Available from mid-February, the recorders come with either 2GB or 4GB (VN-713PC) internal storage. That’s enough space for 34 or 67 days of audio – or enough to never need to delete a file. If you do run out of space, the VN-712PC and VN-713PC come with a microSD card slot to add even more capacity.

The battery life is also excessive, offering 72 hours of LP recording. We find that pretty incredible – hit “record” and it’ll still be going in three days. No wonder stalkers are getting excited.

The sound-quality has also been tweaked, starting with the inclusion of an integrated low noise microphone that delivers a higher S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio than the old editions. While all models can save files in WMA (ugh), the two top-ends (VN-712PC and VN-713PC) can also save in the much more useful MP3 format.

A “Scene Select” function comes as standard, allowing you to match your recorder’s settings to your environment for the best possible recording. Other software benefits include a low-cut filter to further enhance recording quality.

The VN-713PC also features voice-activated recording, as well as noise cancellation to help cut out unwanted background sounds.

On the play-back side, there’s a voice filter for the VN-712PC and VN-713PC that improves the sound quality of human voice. You can also control playback speed to suit your listening preferences.

These two models also feature the new Calendar Search function, which lets users locate files from the recording date using a dedicated file search button. On all devices, up to 99 index marks can be set to flag important places in individual recordings.

Oh, and did we mention they all have built-in stands?

[Source: New Olympus VN-713PC, VN-712PC and VN-711PC recorders]

Part of Vuzix’s handy (and award-winning) technology, the Tac-Eye LT unit enables users to view the real world alongside relevant computer generated information, graphics and alerts (full-on ‘Terminator’-type stuff, innit).

Designed with the mobile user in mind, its high-contrast SVGA (800×600) display is close to perfect for displaying images from a wearable computer, laptop, vehicle mounted computer system, security cameras, or any other video source. Combined with some of the new Ultra Mobile PCs, European users now have access to one of the lightest, rugged wearable computer systems ever built. Yep. It’s just that good.

David Lock, Director of Operations EMEA Region, Vuzix commented,

“The Tac-Eye has been a popular choice among the defence, security and industrial sectors across the US for some time now and we have regularly received requests for information on the Tac-Eye products from interested parties in Europe. We’re delighted to now be offering these products and to have the ability to fulfil all of the potential sales requests that come into the European office.”

Mounted on Oakley SI Ballistic M-Frame 2.0 eyewear (but it also clips onto standard safety glasses, FYI), the monocular display will improve the user’s situational awareness (with a super 30 degree diagonal field of view) over other monocular models. It is expected to be a popular choice with industrial organisations across Europe due to being able to withstand varying degrees of shock, vibration, water, dust and temperature fluctuations. Told you. ‘Terminator’-type stuff!

The VGA unit includes a standard VGA connector as well as a rugged mouse, the video unit provides a BNC and RCA connection that will accept NTSC, PAL, and RS-170 video signals and the VGA/video unit includes all of the connectors and input devices from both of the VGA and video configurations. Power, display brightness, and display orientation are controlled by the inline control pad. You have the power. You have the technology, and so on.

Ready in three formats: Video, VGA and VGA/Video the Tac-Eye LT is available now from www.vuzix.eu.

[Source: Vuzix Tac-Eye LT: Full on Terminator eyewear]

The ‘Dot’ from Kogeto

The ‘Dot’, from New York based Kogeto, is billed as ‘the World’s smallest panoramic video thingy for the iPhone 4 and 4S’. As you can see from the picture above, the Dot is certainly an eye catching ‘thingy’ and instantly made us curious when we stumbled across it at this year’s ShowStoppers event.

In a nutshell, it clips on to the back of your iPhone and the Dot’s 360 lens sits over your camera. The company’s free ‘Looker’ app then enables you to use the Dot to take a 360 degree video (yes, video!) of your current surroundings.

