Compiled by
CIARA O'BRIEN
Apple Magic Trackpad, €69
What is it about Apple and “magic”? First there was the Magic Mouse, then the iPad was described as “magical”. Now there’s the Magic Trackpad. Apple’s latest peripheral looks like an inanimate slab, but it’s actually a Bluetooth multi-touch trackpad that mimics everything the Mac notebook trackpad does, in supersize. Ideal for iMac users who have trackpad jealousy, the Magic Trackpad has a glass surface that supports multitouch gestures so you can swipe, scroll and rotate items on your desktop to your heart’s content. It’s far bigger than the notebook version, giving you about 80 per cent more space. You can also configure it to support single button or two button commands, tap to click, and it also physically clicks. It’s been designed similar to Apple’s wireless aluminium keyboard, so it sits at the same angle and height.
www.apple.com
Lacie XtremeKey, from $79.99
If you’ve ever broken a USB key, you’re not alone. But Lacie may have taken the “tough technology” aspect of its latest USB key to new extremes.
The XtremeKey has a 2mm full metal casing designed to withstand heat, cold, water and pressure, and can be dropped from about 5m without breaking. Made from an alloy called zamac – zinc, aluminium, magnesium and copper – the device comes in capacities up to 64 gigabytes. It’s watertight up to 100m, and will handle temperatures from 200 degrees to minus-50.
Should it fall into the path of a truck, Lacie has it covered, with the device capable of taking the pressure from a 10-tonne vehicle. And it writes at speeds of up to 30 megabytes/sec and read at 40megabytes/sec .
www.lacie.com
Withings Wi-Fi bathroom scale, €143
What better way to keep track of your weight than with a Wi-Fi-enabled scales? The tempered glass Withings scale will measure weight, body fat and body mass index, so you can keep track of your progress on a number of fronts.
The clever thing is the scales will take your vital statistics, and using your home Wi-Fi network, send the information to your personalised profile on the Withings website, making your data available to view on PC and even your iPhone. It’s password-protected, so only you can access the data. It links in with programmes such as Runkeeper on the iPhone. You can even share your progress on your blog, Twitter or Facebook. It’s enough to keep summer diets on the straight and narrow.
www.withings.com
