Olympus LS-10 - a recording studio in your back pocket

Ever get the urge to break out into song? Well, if you have the Olympus LS-10 in your back pocket, you'll be able to capture that moment in 'better than CD quality'. Which is great for your band and great for a spot of gig bootlegging too.

Claiming to be easy to use, the LS-10 has a large LCD panel that displays all the information needed to record, including a level meter display and peak indicator. It also has a tough aluminum casing to ensure there isn’t any vibration noise, built-in stereo microphones for 'true-to-life' recordings and 2GB of storage (plus an SD card slot for more).

You can also edit your music on PC or Mac with the supplied CUBASE LE4 software, with 48 soundtracks and a variety of effects to for studio-quality recording. Available now, it retails for £269.99.

Olympus website

Roberts goes green with the solarDAB

Roberts has ditched the retro looks (temporarily) and gone eco-friendly with the solarDAB.

As the name suggests, this is solar-powered DAB radio, giving power from the sun or rechargeable battery for up to 27 hours of listening. it also offers 10 presets, icons for solar level, battery and signal strength, rubberised controls, Band III and L band coverage, multi language support, white backlit LCD display and a line in socket for iPod/MP3 playback.

Choose from a white, black, red, green and pink finish, with a selling price of £79.99.

Roberts website

Lexon Around analogue clock - watch it spin

Think there was nothing new for the humble clock? Well, Lexon have managed something with the Lexon Around.

It's a very simple concept - the cylinder body moves around, highlighting the time with a red static arm, all powered by a single AA battery.

Take your pick between black and white, both retailing for £22.94.

Find out more at the Made In Design website

10 Key Calculator by Sam Hecht

Ideal to use with your computer - or ideal without - the 10 Key Calculator by Sam Hecht can operate either way.

As you've probably worked out, it's got the look of a computer's numeric keypad and can be attached to your PC via a USB cable. Or you can slip it into your bag, just in case you want to whip out some cool design at your next meeting.

Available in red or white, you can pick one up for £45.

Find out more at the Design Museum website

Lexon Jet - Theo Williams-designed FM/clock radio

Sleek, slimline and stylish - that's the Lexon Jet FM/clock radio.

It's part of a range of Jet items from industrial designer Theo Williams (which also includes a travel alarm and LCD clock), all with that minimalist casing in anodised aluminium or shiny gold. This particular model also features an electro-luminous LCD display, rotary tuning, MP3 player connectivity and date, time and temperature readings.

If it had DAB reception too, it would be near perfect. But if you're happy with FM, you can pick this up for £54.28.

Find out more at the Made In Design website

Magic Box - touch screen DAB/FM radio for under £60

Plenty of DAB radios out there - but the Magic Box offers one with a bit of style for not a lot of cash.

Indeed, for your money, you get a touch-operated screen, DAB/FM radio, 20 station presets, autoscan, a backlit alarm clock, 2x 3w speakers, connection for an MP3 player and battery/mains power.

Available now, you can pick one of these up for £59.99.

Find out more at the Magic Box website

Creative launches the Vado - pocket-sized camcorder

Creative has launched the small and lightweight Creative Vado - making it easy to shoot your video and to upload to YouTube or Photobucket.

It's certainly small - small enough to fit into the palm of your hand- and easy to operate, with just the touch of a button required for shooting. And once you've captured your clip, just connect to a computer with the built-in USB connector - the on-board software making it easy to copy your video to YouTube or Photobucket.

Other features include a 2-inch LCD screen, 2GB of storage, a rechargeable battery and a colour choice of silver or pink. It will initially be available in PC World, price still to be confirmed - but unlikely to break the bank.

Creative website

Samsung launches pebble-shaped S2 music players

The latest Apple challenger on the market is the Samsung S3 'pebble' music player.

It features 1GB of storage, an FM radio, MP3, WMA and OGG file compatibility and a choice of green, purple, red, black or white.

No news on price or availability as yet - but I would guess 'cheap' and 'in the coming weeks'.

Samsung website

LG offers digital TV and touchscreen media player with T80

Just launched in Europe (and sure to appear in the UK very soon) is the stylish T80 media player from LG.