While the immediate question might be ‘what for?’, it was undeniably something we wanted play with! The initial result was far from convincing with a blurry picture and incomplete 360 video. When we raised this with Kogeto, they said the most likely cause was a protective film on the lens. They also conceded that the current instructions aren’t very clear (no pun intended!) and that we weren’t the only ones who had the issue.

On our 2nd attempt, without the lens protection film and with better lighting, we were able to secure a perfect (albeit still slightly blurry) 360 video capture of the room. In conclusion the ‘Dot’ looks like it will be a fun and quirky gadget to take with you to a party or on holiday. We’ll update you when we get details on UK pricing and availability. For more info visit http://kogeto.com/

Update on Jan 25: Kogeto’s PR people tell us the Dot will be in Apple stores in March retailing at around $79 or 60 euros.

iBallz iPad protective ‘case’

Having been out for a while, the iBallz isn’t exactly a ‘latest’ gadget, but we’re suckers for quirky looking gadgets and we’d not seen this one before. The iBallz is incredibly simple in concept – it’s an elastic cord with four shock-absorbing balls attached to it. You simply slip it around the frame of your iPad and position a ball (which has a small slit) over each corner. The selling points of the iBallz system is that it doesn’t obstruct your view of the screen and it can be dropped from any angle without your iPad touching the floor (check out our video of iBallz).

Initially we were a bit sceptical of the demand for such a strange looking case, but when they mentioned that schools loved the product – it suddenly became clear that co-founders Lee and Derek might be on to a winner. The iBallz is already available for US$20 via www.iballz.info or £19.99 on iwantoneofthose.com

spnKiX motorised skates

CES 2012 was the official launch event for spnKiX – a pair of battery powered, motorised (up to 10mph), skates that you strap over your shoes. Invented and developed by LA-based designers Peter Treadway and partner Janelle, the spnKiX is something they’ve been working on in their spare time over the last 5-8 years (depending on who you asked!). After two or three hours of charging, the spnKiX will give you a range of 2-3 miles and their speed can be controlled via a hand-held remote. According to Peter, the spnKiX can be viewed both as something to play and do tricks with, as well as acting as a short distance vehicle. They are due to start shipping in March 2012 with a retail price of $649. More info is at www.spnKiX.com

‘Flash Dock’ an SLR iPhone/Smartphone dock

The ‘Flash Dock’ enables you to mount a smartphone on top of your SLR camera, using your camera’s HotShoe socket. For those thinking “the what shoe?” – the HotShoe is the socket on the very top of your camera more traditionally used to attach an things like a flash-gun.

However, by marrying your smartphone and SLR, the Flash Dock enables you to use your HotShoe for all sorts of purposes. For example, you could download a spirit-level app from your phone’s app store and use this to ensure your SLR is completely level. Or maybe use the light app to help illuminate a low-light scene. Or even push the dock forwards and use a microphone app to record audio while filming. The only limit is whether someone has developed an app for it!

The Flash-Dock itself is very basic, it’s just a mount and clip, but nevertheless it’s one of those “that’s a clever idea” products that might just prove to be a hit. The French-based company behind the dock are working on distribution, but the expected retail price is $34.95* and they hope it will be available within a month. To find out more information you can visit www.flash-dock.com

*Update on Jan 25: Retail price now $29.99.

Toffee cases and sleeves

While not strictly a gadget-manufacturer, the Sydney-based ‘Toffee’ caught our attention thanks to a combination of their beautiful leather iPad cases and having the charismatic Dan llic helping on their stand. We’ve since discovered (thanks Wikipedia!) that Dan is in fact a comedian, writer and performer back in Australia – which might explain how he had the stamina to remain upbeat and friendly even at the end of another long CES day! We’ll be giving away a Toffee Macbook Air/Pro case in our post-CES competition, but in the meantime you can find out more at http://www.toffee.com.au

Rounding up a round-up

So, that wraps up another year of CES coverage. We hope that you’ve enjoyed our three part round-up and stay tuned for coverage of IFA 2012 and of course CES 2013!

