Tech check
Anthony Teasdale rounds up the latest gadgets for home and away Anglepoise lamp There’s lamps – and then there’s the Anglepoise. A byword for cool since its invention in 1934, the reissued 75th anniversary 1227 model is one of those rare items, like the Roberts Revival radio, that never dates. Using an ingenious spring-loaded mechanism, [...]
Anthony Teasdale rounds up the latest gadgets for home and away
Anglepoise lamp
There’s lamps – and then there’s the Anglepoise. A byword for cool since its invention in 1934, the reissued 75th anniversary 1227 model is one of those rare items, like the Roberts Revival radio, that never dates. Using an ingenious spring-loaded mechanism, the lamp can be manipulated and moved into any position – thereby making it a favourite with designers since it first came on to the market. And when your iPhone is gathering dust in a shoebox under your bed, the Anglepoise will still be there, lighting up whatever you’re doing. A classic.
£110.64, www.anglepoise.com
Magis Garçon trolley
Shopping trollies may well be standard issue for grandmas, but with plastic bags enjoying the same level of PR reserved for knife-carrying hoodies, the trolley is grabbing itself some eco-cool points. We particularly like Magis’s sleek Garçon model, which is made from a lightweight aluminium frame and houses a generous waterproof nylon bag. Wonder if you can get it in tartan?
£175, www.nest.co.uk
Nokia 5800
Another month, another challenger has a shot at the seemingly invincible iPhone. With a generous 3.2” widescreen, DVDquality film capture and an 8MB card to store music on, this is a serious effort from the Finnish giant. It’s even got integrated stereo speakers, meaning you can really annoy your fellow citizens with your music taste wherever you are. Boasting wireless and 3G connectivity, it should have Apple’s technicians looking increasingly over their shoulders.
£249 (check with your provider for offers), www.nokia.co.uk
Polaroid PoGo
A compact digital camera, the PoGo comes – in true Polaroid style – with an inbuilt printer, which enables the user to whiz off 2”x3” pictures as soon as they’ve taken a snap. Using the same inkless technology first utilized in last year’s mobile phone printer, the pictures are sharp, full-bodied and perfect for sticking in your wallet.
£120 approx, www.thenewinstant.com
Five Things To Know About…
The Sony XEL-1 OLED Television
- The screen is a Ryvita-worrying 3mm thick, but at the moment the only model available has a tiny 11” screen.
- It uses Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, which are superior to anything out there at the moment.
- It has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, meaning plasma-beating pictures whenever you turn your set on.
- All the sockets are in the base, leaving the screen wire and clutter free.
- Bigger versions will become available over the next few months, so unless you’re desperate (and rich enough) for some bedside TV chic, hold your horses.
£1,600-£2,500 (depending on whether you buy it in the US or UK), www.sony.co.uk
