Rory's Christmas craving: LG Royal
TelevisionsCrave remembers when the Christmas period was predominately a religious celebration -- back when there were no iPods and humans actually gave a toss about each other.
Not any more though. Today it's all about giving and receiving, with an emphasis on the receiving. So given our editor's request that we each choose our ultimate Christmas present, I've gone for something completely and utterly mental -- something that'll make the gold-plated Motorola Razr seem like a pile of old horse turds.
Behold my ultimate yuletide craving: a 71-inch gold-plated home theatre system. The LG Royal can be bought as a standalone telly, but I've decided to beg Santa for the complete setup, incorporating a gold-plated DVD player, a gold-plated digital set-top box, a gold-plated sub-woofer and five gold-plated, free-standing speakers. It should probably come with a pair of sunglasses to shield you from the glare of the bling. Continue reading...
LG UP3Flat: LG Chocolate MP3 player
MP3 PlayersLG's been giving us plenty of Chocolate lovin' lately. Not content with releasing the uber-sexy KG800 and KG810 Chocolate phones and previewing Chocolate tellies and a new Chocolate Folder phone, it recently handed us a Chocolate MP3 player. The LG UP3Flat is LG's attempt to take a slice out of the iPod Shuffle market and looks-wise we think it has a lot going for it.
It's about the same size as a lighter, and sports a sumptupuous 'piano-black' finish. Its silver volume buttons take the place of the red touch-sensitive navigation buttons on the Chocolate phone. They don't light up, but the LEDs just above and below them flash red, blue or green depending on what the device is up to. There are five other buttons on the left and right sides for controlling other aspects of playback or activating the voice-recording feature.
The UP3Flat connects to a PC via USB, but instead of a cable it has a retractable USB connector that slides out of the bottom. This means you won't have to carry around cables, just the player and the headphones. It has a 10-hour battery life and is available in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB sizes, which can store around 125, 250 or 500 songs respectively. Continue reading...
TMX Elmo: Best Christmas present ever?
GadgetsIn 1996, Tyco launched a toy called the Tickle Me Elmo that cost a mere $30 (15). If you're not familiar with it then check it out on Wikipedia. It was so popular that parents attacked a Wal-Mart shop assistant to get one of the last ones on offer, and there were reports that it was being sold for as much as $1,500 (750) in newspaper classifieds. Ten years later and Fisher-Price has launched a new Tickle Me Elmo -- the TMX Elmo.
It's called the TMX Elmo because this is the tenth version, thus X, and as always it's very popular. Indeed, it's currently out of stock at Amazon.co.uk, and you'll be lucky to find it at Argos or Woolworths -- we know, because we tried to buy one. After hours of driving through the English countryside we came upon a small Toys 'R' Us in Suffolk that only had one left and we snapped it up faster than you can scream, "Yes, yes, yes, I've got one, I really have got one!" Continue reading...
Hands on: Toshiba Qosmio G30 HD DVD laptop
LaptopsHoly blue lasers Batman, here's an actual HD DVD device in the flesh! The Toshiba Qosmio G30 laptop landed in our offices last Friday just as we were walking out the door and almost made us not go to the pub.
Sadly, the lure of the weekend and premium-strength continental lager was too strong to resist, but now Monday has arrived we can bring you a full hands-on write-up.
First impressions aren't positive: it comes across as 4.5kg of aesthetic bizarreness. The silver lid is cool, but the inwardly sloping edges are not a good look. Things are slightly better inside though -- we're feeling the all-black interior, boy-racer-style speakers and the circular volume knob, which lets you adjust the loudness quickly and easily. Continue reading...
LG U830: Chocolate Folder II
Mobile PhonesYou've probably heard of the Chocolate phone but may have missed its slightly less famous sibling, the Chocolate Folder KG810. It could be because when it launched it was exclusive to Phones4U, but this modest clamshell phone is another design classic. LG has now launched another incarnation of this Chocolate clamshell called the U830. It looks just as good and packs in even more features, including support for 3G.
The U830 or Chocolate Folder II (LG is less than consistent with its names) is the 3G version of the KG810 and features HSDPA connectivity, giving you broadband on the go. You can browse the Web on it, send and receive emails and make video calls.
It measures 49mm wide by 98mm tall by 15mm deep and weighs 93g. There's a 2-megapixel camera and a small colour screen on the front of the case. The U830 also features the characteristic Chocolate touch-sensitive music buttons on the front for direct access to the music player. You can listen to music using the proprietary headphones or using your own via the 3.5mm adaptor that comes in the box. Continue reading...
Photo story: Nintendo Wii launch night
Games and GearMidnight on 8 December 2006 marked the release of the most anticipated next-generation gaming console of the year, the Nintendo Wii. Hundreds queued outside Game and HMV on London's Oxford street to be among the first to purchase the new Nintendo machine.
