BUSINESS GADGETS

Philips DC290/05 Speaker Doc. No-one likes getting up for work on a Monday morning, but by replacing that soul-destroyingly shrill bleeping from your alarm clock with your favourite music Monday mornings might just get a little bit easier. Step up the Philips DC290 – this speaker dock allows you to dock and charge your iPhone/iPod and then set an alarm using the built-in clock function in order to wake you up with your choice of tunes. In fact, you can even select a gradually increasing alarm volume which means that you can say goodbye to being rudely awakened with a barrage of noise first thing in the morning. Not only that, the dock also includes a radio setting and the Digital Sound Control function means that you can choose from a range of pre-set controls to optimise the frequency range to suit your favourite musical tastes. Each mode uses graphic equalising technology to automatically adjust the sound balance in order to enhance the most important sound frequencies – whatever the style of music you choose. Should your partner decide they prefer a different time or style of alarm, the DC290 can even accommodate this whim as it has a dual alarm feature allowing you to set different alarm settings as well as different alarm times for weekdays and weekends.

iPhone 4 whit. Onlookers were desperate to catch a glimpse of the most important design in years – pure white, with elegant lines and a glossy finish. No, we aren’t talking about the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress (although that was pretty special too!) but about the iPhone 4 which has been newly launched in white. Exactly the same as the black version in terms of technical settings, there is one very small difference: the white iPhone is roughly 0.2mm thicker than the black version. Admittedly, that’s about a hair’s breadth but it’s worth bearing in mind when choosing a protective case for your new toy – some of the rigid cases might not be compatible, given the slightly larger dimensions. According to Apple’s Senior Vice President, the reason for the white iPhone’s slightly larger waistline is that the white version needed a different manufacturing process to ensure durability, “It’s not as simple as making something white… There’s a lot more that goes into both the material science of it – how it holds up over time… but also in how it all works with the sensors.” Apparently the extra millimetres are something to do with protection against UV. Regardless, the white iPhone is a beauty, just make sure you wash your hands before taking a call because grubby fingerprints would ruin the image!

Bang & Olufsen – BeoCom 2. For the executive with a flair for style, the classic BeoCom 2 telephone is just the ticket for personalising your office. The distinctive slim, curved telephone is crafted from a single piece of aluminium and ergonomic design means it sits naturally in the hand and the gentle curve of the phone matches the shape of the human face. The charger can be placed on the wall or the table, so this cordless gem can be carried around the office or home as needed. Bang & Olufsen’s famous audio technology is demonstrated in full force in this phone and the BeoCom recreates every nuance in the voice of the person you are speaking to and you can even control the volume on other Bang & Olufsen products using the telephone which is a slick feature. The BeoCom 2 is available in a range of colours including yellow, blue and red for the more adventurous (although purists are well-catered for as classic black, grey and white are also options for the telephone.) Not just a pretty face, the BeoCom has numerous technological functions which will impress – the phonebook is automatically created as calls are made and received and can hold up to 200 name and number entries. This clever process is carried out by the BeoCom 2 where you save the number for the person you’ve just spoken to at the end of every call. In fact, the BeoCom 2 could just be the politically correct 21st century equivalent to a ‘Miss Moneypenny’ secretary – beautiful, smart and able to organise your address book!

Kindle. A recent survey has discovered that e-book sales have outstripped sales of paperbacks for the first time. Amazon released a statement saying that, “Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the company has sold 115 Kindle books.” Anyone who has used a Kindle will know exactly why this e-reader is taking over from the traditional paperback; the device can store up to 3,500 books and it is lighter and far easier to transport that a large pile of books. Even better, if you go for the 3G version you can download any book straight from the Amazon store at any time from anywhere in the world which makes it perfect if you have a sudden desire to tuck into the latest bestseller at 3am on a beach in the Maldives. You can even download a free sample of a book before you buy - rather like flicking through the first chapter in a bookstore. Slightly smaller than a paperback, the Kindle is designed to be held in one hand (you scroll with a finger or thumb) which makes it a great travel companion on a crowded tube train when every last bit of elbow room counts. The Kindle has a screen which looks almost exactly like ink on paper so there is no squinting at a shiny screen or struggling to read in bright sunlight. The ultimate travel accessory for the frequent flier – the Kindle fits easily into a small handbag or even a jacket pocket, so it won’t use up your baggage allowance. Overall, the Kindle is a must-have for this year’s summer holiday season – not least because you can secretly read a trashy novel by the pool while pretending it’s Proust!

