BlackBerry Pearl 8110 with GPS

What's better than a BlackBerry Pearl smartphone? A BlackBerry Pearl smartphone with built in GPS. Unlike the WiFi enabled Pearl 8820 released at the end of last year, the 8810 swaps fast wireless data for satnav, so you'll always be able to find your way to your destination.

The 8110 also ups the camera rating of the original Pearl to a semi-decent 2 megapixels and adds the ability to capture video as well. If you buy one on Vodafone it also comes with a 12 month subscription to Vodafone Sat Nav thrown in for free.

It also supports all the usual BlackBerry features you'd expect, so email becomes as easy to manage as text messages. Of course, the ultimate Pearl would be one with both GPS and WiFi built-in, but then you can't always get what you want.

The Pearl 8110 is available now from free on contract from Vodafone.

AlertMe home monitoring system

AlertMe is looking to change the home security market with its new system that allows you to keep tabs on what's happening in your home when you're not there. The kit can be self installed without the need for running wires all over your house or drilling into the walls.

Once it's in place it can monitor what's happening while you're out and alert you to potential break-ins or fires via text message or email. The system can also be set up to notify nearby friends or family so they can check if things are okay if you're 400 miles away.

Individual family members can be assigned their own identifiable key fobs, so you can even get an alert so you know children have arrived home safely while you're out.

AlertMe is available now as a kit for £399, plus £11.75 per month for the monitoring service. For more information see AlertMe.

Intempo Daisy

Internet radio offers much more choice than standard FM, but it does tie you down to a fixed connection. Intempo is looking to change all that with its new portable receiver.

Daisy is a portable internet radio receiver, which also doubles as an FM set as well. It connects via WiFi, so you can only use it in places where you've got wireless coverage. Is has a rechargeable battery and it should last for up to 20 hours between charges.

It features multiple speakers, providing great audio quality and a decent stereo effect despite its small size, and its touch sensitive controls, make it simple to operate. It supports all internet radio formats, including Real and Windows Media so it can access over 6,000 radio stations from all over the world.

Daisy will be available in April for around £150, for see Intempo for further details.

Revo Blik RadioStation

If you're a fan of radio but can't decide whether to go for DAB or WiFi internet radio then Revo has made things simpler for you by creating a hybrid tuner that lets you listen to both.

The Blik RadioStation provides access to DAB stations, those broadcast via the internet and also traditional FM transmission all in one box. It also supports the newer DAB+ standard, so it's future proofed too.

If you find that amount of choice is overwhelming, it can also playback tunes from your iPod or stream tracks from you PC so you can listen to some of your favourite music. It also features an alarm clock and remote control and is available in either black or white.

The Blik RadioStation is available now for £149.95 from Revo.

Samsung SPF-83V

Samsung has teamed up with Microsoft to create a web enabled digital photo frame, making it simple to display pictures from an online photo gallery or from your home PC.

The SPF-83V has an 8in, 800 x 480 TFT display and a built in 802.11b/g WiFi adapter so it can connect to the internet via your home wireless broadband connection. The frame works with Microsoft's Windows Live Photo Gallery service so you can simply upload photos or albums from your desktop PC to Windows Live Spaces and the images will be displayed on the frame. It will also work with other photo sharing sites that support RSS feeds.

It has 64MB of onboard memory for storing pics and features a built in card reader for SD/MMC/MS/xD/CF memory card formats.

The SPF-83V is available to pre-order now from Micro Anvika for £169.99.

Trendnet TV-IP312W

Whether you want to keep an eye on your office or home while you're away - or just your drinks cabinet while you're out - the Trendnet TV-IP312W can be your eyes and ears when you're not around.

It can stream a clear MPEG4 video of what's in front of it over your broadband connection, so you can keep an eye on things wherever you've got an internet connection - it can even stream images to a 3G mobile phone.

It has a built-in microphone, so you can hear what's going on too - and if you hook it up to a pair of speakers you can even use it for two way communication. It also includes infra-red night vision so you can make out what's happening in low light conditions.

The TV-IP312W is available now for £204.83 from Trendnet.

Archos 605 WiFi Harry Potter Edition

Archos has teamed up with Warner Bros to create a limited Harry Potter version of its 605 WiFi player. The special edition player comes pre-loaded with the first four Harry Potter films, so you can watch them straight out of the box.

