Opinion | newslite.tv

Weird Week: Odd helmets & the world's longest pub crawl

2010-08-23T18:30:24Z

Yes, it's another Weird Week. Now with more computer game playing gorillas than ever before.

If that's not your thing (and how could it not be) we've got oddly designed helmets and an emotional robot.There's also the world's longest pub crawl and biggest BBQ. ]]> .

Weird Week: Optimistic pigs and the world's strongest beer

2010-08-12T09:30:09Z

All the latest odd news headlines including a shark which is attracted to a diver's arm, why women find men in red attractive and a mobile phone as loud as a vuvuzela.]]> .

Weird Week: Whale jumped onto boat and Darth Vader robs a bank

2010-08-02T16:30:42Z

With a hotel for cats, a bottle boat and Dart Vader robbing a bank Weird Week will keep you up to date with all the odd news goings-on from the last seven days.

There's the man who changed his name to Buzz Lightyear, the whale which jumped onto a boat and the foil prank professor.
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Gadgets: Flowlab Board, Xbox news and a free Samsung Galaxy S

2010-07-30T10:55:44Z

By Jay Garrett

Has it really been a month? Wow – it’ll soon be Christmas at this rate!

I’d better stop my waffling and dive straight in then. Oooo… but talking about waffles – what’s the only thing better than a waffle? A waffsicle, that’s what! There is now a machine that will make you a waffle-on-a-stick. Genius.

First up is the various Xbox 360 newsbits. There’s a new limited HALO REACH version of the latest slim console as well as the motion detecting Kinect controller. The hands-free controller not only has a UK price now but a release date of November 19th has been leaked out!

In the world of web Facebook managed to hit both ends of the scale. They welcomed their 500 millionth member as well as getting as the worst place online in the same week. Err… congratulations.

It wouldn’t be an update without mentioning Apple and their iPhone. Well, after all the hoo-har about reception problems, Steve has decided to hand out a variety of free cases – yup, there’s an app for that. Also causing the Apple HQ a slight problem is building the white version of the iPhone 4. Apparently it’s something to do with painting the glass white. ]]> multitouch desktop trackpads.

Samsung have jumped the iPhone band-wagon and are offering free Galaxy S’s to any iPhone 4 owner who is not happy with their Apple handset.

Just to prove that we all love something for nothing, especially news (like here on Newslite), The Times managed to lose 90% of its readers by asking them to pay. The £1 per day or £2 per week tariff was enough to get them to head to elsewhere – possibly the BBC?

If you get really annoyed with your tech, and you happen to be female, then there’s a great place you need to visit next time in Shenyeng, China. The little store is sectioned off into rooms and you can go in there armed with a baseball bat and break the place up – that’s gotta be fun!

If you’re not the violent type but love seeking thrills – here’s the latest word in skateboards. The Flowlab skateboard is brought to you thanks to the scheming of Mike and Maaike in collaboration with Pieter Schouten.

I’ve never been that great with skateboards and opted to go down the BMX route. But, as far as I’m concerned, I reckon that the regular 25 degree lean of a skateboard is more than enough. Not these people, oh no. The Flowlab allows for a 45 degree carve thanks to its arched axle cleverness! I’m just hoping that they include extra medical cover with every purchase.

Weird Week: Boozy Boobs Wine Bra and Manly Cupcakes

2010-07-25T15:35:39Z

With booze filled breasts, ice cream for dogs and a cow wash machine Weird Week will keep you up to date with all the odd news goings-on from the last seven days.

There's also the world's strongest beer (which comes served in dead animals) manly cupcakes and an inflatable pub

Subscribe via iTunes.

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Gadgets: Something about iPhone 4 and a Light-Weight Recharger

2010-06-17T13:20:50Z

By Jay Garrett

Hello again my gadgety friends.

It’s been a while – sorry. There has been plenty happening in gadgety land. To start with there’s been an iPad released and a new version of something called the iPhone is due out pretty soon. The party was almost spoiled when the iPhone 4 was fully exposed before the announcement which meant that everyone, including their pet marmot, had already seen it inside and out.

To be honest – everyone knows as much as they need to about those. If you don’t, well, there’s always GadgetyNews.com!

