In honour of Halloween, here’s a round-up of some grown-up ‘treats’ to get
this October. Some of these products are high-end and some are available for
less than $30, but all of them are bright shiny eye candy for the "older" kids.
Take Control...
One of
my favourites is the
DX1 Input System.
It’s a completely
customizable keyboard system that can be set up exactly how you like. Primarily
designed for gamers, the keyboard can be used with any program. Its 25 keys can
be set to execute a string of commands with one keystroke and can be arranged in
whatever way is most ergonomically suited to the individual user. The keys can
also be rearranged if you decide that your original setup isn’t as great as you
thought it would be. The DX1 also allows you to assign different uses to each
key based on the program you’re in, so that any key on the keyboard can serve
double (or triple) duty.
You Are My Sunshine...
Also, check out the
Soldius 1 Solar Charger, a portable
device that can charge all the iPods on the market, as well as hundreds of cell
phone models. This battery-less charger is lighter than older, similar devices
and is small enough to be carried around in your shirt pocket. Its recharge time
is hardly zippy compared to the recharge time you’ll get out of your computer
for your iPod. The Solaris 1 takes between two to three hours to fully charge a
battery, provided it is being used in direct sunlight.
However, as many
experienced travelers and iPod aficionados know, batteries are prone to running
out in all sorts of locales where other methods of charging may not be
available. (Camping, anyone?) Availability of wall chargers for iPod might make
this device unnecessary for some people, but if you’re into traveling in the
great outdoors, this might be the charger for you.
Instant iPod Video...
While we’re talking
about iPod, there’s a new video device that those of you with video-capable
iPod are going to love. It’s called the
Neuros iPod & PSP Video Recorder,
and it’s capable of taking video from any source (cable TV, VHS, DVD, and so on)
via the output jacks and converting it into an iPod-playable file. This device
also works with PSPs. All you need is a memory stick (the recorder isn’t
packaged with one) and you’ll be on your way. PSP owners can plug the memory
stick right into their PSPs and be done; iPod users will have to transfer their
movies into iTunes first, via a card reader attached to their computer.
The
price for this is rather steep - $149, plus the expense of the memory card and
reader if you don’t already own them. It does seem completely worth it, though.
Imagine the possibilities; you would be able to convert VHS tapes to digital
files (and you know you still have some) including old home movies; you’d be
able to tape TV shows to take on the road with you before trips; you can buy
DVDs for your home stereo system and still watch them on your iPod or PSP when
you travel. Pretty awesome.
Not Allowed in Carry On Luggage...
Another fancy toy for
audiophiles is the new Swiss Army MP3 player.
It’s an official Swiss Army knife with a built-in removable 1 gig MP3 player; it
can be removed from the knife body and used as a flash drive.
It’s also fully
rechargeable via your computer’s USB ports and can record FM radio channels if
you so desire. If you’d rather just preset a particular channel to listen to on
a regular basis, you can do that too. Not into radio at all? Well, this gadget
will also allow you to record audio from other sources (including a built-in mic
which allows the unit to function as a digital voice recorder). This is another
high-end item, but its functionality makes it completely worth the ticket price.
