PADDY COMYNrounds up the latest gadgets
Autoglym Canine Collection
Price: €25
Buy: motor factors
As far as we can tell its not April 1st, but Autoglym has probably figured out that pet owners are somewhat easy targets.
This kit is designed for dog owners to keep their cars clean. It contains a specially developed hair removal brush, dashboard and upholstery cleaner, glass cleaner and odour eliminator. The brush is double-sided, allowing removal of long and short hair. The interior shampoo removes dirt and freshens upholstery, while the worst smells are dealt by the odour eliminator spray.
Completing the kit is fast glass, a super-quick cleaning treatment that removes smears, dirt and doggy-drool from windows. Alternatively, you could just get a cat.
Subbuteo giant inflatable pitch
Price: €343
Buy: firebox.com
You know the ads where Ronaldo and Messi show off their footwork while battling it out within a small area? Well now you can do the same with Subbuteo’s inflatable soccer pitch.
A distant relative of the bouncy castle, this ingenious blow-up enclosure is ideal for four-man kickabouts in the garden. Simply plug in its über-powerful pump and it inflates in about 30 seconds.
Even Sir Alex on full hairdryer mode couldn’t manage that! Indeed it’s so simple to erect we can’t understand why the slowcoaches at the Aviva stadium haven’t gone down the inflatable route.
Gear4 KRG-D50
Price: €92
Buy: gear4store.com
The KRG-D50 is a DAB and FM radio that also includes a universal dock for iPod.
It is the first DAB product in the Gear4 range and features a clock with two programmable alarms, so you can wake up to DAB or FM radio stations, your own iPod tracks or a buzzer.
Other features include snooze and sleep functions, 20 programmable preset stations, an LCD screen to display radio and track information and an audio line-in port for use with other music players.
Canon EF 50mm F1.8
Price: €99
Buy: pixmania.ie
So many people buy the Canon 350D, 400D and recently 450D and stick to the same 18-55mm lens it always comes with, thinking they have to spend a fortune to expand their range. Well that isn’t the case.
We’d recommend that anyone with these cameras have one of these in their bag – a 50mm lens is great for portraits and close-ups and can be had for less than €100.