Check list
Anthony Teasdale on this month’s must haves
Oris Divers Titan Chronograph watch
It’s big. It’s chunky. And about as manly as a watch can get without growing a beard and challenging you to an arm-wrestling bout. With a titanium case and bracelet, the Oris is water-resistant to a meaty 1,000m, and thanks to its Superluminova display and unidirectional bezel you’ll always be able tell how long your oxygen supply has got left – no matter how deep you are. Very useful when you’re showing it off to your mates in the pub. £1,395, www.oris.ch + + + +
UbiSurfer netbook
This is the first netbook to offer free internet access in the UK and low-cost roaming abroad. Available from Maplin electronics shops, the UbiSurfer can connect over the mobile phone network with its inbuilt SIM card, meaning you can always get online (it has Wi-fitoo). You get 30 hours of free surfing a month for 12 months and 5p per minute roaming in Europe. Factor in a shockproof solid-state 1GB hard drive, a further 25GB of online storage, and you can see how UbiSurfer could well prove to be your ideal travelling companion. £149.99, www.ubisurfer.com + + + +
Scrittarello writing desk
Pick up a design classic at the Conran Shop. Italian designer Achille Castiglioni, who died in 2002, tried to use the minimum amount of materials in his work. But with solid beech legs and a beech-veneered plywood/laminate top, the Scrittarello writing desk is as strong as it is elegant.
A perfect addition to any home office, the piece has two useful shelves under the top, ideal for storing your Mac Mini or Oxford Dictionary. Suitable for both designers and novelists alike, it’ll lend your home a stylish European edge. Beautiful. £1,195, www.conranshop.co.uk + + + + +
Cheapo digital watch
Want some retro cool without breaking the bank? Like to pretend it’s 1983 again? Have trouble with simple arithmetic? You’ll be wanting this digital calculator watch from the appropriately named Cheapo then. Of course, the piece does all the sorts of sums and equations every 12-year-old needs to do in his or her maths class. But it also has the added bonus of looking, well, extremely fashionable, at least if you live in a trendy part of East London. And, ultimately, with something like this, that’s the whole point. £22.50, www.asos.com + + +
FIVE FACTS ABOUT…
The Olympus E-P1 camera
The design is based on Olympus’s 1959 ‘Pen’ range, hence its classic retro feel.
Thanks to its ‘Four Thirds’ adaptor, users will able to put a range of other manufacturers’ lenses on the body.
The camera boasts a 12.1MP sensor – similar to that of an entry-level D-SLR.
The E-P1 also comes with the facility to shoot HD movies.
Small and lightweight, the camera is a similar size to a regular compact.
Around £600, www.olympus.co.uk + + + +
