Damson Twist Speaker
Price: $119
Website: ukdamsonaudio.com
Another UK company making a splash
internationally is Damson. Its latest, the Twist, is also appearing at
January’s CES. What makes it so special? It has a resonator that turns the
surface its sitting on into a speaker (‘Incisor diffusion technology’), which
produces better bass and sound quality than a traditional Bluetooth speaker.
Easy to use too - simply give it a twist - it will pair with your smartphone
and start pushing out tunes. It has a nice metallic brushed body, and fits
easily into your pocket.
Toffee cases
Price: Slim for iPad Mini ($75), Shell for
iPhone 5 ($45)
Website: toffeecases.com
Apple accessory brand Toffee has been busy
producing high end luxury cases for the new Wad Mini and iPhone 5.
The Slim is made from 100% leather with a
hard shell base to protect your new iPad. It has all Apple’s magnetic bells and
whistles, so Wi-Fi sleep when you shut it and it folds into a typing stand.
The Toffee Shell is similarly positioned to
appeal to Fashionistas, coming in pink, blue, black and red featuring a nice
pebble-grain leather outer on a custom-fit hard shell.
Nintendo Wii U
Price: $449
If your kids aren’t screaming at you for
this one already - they soon will be. Nintendo’s newest video game console is
not just controlled with the motion controls we saw on the old Wii, just with
an entirely new touchscreen tablet - taking a leaf out of the iPad playbook.
Where this differs is that it offers new
gaming opportunities - you can play on the big screen, while look at your map
or aiming a sniper Rifle on the tablet. Nintendo wants to bring back proper 4+
(in a single room) multiplayer and we can’t complain about that.
Good news for Mum and Dad is, if they want
to watch News night on the TV, little Johnny can continue gaming on the tablet.
It has already sold 400,000 in the first week of its release.
Air Curve Play
Price: $23
Website: firebox.com
The AirCurve Play amplifier is another
portable sound system for the iPhone 4S... but wait! It works without the need
of electricity or batteries, giving films, Skype and music a boost. Its light
weight also makes it easy to carry around for any impromptu Christmas parties.
Appwheel 2.0
Price: $18
The AppWheel 2.0 is just the thing for
anyone who wants to control a racing game on their smartphone with ease. You’ll
probably be laughed at if you pulled it out during your work lunch break but,
it will make any r driving game a lot more fun, perfect to throw to the kids in
the back seat for the next on trip to the Lake District. It has an
accelerometer, so works best with games such as Asphalt 7 that support it.
Works on both Android and iOS.
Swissvoice CHO1
Price: $60
Sick of trying to hold a slippery iPhone
under your ear while at work? Or do you just want to look very cool in an old
fashioned sort of way? Swiss voice’s latest connects directly to a mobile
phone, PC or tablet for a more stylish and comfortable conversation perfect for
Skype or general phone calling. No Boffin Y Bluetooth headsets here please. It
also comes in orange, blue and green and for the full on Apple nerds - pure
white.
Energenie Chargenie
Price: $13
Sick of the accessories market being
dominated by various Apple dongles? Here’s a BlackBerry, Android and Windows Phone
exclusive, the Chargenie. Essena11y a spare battery, its gel pad design clamps
to the back of any smartphone, but is also easy to remove once charging is
finished. The charger’s flexible cent.re spine allows the battery to bend and
follow the handset’s contours for a secure fit.
Microsoft Wedge
Mobile Keyboard and Mou
Price: $120 (keyboard), $15 (mouse)
Website: microsott.com
As anyone who has tried to get work done on
a tablet knows, it’s hopeless with an onscreen keyboard. Microsoft’s latest not
only comes in a lovely metal frame with proper sturdy keys, but its case folds
into a solid stand for the tablet screen. Currently the best option for Wad or
Microsoft Surface users The Wedge Mouse won’t work with an Wad, but it is
perfect for any laptop, good for four way scrolling and then slip it Into your
pocket.
As
anyone who has tried to get work done on a tablet knows, It’s hopeless with an
onscreen keyboard.
