Tech & Gadget Stream

Check it -- HandStands isn't just making kit for items not yet conceived. Oh no, SanDisk's Sansa Fuze is indeed more than a figment of someone's clever imagination. Judging by a product listing at Amazon, this media player is set to ship "within one to three months" and features a 1.9-inch display, FM tuner, built-in microphone for voice recording, a battery good for 24 hours (audio) / 5 hours (video) and a microSD / microSDHC expansion slot for good measure. As of now, we know that the 4GB unit in red, pink or black will sell for $99.99, but there's no word on whether more (or less, for that matter) capacious / colorful models will eventually emerge.

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.

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).

Finally, the iRiver Clix 2 8GB model has arrived in the US, long after other countries have received theirs (especially folks living across the Atlantic). Thankfully, none of the features are gimped, retaining the 2.2" AMOLED display, an integrated FM tuner, a built-in voice recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a rather impressive battery life of 24 hours. The iRiver Clix 2 8GB can be yours today for $239.99. Would you pick this over the new 3G iPod nano?

Sandisk has announced the Sansa View video and MP3 player. In addition to play your MP3, protected and unprotected WMA, and WAV audio files, it support MPEG4, WMV, and H.264 video, and play them at 30 fps. There's more. You can also view your family JPG photos; it's Audible-compatible, for audiobook listeners; and it plays digital FM radio, with 20 presets. The screen is powered by a 2.4-inch TFT with 320-by-240 resolution. It'll have a voice recorder too, and a MicroSD/SDHC slot. I like its thin shape 4.29 x 1.95 x 0.35 inches. It'll weight 2.9 ounces. Sandisk is planning on 2 storage capacities: 8GB for $149.99 and 16GB for $199.99. Another iPod nano killer?

Philips has made another silent introduction to the GoGear line of flash players. The SA3300 series carries a design very similar to the SA6000 series, but the 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities have been complimented by an additional 8GB version. The QVGA LCD display will expand to 2.4-inches, but the 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 65k colors are retained. MTP has been dropped for the SA3300, and video formats have not been limited to Philip’s proprietary SMV, or exclusively to WMV (DRM). Support for MPEG-4 (SP & ASP codecs) as well as WMV is included, but there is nothing more given to the generic MP3 and WMA audio formats. With some significant adjustments taking place, the mediocre video battery life still remains: 20 hours of audio and 4 hours of video.