We have to admit we were just as excited as the guys when the Wii came out. Oh yes we hid behind our cynical exterior, with the usual “guys are so sad queuing up for a console” but deep down we were as excited as we would be if Gucci announced a 75 percent off sale.

We were therefore beside ourselves when we managed to jump the editorial queue here and nab the Wii for the weekend – something we wouldn’t even dream of doing in a Gucci queue; well we value our lives you know!

Considering how much we were shaking with excitement we were surprised at how easy the console was to set up. You plug in the supplied A/V cables into the TV and stick the pre-stuck wireless sensor - which is what connects the controllers, to anywhere central; we for example, just put it in front of the television.

We had heard the horror stories about Wii controllers flying out of hands and into TV screens, or in our cases ‘accidentally’ into other halves. Therefore we were relieved to see that the controllers - which look more like remotes than console controls, came with straps to tie to our wrists.

The console comes with two supplied games, Wii Sports and Wii Play. Feeling ambitious and rather, uh, sporty we decided to start with the Wii Sport which comes with a range of sports choices. This includes baseball, boxing, bowling, golf and tennis.  Thinking we might magically turn into Anna Kounikova we decided to start with the latter and must say how mightily impressed we were.

Although the graphics are not what you would find on the PS2 or Xbox 360, we liked them; they are simple, yet effective and reminded us a bit of the graphics of the consoles of the 90s.

Playing the tennis game also made us feel like children again, the way that the controllers work means you actually have to do the same manoeuvres you might on a tennis court and if we are honest it really tested our fitness levels; we were huffing and puffing after three games.

The other games, especially bowling, were also as fun and interactive as this. We also recommend the boxing as a good way to get your aggression out – virtually, of course. 

Wii play, although not as good as Wii sports, was fun. Within this program we could play shooting, fishing and also search for our Mii’s – characters such as Ali G, Brad P (!) and Mr Migiaki (who looked surprisingly like Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid).

These characters were also prevalent in the Wii sport games and caused the mob which invaded our humble abode on Saturday night - Wii news travels fast - endless amounts of fun. It was just a shame we only had two controls.

Verdict: 5  (Orlando  Blooms)

We cannot fault this console - for £180 it gave us hours of fun and fitness. The games and graphics were undeniably basic but this added to the charm. However, one word of warning, if you do decide to buy one of these, keep it quiet, buy dark curtains and learn how to move around in the dark or you may end up playing arcade host to more than a small county.

January 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have to admit, we are a little bit snobby when it comes to our gadget and tech products; we like style and we like sophistication, hence the name Tech BOUTIQUE -  well that’s where you usually find posh stuff wouldn’t you? After all Chanel, Gucci an d Louis V are hardly classed as “high-street” are they?   

If, like us, you are as much a material girl in your tech products as you are with your handbags then LG’s Jar monitor is the perfect accompaniment to your Cath Kidston phone, Dualit radio and will sit nicely next to your funky futuristic television.

The Jar is the second model in LG’s Fantasy series and has been designed for those who want to add a bit of class to their desktop computer.

It comes with a rounded base that emits a soft red glow when turned on and blends in nicely with the glossy black border which surrounds the screen. Not only does it look good but it also has some great specs including a viewing angle of 170º and high quality brightness levels.   

Now all we need is a nice footballer husband and our lives will be as lavish as our living rooms.

January 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

You can’t say that we aren’t good to you, we promised you a review of the SE200 a pink heart rate monitor watch, priced at £30 from Oregon Scientific, and the review you will now have.

However, before we continue we just want to say that on doing this review we were made to haul our, uh, backsides off the chair and into the gym - see what we do for you.

It was an extremely cold and windy night when we donned our brand new running shoes (we had been saving them for an occasion such as this), strapped the heart monitor around our chest – it was a bit fiddly so we recommend enlisting the help from another half, and strapped on the watch before grudgingly trekking to the gym.

The watch itself is stylish and comes with a big screen, with optional backlight. It also has a skinny fitting option for those who have been blessed with small bones - and is also big enough to cover a baby elephant’s leg.

The four buttons around the face also give different options. There is a stopwatch, clock with date and time, alarm and also the ‘mode’ button which lets you easily select and use the heart rate option.

The heart rate part of the watch works wirelessly with the chest belt and monitors your heart beat as you run, or even when you argue with someone - yes we had a bit of a barny over the machines. If you go over or under a healthy heart rate, the watch beeps at you thus letting you know if you are overexerting yourself.