If you're currently waiting of the fifth installment to become available, don't worry about missing out as The Order of the Phoenix will be available to download from the Archos Content Portal at the same time the DVD comes out.

In addition to over 10 hours of Harry Potter goodness, the 605 features a 20GB hard drive, so there's plenty of space to load up additional movies or music. It has a 4.3in 800x480 pixel resolution touch screen display and the built in WiFi even allows you to surf the internet wherever you've got wireless coverage.

The 605 WiFi Harry Potter Edition will be available in January for £189.99, see Archos for more information.

Bye Bye Standby Online

If you're feeling a little guilty about your carbon footprint, but don't really want to give up your gadgets, then Bye Bye Standby can make you feel better about your impact on the environment by allowing you to at least reduce your energy use when you're not actually playing with your toys.

Just plug it into your router and you can monitor your energy use and even turn devices off wherever you've got an internet connection. It integrates with Bye Bye Standby's Smart Sockets and allows you to control the power supply to any device plugged into them in your home.

According to the company, the system will save the average UK household £38 a year on their electricity bill, which isn't to be sniffed at, plus you can sleep better at night knowing you're doing your bit to reduce global warming.

The device is available now for £49.99 from Bye Bye Standby.

BlackBerry Pearl 8820

BlackBerry has updated its consumer friendly Pearl mobile phone, so if you like the idea of instant email on the go but don't want to carry round a bulky, business looking handset then it's worth investigating.

The updated model now features a two megapixel camera and built in Wi-Fi, so you can access fast internet when you're in range of a hotspot. You can now, thankfully, swap microSD memory cards without having to remove the battery and its multimedia capabilities have been given a bit of a boost. There's also a built in spell checker now, so you can avoid embarrassing spelling mistakes.

It still features and easy to use roller-ball for navigating round the screen and it works with the BlackBerry Internet Service which makes email as easy to use as SMS.

The Pearl 8820 is available now from O2's website, price depends on contract.

Philips WAC3500D Streamium

If you're eager to be living the digital home dream - streaming your music wirelessly around your pad at the press of a button - but find the whole process a bit too complicated, don't worry because Philips is here to offer a helping hand.

Its WAC3500D Streamium promises to take the hassle out of setting up a home entertainment network. It features an 80GB hard drive - big enough for up to 1,500 CDs - to store your tracks on. Once there they can then be fed wirelessly to up to five other devices dotted around your home.

If you still want to get down and geeky, then you can also stream tracks from a PC or, if you find all that wireless streaming gets a bit overwhelming, then there's an iPod dock for hassle free hook up too.

The WAC3500D will be available late October for £299.99, see Philips for more information.

CoPilot Live Bluetooth GPS kit

If you're after a satnav system, but don't relish the thought of adding to your already over flowing gadget draw (or quite like the idea of sneaking some illicit technology passed the ever watchful eye of the other half) then take a look at CoPilot Live 7.

It's a full GPS navigation system that works with your existing mobile phone offering all the features you'd expect to find in a dedicated unit, such as 2D and 3D map views and voice guided instructions. What's more, it can use the built in data connection in your handset to access real time traffic services from the internet.

The systems works with Windows Mobile based smartphones as well as Pocket PC devices and comes with a Bluetooth GPS receiver (a cheaper version is available without if your phone already has GPS built in).

CoPilot Live 7 will be available from 22nd October for £149.99. See ALK for more information.

Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo Mobile U9200

If you frequently need a laptop to do work on while you're travelling, the last thing you want is some hulking brute that weighs a ton and is awkward to lug around. Fujitsu Siemens' new Esprimo Mobile U9200 is ideal for such purposes as it only weighs 1.8kg and has a small 12.1in display so it won't take up too much space in your luggage.

Despite its small size, it is still feature packed - including an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, at least 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive and an internal dual format DVD writer.

If you also need internet access while you are out and about, then there is even an optional embedded UMTS/HSDPA card available so you can access near broadband speeds over the mobile phone network.

The Esprimo Mobile U9200 is available now from £835.81, see Fujitsu for more further details.

Digital Spectrum MF-8104 Wi-Fi photo frame

A digital picture frame will cut down on your photo printing bill, but you still need to remember to upload your latest images to it, which can be a time consuming process.

