This month’s offering samples one of the more high-profile tablets on the market, a chic diving watch for the action man/woman who likes to look good at absolutely all times – including under water – and a rather smart piece of luggage for the discerning business traveller.
BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK
Background
With so much noise made about the launch of the iPad and the iPad2, BlackBerry were hoping to appeal to a slightly different market, with the launch of their tablet, the PlayBook. It was initially punted as more of a business tool than the iPad devices, and certainly, some of its features do lend itself to that, particularly in terms of its video conferencing and PowerPoint capabilities, excellent battery life and ‘bridging’ facility with BlackBerry smartphones, a device that just about every serious business executive is now carrying. In fact, that seems to be a big selling point, with BlackBerry looking to cash in on the good feeling created around the brand name, the smartphones and their BBM facility.
Main Features
Among the main features are the industry-friendly QNX operating system, great security options, excellent speakers on the sides of the device, two cameras (front facing – 3 megapixels; rear facing – 5 megapixels), and the bridging facility already mentioned. That connection with a BlackBerry smartphone will allow access to email accounts, calendars, BBM, files and other data on the tablet. You can also use the mobile network connection on the smartphone to access the Internet on the tablet, whilst using the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection provides seamless access to music, videos, pictures, documents etc. Further advantages are the performance of Documents to Go, Flash and Adobe Reader, the PlayBook Wi-Fi folder sharing, being able to download and save YouTube videos directly to the tablet, and the Facebook application.
Look
One of the smallest tablets in its range, measuring approximately 12.7 cm by 19.1cm, with a slim 1cm thickness, it is light, compact and great for travelling. It’s a simple design, with angular edges, dark styling and a 1024 x 600 pixel high-resolution colour display. The chassis is cool metal, ever so slightly rubberized, the edges squared off, and there is absolutely no flex or give anywhere. It feels perfectly solid and doesn’t yield to any attempted contortions, despite being just 0.4-inches thick — less than a tenth thicker than an iPad 2. At 0.4kg, it’s considerably lighter, but a bit heavier than the Samsung Galaxy tablet. In some quarters there seems to be some dissatisfaction with the small size of the power button at the top of the face, but that appears to be a minor complaint.
Price
16 GB – R5 699
32 GB – R6 499
64 GB – R7 499
PORSCHE DESIGN LEAN BRIEFBAG
Main Features
It comes with a motto – ‘only what is actually needed belongs inside’. That just about says it all and it’s no surprise that the Germans have gone for efficiency and practicality over aesthetics. That being said, it is a rather a sexy-looking bag and perfect for the business traveller who fancies high-end accessories. There is a place for everything, and everything has its place, clearly and logically arranged for easy and quick access.
Performance
Only storing what you need, means that all your equipment is easily accessible and well protected. A special system ensures that the user can see at a glance if his/her personal requirements are all present. For example, if one of the three pens provided is missing, a coloured marker on the loop provided for it draws his/her attention to its absence. When travelling, passports and tickets are immediately accessible in one of the large outer pockets designed for the purpose. The Lean BriefBag also contains a second, removable meeting bag. This has plenty of space for a laptop and documents, making it ideal for meetings. There is also an extra bag for technical accessories, such as your download cable, mouse, 3G dongle and USB stick.
Look
The charcoal colour, durability and fine quality add to the stylishness of the bag and match any business attire during any season.
Price
R16 650
U-BOAT U-1001
Main Features
The U-Boat U-1001 is definitely a sexy diving watch that works extremely well as a high-fashion accessory. But the main function of this stylish time piece is the fact that it is water resistant for up to 1001 metres.
Performance
It boasts all the features of a high-end diving watch. The crown system of the U-1001 is even more complex and pronounced than on other models of the Classico series. The grip teeth are much deeper and the hinge is held in place with solid titanium screws. The pusher-like piece protruding through the hinge is the pressure escape valve that enables the case to withstand pressures beyond 100 ATM or the pressure present in water at a depth of 1000 metres. The sapphire crystal glass, which rises above the bezel, as in all Classicos, is extremely thick as it, too, is crucial to achieving the U-1001’s elevated water resistance rating.
Look
This watch means business, with titanium casing 47mm in diameter, so it defiantly stands out boldly with its blue or orange colour. It is surprisingly light despite its solid design. The dial on the U-1001 determines the styling by displaying multiple levels – the matte, jet black dial has the hour markers, whilst the photo-luminescent blue or orange is shown in the numerals four to eleven o’clock. A nice touch is the U-1001 logo, engraved in titanium and applied onto the dial.
Price
R35 295