This is all well and good if you're not listening to an mp3 player, otherwise the beeps quite literally fall on deaf ears. In a neat touch though, the heart monitor also connects wirelessly with the machines at the gym, meaning our pounding heart was literally on display - perfect for us but not so good for the watch, as we were left wondering why we needed it.

It is saved from relegation because, of course, if running in the park it would come in handy.

Verdict: 3 (Brad Pitts)
After tiring ourselves out endlessly we have deduced that the SE200 is a nice piece of kit which gives you a fair and easy way to see if you are overexerting yourself. However, a chart detailing our weight and the heart rate pace needed to burn those pesky calories would have been good.

Now you have seen what we have done for you, the least you guys can do is exercise you mouths or fingers and let us know what you think.

January 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Because we are good hearted girls and want to give you as much info as we can about new technology – well the guys aren’t helping much are they - we've decided to start reviewing products on Tech Boutique.

Like our big sister sites Computeractive and Personal Computer World, we will still give you honest opinions about the gadgets we play with, but as always will add a bit of a girly sprinkling.

To give it a complete Tech Boutique branding we'll rate and slate the products with faces of our favourite celebs. They will run from one to five and mean the following;

One face - The product is as poor as we are at the end of the month, doesn’t do what it says, or just doesn’t work

Two faces - Fair, but not the fairest in the land. It needs work to improve it, is complicated to use, etc

Three faces - OK but not as special as we would like

Four faces - Good but, like us when we're drunk, falls down in a few places

Five faces - As scrumptious as the chosen celeb is.

We will also give you full details on where each product falls down, and, if we are feeling generous we may even give you some alternatives to pick from.

The first product we will be reviewing is the SE200, a pink heart rate monitor watch from Oregon Scientific, just as soon as we pluck up the courage, and energy to visit the gym which will be, um, well just watch this space.

January 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

If like us, you were a child of the 80s, you will remember dancing around in your room to Kylie - dear us first the earmuffs and now this, maybe we should rename today ‘trip down memory lane Tuesday’.

If you do, you will also remember the phrase “I should be so lucky” meaning a lot more than a song when your parents unsuccessfully tried to get you tickets to the concert – no we don’t recommend this is grounds to sue as disappointingly it is still a similar story today.

This is something you will agree with if, you, like us have tried and tried to get your hands on tickets for Kylie’s “Showgirl” tour and failed miserably. We know, life is hard but we have a little something that might cheer you up…

MSN have obviously heard our cries of despair (banshee’s have nothing on us) and  taken pity on us because they have decided to stream the concert direct into our living rooms! All we have to do to watch the performance, which is said to include no less than seven set changes and all the greatest hits from Kylie’s entire career - Locomotion here we come, is log on to MSN music and follow the links provided.

To be honest we do think this might be a bit of a blessing after all we can now sing and dance to our hearts content without the risk of being chucked out by the bouncers for stepping on peoples toes or for breaking windows – well the banshee voice stretches to more than wailing you know.

January 23, 2007 in Audio & MP3 Players | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, it’s that time again, the cold warnings and ‘winter is finally here’ headlines are rife with predictions of snow around every corner. And for the first time this year, today has been the first time that Kylie’s heart warming voice through our earphones has failed to warm our ears -  yep winter is definitely here.

For those of us who fear a hat may ruin our hair, but earmuffs of our childhood (if you didn’t have a pair we suggest you sue your parents) may make us look a little bit strange we have found the perfect earwarming solution.

JVC have teamed technology with the 80s and brought us the “180s JVC Earwarmer Headphones with Tec Stretch”.

Now before we go on we have to say we were a bit gutted when we saw these because we had a similar idea – except ours involved a much whiter, fluffier covering – so of course we are going to rave on about how this product is music to our, uh, ears. Sorry, we know it’s a bad pun.

The earphones, which can be used with most audio players, are basically JVC headphones with a layer of techstretch fabric around them and look like a 2007 version of our 80s earmuffs.

The outer shell and insulation work together to block wind and shed rain and snow (although it will be more like mushy sleet in London) while retaining heat which basically means your ears stay nice and warm whilst you listen to your music.

If this wasn’t enough, these little gems are also said to take away the moisture that may accumulate during high-energy activities so you can stay nice and comfortable after you have run for the bus, well some of us just weren’t made for skiing and snowboarding.

