Tech Toys
Sun
Mobile Bicycle Computer
Solio Hybrid 1000
Brother HL-4070CDW colour laser printer
Mobile Bicycle Computer, $69 Cdn
Track your speed and make your bicycle sound like a motorcycle all with this mobile bicycle computer and Bluetooth sensor. The creation of Vancouver-based Sound of Motion, this bike computer attaches to your bike wheel and transmits data via a Bluetooth connection to your Bluetooth and Java-capable mobile phone. It gives you speed, acceleration, time and distance traveled. For serious training you can upload the data from your phone to your computer for spreadsheet analysis. It has the added safety feature of a sound simulator that can warn pedestrians and cars by making your bike sound like anything from a Harley to a horse. Check out www.soundofmotion.com for a demo and ordering info.
Solio Hybrid 1000, $79 Cdn
This next generation portable solar charger from Solio has a multitude of interchangeable tips to allow for universal compatibility, with electronic devices ranging from music players to GPS systems and game consoles. Powered by the sun through its built-in solar panel, it can also be plugged into the USB cable of any computer to recharge the internal lithium ion battery that stores power for up to a year. A fully charged Solio will charge a typical mobile phone once or power 10 hours of MP3 music. One hour of sunshine equals 15 minutes of talk time or 40 minutes of music. Lest you worry about the environmental impact of manufacturing this device, its maker Better Energy Systems plans to support renewable energy projects in Africa to offset the CO2 created by its production.
Gomadic’s QuadCharge Universal Charging Station, $50 Cdn
The answer to serious gadget overload is Gomadic’s newly released universal charging station that bills itself as a command centre capable of charging up to four devices at once. That tangle of charging cords is replaced by one outgoing cord, making for a more attractive charging solution and one that won’t see you creating an octopus every time you try to boost flagging batteries. The TipExchange tips, which come separately, allow you to swap devices in and out with a click of the tip. TipExchange uses removable connector tips that snap onto the end of the cable, allowing you to tailor the charger to your collection of electronic gizmos and gadgets.
Brother HL-4070CDW colour laser printer, $630 Cdn
From Brother’s new line of colour laser printers for the home office and small business, the 4070 combines built-in automatic two-sided printing with Wi-Fi connectivity. It prints up to 21 colour pages per minute and the USB direct interface allows PictBridge and USB flash memory drive printing. Not the most expensive in the new line, which starts with the HL-4040CN at $500, but the WiFi and automatic two-sided printing are worthwhile added features.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
