With the festive season shuffling in, we asked some industry leaders what gadgets they are hoping to receive as gifts this year.
* Arthur Goldstuck, MD, World Wide Worx
“Number one on my wish-list is a gadget I am already testing, namely the 4G Huawei modem for MTN's LTE pilot network. It gives me download speeds of between 28Mbps and 40Mbps, and uploads of between 15Mbps and 28Mbps. It has the potential, right now, of delivering 70Mbps downloads. The catch is, it only works within range of 100 pilot sites in Gauteng, and is not commercially available. My wish is to have it available commercially, everywhere.
“As far as current gadgets go, I'd like to see Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet released in SA, at equivalent prices to that in the US, i.e. around R1 600, with full functionality and digital media access.”
* Mteto Nyati, MD, Microsoft SA
“Tablet or notebook? That's a question being asked by a lot of people looking to buy a new portable PC at the moment. That's why I love the Acer Iconia W501P. It's a device that neatly bridges the gap between the aesthetics of a tablet and functionality of a netbook. It's sleek and modern, remarkably intuitive, and easy to use, and the dual screens allow for great multitasking abilities.”
* Richard Mulholland, founder, Missing Link
“For me, at the moment, that would have to be the Kindle Touch (not yet available locally). I use my Kindle everyday, and this is the newest (in the E-Ink form factor).”
* Tebogo Makgatho, sales and marketing director, Torque
“I would like a MacBook Air. It is light and fits into my handbag, so I can travel with it anywhere. It is also pretty to look at.
“Both the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Airs now feature the latest generation of Intel processors, the Core i5 and i7. With speeds up to 1.8GHz and faster memory, the new MacBook Air gains up to two-and-a-half-times the processing performance over the previous generation one. MacBook Air also features the Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor, which includes an on-chip engine for video encoding and decoding. That means you experience video playback and FaceTime calls that are smoother, more responsive and more true to life.”
* Ivo Vegter, columnist
“As a heavy user of technology, it's almost never the technology itself that lets me down; it's the ergonomics and usability that bother me. Two products grabbed my attention recently as great Christmas gifts.
“For taking videos on the go, nothing beats a modern smartphone. They are easy to operate, have decent cameras, and don't require a lot of fiddly work to get videos ready for YouTube. Trouble is, the results are often shaky and amateurish. Enter the MobySlider. A simple mount that slides on a rail is all you need to take great panning and pivoting shots. It's not cheap, but if you take a lot of mobile video, you'll love it.
“Whether you work at an ordinary desk, on an airport chair, on your couch, standing at a job site, or even in bed (moi? never!), using a notebook computer can get rough on your legs, wrists, neck and shoulders. Many flat surfaces aren't at the right height or angle for comfortable work. Supporting it on a soft surface, like a pillow on your lap, tends to block ventilation grilles, resulting in overheating. A firmer alternative is often unforgiving on your legs, and still doesn't get the angle quite right. There are many options on the market, and some are quite beautiful, but for sheer flexibility, I like the look of the LapDawg X4, which bills itself as the Swiss Army Knife of portable trays. That'd be great for Christmas, thanks.”
* Craig Rosewarne, chairman, Information Security Group of Africa
“Now that my son is a bit older, I am scheming to get myself, er, I mean him, a cool little remote- controlled car ...maybe one for each of us. Even better if I can use my iPad to control it.”
Click here for a look at what ITWeb staffers are hoping for this festive season.
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