New and featured gadgets of the week: Nov 10

New and featured gadgets of the week: Nov 10

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Each week, the Digital Life team gives its take on notable and new tech gadgets. Here are this week's featured items:

USB FLASH DRIVE

LaCie Porsche Design USB Key
$55 (16GB), $89 (32GB)

Looking for a USB flash drive that is both lightweight and sleek? Get the LaCie Porsche Design USB Key.

Constructed out of solid steel, the flash drive is strong and sturdy. Yet, it is no larger than the average door key and weighs only 8g. Attach it to your keychain and you will always have a flash drive with you.

Its USB 3.0 interface allows fast transfers at up to 95MB per second.

HOME APPLIANCE

SodaStream Source Limited Edition Red
$298

Designed by acclaimed designer and social entrepreneur Yves Behar, the SodaStream Source provides fizzy water for your family without adding a plastic bottle to the wastebin.

To make sparkling water, fill the reusable carbonating bottle and put it into the machine. With one push, a carbon dioxide canister in the Source transforms tap water into carbonated water.

The new limited Edition Red comes in striking red to brighten up your kitchen.

DIGITAL CAMERA

Casio Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Exilim EX-TR15
$1,499

Good news, Hello Kitty fans. Casio's limited-edition Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Exilim EX-TR15 has arrived.

The 12.1-megapixel digital compact camera has a frame that can be rotated 360 degrees and a 3-inch touchscreen display that can be rotated 270 degrees.

Like a contortionist, the frame and screen can be twirled hither and thither for self-portraits or to take pictures from novel angles.

This model features exclusive in-camera Hello Kitty-themed stamps and frames for feline fans to decorate their photos.

In addition, it comes with a Hello Kitty-themed attache case, sling, lanyard, camera pouch, travel wallet and a limited-production Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Baby-G timepiece.

Only 400 units are available for sale in Singapore and half of that was sold last weekend at the Consumer Electronics Exhibition 2013.

TELEVISION

Philips DesignLine 55PDL8908S/12
$5,599

If you are looking for something different in a TV set, the new Philips DesignLine TV may be worth checking out.

The DesignLine TV's front is a seamless sheet of glass. It is black on top and transparent at the lower part. The black area masks the 55-inch display panel when the set is switched off.

When the TV set is switched on, its screen appears to be floating in mid-air.

Its unique Ambilight feature projects light matching the colour of the on-screen content onto the wall behind the TV, to enhance the floating effect.

There is also a 46-inch model ($4,999).

PRINTER

Brother MFC-J3720 InkBenefit
$548

If you are a high-volume user, the new Brother MFC-J3720 InkBenefit may be just what you need.

This A3 inkjet multi-function all-in-one printer can print up to 22 monochrome pages a minute (20 colour pages).

It has an automatic document feeder that allows you to copy, scan and fax multiple documents quickly and easily.

With a built-in wireless and Ethernet connection, you can print from or scan to a range of cloud services, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and SkyDrive.

IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

Pioneer AVH-X5650BT
999

The latest model of Pioneer's in-car multimedia receivers sports a 7-inch VGA touchscreen display with AppRadio (for iOS devices) and Mirrorlink (for Android 4.0 and newer devices) connectivity options.

You can connect your Apple iPhone 5s or Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to the multimedia receiver via Bluetooth to play the music and videos stored on your smartphone. You can also make and receive hands-free calls, and plug your smartphone into the receiver via USB connection for easy plug-and-play.

The system also comes with Mixtrax, a technology from Pioneer that creates a non-stop listening experience with DJ-inspired effects, such as cross-fading and phaser.


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