Review: Cool gadgets that hit stores

SAMSUNG PL210 (Price: Rs 11,990)

Specs: 14 MP; 10X optical zoom; 3-inch LCD; 720p video recording; 148 gm

The line between super zoom cameras and point-and-shoots is becoming thinner by the day. Evidence of this comes in the form of Samsung's PL210. The 19.7 mm frame hides a 14 MP sensor and a 10X optical zoom lens.

The 3-inch LCD is bright and good for previewing images. The menu system might look basic but hides a lot of features within.

The PL210 can capture videos in 720p HD mode. Both images and videos come out pleasingly crisp and vivid.

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JBL ON-TIMESOUND DOCK (Price: Rs 12,490)

Specs: Black finish; iPod dock; Aux in; FM/AMradio; 2 x 6 W speakers; Alarm with snooze; 1.2 kg.

This sound dock will wake you up over and over because it has not one but two alarms with snooze function. No more rolling back to sleep after hitting the snooze.

And like all JBL devices, this one comes with a form factor that is enticing. It is designed to look like aring that has the speakers placed round the curve.

But we have one complaint: the keys don't look classy at all and undermine the futuristic appearance of the sound machine. Users can connect any of the latest iPods to the dock and make it sing.

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PORTRONICS SCANNY 3 (Price: Rs 6,499)

Specs: A4 scanning area; Bluetooth enabled; Supports microSD card

After rolling out two portable scanners, Portronics has now come up with the Scanny 3. It is capable of scanning almost any flat surface, whether they be documents, books or calendar, so long as the coverage area approximates the size of an A4 sheet.

Although scanned documents can be accessed by connecting the machine to the PC, the Scanny 3 is Bluetooth enabled. So scanned content can be transferred directly to a phone or a laptop without wires.

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SAMSUNG UA55D8000YR (Price: Rs 2,49,990)

Specs: 55-inch LED screen; 1080P resolution; 3D ready; Smart functions; Web browsing; HDMI, Component, USB; 29.7 mm slim; 18.6 kgJuly

Samsung amazed the world with sleek 3D LED televisions last year. This year the Korean company has done it again.

Its new 55-inch smart TV is sizzling hot and everyone wants one on their walls. We would not be exaggerating if we called the UA55D8000YR the Ferrari of the viewing world. Samsung's design department must certainly be congratulated for a tremendous job.

Turn the smart functions on and the regular idiot box gain grey cells. It allows Net browsing and videos on YouTube. You can browse pictures on Picasa, chat with friends on Skype and Gtalk. It even lets you socialise on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. You can connect the TV with Wi-Fi and access the Internet.

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ULTRA MINI VACUUM CLEANER (Price: Rs 425)

Specs: 4 AA batteries; washable dust collector bag; bent extractor tube.

This mini vacuum cleaner from Ultra is a compact cleaning device that can be used to keep mobiles, displays, keyboards, printers, etc free from grime. Easy to carry around, this mini vacuum cleaner has two arms on the top and on the left.

Since it draws its energy from four AA batteries, it has limited suction power, but it easily sucks dust particles even as the brush attachment pries free stubborn gunk.

While it managed to clean the screens and mobiles effectively, the results with the keyboard would leave mother screaming.

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CANON PIXMA MX366 (Price: Rs 5,990)

Specs: Scan, Print, Copy, Fax; 8 PPM black; 4 PPM colour; Single colour LCD screen; Pictbridge; 8.5 kg.

From Canon's Pixma series comes the MX366, an all-in-one aimed at small to medium businesses. Like others of its ilk, the MX366 can scan, print and copy with the added capability to sending faxes if attached to a livephone cord.

This printer has a number of keys and a single LCD screen on its fairly large form factor. Most functions can be handled without a PC, but for some you will require a computer's assistance.

It can print eight pages per minute in draft monochrome and about four pages in draft colour. Not too shabby for an office horse, this machine further impressed us with its super sharp prints under its best mode.

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OSIM uRELAX (Price: Rs 15,000)

Osim has the easy-to-operate uRelax to make flesh kneading more affordable. Using the remote, you can choose different massage options - a quick option that gives you a full back massage using all the three modes of Shiatsu, swing and rolling.

When using the rolling mode, the user and adjust the width of the pressure points on the back, whereas in Shiatsu and swing mode, the user can direct the kneading at particular spots.

Each massage sessions lasts 15 minutes, but one can even switch it off in between. it comes with a car charger, and so can turn your vehicle stuck in a traffic jam into a moveable spa.

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GIGASET A590 (Price: Rs 3,790)

Specs: 1 corded phone, 1 cord-less phone; Intercom; 50 m indoorrange; Phonebook; Alarm.

Mindful of the frequent need felt for parallel connections in different rooms for the same landline connection, the A590 comprises a pair of phones: a wired desktop and a wireless cordless.

With the line input jack in the wired phone, it works as a regular telephone. Used as an individual device, it comes with a power cord that enables speaker facility and builds a connection with the cordless.

The cordless has a 50 meter indoor range and can provide up to five hours of talktime on a single charge. Both the phones have illuminated displays that read incoming and outgoing numbers.

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LENOVO G570 (Price: Rs 32,590 + tax)

Specs: 15.6-inch LED screen; IntelCore I i3 2.1 GHz; 3 GB RAM; 640 GB;Windows 7 Home Basic; Intel HDGraphics; Wi-Fi, USB 2, HDMI.

Lenovo's G570 laptop has entry-level components such as Intel iCore i3 2.1 GHz processor, 3 GB RAM and Windows Home Basic. The 15.6-inch LED screens upports HD graphics. Lenovo has added good applications such as Veriface and Power DVD to begin with. This laptop is worth every penny spent.

SAMSUNG RC510 (Price: Rs 39,990)

Specs: 15.6-inch screen; Intel Core i3 2.53 GHz; 3 GB RAM; 500 GB hard drive; Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit; NVIDIA 315 M graphics card; 1.3 MP web cam.

Samsung is not simply a TV company. To show us its abilities, it has launched a laptop that has looks, brains and a tempting price tag. Coded RC510, this laptop has a well-lit, 15.6-inch screen that supports HD graphics using NVIDIA's 315M GPU.

The firepower includes Intel Core i3 processor that clocks at 2.53 GHz, 500 GB hard for storage and a 3 GB RAM. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi aid connectivity. A 1.3 MP webcam can stream pictures in HD to the other side.

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VU LED-24K16 (Price: Rs 14,500)

Specs: 24-inch LED screen; 1080p video resolution; 500cd/m brightness; 176/176 degree viewing angle; HDMI, VGA, USB; 4W X 2 speakers; 30 Watt power; 7 kg weight.

We were wondering when TV companies would start bringing in smaller LED panels for the masses. VU is the first to start the small LED TV war and has released a new 24-inch TV for the price of a similar CRT set.

30 watts is what it consumes-almost equivalent to a CFL bulb that produces the equivalent of 125 W incandescent light. This TV's picture qualities do not disappoint - the images are clean and sharp; the colours vibrant, and the blacks deep.

The K16 supports full HD video and has all the important ports such as HDMI, Composite and VGA.

Courtesy: Gadgets & Gizmos