Airpen from Pentel. This is one pen that just might really be mightier than the sword! In fact, Pentel’s new digital pen is a far cry from the humble biro. A specially designed digital pen and a memory unit with Bluetooth capability, the airpenPocket is actually able to receive and send data. Sounds great, but how does it work? Simple! You use the pen to take down a note and whatever you have written is automatically recorded in the device memory unit. The data can then be transferred to your PC through Bluetooth. The Airpen may not look slick (it looks like your average ink pen, with a navy blue barrel and silver logo) but a humble aesthetic belies a smart interior. Compatible with Smartphones and tablet devices, Pentel is also rolling out applications for Android-based devices – the ultimate ambidextrous writing tool!

Apple iPad 2. There is no denying that the Apple iPad 2 looks beautiful. Like all Apple products it is all smooth lines and shinny surfaces. Three major improvements have been made to the original model: • It is 1/3 thinner, and has a slightly smaller surface area thanks to a thinner bezel, with a sloped edge. It’s also about a quarter lighter than the older model (making it incredibly portable) and these small differences have clearly added to the aesthetic of the machine. • The iPad 2 has two front and back facing cameras which will enable exciting new applications such as FaceTime video chatting • The iPad 2 also has a dual-core 1GHz processor, which, according to Apple will double the speed and improve graphics by nine times. Apart from these modifications the iPad remains largely the same. The problem remains that although wonderfully clear for inside use the iPad screen is still difficult to read when viewed in direct sunlight. However, the iPad 2 remains amazing fun; A luxury toy that everyone should have. Samsu

B&W Zeppelin Air iPod Dock. The Zeppelin Air is the latest of Bowers & Wilkins premium iPod sound systems. The first to incorporate Apple AirPlay technology, allowing users to wirelessly stream music direct from an iTunes PC or an Apple iOS device. Incredibly beautifully designed and carefully put together this is one of the most elegant speaker systems on the market as well as one of the cleverest. Aesthetically, it follows the same distinctive rugby-ball lines that Zeppelin is known for: large at 640mm wide and a weighty 6.2kg. You will need to get the system rigged up to your home’s Wi-Fi network but once this is done the Zeppelin Air becomes a pleasure to use. Switch on iTunes, click the AirPlay button and you will have music instantly playing on the speaker dock. You can stream to multiple Zeps and adjust the volume independently on each from iTunes’ AirPlay window. Alternatively, you can stream from any iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running iOS4.2, again via your Wi-Fi network. This system is simply amazing and so stylish that even if it did nothing more than look good it would be worth keeping around.

Samsung Tic Toc mp3 player. Aimed at the budget end of the mp3 market, Tic Toc is a screen-free music player that’s billed by the Korean tech titan as being, “…for young women who want the latest fashion gadgets.” This sounds like it may be a fairly useless piece of technology. However, Tic Toc is actually a very good mp3. It is larger and more rounded than the iPod Shuffle, with an smart egg cup-shaped dock. The interest comes from the fact that by shaking the Tic Toc three times, you can skip through different modes to match your mood. There’s normal, which plays back tunes in order, shuffle and then fast and slow modes. The latter two being what really make Tic Toc stand out. Shaking it to fast is great to motivate you during exercise and slow can be incredibly relaxing in your chill out time. The 4GB of storage is a good amount and the sound is relatively rich while the headphones are surprisingly sharp. At £10 less that an iPod shuffle our verdict is that it is a good mp3 option to take to the gym or to buy for a gift for a teenage girl. Reliable, relatively well priced but not the most exciting product on the market.

Olympus VN 8600pc digital voice recorder. This flash based digital voice recorder from Olympus gives first-time users the ideal combination of simplicity and features. It is lightweight at 66 g and with bigger full-dot displays, easy-to-use recording modes and double the memory this is a great addition to the VN series. The model boasts long battery life and an enhanced ergonomic design, while being PCcompatible. It can be used for anything from recording meeting, interviews or brainstorming moments to capturing and sharing holiday sound bites and notes-toself. Sometimes there is just no time to write things down and this voice recorder offers the perfect solution.

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