January 23, 2007 in Audio & MP3 Players | Permalink | Comments (0)

Like technology, us girls suffer the same stereotypical views when it comes to the football - we obviously don’t know the offside rule and we only watch the game to look at Beckham’s legs. (For your information we prefer Ronaldo’s.)

We were therefore extremely touched when we were invited by Pipex to go and watch the Fulham/ Spurs game this weekend.

Although we were disappointed that the Hoff, who is the company’s new face wasn’t around, we can’t complain too much.

Not only were we wined and dined but we also learnt a few interesting facts about the company who, amongst other ventures this year, are going back to basics and attempting to provide its customers with the service of ye olde times.

This means that it will be attempting to answer our calls within 20 seconds and provide us with staff who know what they are talking about rather than the standard call centre people who tend to read off scripts (don’t get us started on that one).

Yes, we thought it was too good to be true too, so we decided to test it out when we got home and were pleasantly surprised to find that our call was answered within the first 5 rings. We also got clear and detailed information on all the packages available.

This good news has given us new found confidence in call centre customer service – which we have steered away from for fear of our sanity.

We have therefore decided to test out some other companies’ services to see if they are as good as Pipex and we will bringing you the results soon - hopefully not from the Priory.

January 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gone are the days when it was only boys who played with portable computers in public – yes for those of you have just woken up, we gadget girls have been well and truly out of the closet for a good while now.

For those who don’t believe us, we recommend the best way to spot one of us ‘freaks’ is to go to your local train in the morning rush hour, buy a return travel card and sit on the tube – and if you are very lucky you will see one of us playing our Nintendo DS Lite. If we are doing well at Mario Karts and  in a good mood we might even let you take a picture.

Right, sorry, we got sidetracked, back to those of us with a DS Lite. 

Girls, we have found two products that will make carrying these portable gems around a far more stylish experience than the standard plastic cases we have been lumbered with in the past.

The DS Lite Street pack is a stylish and functional case made especially for the DS Lite and its accessories.

Looking a bit like a pink quilted make-up bag, it has a primary compartment with a sleeve for protecting our beloved, and some slots for up to four extra games – in case we get bored of winning the same game over and over again. It also has a front zipped compartment which holds an A/C adapter, earbuds, and any additional accessories – or a sneaky lipstick.

For those who want something a little bit less complicated – don’t get excited we haven’t found any of those men around - there is also the Street Case. It is slimmer than its cousin, offers storage for two extra games in its back drop-pocket, all while protecting its contents with a sturdy nylon canvas construction.

Both cases come in pink, but there is also a choice of a combat design for those who want to stay in disguise that little bit longer.

January 17, 2007 in Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whilst we are digging our holes on the subject of pink, we might as well tell you about ASUS’s new laptop, which - yes you guessed it - is pink.

However, in our defence every girls knows how important coordination is when it comes to accessories and the Bendi keyboard has to be paired up with something…

The S6F "Pink edition" descends from Asus's leather family - which is like the Hiltons of the human world. Like Paris it sports an ultra thin figure and weighs just 3.4Ib – although this might be more the weight of her dog than Paris herself.

However, this laptop is no airhead, not only does it have a 1.66GHz processor but also comes with 120GB of storage and a built-in Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR transmitter which is three times faster than standard Bluetooth connectivity. For those of us who don’t know about speeds, this is probably the speed at which Paris’s friends would run if we threatened to feed them a burger.

In addition, the laptop also boasts an 11.1” screen and a complete range of input/ output ports including 5 USB ports and S-video TV-out port and express card slots.

You already know about how we feel about clever, skinny and pretty things so we will not go down that road, but we do have a message to the guys reading over their other halves shoulders - the girl in the picture is NOT included when you buy the laptop. Sorry. 

January 15, 2007 in Notebooks | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yes, we know we have harped on about pink gadgets and how degrading it is to our species to keep going on about them. We also know that we have tried to use ‘Hello Kitty’ as an excuse to talk fluffy and girly.

But this time we really do have a good excuse for pointing this pink product out to you; it’s clever and practical and it’s really not its fault that it's pink.

The Bendi board is an ultra slim, silicon keyboard which claims to reduce negative-angle stress to your wrists through its flat and soft design and has the same qualities you would find in a yoga instructor - it is so flexible you can bend and stretch it an yway you want.

The keyboard is also washable which is good news for those of us who claim to treat our bodies like temples, but can’t quite resist the temptations of coffee and bread as it lets us get rid of the evidence.

