Archive for November, 2010

The Gadgets.co.uk Christmas Top Ten

Friday, November 26th, 2010

We’re nearly in December, and that of course means that we are into the home straight of Christmas shopping. We here at Gadgets Towers have been having discussions about what we think our ten must-haves are for this Christmas. But, going out on a limb and voicing our own personal thoughts, we are also going to say what makes each of these gifts better than anything else.

Dave The Funky Monkey1. Dave The Cheeky Monkey
Not just one of our top tips for Christmas 2010, Dave has already featured on the top ten toys for this Christmas by both Hamleys and Toys R Us. The manufacturer has stated that they are struggling to meet demand for Dave, despite having opened a third factory to up production levels. In order to feature on this list Dave has to be more than hype, and having had the Funky Monkey here at Gadgets Towers we can assure you he is not. Priced at under £25 Dave is the first in a new generation of remote controlled robotic toys that are affordable, whilst remaining functional. With a bit of practice using the remote and learning the functions you can soon have Dave responding to his surroundings and those around him, children finding him especially enchanting. The only down-side is that since he has over 30 behaviours it may take a while for you to be fluent in his complete repertoire.

 

Key Finder2. Keyfinder
At just £14.95 this makes a great stocking filler or small gift for the absent minded. The greatest praise we can heap upon this useful little device is that it works. Most of us will, or know someone who has owned some sort of Keyfinder. Most likely the sort that you need to whistle, or clap your hands to activate. I can say from personal experience that these are appalling, always going off when you don’t want them to, and then not going off when you do! Our Keyfinder responds to an RF signal sent from the credit card section so it won’t start beeping and flashing until you want it to. With an effective range of up to 40m you’ll never have difficulty locating your keys again, we’ve even heard tell of some of our customers using these Keyfinders to play hide and seek.

Ice Scraper Mitt3. Ice Scraper Mitt
This is another Stocking filler/small present that is great for car owners. With no mechanical, or electronic parts there is nothing that can go wrong with this gift, and it does exactly what it is intended to do: It allows you to scrape ice from your card windows without the hand that holds the scraper getting cold and soggy. Sure, it may not look the most fashionable of items, as some have pointed out, but when you are putting it on for around 5 minutes at a time who cares!?

F1 Helmet Sound System4. F1 Helmet Sound System
As I mentioned in my blog post about this product, I was really impressed when we had one here for photographing and testing. Both the looks and feel of the Helmet, particularly the motorised visor shout quality, and the performance backs it up. The sound has great clarity and fullness, even at the upper range of volume, and I like my music loud! At £149.95 it is the most costly gift on our top ten, but the quality of the F1 Helmet Sound System ensures its place on this list is fully merited. The motorised visor oozes cool as you operate it from the included remote control, as are the rest of the array of functions. As well as being compatible with all models of iPhone and iPod it can also access MP3 files from both USB devices and SD cards up to 2GB, with a cable to give input from a standard headphone jack at the rear.

Personalised Sweetie Jar5. Personalised Sweetie Jar
In my personal opinion, it isn’t Christmas without a selection box, and these Personalised Sweetie Jars are a great take on that. Who wants to pay over the odds for a selection of five or six chocolate bars when you could instead get a jar packed choc full of sweets? Not only this, but you can personalise the cracking Christmassy label for your chosen recipient. Christmas and indulging your sweet tooth go hand in hand, so the Personalised Sweetie Jar is another must-have Christmas gift.

Blobimals6. Blobimals
Kids love stuff that is tactile, oozy, and gooey. They also love things that they can put together, take apart, and put back together again time after time. As well as ticking both of these boxes the Blobimals also allow creativity, and no two monsters that you make will ever be the same. These are definitely a must have stocking filler and have been literally flying out of Gadgets Towers since they first arrived.

