Gadget shopping? 10 must-haves

The new, improved version of the iPhone 3G and Apple is claiming that it's way better than even the amazing original iPhone. It is twice as fast as the 3G, has a three megapixel camera, the long-prayed for landscape keyboard, high-quality video as well as everything that's lovable about the iPhone: it's simplicity, beauty, the touchscreen, the message arrangement system, the motion-and-touch sensitive games and the easy-on-the-eyes web browser and of course, the useful App Store, where you can get everything conceivable kind of application you could ever need. And let's not forget: it's an iPod too. The use of the 3GS (and also the 3G) is limited by the fact that 3G services have (still) not been rolled out in India.

The 3GS was supposed to have been released in August but it's been re-scheduled to late September by Airtel and Vodaphone. Prices are yet to be announced but don't hold your breath hoping for it to cost the $200 (Rs 9,700) Apple's website claims it will sell for. The old 3G still retails for Rs 30,000+ at Airtel or Vodaphone.

Whether you're sitting at home with a car horn-pumping traffic jam outside your window or on a plane sitting next to a mother of very loud twins, noise is a problem. That's why you need a pair of these headphones. A basic soft-cushion set costs roughly $300 (Rs 14000-15000 depending on the exchange rate) while a smaller model that has rechargeable lithium ion batteries (instead of AAA batteries) costs $350 (roughly Rs 17,000). The main purpose of these headphones is to reduce the noise around you so that you can enjoy your music more.

Of course, cheaper, non-Bose models from companies like Phillips cost as little as Rs 2,000.

While external hard drives are bigger, less portable and drain more power than flash drives, they have the benefit of being faster and cheaper when you think on a GB per rupee basis.

So why would you need 1.5 Terabytes (1536 GB) of space? Well, if you're a person who downloads movies or has borrowed all 10 seasons of Friends, you'll need a place to park all that material without using annoying flip-through DVDs. Especially if you're going to build up a collection of TV series and Christopher Nolan movies over a number of years.

You might still think 1500+ GB is overkill but look at it this way: bulk is cheaper. A 500 GB hard drive costs you roughly Rs 6,800. A 1500 GB hard drive (from Seagate) costs you Rs 10,800. Why not spend a little extra to future-proof yourself? Think of the beautiful new, space heavy Blu-ray movies that are already being released. Speaking of which...

With the stunning amount of detail that can be fitted onto a Blu-Ray disk, it's definitely the future of movies. But it's still in its early stages, which makes it insanely expensive. A movie on a Blu-Ray disk will cost you between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. While you can pick up a decent DVD player for less than Rs 2,000, a stand-alone Blu-Ray player will cost you between Rs 20,000 and Rs 35,000. At these prices, you're better off buying a PlayStation 3, which can play Blu-Ray disks.

Blu-Ray readers and even burners also come bundled with laptops, but few of these cost less than a lakh. A stand-alone Blu-Ray Burner (with DVD and CD burning abilities) will cost you Rs 25,000 and can be installed in your regular laptop.

So at Rs 4 lakh, an OSIM uSpace massage chair is out of your range. That doesn't mean that you can't enjoy some relaxation when you go home in the evening. At Rs 25,000, the OSIM uSqueeze Calf and Foot Massager is a great way of unwinding in the evening. It contains both kneeding and vibrators and delivers a feel-good squeeze to your feet, calves and ankles simultaneously.

OSIM also sells the slightly less sophisticated iSqueeze for Rs 22,000. Handh-eld massagers from OSIM sell for between Rs 4,500 and Rs 6,500.

Annoyed with having to look for and juggle all those remotes -- for the TV, the music player, the AC -- lying around in your house? Well, Logitech's series of universal remotes are for you.

A universal remote is basically a remote that 'learns' the frequencies of your other remotes, which allows you to use them in their place. While the very high-end remote (with touch screen) can cost you Rs 25,000, a basic model from Logitech (the 525, for example) will cost you Rs 4,000. It comes with an LCD screen and can mimic the remotes of upto 15 components.

Thanks to all the wonderful tech convergence in the recent past, you can now have an inkjet printer, a scanner and a copier combined on your desk. It fits in a tight corner, doesn't take up much space and looks great.

Take the good looking HP F2235. It costs just Rs 4,000 and can scan and print at 1,200 dpi (standard pictures you find online are 72 dpi. Professionals work at 300 dpi). You can't scan or copy images larger than the standard A4 and the printing speed is just 12-14 Pages Per Minute, but you probably aren't trying to print War and Peace so that's alright, isn't it?

We've mentioned this one already -- once as a gaming console and again as a Blu-Ray player. But don't make a mistake: the PlayStation 3 is a supercomputer. It's famed 'cell' processor allows you to play incredibly life-like games with an amazing degree of smoothness. It also plays PS2 and PS1 games (so those don't go to waste) and can work well with a High Definition television.

PS3 games are expensive though, costing Rs 2,000 or more. And since it's a Blu-Ray format don't expect to be able to buy pirated games off the street. There are a few games that aren't available on it but only on the Xbox (such as Halo 3 or Gears of War), but there are some games that are exclusive to it (such as God of War III). In the end, it's a far better machine than the Xbox 360, but it's upto you to decide if it's worth its tag as a gaming console.

It retails for roughly Rs 25,000.

Canon is still the most respected name in the field of point-and-shoot cameras. Although there might be many people who prefer the snooty, high-end, expensive SLR cameras (where you can change and adjust the lens) nothing beats its A2000 IS for ease of use, portability and fun. It isn't a weakling either, coming, as it does, with face recognition technology and red eye removal.

With 10 MP, 6X optical zoom and a 3" LCD screen, the A2000 IS is a steal at a shade over Rs 10,000.