Computer club discussion

Ah gadgets, I love them, take something that can be done in a number of ways, find the most pointless way of doing it and there you have the making of a good gadget. Why for example would you want to open a bottle of wine with a bottle opener that will cost you 2pounds when you can also do it with one that costs 50 times as much, or maybe one that’s built into your sandal or belt buckle.
But gadgets aren’t just about helping you get your bottle of wine open. They come in all shapes and sizes and some would say that the term covers the entire consumer electronics field. I am a gadget lover, ie to love all things gadgety.
Here are some of my more favourite pointless gadgets at the moment.
Glow Tap
This little gizmo fits onto taps and has an internal switch that lights up a set of LEDs when you turn on your tap transforming the stream of water into a waterfall of light. Rather than just as aesthetic effect, there’s a temperature sensor within the unit that can tell whether the water is cold or hot, and changes the colour of the light accordingly.Complete with a set of universal adaptors for most size taps, the glow flow tap is available now for 14.99 pounds.
Moixa USBCELL batteries
The USBCELL as an environmentally-friendly alternative to normal AA batteries. The top of one side flips up to reveal a USB connector, and the battery simply plugs into an open port. It takes five hours to charge one of the cells if it was fully discharged; each battery has a capacity of 1300mAH. The USBCELL cost around 12.99 pounds for two AA batteries.
Ion iED05 USB drum kit
Aimed at both beginners and experienced drummers, the Ion iED05 drum kit is a digital set-up that connects to your PC via USB. All you have to do is simply connect the adjustable drum kit to your USB port and you will have access to over 200 drum sounds that will work with the velocity-sensitive drum pads and cymbals, which react accurately to every hit. The kit even includes video tutorial software and a drumming game to allow you to play along to music to improve your performance. The Ion iED05 costs 129.99 pounds.
Pleo
Pleo is the Robotic Camarasaurus Dinosaur from the co-creator of the Furby. The one-week old infant Camarasaurus from the late Jurassic period created by UGOBE (You Go Be) is an autonomous Life Form that advances through life stages and develops a unique personality through user interaction. Like Sony’s Aibo, if you treat him well and he’ll become friendly and outgoing, treat him badly and he’ll become timid or angry. Initially cautious, Pleo will walk around slowly to absorb his surroundings but may cry when frightened or scared. He will stretch when waking up and he may even stomp his foot if he gets angry. Man’s best friend had better watch out.
Star Trek “Communicator”
Flip up the grill, and you’ll be greeted with the lights and sounds Star Trek fans have come to know and love. As an added bonus, this replica is complete with voice clips from the actual series pre-loaded. Oh, what japes you’ll have listening to Spock ask you if you want an armed party beamed down, and just think of the thrills as you call the Enterprise and hear: “Bridge here, Captain”!

Men love to use all kind of tools to repair things, build objects or just to have fun. Gifts for men are especially plentiful with all the wonderful technology that is available right now. Mostly, men like gifts such as fashionable watches, futuristic gadgets, multi-functional cameras, smart shoes that make them look unique and serve a purpose as well.
To choose the best technology present you must know a little about their personality and taste. In the technological world we live in dozens of hot new gadgets hit the market every day. At times you may feel a little mind-boggled at all the electronic devices hitting the shelves, but you have to admit they have made our lives more interesting. By keeping up-to-date on the gadgets market, you can always be the one in your crowd that gets the cool spy or kitchen gizmo way before anyone else you know.
So what kind of devices to offer?

Smart watches

Smart watches are any of a new breed of watches that integrate new technology into the ordinary wrist watch. There is clearly a lot of thought put into the design and functionality of these watches. Smart watches offer advanced features such as automatic time adjustment based on location, customizable watch faces, and access to continually updated content such as news, traffic alerts, weather reports, stock quotes, and sports scores, instant messaging, etc.
Other features to be found on smart watches are: weather information Local traffic updates Entertainment information such as local movie listings.
The watches range in price from $129 for the Fossil Abacus to $725 for a watch designed by Tissot. A very cool brand for sport men is Suunto. Suunto watches incorporate a barometer display, orienteering capabilities, a heart rate monitor, an altimeter and many other displays you would never imagine possible. Digital cameras and many other new gadgets will soon be common in watches. The watches also feature multiple watch faces and automatic time-zone adjustment based on location.
Multi-functional cameras

