Takara CDV1005
Price: €249 (plus €14.90 shipping) Buy: pixmania.ie
The brand might not be that well-known, but this is a pretty useful multimedia system for you car for less than €250 before shipping costs. This car radio/DVD player from Takara has a seven-inch rotating colour monitor that makes it easy to navigate menus and it’s easy on the eyes as you view films. It’s compatible with MPeg4 files and has a USB port for connecting to your portable external devices. It even has an SD memory card slot. It’s equipped with an RDS tuner for radio listening, and it delivers 180W of audio power for all your sound applications. The CDV1005 also comes with a multi-function remote control, so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
PoGo Instant photo printer
Price: €106.50 (plus approx €14 shipping) Buy: firebox.com
The Polaroid PoGo instant photo printer is a handy little thing that allows you to instantly print out proper pictures from your camera or mobile phone.
Unlike old-style instant photos, you won’t have to shake your pics dry because the PoGo uses miraculous heat-activated Zink (that’s zero ink) paper.
All you do is send your pics to the PoGo wirelessly via Bluetooth (mobile phone) or with a USB lead (PictBridge-friendly camera) and this gizmo churns out a quality image on a 2”x3” slice of sticky-back photo paper in under 60 seconds.
Datawind PocketSurfer
Price: €254.99 (plus €13.50 shipping) Buy: expansys.ie
PocketSurfer2R (PS2R) is an ultra-thin, ultra-portable, wireless handheld gadget that enables users to access the internet anywhere, anytime. At only 152 x 75 x 15 mm and weighing just 174 grams it will fit comfortably into a backpack or coat pocket. This unit uses a Sim card and GPRS and its quick load up time allows for cheap web browsing across Europe and the USA and its manufacturers tell us it is a cheaper alternative to internet cafes or expensive international calls.
The PS2R displays the World Wide Web in its original HTML layout on a full-colour wide screen, and a backlit QWERTY keyboard makes it the most useable hand-held device around. It also has an inbuilt GPS module that, when coupled with Google Maps, provides accurate information of your whereabouts. This would be a really useful way to get on to the web in an area where you know there will be no Wi-Fi access.
In-Car SD Journey Recorder
Price: €61.99 Buy: Maplin stores
There might be a few reasons you would want to record your car journey. One could be that you want to record that lap of the Nurburgring to show to your mates.
Or it might just be as mundane as ensuring that if you are involved in an accident that you have the extra security of some evidence. This unit can store up to 18 hours worth of video on a 2GB SD card which is certainly sufficient for even the longest of journeys. There is a three-second time interval so you could also use it for security in your home or office. Powered by 2 x AAA batteries or a DC 12V charger, both of which are supplied.