The UK launch mirrored those of the Japanese and US markets and brought with it a clutch of celebrities, including ex-footballer Ian Wright, model Nell McAndrew, former tennis star Pat Cash and boxer Ricky Hatton who, incidentally, lost to Wright in a bout of Wii Boxing. Continue reading...
Alcatel OT-E801: Bargain music phone, great stocking filler
Mobile PhonesIf you or a loved one craves a music phone this Christmas but don't have the cash to splash, then don't worry. The Alcatel OT-E801 is not only a very cute little music-playing handset, it's also pretty cheap at a mere 40.
For that bargain price you get a dual-band handset with a colour screen. It measures a pocket-friendly 47mm wide by 95mm tall by 18mm deep and weighs only 80g. Most importantly, the OT-E801 has an expandable microSD slot that can support up to 2GB of music -- or 500 songs.
The OT-E801 doesn't have a camera or 3G connectivity, so steer clear if you're looking for something feature-packed. Plus you'll need to buy an adaptor if you want to use your own headphones. We're not overly keen on the keypad, which is squashed together, but the OT-E801 does what it says on the tin and for a very low price. Continue reading...
It's all champagne and canapes
Christmas comes but once a year... and when it does, the consumer electronics companies take it upon themselves to torture the tech press with champagne and canap. Now, you might think there are worse things than spending your evenings sipping cocktails in upmarket bars -- and of course, you're absolutely right. I could have been sat at home last night, watching yet another repeat of CSI: Small Town in Previously Unremarkable State, but instead I was pondering the nature of canap -- because after two weeks of hors d'oeuvres, you do find yourself obsessing about these small morsels that are almost, but not quite, entirely unlike actual food. And thus I spent the journey home drawing up the Rules of Canap: Continue reading...
CES comes but once a year
TelevisionsShortly after we've unwrapped our Christmas presents, and hopefully before we've broken them, Crave will be heading off to Las Vegas for the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES to its many friends. It's the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology, with over 2,500 exhibitors showing off their stuff in over 150,000 square metres of exhibition space.
The first CES took place 40 years ago, in June 1967, in New York. The 110 exhibitors included familiar names such as Hitachi, Motorola, Philips, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba, showing off their latest transistor radios, stereos and black-and-white TVs. Ah, those were the days. CES moved to Chicago in 1971, and a winter show was added in 1973. Five cold and shivering years later, the winter version moved to Las Vegas, took one look at the casinos and cabarets, and made itself at home (the summer CES bit the Midwestern dust in 1994. Continue reading...
Motorola Rizr Z3: Hello slider
Mobile PhonesWe've been lucky enough to get our tech-loving hands on one of the first Motorola Rizr Z3s in the UK. The Z3's design is inspired by the classic Razr V3, but this time it's a slider. The sliding mechanism is very smooth and the Z3 feels solid to hold.
It's much narrower than the V3, measuring 45mm wide, but a little taller (105mm) and thicker (16mm). The Z3 features a 2-megapixel camera with LED photo light and an MP3 player that supports AAC, AAC+ and AAC+ enhanced. Continue reading...
Winter sports gadgets tested in the Alps
MP3 PlayersAs Europe's first decent snowfalls beckon skiers and snowboarders onto the slopes, we're investigating whether your gadgets can survive the altitude and the temperature. Over the next few days, Crave will be taking a look at how our best-loved consumer tech copes in the Swiss Alps.
We'll be burying the new MacBook in the snow, testing out the latest in iPod-equipped snowboarding jackets, and taking a look at a new material that could spell the end for traditional kneepads -- a fabric that hardens on impact to protect you.
What's the best TV for watching sport?
My boyfriend is driving me insane with his constant nagging about researching TVs. He wants to purchase a new TV, he thinks LCD is more likely, but would buy plasma if that was the best for what he watches, and he wants a 40-inch screen.
He wants the best television for watching sport, more precisely football! So you can't blame me for not being too enthusiastic about the purchase. Can you offer any advice apart from the obvious "get a new boyfriend"? Continue reading...
Win a Digital Christmas: Can you find the final icon?
GadgetsThere may only be 19 shopping days left until Christmas, but there are more pressing needs than finding some smellies for your gran -- there are only seven days left to enter our Win a Digital Christmas worth 4,000 competition! Yes, it's come round already -- the final week, boys and girls.
Following five weeks of fun, laughter and frantic searches, it brings a tear to our eye to announce that we've hidden the final Christmas icon in one of the reviews on CNET.co.uk. But we won't be sad for long -- this week it's our favourite icon, the candy cane, and it paves the way to the final set of prizes in our fantastic 4,000 tech giveaway: the ever-so-trendy Sling Media Slingbox, the much-loved Apple iPod nano and the delightful Nintendo DS Lite. Continue reading...
