The Gadget Show Live 2011 takes place from 13th April to the 17th April at the NEC this year.  The Gadget Show Live team tell me…

“The Gadget Show Live has quadrupled in size since it began in 2009 and this year expects 100,000 visitors through the door. It features 250 of the world’s leading electronics firms, including Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, JVC, Nintendo and LG, and features many UK product premieres. New tech includes the latest smart TVs from Sony, Panasonic and LG, which boast not only the usual HD and 3D capabilities, but also a raft of streaming content and online applications.

Visitors can participate in numerous free features, including the new HUB Theatre, an entire hall dedicated to the Game Zone, the Future Technology Project and a larger interactive Test Track. There will also be a one hour long, live theatre version of the TV show in the newly designed Super Theatre (three times a day).

NEW TECH AND GAMES

As well as watching the new smart TVs, visitors can also try out the latest 3D photography and video equipment, such as the new high definition 3D camcorder from JVC (Everio GS-TD1). They can also watch a 3D printer re-creating real objects (on Bits from Bites stand, in Future Tech Project and in The HUB Theatre).

In addition, they can listen to the new Zeppelin Air from Bowers and Wilkins, which has the ability to wirelessly stream music for iPhones, iPads and computers running iTunes. They can also watch through the new augmented reality (AR) video eyewear from Vuzix, which enables 3D video viewing in real time, whilst overlaying the video with home-made 3D content.

A full on tablet war is predicted with all the leading contenders to the crown on show. The best in home computing can also be found with the full HD touch screen VAIO L-Series from Sony and the new multi-touch enabled AKOYA desktops from MEDION. For the house proud, there will be the new compact and lightweight robotic lawnmower from Husqvarna, the new lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner from Dyson – the Digital Slimô – and the next generation of domestic servants from iRobot.

The Game Zone (an entire dedicated hall in association with GAME), will include a major outing for the Nintendo 3DS, a live professional gaming tournament with a £5,000 cash prize from Alienware, plus their new 15 inch gaming notebook. New game launches include the first UK viewing of DiRT3 from Codemasters (released 24 May), the new Duke Nukem game from 2K games, EA’s Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed plus the European finals of the new Mortal Kombat beat-em-up from Warner Bros.

TECH OF THE FUTURE

The Future Tech Project is an unforgettable chance to experience technology of the future. This area includes 3D printing and robotics from Warwick University, mind controlled computing (www.neurosky.com) and even eye controlled computing, seen for the first time in the UK from Waterloo Labs (part of National Instruments).

There will also be a blurring of the real and virtual world with the latest augmented reality creations from T-Immersion, plus smart textiles and intelligent clothing from CuteCircuit, and wireless kitchen gadgets and food that can heat itself whilst still in its packaging (using the eCoupled countertop from Fulton Innovation).

NEW FREE HUB THEATRE

The new circular theatre offers free access to six daily presentations, led by Stuff TV’s Lucy Hedges and Radio One’s Aled Hayden Jones. They will do the hard work of filtering down the headline news and best tech at the show. Sessions will cover The Future Tech Project, T3’s hottest gadgets, a review of tablets and smart-phones, home gadgets and a music gadget review.

LATEST E-BIKES AND PERSONAL TRANSPORT DEVICES

The first street-legal electric bicycle, the Grace One, will launch at The Gadget Show Live – it’s a carbon neutral e-motorbike which can travel up to 28 mph (UK limit is 15 mph) and requires no driving license or registration, but you must be over 14. A huge range of vehicles, such as Segways and the latest electric bikes from Create, Dumco and Pacific, can be test-driven at the 1,000 square metre Test Track. There will also be a kids transport area with vehicles from Razor and the UK’s top professionals showing off their tricks on the Remote Control Demo Area.

Furthermore, those lucky enough to have a ticket for the Super Theatre will be blown away by a high-energy version of the TV show. Three times daily (each show seating 4,500 people), the presenters will demo the latest tech, whilst the audience participates to win prize – they’ll also see a Jason-cyborg and Suzi Avatar on stage.

…And if all of that isn’t enough, visitors can also find how to make the most of the latest digital cameras in the Photographic Workshop and check out the best in new 3D kit in the new 3D Theatre.”

If you are interested in attending, then there are still some afternoon only (2pm to 6pm) tickets left, which you can purchase at http://www.gadgetshowlive.net/. UK Gadgeteer is hoping to attend and report back on the useful and worthwhile stands to visit.

