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Top Tech #002

iPad Air is out! To celebrate, we've scouted the internet for the coolest gadgets and top tech, including the new iPad, Microsofts Surface Pro 2, and, err, a lamp!

iPad Air is out! To celebrate, we've scouted the internet for the coolest gadgets and top tech, including the new iPad, Microsofts Surface Pro 2, and, err, a lamp!

Introduction

October is a fantastic time of year if youve got too much money and an interest in cool new gadgets. Major companies tend to put out most of their technology now in time for the big Christmas spend, and Apple, Microsoft and Samsung have all got some amazing new bits of kit for you to fumble with.

Weve scoured the worlds best tech markets (okay, we had a look on the internet) and found 10 of the bestest things you can spend your hard-earned cash on. And theres a lamp. Its a technology lamp, though!


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1. iPad Air

© Apple, Inc.

Apple's groundbreaking tablet goes through boot camp and it comes out slimmer and lighter in the iPad Air. Its just 7.5mm thin and weighs 450g, over the iPad 4s positively hefty 9.4mm and 652g. Also announced is the iPad Mini Retina, which ups the screen to a whopping 2048 by 1536 pixels. Theyve both gone straight to the top of our Christmas list...

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 2

© Microsoft

The big advantage of Windows-based tablets is that you can run full software on them, rather than stripped-back versions such as Photoshop Touch. Microsofts latest 10.6-inch Windows tablet includes a Wacom-designed digitiser, one of Intels latest do-it-all Haswell processors and up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage space.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

© Samsung

Dubbed a phablet, Samsungs enormo-phone includes a 5.6-inch full HD screen with glorious colours and great viewing angles. An eight-core CPU ensures Android apps run slickly, and a 13-megapixel camera is essential for capturing reference images when youre out and about. You might need to upgrade your trousers so itll fit in your pocket, though.

4. Nix Color Sensor

© Matthew Sheridan

This unique little gizmo lets you accurately sample colours wherever you are, with calibration and ambient light-blocking to ensure results are far better than youll ever get from a cameraphone. Thanks to a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign its about to enter the manufacturing process, so keep an eye on the teams Twitter for updates on availability.

5. Lumix DMC-GM1

© Panasonic

Micro four-thirds cameras are all the rage these days, packing DSLR features such as interchangeable lenses in a tiny and cool-looking body. They dont come much more tiny and cool-looking than Panasonics Lumix DMC-GM1, which includes a 16-megapixel sensor inside its retro-tinged lovingly-crafted six-ounce body.

6. Sonos Play 1

© Sonos

Tiny speakers usually produce a tinny sound but thats not the case in Sonos Play 1. It includes a 3.5-inch mid-woofer for proper bass and mid-range frequencies, as well as a tweeter for the high-end. The sound is crisp and room-filling for such a small device, and its perfect for pumping out tunes while youre rendering.

7. PK K'1

© PK Paris

Apparently the worlds smallest USB 3.0 drive, this almost disturbingly tiny gizmo can be connected to your laptop to add 64GB of extra storage. The manufacturer reckons you can plug it in and forget about it, but thankfully its supplied with a lanyard so you (hopefully) wont lose it down the back of the sofa when its disconnected.

8. Boogie Board Jot

© Firebox

OK, this doesnt run the latest operating system or contain a 3D processor, but the Boogie Board Jot could come in handy for quick doodles and sketches. It contains a pressure-sensitive and shatter-proof LCD screen, and you can write and draw on it with your finger or a stylus. It may be astonishingly low-tech, but its only £20.

9. Philips Living Color Bloom

© Philips

As the UK faces its dreariest winter to date (probably) we could do with a touch of bright colour to liven up our offices. Philips Living Colour Bloom is essentially a glorified lamp, with the benefit that you can choose from 16 million colours. If thats not techy enough you can link to your phone to choose the hue.

10. Logitech Ultrathin Touch Mouse

© Logitech

Trackpads are great, but when you need finer control (or to shoot things in an FPS) you cant beat a mouse. Logitechs Ultrathin Touch Mouse is designed to compliment MacBooks, but it will work with Windows PCs, and it includes multitouch features and Bluetooth connectivity.

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