Nowadays there’s a higher premium on pocket-space than there is on central London property, so when it comes to gadgets and gizmos, less is most definitely more, and that’s just the way we like it.
In celebration, we’ve rounded up the top 10 tiny gadgets you should have on your person right now! Whether it’s making a call, shooting video, finding your way or simply having fun, there’s a dinky gadget to suit all needs. Size is everything, so come and revel in our tribute to the tiny!
Optoma Pico Projector
You don’t need to drill your projector into the ceiling any more – just take it with you instead. It may fit in the palm of your hand, but it’ll still beam out a 60 inch image from a distance of 1.5m, what’s more, it’ll work with just about any portable device you care to mention. See the Pico Projector in action here.
Fit-PC Slim
Tiny netbooks not your thing? Not to worry, desktop PCs are shrinking down to the same size these days. The fit-PC Slim may only have a 512 MHz chip, but with 512MB of RAM, Wi-Fi, USB ports and a 60GB HDD, it’ll stil get online, let you get on with work, and do just about everything, except high-end gaming or HD video.
Toshiba Portege R600
At 12.1 inches wide, it’s not the smallest sub-notebook but it may well be the lightest, weighing in at a dinky 800g. Don’t be fooled, however. The R600 might be skinny, but it doesn’t skimp on the power. It’s a full-featured PC, complete with a DVD drive and a beefy battery that will go for nine hours at a stint.
iPod Nano 4G
Apple’s new mini maestro is the thinnest iPod yet at 6.2mm thick – and it seems even smaller with its curvy tapered edges. It still has up to 16GB of flash memory inside, doubling the max capacity of the previous generation Nano, so you can still squeeze plenty of songs, video and photos inside.
Invisio G5
The world’s smallest bluetooth headset is so dainty it’s in danger of disappearing down your ear and getting stuck on the other side of your drum. If you can avoid that, the G5 offers up to 20 hours of talktime, which ain’t half bad for Bluetooth. Invisio manufacturers Nextlink know what they’re doing too, as they also make headsets for SWAT teams and the military.
Sony HDR-TG3 Handycam
Technically, there are camcorders smaller than this, but none that film in full 1080i HD, or that come with a slick titanium body. Sony’s sharp shooter isn’t just good looking though, it sounds awesome too. Recording audio in 5.1 surround sound, it’s completely silent, since it records to memory cards, rather than whirring tapes or hard drives.
Freedom Keychain GPS 2000
Not just for keeping all your keys clipped neatly together. This Bluetooth widget connects to a smartphone to provide navigation software with GPS location data – in other words it’s satnav on a keyring. As long as you’ve got a phone with you, anyway. Speaking of which…
Xun Chi 138
There comes a point where a mobile phone becomes too small to be anywhere near usable, and this 6.7cm long Chinese handset may well have crossed the line. For those wondering where the buttons have gone, you write the numbers on the screen with a stylus, possibly making this the world’s smallest touchscreen too.
Trinloc Fusion DAB radio
Digital radio has taken its time making the leap from kitchen tuners to pocket recievers, so kudos to German company Trinloc for shrinking the technology and letting us tune in on the move. At just 87.5 x 37 x 22mm, you can get all your favourite digital stations on the go, or if you’re driving through a particularly long tunnel, there’s 1GB of space for MP3s too.
Robo-Q
Tomy’s just announced this tiny 3.4cm robot. It’s smart enough to trundle along without walking into walls by itself, but the remote control function has got us quite excited: teeny table football matches!
