5 iPod Contenders

If like me you are considering buying a new mp3 player, but are tired with all the iPod / iPhone hype. Here are 5 worthy alternatives to Apples offerings:

Cowon D2
The Cowon D2 MP3 player is sleek and compact with an amazing looking 2.5 inch touch-sensitive screen. It comes standard with video playback, voice recording, and an FM tuner. Also included is a unique stylus that doubles as a kick stand. Sound quality is great (according to CNET who give this 8.3/10). It’s on the pricier side when compared to rivals, but should be on your list of possibilities. Available in 2 and 4 GB’s

Cowon D2 is Available at Amazon for around $195

Samsung YP-K3
The Samsung YP-K3 is cool looking and simple to use with its intuitive menus, fast interface and good quality sound (according to CNET who give this 7.3/10) If you are a Mac user then this mp3 player is not for you. But if you are looking for an iPod Nano alternative, then consider the YP-K3 from Samsung. Available in 2 and 4 GB’s


The Samsung YP-K3 is available at Amazon for around $155


Creative ZEN Stone Plus
The Zen Stone Plus is an iPod Shuffle alternative that is worth checking out. It is priced very competitively with good sound quality and easy to use functions. It supports Audible files and has a Skip Folder function that makes it easy to skip through groups of tracks.

The Creative ZEN Stone Plus is available at Amazon in various colors for around $70

Iriver Clix2
The iRiver Clix2 is the second generation iRiver Clix that is even sleeker and slimmer than its predecessor. The player comes with an FM radio; a voice recorder; an alarm clock; support for subscription content as well as OGG and Audible files; and photo, video, and text viewing. Well rated by CNET with 8.7/10 this is one mp3 player that you should consider seriously.

The Iriver Clix2 is available at Amazon for around $195 for the 4GB version

Creative Zen Vision:M
The Zen Vision M is available in five colors with 30 or 60GB. It has a great screen, simple user interface, strong battery life, FM tuner / recorder and supports a wide range of online music stores and subscription services, as well as video formats. It has excellent audio and video quality. The downside, there is no iTunes-like video content at present and you need an adaptor for transfers and power. This is another iPod alternative that is highly rated by CNET with 8/10

The 60GB Creative Zen Vision:M is available at Amazon for around $270

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Philps Unleash iPod & Go Gear Compatible Music Systems

Philips have updated there lineup of iPod / Philips Go Gear MP3 player compatible docks ranging from the simple alarm-clock to mini-systems that feature detachable speakers, USB connectivity and ‘Dynamic Base Boost’. Currently the majority of the systems below, are available in the UK, but should hopefully migrate to the US in the near future:


AJ300D: Five speaker alarm-clockAlarm clock with remote, dual wake-up alarm, built-in radio tuner. Available at Amazon for $78.55

AZ1330D: This "Boom box" style dock includes, CD player, digital tuner with presets, remote control, 2x4W RMS sound output with Dynamic Bass Boost. Available at Amazon for $89.98

MCM138D: Mini stereo system, separate cradle, CD player, radio tuner, LCD panel, 2x2W RMS amplifier with Dynamic Bass Boost, two separate bass-reflex 3.5-inch driven speakers, £89.99 in the UK

MCM398D: Mini stereo system, separate cradle, CD player, radio tuner, LCD panel, 2x50W RMS performance via two-way bass reflex speakers with 4-inch woofer and Piezo tweeters, £139.99 in the UK

DC199: Mini stereo system, built-in dock, digital radio tuner, built-in subwoofer with 4-inch driver, separate speakers featuring metal drivers and neodynium magnets, £139.99 in the UK

DCM230: Mini stereo / "Boom box", built-in dock, USB Direct, CD player, two speakers delivering 15W of power each, £199.99 in the UK

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5 Ways to Cool Down this Summer

Over at PC Mag they picked 10 gadgets to help you stay cool; here are my 5 favourites:

Elecom SX-CL03MSV USB Laptop Cooler
The Elecom SX-CL03MSV USB Laptop Cooler, uses its dual fan to remove hot air from beneath your laptop. Two modes are available, Normal and Quiet, to reach the desired fan speed. Just connect it to the USB port and let it sit under your laptop. Compatible with both Windows and Mac, it sells for $49 at AudioCubes.com


Grilltek Barbecue Fan/Light Combo
Need to shed light on your BBQ and keep cool at the same time; then the Grilltek Barbecue Fan/Light Combo might be just want you need. Completely battery-operated, this flexible fan clips onto the side of any grill to not only cool you down, but blow smoke away from your face. Get it now for $29.95 from Gevalia.com.

