Tech & Gadget Stream

It's hard to believe that a car a little more powerful than the average Bugatti Veyron (if not, reportedly, as well engineered) would run purely on E85 ethanol fuel, but here it is. Leaving aside the long-term concerns about biofuels, that's a move in a sustainable direction that is still unusual for a supercar. The Swedish Koenigsegg CCXR costs a staggering $2.3 million to own, but a quick look under the hood explains why. The 4.7 litre V8 engine cranks out a buttock-prodding 1018 horsepower that means this carbon fibre beauty can rattle through the gears from 0 - 62 in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 250 mph. There is a pimped version of the Veyron doing the rounds that pumps out 1200bhp, but at these levels, why quibble over 100 horses here or there?

The KEF Instant Theatre, or KIT, systems aim to deliver all the delight of the home cinema experience without the complex cabling or set-up. Using virtual surround sound via NXT, the KIT is reduced in size and complexity without loss of quality. The all-in-one KITs contain two or five loudspeakers, a subwoofer with integrated amplifier and a DVD/CD player with HDMI technology. Available in matt silver of high gloss black finishes, the units are connected with a single cable connection to deliver great surround sound even from just two speakers. There are several KITs, the 120, 140, 160, 510, 520, 530, 540 and 550, and they range in price from £1199.99 to £2499.99 for the KIT550 which boasts four midrange / bass drivers per speaker and KEF bass extension optimising technology. And if those prices haven't made you sweat, then you might want to keep an eye out for the 570w and 580w coming soon, which have wearless rear speakers.

Energy monitors are not new, and it's surely only a matter of time before they become mandatory in UK homes as we all track our carbon hoofprint. Somehow, however, I doubt they'll be as elegant and thoughtful as designer Delroy Dennisur's concept. Not only does the smooth white panel calculate your energy and financial expenditure - showing you the amount of energy used and your current bill - it also offers a visual reminder to cut down on energy consumption with a leaf pattern which grows, yellows and rots as you spend more. A visual conscience prick to conserve energy is handy - although if you grow too in love with the pattern you might use more just to see it.

Wibrain has hooked up with Dynamism to launch the B1 UMPC. The tiny device has a touchscreen of just 4.8" in size but 1024 x 600 resolution, acheived through very high pixel density. It's a Windows XP-packing, lightweight HSDPA device that's compact, portable and relatively powerful for its size. Wibrain is claiming five hours of official battery time, but being remarkably honest in reducing that to three hours "real world use" in the press release. Other spec includes a 60GB hard drive and 1.2 GHz processor, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth and a pop-up camera / mic for easy VoIP-based communication. The split keyboard, touchpad, cursor keys and touchscreen claim to make navigation a doddle too. Dynamism's addition is unlimited toll-free support and the standard year's warranty. Prices start at $699 (£350).

Vivienne Tam's flagship store in New York is showing off a distinctive gadget this week. It's a sexy fold of red lacquer that is a concept for a designer MP3 player. The Vivienne Tam brand worked with industrial designer Kitman Keung on the project which they're jointly calling the "MP3walkman"; that's a name that will presumably be consigned to the dustbin before any actual production takes place unless Sony is involved. There's no projected spec to speak of at this point and no word on whether it will actually go into production.

I’ll admit that I don’t use my laptop for watching movies all that often. Only on long flights and train rides do I really ever feel the need to use it for something other than work.. When I do, the notebook is generally right on my lap, or close by. That’s why I’ve never used the small remote that came with it, honestly I wouldn’t be surprised to find that I’ve misplaced it. However, I’m sure that there are those of you that find such remotes to be quite handy. If you are one such person, and you weren’t fortunate enough to get one with your laptop, here’s a great alternative. The Outel (worst pun ever) USB Multimedia Remote has most of the functions you’ll want on a tiny remote. It’s got your standard multimedia buttons, volume controls, arrow keys and more. It stows away inside your PCMCIA slot, so you don’t lose it. Unfortunately, most newer laptops only have the ExpressCard slots. If your laptop is a little older and you want a cheap remote, you can pick this one up for $30.

