Technofile: Six months ago, the video gaming world was talking about the battle between the XBox and Sony Playstation3 (PS3), writes Mike Butcher.
Now, thanks to the enthusiastic reception of gamers who have miraculously discovered that they have muscles outside of their thumbs, we are all talking about the Nintendo Wii. The console, known for games where you literally stand up and move around, is outselling its rivals at a ratio of two to one in the US. Although the PS3 has yet to launch over here, the same is predicted to happen.
• Some poor, misguided individuals laugh at us gadget lovers, claiming that our desire for techno wizardry is simply a repressed desire for an unattainable machismo. Well, when I'm sent a nail file disguised as an army dog tag, presented in a metal case reminiscent of a machine gun cartridge case, I think to myself: how wrong those cynical souls are. True Utility is a firm that panders to us tech geek's desire to be real men.
Want a nail clipper that doubles as a pen knife? You got it. How about the aforementioned dog tag with pen knife and screwdriver? Done. But aside from the slightly over the top packaging, there is also the quite clever "Locklite" torch, which clips over your house key and the 21 LED flashlight, which is extremely bright and lasts for 30 hours. See Trueutilty.com
• Mustek is not normally known for high-end gear, but that's changing with the advent of its new digital camcorders. Its DV700TZ and DV530TZ models promise to be affordable, but, for example, the DV700TZ will pack a 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, and a seven-megapixel CCD. The DV530TZ has a a 5.3 megapixel CCD. Not bad for cameras which will be at the budget end of the spectrum when they hit the shops. Mustek is also launching the PF-A700A and PF-D800 digital photo frames. Both are eight inches in width, offer various picture playback modes, a multi-format card reader, speakers and an MP3 player, complete with earphone jack. The priciest option costs around €200.
• Sony has launched a new stylish mobile phone headset/headphone hybrid in the form of the high-end DR-BT50, which features a 17-hour battery life. The playback controls are on the earcup, controlling the phone via Bluetooth.
• If you're waiting for the much-hyped 2G iPhone to sprout a 3G version, keep waiting. The Apple rumours websites are predicting a 2008 launch for a faster version of the iPhone based on rumblings coming out of some European partners. A 3G version would make the iPhone perform far more closely to the way it has been pitched - as a fast, multimedia device. Apple has not yet named its mobile carrier partners outside the US. Meanwhile, the Apple TV device to stream your iTunes music and videos to your TV should be out by the end of March, slightly later than expected.
