Tech advice: Stuff that pushes our buttons
Some people argue that for a toy to be classified as a gadget, it has to be pretty much useless.
Men are accused of playing with toys; rather they 'collect' action figures and 'use' gadgets.PHOTO: FILE
Men never grow up, or at least that is the common gripe. We are also accused of playing with toys. Actually, we do not play with toys. We collect action figures. We use gadgets and we install apps on our ‘smart’ phones.
Some people argue that for a toy to be classified as a gadget, it has to be pretty much useless, but something you absolutely need to get. Here are a few new ones that we think are worth mentioning.
Hovercraft golf cart
US pro golfer Bubba Watson recently showed off his new ride, a hovercraft golf cart that can go where no golfer has gone before. It is less damaging to the green than a cart and can take shortcuts over water. It didn’t seem to have much of an impact on Bubba’s game though.
Solar-powered cell phone charger
How many times has your phone died during a power outage? Bona fide geeks will suggest the solar-powered cell phone charger. It comes with a nifty set of accessories and adapters so you can charge pretty much any phone on the planet — anywhere the sun shines. It isn’t expensive, given the technology. You can buy it locally for Rs800.
Transformer USB flash drive
It doesn’t have x-ray vision or the ability to vault over the Empire State building, but it is definitely cool. Consider having 8GB of storage that turns into a leopard. It doesn’t look to bad as a desktop ornament either while simultaneously storing all your secret codes that you need to hack into the mainframe. Order it online from Amazon.com or magiclamp.pk for about Rs1,300.
The Button 2.0
Now you never again have to worry about uncomfortable headsets or tangled hands-free cables while jogging or driving. With The Button 2.0 — you will have to do the actual stitching on to your shirt — you will enjoy more freedom than ever before all just for Rs500 (available online).
Slide-out keyboard for touch-screen phone
For the Qwerty keyboard dinosaur fans, they have come up with this ugly piece of plastic that converts the sleek iPhone into a clunky Blackberry. The slide-out version can be left clipped on and will not obstruct the screen. It is available locally for about Rs4,000 and can be ordered online from symbios.pk.
iPhone zoom lens
I get this all the time: If I wanted to take really cool pics or wanted to become a photographer I would buy a real camera. But how many of us will lug around a camera given how good phone cams are? The only thing they lack, except in rare cases, is an optical zoom lens.
Meet the 8x optical zoom for your iPhone that comes with a clip-on cover. You can get it at most shops which sell accessories, for Rs3,500. Ignore that you can’t adjust the zoom — it is set to 8x. Minor limitation, right?
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, April 14th, 2013.
Like Express Tribune Magazine on Facebook to stay informed and join the conversation.
Some people argue that for a toy to be classified as a gadget, it has to be pretty much useless, but something you absolutely need to get. Here are a few new ones that we think are worth mentioning.
Hovercraft golf cart
US pro golfer Bubba Watson recently showed off his new ride, a hovercraft golf cart that can go where no golfer has gone before. It is less damaging to the green than a cart and can take shortcuts over water. It didn’t seem to have much of an impact on Bubba’s game though.
Solar-powered cell phone charger
How many times has your phone died during a power outage? Bona fide geeks will suggest the solar-powered cell phone charger. It comes with a nifty set of accessories and adapters so you can charge pretty much any phone on the planet — anywhere the sun shines. It isn’t expensive, given the technology. You can buy it locally for Rs800.
Transformer USB flash drive
It doesn’t have x-ray vision or the ability to vault over the Empire State building, but it is definitely cool. Consider having 8GB of storage that turns into a leopard. It doesn’t look to bad as a desktop ornament either while simultaneously storing all your secret codes that you need to hack into the mainframe. Order it online from Amazon.com or magiclamp.pk for about Rs1,300.
The Button 2.0
Now you never again have to worry about uncomfortable headsets or tangled hands-free cables while jogging or driving. With The Button 2.0 — you will have to do the actual stitching on to your shirt — you will enjoy more freedom than ever before all just for Rs500 (available online).
Slide-out keyboard for touch-screen phone
For the Qwerty keyboard dinosaur fans, they have come up with this ugly piece of plastic that converts the sleek iPhone into a clunky Blackberry. The slide-out version can be left clipped on and will not obstruct the screen. It is available locally for about Rs4,000 and can be ordered online from symbios.pk.
iPhone zoom lens
I get this all the time: If I wanted to take really cool pics or wanted to become a photographer I would buy a real camera. But how many of us will lug around a camera given how good phone cams are? The only thing they lack, except in rare cases, is an optical zoom lens.
Meet the 8x optical zoom for your iPhone that comes with a clip-on cover. You can get it at most shops which sell accessories, for Rs3,500. Ignore that you can’t adjust the zoom — it is set to 8x. Minor limitation, right?
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, April 14th, 2013.
Like Express Tribune Magazine on Facebook to stay informed and join the conversation.