As well as a DVB-T digital TV tuner, it has a 3-inch touchscreen, 4GB of storage, music and video player (playing all the main formats and more besides), FM radio, photo viewer, text reader and a built-in microphone for voice recording.

In Europe, it retails or 299 Euros.

LG website

Sony launches HDR-TG3E Handycam - smallest full HD camcorder

Sony has introduced its smallest high-definition camcorder - the HDR-TG3E Handycam.

No bigger than your mobile phone, it is still packed with features, including a pure titanium body (for lightness and strength), 2.7-inch touch screen, recording to Memory Stick (4G card included), the BIONZ image processing engine for image quality, the option to take still snaps (even when recording video), 5.1 digital surround sound, one-touch DVD burning and direct playback on your HD TV.

Expect it from May 2008. No pricing available as yet.

Sony website

Art Lebedev Sonicum speakers

What could be a better design for some desktop speakers than the audio icon off your computer desktop? That's what you get with the Sonicum speakers by much talked-about Russian designer Artemy Lebedev.

For your money, you get a pair of those quirky speakers, along with a rather plain sub-woofer (in comparison to the speakers that is). Not just for your computer, they can playback tunes from your iPod or any other media player, offering a total output of 15w.

Available online, they're yours for 100 Euros.

Find out more at the Charles & Marie website

Roberts mixes DAB and internet radio with the Stream 202

It might have slightly retro looks, but the Roberts Stream 202 is every bit the modern radio.

Not just DAB and FM (as you would expect from Roberts), but wi-fi connectivity, which means you can also pick up internet radio, including the BBC's 'Listen Again' shows. And you can stream your digital music from your PC to the radio.

Other features include 15 presets, two alarm timers and connectivity for your iPod. Available in silver or black, it retails for £149.99.

Roberts Radio

Sagem mydual radio700 - bedside internet radio for under £80

Sagem has launched the mydual radio700, giving you the option of waking up to any of several thousand radio stations.

7,000 internet radio stations to be precise - or if you haven't got your home network turned one, FM radio stations instead. Also featured is a clock/alarm (with sleep and snooze) and MP3 playback (via USB connector)

All of that for £79.99 for a limited time (the price eventually jumping to £99.99).

Find out more at the Big Box Shop website

Lexon's miniature Sticksound AM/FM radio

Not just a miniature radio, the Lexon Sticksound radio is a clever piece of design.

The work of Yves Malka and Pierre de Poucques, it packs everything into a package that's just 9 x 9 x 6cm, which includes a built-in speaker, room for the includes 4x AA batteries, volume control and an antenna that doubles up as a tuner for the AM/FM stations.

All of that is available in a choice of colours for £39.95.

Find out more at the Design Shop UK website

Naori Miyazaki Mobile Calculator - phone-shaped number crunching

Is it a calculator or is it a mobile phone? The Mobile Calculator is actually the former, but with the shape of the latter.

Designed by Naori Miyazaki, this slimline calculator has all the essential functions, along with a built-in clock that displays time in 12- or 24-hour format. There's also an automatic power-off function and a durable ABS plastic casing, along with a black felt pouch to keep it sage when you're out and about.

Available to buy online, you can pick one up for $28 (around £14).

Find out more at the MOMA website

SanDisk Sansa Fuze MP3 player

Just launched in the US and heading to Europe in spring is yet another miniature iPod rival - the SanDisk Sansa Fuze.

Available in a choice of colours (pink, red, blue, black and silver) and sizes (2GB, 4GB or 8GB), it packs in music (MP3, WMA and WAV) and video (MPEG-4) playback, photo viewing, an FM radio, voice recorder, a 1.9-inch screen and a microSD card slot to boost your storage. There's also a good battery life of 24 hours audio and five hours video.

It retails in the US from $79.99 (around £40). It's likely to be not much more in the UK.

SanDisk website

Boston Acoustics Duo-i - stylish iPod sound system with AM/FM radio

If you are going to have an iPod sound system in your room, make sure it's a decent looking one - like the newly-launched Boston Acoustics Duo-i.