Digital cameras are revolutionizing the world of home and professional photography, but they are married to memory cards just as traditional cameras are married to film. So don’t forget to buy a memory card as well; you must read the camera information to see what type of card to get. The digital cameras are distinguished by their resolution: how many pixels or picture elements the image sensor contains.
Digital cameras are available in a wide range of prices, from simple point-and-shoot models to high-end professional cameras. It is a good idea to get a camera with more than 5 Mega pixels and a decent zoom (5X or more). Popular camera brands are: Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and Canon.
Compact digital cameras are a good choice for travel when you know that he will want to take a photo every 15 or 20 minutes. The compact digital cameras are designed to provide a moderate feature set, stylish looks, and a tiny, “pocketable” size.
Smart Phones

Smart phones are mobile phones that include applications for checking and receiving e-mail, text messages, and multimedia messaging. They allow the owner to do a lot more than just send textsand make calls.
Long used by corporate travelers to keep up with e-mail and appointments, smart phones are now catching on with consumers. Smart phones are becoming an essential piece of equipment for business people, allowing access to the office from anywhere in the world, providing there’s a signal. This type of phones are quickly outstripping PDAs as employees turn to multifunctional cell phones to stay organized, connected and entertained at home and at work.

Smart phones are available from all the mobile phone operators. They are fitted with more multimedia features such as higher-resolution cameras and onboard music/video players so you must know the needs of the person which will receive the gift to know that phone to choose.
Accessories for a gadget he owns.

You may be surprised at how often they feature new accessories for the gadgets he already own. Laptop battery is a good gift for someone who travels. If the original battery is old he can replace it with the one you have offered and he can use the extra battery as a spare.
For an Mp3 player owner you can get him a solar charger or a pair of speakers. And for a photography maniac you can get a powerful flash or a professional lens.
Conclusion

It seems difficult to find unique gadgets for means they want combination of style and utility.

All kidding aside, these new gadgets may seem like toys, but they also help children learn to live in the technological world that is their future. People everywhere are taking advantage of the new electronic gadgets that have changed the way we live forever.

Technological advancements always fascinate consumers. Some of the best gadgets were introduced in the market in 2009 and really altered the meaning of innovative and intelligent devices.

Apple iPod nano 8GB, 5th Generation

Coming with a super music player, advanced video and photo viewer, vibrant video camera, Fm tuner, voice recorder, and pedometer, the iPod nano 8G is a dream come true. Featuring an mp3 player, a photo album and a video camera in one device, the Apple iPod nano weighs only 1.28 ounces and can fit in the palm of one hand as its tiny size is great (3.6 x 1.5 x 0.24 inches), but never feels losable.

Its wide 2.2-inch screen is crystal clear allowing for high composition when shooting with the in-built camera. Although it cannot offer a widescreen experience, the camera has 16 built-in special effects allowing users to shoot solid videos at 30 frames per second with 640 x 480 resolution. Picture quality is great, although when the shot is in quick motion, the video may look a bit harsh.

Although apple has long resisted including an FM tuner in the iPods, in the iPod nano 8GB has included a tuner that takes the FM experience to the next level. Using the headphones as an antenna, users can set favorite stations, tag songs they like to look up and save live radio broadcasts to the iPod’s memory for enjoying them later.

The iPod nano 8G can store up to 4,000 songs, which can unstoppably play for 24 hours. This magnificent gadget adds even more features that include a speaker for playing music and other audio, a pedometer so that users can upload exercise data to the Nike + website, Voice Over accessibility kit; and Genius Mixes

The iPod nano 8G comes in many colors and is, admittedly, a quality upgrade of the previous model. Particularly, the video camera and FM tuner are its groundbreaking features that put iPod nano 8G on the top of the integrated media device roster. All in all, Apple iPod nano 8GB, 5th Generation is plain on the outside, but pretty sophisticated on the inside and this comes at the starting price of $139.99.

(http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/apple-ipod-nano-fifth/4507-6490_7-33770785.html?tag=rnav).

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is an attractive device that, although it doesn’t have the elegance of iPhone’s interface, it performs greatly and it’s easy to handle setup. Being Nokia’s first mainstream touch control device, the phone features a variety of applications making a really attractive music majoring proposition.

Weighing just 109g and measuring 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic features a smartphone that bears the distinct look and feel of Nokia. Its 3.2-inch, 16-million color 640×360 pixels display offers the user space to use the new Nokia touch user interface, while a small stylus is also offered into the back panel for a more precise tapping option. Nokia also offers a plectrum on a wriststrap.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic features a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, an autofocus system, LED flash, and a new touch-based user interface. Shooting quality is great and Nokia has also included a variety of online-based features allowing users to share stills and video content, and a spread of online links to services such as Facebook, and a full web browser.

