The catchy-titled Digital Stream DHR8203U is the second in a family of three HD hard drives from this relative unknown in the PVR market. Far from being the awkward middle child, it’s got space for a meaty 350GB (160 hours standard, 80 hours HD) content served up with an appetising eight-day on-screen TV guide.

If, like me, your family members are poles apart in their telly preferences, you’ll be cheered by the fact you can each create a personalised schedule to carefully bank your own programming favourites. With access to free HD content from providers including BBC HD, ITV1HD, 4HD and S4C Wales, up to 50 standard definition TV channels and 24 digital radio stations, you can even cast your square eyes towards PayTV if you need more choice.

You’ve got the usual, yet essential mix of one-touch recording, series link, live pause and rewind. And while simultaneous twin-channel recording might not be a groundbreaking concept, the fact you can then choose to watch an additional channel from a selected list or recorded programme at the same time may put paid to the inevitable arguments if you’re a family of three.

Traditionalists may be cheered by the twin scart output that lets you connect it up to your VCR, while three USB 2.0 connections cater for those at the other end of the spectrum looking to crowbar all manner of home networking, MP3 and other multimedia capabilities onto the standard chassis.

An intelligent telly companion that fits into any family available now at www.cwdigital.co.uk from £279.

[Source: Digital Stream goes with the HD flow – Def one to watch]

Leica’s new weapon? A built-in GPS chip that captures and stores location information on the EXIF metadata to catalogue the place and local time a scene is shot. GPS is becoming a popular addition to this particular breed of compacts and has already been seen on the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX5V and Nikon Coolpix P6000. On the surface, the technology naturally presents an appeal to people who like to keep their archives in stringent order rather than those choosing to condemn their shots to a futile eternity on a heaving memory. In fact, with the web now the shop floor for many photographers’ collections, the ability to pinpoint the origins of your shots on Google Maps, Flickr or social networking sites offers more mileage for your snappy memories. If you really wanted to milk this feature, you could use the GPS coordinates to navigate back to your favourite scenes and retrace the steps of a memorable trip – now you’ve got a second shot at seeking out that once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. V-LUX 20 also stores details of 500,000 points of interest across 73 countries – ideal when you’re stumped for location inspiration.
Beyond its geographic memory, this Leica has the traditional charm its loyal fans and first-timers will love. It comes in the familiar and unassuming matte black casing that masks the heavyweight features packed inside. The other key seller is its “super-zoom”, which puts landscapes, detailed close-ups and long-distance telephoto subjects in easy reach. Not content raising the bar with its high-resolution stills, Leica’s also upped the precision on its movie mode – now shooting in 720p HD quality.

You get all the intelligent automatic features you’d come to expect from a camera firmly stamped at the £500 price point – face recognition, automatic scene modes and smart exposure – while the expanse of manual controls are kept to their simplest in a bid to attract big-budget amateurs looking to spoil themselves with a supremely indulgent point-and-shoot.

Available from May 2010

[Source: Who’d Leica snap-nav?]

DraganFlyer X4’s aerial photography system stands up to more conventional camera equipment by capturing video and pictures in high-definition. With 12-megapixel photography resolution, 720P-capable video capture and micro-analogue onboard camera, this UAV can reach the shots you need without compromising on quality. For even more shooting sophistication, DraganFlyer comes with four interchangeable camera attachments including infra-red and low-light video.

DragonFlyer’s viewfinder signal is transmitted wirelessly to an embedded touchscreen display and video receiver in its handheld controller for a peek at its view of the world. But its far-sweeping excellence doesn’t end when you’ve got the shot. Unique ‘DraganEye’ video goggles let you view live output on the fly, while the footage is transmitted simultaneously to a wireless video base station.

The term ‘X4’ refers to DraganFlyer’s computer-stabilised quad rotor design, which gives this sky-soaring beastie supreme flight stability and control. Well, you wouldn’t want to sacrifice your best shots to camera shake at heights your tripod could only dream of scaling. An onboard autopilot provides flight support to hold the heli’s air position if you’re caught out marvelling the views or distracted setting up the next picture.