[Source: What caught our eye at CES 2012 – Part 3]

ION Audio’s Water Rocker and iPad Guitar Apprentice

This year saw the guys at ION Audio showcasing a number of brand new and forthcoming products. In addition to the Docs2Go scanner for the iPad (see our video here), we also liked the look of their Water Rocker and Guitar Apprentice products.

The Water Rocker is a football-sized waterproof (and submersible) floating speaker system for the iPhone, iPod or anything else that can accommodate a 1/8-inch jack. After putting your source device in the specially designed cover dock, it will then transmit your music (within an advertised 150-foot range) to the Water Rocker. A nice feature is that you can have up to 10 speakers working from a single transmitter – which could be useful if you have a particularly huge pool (lottery winners take note!). The Water Rocker also features a built-in FM radio and it’s due out in the UK in April with an expected retail price of around £89.

Guitar Apprentice is a full-scale, electric controller that turns your iPad in to a guitar. Combined with the app, you’ll be able to follow the lights on the instrument’s neck to learn guitar skills and chords. You strum the guitar by using the touch screen of the iPad which you can simply dock and undock from the main body of the guitar. A nice design touch is the ability to fold the neck of the guitar in half for easy storage. Guitar Apprentice is expected to be launched in the UK in Q4 with an anticipated price of around £99.99.

Belkin WeMo Home Control Switch

The pitch the lady from Belkin gave was simple: imagine you’ve just got to work and can’t remember if you unplugged your iron. With WeMo, you can simply boot up the free app on your iPhone and instantly see whether the switch is on or off. If you did leave it on, then you can turn it off remotely via the app – wonderful! This was just one example of how Belkin’s new line of home automation products could come in handy.

This particular product (the Home Control Switch) works with your existing electrical system (i.e. by sitting between your device’s normal plug and the wall socket) and then uses your home’s Wi-Fi network. The programmable switch can also work in tandem with the WeMo sensor product that was also announced at this year’s show.

The RRP for the Home Control Switch in the States is $49.99 and it will be available from March. We’ll update you if and when we get details of UK availability and pricing. Belkin’s WeMo section of their web site is at http://www.belkin.com/wemo/

Celluon’s Prodigy iPhone projection keyboard & battery case

The idea of a projection keyboard (i.e. one that beams the keyboard on to a surface) is not new, but this year the people from Celluon were showcasing a prototype iPhone case which not only incorporated the projected keyboard, but also an additional battery and stand. The company is currently evaluating market demand but seemed confident that the Prodigy would go in to mass production and it could be available by late summer. We were told the expected price would be around $179. Having given the keyboard a quick test, it seemed to work well and didn’t miss any of the keys we pressed.

When asked about future products, the company rep mentioned the concept of a universal dock with projection keyboard which would accept all sorts of devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Samsung phones, Galaxy tablet etc. As it’s only a conceptual product, there were no details on release date or pricing – but perhaps we’ll see it at next year’s CES. Visit http://celluon.com/index.htm for further information.

Tamaggo 360-imager

The unusual design of the Tamaggo was the first thing that caught our eye as we turned the corner of another aisle of CES exhibitors. The Tamaggo is billed as the first consumer picture-taking device with ‘fully integrated, built in panomorph technology’ that lets users take high-res 360 degree images with just a single click. In a nutshell, you hold this ball-sized device in the air and hit the big silver button on the side to take a 360 photo of your current surroundings. It can detect the way you are holding the device and will automatically adjust its orientation accordingly for horiztonal or vertical panoramic images.

The Tamaggo’s vital stats are: 14MP sensor, 2″ LCD touch screen, Mini USB and wireless (WiFi/Bluetooth), weighs 190g and is 92mm long, 55.8mm high and 61.1mm wide. It also features a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery and integrated stand allowing for remote image capture.

