Entertainment

Light-weight radio-controlled flying toys have been available for a couple of Christmases now. This year we look at a clever helicopter design that has the advantage of entertaining two children at the same time.

This is a neat speaker system for your Apple iPod that also incorporates a good FM radio and can also take input from an external source.

This looks like a conventional radio of a few years ago, what would have been called a room portable. The only thing that tells you it is something more is that it has a display rather than a dial. It can be mains or battery operated.

Small enough to fit in a pocket, a new product from Gear4 comes with the promise of enhancing your audio listening experience.

This is the big brother to the recently reviewed Geneva M (18/07/08), there is an even larger unit (to big for my place) the XL full details on their site. So what does this large unit have to offer?

Also called the 'GlowTime', the CRD-51 is a neat little bed-side clock radio that's available in black, white or pink and offers a very flexible alarm system.

JBL have produced an excellent speaker system that isn't tied to any specific sound source - use it to play back whatever you want : iPod, CD player, TV - anything.

Here I am looking at a rather nice first telescope that comes complete with a fabric bag to carry it around, sort of edutainment. Second sometime that is high on the government agenda recycling and a Paper Recycling product.

A stereo DAB radio that includes a CD player and the ability to play MP3 tracks from SD cards is a great idea. The built in alarm in this particular product makes it ideal for the bedroom!

Just wonder whether a certain Hungarian Professor of Architecture and Design realised how long lasting his creation would be.

Up until very recently the mention of the company Teufel would have meant nothing to me. But that was before I was introduced to Thorsten Reuber, Managing Director at Lautsprecher Teufel GmbH which should give the clue that this is not a UK company.

I have not seen the Disney film myself but I still know it is the hit of the year as far as the kids are concerned so I have little doubt that these robot toys will be the top of Santa’s list for a great deal of pester power generation.

This is a single unit with DAB and FM radio, a CD player and as it also takes SD cards it can playback MP3 and WMA sound files on cards up to 2GB. It also continues from where you stopped playing when you shutdown the previous time.

Departing from the usual black-box approach to iPod speaker Systems JBL brings us something a little different - without sacrificing sound quality.

Leapfrog have long been in the world of teaching kids to read. Here they use some of the latest page reading technology with their Tag system to make reading interactive and fun. The Leapfrog Tag Reading System is one of the Dream Toys 2008 top 12 pre-school winners.

Another couple of items shown at the Marks and Spencer Christmas In July event. First a somewhat strange combination an FM radio and a flask. Second a game that has been around for years Cludeo, this time in a new format.

If your kids love building things then Magnext is a deceptively simple construction toy that you should definately put in their Santa's Sack this year.

If you love the type of games and brain teasers you get in newspapers, but can't be bothered with all the high- tech fast paced video games, then this could be the games console for you.

Around five weeks ago (05-09-08) I told you about the Orbitsound T12, here it is its baby sibling designed for portable use and it is not much larger than a good sized iPod or MP3 player itself.

This is the first of a series of reviews on what Marks & Spencer have to offer in the gift line up for the coming season. Here I am looking at two well known packages, first Chess and Draughts and second an anniversary edition of Scrabble, both come with impressive wooden containers, pieces and boards.

Regular readers may well feel this is very similar to the cenOmax offering recently reviewed. It is a 7inch photo frame that comes with a cream surround and a clear Perspex outer, it has two additional sleeves for that different effect.

Headsets come in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes plus the ability to provide acceptable audio quality. Really you get what you pay for!

You've painstakingly loaded all your music onto your iPod and you want to enjoy it wherever you are. Headphones are not always the answer - but do you go for high-quality 'fixed' speakers for home and and to be limited to when out, or do you sacrifice sound quality indoors in exchange for portability?

This is a 7inch offering from the people who I recently told you about a 3.5inch photo frame (21-09-08) this is a unit that offers the ability to play MP3 files while viewing images and even possible to view movies.

Love your media player but annoyed about the piece of wire that is forever getting tangled, pulled from it's socket or just isn't long enough to reach the appropriate pocket? You need Bluetooth.

Well that's what my 13 year old called it. Perhaps a small exageration, but this is a games console designed to get 8 - 12 year olds moving to it's beat.

Roberts have announced a number of energy efficient radios in the past. The 'solarDAB' combines energy efficient design with an integral solar panel to augment traditional mains power.

Having just reviewed the excellent EOS 450D (29-08-08) I was more than chuffed to be offered the very new EOS 1000D. At this time of year everyone wants to tell you about what they have to offer for Christmas are you listening Santa?

These are a very unusual set of speakers from Harman Kardon a name that often comes up with speakers in notebook computers. However I doubt any other company has ever produced anything like these before.

If you or your kids love marble runs, this magnetic construction kit will take you to the next level of marble play.