, along with the Livescribe pen and Chumby's arrival in the UK and you've got yourself the perfect work area.

USB

There are so many millions of these trinkets brought out each year that they need a sub-section all of their own. We've done our best to whittle them down to the genuinely funny and marginally useful but let us know if we've cut any real corkers.

Probably the most ingenious of the lot is the Easy Bloom USB soil measuring device as shown off at CES 2009. Sadly, it only supplies a database for the States but it's impressive nonetheless. The USB Light Tube, USB Combo Lock and Duracell in-car USB charger all harbour secret ambitions to serve a useful purpose but, for some real high-end novelty tat, make sure to fill stockings with the Hand Grenade flash drive, Skull USB hub and the Calvin Klein USB sun glasses. The most fun tech nonsense can get.

Perhaps the one redeeming gadget for this lot was the biodegradable Hoshiho USB memory stick - just so long as it doesn't biodegrade too quickly.

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eBook readers

Mercifully a moment of sanity comes in this category courtesy of the eBook readers. The big news of the year was that the Amazon Kindle is finally available outside the US. The bad news for Amazon is that there's already some well-established and thriving competition.

The most serious rival at the high end has to be Sony at the moment and the release of both the Pocket and Touch Editions, which proved that the company is a force to be reckoned with in this field. iRex has got plenty to offer to the discerning consumer too and indeed both the Samsung SNE 50K and the Cybook Opus are both looking very impressive now that they've finally arrived. At the more affordable end, there's kind of re-badging which PC World would be proud of with the Foxit eSlick and COOL-ER readers probably the pick of the new crop for the year.

If all you want to read is Wikipedia - and it's all too easy to get lost in those pages from time to time - then there's the far cheaper Wikireader to weigh up, but perhaps the most individual of all is the Blackwells Espresso book printer, which comes at the problem from an entirely different angle - tailor made,? hard copy volumes hot off the press.

Imaging

For the full run down of all things camera, then check out the Best Camera 2009 category but that won't include this lensless lot with plenty to offer.

Photoframes have proved as popular as ever. While the Kodak Easyshare S730 is a fine example of a fairly standard take on the paradigm, the AGFA AF8070 adds the whole digital album. The Film 2 SD negative scanner does what it says on the tin, taking the digitisation of older prints to that next level of convenience and the HP Photosmart printer is one of the finest we've seen in 2009 if you want to start making copies for the wall.

The RC Photo Rig is an insanely specialised waste of money while also being the best gadget money can buy - so long as you can actually fly the thing, or for some considerably lower tech shots you can use the Petcam from Firebox, which will give you an insight as to what it is to be your dog. One of the biggest cheers, though, should be reserved for the Eye-Fi wireless connected SD memory card which has finally made it to our shores. Well done.

Watches

2009 has been all about the watchphone with both LG and the IWOOT sWap getting in on the action. The BlackBerry timepiece has also been another welcome addition to the cult that is - even if it doesn't quite have that same level of functionality. If you don't need to use the thing as a mobile phone, then the Garmin Forerunner 310XT is a fantastic device with, of course, GPS built in, but if it's all about looks then go no further than the modern classic in the suave shape of the Tissot SEA Touch or the wrist-candy that is the urbane Timex Widescreen WS4.

Power solutions

With more and more gadgets comes a greater fear of battery life and there's been a strong undercurrent in 2009 of novel ways of dealing with that very fact. One of the hits of CES 2009 was the Powermatt magnetic induction charger, very recently brought out for sale, but there are also several other solutions also worthy of note.

The Gear4 PowerPad does a similar trick but focuses solely on the iPhone, while both Kodak and Freeloader have continued to invest in the power of the sun to supply all our energy needs. But, if you can't do it differently, then just do it tidily with the Messless charger also well worth a nomination shout.

The rest

There are some gadgets that don't even fit into a category within a category specialising in misfits. So, before the polling booths close and the judges come in, spare a thought for the likes of the impressive Leyio social sharing device, the Vuzix Wrap personal TV goggles, the i2i Stream, which made all our audio wireless at CES, the MSI foldable Bluetooth keyboard, the too good to be true Why Cry baby analyser and the incredibly niche Metal Detector Sandles. What a wonderfully diverse world we live in.

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What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our readers have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Gadget 2009? What have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

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Related links:

• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - mobile phones
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - home cinema device
• Feature - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - gaming hardware

Tags: Gadgets Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards Features USB gadgets eBook readers ebooks

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - gadgets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:43:51 +0000

The Apple tablet is looking more and more certain as the days pass, and this time we have a solid gold indicator that there's something tablet-y going on inside Apple. A patent filing.

The patent isn't for the tablet itself, it's for a way of making?digital ink recognition from a pen better. It's all about recognising full phrases, rather than separate ink strokes. When the full phrase has been entered, the phrase is passed over to the handwriting recognition bit, and not before.

But the word "Tablet" appears 58 times in the filing, which sounds promising and could mean that Apple wants to go with handwriting recognition and a stylus in the iPad after all, having shunned it in the iPhone.

Would you prefer to write on an Apple tablet, or use an onscreen keyboard like the iPhone? Let us know in the comments box below.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Internet tablets Apple Rumours Hardware Apple tablet

Apple tablet appears in patent filing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:25:29 +0000

Pocket-lint has teamed up with video news site TechVi to bring you a weekly show analysing the biggest stories of the week.

Hosted by Randall Bennett and featuring members of the Pocket-lint team, we'll be giving you our opinions on what we think is going on behind the stories that are hitting the headlines each week.

This week Duncan and Dan discuss Rupert Murdoch's move to remove his content from Google, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, the iPhone being rickrolled and Palestinian streets.

Hit the play button above, or for a more interactive video, where the web page jumps around the Web as the stories are discussed, head over to Techvi.com.

Tags: Gaming Software Biz Gadgets Phones Video TechVi

Pocket-lint on TechVi: Murdoch, MW2 and streets in Palestine originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:47:33 +0000

If you hadn't noticed already, there is a moustache-themed thread running through Pocket-lint at the moment, this being in no small part due to our participation in Movember - a charity geared towards increasing awareness and raising money for prostate cancer.

Seeing as there hasn't been a 'tache-related tech deal we thought it was time, and it takes the form of the Remington R7130 on sale at Boots for ?68.49 and down from its original RRP of ?136.99.

The Teflon Flex and Pivot Rotary shaver uses Titanium and Teflon coated blades, which is apparently designed to give a close shave as well as protect skin from irritation.

The three independent floating heads and pivoting neck should also make the shave decent, whilst the pop-up trimmer is just the thing for detailed styling (moustachioed men take note).

Battery life seems reasonable with 1.5-hour charge giving an hours run time or you can go for that quick 5 minute refill that should be good for one full shave. Remaining usage time can be viewed on its LCD display.

To take a closer look at the Remington R7130 click through on the link and if you'd like to see how all the Pocket-lint 'taches are coming along, check out the Movember Diaries.

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Tags: Home And Kitchen Gadgets Remington R7130 Bathroom gadgets Shavers Boots Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Remington R7130 shaver £68.49 from Boots originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

It you take a lot of photographs then you know that workflows are all-important. Wireless transfer of your files is nothing new: some DSLR systems will let you shoot with a wireless connection to your computer - many will let you shoot with a wired connection, stepping around the need to plug-in and download files. Eye-Fi brings this sort of sophistication to any camera that takes an SD card, using Wi-Fi.

The system has finally made its way to the UK having enjoyed successes in the US and we've always been keen to take a look, as on paper, it sounds like a crazy concept. Open the packaging and you have the 4GB SD card and a USB card reader.

To get started, all you do is plug the card reader and Eye-Fi card into your PC or Mac for configuration. All the software is on-board for both Windows and Mac users, meaning there is no fiddling around finding the right software. Configuration is simply a case of setting your network details and defining your preferences.

Once done, you can remove your Eye-Fi SD card from the reader, replace it in your camera and you are ready to start shooting. You don't need to make any changes to the camera – essentially, the camera has no idea what the SD card is doing, it just writes the data as usual. We didn't find any slowdown in camera performance over a regular card using a Canon PowerShot S90.

The system works by sending the image files from the SD card via your Wi-Fi network to a PC or online, or both. The software interface is browser-based and lets you look at your file transfer history, as well as tinkering with all the settings. The Eye-Fi servers online sit behind the operation and move the image files from one place to another.

The important part of the operation is your camera, as this needs to be on long enough to send the files out via the Wi-Fi network. If you snap a full resolution picture and then turn it off, it won't arrive at your PC. Generally we found that the images were sent before our test camera went into power saving mode and turned off, so as long as you are aware of what you are doing, it isn't a problem.

The Eye-Fi Manager offers a Relay option, which lets you send the images to the Eye-Fi servers whilst your computer is turned off, so they will be delivered when you turn your PC back on again, and/or delivered straight to your online sharing site of choice. It's has great potential, as you don't need your PC sitting around turned on, in fact you don't need your PC after configuration of the card. You could simply arrive at a friend's party, configure the card to send your photos to Flickr via their Wi-Fi network and off you go. Of course, you need to establish general rules for the card via your computer: once set, they stay the same.

The online sharing options include most of the big name sites – Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and so on – and you simply have to plug in your details through the browser and set any permissions that are needed.

