Compiled by CIARA O'BRIEN

iControlPad €45.99

Touch-screen phones may be great for gaming on the go, but don’t you sometimes yearn for actual buttons you can press? Or maybe even a joystick? The iControlPad is a fully functional Bluetooth gaming controller that hooks up to iOS devices, Android smartphones and BlackBerry handsets (check site for list). It has got two analogue sticks, a digital D-pad, six buttons on the face of it and two on the rear. For iOS users, it supports iCade emulation for more than 30 App Store games without having to jailbreak your iPhone. It has a universal clamp to keep your phone is place, regardless of its make, and comes with a built-in rechargeable battery.

icontrolpad.com

Apple iPhone 4S from €599 (sim-free)

Apple’s latest mobile phone has arrived in Ireland, bringing with it new way to interact with your handset – Siri. Okay, so voice control for mobiles may not be new (Android has had it for a while) but the personality aspect that Siri brings is certainly worth investigating. Aside from the headline- grabbing Siri, the phone has a number of other changes: a faster chip, thanks to the iPad’s A5 processor; an 8MP camera, compared with the iPhone 4’s 5MP offering; the ability to capture high-definition video and a smarter antenna that allows roaming on both GSM and CDMA networks. It may look the same, but the improvements are worth checking out.

apple.com/ie

Boogie Board Rip €139

Remember the Boogie Board? It was the equivalent of a chalk board for the high-tech generation. The only problem was that, like the chalk board, you couldn’t save the notes you wrote on it. And sometimes you might want to save your shopping list, scribbled notes or doodle masterpieces. But all that has been solved with the Boogie Board Rip. It now includes a handy green button that allows to archive your Boogie Board screen until you can hook it up to your computer and save your scribblings. It stores up to 100 pages, and will save them to your PC in PDF format. All you have to do is plug in the micro USB cable and you’re ready to transfer, and begin all over again.

firebox.com