Hot Stuff Gadgets – September
Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by admin in Hot Stuff Gadget Review
Every month the editors of Stuff magazine choose the latest pretty, shiny gadgets for you.
Samsung Jet S8000
R6 000
www.samsung.co.za
This is an iPhone-contender with several smartphone features. It’s a fast mover, with a powerful 80MHz processor and Samsung’s own browser and interface. Use your finger to flick between three customisable home screens; hold down the home button to split the screen into four to see different applications; and call contacts by drawing a letter on the screen.
The Jet knows how to party, too. You can design your invites on it, use its GPS to direct your friends, stream music from its excellent player via stereo Bluetooth, and shoot the pics with its 5MP camera and LED flash. And hallelujah, there’s a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.
Apple MacBook Pro
From R14 000
www.zastore.co.za
The newly-upgraded MacBook Pro range packs plenty of portable voema.
The 13-, 15- and 17-inch screen models offer extended battery life of (claimed) seven hours, backlit keyboard, SD card slot and excellent build quality.
The new 13inch models start at 2.26 GHz, with 2GB RAM. The 15inch and the huge-but-light 17inch models offer up to 2.8GHz and 8GB of RAM, with hard drives up to 500GB or solid-state drives up to 256GB.
And there’s that nifty Multi-Touch pad, which allows the two-finger zooming and stretching that makes iPhone users so damned pleased with themselves.
Canon Powershot G11
R6 700
www.canon.co.za
‘Prosumer’ cameras are for enthusiasts, midway between compacts and DSLR’s in size and near-professional in ability. Canon’s G10 has led the class – until the G11’s arrival. The key changes: a drop from 14 to 10 Megapixels and a larger sensor, a combination which means better images; and a tilt-and-swivel LCD. What’s unchanged? The rugged build and 28-140mm wide-angle zoom lens. The G11 offers total creative control and 22 scene modes, but if you’d rather the camera made the decisions, simply shoot on auto.
This is the most camera you can fit into a jacket pocket. It’s a beauty.
Nixon Wire earphones
From R800
www.nixonnow.com
It’s long past time to upgrade those tinny standard-issue earphones. These little buds punch above their weight, and you’ll hear the difference instantly. Custom-fit silicon earpieces (with two spare pairs) will show you how much sound you’ve been missing. All with a distinctive design, and a no-tangle cord which will save you a few minutes of cursing and fumbling every day.
A Wire Mic version with in-cord microphone and controls is compatible with most mobile phones, and there’s a dedicated model for iPhone users.
Sony Ericsson Aino
R7 000
www.sonyericsson.co.za
You’ll like the look of this phone.
The 3in (7.6cm) screen isn’t OLED but it’s bright enough, and there’s a functional slide-out numeric keypad to back it up The 8MP camera lets you pick the focus point by touching the screen. There’s also A-GPS, wireless stereo Bluetooth which you can enjoy through the bundled wireless earphones, and – there’s no irritating Memory Stick slot. Instead you’ll find what we’ve wanted all along, a MicroSD slot with an 8GB card already in it (thanks for listening, SonyEricsson).
The Aino has a few wireless tricks up its sleeve. Sit it on the charging dock and it will wirelessly sync media with your PC (not your Mac, though). And there’s the PS3 link-up: using Wi-Fi it can tap into a Sony PlayStation3 to swop movies, music or pics. You can even turn your PS3 remotely and instruct it to record. Even if you’re not a PS3 owner, this is a step in the right direction for convergence.
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