The Eye-Fi card could also be useful for the sort of person who takes lots of pictures in a studio environment, without having to return to the computer to transfer files, or who has someone else working on image processing.

The system also works with video, so you can transfer video files and have them uploaded directly again to Facebook or to your YouTube account, as well as others. It's incredibly simple and it just works simply and easily.

The biggest stumbling block might be figuring out how you want to use this new freedom? Given the range of Wi-Fi networks, you could very well be able to roam around a particular venue taking pictures and have them remotely collected at your PC. It might be that you have a studio in a different part of the office building, or you want to take pictures around the school site, or of a particular event.

You can configure numerous locations on a card so if your venue is covered by a number of networks, you can set them all up. In the software setup, the detection of wireless networks is done by the Eye-Fi card, so you can see the contrast to those that your PC finds. From this you'll quickly deduce that the Eye-Fi card is somewhat limited in range compared to say you mobile phone or PC. You'll also find that it takes some time to register on a network and start sending - so if moving around a lot you need to be mindful of this.

For those working in real time with images, it takes a step out of the equation. For some others, it might just mean you don't need to use a USB cable when you return from a day out with a camera. Because it contains and stores the 4GB of photos as normal, the card can work in both ways.

But the potential here is still slightly locked away. Those in the US can also use Wi-Fi hotspots from Wayport to upload images as they go, but you need the Eye-Fi Explore card which gives you a year free Wayport access, but thereafter it will be $14.99 a year. For some it will work, for others, you'll want to guarantee that you'll have convenient access before you part with your cash. For those in the UK, you'll have to wait to see what happens.

A geotagging option is also available at extra cost too, but is a more common feature in modern cameras. The geotagging feature works by identifying Wi-Fi networks (if you opt for this feature) which isn't going to give you the same result as using a camera with a GPS module for a true position, so we probably wouldn't make it a priority.

You can also opt for notification messages so you know the status of a file transfer, so if you are on location and relying on the Eye-Fi to transfer images back to a central controlling computer, you'll know if things are interrupted, as the camera has no way of indicating this. However, after setup, we didn't get these working.

Is it a flawless system? No, it doesn't seem to be. Used with the PC on, we found that images dropped in quickly with no problems, but using the relay to instantly upload, we found that some photos never arrived at our chosen sharing site. They did arrive on the PC when it reconnected to the network, as well as being stored on the memory card, but we're guessing the Eye-Fi server didn't pass it on, or encountered some unreported problem.

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Verdict:

There is oodles of convenience that comes with the Eye-Fi card, but it doesn't come cheap. The basic 4GB card will set you back ?49.99, compared with about ?6 for a standard SDHC card, so you are paying a lot for novelty. If it is going to take a chunk of time or effort out of your workflow, then you might see this as a justifiable cost.

Of course the other consideration is that the card needs power to send, and that power is going to come from your camera battery and reduce the number of shots you can take before you need to swap out or recharge.

We love the technology offered by Eye-Fi and despite a few quirks in the system, we found it cut out lots of connections we'd normally have to make. It may be expensive, but it's impressive none the less.

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Tags: Gadgets Cameras Memory cards Wi-Fi Eye-Fi

Eye-Fi Share Video wireless SD card originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Parrot has followed up on last year's launch of the designer Parrot Specchio by contemporary French artist Martin Szekely with an even bigger version called, you guessed it, the Grande Specchio.

Packing Google's Android operating system, the 10.4-inch, 26 x 26cm photo frame, like the original, doubles as a mirror when not it use and can be rested on a surface or hung on the wall.

Costing $650 dollars when it goes on sale next week (it will also be hitting the UK although no price confirmed yet), the frame will come with not only the ability to view your favourite images, but stream content from Flickr, and browse the Web with its built in web browser.

Taking the idea of what photos you display on the frame one step further, Parrot is opting to let you embrace the generic photo frame picture to the max by selecting a "People" mode that will automatically search the Internet for a "never-ending slide show of faces of the world". Those not fussed with random people can opt instead for "Holidays", whereby you choose a place on Google Maps and it will then grab a selection of images associated to that place (Slough anyone?).

Beyond photos the frame will come with an email address so you can send it photos to display, Picasa and Flickr support, the ability to stream RSS feeds and Windows Live FrameIT and FrameChannel feeds to the digital photo frame.

A spokesman for the company has confirmed to Pocket-lint that it will be developing further apps for the frame, although doesn't expect popularity to be massive as there is no easy way to get them installed on the hardware.

Connectivity comes in the guise of USB, SD, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, meaning you shouldn't have any problems getting your images on the device's 200MB memory.

Expect an official announcement on 17 November.

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Tags: Cameras Gadgets Digital photo frames Parrot

Parrot Android-packing designer photo frame announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:46:14 +0000

What do you buy the man that you think has everything? Why a $250 torch of course.

The mpower emergency illuminator (torch and flashlight are so last year darling) is an LED torch created by mpower technologies and designed by the Porsche Design Studio.

Things worth boasting about here over and above your regular $1.99 offering at Rite Aid are the 4 hours of constant power via its replaceable battery, USB charging dock so you can add extra juice to your mobile phone (as long as you've got the cable) and a second emergency battery that can sit in the torches casing for 20 years before it needs to be replaced.

While most batteries lose power just by sitting there, the secret here, according to a spokesman for the company that we talked to at the CES unveiled event in New York is that the chemicals aren't mixed until you actually need to use it, at which point you activate the battery and release a further 2 hours of light.

The emergency illuminator is expected to go on sale in March 2010.

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Tags: Gadgets Torches mpower mpower emergency illuminator

The $250 torch that will last for 20 years originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:05:07 +0000

If you can't decide on a shape or structure for your upper lip decoration and your online search has delivered imagery of the resplendent Selleck or snaps of pretty boys Pitt and Depp, you've mused over the Einstein brush and chuckled at Chaplin's nearly not-there tash and you want to avoid politicising your Movember hair affair by going down the Guevara or Stalin routes, don't be disheartened.

Inspiration is at hand from an unlikely source, a collection of famous names and faces and some not such household names, yet they all sport a surprising number of unique styles that'll lift your spirits and ready you for your first "shaping" day.

Mr Potato head and the Monopoly Man are the two most memorable for most with proudly displayed "mo's", anyone remember the names of the five Guess Who geezers sporting terrific top lip decorations from the original 80's flip down game?

It's Charles, Alfred, Richard, Alex and Max, a fact, which will get you many points in a pub quiz some day.

If these aren't to your liking then there are a host of other characters on which to mould your growth, Mario and Wario in their vinyl figure form, a vast collection of random plastic cowboys from playsets of yesteryear, moustache design studios that utilise iron filings as the hair so you can try out different shapes without recourse, even screaming tots have been treated to their very own Mr Pontipine who sports a "Daliesque" number in the pre-school show In the Night Garden.

Even Lego dudes wear the "Mo" with style sometimes. Of course, by now, you'll be shouting the omissions from this brief list at your screen, so let us know what they are in the comments below.

Peter Jenkinson is the editor of?Toyology.co.uk?a website dedicated to toys.

Movember is about having fun, growing a moustache and raising much needed funds and awareness for men's health - specifically prostate cancer. What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

The more that join us, the more we can "change the face of men's health" through raising awareness and the money that will be raised.

Let's change the face of mens health.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember

Tags: Gadgets Dad Toys Movember

Moustache toys - The Mo is everywhere originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:11 +0000

Gadgets are great, but giving over half the sockets in your house to keep you digital life on track does start to grate. When you have to add the family's gadget's too, it gets a little overwhelming, and a little wirey. There are a burgeoning number of solutions out there, but Messless wins out with a catchy name and an even catchier design.

The principle here is no different to other charging stations we have seen, but the Messless will look much more elegant in your house. It looks more like a miniature designer coffee table than a gadget charger.

It is constructed from plastic with a round base and a round top with a clear overhang that edges things beautifully. You could mistake it for glass, although it's obviously not. The top has the tips protruding through, looking like the shoots of a really techy plant pot.

The top is actually spring loaded, designed so you can push it down so it clicks, then swap the tips around to the configuration you want. The tips unplug and when you remove them, you'll find they are simply connected using USB connections plugged in to the circuit board inside.

Pressing the top once again will see it spring back into the original position, giving you that seamless look around your charging tips. Having the top moving does mean that you aren't pulling the charging tips out by grasping their vital parts, but it does mean the whole device is slightly less sturdy than you want to it be.

Plug it in and connect the power cable to the base of the unit and it sits neatly waiting to receive your favourite gadgets. The selection of tips is perhaps a point of contention. The selection that you receive includes: Nokia large, Nokia small, Sony Ericsson (wide one), iPod/iPhone, Mini-USB, Sony's PSP/Reader.

The glaring omission here is Micro-USB, of course, the standard for smartphones and many other portable gadgets. The PSPGo now uses a new connector, but you can charge one of Sony's Readers on the Messless standing straight up. Before you dismiss the Messless as providing obsolete connections, you can also buy Micro-USB, Sony Ericsson (narrow one), Samsung and Nintendo DS tips; each costs €9.50 from the Messless website. http://onlineshop.yourmessless.com/init

You could, technically, remove the tip and plug in your own cable if you want to charge anything else, but that sort of defies the "messless" idea here.