Like a yoga mat it can also be rolled up and taken anywhere making it ideal for use with laptops.

Be warned though – the Bendi board may claim to be practically indestructible but unlike your yoga mat we don’t think you can put it anywhere and sleep on it, there is after all a huge difference between ones dainty fingers and one’s, uh, backside no matter how yoga toned it is.                                        

January 15, 2007 in Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (16)

Believe it or not we have found something even thinner than Nicole Ritchie and the rest of the ‘size zero’ brigade.

No, it’s not a piece of paper, it’s, according to it maker Gadgeter, the ‘world’s thinnest optical mouse’.

Hmm, before we go on we would just like to say that we think a bit more dieting is needed for it to be worthy of this title, as it doesn't beat the ultimate 'size 00' Mogo Mouse travel mouse.   

With that clarified, lets continue...

The 'worlds SECOND thinnest rodent,' weighs just 54g (for those who aren’t aspiring size zero girls - you’ll probably know that this is about the weight of two standard packets of crisps), and has a thin, flat design meaning it can be stored within your laptop or in the supplied velvet storage pouch.

It also comes with a retractable extension cable and USB/PS2 adapter making it a perfect travel companion, which you can be sure will not get on your nerves by eating your food - well it didn’t become that skinny by eating chunks of Edam did it?

January 10, 2007 in Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (0)

You can’t go anywhere in January without the words ‘DETOX’ and ‘NEW YEAR, NEW BODY,’ jumping out at you (or is that just our subconscious picking things up?)

Yes, it’s that time of the year again when thanks to the Christmas indulgence you can’t zip up you’re trousers but can’t be bothered to get off the chair and face the long slog the running machine demands from you.

Believe us, normally we wouldn’t dream of giving you any incentive to get you off the chair but we would feel selfish if we didn’t tell you about this little device…

The SE200 is a pink heart rate monitor watch from Oregon Scientific which has been designed especially for ladies who want to combine style with the latest fitness technology, and helps them get fit faster.

Sound too good to be true? It's not. The watch tracks your heart rate with ECG accuracy so that simply by exercising at the correct intensity, you can have a more effective and less rigorous workout.  In other words, you get more calories burned for less effort - Genius.

If this wasn’t enough - the watch will also tell you all the important details you really want to know such as calories and percentage of the fat burnt - so you can work off that sneaky chocolate bar you had on the way to the gym.

January 9, 2007 in Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (0)

Modern technology eh; shiny this, digital that, whatever happened to walkmans, cassettes and retro radios?
Don’t get us wrong; we are all for new technology and funky styles but sometimes it would be nice to be able to hold onto our childhood (and our Care bears) for just that bit longer.

If, like us, you sometimes feel the digital era has killed the soul and style of products, Dualit’s new red Kitchen DAB radio may just have you singing its praises into your wooden spoon.

Priced at £200, the radio comes smartly dressed in red polished aluminium and keeps the 1950’s look. However, inside it is brimming with today’s technology including an extra large, dimmable LCD screen and 8W, 4 inch speaker with a reflex bass port . For those of us who are firmly stuck on our favourites, there are also five presets for both the FM and DAB mode.

When in DAB mode, the radio’s battery life is 3-4 hours; and 7-8 hours for FM meaning you can take it away from the kitchen and to wherever else you are venturing to.
And please no jokes about women and kitchen sinks, the 1950’s are all well and good in the style stakes but we’ll stick to the etiquette and culture of the 21st century when it comes to women and the kitchen thank you very much.

January 8, 2007 in Audio & MP3 Players | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hands up who wished they were Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer in ‘Back to the future’. Yes we thought so, to the lady at the back who failed to raise her hand WAKE UP or rent a copy so you can see what we’re talking about.

Now don’t get your hopes up, we haven’t got our hands on a time machine or Marty cloning  device but we have found a television that may just takes you straight back to the future.

The HANNSvibe from HANNSpree is a 32” television with a funky 50’s retro design but all the modern technology you would expect from a TV of today including a LCD screen.

For those of us who like a bit of surround sound or are as deaf as ‘the doc’ this device also has 2 detachable loud speakers so you can place the speakers next to you -  or wherever the 2 meter cable stretches to.

At £729 its cheaper than travelling back in time and if you squint a bit and focus on the television you might just be able to pretend you are in the sitting in the McFly household.