What else is happening just so that we’re up-to-date? Microsoft’s Xbox Natal is up for preorder on Sunday through Game – which is interesting as it’s not due to be announced til the day after. It looks like there’s a new series of Thundercats on the horizon which will be brought by the same team that did the Animatrix! WIN! Oh – you may be aware that the World Cup kicks off soon. Did you know that Cape Town Stadium has been designed to keep the fans quiet? Strange but true folks! Sony has unveiled their new micro four thirds snapper, the NEX, a new Vaio P, as well as a new pair of Alpha DSLR’s.

You just have to see the cutest antiviral Ninja – Ever! ]]> coffee shops here in London will soon be offering Duracell-style recharging of your gadgets whilst you sip on your choice of caffeinated brew. Before you go and head out to use one of these clever little things I took it upon myself to check out Duracell’s Accu range just so you know what to expect. That’s how much I care about you people 

Most gadgets can invoke a little tech-lust; whether it’s because how smooth, fast or clever it does its job – but this is a portable charger. Not exactly like test-driving a Pagani Zonda or hooking up a pair of Meridian DSP8000 Digital Loudspeakers is it? I can get excited about design, however, and even though Duracell boasts that the Accu range has been inspired by brands such as BMW and Apple and that the lines follow the "current fashion trend for sleek, sculptural shapes" - I’m finding it difficult to see where. Saying that though they’re not as bulky as the rechargers I’ve owned before and you can see that they all belong to the same range. Throw in that copper-coloured top and you know which brand they’re from.

The Accu Instant Charger is there to save your USB charged tech from dying. It only weighs 45 grams and measures around 2 inches long so it’s ideal to shove in your rucksack, man/handbag or jacket pocket if you’re planning to be out-and-about. Once this power saviour is fully charged (that takes around 2-3 hours) it will give you an extra 50 hours iPod playback and 180 iPhone minutes – not too shabby is it? It comes with a USB to microUSB cable which means that if you are an Apple user you will need to get an additional cable, or remember to pack the Apple USB, which seems a bit of an oversight given that the iPhone and iPod family must be some of the most popular portable devices out there.

I reckon that the Instant Charger is a must have for festival goers, walkers and people that use their mobiles a lot and tend not to be able to get back to a USB socket before it’s too late.

Duracell Accu Instant Charger - £24.99 from Amazon

Gadgets: Gadget Show Live Special

2010-04-18T18:17:29Z

By Jay Garrett

Mine is a difficult lot sometimes. Only last week I had to travel from London up to Birmingham and suffer hours of utter torment at The Gadget Show Live. Nope, not one of you believes me do they?

Heh - to be honest, the only pain suffered was the fact that I couldn't afford to buy what I wanted.

I tinkered with many toys including the Nintendo DSi XL, watched some Live Luggage spin around by itself and tried to get the guy on the ParaJet stand to let me take the flying car out for a run. ]]>
The Qurve system utilises "lifes natural amplifier" - the acoustic horn. These sound as well as they look but at prices starting at £3,500 they're not for your everyone's pocket - unfortunately they wouldn't even fit in my bag. I did try! Mi-Hub is the work of Integrated Entertainment Systems Ltd and are a couple of ways of slinging your home cinema set-up into your TV stand. Mi-Hub comes in two flavours. The more right-angled one being the Mi-Hub Quantum has an asking price of £430 in white and £400 in black and the Opus comes in at £480/£430 following the previous options. The Quantum has 4×10W L/R speakers and 2×20W subs, while the Opus is fitted with 6×10W L/R speakers and another 2 subs. Both machines are also good for karaoke thanks to their multiple mic inputs and they also feature all the HDMIs, S-Video, composites, coaxial, SCART and opticals you could want as well as being Dolby certified. They looked pretty swish on the stand and the sound was quite good – although I’m not convinced if having all those speakers so close together works for films or music if you were looking for a dedicated rig. I still think, however, that the integrated speaker/tv stand is a decent option though for those with limited space.

I embarrassed myself at the Kung-Fu Live stand. You fancy being the star of a martial arts computer game? Well, the FreeMotion tech that the Virtual Air Guitar Company has developed allows accurate real-time tracking of your body as well as background removal using regular webcams. The software tracks the player’s poses and movements including data for all body parts such as hands, feet and the head. The player’s image is extracted from the background and transferred into the game world. The background removal works in home conditions without the need for a greenscreen – It can even remove your buddies that happen to be sat watching. The game tracks pretty well (granted, having about 5 years from Lau Gar training meant I wasn’t as lightening fast or supple as I should be) and was only confused by the rare sight of sunlight streaming into the camera’s line of sight - but aren't we all in this country? The game I was playing was a horizontal scrolling beat-em up and it only took a few seconds before I was punching and kicking into thin air whilst the gaming me was attempting to hit the bad guy. Unfortunately, the screen was over my right shoulder which meant the Kung-Fu mini me wasn’t looking where he was punching but looked as though he was waiting to be paparazzied. It’s fun and as you are actually punching, kicking, ducking and blocking it doesn’t take long before you realise that you are actually getting a work out.