The Tamaggo will be available in the US in Q2 for under $200. We will update this if and when we have further details on UK pricing and availability. For further product information, check out the company’s site at http://www.tamaggo.com

[Source: What caught our eye at CES 2012 – Part 2]

Eers Custom Earphones

Developed by Canadian firm Sonomax, ‘eers’ are the “first earphones in the world that you buy off the shelf and custom-fit to your own ears, in 4 minutes.” Roughly speaking, the product works by putting the fitting mechanism on your head (see picture) and then two types of silicone flow down into a membrane and into your ear. You don’t get any silicone in your ear of course, as it’s contained inside the membrane.

After a few minutes the silicone sets and you remove the fitting device to, hopefully, find a perfectly cast set of earphones – custom moulded to fit your ear. The product is expected to be on sale in the UK in the 2nd half (update: see below) of 2012 and the current retail price for the US is $199 for the single driver headphone and $299 for the twin driver (better sound quality) version. To find out more about eers, visit http://sculptedeers.com/

Update on Jan 26: Eers are now available direct from Sonomax UK on this page, current price £199+shipping

Sony Tablet P

The next product that caught our attention, but perhaps not for the right reasons, was the Sony Tablet P. Our initial reaction was that it looked like a giant, silver, version of the popular Nintendo Donkey Kong handheld game from yesteryear! Nevertheless we decided to persevere and had a quick hands-on go the intriguing looking clamshell tablet.

The idea is that you can easily slip this tablet in to your handbag, backpack or even jacket pocket – although from our experience you’d need a pretty big jacket for people not to notice the bulge! The Tablet P is 18cm long and 15.8cm wide when fully opened. It weighs 370g and sports two 5.5″ TruBlack touch screens. The model on display is supplied in conjunction with AT&T and enables the ‘P’ to use 3G when on the move.

Alongside Sony’s more conventional ‘S’ tablet and their increasingly powerful XPERIA smartphones, we couldn’t really work out who the ‘P’ was aimed at. The form factor was quite bulky and the sizeable gap between the two screens can make for awkward reading of long pages (see our photo for an example of a split mid paragraph).

While the official press material from Sony states that pricing and availability is ‘TBD’, we found the Tablet P already for sale (at £499) on the Sony UK web site. Given this relatively high price (the iPad 2 starts from £399) we’ll be surprised if this becomes a hit product for Sony.

Penclic Mouse

Penclic, a Swedish based company, have been championing the idea of a pen-shaped mouse since 2002. However this year’s CES saw them launching their new and improved R2 (wireless) and D2 (corded) versions. The Penclic is designed to provide a more natural working position and to combat health related issues associated with a traditional computer mouse, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI).

The Penclic is intended to feel and move like a pen and the mouse buttons are mounted where you grip with your forefinger and thumb. From our quick test the product performed well, although we were initially a little confused about which part made the cursor move. The answer is that you move the whole unit, rather than just the ball/socket mechanism!

The R2 and D2 are already available via the Amazon Marketplace, priced at £59.99 and £49.99 respectively.

Audi’s triple heads-up display

Over at the predictably stylish (and extremely bright!) Audi stand, they had a demo of prototype heads-up display. Audi’s HUD stood out from existing displays because it featured three ‘projections’, one directly in front of the driver, one in the centre and one for the passenger.

The driver’s HUD showed navigational arrows which can obviously be used in place of a traditional sat-nav unit. The centre screen was showing more details about the route and end destination. Meanwhile, the passenger screen (which is invisible to the driver), can be used to watch TV, etc. All of the screens are gesture controlled.

In a ‘real life’ demo, the guy from Audi showed us an example of an incoming video phone call. This was displayed on the centre screen as a static photo and the name of the caller, but the passenger could drag this across to their screen to view the video call – while the driver could concentrate on, er, …driving!