It's the company's first iPod dock, offering high-end sound via two Boston 3.5 inch
drive units, ported acoustic enclosures and BassTrac for a clean sound at all levels. Add to that iPod charging (and of course, playback), connectivity for the iPhone, full remote control, dual alarm and clock radio, AM/FM reception with 15 presets, a unique 360 degree snooze bar, backlit display and the ability to customise with coloured grilles (sold separately).

All of that will cost you £169.99.

Boston Acoustics website

Tonium Pacemaker - handheld DJ mixer now available to order

The much-hyped Tonium Pacemaker is finally available, allowing you mix all your favourite tunes from the palm of your hand.

it packs a 120GB drive (enough for anyone's collection), support for all the major file formats (MP3, VBR, AAC, WMA, WMA lossless, OGG, FLAX, and WAV) and with all the features you would expect from a professional DJ set-up - pitch range and bend, full cueing, audio effects and filters, looping and crossfade for example - with a touchpad to control all of it. You can even save your mixes too if you think they're worthy of a wider audience.

It's available from 31st March, priced at £449. For a full breakdown of its specification and a video of the layer in action, see below.

Find out more at the Advanced MP3 Players website

Sony gets colourful with its DVP-FX720 portable DVD player

Everyone might be getting excited over downloads but Sony hasn't forgotten about the mass of silver discs we have cluttering up the house - introducing the DVP-FX720 portable DVD player for movies on the go.

It's a stylish take on an everyday item, adding a colourful finish to the usual grey exterior. Features include a seven-inch LCD screen with true 16:9 widescreen, a long battery life (five hours), built-in audio, remote control, a twin headphone jack and the ability to play audio CDs and MP3 music files, as well as viewing photos - either from CD or a USB device.

No news on price, but unlikely to break the bank.

Sony website

Hauppauge pMP - pocket-sized media player and digital TV

If you find TV getting in the way of a social life, here's a solution - the Hauppauge pMP.

It's a pocket-sized media player and TV with built-in Freeview. The media players allows you to play music (MP3/WAV files) and all the major format digital video files - all stored on either a SD or MMC card. The TV has a high-sensitivity tuner, text and an EPG (programme guide just like the one on your home TV).

You can sip one in your pocket from April, with a price of around £115.

Find out more at the Hauppauge website

RTX offers Jacob Jensen-designed T80 DECT telephone

2008 seems to be the year that the home phone gets stylish, with RTX offering the latest contender for our cash - the Jacob Jensen-designed T80 DECT telephone.

This cordless handset features superior sound quality with adjustable ringer volume, bass and treble, seven polyphonic 'designer' ring tones unique to the phone, a range of up to 50m indoors and 300m outdoors and a smooth menu-driven interface.

Available with a choice of coloured backs, the T80 retails for £179.95.

Find out more at the Absolut Form website

Creative Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus MP3 players head to the UK

Looking for an alternative to the iPod? Creative's miniature Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus MP3 players might fit the bill.

Available in a choice of smooth or textured finishes and capacities of 2GB or 4GB, both the Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus have a bright blue display, , up to 20 hours of playback from the rechargeable battery and the option of playback via the built-in speaker or earphones. Songs can be stored in MP3/WMA format and can be used with iTunes. Also on board is an FM radio, microphone, clock and stopwatch.

Prices start at £29.99, rising to £49.99 - all available from March 1st.

Find out more at the Creative website

The Toaster Phone - talk with a piece of toast

Plenty of novelty phones around, but none quite like the Toaster Phone.

Yes, a toaster in looks, but a phone in functionality. It's the work of Brazilian industrial design student Renata Quintela and a concept right now, offering pop-up handsets, charging via thew 'toaster' and all the buttons and keys you would expect on the 'toast'.

No news of this going into production as yet - but we'll take one if it does.

Find out more at the Coroflot website

Toshiba launches Camileo Pro HD camcorder for under £150

Toshiba is currently launching its 2008 range of electronics, including this rather stylish Camileo Pro HD camcorder, retailing at under £150.

It's not just a camcorder, although the five megapixel CMOS sensor can shoot high definition video footage for playback straight to your HD-ready TV via the HDMI connectivity. Other features include 128MB of storage (which can be expanded to 32GB), 3x optical and 4x digital zoom,  2.5”inch TFT LCD screen, voice recording, MP3 player and if you like, a very expensive webcam.