Small Collapsible Musicooler
The Small Collapsible Musicooler from California Innovations can hold nine 12-ounce cans and features an AM/FM radio and an audio input to connect your MP3 playerPriced at $27.50 at KeepYourCooler.com

360-degree Tabletop Fan
The 360 degree fan from Frontgate means that all your guests will be kept cool this. With three speeds, it's also very portable with the carry handle. Its not cheap at $239 but your guests will be happy you spent the money.

USB Adjustable Fan
The USB Adjustable fan from USBGeek is powered surprisingly by your computers USB port. It features variable speed control, soft blades, and a foldable design and sells for only $9

Source: PCMag

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Sony's NSC-GC1 Net-sharing CAM for Social Networks

Sony has just announced that they will be releasing there new ‘made for social networking sites’ camcorder in September. If you like the look of the NSC-GC1 Net-sharing CAM you can pre-order it starting July 19.

The NSC-GC1 Net-sharing CAM is targeted at social networking site users; specifically those that frequent YouTube and Crackle. Priced at around $200 The Net-sharing CAM can shoot video ranging from QVGA (320x240) at 15 frames per second to VGA (640x480) at 30 frames per second. The camcorder records directly to Sony's Memory Stick DUO memory cards, and the included Picture Motion Browser and PMB Portable software helps streamline uploading videos to the Web. The NSC-GC1 Net-sharing CAM also doubles as a 5 MP camera for those still shots that you want to capture.

It has a built-in flash, 4x digital zoom and a 2.4-inch color LCD screen. Powered with rechargeable Lithium Ion technology, the model has a battery life of about 90 minutes (depending on recording conditions). It can record about five hours of web-ready video footage on a Memory Stick™ PRO Duo media card, when recording with the default settings on a 2GB media card

Online pre-orders will begin on July 19 at www.sonystyle.com/netsharingcam.

Source: Sony Press release via Engadget
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Canon’s Selphy CP749 Photo Printer

Canon will be releasing its new Selphy CP749 photo printer this fall. The printer (that fits in the palm of your hand) offers a 2 inch LCD screen and automatic ‘red-eye’ reduction.

The Selphy CP740 is compact and light weight and prints borderless, full photo lab quality 4x6 prints in approximately 58 seconds. When used with Canon high quality paper and ink, images should last up to 100 years.

The Selphy CP740 should retail at around $99

Source: Canon Press Release

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JVC Introduce HA-NC250 Noise-Canceling Headphones

JVC has just announced there top of the range 'noise cancelling' headphones, to rival those4 of Bose. The HA-NC250 should be available in early August for $199.95. These headphones weigh in at 5.3 ounces and JVC claim that they can eliminate upto 85% of background noise using their adaptive feedback technology.

The HA-NC250’s noise cancellation circuitry includes feedback technology that constantly monitors the noise cancellation process. As a result, the headphones eliminate up to 85 percent of extraneous background noise. To further block noise, the HA-NC250 offers two JVC innovations that help isolate the listener from outside sounds. First, each earpiece employs a double housing structure for an extra sound insulation layer. Second, JVC developed a new technique for attaching the headphone’s smooth memory foam cushioned ear pads to the housing that helps isolate background noise. The smooth pads also enhance comfort. These sound isolation features, for which patents have been applied, are especially important since the HA-NC250 can be used with the active noise cancellation switched off.

The headphones folds flat, and your $199.95 gets you: a slim carrying case, a four-foot detachable cord, airline dual plug adapter, and ¼-inch plug adapter for use with many home audio and video components, as well as the headphones.

Powered by a single 1.5-volt AAA battery, you should get around 50 hours of use

Source: JVC Press Room
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Flying Pig Delivers Animated Paper Models

I stumbled upon this site the other day and thought it was well worth a mention here; even if the gadgets are a little low tech. Flying Pig produces paper animation kits that you can download and print from your home computer. Once printed you just need to follow the instructions to produce your very own low tech paper animated gadgets.

The site has several different animated paper models that can be downloaded for a small price (and some available for free). These would make great stocking fillers or gifts for those that have everything.

Check the site out and see what you think. www.flying-pig.co.uk/index.php

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