TechLounge

Gear4 has released its new portable iPod speaker dock which is ideal for using at home or on the move. Called the StreetParty III, this new speaker dock will fit all dock connecting iPod’s including the new iPod Touch and Nano models.

Included with the StreetParty III is an AC adapter for home use, which will also charge the iPod or alternatively you can power the speakers by 4 AA batteries for when you’re out and about.

Its small dimensions mean that it’s fully portable and the iPod dock is retractable for folding flat; there is also a metal grill to protect the speakers if you wish to put it into a suitcase or backpack.

The Gear4 StreetParty III delivers up to 16 watts of power from its two 2.75 inch speakers, which are optimized for superior sound. Also included is a line in port, so other portable audio players can be connected.

The Gear4 StreetParty III is available now from major retailers for around £29.99.

Optoma has unveiled two brand new projectors aimed at the gaming market. There are two Optoma GameTime models to choose from, the GT-3000 and GT-7000 and both are capable of producing a screen size up to 300 inches.

Designed for the gaming market, these projectors are portable and come with 2.1 speakers and integrated subwoofer, and if you’d like to take it to a mates house there is also a custom made backpack included.

First out of the blocks is the GT-3000, which features a gloss white finish, SVGA 800×600 resolution and 2300 lumens for ultra bright pictures.

The Optoma GT-7000 is the flagship model and boasts an impressive HD-ready resolution, 4000:1 contrast ratio and come in gloss black finish.

Both projectors have built in colour enhancement systems and feature a Digital Light Processing (DLP) chip for crisp and clear picture quality. Bundled in with the speakers and backpack is a remote control.

The two projectors will be released in Octomber and will retail for £350 (GT-3000) and £500 (GT-7000) and will come with Optoma’s five year colour warranty. Let the big screen games commence!

Yesterday, Google and T-Mobile showcased the first Google Android OS Smartphone. The device, which is called the T-Mobile G1 is set to be the first in a long line of Android powered devices and will be positioned to rival Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry and Palm’s devices.

In case you don’t know, Android is a completely open source mobile phone operating system, which means that any third party developers can make applications for the platform. This is set to revolutionise the functionality and uses of our mobile devices.

The G1, which is manufactured by HTC, features a 3.2 inch touchscreen display, Trackball for alternative navigation and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Other additions include Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, GPS navigation, MP3 player, Bluetooth and a 3 megapixel camera.

As mentioned above, the G1 will use the Android Operating System, which will have access to Android Market, an application shop where you can download the latest software and games. The device will also have access to Amazon’s new MP3 store, which has over 6 million DRM-free songs to buy and download to the device.

The T-Mobile G1 will be available in the US from the 22nd October, with the UK release at the beginning of November and the rest of Europe in early 2009. It will cost from $179 in the US, but there is no pricing for the UK and Europe yet.

The Sennheiser MX W1 headphones won the prestigious EISA Award for best European headphones 2008. The MX W1 is the company’s first fully portable and wireless headphones and features two separate headphones one for your left and right ears, a wireless transmitter and a carry case with integrated charger.

The MX W1’s transmitter allows you to transmit a signal to two pairs of MX W1’s ear plugs, meaning that two users can listen to the same device at the same time. The system operates on the 2.4GHz frequency range, which offers a superior uncompressed sound quality and less chance of interference.

The MX W1 carry case also incorporates a charging dock for the ear plugs, so they can be charged up on the move; this can be used up to 3 times without the need for a power supply. The system does not even have to be set up, just simply connect it to your chosen audio device and turn it on, simple!

The recommended retail price for the Sennheiser MX W1 isn’t cheap at a whopping £299, but if you shop around you will probably save a few quid. The MX W1 is available from major stockists now.

Tangent has a new range to fit in with their hugely successful table radio range, the Tangent Trio. The Tangent Trio not only combines FM and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) radio it also boasts an alarm clock so you can wake up to your favourite radio stations.

Using Tangents vast knowledge of building quality audio systems, you can be sure that the Trio will provide you with a superior sound. The Tangent Trio can be manually or automatically tuned to a radio station and the integrated display will tell you which radio station you’re on, information about the track and even what’s coming up next.

A 3 inch full range speaker is mounted on the top for superior sound, and has a maximum power output of 5W. Other features include a timer function for the alarm clock, as well as snooze button and a headphone socket, line out and aux in connections on the back.