Would you believe it, just hours before a nice 4 day break, and lots of companies choose today, April’s Fools day of all days, to release interesting gadget news.  I don’t have time to write up each and every story, so here’s a short summary and links to more information…

3UK have announced their HTC Desire prices and timescales.  Interestingly, they will initially launch an unbranded handset (although it’s still likely to be locked to 3UK) from 20th April, with the branded handset following around the 3rd May.  This unbranded handset will still be able to download the 3UK specific applications from the Android Market, so early adopters won’t miss out.

In pricing terms, for new customers it will be £35 per month (presumably an 18-month contract now confirmed as 24 months) for unlimited 3000 texts, unlimited 1GB internet, unlimited 2000 minutes of 3-to-3 calls, and 750 minutes of other calls; to buy the phone on PAYG will cost £350.

Further details (although it states the original unlimited information, not the true “fair usage limits”), see here.

A quick comparison to Vodafone, shows that £35 per month (18-month contract) will get you unlimited 3000 texts, 500MB internet, and 600 minutes of calls, which shows the 3UK to be slightly better value (even more so if your friends are on 3UK!)

Update: It’s been confirmed that the 3UK contract is for 24 months, so although it may offer more minutes than Vodafone each month, by being tied in for an additional 6 months makes any form of comparison less valid.

Of course, if you are looking to make calls abroad, especially to loved ones this Easter (*), then maybe you should look at Truphone. As well as being fans of this service, we’re always happy to promote their free offers, and this weekend they are offering free calls to landlines in 10 countries (the countries were chosen and voted for by Truphone customers; it’s nice to see a company offering it’s customers this ability). For some of those countries, it’s also free to call mobiles, but you’ll need to check the Truphone offers page to make sure before you start making those calls.

(*) We should point out that the free calls are only available on Saturday and Sunday, and are based on GMT (remember the UK is now on BST), so please check.

Even more interesting, Truphone have put together a short video allowing you to spot the minor differences between the ringtones they use to denote whether a call will be free or not.  To access the video, please click  here.

Finally, and by no means least, the O2 Joggler has suddenly got interesting…

Firstly, O2 have reduced the price down to £49.99, available online or in your local O2 Store, but only until 15th April. However, as from today a new firmware has become available which will allow support for the O2 App Store to be accessed from the O2 Joggler.  Normally this wouldn’t be so exciting, with the ability to access a few games, but O2 are also releasing 3 useful apps for the device..

• YouTube support; very useful I guess if you are an avid fan of YouTube
• Google Maps; now this is useful; the ability to look and find information on the map whilst using the device
• Google Calendar; when I first talked about this device, this was a key area I said they should support; having Google Calendar support suddenly means you can access the same data as on your mobile phone, your computer, and now your O2 Joggler too.

Although I’m still waiting to hear exactly how this works, and what is and isn’t accessible, at £50, it’s a much more interesting proposition!

I hope you find these stories interesting, and UK Gadgeteer will be back next week; Happy Easter!

What a nice change; a device launched in the US, but at the launch, it was announced that the device will be coming to the UK!  T-Mobile UK are working with ICD to release the ICD Vega Kitchen computer / Android Tablet in the UK later this year.  Well, compared to the O2 Joggler, this might well have just those few extra facilities to actually be a bigger success story…

The spec of the Vega includes:

• Processor — Nvidia Tegra 250 (1GHz)
• Memory – 512MB DDR DRAM
• Flash — 512MB NAND flash; 32GB internal SD card; external Micro SD slot
• Display — 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 resistive touchscreen; HDMI output
• Wireless:
  • 802.11b/g WiFi
  • Bluetooth 2.1
  • Optional 2G or 3G cellular
• USB — 1 x USB 2.0 High-Speed OTG
• Camera — 1.3-megapixel
• Audio — 3.5mm audio jack; external speakers; dual microphones
• Other features:
  • Accelerometer
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Charging dock
  • Magnetic docking
• Power — 11AH 3.9V lithium-ion battery (4 hours life); 110-240V input; 12VDC output (35 W, for dock)
• Dimensions — 14.7 x 10.0 x 0.6 inches (373 x 254 x 16mm)
• Weight — 2.9 lbs (1.3kg)
• Operating system — Android 2.0

The dock may also feature an additional speaker, and possibly an HDMI port too, but with that 3G support, you’ll be able to make calls, and this is no sudden decision by T-Mobile, who have, apparently been working with ICD for 18 months.

