Tech talk
Everything you need, at home and away
Anthony Teasdale gets his hands on the latest gadgets
Amacom DataLocker
With the British government blithely losing its citizens’ confidential personal data, it’s surprising that devices like this aren’t standard issue in every office. DataLocker has an inbuilt PIN code to keep your secret information, well, secret. Because you enter the code into the device itself, it can be used with any computer (PC and Mac) and can’t be hacked into externally. It comes in sizes up to 500GB and with encryption up to AES 256bit – the same used by the US Military.
From £169, www.originstorage.com
Amazon Kindle 2
Electronic books have been around since the 1990s, but it has taken a company not normally associated with producing technology, Amazon, to make something that people actually want to own. The new Kindle is thinner than the first incarnation – slimmer than the iPhone in fact – and packs seven times more storage, a clearer display and a ‘Read To Me’ function that can soothe you to sleep by reading out aloud your favourite novel in its robot voice. At the moment, the new Kindle is only available from Amazon’s US site, but it’s likely you’ll soon be able to get it in the UK.
$359 (£250), www.amazon.com
Techlink Opod
The words ‘TV stand’ conjure up the same feelings as phrases such as ‘tax form’ or ‘internal examination’, but for once there is something to get excited about. The Techlink Opod can not only support any flat-screen TV up to 32in wide, but it also looks like something that Mary Quant would have watched Coronation Steet on in 1967. Beautifully lacquered and sitting atop a sturdy chrome base, it’ll bring a touch of King’s Road chic to your place of dwelling.
£200, www.comet.co.uk
Leica M8.2 Special Edition ‘Safari’
No doubt about it, Leica make the world’s most beautiful – and perhaps the best – cameras. The limited edition M8.2 Safari is painted olive green, and has a 10.3MP sensor, a simple menu and an Elamrit lens to deliver truly outstanding performance. Lightweight (180g) and small enough to be easily carried around, the Safari also comes with a specially tailored waterproof bag, courtesy of English luggage specialists Billingham. A once-in-a-lifetime purchase for that oncein- a-lifetime trip to the Kalahari.
£3,000, http://en.leica-camera.com
Five Things To Know About… The Tumi Villa Business Case
- Unlike most business cases it’s stylish enough to actually appeal to the female half of the population
- It has a designated, removable sleeve for your laptop
- The bag is big enough to see you right for an emergency overnight stay
- It has three different pockets inside so you can store your PDA, phone and pens safely
- It’s made of a textured, coated twill fabric with a nylon interior and leather handles
£52, www.tumi.com
