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SIZE considerations for gadgets have always been the exact opposite of
competitive bodybuilding. Smaller has always been better. This obsessive
quest for miniaturisation has spawned some surprisingly powerful gizmos that
often look like non-descript little boxes. Many of them will be discounted at
the Comex electronics show that runs September 10-13 at the Suntec Convention
Centre, where admission will be free.
Entertainment value
THE eGear MiVeo MP380 boasts many of the same features as the WD TV Mini, including HDMI and full HD, and will cost just $169 at Comex, which is $20 off the retail price. You will even get a free external hard drive enclosure and an HDMI cable, which is great value for money. It's hard to predict how much the WD TV and WD TV Mini will be discounted at Comex, but $169 plus useful freebies is a hard deal to beat. One notable omission from the eGear MiVeo is the ability to play audiophile-quality FLAC lossless music files, so it will appeal less to serious music lovers and more to video fans. Of course, not everyone is looking for a full-blown media player. Some people just want to extend the capabilities of their Apple iPods and iPhones without too much fuss.
Musically inclined
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IN terms of size, few things can beat Sony's W202 Walkman ($129), which will leave some people wondering where the MP3 player went. The music player electronics have actually been built into the earphones, so all you have to do is plug them into your ears without having to worry about how to connect everything to your waist or bag. There's only one cable, which connects the earphones behind your neck. That makes the W202 well-suited for sports and gym work-outs. When not in use, the left and right earphones join together to form a heart-shaped package that's both attractive and practical, and what's more there are five colours to choose from.. Comex discounts for the W202 and other Sony products will be announced next week so keep your eyes peeled.
Media wonder
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THE WD TV Mini allows you to plug in any sort of USB storage device and play back photos, movies and music on your television. That means you can have it permanently connected to a hard drive with massive storage capacity, or slot in a thumb drive from the office to view product photos or corporate videos. While its features allow it to duplicate the general capabilities of larger and pricier media servers, you do have to make some sacrifices for its diminutive size. Most importantly, it doesn't come with any storage built in, which means that all of the content it plays has to come from external storage. It also doesn't come with a CD or DVD drive, which means that you are going to have to do all your copying, converting and organising on your computer. The WD TV Mini lacks two features that its sibling, the original WD TV, had when it launched last year - the ability to play movies in full high-definition (HD) glory, and to connect the device to your TV with an HDMI cable. You don't have to sacrifice much visual quality, however, because the WD TV Mini plays back 1080i video, which is a small step down from 1080p that many people won't notice, especially if they have a TV smaller than 40 inches. And while HDMI cables are very convenient, not every TV supports them. The Mini is half as thick as the WD TV, slightly narrower at just 9cm, and costs much less than the WD TV's $199, so it should be perfect for older TVs and those looking to dip their toes in the media server craze. Both products will be even cheaper during Comex. Western Digital's miniature wonder comes in the nick of time because competitors to the original WD TV are cropping up.
Tiny transmitter
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THE second-smallest gadgets in this round-up come as a pair. Creative's Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes solves a simple problem - how to easily transmit music from a computer running Apple's free iTunes software to another part of the house. $289 buys you a transmitter and a receiver. The small transmitter is only slightly larger than a thumb drive, and plugs into any computer USB port. The receiver can be placed in completely different room from your PC. Just plug audio speakers into it and music will magically be streamed from your study into your bedroom or kitchen. Apple has its own solution - the AirPort Express Base Station ($148), but the Sound Blaster Wireless combo gives you the ability to transmit your iTunes music even if your computer doesn't already have wireless capabilities.
Too cute
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TAIWANESE brand Ozaki recently reached our shores with its very attractive range of accessories. Its iMini range of iPod/iPhone dock systems are cute little cubes that can be plugged into the wall or run on batteries. The iMini Cute has a radio and alarm clock built in, which makes it very useful to have next to the bed. Your iPod or iPhone slots into the top part of the box and charges your device, in addition to allowing you to control music playback from the front of the iMini. If you want something even cuter, check out the iMini Pet, which adds a dancing stuffed toy to the list of features already present in the iMini Cute. Only the Panda version is in stock at the moment. Neither the iMini Cute nor Pet will be on sale at Comex but you can still find them retailing at $99 at shops like DG Lifestyle and Mustafa.
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