TechLounge

Archos have announced the flagship to their new media player range, the Archos 5. Billed as an Internet Media Tablet, the Archos 5 lets you enjoy the internet, TV and your media file in one device.

The Archos 5 features a huge 4.8 inch touch sensitive display with a screen resolution of 800×480 and will come with either 60GB, 120GB or 250GB hard drive; enough to fit all your media needs. As with previous versions, the Archos 5 will play all your favourite music and video files and will display various picture formats.

Wi-Fi is also included so you can browse the net on the move and is connected to your computer via USB 2.0 for transferring your data fast and efficiently. The battery has also been upgraded and will give an average of 12 hours playback for music and up to 5 hours of video playback.

With the optional DVR stand, you can record Television programs with the tap of a button with the electronic program guide, or use the functions of the Archos 5 through your home TV.

Prices and release date for the Archos 5 is to be announced, but expect it out sometime in the coming months.

Sony will release their new accessory for the Playstation 3, Play TV on September the 19th in the UK. Play TV is a Freeview box that connects to your Playstation 3 and allows you to watch and record your favourite TV programs onto the PS3’s hard drive.

Play TV will also allow you to watch recorded programs on your PSP wherever you are, via a Wi-Fi connection. The box will connect to your PS3 through a USB slot, which also powers the device and means you do not need an external power source.

Play TV has dual TV tuners so you can record one channel whilst watching another and you can also play games or Blu-ray discs while recording as well. The usual EPG and program guides are also included so you can view TV listings and set recordings up to a week in advance.

As mentioned above, you can also access recorded content through your PSP via the Remote Play application, that turns your PS3 on through the internet and streams recorded programs straight to your PSP.

The amount of programs you can record will depend on the size of your PS3’s hard drive, with an hour of recording time taking up around 1GB of space. Available on the 19th September, Play TV will retail for around £69.99.

With the Polaroid PoGo Instant Photo Printer you can easily and affordably print your pictures wherever you go. The Polaroid PoGo is lightweight and small, only about the size of a mobile phone and prints 2 inch by 3 inch photos directly onto self-adhesive sheets that use Polaroid’s Zero Ink printing technology.

Polaroid’s Zero Ink technology or ZINK for short has cyan, magenta and yellow dye crystals embedded into the paper, which are activated by heat pulses from the printer. This means that the printer is inkless and will never need new printer cartridges.

The Polaroid PoGo can print pictures from your phone via a Bluetooth connection and has a USB port for digital cameras. Simply connect your chosen device, press print and you will have your picture in less than 60 seconds.

The PoGo instant printer can be taken with you wherever you go and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, capable of printing up to 20 photos on a single charge. Available now from leading stockists the Polaroid PoGo is around £100 and the ZINK paper retails for £3.99 for 10 sheets and £7.99 for 30 sheets.

Laptops have become very popular over the past few years, due to their price and more importantly their portability. Many people who use laptops prefer to use an external mouse rather than the integrated track pad.

Many manufacturers now offer laptop mice and Logitech are no exception announcing their newest laptop mouse, the V550 Nano. The Logitech V550 Nano mouse is a cordless laser mouse especially designed for laptops and is compatible for both Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher.

Featuring Logitech’s advanced 2.4GHz wireless USB connection, the mouse is both powerful and reliable and the V550 Nano also features an innovative clip and go attachment to connect the mouse to your laptop when you’re carrying it.

Included with the mouse are the USB dongle, 2 clip and go docks and removal tool, storage box, batteries and cleaning wipes. The V550 Nano also has Logitech’s 3 year limited warranty if there are any problems.

The V550 Nano is available in two colours, silver/grey or silver/blue and will retail for around £40.

Enjoy your movies and music on the go with the Philips DCP951 DVD player and iPod dock. The DCP951 features a 9 inch 16:9 widescreen display with DVD player, retractable iPod dock and SD/MMC memory card slot.

The Philips DCP951 is capable of playing all DVD formats including DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW and can also play Super VCD, CD-R/RW, MP3-CD and picture CD’s. Music and videos can also be played using your iPod through the integrated dock, which also charges the iPod at the same time.

The device is able to play for up to 2.5 hours from its rechargeable battery and comes with an AC adaptor, car adaptor and AV cable for movies and music on the go. The iPod dock is compatible with the iPod Touch, iPod Nano 3rd Gen, iPod 5th Gen and the iPod Classic. The DCP951 also has a stand for easy viewing on a desk or table.

Ideal for people on the move, for taking on holiday or in the car, the DCP951 and its huge 9 inch screen will keep you entertained for hours. Available now from major retailers for around £199.