Pixelotto: Turning buzz into hard cash
SoftwareThe creator of the Million Dollar Homepage, Alex Tew, has launched a new site called Pixelotto. The original site earned Tew a cool million and Pixelotto aims to do the same. The difference, however, is that this time it's a lottery-based system and each pixel will cost $2 instead of just $1. One lucky registered visitor who clicks on a Pixelotto ad will win 50 per cent of the site's total revenue: $1m -- cue Dr Evil laugh.
Since 22-year-old Tew started the Million Dollar Homepage last year there have been a plethora of copycat sites, each one aiming to emulate his success. From straightforward copycat sites such as 2millionpixels.com to innovative ones such as buymetothestars.com, to downright distasteful ones like ourtradecenter.com, the list is endless. Fortunately for Alex, he has the power of the press behind him and since Pixelotto's launch it has received the kind of press attention that will have advertisers flocking to him. Continue reading...
Evesham iplayer: Smartest set-top box ever?
Home CinemaGood news for anyone who likes to veg out in front of the telly: Evesham has just released a super-cool new set-top box that can do pretty much everything. Dubbed the iplayer, it'll let you watch and record Freeview in (upscaled) high definition, browse the Internet, listen to podcasts, and if you ask nicely, it'll probably even make you a cup of tea.
It's basically a Freeview box with a shed-load of extra tricks up its sleeve, though you wouldn't know it to look at it -- its dreary silver finish doesn't do it any favours. But what really matters is what's on the inside. There's an 80GB hard drive that'll let you record up to 70 hours of TV and it'll even upscale the standard-definition Freeview signal to a hi-def 720- or 1080-line signal, output through HDMI, so your films will look much tastier. Continue reading...
Evesham Alqemi LCD: Screen savers
TelevisionsEvesham hasn't just thrown down the gauntlet for competitively priced LCDs, it's mounted its trusty stead and thrust a lance into the budget screen market with a range of TVs at prices that are, well, medieval...
Crave had only just scraped our jaws from the floor following news of the PC company's cut-price 'Full HD' 1080p screens before the latest Alqemi range left us jaw-floored one more.
There are three models in the usual 32-inch, 37-inch and 42-inch screen sizes. Each features an impressive on-paper specification, including a high-definition compatible WXGA (1,366x768-pixel) resolution. Unfortunately, Evesham hasn't confirmed which high-definition formats the screens will support -- leading us to believe that it could only be 720p and possibly 1080i.
All screens feature integrated analogue and digital TV tuners, although there is an alternative no-frills 32-inch model that's only equipped with an analogue tuner and fewer features for 100 less -- a fair saving if you already own a digital set-top box. Continue reading...
Alienware Area-51 7500: A true gaming predator
DesktopsAlienware makes some of the best gaming PCs in the world, but it's about time the brand had an injection of freshness -- particularly after the whole Dell business. Hearing our prayers, the good people at Alienware have sent us its new Area-51 7500 desktop, and we've fallen in love with it.
It uses the brand new Predator 2 chassis, which is undoubtedly the most spiteful-looking PC box we've come across. It looks like a cross between a '50s muscle car, the LG Chocolate phone and Darth bloody Vader. Oh, and best of all it doesn't feel as if it's going to fall apart in your hands.
One of the coolest things about the chassis is the AlienFX lighting system -- a series of LEDs that can make the desktop look extremely eerie. There are lights shining down on the DVD drive, a light around the Alienware logos at the front (the power button) and at the side, and four beside each front-facing USB port. Alienware lets you choose the colour of each light at the time of purchase so you can customise it exactly as you wish. Continue reading...
Standing on my head, pressing buttons
This morning my iPod crashed, in karmic payback for Friday's bout of Apple rage. There was no good reason for it to crash, because all I'd done is unplug it from the power, which is one of the things you're supposed to be able to do with a portable music player -- the whole portability thing does mean moving more than a cable's length away from the mains. Continue reading...
Do our survey for a chance to win an 80GB iPod Video!
GadgetsFancy a brand new iPod for Christmas? Then do our survey and enter for a chance to win Apple's delicious 80GB iPod MP3 player.
It really won't hurt: I checked it out for you and was able to complete it in less than two minutes, although sadly I won't be eligible to win the iPod, which according to our review should be well worth two minutes of your time.
BT Vision: Future of TV or a cheapo PVR?
Home CinemaBT has a Vision. You can tell it's important because of the capital V. It's going to be a revolution in television -- in BT's words it will be 'the next generation of television'. Crave tootled along to the launch this morning. The reality, as always, was somewhat more prosaic.
BT Vision, it turns out, is a service that uses a Freeview PVR called the V-box. And it's a pretty cheap-looking PVR at that. But it's 'free', in the TalkTalk sense of the word -- you pay 90 for connection and installation -- and it gives you access to a limited but growing collection of pay-per-view content, including movies (at 2.99 for 24 hours), TV shows, concerts and Premiership football from Setanta. Continue reading...
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