I met the YikeBike in person at the show. I first spotted the foldable electric bike back in September and am happy to report that it will land in the UK in June (in time for my birthday). The 10kg carbon fibre vehicle has been tweaked since September and from the original figures of a 9km range and a top speed of 20kph it can now travel at up to 25kph for 10km on a single charge before needing a plug or being slung over your shoulder using the Yike’s bag. The New Zealand based company isn’t expecting you to ride this all the way to work (although, if you live near enough to work you could) but the idea is that you ride it from home to the train station/bus stop, fold it up get on-board and then flip out your Yike for the remainder of your commute. The YikeBike takes 40 minutes to charge and just 20 seconds to fold away. The design is fab and watching folk on the test-track in the NEC it speeds along at quite a decent lick – it certainly feels fast enough. The only draw back could be the £2,995 asking price – Yikes! indeed. The Yike is cool and, to me, says upmarket – even City slick. If you’re looking for something more ‘urban’ may I take this opportunity to introduce OZO’s Easy Glider? It looks like Mad Max’s chariot but this electric transport is fairly portable and can be used with your skateboard, in-lines or even your unicycle as well as the ‘Char’ – that’s the little chariot bit by-the-way. The Easy Glider comes in kids and adult guises and the 360W motor will drag you for somewhere between six and 12 miles at a top speed of 20kph. It weighs around 32kg and stopping comes thanks to brakes on both front and back wheels (if you have the Char hooked up) – it even uses the downhill mometum to recharge the batteries as you go. My favourite bit is the fact that it has a soundsystem! Attach your mp3 player of choice to the integrated steeringbar and connect it to the sound system. 4×10 watt speakers will provide your choooooonz! Thanks to the foldable steeringbar and the compact size of only 50 x 30 cm, the easyglider can be shoved in most car boots should the British weather turn nasty and you’re offered a lift. The adult version comes in five different colours and costs £725 - A tad lower in price than the Yike.

You may recall the sWaP wristphone from last year. Well, the company has been busy building and shrinking more phone tech in order for it to be wrist-mounted – and in the process have shrunk it so far as to become a key fob. I managed to get some hands-on time with the new range whilst at the Birmingham NEC. The original model, now dubbed Classic, is joined by the retro looking Rebel. The upmarket unibodied milled steel Signature model looks impressive and would definitely suit those that have a hankering to be a double-O agent. The Signature also comes in a rather snazzy presentation box. The bracelet designed Incognito is squarely aimed at the ladies and has the feel of something futuristic. All of these wristphones work well and in the demo’s were very usable and come with Bluetooth headsets for when the novelty of talking to your cuffs wears thin. Befitting of OO7 they come with concealed cameras so that you can take sneaky shots of blueprints as well as your bosses acting daft in the pub after work in order to secure that promotion. Ultra-new on the sWaP stand at The Gadget Show Live was the tiny Nova. So fresh is this newcomer the stand only had the one-off hand built version that they flew in that morning. The sWaP Nova Keychain Phone is a 2G (GSM/GPRS) handset and is smaller than a box of matches (just check out the pics). It, like the rest of the rage, comes unlocked and will work with all the networks except Three. Like its wrist bound stablemates it comes with a stylus, microSD slot and has the benefit of a recessed direct connect USB plug. You can either hang it round your neck via a lanyard or keep it with your keys – I did suggest making the attached loop a little longer so that ladies could slip it over their wrists. Unlike the other sWaPs you’ll have to purchase a Bluetooth headset should you want one. I think the Nova would work great as a ‘going out’ phone. You know, for when you’re dressed up but don’t want to carry around a lot of bulky gear. There’s no room in your purse or pockets for that large smartphone so you slip your SIM into this tiny phone, attach it to your house key and you’re good to go. The Nova will be out later this year and will cost you around £199.

I even had chance to meet up with some old friends - Acorn, ZX Spectrum and Macintosh.

Gadgets: Get UK iPad early and a Plug in Porsche

2010-03-14T13:05:08Z

By Jay Garrett

So, my gadgety friends what’s been happening?

