High quality sound is something all music lovers want to have when it comes to audio equipment. Not only that, it is wanted at a level where performance is not compromised by price. As vinyl gave way to cassette, which gave way to mini disc, then CD, and now to MP3s, sometimes it is difficult to put faith in new technology for a music collection that lasts.

Although some media for music storage remains tried and tested and preferred, its availability is not always guaranteed. A classic example is vinyl. This is no longer available in record superstores, only through specialist outlets. It remains a favourite for real music lovers, but is a huge impracticality for the everyday music listener.

In the advent of the I-pod, the preference for digital versions that can be stored on a hard drive is tantamount to the proverbial sliced bread. There is an array of audio reviews available for digital music technology, and many of them seem to compare themselves to the mighty pod, which has distinctly cornered the music market.

There are alternatives however, and it then becomes more of a question of compatibility and end use. The days where there was a separates system for the living room, a midi player for the kitchen and a walkman for the morning jog are long gone. Today, time is taken to invest in one portable drive that contains all the music a rave could shake a glow stick at, and then combine this with additional peripherals. Most people choose to create a definitive playlist on their home computer which can then be transferred to a portable MP3 player. There is a much underrated alternative being used though.

Rather than using the computer, which has a tendency to eat up its own hard drive out of some sort of technical malice, MP3 Hard Drive micro Hi Fi systems are gaining popularity. These eliminate the need for a computer altogether and enable the recording and storage of all the CDs in a music collection. Essentially, once a CD has been popped in and played, it is stored on the hard drive and then can safely be stored from scratches as a master copy of sorts.

These devices, although small are not portable, but do give a high quality play back that may not be got from some MP3 players on the market. However, with the usual array of connectors and cables, these little beauties are also compatible with portable players, so can be used as a high quality amplifier and speaker system for home use from a portable player. To complete the modern day music system, other docking systems can be purchased for other areas of the home.

These docking systems come in all shapes and sizes to suit personality and place. From the cute and cuddly desktop delights in the shape of sheep, bunnies and cows to guitar amp themed and back to traditional sleek speaker sets that would put the design of the Millennium Falcon to shame. Docking systems have built in amplifier and speakers, allowing for a higher quality sound definition.

Thanks to the popularity of the new digital media, acceptable quality playback can be had through phones, MP3 players and other portable storage devices as long as an investment is made in a superior quality amplifier and speaker system.

With Christmas fast approaching, it’s time to get out the cash and start shopping for gifts. No need to don the woolly mittens and brave sub zero temperatures, we bring you the best of online gadgets, gizmos and techy treats that will be a welcome addition to any seasonal stocking. Whether you are looking for something for your mum or a geek upped granddad, we are sure you’ll find something suitable in our treasure chest of treats.

What: Hello Kitty Toaster
Who: Little sister, grown up super girlie friend or anyone that loves pink
Why: This toaster brings a bit of fun to the kitchen and helps promote a healthy appetite for carbohydrates, which is sadly lacking in many female diets. This ingenious gift is not exactly tech heavy, but it will leave a very pretty Hello Kitty face on the breakfast toast. A great idea to encourage fussy eaters to eat their crusts, or for Hello Kitty haters to devour the iconic kitty face piece by little piece!

What: Sun Jar
Who: Mum, sister, grandma, aunty or any female that is keen on spending time in the garden.
Why: These solar powered jar lamps are a safe and serene way to add a bit of mood lighting to the moonlit patio area and are a great alternative to paraffin or candle lit lanterns. These lamps will look great nestled in some shrubbery, perched on a wall or used to line a pathway, bringing an ambient glow to the garden. Unlike traditional lanterns, these lamps are suitable to use around children and pets, and best of all, won’t ever run out of power!

What: Wunderbar Thermo Beer Dispenser
Who: Dad, brother, uncle or anyone with a man-shed/bachelor pad
Why: Pure novelty factor is the driving force behind this gift. The dispenser allows the user to attach a keg of beer and then cools it to a chilly five degrees Celsius for pouring. This is ideal for a party, or anyone that has regular gatherings that involve drinking beer. It may work out more expensive than buying in cans, but for a properly poured pint from home, it is a welcome addition that will warm the cockles of any blokes heart.

What: Pop Up Pirate USB Hub
Who: Techno geeks, Gadget lovers, Office Workers or anyone born in the 1980s.
Why: A great retro gift for the geeks. It will as kudos and style to the desk and is a respite from the onslaught of generic executive toys that have plagued the Christmas stockings of office workers since 1982. Not only is this device useful by providing a 4 port USB hub, it is also a miniature of the classic Pop Up Pirate game, loved by kids around the world, and perfect for alleviating office tension by coaxing out the inner child!

This is just a small selection of some of the techy treats available out there. For more gadgets and some great reviews that will speed up your shopping, take some time to surf the online shops for sensational seasonal gadgetry.

This holiday season brings with it plenty of new things. One of the things we picked up in the last holiday season was a brand new nintendo wii. At the time we took several hours debating over what kind of new gift we might want to get for our family. Well I’ve always been a big fan of the xbox and was thinking about the xbox 360 but the problem is that my sister insisted on the nintendo wii.

However, I spent some time researching and trying to figure out what the best video game console would be for our family and now I think that a nintendo wii might in fact be a very good choice. You see, the wii has many benefits that people don’t know about. For one thing, it is a much more family friendly system which not only means it can be played by all ages but the games realeased by Nintendo for the wii are geared towards the entire family.

