Gillian Shaw
Sun
Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player, SanDisk, from $50: I’ve always thought a great present to give someone is an iPod or other MP3 player already loaded with their favourite music. SanDisk must have been listening. Its latest ultra-mini music player launches in Canada with a slight change over its predecessor but a change that marks a new foray for the company in the delivery of music. Photograph by: Handout, Vancouver Sun
slotRadio cards
Satsports GPS, Satsports
Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player, SanDisk, from $50
I’ve always thought a great present to give someone is an iPod or other MP3 player already loaded with their favourite music. SanDisk must have been listening. Its latest ultra-mini music player launches in Canada with a slight change over its predecessor — but a change that marks a new foray for the company in the delivery of music. The new player, a featherweight that measures 5.3 cm by 3.4 cm, has a microSD card slot, which not only expands music storage but also gives SanDisk a market for its new ready-made music cards that make loading music a snap. It also has an FM tuner with 40 presets, a microphone for recording, and its rechargeable battery lasts up to 15 hours. A perfect present, especially if you don’t want to be tech support for your aging parents or techno-challenged friends who call on you every time they want to change up a playlist. The two-gigabyte version is $50, with the 4GB at $60, and 8GB for $80. www.sansa.ca.
slotRadio cards, $39
Coming in six genres, these 1,000-song microSD cards cover a range — from tunes for yoga to rock, hip hop, oldies and others. More are promised to follow as Sansa makes deals to package music in hand-picked selections that provide instant playlists for its music players. The cards work with the new Sansa Clip+, but also with the full-size Sansa Fuze MP3 player. They come in a little plastic case that holds two cards and can hang on a keychain. www.slotRadio.com.
Satsports GPS, Satsports, $540
Geared for the outdoors types, this new personal GPS unit from Satsports has applications preinstalled for skiers and snowboarders, golfers, runners, hikers, cyclists and walkers and an optional street navigator with turn-by-turn directions that comes with the addition of a mini SD card. All this doesn’t come cheap at $540, but the applications offer specific features for the various sports. Skiers and boarders get access to ski maps from around the world that can be downloaded and stored on the Satsports GPS, plus they can navigate their course — whether they’re underway or planning at the lodge. It also tracks and records real-time data like top speed and average speed and altitude. If you stray into trouble, it means you have your exact GPS coordinates when calling for help. Plus you can relive the thrills and spills of your ski or snowboard day by synching the device with your computer to check stats or replay on Google Earth or Satsports. Golfers, hikers, cyclers and other outdoors enthusiasts will also find applications targeted to their needs. As well as the hardware, Satsports offers the sports applications for mobile devices that support Windows Mobile or Android. The Windows mobile applications are available for download at www.Satsportsgps.com for $9. Android applications will be available on the Android Market. A car charger, space battery and Euro/US AC adapter are among the extras that come with this. www.SatsportsGPS.com.
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