The Messless is sold "as is" in the pack. We'd have liked to see an order-what-you-need approach, but we guess that wouldn't be cost effective, as each unit would have to be made up individually, so expecting you to buy extra tips is forgivable: not including the now industry standard mobile phone tip is not and we hope that they make an exchange in the future from the current defaults.

In use it all works as you'd expect, you plug in your gadget and it charges, with a blue LED indicating that a connected device is getting its juice. The PSP tip has been designed to accept the PSP on its side so is slightly raised to fit the sculpting of the handheld gaming console, so if you do use it for a Sony Reader for example, it won't be the most stable.

Verdict:

The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating, and for us the Messless did more than it deserved. Once it was setup at the end of the desk, it was all too easy to leave it in place to charge various gadgets as and when we needed it. You can realistically fit four devices on the surface of the Messless, and because they mostly stand up, they are easy to grab and go, without disturbing everything else that is charging.

Overall what we love about the Messless is that you can leave it sitting somewhere in your house without it making the place look messy, it can be easily moved around and easily customised to your needs too. It's just a shame about that Micro-USB, which for us, would have made this a winner.

Related links:

• Buy it! - HMV.com

Tags: Gadgets Chargers USB gadgets Messless

Messless charging station originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Star Wars fans will be able to get their "Force" fix while storing data thanks to a new range of USB thumb drives.

The standard USB drives are sculpted replicas of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, a Storm Trooper and Yoda, ranged in storage sizes from 4GB to 16GB and costing between $29.99 to $59.99.

The new drives come hot on the heels of an announcement in September from Toshiba who are launching Transformer USB drives in time for Christmas.?

Measuring 3 inches high expect Star Wars fans to get very giddy with excitement.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Hardware Storage USB drives Star Wars

Star Wars USB drives let you feel the force while saving stuff originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:59:12 +0000

Fancy being a part of one of the leading global gadget news and reviews sites in the world? Thought you did.?Pocket-lint is looking to fill positions in?New York and?San Francisco, the roving reporters joining the team will replace Stuart, who is heading back to the UK.?

Ideally you will be well connected within the gadget scene and be available to chase down briefings, meetings and attend events when needed.

You will have to be able to get into either New York city or San Francisco for meetings, come with your own computer and digital camera and of course be able to access the Internet without excuses.

Work amount and schedule is based on your ability to generate original stories and we are looking for you to take the lead rather than be spoonfed ideas.

Salary, etc., will depend on work and experience.?

The ability to file quickly at events is also a must.

To apply, email us via the feedback form with links to two examples of your work and the answers to the following two questions:

1. Why should we hire you?

2. If you were a product on a supermarket shelf what would you be and why?

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Pocket-lint is hiring in US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:18 +0000

Intel has unveiled an ebook reader with a difference, a device "designed to increase independence for people who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia, or have visual-impairment such as partial sightedness, blindness or for anyone who struggles with reading standard print".

As well as reading digital books aloud, the Intel Reader offers OCR-like abilities, capturing text with its built-in camera and reading the words aloud at varying speeds, as well as playing MP3 files.

Powered by the Intel Atom processor and boasting 2GB flash memory storage said to be good for 500,000 pages of text, it runs Linux and some third-party software. Battery life for reading aloud is said to be 4 hours.

The Intel Reader is not cheap - it launches at $1499 in the States. The UK launch of the new device is scheduled for 17 November, so we will bring you more UK-relevant info then, meanwhile, hit play on the video above for a walkthrough.

Read

Tags: Gadgets eBook readers ebooks Intel Video Intel Reader

VIDEO: Intel Reader for the visually impaired revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:34:50 +0000

Demand for Barnes & Noble's dual screen Nook ebook reader has been so strong that the bookseller has been forced to announce a delay for pre-order deliveries.

When launched in October, Barnes & Noble told those pre-ordering the $259 gadget they could expect delivery on 30 November, reports the WSJ. A second wave of pre-ordering customers have been told their device will ship for 7 December and now new customers are being quoted 11 December.

"Demand for the product in our stores and online has surpassed our expectations", a Barnes & Noble spokesperson told the Journal. "We are working hard to meet demand for the holidays".

The retailer has not however revealed any kind of pre-order statistics. The Nook goes head to head with Amazon's popular Kindle ebook reader of which no sales figures have ever been revealed.

Read

Related links:

• News - Spring Design sues Barnes & Noble over Nook ebook

Tags: Gadgets eBook readers ebooks Barnes and Noble Barnes and Noble Nook

Barnes and Noble Nook pre-orders "surpass expectations" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:54 +0000

When you think of opera being performed on the stage in an opera house the last thing you think of is an interactive experience powered by software algorithms, infra-red cameras and state-of-the-art technology, yet in an attempt to lure in a younger, more tech savvy audience that's exactly what the Metropolitan Opera in New York is doing.

The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz, is your typical opera fare, a story of a man who falls in love with a women and then who signs his soul away to the devil in an attempt to save her from the gallows.

"There are five levels to the set, four on show that span 60ft wide and the whole set is 40ft tall", explains Bernard Gilbert, production manager of Ex Machina, the production company behind the performance.

The set is best described as a giant Microsoft Surface, which interacts with the singers as they move around the stage or hit certain notes in the music.

"Right from the beginning when the computer birds fly across the stage their movement is controlled by the music of the orchestra. It is not a pre-recorded video", Gilbert continues.

A mix of traditional opera and cutting edge video and animation, the process is, Gilbert hopes, bringing opera to a newer audience.

"It used to be the opposite - video restricted performance, now it is reacting to the performance".

But it's not just a dazzling array of lights and videos all controlled by a man in a lighting box somewhere in the theatre. Using 12 to 18 infra-red lights the stage is blanketed in infra-red, whereby two dedicated, infra-red cameras monitor the movement.

When a singer breaks certain areas on stage with their movement it triggers the software to interact, in a very similar way to the Microsoft Surface - the multi-touch computer coffee table from the Redmond based company that brought us Windows 7.

Designed by Boris Firquet and Holger F?rterer, the result is stunning, and at times you could be forgiven for thinking you're watching a massive HD TV screen.

"Instead of creating sets or designs that are there to decorate the music they should be designed to extend the music", says the production's director Robert Lepage.

Those four levels are split into 24 individual cubes, each one able to create a vivid element to the scene. The result means that rather than rolling in different stage scenery to create a scene, it can be a reflective sea one moment?(based on the singers movements) and the inside of a church the next, all within a matter of seconds and reacting to the singers.

Not only can Gilbert and his team promise that no two performances are alike, but that the visual treat is much more than some "boring" painted sets that most envisage.

The show, which is more cinematic in its approach than any opera you will have likely seen before, is half way through its run at the Met in New York.

While there are currently no plans to take it around the world - it has already played in France and Japan - there are plans to bring the technology to other performances next year at the Met.

"We are currently working on a production of Der Ring des Nibelungen for the 2010-2011 season at the Met". Gilbert tells us.

One of the most ambitious works written for the Western stage, the Wagner-written series consists of four operas totalling more than 15 hours of music.

Rather than devils, angels and taverns, the story follows gods competing with giants and the Nibelungen; heroes alongside humans, who in the end of the tetralogy dominate the Earth.

Powerful stuff.

"Opera is a great meeting place between music, acting, architecture and so much more. It should invite film and other art forms too", LePage said in a video interview in 2008.

Judging by the reaction of the audience on the night of the performance we attended, the merging of these technologies into the medium certainly works.

The days of the painted set could to numbered.

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Tags: Gadgets Features Metropolitan opera

Opera features giant 40ft Microsoft Surface-esque stage originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Nokia has issued a product recall for certain Nokia-branded chargers made by third-party manufacturer BYD, offering free replacements to consumers affected.

The charger exchange program encompasses the AC-3E and AC-3U models, manufactured between June 15 2009 and August 9 2009 and the AC-4U model, manufactured between April 13 2009 and October 25 2009.
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Nokia says it has "identified a potential product quality issue" as the "plastic covers of the affected chargers could come loose and separate, exposing the charger's internal components and potentially posing an electrical shock hazard if certain internal components are touched while the charger is plugged into a live socket".

Nokia says it is not aware of any related injuries or incidents, but consumers who have one of the models listed above should visit http://chargerexchange.nokia.com to arrange a free replacement.

UPDATE: Nokia has got in touch with the following: "Nokia today initiated a charger exchange program in some markets. This program does NOT impact the United Kingdom.? None of the specific models of chargers within the scope of this program have been sold domestically in the United Kingdom".

Related links:

• Link - Nokia charger exchange programme

Tags: Phones Nokia Chargers Recalls Gadgets BYD

Nokia issues charger recall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:17:33 +0000

First off congratulations to Paul Story who won last month's comments comp for his comment on the story "Amazon Kindle UK import orders begin". For those who didn't win, don't fret, because the kind folk at TomTom have sent a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe unit for us to dish out for our November comments competition.

The rules of the competition are simple, you can enter as many times as you like by simply commenting on any story. It doesn't have to be in depth, detailed or technical, but it does have to be useful, helpful or funny.