Taken advantage of the Android platform, Linuxdevices have said “The Android software on the device offers one-touch access to a household calendar, enabling families to organize schedules in one place, say the companies. The web-accessible device can automatically send SMS text reminders of calendar items to cellphones. Additional features are said to include web browsing, on-demand TV, access to social networks, video chat, and games.”

ICD also announced a 15.6″ unit (ICD Ultra) and made reference to also working on an 11″ tablet too.  The ICD Ultra adds to the Vega specs with a GPS too.

One small point to watch out for; these, and many other “Android” devices are likely to be using the Open Source Android OS, and will not be “Google Experience” devices, so don’t expect this device to automatically take a Google account and support all the Google features that you may have on your “Google Experience” Android phone…

The only other unknown at this point is the price, but we would expect something similar to O2 and the Joggler where there are options for subsidised pricing…

Some content courtesy of Linux Devices, and thanks to Stuart for the Heads Up!

Back in November, I covered some early information on the new Garmin Engine Diagnostic system (see here).  Well, Garmin have formally released more information about it, and I can now provide confirmation of my earlier article.

So, once you have performed a one time sync between your Garmin Nuvi and the unit above, the two devices will work wirelessly.  You simply plug the device into your OBD-II diagnostics socket, and mount it away from pedals and other switches, and it will then work without further intervention.

Garmin have said “Drivers also get more accurate ecoRoute data, making fuel conservation easier than ever, and they can monitor their engine data (including temperature, RPM, emissions) and diagnostics through the Trip Computer screen and customizable Gauges screen. Drivers can then view Diagnostic Trouble Codes – with on-screen descriptions of some error codes – and reset the “check engine” light. ecoRoute hd will be compatible with many current and future nüvi models, including 1260, 1370, 1390, 1490 and 1690.”

The list of diagnostic features includes:

• Intake air temperature information
• Coolant temperature data
• Throttle position and engine load
• Intake manifold pressure
• Battery and charging system information
• Mass airflow rate
• Timing advance
• Emissions

The device will be available in March 2010 in the US, and hopefully not long after in the UK.  A number of existing Nuvi units will be compatible with the ecoroute HD cable; to find out if your Nuvi will be compatible (although all existing units will need a software update to support the device), head off to www.garmin.com/ecoroute (although looking at the time of writing, it wasn’t clear whether all devices that have ever supported the ecoroute function will work, or whether the website simply hasn’t been fully updated yet!).

In a time of SatNavs becoming cheaper, something like this helps to differentiate Garmin from the competition…

This is the new Mark 2 version of the Solwise HomePlug device.  It’s capable of extending your existing wired computer network and provides 85mbps (maximum) between the two networks using the power circuits around the house.  I’ve used HomePlug devices to add network to remote parts of the house, especially to support devices which only have network ports, or where it’s just too far for Wi-Fi to reach.

These newer units are smaller than the previous units, and only cost £18.55 for one, or £34.40 for a twin pack.  Solwise even include a 1.8m network patch cable to allow you to use these.  The easiest way to use a pair is to cable one to your ADSL router (using one of the spare network ports) and then put the other one somewhere else in the house you would like network access, and when both are plugged into the mains (they do need to be on the same phase if your house has multiple phases), then the device networked into the remote device should be able to access the router.

More information (including the ability to purchase them) available direct from Solwise.

Last week, Garmin launched two new Forerunner devices, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT and the Garmin Forerunner 405CX.

The Forerunner 405CX is very similar to the Garmin Forerunner 405, although it adds Heart rate-based calorie computation, and includes “a second wrist band option suitable for smaller wrists”.  Designed for sports people, or even people training for charity events, the device “comes with a flexible, wireless heart rate monitor to help you make the most out of your training. The digital heart rate monitor continuously tracks heart beats per minute and uses your heart rate for advanced calorie computation, so you know how many calories you’re burning. Train in a certain heart rate zone to improve your fitness level or compare your pace and heart rate to past performance on the same run”.

This device is well suited to both runners and cyclists; you can use the “optional foot pod to track your speed, distance and running cadence indoors when GPS signals are unavailable. The wireless foot pod clips onto your laces for easy removal and automatically turns on when you start moving”. Alternatively, you can “pair your Forerunner with an optional speed/cadence bike sensor to track the speed and distance of your cycling workouts”.

