Gadgets of September

We continue our column on the most interesting gadgets.

The Japanese company Nintendo→ has developed the fitness and health program Wii Fit, which has become a unique phenomenon in the world of gadgets. With Wii Fit it's very easy to keep yourself in excellent physical shape by doing engaging exercises in front of the TV screen. Wii Fit comes together with the Wii Balance Board game controller. This is a wireless device that you place on the floor in front of the TV. The Wii Balance Board measures your weight, determines your center of gravity using pressure sensors, and also registers every movement of your body. The Wii remote, which is used to control the system, has special sensors that detect the movement of the player and their hand. Thus, in different games the remote can turn into a fishing rod, a sword, a tennis racket, and so on. The game characters on the TV screen perform all your movements, and at that moment you're burning off excess calories. On top of that, it's a fun and very engaging activity. Wii Fit has four main categories of workouts: physical exercises, games that improve balance, yoga and aerobics. Among the 40 exercises in these categories, every family member is sure to find something interesting and useful for themselves. The product arrived in Moscow back on May 15. The first batch sold out in 48 hours! Wii Fit costs around 4,000 rubles, which is much cheaper than a fitness-club membership. The gadget ships with an instruction manual in Russian. More detailed information can be found here: www.nintendo.ru→.

What is Laserpod→? It's an innovative, patented lighting principle developed by the English light artist Chris Levine (Chris Levine→). Laserpod is a revolutionary portable laser projector that has won several awards. With the help of electronic lasers and LEDs built into the device and aimed at a rotating Swarovski crystal, an interesting visual effect is achieved. The space around you will in an instant turn into a theater of constantly changing light forms and shadows. Laserpod comes in three versions: Laserpod Original (LEDs: two blue and one violet), Laserpod Galaxy (LEDs: yellow, blue, red) and Laserpod Supernova (lasers: three red and one green; LEDs: light blue, dark blue and violet). The projector's greatest effect is achieved in complete darkness. You can also experiment with the light show by placing various transparent objects on the gadget's projecting surface. It runs off 220V mains or three AAA batteries. Laserpod is perfect for any party. Watching the imagination-boggling light forms is especially pleasant to your favorite music. The gadget costs around 5,000 rubles. You can buy it, for example, here→ or here→.

The ranks of musical USB toys have been joined by the amusing I-cy penguin. Tired of boring speakers? The I-cy Penguin speaker system will bring you a festive atmosphere every day! This cute penguin feeds exclusively on your favorite music. It loves to dive into different styles: pop, rock, techno, house, hip-hop and much more. The penguin will let you know if its mood changes. It can dance a little, flap its wings, or make ringing sounds. The USB toy can be plugged into the headphone jack of any audio system, whether CD, MP3 or computer. You can buy the gadget at www.doba.ru→ for 2,200 rubles.

DJ GO is a portable system consisting of 2 MP3/CD turntables and a mixer combined into a single device that can fold up and turn into a bag! In addition, the device is equipped with a hard drive. Its memory holds around 1,000 tracks, which lets you do away with the need to use discs. The product's target audience ranges from beginner to professional DJs looking for a more convenient and efficient way to transport their equipment. The gadget's price is unknown at the moment, since for now it's only a concept. Source: www.dcontinuum.com→.

The company Gear4→ has released a uniquely designed compact speaker using SFX technology, which delivers high-quality sound despite the device's incredibly small dimensions. BlackBox micro is the tiniest speaker from Gear4. At first it's hard to believe that a speaker of such small size is capable of reproducing quality sound. But that's how it is. In the lower part of the device's body there is a layer of special gel that acts as a resonator. This technology is what got the name SFX. Thanks to the gel base, the speaker is able to reproduce excellent bass and rich sound. The gadget has already gone on sale in the UK. In Gear4's online store→ it costs 24.99 pounds.

The company Speakal→ has announced the launch of iPig. This is a new docking station for the popular iPod player, interesting and unlike its predecessors. The device has an unusual design in the shape of a piglet. The iPig is equipped with five speakers, four of which are positioned where the animal's eyes and ears would be, while a 4-inch subwoofer, which reproduces low frequencies, sits on the bottom. The docking station's power output is 25 W, which is quite decent for a portable audio system. Practically any sound source with a standard 3.5-millimeter jack can be connected to the iPig. The gadget costs $139.99.

The second half of August this year turned out very hot and truly summery. Very little time remains before autumn arrives. But vacation season goes on! An "Indian summer" lies ahead. But dangerous sun rays can spoil all the fun. Nobody wants to come back from vacation with burnt skin. A gadget from the company Oregon Scientific→ hurries to the rescue! The Oregon Scientific EB612 ultraviolet-radiation sensor has a built-in thermometer, which serves as a personal "tan meter" and will come in handy for those who love spending a lot of time out in the open sun. Just enter into the device's memory the SPF of the tanning product you're using and your skin type, and then the smart gadget will match this data against solar activity and alert you with an audio warning when the level of ultraviolet radiation becomes dangerous. In addition, the sensor measures temperature and has a clock function. For convenience, the device comes with a colored strap that easily fastens around the wrist. You can buy the Oregon Scientific EB612 at the ION digital center for 799 rubles. Hurry to enjoy the last days of summer!