You don't have to sign up to comment on the stories, we just ask for your name, location and email address - that does not show up online and is not passed on.

The TomTom device measures 123 x 80 x 18mm and features 4.3-inch touch display, the screen being bright and a convenient size enabling ease of use whilst driving.

Along with Live HD Traffic, now with added support for Europe, the TomTom XL Live has excellent route guidance and with the added MapShare feature, it allows for easy updating of maps within the TomTom community.

To be in with a chance of winning this top-notch effort just comment on any story during the month of November. At the end of November the Pocket-lint team will take a look and choose what we believe is the best one.

Make sure you take a look at Pocket-lint's full review where it received a 9/10 score.

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Tags: Audio accessories Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness TomTom GPS Competitions

Win a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:42:25 +0000

You can't just grow hair on your top tip and think that's all there is to it, grooming your moustache, or mustache for our American readers, takes time and consideration.

We sat down with Dr. Aaron Perlut, the chairman of the American Mustache Institute to find out more.

"The best tip I can give is to grow a moustache that is appropriate for your face", says Perlut, stern and to the point. "A moustache can enhance the image you want to portray. A Fu Manchu or Horseshoe is good for looking tough. A Pencil or Handlebar is good for adding an appearance of being intelligent. Just don't forget the monocle".

Once you've started growing your mo - you've got to care for it, look after it. Here Perlut recommends a moustache wax over gel or hairspray.

"Moustache wax really can't be beaten, here at the AMI [American Mustache Institute] we recommend Oregon Wildhair Moustache Wax", says Perlut.

Oregon Wildhair Moustache Wax is an artisan wax made using beeswax, petroleum jelly, lanolin, and natural musk oil without perfume, so as not to destroy flavours like tea or coffee.

Mark Coyl, the creator of Wildhair, offers a rather elaborate set of tips for grooming his mo: "I usually?groom my moustache after my morning shower. First, I vigorously brush my moustache with a natural bristle brush to help shape it; then I apply my wax. Sometimes, when I find that my moustache doesn't want to cooperate, I use a hair dyer to warm the wax after it is on my moustache. I heat one?side of my moustache for 10 seconds or so and then I hold?the end?of my moustache to the shape I want until the wax cools, which takes another 10 seconds.?Then I do the same to the other side. I apply more wax if I feel more is needed".

Still on the subject of cleaning, Dr. Perlut believes that a moustache left to its own devices can get rough and uncomfortable. He recommends using a conditioner every other day to ensure its full bodied and fluffy.

So what about foods? Easy claims Perlut:

"Creamy substances like soups are outstanding as they can be caught in the moustache and savoured later, while drinking beer helps keep it moist".

If the girlfriend or wife complains? Perlut has an answer for that too:

"If a girlfriend ever requests you remove your moustache find yourself a new girlfriend".

Brave words, but perhaps Perlut's second piece of advice on the subject might help to sway them to reconsider:

"Every time a moustache is shaved an angel dies."

And finally one to leave you even more confused than you were before:

"Midgets with Moustaches are awesome".

You heard it here first.

Movember is about having fun, growing a moustache and raising much needed funds and awareness for men's health - specifically prostate cancer. What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. ?

The more that join us, the more we can 'change the face of men's health' through raising awareness and the money that will be raised.

Let's 'Change the Face of Mens Health'.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember
• Feature - Top grooming gadgets for Movember
• Feature - Moustache styles and what to grow

Tags: Gadgets Movember Interviews Features

Grooming tips for your moustache originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:07:34 +0000

We knew it was coming, and now it's here. The awesome Tauntaun sleeping bag, which began its life as an April Fools Joke, is available for pre-order on ThinkGeek's website.

The site says: "after exhaustive movie viewing research and analysis?ThinkGeek Labs?has isolated the exact synthetic compounds needed to re-create Tauntaun fur". "This high-quality sleeping bag looks just like a Tauntaun, complete with saddle,?printed internal intestines, and a plush lightsaber zipper pull".

If you want to get one for yourself, it'll cost you $100 (about ?60) plus postage. Be quick, though - there's very limited numbers available and customers are only able to buy a maximum of two each. ThinkGeek promises that if you order now, it'll ship before 25 November - whether that'll be in time for Christmas post to the UK is unclear.

Tags: Gadgets Tauntaun sleeping bag ThinkGeek Star Wars Video

VIDEO: Tauntaun sleeping bag up for pre-order originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:20:52 +0000

IWOOT has launched a new ebook reader into the UK market with the online introduction of the Foxit eSlick.

The 180 gram device is slim and lightweight and offers a 6-inch, E-Ink, 600 x 800 pixel resolution display.

The eSlick gets a 512MB internal memory but comes bundled with a 2GB card for expansion and there's support for MP3 files so you can listen while you read with headphones included.

File support comes in with just PDF and TXT. The bundled software can convert most ebook formats into a PDF for viewing on the device.

The Foxit eSlick is available now in black or white from IWOOT for ?189.

Related links:

• Shop - IWOOT

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers IWOOT Foxit

IWOOT launches Foxit eSlick ebook reader originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:43:24 +0000

By now, you should be seeing some growth to look after and it's probably about time you shaved away that scruffy unwanted stubbly beard. So, to help you in your grooming endeavour, find below five splendid moustache growing tools to take you from a 5 o'clock shadow to Ron Burgundy in no time. And, if you're not with us already then why not grow a mo yourself and help in the fight against prostate cancer? You can follow the Pocket-lint team's diary and even donate a little too.

GoateeSaver

The GoteeSaver will set you back $19.99, but promises to "revolutionize the way you shave and trim your goatee". According to the makers, the GoateeSaver can be customized to your face in seconds, with three easy adjustments. All you have to do is slide it over your mouth and shave to get the perfect look that "women will admire and men will respect". Now, of course, we're not growing goatees. It's a tache we're after but 90% of all moustaches grown will be left untouched and unprotected by what appears to be Darth Vadar's mouthpiece here. So, whether you're cultivating a Sanchez or a Dictator, save yourself a lot of time by starting your regime with the GoateeSaver and then spending a few minutes after just refining the job. The fact that you'll look like a gimp in the bathroom is probably just one of those things you'll have to live with.

USB Electric Razor

Nobody likes to be caught on the hop with an untidy mo. So, given you're bound to have a laptop with you on your travels, you may as well invest in a razor that charges by USB. For one it means fewer plugs to worry about and secondly it offers you the option of shaving while you type. That said, doing so will probably ruin your computer keyboard in one go. It's only $22 and might just come in handy as a part of your grooming arsenal one day.

Freedom Dynamo Electric Razor

A more sensible way to go might be with the eco-friendly wind up electric razor from Freedom. $49.99 may seem like quite a lot of money when you're having to put in all the work to get that dynamo charging, but it includes new blades, a mirror, travel case and even a 12V adaptor if you happen to be on the road with your car. Essentially you're looking at one of the best travel razors money can buy and a real winner if you happen to be camping. Perfect for making that mo stand out at 100 paces.

Moustache Comb Neckless

Yes, you too can own a fabulous piece of jewellery while keeping your tache in trim at the same time. You can also look like a total sleaze by casually teasing it through the hair on your upper lip as you chat to a lovely lady with one eyebrow raised while she takes note of your manly hair and takes deep, suffocating whiffs of your Sex Panther aftershave. 60% of the time it works every time. This kind of top end style doesn't come cheap though. Each one is hand crafted in solid silver. They measure 2 x 2 inches and hangs on a 35-inch chain, it can be yours for $168. That's mo kudos worth every penny.

Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Precision

For some men, there's a oneness with nature about having a wet shave and if that's how you choose to carve out your mo, then the this razor from Wilkinson Sword seems to be the gadget of choice. It's won just about every men's grooming award in the last year and it also promises to be the first of its type to offer shaving, trimming and edging at the same time. If you want to know the difference - the shaving is about removing your hair at root with the four blades, the trimming is about settings you can click to life for a more stubbly look and the edging is about a fifth blade on the top, all on its own, to help sculpt your mo and sideburns. Best of all though, Wilkinson Sword is a staunch supporter of Movember and is offering anyone taking part a free shave over at Mo's Emporium in Kensington throughout the month.

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Related links:

• Link - Moustache Comb
• Link - Freedom Dynamo Electric Razor
• Features - Moustache styles and what to grow
• News - Gentlemen start your mos

Tags: Gadgets Movember Bathroom gadgets Shavers Features

Top grooming gadgets for Movember originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:53:34 +0000

Spring Design, the maker of the?Alex dual-screen ebook reader?is suing Barnes & Noble over claims that the bookseller copied ideas and features in releasing its own ebook, the?Nook.

"We showed the Alex e-book design to Barnes & Noble in good faith with the intention of working together to provide a superior dual screen e-book to the market", said Spring Design vice president of Sales and Marketing, Eric Kmiec in a statement.

According to the company who says they showed Barnes & Noble the Alex in spring 2009, "the lawsuit asserts Barnes & Noble misappropriated trade secrets and violated the parties' non-disclosure agreement when it copied Alex' features into its recently announced Nook e-book".

Both ebooks announced in the same week (20 October), use a colour touchscreen display powered by Android to navigate through menus, rather than the e-ink display, which is used solely for reading.?