With Digital Spectrum's MF-8104 Wi-Fi photo frame, however, you can transfer your images wirelessly, so you don't need to deal with swapping cards or hooking it up to your PC to view your newest holiday snaps.

It can jump on your home wireless network and talk directly with photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Webshots and Windows Live Spaces, so it will always be up to date with any pictures you upload there. It also features a remote control, for scrolling through your images without having to get up and features a multi-format card reader, so you can still display pictures directly from a memory card.

The MF-8104 Wi-Fi photo frame is available now from Firebox for £299.95.

DIY Kyoto Wattson

If you're worried about the size of your carbon footprint, or just how big your next electricity bill is going to be, the Wattson from DIY Kyoto can help you cut your electricity usage by showing you exactly how much you're using.

Just clip the transmitter around the wire running into your electricity meter and then it will monitor your usage and let you know how much each of your precious gadgets is gobbling up. The Wattson communicates wirelessly with the transmitter and will let you know your current energy usage in realtime and even tell you how much it will cost.

Wattson also has a USB port, so you can hook it up to your PC and even go online to see how your individual energy savings stack up as part of a collective effort from fellow Wattson owners.

The Wattson is available to pre-order now for £124.95 from Firebox.

Sony Vaio TZ20

If you can't bear to be without fast internet, no matter where you are, then Sony's offering a version of its super portable Vaio TZ20 with an integrated mobile data connection - which Sony is calling Vaio 'everywair'.

By integrating an HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) adapter into the laptop you can access the internet at up to 3.6Mbps via the mobile phone network. Two antennas are built into the lid of the machine to increase the signal in areas of poor reception.

In addition to mobile broadband, the TZ20 features an 11.1in screen making it small enough to carry around with you and weighs only 1.24kg. Despite its diminutive dimensions, it's big on battery life and should last up to 7.5 hours from a single charge.

The Vaio TZ20 will be available soon, pricing has yet to be confirmed. Keep an eye on Sony's website for more information.

Freecom Wireless DataTank Gateway 1TB

As hard drives get ever bigger, the task of backing them up becomes even harder as there's just so much data to contend with. Sometimes the easiest way to back up a large disk is with an even bigger one, which is where drives like Freecom's Wireless DataTank Gateway come in handy.

With one terabyte of storage space available, it should easily be big enough for backing up all but the largest of drives. It includes a built-in WiFi receiver, so you can access it over a wireless network or you can use the wired Ethernet connection.

It also includes a router, so you can hook it up to a broadband connection for sharing the internet between multiple PCs. If you need to access your files while you're out, you can even connect to it over the internet by FTP.

The Wireless DataTank Gateway 1TB is available now for £399.99, see Freecom for more information.

VoIP calls without a PC

Philips has launched what it claims to be the world's first VoIP-enabled DECT cordless phone that lets you make calls over the internet without switching your PC on.

The VOIP841 connects directly to an Ethernet broadband modem rather than a computer, making and receiving Skype-to-Skype and traditional landline calls via the handset or hands-free speakerphone. It can store up to 500 contacts, informing you when each is online, and features 15 polyphonic ringtones to assign to different callers.

Available from next month for around £130, find out more about the VOIP841 at Phones Philips.

Internet calls on your mobile

Although you can now buy VoIP-enabled mobile phones, such as the Belkin Skype Wi-Fi Phone (see our review), what if you'd like to enjoy cheap internet calls but are perfectly happy with your current handset?

One solution is to buy an IPdrum IP Voicelink, a palm-sized device that lets you connect to Skype and other VoIP services using your existing mobile, so you can talk for free to other Skype users and drastically reduce the cost of international calls. Connecting to your PC via USB, the IPdrum acts as a gateway between your phone and the VoIP network, allowing you to dial Skype contacts from your handset's address book, and make and receive internet calls from anywhere. As it uses your home connection to access the net, and relays calls over the mobile network via its own SIM card, there's no need for a nearby Wi-Fi zone in order to chat.

Claimed to be compatible with any mobile phone, the IPdrum IP Voicelink will be available to buy from the end of January for around £140. Find out more at the IPdrum website.

All hail the iPhone!

It may have been the worst-kept secret in the industry, but the unveiling of the Apple iPhone yesterday still generated huge cheers of excitement around the world.

