Harrods is the first department store in the UK to sell the latest in sport simulation technology. Costing over £40,000, the Visiotics Virtual Reality Golf System is the ultimate boy’s toy. The highly sophisticated system allows you to enjoy a completely realistic round of golf without even having to don your waterproofs. No more wrestling to fit the clubs in the back of the car - just wander into your simulator at home!
Virtual reality 3D images draw you into the natural surroundings of the world’s most prestigious golf courses while you experience a round or a practice session in real time, oblivious to the usual hassles of time, travel or weather. Designed in conjunction with golf professionals, the Virtual Reality Golf System shows you the exact result of your swing, depicting exactly where your ball lands on the course, whether on the green or in the bunker!
To experience Visiotics, swing by Harrod’s Golf Department for a demonstration or visit www.visiotics.com
The Logitech Sphere is the first and only web cam that physically moves to keep a person’s face automatically centred in the field of view. The pan and tilt feature in the Sphere allows the web cam to physically turn 140 degrees side-to-side (for a total 180-degree field of view), and 60 degrees up and down – freeing users from the hassle of manually moving the camera
Auto-zoom technology offers the option to zoom in up to three times the normal viewing size, making video instant messaging and video calling more fun, since the person on the other end will be able to see detailed facial expressions. QuickCam Sphere captures up to 1.3 megapixel still photos, and true 640x480 videos with its high-quality CCD sensor. It includes a 9-inch stand, so the camera can be elevated to eye-level, and a built-in microphone for easy addition of audio to instant messaging or video clips.
Priced at £99.99 – visit www.logitech.co.uk for more information.
Combining a mobile phone with a high power gaming console, the Nokia N-Gage QD was recently released.
The N-Gage QD mobile game deck is a compact device with a hot-swappable multimedia (MMC) slot for instant gaming, longer battery life, improved gaming controls, brighter screen. Gamers will be able to play all of their favourite N-Gage titles, connect to the worldwide mobile gaming community over mobile networks via the N-Gage Arena as well as take part in close-range mobile multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth wireless technology.
The N-Gage QD game deck supports existing N-Gage game titles as well forthcoming N-Gage exclusive titles like Ashen, Pathway to Glory and Pocket Kingdom: Own The World, and blockbuster hits like The Sims: Bustin' Out, Crash Nitro Kart and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2004.
Prices dependant on contract, for more information, visit www.n-gage.com/qd
Apple revolutionised the MP3 market when they released their original iPod, and now they are releasing its ‘little brother’ – the iPod mini. At half the size of its predecessor, it still holds up to 1,000 songs. The ultra-portable player is covered in a lightweight aluminium body in a choice of five colours – silver, gold, pink, blue or green – and features a similar easy ‘Click Wheel’ navigation as the original iPod. It’s also seamlessly compatible with Apple’s iTunes service, the most popular legal music download site on the web.
The same way that digital television changed the way we watch our favourite programmes, digital radio is set to revolutionise the world of broadcasting. Digital Audio Broadcasting, or DAB, offers listeners crystal clear sound and a myriad of new stations that can’t be accessed through analogue receivers. Morphy Richards has just released the Ordio DAB Rewind, a stylish DAB radio with an easy to read information window, which displays the name of the channel, the programme details, and even the name of the track that’s playing. It even lets you rewind live broadcasts – so if, for example, you miss the start of the news or the weather, at the push of a button you’ll be taken ‘back in time’ - up to 10 minutes.
Priced at £149.99, for stockists telephone 0870 0602614 or visit www.morphyrichards.co.uk
Palm Pilot Tungsten C
For computing on the move, you can’t look past Palm Pilots – and Palm has just released the Tungsten C, their most powerful hardware ever. It’s ridiculously fast, with a 400mhz processor and 64MB of RAM, and packed with high productivity software, as well as secure connections for easy synchronisation with your other devices. The high-resolution colour screen displays web pages, Office documents, presentations, videos, photos and more with ultra-sharp clarity.
For more information, visit www.palmone.com/uk
For such a compact camcorder, Sony’s new DCR-PC350 is about to make a big impact in the personal video market. Armed with a 3 Megapixel CCD with Primary Colour Filter and the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens system for maximum light and colour sensitivity and precise capture of moving images, the DCR-PC350 is certain to offer the best picture quality among compact camcorders of a similar size. Ideal as a family camcorder, the DCR-PC350 is able to provide this compact functionality because of its companion Handycam Station. This gives the camcorder access to a maximum range of connectivity options and charges the battery when docked, but enables the DCR-PC350 to be as compact and as portable as possible when recording.
Available September, visit www.sony.com for more information
Sony AIBO ERS-7
Man’s best friend becomes boys best toy, as Sony release their third generation AIBO electronic dog – the ERS-7, which boasts enhanced communication skills and new levels of functionality. The new ERS-7 features a cool new design that refines its cute looks, and a richer LED display on its face known as ‘Illume-Face’, that lets the new AIBO express a wider variety of emotions.
One of the key applications of the ‘AIBO Mind’ software is the ability to use Wireless LAN technology, allowing AIBO to remotely connect to an Internet enabled PC or mobile device. For example, the owner can send an email instruction to AIBO asking it to take an unsuspecting picture of the owner’s children and send it back to the mobile phone! The owner can also benefit from the Wireless LAN by transferring the pictures taken independently by AIBO and viewing them on a PC.
What’s more, the clever behaviour of AIBO has been rewarded with a new toy, the AIBOne, Artificial Intelligence’s answer to the canine bone. AIBO can even pick the bone up in this mouth.
For more information, visit www.sony.com