If you’re a skateboarder, or do any other sport whose main object is to lift your body off the ground at decent speeds, then there’s a chance you’ve discovered the benefit of wearing a helmet. Sure, you get by for a while without it, but after you bust your head open grinding on a handrail, you see the light. If you like rocking out while skating, you’ll generally be hindered by your most vital piece of safety equipment. That is unless you get this Bluetooth Sports Helmet. This particular helmet features two built-in speakers that sit right next to your ear (yes, exactly like headphones) and a Bluetooth receiver. You also get a Bluetooth transmitter, which will hook up to just about any MP3 player on the market. You can then rock out and wipe out without getting tangled in the cord dangling from your ear buds. This helmet will set you back a decent amount of cash. $300 may be salty, but at least it doesn’t look half bad.

There are very few toys on the market that can pull today’s video-game-raised kids away from the TV, but I think the Magnetix I-Coaster would have a good shot at it. First of all, magnets are cool. No one truly knows how they work and that’s half their appeal. So the fact that this coaster uses all kinds of magnetic tricks to propel a ball-bearing around the track should at least make any kid curious. And for those kids who constantly have a pair of headphones on listening to MP3s the I-Coaster includes a Sound FX and Music Studio module. From what I can tell the coaster can actually trigger different sound effects or notes as the ball passes certain areas, kind of like an elaborate Rube Goldberg-esque sequencer. Or you can just plug your iPod or Zune into the module and listen to your own music instead. Amazon currently carries it for $113.99 but if you shop around you can probably find it a bit cheaper as the holidays get closer.

If there’s a space exploration buff on your gift list, this Satellite LED Lamp will serve as a unique reminder of those early days, and designs. The lamp bears a passing resemblance to the Russian Sputnik satellite as well as the United State’s own Project Vanguard satellites. Of course I’m pretty sure Sputnik didn’t have a single LED on board, given the fact that it just celebrated its 50 year anniversary. However this satellite lamp has 24 of them in red, green and blue that flash on and off in one of 8 “dazzling display options.” It apparently also includes a realistic red “engage” button to cycle through the different patterns. It’s currently available from the Discovery Channel Store for $39.95.

Haier has released the ibiza Rhapsody portable media player that boasts WiFi support - enabling users to access RealNetworks' unlimited subscription service in order to download new tracks whenever they are within the vicinity of a WiFi hotspot. This allows you to fill up the player with tunes of your choice without the need for a computer, although chances are anyone who has a PMP of sorts already owns a computer. The ibiza Rhapsody comes with a 30GB hard drive, Bluetooth connectivity, an integrated FM radio, and a custom skinning feature, retailing for $330. There are also plans to release 4GB and 8GB flash-based models that miss out on Bluetooth for $230 and $250 respectively in the near future.

If you’re faster at typing text messages on a cellphone keypad than using a full QWERTY keyboard on a computer, the Cre8txt might help you bridge the gap. It’s basically a small USB keypad that includes all the keys you’d traditionally find on a cellphone. And you can even keep using all the text message slang and shortcuts you’re accustomed to since the Cre8txt works with special software that will automatically translate them back into proper english. You know I thought it would be funny to write this whole post using the various slang and shortcuts that have become almost standard fare for text messaging. But then I realized I actually have a proper education and figured I’d go the extra mile by spelling out every word, including all the vowels and even using punctuation. The Cre8txt is available on the company’s website for about $105. The slang correction software, which in my opinion actually makes the keyboard useful, is an additional $85.

If you feel umbrellas are less about keeping dry, and more about making a fashion statement, these Twilight Umbrellas should at least ensure you stand out in a crowd. While the black finish is pretty run of the mill, it actually makes all the small fiber optic lights included on the umbrella’s canopy stand out better. The umbrellas (available from I Want One Of Those ) are powered by 3 AAA batteries and are available in either a solid ‘blue stars’ version for about $37, or a ‘color phasing stars’ version for $41.