Hot Stuff – November

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by admin in Hot Stuff Gadget Review

Every month the editors of Stuff magazine choose the latest pretty, shiny gadgets for you.

LG GD910 watchphone
Rtba / www.expansys.co.za

With the excitingly-named GD910 you can make calls by just talking to your wrist. To avoid looking like a total loony, it might be worth hooking up the Bluetooth headset that comes with it. It’s the lesser of two evils. Choose between eight digital and analogue-style faces, which can be changed by swiping up or down on the main screen. Instead of button presses for navigation, the GD910 has a 3.8cm capacitive, glass-covered touchscreen (that’s the finger-friendly kind). It’s surprisingly accurate, responsive and easy to use when cruising the menus and typing texts.
In true sci-fi style, it also has a built-in camera for video calls. Of course. If you’re going to talk to your wrist in the first place, why not go the whole hog?

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen From R2 500 / sales@circuitcity.co.za It’s mightier than the sword, and smarter, too. The Pulse Smartpen from Livescribe is actually a computer housed inside the pen, and includes a high-speed infrared camera, dual microphones for clear recording and noise cancellation, and an embedded speaker. Using special pages printed with nearly-invisible microdots, which tell the pen exactly where it’s writing or tapping, it can record what’s being said and play it back when you tap on a specific spot. The desktop software stores these complex files and hand-written notes on your computer. This is one seriously smart pen.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 Rtba / www.sonyericsson.co.za While Nokia, HTC and company swim happily in a sea of smart handsets, Sony Eric have been splashing around knee-deep in the shallows. With the X2, however, that should change. Arriving packed to the gills with the brand new Windows Mobile 6.5, it keeps the slide-out Qwerty and uses the same panel-based interface on its 8.1cm touchscreen as seen on the X1, but ups the camera to 8MP. Come on in, Sony Ericsson, the water’s lovely.

Nokia Booklet 3G Rtba / www.nokia.co.za Those crazy Finns at Nokia have insisted on calling their high-end smartphones “mobile computers” for years. We humoured them for a while, but come on, this is just ridiculous. Sure, the Booklet 3G packs the same kind of features as an N97 (Wi-Fi, GPS, HSDPA), but with a 25cm screen and at 1.25kg, there’s no way it’ll fit into even the deepest of pockets. Which means… Oh. It really is a mobile computer this time.

DJ Hero from R812 / www.edreams.co.za Are DJ’s real musicians? Of course not, but we pity the drone who isn’t excited by DJ Hero, the latest music game for PS2, PS3, Xbox and Wii. With a fully-rotating turntable controller, complete with a cross-fader and sample-triggering buttons, you’ll be able to scratch along to over 80 tunes spliced together by turntablists including DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip and DJ AM. On some tracks you’ll even be able to chuck in a mic or Guitar Hero axe in order to rap or riff, respectively. Proper musicianship or not, it sounds like a hoot.

 
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