Novac MV-CM001U - convert your cassettes to a digital format

A great gadget out of Japan - and here's hoping that the Novac MV-CM001U makes it to the UK.

Beneath that retro-styled dark wood casing is a clever bit of technology that coverts your old analogue cassettes to a more useful digital format (MP3 or WMA). Just pop your cassette in the top, hook up to a PC via USB and your tracks are saved for playback on there or on a portable player. If that sounds like hard work, you can just play your cassettes back through that large speaker on the front. Large, but not overly powerful - 1.5w of output.

It's available from this month for the equivalent of around £50 in Japan. Look out for it at the various gadget retail shops soon after.

Novac website