Movie machines
Inspired by this month’s film festival? We’ve picked out some of the best gadgets around so you can make your own movie and then enjoy it on the move or in the comfort of your own home.
Panasonic GS250
Panasonic’s range of affordable 3CCD cameras have given the video camera market a much-needed shake up since the initial model in the range was released earlier this year. CCD stands for charged couple device and is basically a sensor which picks up light as it passes through the lens – the same system that’s used in professional cameras. The latest and greatest offering from Panasonic comes in the form of the GS250 model and should give inexperienced filmmakers outstanding results. The image stabilisation isn’t as good as you’ll find on Sony’s range of video cameras, but the price tag tends to be much lower. And... action!
Sony PSP
Sony’s little box of magic has swept the UAE like a cyber sand storm, and rightfully so. Read the side of the box and you’ll discover your new toy has a nifty 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD capable of handling a more than adequate 280 x 272 resolution and 16.77 million colours. If that sounds like nothing more than geeky gibberish then fear not – all you really need to know is that you can pop in a Universal Media Disk (UMD) video and you’ll get a top notch quality picture. Our only gripe is that the video disks are a tad expensive at around Dhs 120 each – but with titles like Pirates Of The Caribbean, Snatch and Ghostbusters, it’s worth it for all-round entertainment on the go.
Acer TVs
With a predicted 20 million LCD televisions being plugged in across the Middle East over the next few years, Acer has been aiming to get a slice of the action with its introduction of two brand new TVs earlier this year. The product developers have been busy working on the electronic company’s first-ever flat screens available in 26 and 32 inch (see picture) models. Both feature crisp, sharp images and, thanks to Optimal Gamma Curve technology, have one of the widest viewing angles available at 170 degrees. From a company renowned for its range of PCs and laptops, these two new TVs are perfect for taking full advantage of your treasured home movies and may even make the terrible Christmas TV line-up bearable.
i-mate JASJAR
If you can’t justify splashing out on a PSP why not pretend you desperately need a new PDA and scoop up the i-mate JASJAR? As the world’s first Windows Mobile 5, 3G enabled mini-laptop phone with Wi-Fi, this nifty little bit of kit will allow you to download movie clips straight off the Internet or via your computer’s wireless function. It features a backlit, 180-degree pivoting screen so the boss won’t catch you taking a ‘break’ – just pretend you’re doing essential work-related tasks. Invest in Mobile Time’s UAE 2005 Pocket PC software (Dhs 199) and you’ll also be able to quickly find cinema listings and sync them with your new PDA’s calendar. A drab meeting can easily be replaced with a screening of King Kong in one fell swoop.