Go Play
The Blackberry Playbook has been one of the most hotly anticipated gadgets of the year, with Jonathan Ross, Lord Sugar, Lily Allen, et al, all forming an orderly queue to get their hands on it early. Launched to compete with the iPad2, these two powerhouses are going head-to-head like two rutting stags to try and seize market share for the newly created and ever-increasing computer-tablet market. Blessed with Flash capabilities, the Playbook has a one-up on many tablets already in the industry while its enterprise support and multi-tasking capabilities are helping it carve a niche in the business market, where Blackberry already has such a toe-hold. Time will tell whether ordinary folk will take it to their hearts as much as the omnipotent iPad - but if they’re thinking with their heads and pockets they should embrace this newbie in their homes and offices.
Price: From £399 for the 16 GB model, £479 for 32 GB and £559 for 64 GB
Retail: www.bestbuy.co.uk

Indoor BBQ
Welsh summer…rain…sleet…storms…blah, blah. We know what comes next, so why do we continually bang our heads against brick walls in seeming denial of our Irish Sea-given climate and think we can actually get away with “throwing a shrimp on the barbie’’. As soon as you’ve invited anybody round to share in your under-cooked sausage colon-therapy, that five-day forecast will miraculously darken and turn sinister. That’s why we suggest avoiding prolonged sojourn in the bathroom, by getting yourself kitted out with the George Foreman Easy Clean Grill and Melt. This will allow you to conduct your BBQs in the sanctity and warmth of your kitchen, ensuring no flies will disturb your eating pleasure either. It’s so good we put our weekend on it.
Price: £89.99
Retail: www.georgeforeman.com

Box-Fresh
The Xbox 360 has been around for a while now, and its ground-breaking add-on the Kinect is already familiar to many. But the latest influx of games available for the ‘look-no-controller’ accessory has really shifted the boundaries. EA Sports Active 2, Kinect Joy Ride and (for the ladies) Zumba Fitness are just a taster of the rush of new games on offer. Being able to control what’s on the screen by just moving your body brings all these games to life like never before. With games being pretty big-ticket purchases these days, you’re better off renting them first before jumping in. That’s where Wales-based Paramount Games Rental comes to the rescue. All these games and hundreds more are available at the touch of a button.
Price: Xbox360+Kinect (from) £199.99
Retail: www.amazon.co.uk
Games to rent: www.paramountgamesrental.co.uk

Splash out on these summer lovelies

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