The Tangent Trio is available in eight different colours; perfect for matching it to your current colour schemes.

HTC have announced details of a new device for their Smartphone range, the HTC S740. The new device will replace the popular S730 and boasts styling similar to the Diamond Touch and Touch Pro.

The HTC S740 still retains one feature from the S730; the dual keyboards, a numerical keyboard on the front and a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard in the middle. The S740 will also feature Wi-Fi and HSPDA, a 3.2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth connection.

Other additions include a 2.4 inch LCD display, GPS/A-GPS for navigation and a microSD card slot for storing files. All of these features, plus the QWERTY keyboard inside a phone that is only slightly bigger than the HTC Diamond Touch will be a plus point for some.

The dual keyboard configuration and the lack of a touchscreen might put some people off, but those who want the functionality of a standard phone coupled with being able to write emails easily it’ll be a bonus.

The HTC S740 is expected out sometime in the coming months, there is no word on networks or tariffs at the moment.

Apple yesterday confirmed the rumours surrounding the new iPod Nano, and showed it off in all its glory. The new device boasts an all aluminium case with a glass display and has styling reminiscent of the 2nd generation unit.

The new iPod Nano has also seen a memory increase and will now be available in 8GB and 16GB versions. Along with the new styling, the Nano adds more colour variations, with nine different colours in total and boasts a host of new features.

New features include a mode called ‘Genius’ that can automatically find similar songs in your music library and put them together on one playlist. The new Nano has a built in accelerometer so the display is rotated when it is placed on its side and has a shake to shuffle movement for a little unpredictability.

Picture and video playback are still incorporated, as well as mini games so you can play whilst listening to your favourite tunes.

The new iPod Nano is available for pre-order now and will be released on the 16th September. The 8GB version will retail at £109 and the 16GB at £149.

Arcam has announced their new flagship AV receiver, the AVR600. Sporting a full metal case, the AVR600 will be available from November and set you back around £2300 when it’s launched. You may be thinking it’s a bit steep, but the AVR600 boasts the latest in High-Definition audio and video processing combined with Dolby Volume.

The Arcam AVR600 has a minimalist and sleek design and not only decodes the latest HD media with superior sound quality; it is also capable of upscaling and upconversion. The AVR600 is one of the first receivers to feature Dolby Volume, which equalises the volume of all incoming audio so that there are no spikes in volume.

Arcam has fitted the AVR600 with 5 HDMI sockets for all your latest home cinema add-ons and features a power amplifier with 7X120 Watts of power for your speakers. A huge array of controls can be customised in the receiver, so it can be set up to your exact preferences.

With its superior sound quality and High-Definition playback, the Arcam AVR600 is set to make a big splash in the home cinema market when it’s released in November.

Sony has issued a recall for over 73,000 of its laptops due to a defect that could cause them to overheat and potentially burn there users. There has been a report of one person suffering minor burns as a result of the defect and 15 other complaints about laptops overheating have been lodged with US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The laptops affected are the highly popular Vaio TZ series which includes the model numbers TZ100, TZ200, TZ300 and TZ2000. The fault is reported to be a problem with the wiring close to the laptops hinge, which could overheat or short circuit in some circumstances. Although not all of the Vaio TZ branded laptops are affected, Sony urges users of the laptops to contact the company to see if their model is part of the recall.

Last year Sony had to recall over 27,000 laptop batteries as another fault was discovered in the manufacturing process. This affected not only Sony, but Dell, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard that also used the battery packs.

Sony is set to release their new eBook reader, the PRS-505 for the UK market this month. This ultra portable device offers book readers the chance to take up to 160 books on their travels; all stored on one handy little device. The Sony PRS-505 is slimmer than previous designs and boasts an Eink screen, which replicates the look of traditional books on its large 6 inch screen. The text on the screen can also be resized for sight-impaired readers and has a viewing angle of up to 180 degrees.

The Sony eBook reader also features memory stick DUO and SD card slots for additional memory that can take the amount of eBooks stored on the device to over 13,000. Battery power is impressive as well, with over 7,000 page turns from a single battery charge.

The Sony eBook reader will probably not signal the end of the traditional book, but is a handy accessory to have if you do a lot of reading or need access to your documents and other files while on your travels.

The Sony PRS-505 is available for pre-order now and will be released later this month. The unit is priced at £199.99 and will include all the software needed to download the eBooks, power adaptor and a leather look cover.