All of that can be yours from April for £149.99.

Toshiba website

Sony's latest iPod killer - the NW-A820 media player

Advice to Sony - if you're attempting people to ditch the iPod, come up with a more catchy name than the NW-A820 series.

Shame about the name, but the media player itself looks like a stylish piece of kit. Available with up to 16GB of storage, the player has a 2.4-inch screen, music and video playback (MP3, AAC, WMA and MPEG-4 video) plus a long battery life (up to 36 hours of music) and Bluetooth for playing it wirelessly through a Bluetooth-friendly speaker.

In fact, a matching speaker is coming arriving at the same time, along with a cradle to play video through your TV and to record TV to the player in real time. Expect to see it in April, no price available as yet.

Sony website

Intempo Rebel - convert the radio into your own free MP3 library

Forget illegal music downloading, the Intempo Rebel can provide your favourite tracks for free - and according to the company, it's all above board.

Essentially it's a radio with a trick up its sleeve. Keep playing your favourite FM station and the patented PopCatcher technology will to record up to 40 of the most played music tracks, automatically cutting out the DJ chat and the ads, then letting you download optimised versions of songs onto your iPod, MP3 or mobile phone.

And if you want to extend that to DAB or internet radio you can - just hook up the device to either of those things and it can pick out the tracks from there too. Once you've downloaded the 40 tracks, just clear the memory and you are ready for 40 more. The Rebel is available in red or hi-gloss black and will be priced at £69.99 from March.

Find out more at the Intempo website

Apple cuts price of iPod shuffle - and introduces new 2GB model

Apple has cut the price of its tiny iPod shuffle as well as introducing a new model with 2GB of storage.

Nothing much else has changed - the iPod shuffle is still just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce, features an aluminium design with a built-in clip and comes in five colours—silver, blue, green, purple and a Product Red special edition.

But now the standard model is available for £32, with the 2GB model available in the coming weeks for £49.

Find out more at the Apple website

Ixos offers the XMI318 Argo iPod dock for under £50

Still not got any speakers for your iPod? The Ixos XMI318 Argo iPod dock offers that and an FM radio for under £50.

It might be small, but it still offers 12w of output, powered by battery or mains. There's also that FM tuner (with digital tuner), charging of your player when docked, compatibility with most iPods (via cartridges) and connectivity for other non-Apple players.

All that is yours for £49.99.

Find out more at the Ixos website

Sony launches XDV-D500 and XDV-G200 pocket-sized Bravia TVs

Like the idea of a pocket-sized version of that big Sony Bravia TV in your living room? Well, it's here in two forms - the XDV-D500 and XDV-G200.

Sadly, these are confined to Japan right now, but it's likely an amended version will head to the UK before long. The XDV-D500 has a 3-inch, 432 x 240 pixel resolution display with 160-degree viewing angle, 500:1 contrast, and a battery that offers 8 hours of viewing. There's even recording - up to 10 hours via the 2GB memory. The even smaller XDV-G200 has a 2-inch LCD screen, but has AM/FM radio replacing the recording function.

In Japan, the XDV-D500 retails for the equivalent of £180. We'll let you know if/when they are scheduled to appear elsewhere.

Sony website

Via Engadget

Apple introduces new iPhone & iPod touch models - double the storage

Apple has today added new models of the iPhone and iPod touch which have double the memory - which means a doubling the amount of music, photos and videos you can carry.

Aside from that, we're not talking much difference - both the 16GB iPhone and 32GB iPod touch still use the Multi-Touch user interface, which means you'll still have those mucky fingerprints all over the screen. And both have latest software enhancements announced last month including the ability to automatically find your location using the new Maps application, create Web Clips for your favourite websites, customise your home screen and watch movies from the new iTunes Movie Rentals.

The new 16GB iPhone is available immediately for £329. The 32GB iPod touch is also available now, priced once more at £329.