Well, fans of the fantastic Assassin’s Creed that happen to own iPhones/iPod Touches were blessed with a free multiplayer version of the game and this was tweaked recently with an update and a further 48 hours of free downloadage.

Fancy a bit of bling at your interment? Well, there is a company that will outfit your last resting place with a touchscreen and mobile phone whilst you sleep the everlasting sleep in a gold casket. Apparently they’ve not received any complaints as yet ;)

Porsche and Ferrari have gone all green – my favourite has to be the Porsche 918 Spyder. It looks awesome and instead of going battery powered the Stuttgart company have gone hybrid and paired a glorious 500bhp V8 with three electric motors that can be called into play when you need that extra boost or, alternatively, you can pootle about on pure lightening for around 16 miles and then plug it in to any socket for the return commute.

Just in case you weren’t aware; Apple’s iPad has gone up for pre-order over in the States. We in the UK still have a while to wait til the end of April unless, that is, you nip over to Bundlebox. Order through the site and they’ll loop-hole you the USA only rules and deliver you a nice shiny iPad to Blighty. ]]>
If you’re looking for a different kind of tablet why not check out Microsoft’s Courier? To be honest, and I haven’t tried either hands-on yet, I rather prefer the Big M’s offering. A pair of cameras (one front facing for video calls), dual screens, stroke it with your digits or use a stylus operation, and it all purrs along using the Tegra 2 OS a la Zune HD – what’s not to like about Microsoft’s digital 21st Century Filofax?

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString – yeah, you’re all ready to rock out? This game will actually get you strumming a real stringed instrument and playing power chords whilst enjoying Rock Band/Guitar Hero beat matching! The beauty of this spin on its predecessors is the fact that you can unplug your guitar from the console and shove it into a real amp and show everyone what you’ve learned whilst “wasting time on that pointless game” – win/win for the gamer! :P

PlayStation’s motion controller (you know the one that everyone was convinced that it would be called Arc?) has been unveiled as Move. It looks pretty good to me and the motion capture apparently is top notch when it was shown off at GDA.

And finally (I’ve always wanted to read one of those ‘and finally’ articles on the news) I want to talk about televisions. You’re an informed bunch so will be aware that televisions generally please your peepers using three pixels: Red, Green and Blue – or RGB if you’re into that kinda thing.

Well, I was at an event organised by Sharp in order to introduce us to a fourth sub pixel. Say hello to Mr Yellow.

Instead of following the crowd into the world of 3D, Sharp have invested in making our large screen pics more life-like with regards to the pallet. They tried Mr White and even the elusive Mr Cyan but favoured Mr Yellow as the neurons within our retinas actually work by comparing levels of red versus levels of green light, versus levels of green against levels of yellow light. So this fourth pixel is, well, a natural choice.

The new Sharp Aquos Quattron televisions, as they’re called, will start to appear in stores by the end of April and will obviously be 1080p combined with UltraBrilliant Edge-lit panel tech and HD Freeview as standard.

Weird Week: Lady Gaga scarecrow and bottled ghosts

2010-03-14T09:38:24Z

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As if that wasn't enough, other weird news highlights from newslite.tv include a high chair for you dog to join you at the dining table, a bull which was given viagra and an hen which thinks it is a dog.

Hosted by Steve Folland

Weird Week: The world's tallest dog and UFOs

2010-02-28T11:39:41Z

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As if that wasn't enough, other weird news highlights from newslite.tv include a giant bottle of wine, rockets which look like Crayola crayons and the UK UFO report. Hosted by Steve Folland

Gadgets: Fishy flashlight, fix or forage tool

2010-02-27T18:40:35Z

By Jay Garrett

It’s time for another gadgety update – what say you?

Toys – we all love ‘em! If you’re anything like me the AT-AT is one of those Star Wars toys that you always wanted but never owned. Well, now that we’re a little older, the bigger, better, Hasbro reissued model is now up for grabs! It can fit more figures and stands taller than the original. You may have noticed that everything has apps these days and this 21st Century Tamagotchi is no different.

The furry Xachi will let you know it’s not happy being upside down as well – be warned! If you’re more into creepy-crawlies but not allowed to bring them indoors, then why not get the geeky version? The HexBug Newtons are small, fast, and will dart about on rubber legs just like real swarming bugs so you’ll still be able to freak out your household but without having the environmental health department called.