The Barnes & Noble Nook is expected to hit the company's stores on 30 November with many stores already covered in merchandising materials and dedicated booths to lure customers to go "electronic".

Barnes & Noble was unavailable to comment at the time of writing. We will keep you posted.?

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers ebooks Barnes and Noble Barnes and Noble Nook Spring Design Spring Design Alex Lawsuits Biz

Spring Design sues Barnes & Noble over Nook ebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:37:30 +0000

Movember is upon us once again. If you've signed up to grow a mo, bully for you, you're the? man's man, but what style should you grow your new friend in, and what is going to be the best one to suit your style?

Depending on where you look and who you talk to, there are a plethora of options available to you.

Movember lists 14 different styles, while the American Moustache Institute claims one less at 13. Tacheback, another "Tache" charity run in September claims just 7.

Here are our 10 you should consider:

The Chevron

Growing style: A thick and wide moustache, usually worn long to cover the top border of the upper lip

Who wears it?: Businessmen, army officers, your dad in the 70s

Ridicule factor: 4/10 Pretty low, this is the easiest one to grow and get away with

Face shape: Square face

Movember growing difficulty: 2/10

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The Fu Manchu

Growing style: A moustache that begins on the upper lip and whose whiskers are grown very long to extend down each side of the mouth down to the jaw. The areas beyond the corner of your mouth are shaven so the hair hangs down past your chin

Who wears it?: Ming the Merciless, Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, any Kung Fu master

Ridicule factor: 8/10 Pretty high, unless you can walk the walk and talk the talk

Face shape: Long face

Movember growing difficulty: 8/10

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The Handlebar

Growing style:?Horizontal in its nature it looks just like the handlebars of a bicycle. The ends must be worn long enough to curl them upwards

Who wears?it?: Old army majors, anyone from the 19th Century

Ridicule factor: 7/10 Unless you are wearing a smoking jacket and carrying a pipe in which case it drops to 1/10

Face shape: Square or round face

Movember growing difficulty: 6/10

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The Horseshoe

Growing style:?Looks like a goatee without the chin element and differs from the Fu Manchu as you don't let it hang. This is stuck to your face all the way

Who?wears it?: Dude from the Village People, John Travolta, Hulk Hogan, Ben Stiller in Dodgeball

Ridicule factor: 5/10 It's a fairly easy one to grow and if you're cheating you can hide it with a goatee until the last minute

Face shape: Square or long face

Movember growing difficulty: 6/10

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The Painter's Brush

Growing style:?As the name suggests a thick moustache covering the width of the mouth, usually worn short, with slightly rounded corners

Who wears?it?: Most moustache growing dudes growing for Movember

Ridicule factor: 4/10

Face shape: Square or round face

Movember growing difficulty: 1/10 Even easier than the Chevron, chances are this is what you are going to grow for most of the month

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The Toothbrush/Dictator

Growing style: Looks like a toothbrush under your nose

Who wears?it?: Robert Mugabe, Adolf Hilter, your average tyrant

Ridicule factor: 10/10 You'll look like a idiot and no one will want to be your friend, unless they happen to be a egotistical megalomaniac.

Face shape: Square, round or long face

Movember growing difficulty: 1/10 You'll be able to get it up and running on the first day

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The Pencil

Growing style: Thin, pencil thin, mo that's been trimmed narrow

Who wears?it?: Errol Flynn, Brad Pitt, film director John Walters

Ridicule factor: 9/10 Unless you look like Brad Pitt in which case 8/10

Face shape: Round face

Movember growing difficulty: 3/10 Pretty easy although it takes a lot of upkeep

?

The Walrus

Style: Big and bushy mo that you let grow out of control

Who wears?it?: Stalin, anyone trying to grow a mo for a moustache competition

Ridicule factor: 6/10 But only if you are over 40, else 8/10

Face shape: Square face

Movember growing difficulty: 6/10 easy, but only if you're one hairy dude

?

The Sanchez

Style: Interestingly not an accepted moustache by the American Moustache Institute, it is worn across the top of your lip down to the creases in your smile, normally thin

Who wears?it?: Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite, Cool people

Ridicule factor: 6/10 But if you're cool 1/10

Face shape: Square or round face

Movember growing difficulty: 8/10

?

The Lamo

Style: This is one for those who struggle to grow facial hair at all and is the result of growing anything you can under your nose

Who wears?it?: People who never have to shave, anyone doing Movember in the first week

Ridicule factor: 10/10 You'll have to wear a badge saying you are doing it for charity to save being the butt of every joke going

Face shape: Square, round or long face

Movember growing difficulty: 1/10 This is first day embrassment stuff

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Tags: Gadgets Movember Features

Moustache styles and what to grow originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Barclaycard has announced another high street retailer is to roll out a contactless payment system for its OnePulse cards.

Sandwich, soup and cofee shop EAT is to offer wave and pay transactions across its entire chain of 100 stores from mid-November.

The roll out follows an 18-month trial across 30 EAT shops in London, seeing the faster way to pay soon to be available in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge.

Barclaycard's contactless payment network now includes more than 9000 outlets in the UK inluding Pret a Manger, Coffee Republic, the National Trust, Books Etc and Yo Sushi.

Tags: Gadgets EAT Barclaycard Barclays RFID NFC

EAT to offer contactless payment nationwide originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:28:38 +0000

Creative has announced it is to enter the e-book reader market with the forthcoming launch of what's dubbed the "MediaBook" which will run on the company's Zii Plaszma platform.

It seems the tablet-esque device may fall more into the PMP category but boast ebook reading capabilities as it won't offer an easy-on-the-eyes E-Ink-type display - rather a touchscreen - and will offer a "media-rich experience".

The MediaBook, revealed at Creative's recent AGM, will boast text-to-speech functionality, an SD memory card slot, internet connectivity, and will offer "videos, pictures, text and [other] services".

Creative is said to be in talks with publishers to provide content for the device with "fiction, newspaper, magazines, education materials and textbooks" said to be in the mix.

There's no further details at this stage about the MediaBook, but we'll keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Creative eBook readers Zii PMPs Audio

Creative unveils plans for Zii MediaBook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:16:35 +0000

Movember is upon us once more and that means plenty of talk about moustaches, moustache gadgets and of course not forgetting the main reason for the facial hair growth - helping raise awareness for?prostate Cancer.

Over the next 30 days the Pocket-lint team and others will be growing a moustache for charity. It's a tough job that from experience means we will be ridiculed, stared at, and worse still not get many kisses.

But fear not my hairless friends (that's you), it is not too late to join our hairy(ish) team.

We will be keeping a mo diary on the site so you can see our progress and expect plenty of related features exploring everything "Mo".

Men of tech! (that's you) join our brethren.

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Tags: Gadgets Bathroom gadgets Movember Comment Audio Car And GPS Dad Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Gentlemen start your Mo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:35:49 +0000

Charging must be this year's buzzword. We've seen increasing numbers of charging stations, docks and wireless solutions as the accessories manufacturers realise we are all walking around with a number of gadgets that need charging, and have a house full of chargers and cables.

The BlueLounge Refresh looks to keep things clean, by bringing all this charging under control. The premise is simple: combine all your device charging into one unit and power it from a single plug socket.

To achieve this, the Refresh has two major parts. The base is a hollow wedge-shaped box, with a DC input on the back and six cables on the inside. These internal cables give you 2x iPod/iPhone, Micro-USB, Mini-USB and two standard female USB connections.

The base itself is constructed from plastic, but feels solid enough. It has rubber feet to give you a reasonably secure setting once it is sited on a desk. Inside a single green LED will confirm that it is connected to the power supply.

The second component of the Refresh is a rubberised black plastic plate that sits in the top of the base. This provides the platform on which your charging devices will sit, with the tactile finish providing enough friction to stop them sliding around. A cut-out section at the bottom of this plate allows the relevant cables to come through from the base to charge your selected devices.

It really is as simple as that. You plug it all in, select the correct cables for your chosen devices, place the top plate back on and connect your gadgets. Voila! You are charging without the usual tangle of wires.

The two female USB connections give you scope for selecting any other bespoke connections you need, for example if you have a phone that needs something different, you can simply connect the cable you'd normally use with your PC, bearing in mind that unless you have spare cables, you'll have to disconnect it to sync with your PC. It is also worth checking that your device will charge from USB and not just exchange data.

We tried a number of different devices, with three being a comfortable number given the space to rest them on the top plate. All the devices we tried charged without any problems, although potentially there is the chance that if you draw too much (by connecting too many devices) then some might not charge.

Once setup and sitting securely on a desk or table, the BlueLounge Refresh looks tidy enough. Pick it up and the spare cables inside will rattle around a bit and the top plate isn't held in place by anything other than gravity.

Verdict:

There is little to dislike about the BlueLounge Refresh. It looks smart enough and does the job it sets out to do. Once you have a charger of this type, you'll probably wonder how you lived with the mess beforehand.

It is expensive though, coming in at ?70, which sounds like a lot for a plastic box with six wires inside.

Tags: Gadgets Bluelounge Refresh Bluelounge Chargers USB gadgets

BlueLounge Refresh charging station originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:12:03 +0000

Those with high self esteem might well like Firebox's latest offering - Minimee keychains.

