Today marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month, an important date in any woman’s calendar. In the lead up to and on Monday October 27, the official Breast Cancer Awareness day, we are reminded of the value and fragility of relationships with women in our lives.
It is also the second month of spring, a season when we are all focusing on renewal, refreshment and transition.
This makes it a great opportunity to look at letting go some of our old technology products and replacing them with the latest models. To enable you to move on the front foot when you go into your favourite consumer electronics store, here is ConnectedWomen’s list top 10 leading edge technologies and how they will improve your life right now.
Dial Up
Still hanging onto that simple, no-nonsense Nokia you got with the cheap plan more than two years ago? Worried that if you trade it in on the latest mobile, the phone will turn out to be more clever that you?
ConnectedWomen recommends: Hewlett-Packard iPAQ Business Messenger
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| Hewlett-Packard's iPAQ 912 Business Messenger allows you to run your office anywhere on the planet. |
Muscling in on the territory captured by the BlackBerry and the iPhone, is
Hewlett-Packard’s iPAQ 912 Series Business Messenger, a 3G smartphone designed for maximum mobile productivity that businesswomen need.
Along with behaving like your average communications device, the iPAQ goes much further with a range of features that will enable you to run your office from anywhere on the planet. For instance, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and tri-band wireless technology which gives you anywhere access to the internet. Also, built-in GPS navigation pinpoints your exact location at the time of a call.
The alphanumeric QWERTY thumb keyboard lets you type really fast and you can scroll even faster with a jog-dial. What ConnectedWomen likes most about this phone is the built-in Cyberon Voice Commander and HP Voice Reply features so you can reply to emails and make other commands simply by using your voice.
On top of all that it includes a intuitive touch-screen display and 3 megapixel camera. RRP: $799
Picture This
Camcorders and digital cameras are now some of the most popular purchases by women, particularly online. There’s no better way to capture lasting memories of a loved one than through the latest video and digital camera technology.
ConnectedWomen recommends: Sony HD Handycam camcorder (CX12)
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| The Sony HD Handycam makes it easy for you to capture natural smiles. |
Sony's latest HD Handycam camcorder is the world's first camcorder to include both Smile Shutter and Face Detection technology.
This means that the camcorder detects smiles during video recording and automatically takes a still image of the scene. With Face Detection, the camcorder can identify up to eight faces in its LCD frame for both video and still photos.
To make your movies even more professional, you can record straight to Memory Stick, while One Touch Burn allows for videos and photos to be replicated on AVCHD discs and DVDs at the press of a button. RRP: $1,699
ConnectedWomen recommends: Nikon D90
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| Nikon D90's Image Sensor Cleaning function auto-clears dust from the sensor's optical low-pass filter. |
The D90 is
Nikon's up-to-the-minute DX-format digital SLR, and more than just a digicam. It was inspired by Nikon's flagship D300 and the D90's image sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels provides razor-sharp picture quality.
The camera includes Nikon's patented Expeed image processing, which enables the delivery of images with fine detail, smooth tones, rich colors and low noise spanning a wide ISO sensitivity range.
It also features an energy-saving design which allows around 850 images to be shot on a single charge while its Scene Recognition System is integrated with Face Detection System. RRP: from $1549
ConnectedWomen recommends: Samsung i8 digital camera
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| The Samsung i8 features the Samsung world tour guide, a built-in travel guide. |
Samsung's i8 is the ultimate travelling companion packed with a range of innovative features to help you on your journey. While you are roaming through the Eiffel Tower and the canals of Venice your Samsung companion also acts like a true multimedia device, including: world tour guide, portable media player and digital image stabilisation.
The world tour guide has information on 2600 famous attractions in over 30 countries, portable media player, digital image stabilization, virtual 3D surround system and face recognition. RRP: $299
Home Entertainment
The startling array of flat screen TVs lining the walls of consumer electronics stores can be overwhelming, especially if you are not yet up-to-date on the difference between plasma and LCD. Often it’s a good idea to start with the simplest technology and work your way up.