Operating this miniature airborne platform doesn’t require the touch of a fighter-pilot. It can be manned with minimal training and has strength of character you might not expect from its waspish (680g) and diminutive (77.5cm) frame. It even tracks its own orientation and motion with onboard GPS, three accelerometers, three gyros and barometric pressure sensor to judge the altitude and positioning adjustments it needs to travel in the direction and speed you want. DraganFlyer is capable of vertical take-off and landing so the only angles it makes are the ones you need to get the footage. The onboard camera is capable of remote-controlled zoom, tilt and shutter so you don’t have to jump through hoops to capture some stellar scenes.

The helicopter is manned by high-brightness navigation lights so you can keep track of its position and orientation in all conditions. Should you lose your focus, DraganFlyer’s survival instinct kicks in with automatic landing and onboard flight recorder. Quick-release landing gear and camera equipment make for easy transportation in your backpack once grounded.

As you will expect, the technology doesn’t come cheap. But at £12,000 the price isn’t exactly sky-high, making it an affordable vehicle for high-definition aerial footage. If you prefer to fly before you buy, you can even hire a helicopter for your high-profile projects. www.air2air.com

[Source: Air2Air’s ‘DraganFlyer X4′ takes HD skyward]

Bang & Olufsen has certainly earned its stripes in the surround-sound arena, so transferring this thinking to BeoCom5 can’t have been much of a stretch. The platform for this is the striking speakerphone, an aluminium shield of supersonics with a new definition for the word “cordless”. Simply take the surround-sound unit with you between rooms, handset held fast with a built-in battery, to summon the boardroom or long-overdue family reunion into your living space.

It may be cutting a trend with the acoustics, but BeoCom5 takes a more conventional approach to fashion than its banana-like predecessor BeoCom 2. In fact, when removed from its surround-sound / charger unit it appears quite plain and, dare I say, sensible. But beyond its highly-presentable black casing with daring aluminium scrollwheel, the phone itself has hidden dimensions.

Clearly happiest as part of a crowd, this sociable speakerphone lets you customise each handset’s 2-inch LCD display with a unique colour pattern to suit individual family members or match the décor of your rooms. Once happy with the aesthetics, you can even tweak the tones for further customisation.

If you’ve got the space – and ears – available, you can add up to eight handsets for the one phone. Now unless you’re rattling around in a B&O-bedecked commune, this may seem a little excessive, but when you learn that a single BeoCom5 unit can handle two separate external lines as well as VoIP and limitless internal calls, it may not be quite so outrageous. With all lines buzzing and phone book bulging, you’ll be relieved to learn you can save up to 400 contacts in the base unit – convenient for assembling an audience ahead of an impromptu group pow-wow.

Yes, the BeoCom5 is impressive and hands-down the smartest thing that’s ever going to grace my lounge, but is it enough to singly revive mass interest in the landline? Bang & Olufsen has clearly delivered another cutting-edge piece of kit, but whether it can bring the cordless back from the brink remains to be seen.

[Source: Bang & Olufsen BeoCom5 – back to the landline?]

Perhaps you’re one of those people compelled to draw on a whiteboard to illustrate your point in every meeting or bring a boardroom’s-worth of handouts to every social occasion?? Well, you may have found your perfect accomplice in this nifty RIM module.

This portable PowerPointer could certainly reassure those who make presentations so infrequently they get bamboozled by the technology required to make it all happen. Or suit travelling academics doing the rounds of trade shows imparting wisdom peppered by pie chart transitions.

The actual Presenter looks pretty smart and, although badged as a PowerPoint accessory, also beams PDFs and other image files from your BlackBerry via Bluetooth – potentially making it more of a draw than first thought. It basically bridges the gap between your presentation file and a monitor/projector. Simply hook up via your “video output device” and a VGA cable or S-Video cable, power on, point and go.

With BlackBerrys now as common in the local sweetshop as in Alan Sugar’s boardroom, we’re glad its traditional business audience hasn’t been ignored. Weighing just 140 grams and measuring a diminutive 3.4 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches, you can tuck the Presenter into your briefcase on call for when you get the impulse to present.

