TWIG: StumbleUpon, FaceBook Places, Action Cam
The Week In Gadgets
This week saw a number of interesting announcements centring about the Internet. And a Head camera.
Wired editor Chris Anderson did a Nas and proclaimed that the Web was dead, before a number of companies and columnists rose to dispute his claim. At the same time StumbleUpon released a mobile app for Android and iPhone handsets, which I found pertinent as the original incarnation of StumpleUpon helped me to “rediscover” the Internet and brought weird and wonderful websites to my attention longer before social sharing on sites such as Twitter and FaceBook and in mobile form should be ideal for “lost moments” waiting for buses or idly loitering. Speaking of which, both these social networking Titans unveiled changes, with Twitter hoping to making finding people easier via the “You Both Follow” feature. Facebook released the geolocation based Facebook Places, bringing the annoyance of FourSquare and GoWalla check-ins into your timeline. It will probably be huge. According to Facebook, “with Places, you can discover moments when you and your friends are at the same place at the same time”. Thank goodness someone created a solution to that problem. Places is US only at the moment but will spread to these shores soon enough.
In the office, we took at look at Logitech’s G series of gaming hardware, for the hardcore PC gamer. We also had some quality time with the Linksys WAG320N router, a pretty robust networking solution that fulfils all your Network Admin dreams (you do have Network Admin dreams don’t you?) saved some money with Current Cost and reviewed some iPod docks.
My favourite gadget out this week was the Action Cam from Chilli Technology (pictured). Basically a medium res video camera you strap to your head, the Action Cam is a great way to capture action (or indeed arty) video shots. The Action Cam has a CMOS 1.3 MP sensor, records at 640×480 at 30 fps and takes up to 32GB of SD Card based storage. Of course there are many head cams on the market already, but the Action Cam is only £24.99, putting it in the hands of “ordinary” extreme sports enthusiasts. Footage from skiing holidays, cycling trips all possible and you can even try and recreate the Jigsaw Falling Into Place video
You should be able to pick one up from Amazon UK.
