Misc

Mobile phones, MP3 players (including the iPod) and other devices all need recharging from time to time – an easy task at home but not so easy when on your travels.

Hands-free mobile phone use comes in a range of styles including designer headsets.

Put together Bluetooth, a headset and a mobile phone and the result is hands-free communication.

A new wireless desktop set from Sandberg adds a recharging feature to the mix.

Yes it’s those people in Hong Kong again with two more unusual USB items. First a keyboard that is so small it will fit where no other keyboard will. Second an retro wireless microphone it is wireless but charges via a USB port.

Current global financial issues aside, and lets not mention some recent football performances and results, Kensington opened the New Year with a showcase featuring some of its new products at Chelsea Football Club’s almost palatial hospitality facilities.

As mobile devices tend to depend on memory cards of carious types, you do need the means to transfer any stored content to your computer.

Sometimes a product’s title gives you an excellent idea as to its functionality. However I am not sure this particular product falls into this category.

It is not always possible to map items together in perfect harmony. For a start this is not a computer mouse but a sanding device. The second item is a small tabletop Tripod ideal for anything (not only cameras) that need to be kept steady. They do have one thing in common they both work extremely well, also both make ideal ways of spending Christmas money.

With the pound seeming to fall a lot, these purchases need to be checked more carefully as you are buying in dollars. Here a keyboard ideal for limited space and second a dual slot MS ProDuo adapter to allow your Micro SD cards to be read from the same adapter on a single read.

Adding a more personal touch to interaction with your computer is often the main reason for using a headset.

Hands-free mobile communication is becoming a more popular judging by the number of people who appear to be talking to themselves as I walk past. Sometimes I feel tempted to join in the conversation.

Transferring notes and illustrations to your computer is the task undertaken by this next product supplied by Selwyn Electronics

While some prefer a shoulder bag for transporting their notebook, others plump for a backpack style of carrying.

Using resources that are renewable is advice we could all follow. Unfortunately sometimes the required resource is not always available.

The Navigon 2200 and 2210s are slimline 3.5inch screen GPS units which incorporate traffic information (TMC) and text-to-speech. They are identical with the exception that the 2210 maps cover Europe and not just the UK & Ireland.

Robots have always held a fascination for me ever since my school days. In that time robots have evolved. Here I'm looking at the latest consumer 'toy' Robot - the i-Sobot from Tomy.

Not every has or wants a home network set up yet would still like to use USB devices on more than one computer. Check out a possible solution.

While notebooks have the advantage of mobility, sometimes mains or battery power can be a problem area. A new adapter offers to help.

Is it a torch? Is it a camera? Is it a camcorder? Actually this device brings together all these three functions within a single unit.

These two products both have an ‘extra’ apart from the main job they are there to do. The mouse could be useful for those who need to work in confined spaces and the Multi Card reader might be useful for those who are worried about their appearance.

Around a year back I reviewed the original Altec Lansing Orbit. One year on the design has been revamped and I'm pleased to see that one of my few criticisms has been addressed.

According to Ugobe, the creator of the Pleo, this is the very first life-form they have created. While a claim to have actually created life may be a little bold, there's no denying some of Pleo's life-like characteristics.

An ideal gift for a man or in the alternative pink colour equally ideal for a lady. The items in this kit perform a range of vital tasks and can all be powered from a USB port. Yes another great gift idea from those clever people in Hong Kong.

Blurb is self publishing book service accessible from the website www.blurb.com . The twist is not only can you produce photobooks for yourself, you can also self publish and sell them from the website at a profit!!

Dipping into the Sandberg product portfolio produces a device for copying files from one computer to another.

This console is a mine of information, putting the Oxford Dictionaries of English, Quotations and Modern Slang, along with the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Oxford Thesaurus of English and Fowler's Modern English Usage into a pocket sized unit.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of certain high-tech devices that appear in the various James Bond movies? Often these devices are based on actual equipment available today as I discovered on a recent shopping expedition.

The Franklin 12 Language speaking global translator is a small easy to carry tool for those who want to travel extensively and lightly. It comes with lots of other handy features including calculator, MP3 player, currency converter and address book - so may be the only gadgetry you need to carry with you.

When the High School Musical Build-a-bear arrived in the Gadgetspeak office the editor and I had a short discussion over whether it counted as a gadget. It went like this: I said "Well it's not really a gadget" and our editor, Pete, said "But it's a fantastic product, and we like good products!" So here it is - the Build A Bear review.