Gadget gifts

Izzie Clarke’s got a few tech tips up her sleeve that might help to take the stress out of Christmas and the New Year, and she spoke to Katie Haylor.

Izzie——一个设备我发现,which is a little bit different from you know your iPads and any other tablets is a smart notebook. It looks like a normal notebook but actually it’s got this digital paper-like screen, you write on it and it’s attached to all of your cloud services. So if you want to jot down a list or a little reminder or perhaps you are in the arts and it’s quite creative and sketches, it automatically sends anything you’ve written on to one of these cloud services. But bizarrely to clear your notes there is one model which you put in the microwave and that seems to just erase all of your drawings.

Katie - This is an electronic device that you ping in the microwave?

Izzie - Yes I’m not quite sure what the point of that is. Another one is that you get a drop of water and you rub it across the surface. That could get a bit confusing if you sort of accidentally pick up a tablet thinking it’s your Smart Notebook. Put some water on it. I don’t think that could be the best!

Chris - A friend of mine’s daughter dropped a telephone down the toilet. That sort of thing happens doesn't it? You don’t need a drop of water to erase it, you just put in the loo!

Izzie - I don’t know why you wouldn’t just use a normal notebook to be honest. Maybe people like to have everything on all their multiple devices.

Chris - It does sound like a technology in search of a function if I’m honest. Are you going to get one?

Izzie - I’m not convinced to be honest. I just quite like collecting notebooks. I use half of them. You know, new year new notebook! What's not to love?

And this might be one for perhaps the day after Christmas, maybe Boxing Day, maybe New Year's Day. This is a portable breathalyzer, it's a breathalyzer that goes on a key ring. What it does is this little digital alcohol sensor, it's got a folding tube and optional mouthpieces maybe in case you want to check grandma and uncle are okay to get home.

Chris - Of course on the continent, in France, it's compulsory to have a breathalyzer in your car isn't it. You're not allowed to drive without one. It's interesting that you know clearly people do realise the benefit of having access to something like that because you know you reach for your car keys but why not put something on your car key ring that will remind you have you been drinking? Maybe you should check before you get behind the wheel.

Katie - How effective are they though?

Izzie - From all of the reviews on it, actually people seem very happy with this. It makes sense now that quite a few of the comments were from European users.

Katie - We've actually got a breathalyzer here in the studio that we're going to put into use a little bit later. Thank you very much for giving us the tech yesses versus tech nos for Christmas and the New Year. Will you be buying any of these products yourself?

Izzie - To be honest I think the breathalyser one has caught my eye just purely because it's better to be safe right? Better safe than sorry.