Tech tools

Compiled by CIARA O'BRIEN

Altec Lansing Orbit USB speaker

Competing for the title of ultimate portable speaker, the Altec Lansing Orbit USB mocks the pathetic audio your laptop can produce. Connecting to your PC or Mac via USB, the Orbit delivers some serious powerful audio despite its small size. Using it with a MacBook Pro, the speaker boosted the audio to levels that would have rivalled a portable dual-speaker system.

Not only is it lightweight, but the USB cable fits snugly into the back of the device, and it even comes with a carry case. Worth investing to ditch the tinny sound for good.

http://www.alteclansing.com

Blog:

Http://www.irhstimes.com/blogs/minibyte

Jabra Extreme (£60)

As far as Bluetooth headsets go, the less intrusive and obvious the better. Jabra has made a name for itself with innovative headsets such as the Stone, and the Extreme could be yet another success story. The new device, which has already been unveiled in the US market, combines some excellent technology with great design. It uses Jabra’s “Noise Blackout Extreme” to filter out unwanted background noise, using dual microphones to enhance your audio while cutting out the chatter of those around you. A good job all round.

http://www.jabra.com

Panasonic DMP-BDT300

If you’ve been paying attention recently, you’ll know that 3D has made a return to cinemas and is slowly starting to infiltrate home entertainment too. Gone are the days of the cheesy effects (remember Jaws in 3D?). Panasonic has jumped on board with its first full high-definition 3D Blu-ray Disc Player. Without going too much into the dull specifications, Panasonic has used some pretty impressive technology to output Full HD images in 1920x1080 resolution. The downside is that you’ll have to buy a compatible television. Luckily, Panasonic, Sony and other manufacturers are already offering those. The player will also work with normal Blu-ray Disc and DVD movies.

http://www.panasonic.com