Tweakers and hackers will be familiar with BugLabs range of build-yourself hardware that allows you to make your own mobile. Their range has got even better and now your self-build blower will be able to match the latest smartphones.]]> Sony has stopped production of its OLED television in Japan but has released a lovely range of new phones to make up for it and I managed to get some hands-on time.

iTunes has announced that music downloads from its store has now hit 10 billion – unfortunately there’s only two real bands in the top 20 downloads.

Now, whether you’re a camper, handyman, hunter or hiker we all know the utilitarian joy of owning a multitool. It quietly sits there in your pocket, rucksack, gig-bag or handbag waiting for its chance to display its thoughtful and clever design and capability of handling almost any situation.

I have a soft-spot for the Swiss Army Knives and there’s no denying how good the Leatherman range is but check out the fishy fight, fix or forage tool dubbed The Guppie. Made by Columbia River Knife & Tools, the Guppie includes an adjustable wrench, screw driver with multiple magnetic heads, a decent looking knife, LED flashlight, and a bottle opener for a refreshing cold one plucked out of that crystal-clear stream you’re sitting beside whilst a fishing line dangles from your rod sat in its rest .

Launce Barber and Tom Stokes who came up with the Guppie says that the design is made so everything is ready to use in the shortest time possible, right out of the pocket. Best thing of all is that it’s also kind to that pocket costing only $40.

Gadgets - New Tosh Cell TV Records More Programmes Than You Can Watch

2010-02-13T09:35:51Z

By Jay Garrett

The next thing on the gadgety calendar is the Mobile World Conference which happens next week in Barcelona. You can therefore epect more mobile phone news than you can possible handle/care about.

So I am not going to mention the sportsphone by Puma, a Japanese mobile that can split and be used as two independent handsets, the HD video recording Sony Ericsson or even the square Vodafone 360.

That’s how much I cosset you people

I will, however, quickly mention The Machismo mobile phone. Not only is it a dual SIM, touchscreen blower that packs a 1.3MP camera – it can actually, really, light your cigarettes!

As Newslite is the home to weird news I feel it my duty to point out an article about eco-friendly burials that, essentially, has you screwing your nearest-and-dearest into the ground. ]]> But you want to know what’s new and shiny in the gadgety-globe this week and if you’re in the market for a super-duper television; have your wallet/purse on stand-by.

Toshiba has finally released their latest; extremely fancy, next-generation Cell TV in Japan and the reasons to be excited about this great goggle-box are many.

First of all there’s stacks of recording space; a whopping 3TB of it coupled up to not one, not four but eight HD tuners! The reasoning behind that is because the Cell TV has been designed to record every one of Japan’s eight free HD channels, 24 hours a day for a whole week. Although this would mean you’d have to find a couple of months free to watch everything you’ve recorded in one week which kinda means that you’d have even more catching up-to-do afterwards. But the ability is impressive all the same.

Like digital radio, digital TV contains metadata which describes the content. The clever Cell TV takes this info and is able to suggest and record shows that are similar to the ones you watch already. You watch ‘Being Human’ so it might suggest ‘Supernatural’ – you watch ‘Fringe’ so it might nod at ‘Flash-forward’.

Astute PS3 owners (I know you’re out there) may be wondering if the Cell in Cell TV is something to do with the Cell chip in their gaming console. If you were – have yourself a gold star! That speedy processor is indeed shared by both chunks of gadgety loveliness which means that the Cell TV is able to perform picture processing that regular TV’s can only dream of.

Not only that - Toshiba claims that it can even turn 2D TV shows into 3D on the fly. Now there’s a clever trick!

The screen has a native resolution of 3840×2160 pixels so it’ll be able to handle the next generation of HD when it arrives and, of course, upscales 1080p video to fit its super high res eye-pleaser.

Now, I wager that you’re thinking that “this all sounds rather spanky but I bet it costs a packet” and you’d be perfectly correct in that assumption. Toshiba is deciding which features to keep before sending Cell TV over to Blighty but the Japanese models are priced up to the equivalent of £10,000.

Weird Week: A cheesy Cheryl Cole and a Virgin submarine

2010-02-07T17:19:25Z

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As if that wasn't enough, other weird news highlights from newslite.tv include the accident-prone street which was covered in bubble-wrap, the man who had a tattoo for free train tickets and the airline with seats that become beds.

Gadgets: BigTrak gets Smaller but Remembers More

2010-02-04T18:36:24Z

By Jay Garrett

Hello there my gadgety friends.