As I said before Nintendo created the wii to appeal to the entire family. So one of the amazing strengths of the system is that it takes away the advantage most gamers already have. Because of the unique design of the wiimotes, people who have never played before need a learning curve to adapt to how it is used. By contrast, both the playstation console and the xbox 360 have about the same controller design. Because it is less intuitive it takes more time to get used to especially for younger children. It also means that all of us veteran games have an enormous advantage when it comes to gaming on these consoles.

For anyone who has never used a wii, the wiimotes are specifically designed to allow you to move the controller as you would move in real life. That is, when you are playing tennis you treat it as a tennis racket. When you are playing baseball you use it as a bat and so on.

This makes for a very fun way for young children to learn the basics of gaming on the wii since they intuitively already know how to swing a bat or use a tennis racket. Again, this is just another reason you should consider going the Nintendo route if you are interested in getting a video game console this year. The fact that the system is very heavily biased towards young children will make it a hit among the entire family.

If you’ve heard all the hype recently about hydrogen fuel cells, you may want to know how to run your car on water. If you do a little digging you may be overwhelmed by all the information out there that is probably pointing you towards technology that isn’t even available to you yet. Fortunately, there is some hydrogen technology out there that you can start using today.

The first mistake many make when they think of running a car on water is to think of hydrogen cell technology. Hydrogen cell technology is different from hydrogen conversion kits in that, in the case of hydrogen fuel cells, they actually replace the internal combustion engine entirely, whereas hydrogen conversion kits attach to the internal combustion and convert it into a water hybrid.

Where To Begin?

Here’s how to run your car on water: first, look around online for hydrogen car kits or hydrogen car conversion. You can find a lot of sites with instructions on how to convert your car, beware however of scam sites which do not provide support. The guide you download will tell you what parts you need and how to assemble them into the device you need to attach to your car. The parts you need can usually be found at just about any hardware store and will cost you about $20. These parts include an automotive fuse, some baking soda, electrical wiring, a vacuum hose, and a quart-sized glass jar.

Assembling Instructions

All you have to do is follow the directions, build the device and fill it with water. Next, you have to attach one end of the device to your car’s intake manifold and attach the other end to the battery. The device uses energy from your battery to transform the water within it to a compound called Brown’s Gas. Brown’s Gas is also known as HHO, Hydroxy, or Water-Fuel. It is a clean-burning fuel that provides a tremendous amount of energy. Its only byproduct is water and some who have made the conversion have reported that their gas mileage has doubled.

Can A Mechanic Do It For You?

Though it is relatively easy to learn how to run your car on water and build and install the kit, some may feel understandably overwhelmed by the mechanics involved. Don’t worry; there are mechanics out there that can help you. Though they are hard to find, there are some mechanics that are familiar with the process and will build and install the conversion kit for about $300.

Conclusion

These days, just about all of us are worried about how we are going to fuel our future. It seems like just about every other oil-producing country is run by a despotic dictator and the emissions produced by burning oil are strangling our environment. The best thing you can do to do your part is to learn how to run your car on water, make the conversion, save some money, and save our environment and habitat.

If you come to my house, there’s a good chance I’ll be in my office most all of the time. In fact, most of the time I feel like I literally live IN this office. Alright so my office is at home so I kind of do live in it, but with all the time I spend here, I cannot just sit here and not have cool stuff surrounding me. I’m a kid at heart, I need stuff that’s going to distract me from the articles I do, I need stuff that will lure me away from work, and these items listed below are some of the few gadgets I have in my office! All of these items are for in office use, so if you work in an office or work at home, these are all gadgets you just might enjoy as well. Onward!

Night Owl Keyword And Mouse - I can’t even tell you how many times I go to bed and realize I forgot to finish some virtual paper work on my computer, and this is when my favorite keyboard comes to life. I don’t even have to turn a light on nor do I have to squint to see the board by the light of the computer screen! This little guy is an illuminated keyboard and mouse which is an ergonomic, split-key variety. I like the ergonomic option because it’s easy on my hands, shoulders, and wrists! It’s also splash proof, so if you’re up late drinking coffee trying to meet or beat that deadline, you won’t need to worry about the odd spillage. There is also a purple one but, I prefer the clear one!

TVR Street Mouse - This cool item is a realistic licensed replica of TVR’s much-acclaimed super car. It’s cool curvy styling and sculpted body has been cleverly adapted to feel as good as it looks. The Tuscan sports alloy style wheels, tinted windows and working blue LED headlights ideal for those dimly lit evenings on the Internet. Available in metallic cherry red or electroplated chrome, The TVR Tuscan is a high quality, ergonomically designed 800 dpi mouse with two buttons, and a scroll wheel to ensure easy navigation around your PC. They had a pink “bug” type one as well, but I like the TVR a lot better, it fits the sporty girl in me better!

Verballs; Mister V - This thing looks kind of wacky like a mister potato head gone evil! But it is pretty useful for me. So much more than just a desktop knick-knack, Verballs are the ultimate customizable desktop call alarm. These crazy critters can be programmed to talk while you type and chat to your friends for free over the Skype network. If your friends don’t use skype then don’t worry, these adaptable demons will also work with other voice over Internet protocol systems such as Yahoo, MSN or AOL. Verballs are giant fluffy creatures that act as call alarms when people call you over the Skype networks. He also plays MP3s, has a hand free mic, its USB powered and it has jacks for a microphone and or headphones for a more private setting for calling.

Of course I have a whole bunch of other oddities in my office, but these are the newest ones I have gotten, and I really like them! Ya know sometimes it’s good to have things in your office that aren’t all stuffy and proper because sometimes I just want to have a little fun and not have to think about being couped up in this office all day. Hey, if I can’t have fun whilst leaving work I may as well have as much fun as I possibly can in my home office!