Audio Pro Living LV1
While most home entertainment devices are increasingly going wireless, the majority of audio systems still come as a tangled mess of wires. A Swedish company may have just solved this problem. The Audiopro Living LV1 is a wireless table-top speaker that effortlessly blends in with the rest of your furniture. The attractive leather-wrapped speaker system comes with a table mount, a USB wireless dongle and a remote control. The USB transmitter uses a dedicated, protected protocol that's in the 2.4 GHz-band, which is best for full CD-quality transmission. But other uncompressed formats like FLAC can be played as well.A really cool feature is the ability to add Audio Pro speakers and use the same transmitter to wirelessly control music in various zones of your home. What about range? I left the speaker out in the patio and streamed music from the laptop in my bedroom and it showed no dip in quality. However as the number of walls increased between source and speaker, the sound was reduced to a stutter. But still, within reasonable range, the LV1 does really well. I loved the simplicity of it all.
Dh1,800 at Dubai Audio Centre
Sennheiser HD 449
Audio quality is clear and detailed, with good mid-range and crisp treble, only falling short in the deep bass area at high volume. Still, it is a good walkabout headset for people on the go as it is lightweight, although it doesn't fold up like other entry-level models. Noise isolation is high and didn't result in ear fatigue when used over extended periods of time, thanks to the padded ear cups.
Dh479 at leading stores
Braun Series 7 Shaver
Shaving is much like cooking. You have to do it every day and the cleaning up is tougher than the act. That's where the Braun Series 7 really scores.
Once you are done with business, just hand over the shaver to the Clean and Renew System and it cleans, dries and keeps it fresh for another day, all at the press of a button or two. The Braun Series 7 is an impressive piece of equipment. The packaging is a bit intimidating but it does what it says on the tin. Read the manual, plug the system and play. The Clean and Renew System is at the heart of the machine. It's a clever little apparatus which tells you via blinking lights if the shaver is charged, if the hygiene levels are acceptable and more importantly offers you choices of quick clean, leisure spring clean etc.
The shaver itself is substantial. Be careful not to drop it on your feet. It takes a little time to get acquainted with the contours of your face but it gets there eventually. It also has a slide out blade for those pesky sideburns. The Braun Series 7 is sophisticated and steep. Buy only if you like shiny happy gadgets that clean themselves. _TG From Dh817 at leading stores
technology
The short list
LG goes ig screen
LG unveiled a whopping 84" 3D TV at CES 2012 featuring a screen with 8 million pixels, four times the resolution clarity (3840x2160) of existing Full HD TV panels. How you fit this into your living room is entirely your problem.
Price TBA
Action-pacekd tablet
With a shape that's inspired by a ‘folded magazine', the Tablet S is Sony's stylish new tablet. The 9.4" Android device functions as a single-point-hub for all entertainment devices within a home network and can double as a PlayStation-certified, gaming console.
Dh1,895 (16GB)
Dive into the action
Another interesting launch at this year's CES was the UwaterDX line of rechargeable Extreme Dive Lights, perfect for underwater excursions up to 100m or for night-time outdoor use. Can be mounted to underwater-action cams.
Price TBA, www.fitnessTechUSA.com
Time to go trekking
The perfect watch for the outdoors guy, the new Casio Protrek PRG-250 has a tide graph and is water resistant up to 200 metres. It also has a dual-layer LCD that can display different types of data simultaneously.
Dh1,195, at leading watch stores
App and away
GLMPS
To give your friends the story behind your FB image uploads, this is the app to get. Adds video to pics!
Free, App Store
Hookt
A free instant-messenger app that lets you buzz friends across platforms. Fast and easy to use.
Free, Android
Vodio
Think of it as a Flipboard-like app for all your iPad videos. Your subscribed categories appear in a carousel.
Free, App Store
Fifa 12
If you've loved the console versions of EA Sports's popular football game, you should get this one.
$5.99, App Store
Moneybook
A handy personal finance tool, this app helps you keep track of your finances. Has animated statistics.
$2.99, App Store
Action Movie
Add stunning special effects to your videos. This app is almost too much fun and is our pick of the month.
Free, App Store
