Internet Devices
Many of the latest PC games are so diverse and complex that playing them with a standard keyboard and mouse can be tricky and frustrating. When you're deep in the heat of an online battle, having the right functions within easy reach can make all the difference between emerging victorious and being blown to smithereens. Saitek has solved this problem with the Pro Gamer Command Unit (£30 from www.aria.co.uk), which combines all the controls you need to play First Person Shooter (FPS) and strategy games so you can access them quickly and easily. These include 20 buttons to which you can assign up to 144 commands, a four-way hat switch, and an adjustable thumb control area. The unit also features a backlight and laser-etched keys so you can keep on gaming long into the night.
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Once you're accustomed to the delights of digital radio at home, having to retune into boring old FM when you're away can be a real drag. Switch to a Pure Digital PocketDAB 1500 (£90) and you can enjoy the variety, quality and reliability of hundreds of DAB stations on the move through a top-notch set of Sennheiser earphones that also act as an aerial. Weighing a mere 123g, the radio is incredibly light yet packs in such groovy features as TextScan, which lets you pause and control the scrolling text delivered alongside broadcasts, 20 presets (ten digital and ten FM), and an easily readable orange backlit screen. This uses graphical icons to display the volume, clock, equaliser, signal strength, and battery life, which for the PocketDAB 1500 is a very impressive 24 hours.
Black and white Nintendo DS Lites have only just hit the shelves over here, but in Japan they've already got a fresh colour for the handheld games console. The Noble Pink DS Lite appears to be aimed at lady gamers, with its tasteful girlish hue being the only difference from the standard £100 device. It's not yet known whether this pink model will go on sale in the UK, but keep an eye on www.nintendo-europe.com for details.
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Lazing about in the sun for hours may be great for your tan, but doesn't do much for your brain (except fry it). If you want to keep your little grey cells ticking over, give them a daily workout with this ingenious device from Firebox.
The Brain Trainer has been scientifically proven to stimulate your pre-frontal cortex - which controls creativity, memory and communication - via a series of mathematical puzzles. In Basic Training mode this involves 100 simple sums; solve these and you progress to the Advanced level consisting of a counting out loud test, a focus test and a memory test. You can even monitor your mental progress over 30 days via onscreen graphs and analysis.
It's the ideal gadget for anyone dedicating their summer to watching or appearing on Big Brother.
Now that summer has arrived, it's the perfect time to take your notebook PC to the park or pub beer garden and experience the joys of working alfresco. But direct exposure to the sun and even prolonged use indoors run the risk of your laptop overheating, which can shorten its battery life and slow down its performance.
Help is at hand in the form of the Port Designs CoolFan, a portable stand with a built-in fan that circulates air underneath your laptop to reduce heat stress and keep the processor running smoothly. Powered by USB, the CoolFan requires no cables or separate charger and operates near-silently so you're not distracted from your work. The base also raises the laptop by 51mm and angles the screen, reducing strain on your wrist, neck and shoulders.
Priced at just £23, click here for stockist information.