Heli Racer7. Heli Racer
Remote controlled toys always make great Christmas gifts but we have only chosen one for our top ten list, so what is it that sets the Heli Racer apart from the chasing pack? Well first have a look around, and see if you can find a fully functioning remote controlled car and helicopter for less than £49.95! Both vehicles are just as functional as you would expect them to be if packaged individually, and operate from the same remote, though not at the same time. This is an update to last years ultra-successful Heli Mission, which was rated in the Gadget Shows top 10 gadgets for Christmas last year, and if you ask us, this is even cooler!

Mini iPhone Charger8. Mini iPhone Charger
The iPhone is probably the must have Gadget of the last few years, so it was inevitable that our Christmas top 10 would have at least one iPhone dedicated gadget. The mini iPhone charger addresses the only real issue we have with our iPhones – the battery life. The Mini iPhone charger is a brilliant gift idea for those who can’t stop playing with their iPhones, which is pretty much everyone!

Space Rug9. Space Rug
For a couple of years now the Slanket has ruled supreme when it comes to wearable blankets. There have been many imitators, and challengers to their crown but so far none have dethroned it. This year however sees the entrance of a new contender, the Space Rug. Not content to stick to the same tried and trusted form, riding on the coat tails of the Slanket the Space Rug has added one very important thing to the design; a hood. This simple addition sets the Space Rug apart from The Slanket, and other be-sleeved blankets out there, and we feel it could even allow the Space Rug to topple The Slanket from top spot this Christmas, making this another must-have Christmas gift.

Cosy Cardie Warmer10. Cosy Cardie Warmer
We’ve got a few microwavable warming gifts here at Gadgets Towers, and naturally they make especially great gifts at this time of year. The one we have selected and ear marked for greatness is the Cosy Cardie Warmer. It warms you up just as you would expect of it, but what we especially like is the cosy cuddly look and feel it has. I’m sure we all have memories of being snuggled up with a parent or grandparent in their warm woolly knitted cardigan when we were younger, and the Cosy Cardie Warmer will bring back memories of those times.

The Advent To Advent

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Wow! Well I don’t know about you, but I had a great weekend! Of course it helped that England won at the rugby, as well as both the football and club rugby teams I support winning as well, which doesn’t happen as often as I’d like! I was given ample opportunity to celebrate on Saturday evening at a friend’s birthday gathering, and so Sunday was spent recovering.

So here we are at the start of another new week, and another one closer to Christmas. Since it’s only just over a month away now (32 days in fact) it feels like it is time to start preparing and getting all of that pesky present buying out of the way! First, and most importantly, I need to get an advent calendar. I didn’t have one last year, and I felt that I definitely wasn’t enjoying the Christmas run-in as much without a daily chocolate. My normal tactic of leaving it until December and the ensuing reductions by the supermarkets, didn’t work as the shops all seemed to have better estimated their stock levels, so I’ll be getting one before December this year.

I’ve had a look around and there are some alternatives to the chocolate advent calendars that most of us get. There are the ever disappointing ‘picture behind the door’ advent calendars, that thankfully don’t seem to be around as much as I remember when I was younger. Yes it’s all commercialisation taking away from the intended meaning of the holiday, but when you’re young especially a picture, no matter how pretty, doesn’t match up to a chocolate!

Lego Kingdoms Advent Calendar

On the more interesting side, and one which has caught my eye, is the Lego Kingdoms Advent Calendar. At £24.99 this is slightly more within my budget than the simply obscenely priced Porsche Design Advent Calendar. At $1 Million you will be getting a fair amount for your cash, with the gifts behind the various windows being items such as watches, speedboats, and a fully customisable kitchen. We would assume of course, barring any Harry Potter type wizardry, that most of the items aren’t actually in the calendar. With only 5 in existence, one of which is at Harrods (where else?), this is certainly on the exclusive side!

Porsche Advent Calendar

It’s The Weekend!