Our CES 2012 coverage continues…

• Read part 2 of our CES 2012 round-up here

[Source: What caught our eye at CES 2012 – Part 1]

The iGo Green Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries are dubbed as a low-cost, environmentally friendly solution to disposable batteries. They will, says iGo, start saving you money after two recharging cycles – one rechargeable battery is equivalent to 40 single-use disposable batteries.

We’ve always tried to use rechargeable batteries (with the amount of battery-operated toys in this house it would be of benefit both to my wallet and the planet) but we’ve always been disappointed in them. They never seem to hold their charge for long, and small people are not patient enough to wait for them to be recharged.

Howver, iGo reckons it has got this problem licked, as, unlike nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride cell batteries, they can hold their charge for up to seven years. This means they will be ready to go as soon as you get them out of the packet, but will likewise still be ready if you have them sitting fully charged in the drawer for a few weeks, or even years. This means you can have a store always ready to go (pretty vital when a small person needs that train to go RIGHT NOW!)

The batteries come in AA and AAA sizes and cost around £7.99 for a four-pack and £12.99 for an eight-pack. You’ll need an iGo Green Charger (£15.99, including four AA batteries). iGo also sells a two-way USB charger for those on the move. It costs £12.99 and comes with two AA batteries.

[Source: iGo batteries go green]

What’s the big deal then? Well err, QuNeo (pronounced kyoo-ne-oh, FYI) seemingly covers all of the functionality of other controllers, while adding some new and rather funky dimensions. Big deal? Yep. The QuNeo provides 27 pads, sliders and rotary sensors with 3D Multi-Touch recognition for pressure, velocity, and location sensitivity, which in-turn allows musicians playing electronic sounds to change their timbre (the quality, brightness and volume…). That means that harder or softer sounds can be varied by simply varying touch pressure – fancy yourself the next Thom Yorke (Radiohead) or Trent Reznor? (Nine Inch Nails, The Social Network OST), then this bad-boy could be for you. The pads are also responsive to X (left – right) and Y (up – down) and recognise multiple gestures for pinching and swiping. Fancy (yet refreshingly simple) stuff, eh?

We admit that with most of the first-gen software that’s come before, the options for controlling music have seemingly been pretty limited. To be fair, us using the term limited might even be a stretch; you could only ever hit a pad, twist a knob or push a button to manipulate sounds and effects (nope, the theremin’s got nuttin’ on this). KMI though, has attempted (and potentially resolved these restrictions) with its new line of Multi-Touch controllers:  SoftStep, 12 Step, and now QuNeo, that transforms musical intent into audio through physical control of 3D Multi-touch sensor technology. Well funky, yeah? The other cool thing about the QuNeo is that it’s built for portability. It’s basically a low-cost iPad-shaped music controller and as such, it fits into most iPad accessories (stands, clips), and cases. It actually feels a lot easier to handle than the iPad itself. Seriously.

KMI founder Keith McMillen says of the product: “Great musical instruments push back and convey a sense of the physical. They have depth and dimension and show you what they know. We have developed sophisticated and innovative sensor technologies for musicians that enable this next generation of musical instruments – controllerism 2.0.” Nice term there, Keith.

If you needed any further proof of this thing’s quality (aside from our nice words, obviously), the QuNeo has had a viral effect on internationally-recognised crowd-sourced funding platform Kickstarter (it’s the first time a music tech company has actually used this method) with record-setting pre-sales, hitting its original funding goal in just 36 hours. Why Kickstarter? The KMI QuNeo campaign project is currently doing its level-best to make use of the platform and enable electronic musicians, DJs, VJs, and DIY hackers the opportunity to get in on the ground floor and order through a pledge of just $200. Now, as a result, the product is well over 400 per cent funded. Good work.

The QuNeo will be available by March 2012. It will be priced at $200 (around £129) for pre-sale at Kickstarter.com at the following link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kmi/quneo-multi-touch-open-source-midi-and-usb-pad-con.