The phone features a S60 music player with a fine interface and 8GB in-box MicroSD storage supplements that come extra to the 81MB onboard storage. Sound quality is great and the device is capable of producing an exceptional audio performance, with clear and deep sound and hefty bass thanks to the 3.5mm headphone socket on the top of the phone.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic features more applications including A-GPS location finding and mapping technology; instant messaging and email; Wi-Fi support plus HSDPA high-speed 3G mobile data connectivity allowing users to render quickly on pages, zoom in and out on pages and swipe around; and a host of smartphone multimedia gadgetry.

Overall, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a powerful phone with unique functionality that can deliver up to 400 hours on standby in 3G coverage when fully charged, while average talktime is up to 5 hours on 3G or 8.8 hours on GSM networks.

Starting price for the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is at $269.99

http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-XpressMusic-Unlocked-Card-U-S-Warranty/dp/B001SEAOC6

Sony Vaio P Series Lifestyle PC

Sony Vaio P series Lifestyle PC introduces an inimitable combination of style, mobility and connectivity. Featuring a groundbreaking design that matches the dimensions of a mobile phone and weighing just 1.4 pounds, this innovative notebook is so thin that can fit into the pocket of a jacket or a handbag. Besides, it is so practical, advanced and user friendly, that it, admittedly, introduces the new era of notebooks.

The Vaio P series can simultaneously deliver entertainment and computing due to its pioneering features. Introducing high resolution 1600 x 768, Sony’s XBRITE-ECO LCD technology that replicates high quality images and LED backlit 8-inch ultra-wide diagonal display, the Vaio P series Lifestyle PC becomes a tool that extends beyond a typical notebook.

Some of the great features of the P series include a larger keyboard area, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, integrated wireless WAN 3G Mobile Broadband and Wi-Fi. Besides the notebook has an instant mode option that gives direct access to files and to Sony’s Xross Media bar interface for quick boot up and a built-in webcam. Sony Vaio P series Lifestyle PC comes with Windows Vista operating system and is available in exceptional colors like classic black, emerald green, crystal white, garnet red, and onyx black.

Starting price for the Sony Vaio P series Lifestyle PC is at $849.99 (www.sonystyle.com)

HP dx9000 TouchSmart Business PC

Featuring a strong Intel Core2 Duo P8400 processor, a 320 GB high-speed hard drive and a Virtual LAN (VLAN) driver, HP dx9000 TouchSmart business PC is much more than a PC. It is practically an all-in-one touch enabled desktop that addresses the advanced needs of business users through the use of innovative, interactive technology.

Coming with a Hi-Fi diagonal widescreen HP BrightView LCD display and Windows Vista Business operating system at 64-bit, HP dx9000 TouchSmart business PC allows users to use video conference options, enable e-mail and internet connection and manage their calendar, contacts, images and photos without using its wireless keyboard and mouse. Besides, the desktop carries a built-in camera and microphone, an integrated SuperMulti DVD drive, premium stereo speakers and built-in five-in-one Media Card Reader.

Starting price for the HP dx9000 TouchSmart Business PC is at $1,399 (www.hp.com)

Palm Pre Web OS smartphone

Being widely viewed as the iPhone’s rival, Palm Pre has captivated consumers as soon as it debuted in the market. Featuring a groundbreaking technology based on Palm’s new platform, Palm Pre web OS smartphone stands out primarily for its Web OS that allows users to enjoy a unique web-connected experience. The new OS is extremely user-friendly, integrated in a great design that gives users a unique feeling when touching the interface, while the phone’s look is advanced featuring fluid animations on its 3.1- inch touch screen features a 24-bit color 320×480 resolution HVGA display.

Weighing only 135 grams and having a thickness of 0.67 inches with rounded corners, the new OS comes in a totally comfortable size and weight that makes it fit in hands and pockets. However, in spite of its size, Palm Pre integrates great technology. Featuring a 3-megapixel digital camera with LED flash and extended depth of field, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with WPA and 8GB memory, Palm Pre is a phone that can offer everything to the user.

Besides, Palm Pre allows synchronization with Facebook and Google contacts and features iTune capability that makes it function like an iPod when synched to iTunes. Users can transfer music and videos rather easily although some files are not supported by Pre.

Starting price for the Palm Pre Web OS smartphone is at $149.99 (http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/palm-pre-sprint/4014-6452_7-33490473.html?tag=psum)