Hope you enjoyed our gadget segment on the Today Show this morning. We had a great time demonstrating the one-stop shop portable recharger the Power Monkey Explorer; Garmin’s latest, GPS device for fitness freaks; and the Road Mice mouse, which is something just a little bit different to help you navigate your way around your keyboard.
Be aware that the solar slave takes longer than a power cord to power up the unit.. www.simms.com.au RRP
$149.99 Garmin Forerunner 405CX Garmin’s Forerunner 405CX is part of Garmin’s GPS-enabled fitness line. This unit provides a heart rate-based calorie computation. It monitors the micro changes in a user’s heart rate and uses that detailed information to calculate the number of calories burned during aerobic activity. There is a choice of two additional form-fitting bands to accommodate large and small wrists. This unit also has a patent-pending touch bezel on the face of the watch whereby users can tap hold or run a finger along the bezel to find the right window to get information – very similar feature to the iPod. It is water-resistant (IPX7) and can be used outdoors or indoors. The high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix acquires and sustains satellite reception, whether you’re tackling an outdoor track or jogging through the urban canyons of skyscrapers. Once the workout is done, the training is far from over. Using ANT+ technology, the Forerunner 405CX sends workout data to the user’s PC or Mac via automatic wireless data transfer. www.garmin.com.au RRP
$499 Road Mice Mouse The Road Mice mouse is a cool little number that computer freaks will love, as it adds just that little bit of extra fun to your mouse. Sure, it only does what an ordinary mouse does, but it certainly is a lot nicer looking and will garner comments from friends and work mates. It is cordless, but comes with a USB that attaches to the keyboard. The vendor also offers a comprehensive insurance package that will cover such incidents as “being eaten by an animal or stamped on by jealous friends”.
It has working headlights (why? No idea, but it certainly adds to the “look”), and you can buy a similar mouse pad, too. www.roadmice.com RRP
Around $60 over the internet LG ARENA LG’s Arena multimedia phone’s new multimedia features include a totally new 3D S-Class User Interface (UI), and has some pundits believing it could rival the iPhone for functionality. There a quite a few things I like about this phone including its Dolby Mobile technology that delivers surround sound experience for video content and enhance the sound of music content. Reel Scrolling lays out menus as if they were on a film reel, providing icons for each choice. Dragging a finger across the S-Class UI’s 3D reels allows users to scroll through entertainment options. ARENA’s graphics are evident in the phone’s Floating Image Gallery. When held upright, the phone displays photos neatly in rows. But turn the phone on its side and the photos cascade off the screen and reappear much larger. LG ARENA’s 3.0-inch full touchscreen display has WVGA resolution, which is four times sharper than QVGA, which means you can watchDVD quality DivX or Xvid movies on-the-go. ARENA can handle hundreds of music and movie files with 8GB of internal memory and 16GB of external memory. The battery provides up to 30 hours of MP3 playtime and 300 hours of standby time. It also comes with a five megapixel camera. The unit’s audio, video and photos can be shared on social networking sites, due to 3G HSDPA 7.2 networks and Wi-Fi. The phone also supports Google Mobile Service which includes Google search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube and Google Blogs. A-GPS and geo-tagging are also possible. All of these features are in ARENA’s sleek and refined metal body, sized to grab and go at 105.9 x 55.3 x 11.95 mm. Tempered glass over the touchscreen ensures durability. ARENA will be available in silver and black titanium colour schemes. www.au.lge.com RRP
$799