Handheld communication tools are getting more intelligent by the day, and with the addition of accessories, they can become true multitaskers, Steve Dinneen reports
Samsung Galaxy Note
US$534.99 (www.amazon.com)
While it comes billed as a smartphone, the Galaxy Note’s size (14.7cm x 8.3cm x 1cm) makes it more of a digital notepad with a phone attached than vice versa. It comes with some great native drawing apps that make good use of the stylus. The Note makes sketching and saving ideas so quick and simple that businesses are adopting it as a way of cutting down on endless scraps of paper. Savile Row tailor Spencer Hart has made it part of its standard tailoring service, with measurements and alterations scribbled onto the device and emailed directly to the production team. If you want something more portable than a tablet to take notes on the go (as well as record audio and video and do everything else a smartphone can do), this is a great device.
HTC Flyer Magic Pen
US$60 (www.amazon.com)
Sometimes the easiest way to capture your thoughts is the most obvious option – write them down. While accelerometer-based digital pens that record the movement of your hand do exist (Iris makes among the best), they can be unreliable. The HTC Flyer tablet’s digital version takes the humble pen and brings it into the smartphone generation. It is compatible with all brands of mobile device and gives the degree of accuracy required for art apps such as Penultimate. It comes with two buttons – highlight and erase – making taking notes a cinch. The nib of the pen is flexible, so most tablets will know how hard you’re pressing on the screen, producing a thinner or thicker line as required. The next time you have a gigantic Word document to sift through before a big meeting, you will wish you had one of these.
Olloclip iPhone Lens
US$70
Smartphone cameras are good enough for most casual photography – they are light, easy to use
and most of us carry them wherever we go. If this isn’t quite enough, though, the Olloclip will
supercharge your iPhone 4 or 4S. The clip-on camera gives you three different shooting options –
a fisheye lens that will capture 180 degrees, a wideangle lens to give you roughly double
the field of vision of a regular iPhone, or a macro lens that will give you a 10 x optical zoom,
allowing you to get crisp close-up shots. You can then use the great native editing software on the
iPhone to apply the finishing touches to your digital memories. It looks smart and you can get
it with either black or red trim.
Olympus DS-5000 iD
US$300 (www.amazon.com)
For most purposes, recording apps are more than adequate for taking dictation. But for business use,
where reliability and security is crucial, they can fall short – you don’t really want to carry the idea for your
new project with you when you go to the pub. The Olympus DS-5000 ID comes with encryption software,
meaning you can make sure your files remain for your ears only. Features include on-device editing
and a hands-free recording option. It comes in an almost indestructible metal casing and has space
for around 1,400 files.
http://asia.olympus-imaging.com
LG Optimus 3D
HK$3,450 (www.price.com/hk) US$328.95 (www.amazon.com)
The Optimus is a far smarter phone than you might give it credit for. Not only does it let you play 3D video in your hand without the need for glasses, it also lets you record it. The dual cameras record surprisingly immersive 3D video, giving far more of a sense of depth than something this size has any right to. The video isn’t particularly crisp but you don’t expect cinematic quality from something you can fit in your pocket. With up to 32GB of storage space, you will be able to film a decent amount of footage before having to upload it. While the Android-based handset itself is nothing special, if you’re an early adopter of 3D this is the smartphone for you.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Free on mobile devices (for now)
US$99.99 PC version
US$199.99 Mac version
Being able to speak your notes into your computer used to sound like science fiction – now anybody with a smartphone can do it. Dragon Naturally Speaking (Dragon Dictate on a Mac) has been quietly
improving since it was first launched in 1997, with software updates regularly released. And it works. Run the program and Dragon will instantly transcribe your spoken words into prose. Set it running on a smartphone during a meeting and when you have finished talking you’ll have a text file ready to save or email to yourself. It is also compatible with the majority of high-end dictaphones and is able to understand most accents.
Super Charged
Play it safe and bring these accessories with you to stay powered up, writes Rhodri Marsden
Powermats
1x mat for Blackberry HK$998/US$35 2x mat with powercube US$50
The world of chargers doesn’t generally make jaws drop, but the Powermat has the “wow” factor. Using electromagnetic induction, it charges the iPhone, some Blackberry and HTC models, and the Nintendo DS.
Half of the transformer is in the mat and half in the receiver – a custom battery door in the case of the HTC, or a protective case for the iPhone. Once these are fitted, it’s simply a case of drop and charge. It’s a brilliant cordless solution, though devices will be made a little thicker and heavier. A three-station mat that folds into the size of a mobile phone costs US$70. www.powermat.com
Spare One Phone
US$70
This unplugged, emergency mobile phone was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and made another splash at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona a few weeks later.
It’s a no-frills phone that is powered by an AA battery, but that single cell gives you 10 hours of talk time, 20 hours of torch light, and retains its charge for 15 years of sitting idly on a shelf.
The Spare One is being marketed as a lifeline in the event of natural disasters that knock out power for weeks at a time – but it also looks set to become essential as a standby phone that can sit in glove compartments and suitcase pockets, ready for unforeseen emergencies. www.spareonephone.com
Powertrekk charger
US$230
Another star of the Consumer Electronics Show, Powertrekk is the first commercial device to harness the properties of sodium silicide. When water is added to this substance it generates hydrogen gas, which is then converted into power. As a result, one tablespoon of water can provide electricity equivalent to ten hours of mobile phone battery life – but the Powertrekk can charge any device that accepts power via a 5V DC USB connection.
It’s marketed at people who regularly find themselves in remote areas away from electricity, but keeping this palm-sized device in your car or luggage could be a lifesaver – and the fuel cell is considered safe enough to be allowed onboard as part of your aircraft cabin baggage. www.powertrekk.com