Find out more at the Apple website

B&W's Led's Go clock

No it isn't a spelling mistake - the Led's Go clock is a play on words

That's because this clock is all about the LED display - a blue one that jumps out of the brushed stainless steel casing. And that's about all there is - this is minimalism in action, which can be freestanding or wall mounted.

It retails for £60.

Find out more at the Posh Pad website

Roberts launches Sound 37 audio cube with CD bookmarking

The latest product from Roberts isn't a 50s-style radio - it's the Sound 37, a cube-shaped DAB CD stereo clock radio.

Essentially, it's a bedside audio system with a CD bookmark function, recalling the last played position of your CD when you turn the player back on - just like your car stereo. As well as CD playback, the Sound 37 offers DAB/FM radio with 20 presets, stereo sound, MP2/WMA playback, multiple alarms (CD, radio or buzzer), sleep, snooze and an LCD screen.

All of that retails for £79.99.

Find out more at the Roberts Radio website

Lexon Dune portable radio

If you are in the market for a portable radio, they don't come much smaller and more stylish than the Lexon Dune portable radio.

Designed by Rene Adda, the Dune is an FM radio with all functions controlled by a jog button on the front. There's also that revolving steel antenna (that slots back into the top of the radio when not in use), an LCD clock with backlight, auto-scan of stations and impulse sound control.

All of that in a package just 14cm wide. It retails for £49.95.

Find out more at the DesignShop UK website

Micro Mixer DJ-4 - mix your tunes with a twist of the knob

Fancy taking that first step towards being a superstar DJ? Invest in the Micro Mixer DJ-4.

You can't get much simpler. Just hook up two audio devices (iPod, MP3 player, CD player, record deck, computer - anything you like really), then hook the mixer to a stereo system or speakers. You're all done. Just press 'play' on one, then when you want to mix in the other audio source, mess about with the two controls.

And the price of this life-changing piece of kit? $133.25, which is around £67.

Find out more at the GeekStuff4U website

Apple introduces the pink iPod nano

Frustrated at the lack of pink in the multi-coloured iPod nano line-up? Well, you're not the only one it seems, with Apple today launching the 'much-requested' pink iPod nano - and it's available immediately.

The player is available as an 8GB model for £129, featuring the latest software so you can watch iTunes movie rentals, TV shows and music videos on the 2-inch screen (if they're available in your country). The nano also promises up to 24 hours of audio playback and five hours of video watching from a single charge, plus all the searching/browsing of music you'd expect.

Or in other words, everything the nano already offers - but in pink. Why launching now? Well, with Valentine's Day just around the corner...

Find out more at the Apple website

mpio MG200 MP3 player - get the iPhone look on the cheap

Fancy the iPhone look, but don't fancy the phone contract? You could pick up the mpio MG200 MP3 player instead.

It uses a menu system that's not a million miles away from the iPhone - almost certainly unauthorised, but if you don't say anything, we won't. Aside from that, it plays MP3 files, as well as offering video playback, FM radio, voice recording and storage up to 4GB (which you can expand via SD card).

And there's a choice of black or white casing. Available online, you can pick one up from around £54.

Find out more at the GeekStuff4U website

Alessi Piripicchio fabric shaver

If you're old enough, you probably remember the Remington Fuzzaway, a typically 70s device to rescue your old jumpers by removing the 'bobbles'. It died out as fashion became more disposable...or did it? Well, not quite - it just went high-end as the Alessi Piripicchio fabric shaver.

Yes, this is the Fuzzaway in all but name and packaging, complete with a detachable guard, fluff container and a brush inside for cleaning out the well.

If you want to rescue your favourite woolies, the Piripicchio is available in green, red and blue, retailing for £21.

Find out more at the Utility Design website

Sony introduces ICDUX70 and ICDUX80 dictation devices with MP3 playback

Voice recorders aren't for everyone, but if you need one occasionally in your life and want to justify the expenditure, you could invest in the Sony ICDUX70 or ICDUX80, which also offer MP3 playback.

Available with 1GB or 2GB capacity, the UX70 and UX80 can record up to 290 hours and 581 hours respectively in long play mode. Features include increased speed for editing, stereo recording in MP3 format (easily transferred to PCs via drag and drop), recharging via PC and the ability to use it for music playback  - over 500 songs can be stored on the memory.

