HCL Infosystems recently launched the NeoPod digital music player, which is mainly famous as a hi-fi MP3 player but is also an FM radio, voice recorder, digital photostore and pocket hard drive.
The NeoPod has a very sleek look and feel and weighs just about 150 gm. The thumb-scroll style navigation that allows normal, shuffle and repeat mode playback has now become the industry standard.
The 20 Gb hard disk holds many thousands of songs and the data are transferred through high-speed USB 2.0. One feature allows recording from external audio sources to MP3 format.
The integrated FM radio is useful, and the mike can be used for voice recording, even for long sessions like boardroom meetings.
The rechargeable battery offers around 2.5 hours of play time while it can be also be hooked to a PC to run off the USB port. At nearly Rs 20,000 for the basic unit, it's not inexpensive.
Home security products
The Legrand group of France has entered the Indian electrical accessories market through its subsidiary Legrand with several interesting products in the sphere of home security, including videophones, intruder alarms and emergency lights.
Legrand offers a range of automatic lights keyed to motion detection. These are energy-saving, protection devices. All models can be mounted outdoors with inbuilt protection against water and dust.
The detectors have a range of up to 16 metres and adjustable timer switches. These auto lights also have a unique daylight compensation adjustment feature.
Look, no wheels
Do you want your designer home to showcase a levitating vacuum cleaner that looks like an elegantly scaled-down version of a cross-channel hovercraft?
The airrider (www.airridersystems.co.uk) is a wheel-less vacuum cleaner. It hovers 5 mms above the floor surface on a patented cushion of pressurised, filtered air.
The 1,400-watt motor also performs the more mundane task of cleaning carpets and sucking up debris. The lack of wheels ensures that there are no scratches on the floor and no tracks on the carpet.
And air-rider is very easy to use because of the lack of friction as it hovers along. It costs a bomb, though, at Rs 32,000 equivalent.
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