January 4, 2007 in TVs | Permalink | Comments (3)

We know we’ll probably get a lot of abuse when we tell you about this product because you really can’t really get anything more pink or girly than this. We admit it does epitomise all the things we have been grumbling about but like chocolate it’s really hard to resist.

So what is it that’s making us turn full circle we hear you ask?

Well, wait for it - a Hello Kitty stereo clock radio and docking Station for your iPod which comes complete with a pink sparkly paint job and cute Hello Kitty model. Ah yes, we knew you’d understand.

Now that the apologies are out of the way, read closely because here comes the technology bit (see we are practising what we preach).

Besides looking good the device does stand up tall against those without the sparkle, not only does it dock your iPod and wake you up in the morning but also comes with a video out jack for connecting an iPod to your TV for watching videos and viewing photos.

The alarm clock also comes with an LCD screen, AM/FM radio, alarm functions, volume control, and of course a snooze button for those of us who need more beauty sleep than others.

January 3, 2007 in Gadgets | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is it with boy bands? They sing, they split, and then the members go solo. If they haven’t been as successful as their band mates some may even decide to reform with their less successful members or go on to celebrity reality shows in a bid to boost their flagging careers.

Well that’s how it goes for those who aren’t ex ‘Blue’ singer Simon Webbe - he and his record label have decided to go one step further with his quest to solo domination and launch a virtual branded Simon Webbe PSP that comes with Simon Webbe content.

The PSP web player, which will be posted on social networking sites such as Myspace, as well as featured on both Simon‘s and YourPSP.com sites will give loyal fans the opportunity to access content such as a ‘make your own’ Simon Webbe design logo application, interview footage and an album sampler - featuring lyrics, photo gallery and a track by track audio library. The interactive format also allows fans to virtually navigate the site by clicking the PSP console game keys.
We can’t deny that this isn’t genius thinking on the record label’s part but come on guys give us a little bit more credit- read the blog below and you will soon see gadgets for girls should be more covered in boy band members to make us buy.

January 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok so a poll has shown that women are far more interested in gadgets than many first thought; huge pat on the back for coming up with that conclusion ten years too late.
Frankly we are disappointed that our sister site Gizmodo had to go to such great lengths for this to come out.

Yes there is still a gender divide in some industries such as hair and makeup, (how many guys know what GHD stands for?) and cars (how many girls blame their other halves for the smell a catalytic converter makes?). However, the technology gap is closing as quickly as your other halves wallet when he see’s the price of the Gucci bag you want.

Gizmodo is definitely on the right tracks when it comes to girls and the gadget market and guys should take note of their wise words- pink is patronising and mentioning menstrual gadgets (do they even exist?) will give you more slapped cheeks than pats on the back.

What guys and gadget sites need do to do is give us a bit of TLC- Technology Loving Comments.
We can’t deny we don’t like pretty shiny things, what girl doesn’t? But instead of lumping us with products that are fluffy and cute, treat us the same as you would the guys and give us comments that relate directly to the technology of the product rather than the exterior. If you do this we are far more likely to read it and listen to our other halves when they talk to us.

To the men who complain that their other halves don’t have an interest in gadgets, if you let us play with them once in a while without moaning about us scratching the screen or pressing the buttons too hard, and spent as much time with us as you did playing the latest game then maybe, just maybe, we would begin to respect rather than resent the world of technology.

And one last thing- to those guys who shy away from admitting they are gadget geeks we think its more sweet than freak so stop hiding behind your lager lout mates/disguises and talk technology.

January 3, 2007 in Websites | Permalink | Comments (1)

‘Twas the night before Christmas when the USB battery port on my Motorola Razar decided to pack up- not a very welcome present.   
From previous experience I knew that calling up my service provider to explain the problem and get the phone fixed would be enough to turn me into the Grinch over the festive period. I therefore decided to spend the money I would have to shell out in the Priory after my call with them on a new phone instead.

Always one for girly pretty things I set my sights on the limited edition Nokia 6111 which has been designed especially for girls by Cath Kidston and if I am honest I have never fallen in love with anything so quickly (sorry husband.)

Not only does the phone look good but it’s extremely easy to use and has lots of good features including a 1 megapixel camera with a flash or you record up to an hour of non-stop video. The phone also comes with four games, a media player and a stereo FM radio that's compatible with Nokia's 'visual radio' service all of which saved my queue rage during the sales.

January 2, 2007 in Mobile Phones | Permalink | Comments (0)