Digital mapping software is starting to become more common with the growth of more powerful phones and PDAs. Effectively replacing an entire pocket full of Ordinance Survey maps, “Quo” from Mapyx is the latest to join the lineup.

Quo is a simple application to use and (more importantly) it’s free to download. Once installed, you can plan routes using the tool which can then be exported to GPS waypoints. A Windows Mobile version of the software is also included, which will display your chosen route on your smartphone/PDA.

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Logitech have recently released a couple of new high-end gaming controllers that should give them a following in the small-but-dedicated market for simulation games.

Starting with driving, the G27 racing wheel is a force-feedback steering wheel. Actually “steering wheel” doesn’t do it justice, since as well as featuring the obligatory flappy paddles it also comes with:

• A 6 speed gearstick control including a push-down-to-engage reverse gear
• A set of 3 pedals (yes, you get a clutch) in an offset pattern so you can practice your “heel and toe” race driving.

At an RRP of £329 you’ll have to be dedicated to your game though.

Flight simulation is the other genre which benefits from a decent controller. I’ve already talked about the cheap option but if you’re in the market for something a little more realistic the new Flight System G940 should fit the bill.

Comprising the full set of Joystick, twin throttle and rudder pedals this programmable force feedback controller should satisfy the most hardcore jet-jockey.  Logitech have even taken the needs of cockpit builders into account with this one by providing mounting points on the stick and throttle so they can be bolted into a suitable frame.

With an RRP of £259 it’s (slightly) cheaper then the wheel but again, you’ll need to be really into your game to justify the cost.

I’ve been using this unique combined power strip and powerline HD adapter for some time now so it’s about due a review. Read on to get the low-down…

What is powerline?

Many readers will already know what Powerline is all about (in which case, you can skip this bit) but if you don’t: Powerline is a way of using the existing mains cables in your walls to make a network. You just need two free plug sockets - plug an adapter into each one and voila – network!

Unlike wireless, thick walls and long ranges are no impediment to powerline transmission and as far as the PC is concerned, the adapters are just standard Ethernet ports.

The standard for powerline is called “Homeplug” and it comes in different flavours – effectively high speed and low speed. The high speed version is branded as “Powerline HD” and this is what I’ve been testing.

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Yes, USB memory sticks really are old news but occasionally somebody comes up with a design tweak that makes it worth reporting. In this case the “somebody” is Sony and the tweak is the spring loaded click-top mechanism for retracting the USB port.

Think ballpoint pen. It’s a simple and effective way of protecting the connector without having a separate cap to get lost. Plus it has a glowing light. Who doesn’t like glowing lights?

The Microvault Click is available in capacities up to 32GB and comes pre-loaded with “Virtual Expander” compression software to increase the available storage space.

Head on over to Amazon to pick yours up.

This is just… odd. Take the nicotine out of cigarettes and distil it into a liquid free of the tar, tobacco leaves and who knows what else that goes into your traditional cancer stick.

Add an electronic heating element that activates when you inhale and you wind up with the Electronic Cigarette, giving you the hit (apparently) of burning leaf but without the nasty antisocial smell.

It’s not going to do anything for you if you want to give up (after all, you’re still taking in the nicotine, and probably in more concentrated form) but at least you won’t have to go outside in the freezing cold to do it. It’s probably cheaper too, at least until they get around to taxing it.

Oh, and just so we get our public service announcement out of the way – Smoking Bad, mkay?

If you do want to take a look though you can pick them up from easycigarette.co.uk for about £20

I’ve been following the fortunes of Quirky for a while now – it’s an interesting website that takes the idea of community websites and applies it to product development. The community (which is free to join) collectively suggests new ideas for products, inputs design ideas and votes on them. Ones that are selected to move forward make it into pre-production.

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Last week we reported on the new 37” and 42” Borderless SL 9000 TVs from LG and now we have information on two more.

The SL 8000 (left) is a full HD TV with 200Hz TruMotion starting at 32” and going up to 47”.  It’s another very slim Borderless LCD TV with LED backlighting and shares the green credentials of the
SL 9000 series.  The TVs are also able to playback DIVX, DIVX HD and MKV files from USB drives of up to 1TB. 

The 19” and 22” LU 7000 TVs, (right) are aimed at the smaller rooms in your house. Having a built in DVD player they are ideally suited to the bedroom, kitchen or even a student pad. The DVD player is built neatly into the TV stand which slides open impressively when ejecting the DVD.  The LU 7000 also features LGs Invisible Speaker Technology just like the SL 8000 and SL 9000 so sound quality should be impressive for a small TV. 

As yet there is still no word on pricing for either TV series but, as with the SL 9000, it is said to be “competitive” so we’ll have to wait and see.  Both TVs should be in shops sometime in October. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been waiting for the best part of a year to post this, but at last it’s official – Kiloo and Manomio have launched a Commodore 64 emulator for the iPhone!

Including 5 free games (Dragons Den, Le Mans, Jupiter Lander, Arctic Shipwreck and Jack Attack), the emulator faithfully reproduces the graphics and sound of the iconic home computer.

For more information go to c64iphone.com, or just head over to the app store to pick up your own copy for $4.99:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305504539&mt=8

LG launched their new Chocolate BL40 widescreen phone last night at a swanky party in the London Design Museum. I was lucky enough to get some time with the BL40 and as you’d expect it excels at displaying video on its 4” 21:9 aspect ratio screen.

The Chocolate uses an updated version of the “S Class” interface used on many of the recent LG phones. The rotating cube has been stretched and now mimics the applications and shortcuts setup on the phone. The interface is noticeably quicker than earlier LG phones such as the Arena I reviewed earlier in the year. This is no mean feat as the Arena is no slouch.

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Berlin played host last week to the IFA show. IFA is the “other” big event on the Consumer Entertainment calendar after CES and provides an opportunity for manufacturers to launch products to a European audience.

Sony were amongst the first companies to announce a raft of new products and here are the highlights:

W5810 and Z5800 Freesat TV’s (pictured). Both these sets offer 1920×1080 HD screens and built in Freesat tuners. You also get the latest version of the BRAVIA processing engine (Bravia Engine 3) and 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The Z5800 also includes MotionFlow 200Hz processing for smoother pictures.

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