Tech Tools

Parrot Zik headphones

€438

If you’re an audiophile with reasonably deep pockets, these Parrot cans are worth a look. The wireless headphones were designed by Philippe Starck and are pretty high end. They connect to all your devices, including your smartphone and tablet, and have touch-sensitive controls for volume and track control. You can pause tracks simply by removing the headphones, and they’re noise cancelling.

Built-in NFC technology, Bluetooth 2.1, speech detection, and it doubles as a bluetooth handsfree set – what more could you want?

[ Parrot.com/zik ]

HP Envy X2

€1,199

If you are not quite ready to make the leap to a tablet just yet, you can opt for the halfway house offered by HP. The computer maker’s newest models include notebooks that have multitouch displays. The HP Envy X2 doubles as a tablet, thanks to its detachable screen, and will be among the first Windows 8 devices when the new software launches next month. It comes with an 11.6 inch display, a HD webcam and Beats Audio, with a stylus as an optional extra. It also uses near-field communication to share photos with friends.

[ Hp.com ]

Samsung Galaxy

Note 10.1

From €479

You wait ages for a decent tablet to come along, and then they all arrive together. The latest device to hit the market is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Basically, it’s the Samsung Galaxy Note but in a tablet form – that means you can draw and take notes with the S Pen, just like the phone. Powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, the Note comes with 2GB of Ram, making it a bit on the zippy side. You can multitask with apps side by side, or take photos with the

5 megapixel main camera. And it also brings some of the Galaxy S3 features, such as Smart Stay, which keeps the screen active as long as you are looking at it.

[ Samsung.com/ie ]