Compiled by CIARA O'BRIEN
SONY NW VAIO
WITH EVERYONE concentrating on netbooks and more portable devices right now, it can be easy to forget that there are other devices out there.
The Sony NW series is one of the newest additions to the Vaio laptop range, focusing on high definition entertainment.
The laptops have been designed with ease of use in mind, with most of the useful functions accessible from a single action or button. Big screen high definition entertainment is only a cable away, with a HDMI port to connect to a HD display.
The hard drive is big enough to take some of your HD content too, with 500GB available, and some models include a BluRay DVD disc player.
If you’ve ever shut a notebook down before realising that you need to grab something important from a website, this might be the one for you. The device comes with a one-touch button that gets you online without the sometimes torturous process of rebooting Windows fully.
And finally, jumping on the “green” bandwagon, the NW series also includes a button to switch off the monitor when you don’t need it, for example if you are using your laptop to listen to music.
CANON 7D
THE CANON 7D is a serious piece of kit. Its 18 megapixel sensor leaves the 10 and 12 megapixels in most point-and-shoot compact cameras in the shade.
The specs are pretty impressive. Canon has included dual “DIGIC 4” processors in the camera to boost its performance in all lighting conditions, to boost the ISO range and to speed up continuous shooting to eight frames per second.
The autofocus function has also been ramped up, with 19 AF points in the frame, and it’s all customisable too. Users can set different auto-focus points for when the camera is held in vertical or horizontal mode, meaning you can easily switch between landscape and portrait shots. You can shoot in poor light, track fast-moving subjects, or pick a particular point in the frame and still get a great image.
It has a better LCD screen too, which has been designed to eliminate glare as much as possible, and can be viewed even in bright light. Most impressive of all, the 7D shoots high definition video, allowing users to choose their own exposure and frame rate up to 24 frames per second.
SONY BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
WHEN IT comes to headphones, most people fall into two categories: those content to use whatever their digital music player manufacturer provided in the box; and those who spend time and effort finding the perfect pair to suit their individual style and music choice.
For those who care about audio, flawless performance is a must. Sony’s noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones come with echo and noise cancelling technology, but won’t break the bank. The wireless headphones give 12 hours playback from a full charge – through USB – and use the latest Bluetooth 2.1 standard to help reduce interference.
The headband model DR-BT101 is perfect for those who are sick of in-ear buds. Controls are within easy reach, with the option to change volume, play and skip music tracks at your finger tips. It can be integrated with your mobile phone, allowing you to accept or reject calls without touching your phone.