The ICDUX70 is available in black and pink, the ICDUX80 is available in black and silver. Both models are available from January 2008.

Find out more at the Sony website

Richard Lawson 9-volt light

Forget tea lights, this is 2008 - which means something a little more modern world is required for small-scale lighting - like the Richard Lawson 9-volt light.

The name gives it away, this is a light powered by a battery - just plug in the LED attachment and you have coloured light (from a choice of red and blue). Ok, it might look a bit DIY and not quite as bright as a naked flame, but there's no chance of someone knocking this over after a few drinks and starting a small scale fire.

Available to pre-order now from Charles and Marie, it retails for $25, which is around £13.

Find out more at the Charles and Marie website

disgo video Plus - the world's cheapest digital camcorder

We're having a 'cheap' day so far at Switched On Set - which is no bad thing so soon after Christmas. Yet despite its price, the disgo video Plus is quite a useful little object.

It's an update to last year's disgo video, which offered YouTube-quality video capture for just £40. This new version costs a little more, but adds a little more, allowing you to take up to 60 minutes of AVI video (or more if you stick in a memory card), using the built-in microphone and a flip-out screen so you can see what you are doing On the other side of the device, a larger screen offers playback - although you can hook up to your TV for a bigger playback screen.

And you can edit your videos on the device, leaving you just to plug into a computer to upload your completed clips. It's still claimed to be the cheapest camcorder, but now sells for just under £70.

Find out more at the disgo website

ChauhanStudio's Big and Sandy Eco home telephones

The Colombo handsets from ChauhanStudio caused quite a buzz earlier in the week, but what we didn't mention is that the company has two more handsets heading to the market - and they're incredibly cheap.

The two handsets are the Big and the Sandy Eco. Big is just that, a simple phone with chunky buttons and a very clean layout, just screaming 2008. The Sandy Eco is an eco-friendly handset, made from 100 per cent recycled plastics, sold in a recycled gift box and featuring an eco mode, using less power when not in use.

And both handsets are great examples of how cool design doesn't cost the earth. When they go no sale in April, each phone will have a £20 price tag.

Find out more at the ChauhanStudio website

Colombo One and Colombo Two - home phones inspired by Joe Colombo

There's a strong market for retro and vintage home telephones, perhaps because most modern-day designs are so uninspiring. Well, here's two new designs that are very stylish - although both take a significant nod to the past.

The Colombo One and Colombo Two by ChauhanStudio, as the names suggest, are inspired by the work of forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo. That means a space age look for the home phone, but keeping all the functionality you require in the modern day - a full keyboard and digital screen - as well as the classic handset shape.

Samsung launches NV24HD digital camera - with ability to shoot high-definition movies

Samsung has just announced a clutch of new digital cameras, most pretty forgettable and not much different than everything else already out there - with the exception of this rather clever NV24HD.

What's so special? Well, you shoot high-definition video on the camera, then hook it up to your HD-ready TV with the included cable to impress your friends. And it's a 10 megapixel camera too, with features including Advanced Shake Reduction to cope with the occasional wobble, dual picture stabilisation to reduce blur, contrast control and a 2.5-inch AM-OLED screen, all wrapped up in a polished metal case.

All of that will be available from March for £249.

Find out more at the Samsung website

Beats by Dr Dre headphones - hip hop headwear from the man himself

Never mind producing records, hip hop mogul Dr Dre is currently spending his time flogging technology - Beats by Dr Dre headphones to be precise.

Just announced, these cans are the work of Dre in conjunction with tech firm Monster. According to the marketing blurb, they have a  'unique and avant-garde new look', with the sound tuned by the former NWA man for a 'rich, deep bass'. Want to know more? Well, let's hear from the man himself...

“When I’m making a track I’m trying to capture the sound that makes me go ‘now THAT’s the shit! And I want that reaction from everybody who hears it. I spend a lot of time in the studio listening to my music through headphones…with Beats, people are finally going to hear it the way they should: the way I do.” 

So there you go. Expect them in a couple of months for $400, which is around £200.

Find out more at the Monster website