Sony is set to release their new 10.1 megapixel Cybershot camera in September, the DSC-T77. The super slim (measuring just 15mm thick) and sleek design will be available in five colours; Silver, Black, Pink, Green and Brown and offers a huge 10.1 megapixels and a 3 inch touchscreen display.

The DSC-T77 also features a Carl Zeiss lens with 4X optical zoom, SteadyShot for those shaky hands, smile shutter and enhanced face detection and scene recognition. Included in the camera is 15MB of internal memory and a Memory Stick Duo card slot for up to 4GB.

The Sony DSC-T77 is sure to be a crowd pleaser with enhanced features like, Smile Shutter which detects a smile before taking a picture, face detection that optimises focus and white balance for clear portraits and SteadyShot image stabilisation for anti-blur images. The images are also stored in individual folders for easy navigation.

The DSC-T77 has a HD output to view images on your TV and with 10.1 megapixels; pictures can easily be sized to A3 and beyond without losing clarity. Due out in early September, price is to be confirmed.

Tired of having lots of wires and boxes connected to your television? Sharp has the answer with its new home cinema rack, the ANPR1500H. Not just content in being a TV stand capable of holding a screen up to 46 inches, the ANPR1500H also boasts an upscaling DVD player, 2.1 speaker system with 300 watts of output, HDMI and scart interfaces and USB connectivity.

The DVD player is able to play DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA and is Divx compatible. The ANPR1500H also features a Radio/Alarm clock and has a handy shelf underneath for any additional items you have like a Sky box or games console.

The Sharp ANP1500H comes in a sleek gloss black finish, so it will fit in with your existing products. Available direct from the Sharp website now for £599.

Samsung have announced that their new 8 megapixel camera phone, the Innov8 or i8510 will be released in the UK later this month. Built on the Symbian OS system, this powerhouse of a phone is one of the most advanced phones that Samsung have made and is set to go head on with the Sony Ericsson C905.

The Samsung Innov8 is a slider phone featuring a 2.8 inch QVGA screen, Wi-Fi, GPS and a missive 8 megapixel camera. The camera itself has features taken from Samsung’s highly popular digital camera range including an image stabiliser, face detection and a wide dynamic range, plus a dual powered LED flash for low light pictures.

The phone is Wi-Fi ready and features HSDPA for super fast internet connection and is capable of playing Divx, WMV, H.263 and H.264 video files and MP3, AAC, WMA and AMR audio files. The Samsung Innov8 has a 16GB internal hard drive and a microSDHC card slot for an additional 16GB.

Information on the Innov8’s price and networks are still to be confirmed, but expect it to show up soon on the networks websites.

Ixos have extended their HDMI range with the introduction of their new HDMI Adapters the XS118 and XS218 adapters. The XS118 and XS218 are ideal for side mounted HDMI inputs and keeps wires out of sight due to its 90 degree angle.

Both adapters feature Ixos’ patented 4 layer PC board that minimises FEXT (Far End Cross Talk)by stabilising the impedance at the plug, TRU-HD for an official high definition performance of up to 1080p and gold plated connectors to provide a long life and a maximum signal.

Unlike the XS118, the XS218 features Ixos’ iVEC passive circuitry. The iVEC circuitry equalises the digital signal and allows a cable to be up to 4 meters longer, whilst still producing the best 1080p signal. This is especially good for home cinema systems that exceed the normal 7.5 meter cable.

Both the XS118 and XS218 are available now for £14.99 and £29.99 respectively and are ideal for anyone who has those annoying side mounted HDMI slots on their home entertainment system.

The TH-42PX80 is the first of Panasonic’s new 2008 Viera high-definition TV’s to hit the UK market and promises to create a bit of a stir. This 42 inch TV features Panasonic’s Viera V-Real technology that effortlessly provides a superb picture quality.

The TH-42PX80 also features an advanced 3D colour management system that processes colour, luminosity and brightness separately, which means you will always see a crisp and sharp picture.

The TV is HD ready and is capable of displaying in 1080p; currently the best a TV can display. This give a smoother more realistic picture and is ideal for watching sports and movies.

Combining an integrated freeview tuner and a contrast ratio of 15000:1, the TH-42PX80 also boasts 3 HDMI sockets, 2 Scarts, PC socket, audio in and out, component and Ariel connections as well as a headphone jack, S-video, composite and SD card slot. Meaning that you can connect everything you will ever need in your home entertainment system.

Prices start from just over £600, and for that amount of money it’s a great buy.