Heralded as a revolution in mobile technology, the much-hyped handset combines a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and an internet communications device with email, web browsing, searching and maps into one gorgeously-designed lightweight package. It features a 3.5in colour display, which you can simply tap to play music, dial contacts and select functions; a full onscreen QWERTY keyboard for easy text messaging; and a two-megapixel camera.

The iPhone is quadband, WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, runs a mini version of Apple's OS X operating system with an Intel processor (but is compatible with both PCs and Macs), and offers five hours of battery life when talking, browsing the web, or watching video, or 16 hours of audio playback. It will be available in 4GB and 8GB capacities, priced at $499 (£257) and $599 (£310) respectively.

However, while US customers can enjoy this 'magical' mobile as early as June 2007, European customers will have to wait until much later in the year. To learn more about the iPhone, and watch the video of its introduction at the Macword Expo, visit Apple.

Widgets when you wake

That dreaded web-less period between waking up and turning on your PC can now be eliminated thanks to a new bedside clock from Korea.

As well as telling the time, the emTrace WidgetStation provides at-a-glance information from the net, including stocks, weather and RSS feeds; displays photos from your hard drive; alerts you to new email; and tunes into online radio stations. More widgets will be made available in due course.

The dual-screen device (one monochrome LCD and one colour) goes on sale next year at a price yet to be confirmed. Find out more at Emtrace World.

Evesham web-enabled PVR

With its new personal video recorder, the iPlayer, Evesham has created the ideal media device for couch potatoes and mouse potatoes alike. As well as tuning into and recording digital TV and radio channels, the set-top box lets you access the internet; browsing your favourite websites, sending and receiving email, and listening to podcasts from the comfort of your sofa.

The iPlayer also boasts Media Centre functionality, allowing you to stream audio, video and photos from your PC, and uses real-time upscaling to adjust SD (Standard Definition) TV to HD (High Definition) when applicable. You can schedule recordings using the seven-day EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) and store around 70 hours of content on the PVR's 80GB hard drive.

Compatible with your existing broadband ISP and requiring no subscription fee, the iPlayer is a relative bargain (considering its range of features) at £299. For full details, visit Evesham Technology.

Hello Kitty loves Skype

We foolishly thought that eBay buying Skype would be the catalyst that finally pushed VoIP calling into the mainstream. We were wrong. Granted Skype has gone from strength to strength since, but it’s always been lacking somehow. Like it was missing something. And now we know what that something was. A Hello Kitty handset.

If the absence of a white phone adorned with a cute 32-year old English cat* is all that’s been holding you back from joining the VoIP revolution, you’ll be thrilled to discover the wait is over. Kind of.

The Hello Kitty Skype phone, produced under licence by Perfectel, has just been launched in Hong Kong and China and is available to buy through branches of 7 Eleven there for HK$128. That sounds like a lot of money but it actually works out to around £8.60.

Perfectel, which also makes Superman Skype phones, currently doesn’t have any plans to introduce the phone over here (start a petition!) but it’s safe to assume that if it does ever appear in Kitty White’s country of birth it’s likely to retail for a tad more than that.

 

*She was born in London on 1 Nov 1974 if you must know.

Blackberrys for everyone

Blackberry maker RIM has launched its first customer-targeted device, the Blackberry Pearl. It's the first time a Blackberry has featured a built-in digital camera and the Pearl abandons the traditional clickwheel on the side of the unit, replacing it with a trackball positioned below the screen.

What we get with the Pearl is basically a fancy phone with loads of features: a 1.3 megapixel camera, email, web access, and an expandable memory. Its makers say they think that consumers are ready to start buying devices that let them use instant messaging, email and the web on-the-go, and anticipates massive growth in the market over the next few years.

The phone is small, measuring just 107 x 50 x 14mm and weighing 88g. It is quad-band, using GSM/GPRS and EDGE technologies. The built-in 64MB flash memory is expandable with a MicroSD card, so that people can store plenty of music, picture, video, and data files.

No price details have been announced, but major UK mobile providers are expected to start selling the Pearl within weeks. Web User was told that the price is likely to be around £200.

UPDATE: O2 has announced two Blackberry tariffs, due to come into operation from 2 October. The Pay As You Use tariff allows customers to send and receive emails, browse the web and use Yahoo Instant Messaging for £2.70 per MB. If you're on a contract you can get the Unlimited data package (actually capped at 75MB per month) from £10 per month depending on the contract.