Charged

CHARGED | Digital lifestyle

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD’S GREATEST GADGETS & OTHER TOYS

CHARGED Windows Southern Africa brings you the latest and greatest from the world of electronic wizardry, with the most exciting and (sometimes) useful gizmos.

24 CHARGED WINDOWS SA | AUGUST 2003

* All pricing is approximate suggested retail pricing (SRP). However, due to many variables, including the changing exchange rate, pricing may be different by the time you read this. Always first check with your local dealer for local availability, specifications, pricing and any other details.

CHARGED | HOTSTUFF

HOTSTUFF The hottest new releases on show

CANON POWERSHOT G5 Five is now the magic megapixel number WHY YOU WANT IT: Don’t mess around with a low-resolution camera that you’ll want to upgrade in six month’s time. Easily up to print quality, not to mention web and e-mail pics, the G5 packs a five megapixel CCD into a new sleek black body alongside 10x zoom playback and a 4x optical zoom lens. Brains as well as brawn, the G5 boasts an intelligent orientation sensor to rotate images automatically, whether vertically or horizontally.

WHAT YOU GET: A refined version of the Powershot G3, mounted in a sporty black frame in place of the original silver. Features include a 1/1.8” sensor, a wide-area AF/AE system to focus on off-centre subjects and three metering systems, including spot. For diehard Canon fans, the G5’s twelve shooting modes are based on its trademark EOS system.

COST: RTBA (Available end August) www.canon.co.za

30 CHARGED WINDOWS SA | AUGUST 2003

HOTSTUFF | CHARGED

TAG HEUER 2000 A new flagship for a sportswatch brand over two decades old WHY YOU WANT IT: A chronograph in the classic diving style, the new multi-function TAG is tailored to professional sportsmen, and the rest of us buying into the aesthetics of a dive watch from the safety of dry land. New open worked hands contrast with the deep black dial, made all the more visible when viewed through the glare-proof crystal face.

WHAT YOU GET: No fewer than six digital functions, including time, perpetual calendar and a dual time zone. Notches on the turning bezel make it easy to manipulate even when wearing diving gloves, while TAG’s double safety clasp ensure you won’t accidentally open the bracelet underwater. The screw-in crown delivers water-resistance to 20o metres with luminescent hands to read while you’re down there in the dark.

COST: R 15 250* WEB: www.picotandmoss.co.za (going live mid-August) www.tagheuer.com Tel: 011 884 3690

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CHARGED | Digital lifestyle

Mobile disco >> SIEMENS M55 Kitsch, cool or a mix of both? Like every high-end phone these days it’s got a colour screen, works virtually anywhere in the world due to its triband status and has a facility to attach a fun camera to it. What marks the M55 out is its loud orange appearance and programmable light effects on the side of the phone that herald incoming calls. Its other novelty is a “Cubaisis” synthesier application that enables you to compose and mix polyphonic melodies, meaning you can be directly responsible for how irritating your ringtone is to others.

R2 539.35* www.my-siemens.com

22 CHARGED WINDOWS SA | OCTOBER 2003

Digital lifestyle | CHARGED

Dynamite... >> P707 PHOTO JETPRINTER Lexmark’s P707 Photo Jetprinter was developed for digital photographers interested in creating home prints that rival photo lab quality. It can print borderless images in multiple formats, is capable of printing a 10 X 15cm photo in normal mode in about 60 seconds and has very friendly software drivers that guide a user through setup. The “printing progress” bar clearly indicates what levels of ink are still available in the cartridges and when a cartridge needs to be changed the user is prompted with questions about the cartridge so that the machine can adjust. www.lexmark.co.za R1 299*

Slim sound >> PANASONIC HT900 The notable aspect of this all-in-one home theatre kit is its DVD-CD player.

With slimness bordering on the anorexic it still manages to juggle 5 discs at a time and play just about any format you desire. The player is complemented by Tall-Boy speakers and a relatively meaty sub-woofer giving a total output of 600W. R7 979* www.panasonic.co.za

Elvis lives >> ELVIS PRESLEY JUKEBOX Based on a design from 1946, Wurlitzer gives this limited edition jukebox an Elvis twist by engraving the King’s signature on the clear front. Pictures of memorable moments in Elvis’s life, along with rotating lights that continuously change colour, complete the kitsch appeal. It holds up to 100 CDs and boasts a 200W amplifier. Available through the website it can even be used as a giant alarm clock by programming it to wake you up with your favourite tune.

Order from website: $8 100 www.wurlitzer-jukebox.com

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CHARGED | HOTSTUFF

Micro

Machines Simply the smallest kit in town

SIEMENS SL55 Forget the bland brand of yesteryear, Siemens’ latest tri-band SL55 leaps into pole position as the smallest phone we could find on sale.

The sliding front opens to reveal a tiny keypad, while the upper half holds the 12-bit (4 096 colours) display. Weighs 79g.

R4 443.86* www.my-siemens.com

PANASONIC SV-AV20 The ultimate miniature powerhouse? Shoot home movies, snap stills, play back MP3 tracks and then record your own voice, all on a gem small enough to nestle in your palm. Includes 32MB SD card.

R4 560* www.panasonic.co.za

28 CHARGED WINDOWS SA

NIKE TAILWIND Lace this lightweight gizmo to your running shoes and pound the dunes without glancing at your watch every few seconds. It’ll monitor speed, distance, calories burnt and total exercise time.

Leaving you free to contemplate the joys of long-distance running.

R1 499* www.nike.co.za