It’s been a while but hey – we’re all busy people right?

I believe it’s almost a month since we last said hi and in that time GadgetyNews and Geekahol suffered a little outage and many a wonderful thing has happened (or is rumoured to happen) in the world of tech.

Should I bother you with a smiling car, a working Star Trek phaser that you can build, or some cute little Google bots that you can own and love?

Nah.

I’m guessing that you’ve also had your fill regarding the Apple iPad and the fact that Google is busy working on a gAblet. Pretty much in the same way as you know about Microsoft’s answer to the iPhone 4G – the Zune Phone
that supposedly will have Xbox and WinMo7 on-board.

What you do want to know about is a modern twist on a very popular, much wanted, programmable tank that would be instructed to deliver tasty fruit (according to the advert in the early 80’s) on command. ]]> Yup, BigTrak is coming back everyone!!

BigTrak was a marvel – It was a six-wheeled vehicle with a front-mounted blue photon beam headlamp, and a keypad on top.

Back then (it was originally released in 1979) the toy could remember up to 16 commands which it then performed in order – the new version, BigTrak Jr, will be half the size of the original but will be able to store up to 32 preset programmes!

Those hoping for an iPhone app or Wi-Fi control may feel a little let down though. But instead of just dragging a trailer carrying an apple BigTrak Jr will have an optional digital camera and rocket launcher. Hello 2010! ;)

The camera will allow you to take still shots that can then be uploaded into a computer but you’re going to have to hang fire (arf) for that rocket launcher. That addition will be out in 2011.

Both the camera and launcher will cost less than £15 though.

BigTrak Jr will also cost a lot less than its original big brother at a pocket-friendly £29.99 – even I can afford that!
BigTrak Jr and the digital camera add-on should be out this summer.

Gadgets: New Year, Same Gadgety Names

2010-01-07T17:34:39Z

By Jay Garrett

Happy New Year my Gadgety faithful! I hope that you all had a fab Christmas and here’s to a fantastic 2010! I’m now sober enough to type once more and have managed to break a few resolutions already – but that’s what they’re for right?

We’re only a week into the new year and the big three are already making their presence felt!

Yup, Apple, Google and Microsoft are making column inches and keeping the likes of us speaking their almost hallowed names.

Unless you’re just fresh out of rehab or have been too busy watching ‘celebrities” sleep on Big Brother you must know that Google have finally unleashed its own brand Android phone: Nexus One. Where it seems to have almost disappointed some people it’s probably the nicest Android blower out there. More interestingly though is the new online store that Google has created to vend the gPhone and perhaps others of its Android brethren.

]]> Courier tablet, reportedly a HP built device, is rumoured be get a reveal during Steve Ballmer’s keynote CES address scheduled for Thursday 7th. That would well-and-truly pip the fruity iSlate to the post as that’s not due to be flashed ‘til the 27th. Tactics from Microsoft? Surely a coincidence. The Courier is said to have a rather natty multi-touch interface – let’s see.

Apple seems to be everywhere you turn once more. If it’s not news about the iSlate or iTablet being whispered on the grape-vine, it’s rumours and nudges regarding the next iteration of the much lauded iPhone. Will it have a front-facing camera for video conferencing, will it have 64GB of memory, will it rock a 5MP camera, will it be able to control a quad-bladed helicopter, will it......? Hang on. What?

You read right – this is the latest reason to get excited if you own an iPhone. Using the handsets accelerometer and connecting via Wi-Fi you can fly the Parrot AR.Drone! As if that wasn’t cool enough it has two on-board cameras that beam a pilots-eye view right to your phone's screen.

This means that you don’t need to see the craft in order to pilot it – the great outdoor beckons! If you do loose connection then autopilot kicks in to gently land the drone. If you’d rather stay indoors then you can use the included foam propeller hubs to avoid injuring pets, loved ones and decor.

Now for the best bit! The AR part of the name: Augmented-reality. You can create race circuits around your area that are superimposed onto the iPhones display there’s also games that involve shooting robots, dodging lasers and dog-fighting with another chopper.

Being AR there is a chance that you could fly against anyone anywhere in the world! No doubt developers will be working on something seeing as Parrot has also released an API (Application Programming Interface) for the little blighter.

This is already my must-have ‘toy’ of 2010 and Parrot say that the AR.Drone is “affordable” but that’s the only hint on pricing at the moment. It’s due for release later this year and you can sign up for email updates at the Parrot Web site.