Eat, drink and get techy

Gadget must-haves for your reunion dinner

by Hazwan Norly
Updated 01:10 PM Jan 31, 2011

THE best bit about Chinese New Year has to be the reunion dinner: Gathering at one house, enjoying a delicious spread and simply catching up. Here's a list of gadgets that will help you and your relatives to enhance the experience.

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910

Stuck on the other side of the world and unable to make it home for the reunion dinner? With the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910, you'll still be able to see your parents and relatives in real time.

The Mac-compatible C910 webcam is a simple plug-and-play webcam ready with iChat, Photo Booth and FaceTime. With this webcam, you can make full video calls in HD 720p, or even record full HD 1080p videos and easily upload them to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter once you download the necessary Logitech software.

The webcam features premium autofocus - even in extreme close-ups of up to 7cm - and two microphones to deliver clear audio. If you don't even have time to shoot a video, you can snap a few 10-megapixel photos and email them to your parents, just so they know you're okay.

The C910 retails for $159.



Sony Nex-5 Gold

What's a reunion dinner without some nice photos to share? And the Sony Nex-5 now even comes in an auspicious gold colour, perfect for Chinese New Year.

This small 14.2-megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor camera will fit perfectly in a small bag so you won't feel like you're lugging around a dumbbell. Despite the size, it shoots DSLR quality photos and you can even change lenses to suit most situations. The camera also has a HD movie recording function for moments that photos alone cannot perfectly capture - like when everyone is gathered for a hearty "yam seng".

With the Sony Nex-5 Gold you will also no longer need to move back to capture all your relatives in one shot, thanks to the built-in 3D sweep panorama function.

The Sony Nex-5 Gold will be available in February for $1,299.



Polar FT7

Some of the food prepared for reunion dinners isn't really the healthiest. Then there's the fact that you've wolfed down three to four servings. So here's a gadget to help you lose the extra pounds you're sure to put on.

The watch-like computer gives you clear, simple training guidance to give you an easy start to heart rate-based training. Using heart rate variability gathered from your biodata, the EnergyPointer lets you know if your workout leans more towards improving your fitness or burning fat.

Confused? Not to worry - the gizmo also gives simple information like the amount of calories you're burning. All this will be connected to your own training diary at polarpersonaltrainer.com via the Polar FlowLink data transfer unit (sold separately for $89 at Athlete's Circle). You can use this diary to analyse training results, get online training guidance, interact with other people and see their training load status.

The Polar FT7 package comes with the FT7 training computer, WearLink+ transmitter and a quick guide for $199 (Corrected at 1:00 PM Jan 31, 2011).



Epson Ultra-Portable EB-1750

While the adults retire for a good night's mahjong, the children - and non-gambling adults - can catch a movie. But rather than crowd around a television, why not watch your flicks on the Epson ultra-portable EB-1750 projector instead?

The projector is small and will be able to fit in a normal laptop bag. You can even watch movies straight from your portable hard disk instead of having to lug a notebook around. Also, Epson's powerful 2600-lumen lamp will project a clear image even in broad daylight, without using as much electricity as you might think.

It also has an auto or manual keystone adjustment feature so the pictures don't get distorted no matter the angle you set the projector up at.

It only weighs 1.66kg so you won't break your back carrying it to your relative's place if the reunion's there. And when it's time to go, Epson claims no cool down time is required, so you can simply switch off the EB-1750 and pack it without having to wait for the heat to dissipate.

The Epson Ultra-Portable EB-1750 retails for $1,599.

Source; www.todayonline.com