Made to order, these individually crafted dolls are created to depict you exactly from a good quality image you supply as you order.

Minimee Keychains require 3 weeks lead time, measure approximately 5 x 3 x 3cm and cost ?19.99 each.

Related links:

• Shop - Firebox

Tags: Gadgets Keyrings Firebox Dad

Turn yourself into a Minimee keychain originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:33:36 +0000

The Wildcharge comes in the form of a slim black pad with silver conductive strips running along its surface and can either be picked up by itself or bundled with an optional adaptor depending on which device you’re primarily looking to use with it.

Skins are available for the Apple iPhone/touch and Blackberry Curve/Pearl and a range of additional adaptors are available for various other devices, along with a "PowerDisc" multi-adaptor solution that includes Mini- and Micro-USB along with attachments for most popular mobile phones.

You’ll need one of these skins/adaptors before you can use the Wildcharge, since there still needs to be a bridge between the power supplied by the pad and the power port on a handheld. In essence then, this is not so much a truly "wireless" charger as a way to bypass a simple cable.

With this in mind we can see the compartmentalised solutions on offer to Apple and BlackBerry owners as being far more appealing than connecting using a multi-adapter, and even though you can charge multiple devices at once using the pad we wonder how eager people will be to shell out for the necessary hardware in order to avoid plugging a phone in at the wall.

Setup and operation is very straightforward however, and a phone or other gadget is charged in the same way as it would be conventionally, and in about the same time. It really is as easy as placing a device down on the mat if you’re using a skin-solution, though the PowerDisc does involve fishing out the right adaptor and plugging this in manually.

The Wildcharge pad itself comes in at just under ?50, a multi-charger will set you back ?14.99 and dedicated "skins" start at ?22.99, though bundles are available for a significant saving. Still, it’ll be a simple assessment of cost versus benefit for most consumers and while gadget aficionados will no doubt laud the convenience of the WildCharge we’d question its appeal to the mass-market in its current guise.

Verdict:

The Wildcharge works well in an optimum environment and to an extent does what it says on the tin. There are conditions however, such as the fact that you have to employ a dedicated skin for Apple and BlackBerry devices or plugging a gadget in manually using a multi-charger, which kind of defeats the point. Those willing to shell out for what is ultimately a mild convenience should enjoy the benefits, but we can’t see it taking off quite yet.

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Tags: Gadgets Wildcharge Chargers Wireless Phones BlackBerry iPhone Phone chargers

Wildcharge wireless charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:40 +0000

You can now be a guitar hero away from the console with ThinkGeek's Electronic Guitar Shirt. $29.99 and four AAA batteries will see you rocking all over the world using just the shirt on your back.

Described as a "real instrument", the Electronic Guitar Shirt is said to be incredibly easy to play because each button on the neck is a major chord.

All major chords are recorded from a real electric guitar, and the included magnetic pick allows you to strum just like you would a real guitar.

The included mini amp clips to your belt and "gets plenty loud" while the tone knob on the amp lets you adjust the sound just like a real guitar.

If the ability to "play dozens of classic rock songs with very little skill" appeals, then hit play on the video above to see the shirt in action, while it's on sale over at the ThinkGeek site now.

Read

Related links:

• Shop - ThinkGeek

Tags: Gadgets Clothing T-shirts ThinkGeek Music games Audio Musical instruments GeekBooTeek Video

VIDEO: ThinkGeek's Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:52:12 +0000

Earlier in the week it was the?New York Times?supposedly spilling the beans, now it's the Sydney Morning Herald.

According to the paper in Australia, Apple is uncharacteristically talking to a number of media companies in preparation for the launch of an?Apple tablet?or Slate.

While rumours have been kicking around for some time with plenty of mock-ups created by devoted fans, the paper claims that:

"Apple has sent specifications of the device to Australian media companies in an effort to sound out whether they would be interested in delivering their content to the tablet. None would speak about the device on the record".

The news comes just a day after the executive editor of the New York Times has referred to the mythical Apple tablet in a speech as the "impending Apple slate", reigniting the smouldering rumours of the device.

Bill Keller's off-the-record speech, not supposed to be recorded and leaked to the Internet, is a business-based monologue about the future of the NYT, including a look at new digital delivery platforms.

"I'm hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate...", Keller states, as reported by eager-eared Gawker.

The quote from Keller apparently follows reports from earlier this year that a "stealth team" from the paper met with Apple executives - as well as other content publishers - on a top-secret matter.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Gadgets Internet tablets Apple Rumours Hardware Apple tablet

New Apple tablet rumours surface down under originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:21:53 +0000

The makers of BigDog have unveiled PetMan, a biped robotic that could be used to test military suits that might one day protect soldiers in chemical warfare.

Boston Dynamics describes the machine as a "biped robot that balances dynamically using a human-like walking motion. It is a close relative to BigDog, sharing elements of the mechanical design and control".

Hit play on the video above to see PetMan in action at speeds over over 3 miles per hour - even a sharp shove does not put it off its stride.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Robots Boston Dynamics Video

VIDEO: BigDog makers reveal PetMan originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:07:28 +0000

Stuart Miles brings us his customary comment from NYC with a look at the talking points from this week in tech.

Under the spotlight in this instalment is Apple's Magic Mouse and whether this is the beginning of the end for the button and the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.

Miles also muses the rise of real-time search with the news that Google and Bing are due to integrate Twitter content into their search results as well as offering thoughts on Google's Social Search.

The fact that Nokia is suing Apple for patent infringement is the final topic under consideration - is the Finnish giant protecting its patents or looking for a quick cash injection? Hit play for more...

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Comment Video

VIDEO: Tech Week in View: Magic Mouse, Social Search and Nokia sues Apple originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:05:00 +0000

The ebook reader marketplace is becoming rapidly populated as manufacturers rush to produce a gadget that not everyone's got yet.

Some potential purchasers are said to be put off from making the leap from hardback to ebook due to the electronic version not offering such a tactile experience.

This new concept design aims to address such issues with a "flipper" section on the right edge that can be pushed up, or down, to virtually turn a page.

Other innovations within the design include the flip gesture generating power for the device, a neat idea for a power-saving solution.

Read

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Concepts Bibliofile

Bibliofile ebook reader concept design revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:19:57 +0000

A new camera rig for your DSLR camera or camcorder is hoping to take your photography airborne thanks to a little help from a remote controlled helicopter.

Called SkyShutter, the custom built remote controlled helicopter allows those looking to create aerial photography on the cheap by mounting any device up to about 6lbs (your average video camera or DSLR) and taking it into the air.

Created to order, the miniature helicopter costs around $9,000 and comes with two remote controls; one for the copter and one for the mount so you can control the direction of the camera.

The company behind the creation says the "Helicam can easily manoeuvre through a narrow street to chase a car from one foot off the ground to 400 ft up".

The best recommendation from the designer Jason Lam when we spoke to him? Get some one who knows how to fly remote controlled helicopters else it could prove a very expensive shot.

Come on, admit it, you want one.?

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Tags: Cameras Gadgets Helicopters

RC helicopter rig flies your camera sky high originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:26:26 +0100

So, you read about Powermat back in January, you've pored over the specs and pricing details, and you've pinned up a few of our photos of the device on your wall. The only thing left for you to do is buy the damn thing. And shortly you can, should you so desire.

Powermat has announced that its charging device will be available in the UK from 30 October, both in "Home & Office" and "Portable" editions. For those of you who haven't clicked on any of our previous coverage of the technology, the device uses magnetic induction to generate power wirelessly, but only over very short ranges.

Powermat receivers are currently available for the iPhone, iPods, BlackBerry and Nintendo DS Lite and DSi devices. There's also a "Powercube" that comes with additional tips for Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and LG handsets, as well as the Sony PSP and a microUSB socket.

You'll need to buy a mat and then a charging unit - the mat costs ?70 for the Home & Office version, and ?80 for a portable variant that folds up. The Powercube with eight tips costs an additional ?30, as does a backplate for the BlackBerry Bold, Curve and Pearl handsets, and the Nintendo DS and DSi. Apple variants cost ?35 thanks to the additional cost of licensing from Apple.

Is this an awesome bit of tech, or a waste of ?105 when you could just plug a cable in instead? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Tags: Gadgets Chargers Wireless Powermat

Powermat products due 30 October originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:11 +0100

Amazon.com has announced "Kindle for PC", describing the release as "a free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their personal computers".

The US Kindle Store currently offers over 360,000 books, including new releases and most of the New York Times Bestsellers, which the company says are typically $9.99 or less and is apparently the only place to find some books in the digital format, Amazon is opening the store up to those who haven't bought into the Kindle system.

This move means Kindle books can now be read on the Kindle and the larger Kindle DX, on the iPhone and iPod touch thanks to the Kindle iPhone app, and now on PCs and laptops.

For those that want to read ebooks on both mobile devices and their PC, the Kindle for PC features Amazon’s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronises bookmarks and last page read across devices.

"Kindle for PC is the perfect companion application for folks who own a Kindle or Kindle DX", said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle.

"Kindle for PC is also a great way for people around the world to read the most popular books of today even if they don't yet have a Kindle".

Amazon says Kindle for PC will be available to customers around the world as a free download next month.

