Marantz IS301 iPod dock & Wireless Hi-fi Interface

Connecting your iPod to your hi-fi installation is tempting of course. You get your whole CD library at the tip of your fingers, with enough hi-fi power to make your windows vibrate. But so far most solutions haven't been as convenient as this wireless IS301 iPod docking station from Marantz. Read on to see why.

Multi-Chargers for Electronic Devices Compared

We've discussed in a few other articles several multi-chargers for electronic devices. Two of them charge a lot of devices simultaneously. Another one adapts to almost any outlet and is most suitable for travel. All of them have the benefit of only using one power outlet in your home to charge different devices and to reduce cable clutter on your desk. The following table compares the different options. If you know another one that stands out of the crowd, you can let us know.

Click on the names in the table heading to read about the individual solutions.

The Five-Device Recharging Station from Mundi

We've already covered the ChargePod, which charges six electronic devices simultaneously. Although we found this to be compact and useful, the devices, with their short charging cables, are still lying around on the table while charging. In contrast, the five-device recharging station adds the convenience of a holder for each device.

The 150-Country Travel Adapter

We've already covered various types of multi-charging stations, helping you to reduce the number of outlets occupied by your cell phone, iPod, PDA or other multimedia gadgets, at the same time decreasing the number of cables cluttering your desk. This travel adapter is different in the sense that it has additional benefits for travel, while retaining some of the advantages of the other solutions as well.

Orbita Launches a Radically New Mouse Concept for Heavy Scrollers

I was the owner of a wheel mouse for quite some time before I realized just how many unnecessary mouse movements I could save while scrolling through documents. Today, I can't do without it.
Some manufacturers, such as Logitech, later introduced an additional improvement to the wheel mouse in the form of a right-left movement function, allowing you to shift the info on your screen left or right without having to click on any scroll bars. And for the average user, this might be enough. But for those who need to do a lot of scrolling through video footage, 3D graphical design packages, very large spreadsheets, or just have fun with Google Earth or games, Orbita has really been thinking out of the box to come up with a radical new mouse design.

ChargePod - Charge Six Electronic Devices With One Charger

Electronic devices are proliferating in every household. On the upside, most have now started using rechargeable batteries instead of disposables. On the downside, now you have a charger for each device, requiring a mains plug per device and causing a lot of cable clutter. And when you go on travel, you have to drag the whole set with you. This ChargePod multi-charger promises at least some improvement.

Carrousel Style CD/DVD Changers With 300+ Capacity

When it comes to hi-fi, there are three types of people. The ones who buy an inexpensive hi-fi system and connect their MP3 player to it – that's a choice for comfort. Then you have the ones who buy expensive speakers and amplifiers and who use a regular CD player – that's a choice for quality. And then you have the people who use an MP3 player together with an expensive amplifier and speakers – that's money down the drain, at least in my opinion. But there are high-quality space-saving alternatives in the form of carrousel-style CD changers, from Pioneer or Sony for example. And some play DVDs too.

Tip – How To Hide Your Audio&Video Components Out Of Sight

I'm a fan of good music, and I do value a good-quality hi-fi & multimedia installation at home. But unless you're a fan of a pile of dust-collecting, flashing square boxes in your living room, AV components are not the prettiest of objects to have in your home. Unless you can shell out the money for a designer Bang & Olufsen installation, of course, in which case you can skip what follows, since you obviously want your investment to be seen by everyone.

Make Your Worn Cell Phone or MP3 Player Shine Again (Displex and others)

When did you last buy a new mobile phone, MP3 player, or other multimedia gadget? Can you remember the feeling when you took it out of the box? Wasn't it shiny, new, sexy, something to cherish, the most beautiful you've ever had? Unfortunately, after extensive use and mishandling of your object of beauty, the screen might begin to look rather shabby instead of shiny. Here's a solution to get rid of those scratches and lengthen its life a bit.

CD-DVD archive – 120 disks in the minimum possible storage space

Unhappy with the space your CD or DVD collection is taking up in your cabinets? Or have a lot of data CDs or DVDs to archive? Several solutions already exist that replace the jewel cases, but this is really the most compact and user friendly I've seen so far. It holds 120 disks with no wasted space between them, and still allows you to take a disk out with the press of a button.