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Well, another weekend is upon us, which can only mean it’s another chance to sit back, put our feet up and relax! You may be off to watch the new Harry Potter film, or you may just be doing what I intend to do and staying in the warm with my feet up, avoiding the hurly burly of the crowds! If you want to get your Christmas shopping out of the way early, and without the hassle of traipsing around the shops, why not have a look around our Christmas gifts section, where you are sure to find something for everyone!

Whatever you are doing have a great weekend, and see you next week.

It's The Weekend!

Congratulations!

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Undoubtedly the biggest story of the week is the news that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged to be married next year. Now this got me to thinking, what Gadgets do we have that you might get “the couple who have everything”..?

The first gadget that sprang to mind for our future monarchs was our Chess King and Queen Piece Salt and Pepper Mills as I felt these are functional, whilst remaining sophisticated enough to grace the Royal Table. Provided they fit with the rest of the dinner service of course!

Then I thought back to a month or so ago when it was reported that the Royal heating allowance was going to be cut. Keeping cosy, snug, and not using the heating quite so much can best be accomplished by one of our favourite gadgets, The Slanket. Of course for a couple as in love as these two no doubt are, we would have to recommend a Double Slanket for keeping cosy and warm on those cold winter nights. The Double Slanket has also just been added to our Special Offers section, making it an even better choice in the current climate.

Finally we thought that they might like a good fun game that the whole family can play, as nothing beats some leisure time with the family. So, we had a think and we decided since they all have impeccable posture, that our Level Headed game could provide them with hours of good natured competition, whilst ensuring that they all look silly enough that they can have a good laugh as well.

The question is, have I missed anything? Is there an ideal gadget on our site that would be perfect for the royal couple?

The End Is Nigh

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Here we are, mere days away from the release of the latest, and penultimate Harry Potter film. Part One of The Deathly Hallows will hit cinemas all over with a bang on Friday this week, and is set to trample any and all competition in its way. When the second part is released next July, it will finally see the ten year epic come to a close.

No doubt many of you reading this will have already bought your tickets to see what is undoubtedly one of, if not the most anticipated film of the year. I for one was glad to hear that although the studio originally wanted both parts to be released in 3D, now only the second part will be. Although being the cynical individual I am, a 3D re-release of the first a month or so before part two comes out would not come as a surprise!

We are Harry Potter fans here at Gadgets Towers, and of course have some gadgets to help bring some magic into your home, the particular item I am thinking of in this instance is the Kymera Remote Control Wand. Arriving in time for Christmas, this brilliant device will allow you to control your TV by magic! Ok, it’s not really magic. Its actually a clever array of accelerometers, and infra-red bits and pieces that will allow you to perform functions using various gestures, and swishes of your wand. It is probably the closest you will come to any real wizarding however.

Impressive Helmet Sound System

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Well, we’ve been gremlin free here at Gadgets Towers for about 3 days now, although we are still keeping our fingers crossed and knocking on wood any chance we get to keep the pesky blighters away! As I alluded to in my post on Wednesday we have got some cracking gadgets that will be appearing in our What’s New category very soon, and in this instance I was talking mostly about our very impressive F1 Helmet Sound System.

Ok, so the first thing you might notice is the price tag, which at £149.95 makes it one of our top end gadgets, but after getting some hands on time with one this week I can say it is definitely worth every penny! Taking the Helmet out of the box it is immediately obvious that this is a full size replica of a real F1 helmet, and the satisfying weight gives you an idea of just how much gadgetry is hidden away inside. No fiddly assembly is required, and the only setup you need to perform is to plug in the mains adapter, and set the clock.

The visually most impressive feature of the helmet is undoubtedly the mechanical visor, which opens and closes at the touch of a button. The motion is as smooth as you would expect, and can be operated by remote, or the button on the side of the helmet. Looking pretty is all well and good, but the F1 Helmet Sound System backs it up by sounding good as well! The internal speakers (2 x 7w RMS Stereo Speakers in top of helmet and 1 x 15w RMS subwoofer in base of helmet) give impressive sound with a more than adequate level of volume, combined with clarity and quality of sound even when turned up to 11.