[Source: QuNeo 3D Multi-Touch Controller]

The ‘proper’ unveiling of this innovative device will apparently take place at CES 2012; although that hasn’t stopped a whirl of excitement flurrying around the net since Wahoo Fitness exposed its Blue HR press release.

In “harnessing the power of Bluetooth Smart Ready Devices”, the Blue HR will effectively transform your smartphone into an all-in-one training partner, and given that an all-in-one training partner is what our poor neglected bodies are all crying out for in January, Wahoo Fitness’s timing of the Blue HR release is impeccable.

In using the latest in Bluetooth Technology, the Blue HR is able to communicate directly with Bluetooth Smart Ready Devices, including the iPhone 4S. Being in full support of various Wahoo Fitness’ app partners, including several of the most popular fitness apps, such as Runmeter, MotionX, 321 Run, RunKeeper and MapMyFitness, users will have access to heart rate data, music playlists, their phone, GPS maps, etc., all in one place.

In generating heart rate data in real time, the Blue HR provides highly accurate readings of the number of calories you have burned during a workout. Blue HR users also have the option of purchasing a Wahoo Armband, which provides protection for your iPhone 4S with full touchscreen access, and, of course, as the device relays heart information via Bluetooth Smart Technology wirelessly; no key or additional hardware is needed.

According to Wahoo Fitness, virtually all new smartphones in 2012 will include the Bluetooth V4.0 technology that is all Bluetooth Smart Ready devices and that the Blue HR marks the first release of a Bluetooth Smart app enabled accessory for the iPhone 4S.

[Source: January’s get fit schedule just got smarter with the Wahoo Fitness Blue Heart Monitor]

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer

This appears on just about must-have toy list this Christmas. The LeapPad Explorer builds on the success of 2010′s award winning handheld; Leapster Explorer. And if you know a small person who has been hankering after your iPad, this might do the trick, as the LeapPad Explorer combines the latest technology, educational content and entertainment features, specially tailored for young learners with a robust and durable design.

Onboard are 100-plus learning games, videos, e-Books, flash cards and more, featuring children’s favourite characters. Fully compatible with the existing Leapster Explorer library

Parents will be pleased to see subjects from spelling and maths to creativity, science, music, geography and more included. The nifty stylus also lets children perfect their writing skills

This is also the first tablet device for children with a built-in camera, video recorder, microphone and animation studio, allowing for creative exploration that can be shared with family and friends

It also automatically adjusts the learning across all 100+ experiences so children can learn at their own pace

The Explorer comes in green and pink.

Price: £79.95

From: www.leapfrogstore.co.uk

Huddlestone’s Classic Learning Alphabet Flash Cards

Huddlestone’s ABC flash cards are a set of beautifully hand drawn alphabet cards designed to appeal to iPhone and iPad users who want something a bit different for their children or grandchildren. This simple but elegant interactive application delivers a nostalgic approach to the flash card game, with beautifully illustrated, vintage-style cards, which feature phonics for each letter and audio for each picture. Perfect for a bit of quiet time after all the chocolate and excitement!

Price: £1.49

From: iTunes

Magellan eXplorist 310: Geocaching device

Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game, where players try to find hidden containers, using GPS-enabled devices, then share their experiences online. It’s rather like a technological version of letterboxing, if you are familiar with that.

Geocaching is great for children (it’s popular with Scouts and other youth groups), as it gets them out and about, and learning all kinds of skills, such as exploration and navigation. The waterproof boxes that are hidden usually contain a logbook, sometimes a stamp to record your find, as well as small toys and trinkets for trading and swapping.

Global GPS brand Magellan has just launched the eXplorist 310, a high quality hand-held GPS device which combines high-sensitivity GPS, an intuitive user interface and easy-to-read mapping.

Whether hiking, climbing, backpacking, geocaching, hunting, fishing, mountain biking or sailing, the eXplorist 310 has been designed to allow adventurers to navigate to outdoor destinations worldwide, capture geotagged photos along the way and share their experiences online when they return home.