The Forerunner 310XT is a rugged device, which is waterproof to 50 metres (it’s also listed as swim-proof, and designed to be used by swimmers), and can track swim, bike and run data and then send it wirelessly to your computer via ANT+ wireless technology. To support tri-atheletes even further, the “Forerunner 310XT moves easily from wrist to bike with the optional quick release and bike mounts, making the transition between sports effortless” and “categorizes multisport activities in one workout and can also log transition time in the process, so you can analyze your performance from start to finish”.

The Forerunner 310XT “tracks your position precisely with GPS satellite data and records distance, pace, heart rate (optional), power data (from ANT+™-enabled third-party power meters)” and “connects seamlessly to an optional heart rate monitor, foot pod and cadence sensor”.  The battery should last up to 20 hours.

The Forerunner 310XT will either be sold on its own, or with a “new waterproof, soft-strap heart rate monitor that is streamlined and more comfortable than ever, yet rugged enough to withstand swimming. Though heart rate data does not transmit while underwater, this new waterproof strap means that triathletes can plan ahead by wearing the strap under a wetsuit, shaving crucial seconds off their transition time. The new soft-strap monitor is expected to be available during summer 2009″.

Both these devices should be available in Q2 (ie before June 2009), although we are yet to hear what the UK prices will be.  It looks like Garmin is trying to become a leader in sports based GPS devices as well as already being one of the key players in the GPS and SatNav marketplaces.  More information can be found at the Garmin website for the Forerunner 405CX and Forerunner 310XT.

Well, it appears there are shortages of the Linux variant of the Asus Eee 901 in the UK at present. What’s caused this you might ask…? Despite the rumours that it’s Microsoft putting pressure on Asus, Asus have revealed it’s caused by Intel not being able to supply enough Atom chips, which is limiting supply. Why is it only affecting the Linux variant? Simply these are more popular, and hence selling faster!

In other Asus news, Asus have revealed the pricing of all of the new variants; the 901 is £299 (20Gb SSD Linux or 12Gb SSD Windows XP variants), the 904 (basically a 900 in the 1000 case) is £269 (80Gb HDD Windows XP), and the 1000H is £349 (80Gb HDD Windows XP) or £369 (40Gb SSD Linux).

Finally, Asus have produced this chart (above) which compares the different units.

Some content courtesy of Register Hardware and Mobile Computer Magazine.

If you have a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, and have been fed up with the slow GPS lock times, then there is a solution.  Firstly, you need to install the new OS firmware (Diablo) onto your machine using the Nokia Internet Tablet Firmware Updater (Windows only).  Then, you need to install the A-GPS additional program. The A-GPS program, will help locate you whilst the GPS continues to try to lock.  You give the application a very rough location in the world (by clicking on a map), and it will then use an internet connection to improve that link.  However, as well as supporting a link via Bluetooth to a mobile phone (which will use the phone’s cell tower IDs to locate you), it’s also possible to locate you via WiFi.  It achieves this by feeding the initial GPS data back to a central computer at Nokia which helps process those fragments of GPS information to produce a location faster than the lock.

This update makes the Diablo update well worth applying.  Although things are perfect yet (most apps need the author to confirm compatibility and provide their applications to the new application repositories), you can still access the old “Chinook” software respositories (unlike the last major OS jump, everything is binary compatible this time).

Now the only thing remaining is for Nokia to have a word with Wayfinder and get them to update the actual maps.  The maps included with the tablet are from 2006/7, and since then Nokia have updated the Nokia Maps (for Symbian) a couple of times, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t sort this out.  In the meantime, you may want to look at Maemo-Mapper, which uses OpenStreetMap map data, which is constantly being added to and updated, and because Maemo-Mapper uses the built in GPS support, it also benefits from the new A-GPS faster lock times.

berble.com have found a useful application, it allows you to copy files to and from your iPhone / iPod Touch on either a Windows or Mac OS X computer. This saves you carrying a USB flash drive as well, and even better, it’s free!

Head over to berble.com to read more, and then visit the manufacturer’s website here to download DiskAid.

Dopplr, the traveller’s social networking site, has reported that Heathrow has changed it’s baggage restrictions. They have lifted the one bag carry on restriction, which means you can now take a bag and a laptop bag onboard as hand luggage. Also, you no longer need to remove the computer from the bag as a matter of course, as they have rolled out improved scanners. Given all the bad press around the opening of Terminal 5, it’s nice to see some good news for Heathrow.