ConnectedWomen recommends: TEAC 32'' LCDV3253HD
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| TEAC's LCDV3253HD allows you to link up with PlayStation and other equipment options as well. |
TEAC’s 32'' LCDV3253HD is the largest television on the Australian market to combine both a DVD player with a HD tuner. The DVD module includes a USB connection so you can play downloaded movies and view photographs from a digital camera.
It is also equipped with a built-in analogue tuner so is ideal in regions where digital television is still unavailable. The unit has exceptional sound and picture quality and sleek black aesthetics. RRP: $1,299
ConnectedWomen recommends: Pioneer’s Kuro PDP-LX508A
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| Pioneer's PDP-LX508A also gives you an unmatched 24 frames per second source input at 72Hz. |
Driven by
Pioneer's Kuro Technology, the PDP-LX508A boasts the blackest plasma screen, which provides the richest, most three-dimensional color display. Pioneer flat panel displays come in 50" and 60" screen sizes and are engineered with a HD digital tuner, as well as Full-HD screen resolution.
For those who love the technology detail, this TV features high contrast ratio in dark areas of 20,000:1, improved panels with Deep Waffle Rib Structure while its ASIC technology mitigates judder and broadcast errors.
Its Optimum Video mode also adjusts to room lighting generating ideal video images in real time. RRP: $5,699
In The Kitchen
As gym memberships start to rise this month so does our awareness of our health and well-being. The humble kitchen scale is now a technology whizz, while the latest deep fryer lets you eat your chips without the fat and a glamorous home espresso lifts the spirits.
ConnectedWomen recommends: Breville’s ikon BSK500
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| The Breville ikon BSK500 has a large, easy to read digital display. |
The ikon (BSK500) stainless steel kitchen scale from
Breville does more than just measure. A high accuracy, large capacity scale that measures in small increments up to 5kgs, it also features a removable thermometer gauging up to 150ºC, internal thermometer that measures the ambient room temperature, a large, easy-to-read digital display, kitchen timer and imperial/metric conversion system. RRP: $99.95
ConnectedWomen recommends: Tefal's ActiFry FZ7000
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| Tefal's ActiFry FZ7000 allows users to fry 1kg of fries with a mere spoonful of oil. |
Tefal's ActiFry FZ7000 is a true cooking companion and a healthy and safer alternative to deep frying because there is no hot oil to manage.
The ActiFry cooks a kilogram of food thoroughly and effortlessly including fries, seafood, vegetables and chicken drumsticks and can be used with any kind of oil.
The transparent lid provides more control over the cooking (you can just set and forget) and there is no preheating required. The premium fryer, which is made in France, is dishwasher safe. RRP: $349.95
ConnectedWomen recommends: Artista Espresso Machine EM5900
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| The Sunbeam Artista features an easy to use push button control panel. |
The elegant
Sunbeam Artista Espresso Machine EM5900 delivers extra glamour to your kitchen. The unit is completely stainless steel with a die-cast alloy housing and also features a stainless steel thermoblock heating system.
It is designed to be an easy to operate system with a simple push button control panel. The Italian manufactured 15 BAR pump boasts a specifically designed unique crema system.
The Artista also features an energy saving Eco Mode option and accessories include a 600ml stainless steel milk jug and coffee spoon. RRP: $449.00
Make me Beautiful
Every woman loves looking great, but often we don't have the time- or the know how- to achieve that "just stepped out of the salon" look and still get to work on time! And who wants to spend hours everyday straightening, curling or de-fuzzing?!
ConnectedWomen recommends: VS Sassoon You Curl
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| Curl like a pro with VS Sassoon's You Curl. |
The VS Sassoon You Curl is designed with simplicity in mind and as the name suggests- it curls your hair- but is not a traditional curling iron. The plates are flat and you can create tousled curls in one movement- making curling as easy as straightening. The movement is as simple as pulling scissors through a ribbon.
It also looks great with a stylish gold and purple finish with a vegetal design that draws inspiration from Islamic art. It's not available in stores just yet, but will be by the end of October. RRP: $59.95.