As the younger brother of the 510, 610 and 710, the eXplorist 310 is set at a lower price point, enabling all outdoor enthusiasts to make the most of this advanced GPS device.  A good opportunity to make that family walk on Boxing Day that bit more interesting.

Price: £179.99

From: www.magellan.gps.com for stockists

Laser Pegs

If your child enjoys constructing models with Lego, Meccano and so on, they’re going to love Laser Pegs. It has already taken the US toy market by storm and has now launched in the UK. This is a lighted construction set where each piece feeds the next piece a low voltage current which, when attached to a power source, allows children to build creations that illuminate in a brightly coloured, LED light display.

There are five kits  – Dune Buggy (31 pieces), Tractor (30 pieces) and Mini Monster Bug (36 pieces) each have a power unit, an instruction booklet and sample model designs, each can be used to create over 9 different models. They cost £27.99. The Laser Pegs 3 in 1 Kit has 72 pieces, one power unit, an instruction booklet and sample model designs and Laser Pegs 4 in 1 Kit, has 60 pieces, two power units and an instruction booklet, also with model examples. They each cost £49.99.

Model building ideas can be downloaded from the websites at www.laserpegs.com and www.laserpegs.co.uk

Suitable for children aged 5 and older, Laser Pegs run on three AA batteries or a separately available AC wall adapter.

Price: From £27.99

From: www.laserpegs.co.uk

6-In-1 Solar Kit

Find out all about Solar Power and create some cool models at the same time. This 6 in 1 Solar Kit is the perfect way to get a proper to introduction solar energy and just how it all works. It comes with everything you need to build your very own solar powered robot, a dog, a car, and a boat, with three other designs also possible.

Great for budding engineers or scientists.

Price: £12.95

From: www.gadgets.co.uk

[Source: Teach ’em young – gadgets that are fun AND educational]

USB Foot Warmer

Cold feet, like an annoying colleague persistently humming throughout the day, or a mouse that seems to make an extra-loud ‘click’, can seriously distract us from working. In fact, as I am writing this, I am now conscious of a draft underneath my desk and my feet becoming progressively colder. Eliminate cold feet syndrome immediately the USB foot warmer. One size fits all with these safe, cosy and slip-free foot warmers.

The slippers come equipped with a 1.25m USB cable, giving you ample room to stretch those cosy feet!

For £14.95 the USB Foot Warmer has to make a great stocking filler.

USB Negatives Photo Film Scanner

My parents have a fantastic collection of slides from the 80s, 70s and even 60s, and many a Christmas they come out and the whole family huddles around them, squinting to make the images. Well squint no more I tell myself as this handy USB-operated device enables you to share antiquated images the modern way.

For £59.95 you can simply scan those classic images at high resolutions and then convert them into jpegs, or a range of other useful digital formats. Compatible with Windows and Mac, the USB Negatives Photo Film Scanner could be the perfect activity to fill an empty moment in between the turkey and the Queen’s speech.

USB Voice Recorder

Looking uncannily like your average USB memory stick, this clever little device enables aspiring James Bonds to discreetly record conversations and sound. Hmm, why would we want to do that you may ask? Well we’re not sure really, perhaps if you’re a tabloid journalist looking for an alternative way to record conversations other than phone hacking. Or maybe to take down notes in lectures without having to scribble away?

Either way, for £29.95 this “great covert voice recorder”, which has 4GB of flash memory that equates to 80 hours of total recording, would make a great stocking filler.

Lamborghini Memory Stick

For any sports cars enthusiasts in the family the Lamborghini Memory Stick would make a fantastically fun stocking filler. Officially licensed by Lamborghini, this 1GB memory stick certainly stands out from the crowd and, being fun, novel and sleekly designed, may, just may, help ease the transition from the festive season back to work.

And for £19.95 the Lamborghini Memory Stick, unlike the real thing, will hardly break the bank.

[Source: Fun and unusual USB gadgets – Possibly the perfect stocking fillers!]