Winner: Pure Evoke 3

The Evoke 3 is as good as gets when it comes to portable radio.  Firstly, it sounds great. The stereo speakers have a good quality audio reproduction. Secondly it’s very simple to use. Turn it on and away you go! It has loads of features but they are all fairly intuitive and rarely do you need to reach for the instruction book.

It features the ‘ReVu’ facility which allows you to rewind or pause up to an hour of radio.  It has a removable SD card slot so can record hours of your favourite programming onto it. Using the Electronic programme guide, you can see what’s coming up in the next week. Click on a programme and it will automatically set the timer to record it for you. It also has lots of timer functions to wake you up, a snooze handle and you can connect your IPOD to it to listen to music though the speakers. 

All in all, a great bit of kit and my DAB of the Year.

Runner-up : Evoke ONE is everyone you need if you want DAB on a budget. For £50 you get a great sounding radio, textscan, kitchen timers and an FM Radio if you can’t get DAB.

MP3 player of the Year

Winner: IPOD Nano

After all the problems the st Nano experienced, Apple went away, re-designed and gave us the best MP3 player of the year. Great styling, over 20 hours of battery life, clearer screen and better sound.

For all that the new Nano wins the MP3 player of the year.

MP3 player accessory of the year:

Winner: Blueye from Gear 4

There are a ton accessories available for your much prized MP3 player. Covers, speakers, radios and more…… My favourite accessory is the Blueye. What does it do? Well, using Bluetooth, it turns your IPOD and mobile phone into a hands-free device. You’re wandering down the high-street listening to Chirpy-Chirpy Cheep-Cheep, your mobile rings, the music pauses and away you chat to your pals or you  probation officer.

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

Winner: Slingbox

We have all heard of time-shifting:  Record a tv show and watch it at a later date.  What the Slingbox does is place-shift.   Add a Slingbox to your TV, Freeview or SKY + Box and you can watch your home tv anywhere in the world on the internet.

Fancy watching the cricket while sitting your desk at work? With Slingbox you can!  Can’t wait to watch the latest Catherine Tate? Use your X Series phone from THREE and watch it on the bus! Sitting at the airport waiting for the plane? Catch up with some tv-viewing on your laptop.  Or don’t have a tv in your bedroom? Just watch you home tv on your laptop! A truly revolutionary gadget that has serious consequences as to how we watch tv.

www.slingbox.com for more information

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Mobile Innovation of the Year

Winner: X Series from Three

Finally the internet goes truly mobile!  When THREE launched its mobile network some years ago, there was little excitement at the prospect of watching pixelated highlights of the football and chatting to your drunk mates on the video phone.

Finally, in 2006, THREE have come up with a genuinely worthwhile use for the mobile. The X Series gives you, in addition to your airtime usual minutes, unlimited internet access and a set of bundled software that allows you to make FREE phone calls on your mobile. Do your friends around the world have SKYPE? With the X-Series you can call them on your mobile for free!   Like buying and selling on EBAY? Bundled software on the phone lets you shop away.  Want to listen to music on your home computer while your in the gym? You can! And best of all, want to watch your home tv on the bus? At work? Walking down the street? Fancy watching a couple of shows you recorded? With this phone and  Slingbox at home you can watch your home tv on the move.  A truly innovative use of the internet and mobile technology.