Gadget Gifts for February 23rd

No sooner have we looked around than, after the string of winter New Year holidays, other, no less joyful occasions arrive. The main holiday of all men is approaching — Defender of the Fatherland Day. Choosing a gift for a man is no easy task. While a woman can be delighted by any pretty trinket, with a man things are different. Surprising him is by no means easy. And yet you want your gift to bring the person pleasure! We offer for your attention a review of functional gadgets that could make a pleasant surprise for their owner — besides, technological novelties have always been and will always be interesting to a man.

This functional gadget from Chinavasion (www.chinavasion.com→) will make an indispensable companion on hikes or on any long journey far from home. It's equipped with a radio receiver, a flashlight, a phone charger and a thermometer. The gadget runs on natural energy sources. For this it has a built-in solar panel battery, as well as a hand crank with which you can charge the device yourself. The gadget costs just $20, and you can buy it here→. The online store www.chinavasion.com offers delivery to Russia.

The company Sven (www.sven.ru→) has released the portable Impulse speaker system, embodying a new sound-transmission technology in it. The miniature speaker turns any hard horizontal surface of glass, wood, plastic or stone, used as a resonator, into a powerful loudspeaker. The gadget is designed for connecting to desktop PCs, laptops, MP3 players and portable DVD players. Output power is 20 W. The volume is adjusted with buttons on a wired remote that comes with the speaker. You can learn more about the Sven Impulse by watching the video clip→. The gadget costs 2,280 rubles. You can buy it in the company's online store Sven→.

First and foremost this gadget is a wristwatch, and a pleasant addition to it is the built-in 4 GB flash memory. This is very handy, since most often a flash drive isn't at hand at the right moment, but with a gadget like this it will always be even closer — on your wrist! The USB connector hides in the strap. The watch is built on a Japanese movement. The gadget costs 2,990 rubles, and you can buy it here→.

The perCushion pillow with a built-in bluetooth audio system from the manufacturer Urban Tool→ will make a pleasant and useful everyday gift. After a hard working day, sound and healthy sleep is essential. But when your mind is full of a million tasks and worries, insomnia won't let you rest properly. The wonder-pillow rushes to the rescue — you just need to pick some relaxing music on any bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and use the control buttons located on the pillow. The gadget also has a built-in microphone that lets you talk on the phone without holding it in your hands. The pillow isn't cheap — 349 euros. Soon it will be possible to order it on the manufacturer's official website. Let's hope the gadget goes on sale before February 23rd!

This moisture-resistant MP3 audio system from Tokyo Flash→ will fit perfectly into the interior of any bathroom, thanks to its compact dimensions (height — 18.3 cm, width — 7.8 cm) and simple design. The gadget has no memory, so you'll have to supply it with music by plugging a flash card into the built-in USB port. The audio system's speaker is located at the bottom, and the panel with control buttons at the top. The gadget runs on AA batteries. It also has an electronic LED clock. Here→ the Juke Tower audio system costs $143.

If only all household devices had as cheerful a look as this funny USB hub. Usually the ports are located so close to each other that problems arise when connecting several devices at once. With the USB man gadget no such inconvenience arises. It's made in the shape of a little man, and its arms and legs are the connectors into which you can plug any USB device. A small LED indicator is the heart of the little-man hub, which tells you whether the device is working. The gadget's dimensions are 12 x 10.5 x 1 cm. You can buy it here→ for just 400 rubles!

A gadget like this will make a great gift for a true music lover who still keeps some music collections on audio cassettes, since many recordings can't be found either on CDs or on the internet. PlusDeck Ex USB is designed for transferring music from cassettes into MP3 files. The device connects to the computer via a USB port, then the analogue signal coming from the cassette is automatically converted into digital format. The gadget works with the Windows XP or Vista operating systems. PlusDeck Ex USB is equipped with numerous connectors, as well as an FM tuner. And for the most ardent lovers of the old days, the gadget has a reverse function too — recording a digital signal onto an audio cassette! On the site www.thinkgeek.com→ this pleasure costs $300. A remote control is also included in the set.

The makers of functional gadgets never tire of surprising us. We've already written about the musical mini-fridge CoolTone with a built-in CD player here→. Now it's been joined by another original kitchen appliance from the company Ariete →, which combines the functions of a toaster and an FM radio! It's equipped with a tray for collecting bread crumbs, as well as a rack for warming buns. The radio has everything you need: a radio antenna, a station-search button, buttons for switching radio frequencies and a volume-control knob. You can buy the radio-toaster on the site LeFutur→ for 3,790 rubles.

The wireless computer mouse Estilo GT RF is sure to appeal to every man. Its attractive design in the shape of a stylish red car catches the eye. When the mouse turns on, toy headlights with built-in LEDs light up. The gadget runs on AAA batteries that hide in the trunk of the car-mouse. Supported modes are 500dpi/800dpi/1600dpi, the interface is USB 2.0, the operating frequency is 2.4 GHz, the operating systems are Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X 10.2. The mouse has vertical and horizontal scrolling. This cute gadget costs $32, and you can buy it here→.