A round-up of this week's must haves
Polar FT4
Price:€113
Buy:polarelectro.co.uk
We have mentioned here before that monitoring your heart rate while exercising, and training within your proper zones is always a good idea – but any who have given this a try may have noticed that monitors can be a little expensive, not to mention fiddly and and a bit daunting to use.
This new FT4 from Polar is a good way to start off as it is pretty simple and straightforward to use and won’t break the bank, either.
It displays your improving fitness based on your heart rate and also works out the calories that you have burned during your exercise.
Canon Eos 1d Mark IV
Price:€5,499
Buy:Conns Cameras, Berminghams
You would think that it is all about megapixels these days when it comes to digital SLR cameras but this isn’t always the case. When it comes to things like news reporting and sports and wildlife photography, you need speed and this is what the 1d Mark IV is all about. It comes with a 16.1 MP sensor and a brand new 45-point Auto Focus (AF) system and it can shoot high resolution images at an amazing 10 frames per second.
You can capture 1080hp high-definition movie footage too, making this a truly useful piece of kit for many in the media. But the price means it’s not likely to be for many outside the professional arena.
Epson Stylus Pro 7700
Price:€2,660
Buy:epson.ie
This pro-quality printer features the Epson MicroPiezo TFP print head, which is optimised to work with a five-colour ink set, a subset of Epson UltraChrome HDR Ink incorporating cyan, vivid magenta, yellow, photo black and matte black.
Other features include fast network connection, clear control and a very straightforward ease-of use.
The high-visibility 320x200 pixel control panel screen shows all aspects of the printer from ink levels and quick cleaning to paper cutting and job cancellation.
The colour reproduction from this is superb, but the price means it is very much at the professional level.
Forza Motorsport 3
Price:€59.99
Buy:Smyths, Game, HMV
We showed you how the Forza3 game was made here in Motors a few weeks back and since then we have been glued to the game prior to its release and you might be wondering if it lives up to its hype. Well we can safely say the answer to that is a resounding yes.
A couple of weeks in and your test driver has an enviable fleet of modified performance cars and a serious case of Xbox cramp.
This is a game that you can dip in and out of with ease but even the most disciplined will find that hours slip past.
It is also a game that gets more rewarding the longer you play it as it’s much better when you change gears yourself and turn off all the driver’s aids. Worth buying an Xbox for.