Its been a great year for Gadgets in 2007, to celebrate this we bring you the definitive guide to the best gadgets of 2007 in our Gadgets top ten. With Christmas just around the corner The Gadget blog presents the top 10 gadgets of 2007

1. Apple iPhone

What can you say about the Apple iPhone that hasn’t already been said. Everyone has heard of the amazing capabilities of this device, and if you haven’t, you’ve probably been living under a rock for the past year. This device has won a ton of awards for its innovation, including the Time Magazine invention of the year.

The iPhone offers more capabilites than the typical cell phone including a music player, video player, Internet, and Apple’s revolutionary touch-screen interface. The Apple iPhone is sure to be the top-selling gadget this holiday season. The 8 GB Apple iPhone is available for £269.00.

2. Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii is the fastest growing gaming console in the World. The innovative design of the Wii sets it apart from other gaming consoles. In 2007, Nintendo unveiled the new Wii Fit balance board which will revolutionize the way people get fit. This balance board allows you to monitor various health stats (such as your body mass index (BMI)), and it offers various aerobic programs to help get you back in shape after all of the holiday treats you’ve eaten this year. The Nintendo Wii will be one of the hottest selling products during this holiday season. You can pick up a Nintendo Wii for about £260.00.

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

3. Apple iPod Touch

The Apple iPod Touch is the MP3 player version of the iPhone, and it offers the same great interface that has made the iPhone so popular. The iPod Touch is available in an 8 GB or 16 GB model for £188 and £242 respectively. The iPod Touch will play music, video, and display photos on an ultra-sharp 3.5 inch display. This device is even equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity for web browsing with Apple’s Safari web browser. This device is extraordinarily innovative, and it’s very exciting to think about what Apple will come up with next for the successor of the iPod Touch.

8gb Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

8gb Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

16gb Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

16gb Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

4. Zune 80 GB

The second generation Zune from Microsoft really improves upon the first generation model which had many flaws. It seems that Microsoft has addressed these issues in their newest Zune, which features an 80 GB hard drive, easy to use interface, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a new Podcast feature. Microsoft is very close to taking over the reigns as king of the MP3 player market from the Apple iPod. The 80 GB Zune is available for £169.99

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

5. Garmin Nuvi 760

Garmin is one of the top portable GPS manufacturers in the World, and their newest GPS model, from the very popular “Nuvi” line, is the Nuvi 760. The Nuvi 760 sports a large 4.3 inch touch-screen display, pre-loaded maps, Bluetooth capability, Text to Speech (TTS), MP3 player, FM transmitter, picture viewer, and much more. This GPS device was given the Editor’s Choice Award by GPS Magazine. The Garmin Nuvi 760 is an excellent GPS device, but it does come with a pretty hefty price tag at about £300.00. I believe the Nuvi 760 is worth the high price tag, because it’s the best portable GPS device out there right now.

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

6. Apple iMac

The Apple iMac has revolutionized the future of computer design as we know it. Besides offering up the most innovative graphical user interface (GUI) that Apple is famous for, the iMac eliminates the traditional computer tower by putting all of the hardware into the monitor. PCs have already started to switch to this type of “all-in-one” design, such as in the new Gateway One PC. The iMac pricing starts at about £760.00.

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and Further reviews at Amazon US

7. iRiver Clix Media Player

iRiver created the first generation iRiver Clix last year which was one of the top all-around MP3 players ever according to Cnet Reviews. This player comes in either a 2GB or 4GB flash memory capacity, and is currently available for between $100-$169.

The second generation iRiver Clix was released in 2007, and it offers up the same great 2.2 inch touch-screen display, 4GB or 8GB of flash memory, and can be used for playing music, videos, viewing photos, playing games, voice recording, and more. That’s quite a lot of capabilities for a device the size of a business card! The second generation iRiver Clix starts from about £130.00.

Prices and Further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and Further reviews at Amazon US

8. Sony DSC-T100

The new Sony DSC-T100 is a camera with an 8 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 3 inch LCD display, and it’s small enough to easily fit in your pocket. This camera also features Sony’s Super Steady Shot technology which minimizes blurriness due to camera-shake. This camera became available in March of 2007, and it comes in either red, black, or silver.

You can read the full review of this camera at Imaging Resource. The Sony DSC-T100 makes a great gift for around £249.00.

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

9. Slingbox Solo

The newest version of the Slingbox from Sling Media is called the Slingbox Solo. This device allows you to watch TV, DVDs, Satellite, DVR, and other TV sources on your cell phone or laptop from anywhere in the World. This new device will even support HD content. What’s great about this device is that there are no monthly fees associated with using the device. You can pick up the Slingbox Solo for about £120.00

Prices and further reviews at Amazon UK

Prices and further reviews at Amazon US

10. LG BH200

The new LG BH200 Super Blu Player is not your average DVD player. This device will play both HD DVDs and Blu-Ray DVDs. Although it is not the first player to have this hybrid technology, it is currently the most advanced. The LG BH200 was released in October just in time for the holiday season. This gift may only be for the hardcore techies out there who need to have the latest technologies, because it does carry a hefty price tag of $1000.

Don’t forget to check our US and UK shops out for all your gadget needs and our Video Reviews section and happy new year

So you need a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate? Microsoft will give you a free copy if you let them snoop on you for 3 months. Infact its not just vista you can get, perhaps you’d prefer these instead ?

• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit DVD)
• Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007
• Microsoft Money Plus Premium
• Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008
• Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008

So where’s the catch ? well there isn’t one you just download their spying software, fill out a 15min survey and you’re good to go. Further details are available here

http://wfp.microsoft.com/

Simon Greenwold from MIT Media Lab aesthetics and computation group developed a new concept for creating an easy to use combination of real and virtual environments. Using what he calls a “window” (a large portable touch sensitive screen) equipped with a high res digital camera in the back, he created a device which captures a real environment and let the user add fixed virtual three dimensional objects inside it using a simple stylus input device.

The new technology might have many possible applications in various fields. A few of the obvious ones are as tools for interactive architecture and design. An interior decorator could use the device, nick named “Installation”, to capture the look of a room and add or change fuetures such as furniture or walls on the go creating a new look for the room which can be visualized instantly. Using more then one device virtual environment can be shared, and using high speed wireless connection people in distant places can work on the same real/virtual environment together.

A video demonstration of the “Installtion” in action can be seen on this page. More information on this research project can be found on Simon Greenwold “Installation” website.

Interactive 3D Virtual Environment - TFOT

The new Boynq iCube II a docking system for you iPod is certainly a colourful addition to the already over saturated dock market, a bit to girly for me though.

Feature/Specifications:

Data synchronization via:
USB 2.0
Operating Systems:
Windows 2000 SP4
Windows XP
Mac OS x 10.1.5
2 x 5W RMS full range drivers for optimal clarity
3.5mm Stereo line-in feature
Treble control
Bass control
AC-power adaptor (100~240V)
Frequency range 20Hz - 20KHz

In the Box:

iCube II stereo speaker
6 inserts for iPod models
Equalizer card
AC-power adaptor
Line-in cable
Audio cable
Manual