Tags: Software Amazon Amazon Kindle Kindle ebooks eBook readers Gadgets

Amazon announces Kindle for PC originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:19:12 +0100

Men of this world, this is your calling, your calling to sign up to become a real man, the kind of man that can present the news (Ron Burgundy), the kind of man that can be a private dick (Magnum PI) and not laugh about it, the kind of man....

Okay you get the gist. Movember is now almost upon us, and that means you need to sign up and get your moustache thoughts in gear.

Once again Pocket-lint will be going Movember for November in aid of charity and we are asking for your help.

We aren't asking for money (although you can pledge if you want), we aren't asking you to run hundreds of miles, all we want from you is to join our TechMo team, grow a moustache in November and help rid the world of the disease that kills thousands of men each year.

What many people don't appreciate is that one man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK, more than 35,000 men will be diagnosed this year and that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

The more that join us, the more we can "change the face of men's health" through raising awareness and the money that will be raised.

Let's do this - register and grow a moustache as a Mo Bro, or sign on as a Mo Sista.

To join this Movember team go to http://uk.movember.com/register/7181 and follow the steps.

Once registered you'll be sent all the information you need to get growing.

Let's "Change the Face of Men's Health".

Stuart Miles and the Pocket-lint team.

P.S PR's of this world. Pledge money and we will give you a big shout out on the site for helping us in a good cause.

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Related links:

• Link - Movember TechMo team page

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Movember

Movember 2009: Join our TechMo team originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:45:19 +0100

Amazon has quietly dropped the price of the Kindle international edition by $20 to bring it in line with the original Kindle price in the US.

UK customers wanting to sign up for the ebook reader that was announced just weeks ago, and only?just available this week, will now only have to pay $259 instead of the launch price of $279.

Amazon hasn't stated a reason for the drop in price, however the price drop could be down to the ebook market heating up in the run up to Christmas.

On Tuesday Barnes & Noble, Amazon's biggest competitor in the book selling market, launched the Nook, an ebook reader with a colour android-powered touch screen for navigation.

Amazon has confirmed that users who paid $279 will get a $20 refund.

"Due to strong customer demand for the new Kindle with U.S. &?International Wireless, we are consolidating our family of 6-inch?Kindles. As part of this consolidation, we are lowering the price of?our Kindle with US & International wireless down to $259. The new?Kindle with 3G wireless that works in the U.S. and globally in over?100 countries is in-stock and available for immediate shipment.?Customers who purchased the device at $279 will be automatically?refunded the $20 difference in price. They don't need to do anything?to receive this refund, it's automatic and they will receive an email?from us confirming the refund". Amazon told Pocket-lint when asked.

The news comes as Amazon launches a free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their personal computers called Kindle for PC.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle International edition gets price cut originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:17:11 +0100

O2 has announced the launch of O2 Recycle, an online service that claims to make it easy for people to recycle old handsets in return for cash.

Run by Redeem, the service can be used by anyone in the UK, regardless of network, and as well as phones will accept MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS devices and other consumer electronics.

People can visit www.o2recycle.co.uk, enter details of their device, get an estimated value, print off a receipt while a pre-paid postage bag is sent to them to put the phone and receipt in and send back.

Once the device has been received and is confirmed to be in good working order, the customer receives a text to say that the money will be transferred to their account.

For every device O2 will donate ?1 to the "It's Your Community" charity while the products are sold on to global markets by Redeem.

Tags: Eco Phones Mobile phones O2 Redeem Gadgets Online

O2 offers online mobile phone recycling originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:02:55 +0100

The Star Trek Tricorder, a device that allows medics to check their patients in the field in the sci-fi TV show, took a step closer to becoming reality today thanks to a new device being shown off by General Electric in the US.

The device, which is a cross between a mobile phone and an iPod was shown at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Called Vscan, the clamshell designed gadget is aimed at doctors, and possibly would-be parents who could use it in their office or in the field to check the progress of unborn babies or other medical instances, rather than sending their patients to a specialist department for a scan.

Jeff Immelt, GE's CEO, said that the device, which will be available sometime next year, will be "very digitally capable", coming with a small screen and the ability to save the images. It won't, however, feature Wi-Fi connectivity which would give it the ability to send images to others.

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Tags: Dad Gadgets General Electric Medical

Star Trek's Tricorder on route to becoming reality originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:46:33 +0100

Barnes and Noble today confirmed rumours of its ebook, and with it took the fledgling device market into overdrive, Pocket-lint was on hand to grab a play and some pictures.

Up until now ebooks have featured just the one screen, this Nook takes this to the next level by adding a second 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display the size of the iPhone for navigating, making the Amazon Kindle and the Sony readers look decidedly dated.?

Specs include Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity via AT&T and a micro SD card slot so you can expand the storage capabilities over the 2GB of on-board memory. The screen will be Android powered.

Priced at $259 and available in the next couple of weeks (end of November), the nook should shake the market up considerably.?

We will add more photos when we get them.

Related links:

• Link - official nook website

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Barnes and Noble Barnes and Noble Nook Photos

PHOTOS: Barnes and Noble Nook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:43:35 +0100

Barnes and Noble has let slip details of its much rumoured ebook launch on its own website hours before an official announcement.

In what seems like a slip up, the book seller has detailed the features of the new product including images, and price ($259).

Called the Nook, the ebook will sport two screens, one full-colour 3.5-inch touchscreen for navigating and one E Ink display for reading.

"Just use your finger to swipe through titles and tap open your next read", says the blurb on the site.

It will also come with a Wi-Fi and 3G connection via AT&T's wireless network (the same as the Amazon Kindle) and sport 2GB of memory as well as a micro SD card slot for expanding it further.

Tech specs include dimensions of 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5-inches with a weight of 317 grams. It will feature a rechargeable replaceable battery and come with a micro USB socket. The screen will be Android powered.

In an attempt to appeal to sharers, you'll also be able to share books for 14 days with other devices like ebook readers, the iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry and Mac and PC users via the eReader software. When books are lent out, users won't be able to access the books.

Users will also be able to "sideload" PDF documents unlike the Kindle and offer support for ePUB documents.

Barnes & Noble has said that it is looking at an international roll out, however failed to mention a time frame when Pocket-lint asked.

The company has also confirmed that it is working on a Windows Mobile app as well as hinting at an Android app in the future.

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Related links:

• UPDATE - Photo gallery live from the launch event
• Link - Official nook side

Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Barnes and Noble Barnes and Noble Nook

Barnes & Noble Nook released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:26:39 +0100

After a brief summer break, Megawhat is back on Pocket-lint with a brand new Tech Week in View episode for your viewing pleasure.

Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles talks tourists on Segways and tells us why he thinks the new Sonos S5 is a tidy bit of kit.

Miles also considers the Amazon Kindle's UK launch (was it a bit of a rush job?) and looks at what the? T-Mobile Sidekick data loss might mean for the cloud computing industry.

Watch the video above now to see it all play out, and stay tuned for more comment from Pocket-lint soon.

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness events Comment Video

Tech week in view: Tourists on Segways, the Kindle in the UK and trouble in the cloud originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:42:19 +0100

In the States a college inventor has created an RFID-enabled coffee cup, allowing for wave-and-pay transactions in coffee houses without getting your wallet out.

While here in the UK NFC phones and RFID card systems have and are being trialled by both the London Underground and coffee shop type establishments, Chris Hallberg has taken a link out of the chain by adding the RFID chip directly to the cup.

The Smug Mug system will be in use sometime next year at a local Milwaukee coffee chain, Stone Creek Coffee, but Hallberg is hoping the concept might get picked up by larger companies looking to boost customer loyalty from time-pressed commuters.

The suggested price for the re-usable Smug Mug is $15, a price tag that include $5 credit for the relevant store.

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Related links:

• Link - Smug Mug

Tags: Gadgets RFID Biz Smug Mug Eco

Smug Mug adds RFID chip to coffee cup originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:16:12 +0100

Barnes & Noble is expected to launch a new ebook, called the Nook, today in New York according to sources who've seen a yet unannounced advert.

According to both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the device will feature a colour touchscreen display and a separate e-ink powered screen for reading.

"It will cost $259, matching Amazon.com’s most recent price cut for its latest edition of the Kindle," cites the NYT article.

The NYT is claiming the information has been garnered from an advert Barnes & Noble have placed in the Oct. 25 issue of The New York Times Book Review and comes after pictures of the device supposedly appeared last week.

It's been a busy week for ebook launches with Monday seeing an announcement from Plastic Logic?for a new ebook that will be shown off at CES 2010,?and a from fairly unkown company Spring Design who's Alex concept, which will supposedly be coming to market later this year, also features two screens.?

Rumours first surfaces earlier last week, while other sources are suggesting a 22 October, the same day as Windows 7, launch date, making it perfect Christmas stocking fodder in time for the holidays.

Earlier in the year, Barnes & Noble announced the launch of an ebook store that offers over 500,000 ebooks as well as free Wi-Fi in its stores, presumably to encourage the use of the new devices.

Pocket-lint will be at the Barnes & Noble?event?on Tuesday 20 October bringing you all the news as it happens.

