Bandai TechPet
Price: $89 (iPhone/iPod touch not included)
We get it The Japanese love robotic pets1
robotic servants.., well1 robotic anything. Unsurprisingly, so do your kids.
Japanese company Bandai, who are behind Ben10 and the Power Rangers, have a
long toy and video game history. Tech Pet goes one further - you insert your
iPhone, download the app and Techpet will bark and respond to voice and
gestures. You can scratch his chin on the touchscreen (upload your own real
pets face or your own, if you’re a bit odd) and it’ll even dance with other
tech pets. Feed him and get him to do tricks and you Wi-Fi unlock more items.
Feed
him and get him to do tricks and you Wi-Fi unlock more items.
JBL Onbeat Venue Speaker
Price: $239
Website: ukjbl.com
What does JBL have up its sleeve for
Christmas - yet another iPhone/iPad charger/speaker dock? Yes and no. Yes,
because if you want to keep things simple, your iOS devices will happily
wirelessly connect to the Onbeat Venue, and blast out the audio to whatever
game, movie or soundtrack you happen to be listening to. Where it goes a step
further is that if you connect the Onbeat to your TV it will reproduce
whatever’s on your iPad screen 42-inch Infinity Blade? Yes please. 42 inch
images of Uncle Dave’s wedding? No thanks.
What
does JBL have up its sleeve for Christmas – yet another iPhone/iPad
charger/speaker dock?
Pure Jongo S340B
Price: $225
Website: pureconnect.com
Ever wanted to stop messing around with
wiles and simply place your speakers anywhere in the house, like placing a
vase? Pure has you sorted. Not only do the Jongo come in a range of colors and
designs, but they stream music wirelessly (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) from any
compatible source (such as a laptop they are rechargeable and boast 360 degree
sound. A hi-fi adaptor is available, and you can even stream music from a
simple USB stick if need be and cut out the computers completely.
Ever
wanted to stop messing around with wiles and simply place your speakers
anywhere in the house, like placing a vase?
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite e-Reader
Price: $164
Website: amazon.com
There’s a reason Amazon’s Kindle e-readers
have become legendary. They earned it. It you want to carry around a device
with a singular purpose reading books with a screen that won’t kill the eyes
(sorry tablets, you have a way to go) it remains the elite option Amazon’s
latest, the new Paperwhite continues the tradition: it has a higher screen
resolution (by 62%) and higher contrast (by 25%), eight weeks battery life, and
it will hold 1,100 books (will you ever read that many?). It is also Wi-Fi, so
you can download any book (and there are over 200,000 of them) in under 60
seconds.
There’s
a reason Amazon’s Kindle e-readers have become legendary.
Harman Kardon BT Headphones
Price: $330
Website: uk.harmankardon.com
So high class and sexy, even Apple is
willing to sell them through its online store, Harman Kardon’s latest Bluetooth
headphones have the audio quality to match. More than ideal for any Windows
Phone 8, Android or Apple smartphone or tablet, they are completely wireless
(and USB rechargeable). If you must be cabled that is provided - useful in case
your batteries are low, or you need them for the inflight entertainment on your
next trans-Atlantic flight.
If
you must be cabled that is provided - useful in case your batteries are low, or
you need them for the inflight entertainment on your next trans-Atlantic
flight.
X-Mini II Speaker
Price: $180
For those that don’t want to spend loo quid
on a sound system for their Galaxy S3 or iPhone, the X-Mini-series pumps out
audio through its 40mm driver for a good 11 hours before needing a charge.
While its hardly going to challenge a full size speaker Dock, these tiny little
speakers have a surprising amount of oomph and clarity, and slip into your
pocket easily. Perfect (or your next family day in the park, or trip to the
beach)
While
its hardly going to challenge a full size speaker Dock, these tiny little
speakers have a surprising amount of oomph and clarity, and slip into your
pocket easily.
Carbon Audio Zooka Wireless Speakers
Price: $120
Website: cl4audio.com
Wireless speakers that physically (and
wirelessly) attach to just about any piece of technology to make it ‘Louderer’
(sic) - Zooka is a Kickstarter success story (even Janet Jackson loves them)
that has just launched in the UK. Carbon Audio guarantees that its Zooka
speakers are five times louder than any inbuilt speaker system - which makes
them great for laptops, tablets and even iPhones. Simply clip on and go.
Wireless
speakers that physically (and wirelessly) attach to just about any piece of
technology to make it ‘Louderer’
Parrot AR.Drone 2.0
Price: $420
Website: parrot.com
Something our Editor recently declared “the
coolest thing I’ve ever seen done with a smartphone,” Parrot’s latest AR.Drone
is an amazing bit of kit that will make your own childhood seem tame in
comparison. It is a 21st century kids dream - a remote controlled helicopter
controlled by your smartphone. Not only that, but it has a built in RD camera
which wirelessly streams back video, so you can record your aerial flips and
barrel rolls while also viewing it live in first person. Needless to say,
AR.Drone 2.0 has been such a smash it already has its own film festival.
It
is a 21st century kids dream - a remote controlled helicopter controlled by
your smartphone.
Tech21 Impactology cases
Price: $30
Homegrown heroes Tech21 have started
expanding into the US, producing a range of shock proof cases for smartphones,
tablets, e-readers and laptops that uses D30. D30 is a non- Newtonian fluid
that flows fluidly in its raw state, but on shock its molecules lock together
to absorb and disperse energy, before returning to goo. Very cool and it works.
You can bounce it around like a rubber ball, watch it melt, and even place it
on your hand and pound it with a hammer. Perfect for a phone case - even Apple
has been recommending it in their stores, and its being demonstrated at CES
2013 in Las Vegas.
Homegrown
heroes Tech21 have started expanding into the US, producing a range of shock
proof cases for smartphones, tablets, e-readers and laptops that uses D30