Simply plug it into your smartphone to view slides on the BlackBerry screen. Then use your phone as a remote controller to flick between pages and refer to your notes as you go. If delivering a bland presentation is your idea of a boardroom faux-pas, you’ll be relived to learn that BlackBerry Presenter also supports 24 animations and 55 transition styles so you can apply your trademark effects even when you’re away from your desk.

It’s ironic that the people who crumple into a nervous wreck when they leave their laptop redundant are precisely those to whom the Presenter is likely to appeal. Undoubtedly an asset to slideshows everywhere, whether its target audience will be clamouring to snap it up or sat at the back trying to sleep with their eyes open is

[Source: Pick-your-own (BlackBerry) PowerPoint]

Provided you don’t cheat, these real-time stats will keep you motivated and on course to achieve your goal. If you’re thinking this all rings a bell, you may recall miCoach’s 2008 practice run as part of a training system with Samsung mobile. Now breaking from the pack, the new miCoach trainer has a choice of systems to plan your ideal workout.

miCoach Pacer is an eager, lightweight fitness instructor, which plugs into your MP3 player to bark its verbal commands. It also has its own headphones if you don’t want to tarnish your prized player with flashbacks of mud-riddled limping sessions. It’s a smart-looking bit of kit, with two 3.5mm jacks so you can keep your sporty playlist running while miCoach coerces you through your paces.

The Pacer comes with a heart rate monitor and stride sensor. Simply do an “assessment run” and if that doesn’t put you off, miCoach will plan a workout schedule to train you through.

You can save your Pacer results on the miCoach website to create personalised training plans, set fitness goals and see your progress over time. You can also choose a ready-made programme to help you on your quest – whether it be shedding that Christmas chocolate tin or chasing down a schooldays’ PB.

If you’re not quite ready to submit yourself to such intensive training, you might prefer the less invasive miCoach Zone. This colour-coded LED wristband measures your heart rate and other training stats to help you work at the most efficient intensity. This is your option if you just want a bit of guidance rather than enlist the type of coach that would iron your training kit and shovel your snow to make sure you didn’t miss a session. Zone doesn’t work with the website, but it’s got everything you need to get the most from those tentative spring runs.

miCoach – not one for the lardy-hearted, but a great selection of training gizmos for athletes and attitudes of all sizes.

[Source: Feeling flabby? Swap miCouch for miCoach…]

See, we can’t get enough of watching video on our iPhone – on the train, in the office, yes, sometimes even in front of the telly. But second to the inevitable battery burn, it doesn’t half get annoying having to prop up your player to get a decent hands-free micro-cinematic experience. It’s us coming to this woeful realisation which Crabble aims to capitalise on, lauding itself as the wallet-sized solution to the misery of iOwners’ wrist cramp. Perhaps not the most pressing woe for the plucky iPhone owner, but a valid call nonetheless.

Crabble could be filed under one of those gadgets you never knew you needed ‘til you had one. In fact its diminutive stature is such that it could be filed almost anywhere. Cramming oodles of features into its waspish frame, it slips effortlessly into your wallet in wait for any phone-propping emergency.

Crabble isn’t Seskimo’s first foray into phone stands. Indeed, its predecessor the Batrest has a loyal following. Crabble flies with the bat’s best features, adds some sweet functionality – and all for the less-than-princely sum of £3.49.

Crabble offers a choice of propping orientation – landscape for movies, portrait for incoming calls, appointments, as a bedside clock etc. You can even vary the degree of tilt in landscape form for optimum viewing comfort.

If your day sees you enter the more challenging environment of the train or plane, those standard-issue sloping plastic tables are no match for its non-slip silicone rubber claws; a reassuring safeguard against turbulence.

Although Crabble has its heart set on the mighty iPhone, this versatile little fellow caters for the dimensions of the iPod Touch and many other small media players, MP3 players and smartphones – it even accommodates some protective cases at a push. And with your pick of six designs, it coordinates with the fanciest public transport upholstery.

So whether you’ve been searching far and wide for an affordable, compact smartphone stand or you’ve been oblivious to your long-standing propping problem, Seskimo’s niche idea will likely occupy a niche in your life very soon.

[Source: iOwner wrist cramp? Take a stand with Crabble]