Tags: Gadgets ebooks Barnes and Noble Amazon Amazon Kindle Spring Design Plastic Logic eBook readers Barnes and Noble Nook

Barnes & Noble Nook leaked originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:05:32 +0100

The ebook reader product releases continue apace, but this time round there's something a little different on offer with an Android phone incorpoated into an ebook reader.

Spring Design has announced "Alex", the first e-book reader running Android with full browser capabilities and two screens - one a 6-inch E-Ink display and a 3.5-inch colour display underneath.

The unusual device can "liven up text" with multimedia links, the target of which can be displayed on the secondary colour LCD screen, actually an integrated Android mobile device, which can also show photos and videos.

"Duet Navigator" tech means content can be shown on either screen while "Link Notes", a multimedia authoring tool means users will be able to "dynamically grab relevant content".

With Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, Alex offers expandable storage via SD card, headphones and speakers, as well as "smartphone capabilities".

Spring Design says it is "currently in discussion with, and enlisting major content partners and plans to release the Alex device for selected strategic partners by the end of this year".

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers Spring Design Spring Design Alex Android Phones ebooks

Spring Design Alex dual-screen ebook reader announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:02:18 +0100

Plastic Logic has announced a new ebook reader, the "Que", that's due to be launched at the CES show in January 2010.

Describing the device as the first "proReader" designed for business professionals, the Que wants to "connect its users with their business and professional newspapers, books and periodicals... and supports the document formats business users need (including PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents)".

Plastic Logic says the Que store will be powered by Barnes & Noble, the Amazon rival that's making a big play for the ebook and ebook reader market with both Plastic Logic and iRex team-ups revealed recently.

Boasting what's said to be the largest touchscreen in the industry and with the hint of "powerful tools for interacting with and managing the content", the Que is seriously skinny at less than a third of an inch thick, lightweight, Wi-Fi and AT&T (in the US) 3G-enabled, and measures around 8.5 by 11-inches.

Finally, the Que's display is made of shatterproof plastic and its battery "can last days, instead of hours", apparently. For all other spec, pricing and availability info we've got to hang on until 7 January when all will be revealed at the CES show - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers Plastic Logic Barnes and Noble ebooks Biz CES2010

Plastic Logic announces "Que" ebook reader for January launch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:35:59 +0100

Firebox has put together an interesting little product for wannabe DJs. The Urban DJ Mixer is a gold-painted cassette-shaped gadget that will let you crossfade between a pair of audio inputs.

And that's all. It won't let you change the pitch of those inputs - which could be a mobile phone, laptop, CD player, stereo, or iPod - or trigger them - you'll have to do that on the device itself. It does have a headphone monitor socket, though, to let you cue tracks up without hearing them in the master-out.

It's powered by two AAA batteries, and doesn't appear to come with 3.5mm jack cables, so you'll probably have to buy some of them too - at least three. Once you're there, though, this could be useful for houseparties where no-one brought any decks and a mix CD or collaborative Spotify playlist just won't cut it.

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Tags: Audio Gadgets Firebox Urban DJ Mixer iPod

Firebox offers Urban DJ Mixer originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:04:03 +0100

Almost falling into the NSFW category, Firebox is offering the USB "Snakescope" camera, a still slash video borescope for under ?30.

With a "robust", semi-flexible insertion tube, the camera head and cable are waterproof, so ideal for checking out your, er, plumbing. There's also a clip-on magnet that will help to retrive metal objects.

Complete with software that allows you to view, edit and save down recordings, the snakescope records in VGA quality and works with Windows-based PCs.

Related links:

• Shop - Firebox

Tags: Cameras Firebox Digital cameras USB gadgets Gadgets Camcorders

Firebox offers USB Snakescope camera originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:44:37 +0100

HANNspree is tacking the Christmas shopping market from a new angle - an all–in-one Photo Alarm Clock.

Described as "the perfect bedside gadget", as you'd expect it features alarm clock functionality with three alarms and snooze and sleep options, a photo viewer as well as an FM radio and digital music player.

The 4.3-inch colour LCD screen can be set to display seven different clock face styles, a calendar or photos with a slideshow option while USB connectivity means file transfer for photos, as well as MP3 or WAV music files is said to be easy.

The HANNspree Photo Alarm Clock is available now from www.misco.co.uk for ?44.99.

Tags: Gadgets HANNspree Alarm clocks Cameras Digital photo frames Misco Radios

HANNspree Photo Alarm Clock launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:16:21 +0100

The Amazon Kindle ebook reader is now available to be ordered by those residing in the UK.

Previously only available to consumers in the States, Amazon recently announced it would offer an "International Edition" of its popular eReader.

However, those in the UK, and the 200 other countries the device is now available to, will have to order the device through Amazon.com in US dollars, and stump up for the relevant import fees.

In addition to this, Amazon will be charging UK customers more for content for the Kindle, around $13.99 (?8.75) per book instead of the American price of $9.99 (?6.25).

And finally, UK consumers should note that the Kindle will ship with a US power charger, which, although the device can also charge up via USB, means if they want to wall charge their device, they'll need to buy an adaptor.

So, has this put off UK gadget-lovers from wanting a Kindle? In our most recent Pocket-lint reader poll, we asked "Do you plan to buy an International Edition Kindle?"

The results were fairly even with Pocket-lint readers' love of gadgetry coming in with 48% saying "yes" and 52% with a "no".

Were you a yes or are you sticking with a no? Have your say on Amazon's International Edition Kindle option in the comments box below...

Tags: Gadgets eBook readers Kindle Amazon Kindle Survey Statistics

Amazon Kindle UK import orders begin originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:37:14 +0100

Audio Cubes is offering a flash drive that will appeal to Spock fans as it's shaped after the famous "live long and prosper" Vulcan salute.

Perfect for storing your episodes of Star Trek on - although not that many as it's only a 2GB capacity - the drive is up for grabs now for $35.99.

Audio Cubes says: "Imagine the Vulcan Salute USB key as an unspoken greeting between file sharers wishing peaceful exchange of information".

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Related links:

• News - Firebox offers Star Trek cologne

Tags: Gadgets USB gadgets Flash drives Star Trek Audiocubes

Vulcan salute flash drive available originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:21:24 +0100

A Taiwanese company called Netronix has a few new ebook reader models coming that might just appeal to those that want more than the ablility to read books on their ebook reader.

The EB600 Cookie (we have no idea why it's called that) has a 6-inch touch screen e-ink display which can display eight grey levels and boasts no less than 16,000 turns of ebook pages on a single charge.

For those interested in more technical details, it has a 400MHz processor, microSD card slot, runs Linux and incorporates 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

It also has a built in rotation sensor that will automatically switch the screen between landscape and portrait mode.

The next model up, the EB600 Grace adds support for hand written notes and annotations, but this seems to be the only major difference between it and the Cookie.

These two models are set to be superseded by the EB600 Swiftie which offers an improved e-ink display that manages to produce 16 grey levels. It also gets a faster 600MHz processor.

Early next year we should see a 9.7-inch model that may or may not get a colour e-ink display, something Plastic Logic has also been linked with recently.

Hopefully someone will pick up the Netronix devices, add their own branding to them and sell them for cheap, as the features are definitely there as far as mass-market ebook readers go.

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Tags: Gadgets eBook readers Netronix

Netronix preps Cookie, Grace and Swiftie ebook readers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:48:35 +0100

A 6-year-old boy,?Falcon Heene, was trapped in a helium balloon on Thursday in a 2-and-a-half-hour long unexpected flight.?

Rescue services in Colorado, near Fort Collins in the?US, tracked the home-made UFO in an attempt to save a 6-year-old who was trapped inside.?The "home built UFO", made a by father and son team took off unexpected on Thursday afternoon with the boy supposedly inside.

The balloon has now come down in a field, however on closer inspection, the boy wasn't onboard.?

Authorities are now baffled as to where the boy could be.

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The landing

Eyewitnesses reports are now reporting that people saw something drop from the air prompting authorities to perform a ground search for the boy.

Richard Heene, the father of the missing boy is a Colorado weather-chaser.

Further digging by the US media has revealed that the boy and his family — mother, Mayumi and brothers, Ryo and Bradford appeared on the ABC series "Wife Swap" on Oct. 3, 2008 and were voted back for the 100th episode of the show, which aired on March 13, 2009.

UPDATE: The boy has now be found. He was hiding in a box in the attic of his family's home.

Tags: Gadgets Dad Video

Balloon boy: 6 year old trapped in helium balloon originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:35:36 +0100

Gizmodo is claiming to have exclusive pictures of the Barnes and Noble ebook expected to be announced on 20 October in New York.

Although details are sketchy and the images themselves are artist renders probably more at home on Yanko design, nonetheless what ebook fans will find most interesting is the inclusion of two screens.

According to the mock-up, one screen will offer an e-ink display for reading, while the other will sport a colour touchscreen panel for control.

The rumour certainly ties in with previous comments that a colour screen model was due in 2010. Although the bookseller has since confirmed that the comments by said individual weren't true, the inclusion of a colour screen for control not reading could still happen.

Pocket-lint will be at the NYC event on the 20 October.

We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks Barnes and Noble eBook readers Rumours Barnes and Noble Nook

Barnes & Noble ebook pictures supposedly appear originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:41:47 +0100