HP TouchSmart 2
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Yes, thin is in, even in the computing world. While British supermodel Kate Moss is called rexy (anorexic plus sexy), we are not sure what to call this super slim, all-in-one desktop PC. The second-generation TouchSmart is far more lean and luxe than its ancestor. The one-piece CPU-cum-screen device sports an impressive 22-inch-wide touch sensitive display that is set on a 2.6-inch-thin chassis. Inside, it is full of heavy-duty stuff: a 500GB disk, 256MB of NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M HS HD graphics, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T5850 CPU, a TV tuner, twin speakers and 802.11n WiFi prowess. An elegantly crafted stow-anywhere cordless keyboard, mouse and remote control are its only accompaniments.
Price: Rs87,990
www.hp.com
Loewe Connect 37 LCD TV
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Forget the fact that as a multimedia playback portal, it can play everything—your music and videos—and even access your pictures right off your PC. Forget the fact that it can do all this with WiFi and integrated network media player. Forget the fact that it has got Ethernet, USB and Power-Line interfaces. Forget the fact that its 37-inch diagonal display screen comes with high resolution full HD television technology. Forget the integrated hard disk recorder, integrated HDMI and minimal cabling. Forget everything. What is important is that you simply cannot take your eyes off this masterpiece. Be it in chrome silver, or high gloss white, or shiny piano black, the Loewe Connect 37 LCD TV—whether perched on a wall or lithely free standing on a tubular trapeze stand—is simply stunning.
Price: £1,949
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www.loewe.de
Eton FR1000 VoiceLink Radio
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They say both optimists and pessimists contribute to society; the optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. This self-powered, hand-cranked two-way communication device seems to have been created by both. And both have given their own aesthetic touch to it.
There is nothing remotely retro about this ultra cool, state-of-the-art adventure traveller’s must-have. Enclosed in a soft-touch ABS plastic, ultraviolet inhibiting roll cage that makes this device withstand rugged usage, and available in black, white and orange hues that give it a sporty visage, Eton FR1000 VoiceLink Radio also integrates a clock radio, flashlight, AM/FM reception, siren for emergencies, walkie-talkie and cellphone charging capabilities.
The ergonomic dynamo crank means that it can be operated without an external power source, making it an ideal must-have the next time you go out hiking.
Price: $150
www.etoncorp.com
XM-I Xmini
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This surprisingly compact capsule mini speaker is as functional as it is cute: It is only 5.2 x 5.2 x 3.2cm when closed and 5.2 x 5.2 x 5.7cm when open. Available in black and red models, and winner of the 2008 RedDot award, one of the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world, the XM-I Xmini is innovative in appearance as well as imaginative in its concept and approach to sound.
Designed for carry-along mobility, the rechargeable battery fitted speaker features patented expandable vacuum bass technology to simulate the resonance of a subwoofer and a full-sound spectrum even in its minimal dimensions.
Take it along wherever you go as an (almost) pocketable, listen-up-loud, 50g audio solution for your squeaky MP3 player, tiny mobile phone or even the soft-spoken laptop. Capable of producing 2.4 watts of sound, this midget widget will surely make all your friends wonder: Does size really matter?
Price: Rs2,400
http://x-mini.com/XminiHome.html
Apple MacBook Air
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As a mainstream ultra portable, its clockspeeds may not boast of a chip with the fastest heartbeat. But its design borders on the sublime. Notching an impressive 0.16-inch (0.4cm) at its thinnest frontal taper point, 0.76-inch (1.94cm) at its thickest, while tipping the scales at 1.36kg, the silvery sliver of computing is the slimmest and sexiest laptop ticking.
An engineering marvel, the MacBook Air is so svelte that you can slip it inside a regular manilla envelope. And no, the slender design does not become a drag on operational performance either—it has all the sinew and spunk to outclass most standard Wintel laptops in the genre.
Price: Rs87,900
www.apple.com
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