It’s not just your iPod you can plug into this sound system as it features both a USB, and an SD card slot that will accept devices of up to 2GB, as well as an audio input via 3.5mm jack for just about any device there is.

This Helmet Sound System has definitely impressed me, and would take pride of place in any room filling it with rich, full sound. Or of course repetitive electronic beeps and whistles if that is more you’re thing. Although stock hasn’t arrived at our warehouse just yet, it will be there very soon!

Remember Remember….

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

We’ve been hit by the Gremlins here at Gadgets Towers this week, and have been experiencing a few problems with our internet connections and phone lines. Touch wood and fingers crossed, things seem to be repaired now!

Although the weather was rubbish I managed to have a nice relaxing weekend to recharge just before the orders really start to ramp up here, I managed to fit in a brilliant firework display, a firework themed quiz, and a gig on Monday night as well.

fireworks

I went to visit my mum for the weekend, and we went to a quiz where we managed to come in second out of about 10 teams, so not too shabby there! This was combined with a small fireworks display, and some good old bangers and mash. The rest of the weekend was spent away from the cold, windy, and somewhat miserable weather! On Monday I went to see a band called ‘Less Than Jake’ in Kentish Town, which was really good fun. I think the best way of trying to describe them is to get you to think of the happiest music you can, and add trumpets!

The barrage of new products on the website is continuing this week, and we’ve got some really good ones in the pipeline, so make sure you keep checking back, and have a good week.

Are You Getting Your Furry Friend A Christmas Present?

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Are you one of those people that buys Christmas presents for their pets? Be honest now, because there are actually a lot of pet owners who do get their furry friends some sort of treat for Christmas. It might be a new toy, something more special for their dinner than a tin or pouch of Turkey flavoured food, or some extra treats. I know when I go home at Christmas that all the various family pets are spoiled rotten, and have special dinners cooked for them, as well as plenty of treats, and usually a couple of new toys. So when the FroliCat Bolt arrived here at Gadgets Towers this week I immediately earmarked it as a possible present for my own little cat.

Mandy has spoken a few times about how much fun her cats have with a simple laser pointer, and I’m thinking that maybe it’s time to give my own cat something a bit more high tech and ‘gadgety’ than the plastic seal from the top of a milkshake bottle to play with. The thing that I particularly like about the FroliCat is that when I’m feeling a little tired after a long day here at Gadgets Towers I can just press the start button, sit back, and watch my cat go crazy for fifteen minutes. On the other hand if I want to get a bit more interactive I can do that as well by using the FroliCat Bolt in manual mode.

I for one think this is set to be the must have toy for pets this Christmas!

‘Tis (Almost) The Season…

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

If you’ve visited our website today you may have noticed that it’s gone all Christmassy! We’ve got our fab festive header up, as well as our special Christmas Section. The Christmas vibe is definitely starting to work its way around all of us here at Gadgets Towers, it’s even got me thinking I might need to start some Christmas shopping soon! Of course my first port of call will be our aforementioned Christmas category, and I’ve already got my eye on a few things in there for family and friends.

Christmas gifts at Gadgets.co.uk

Now that we are finding ourselves well on the way to winter, it of course means that more of us will likely be suffering from colds and the like. I have read some good news today that a medical breakthrough could spawn a new generation of antiviral drugs. Experts say the resultant pills or powders, which could be available within the next decade, could spare tens of millions of people from suffering at the hands of colds and other nasty viruses. If you can’t wait this long, a separate study advises that exercise causes a temporary boost in the numbers of immune system cells circulating round the body.

Of course going out Christmas shopping, and braving the crowds of germ infested people isn’t the best way of staying healthy, yet another good reason to check out our website for all your gift and gadgets needs! Not only can you stay warm, cosy, and stress free, but you won’t pick up a nasty cold either!