Reading the latest edition of “Sci-Fi Now” it had a review of “Tales of the Golden Monkey”.  This 1980’s action adventure series was made way back in 1982 and has now been released on a 6 DVD box set.  Coming in a huge 1056mins it features extras like Making-of, audio commentart, three galleries etc.  For anyone who hasnt seen this series either when it originally came out or as a re-run the basic plot is that it follows the escapades of Jake Cutter, a lovable rogue-like former airforce pilot who finds himself in the usual predictable adventures alongside his slighty idiotic best mate, a cute dog and a bevey of lovelies who all fall for Cutters rugged macho man charms.  This series did appear right after “Raiders of the Lost Ark” but is not a Indiana JOnes cash-in.  Gold Monkey does its best to make you feel at home with its likeable characters and ridiculous plots that are extremely predictable.  It doesnt try anything new in this genre and never pretends it wants to either.  Those who like a bit of the 80’s will like its nostalgice ride and maybe some of its cheesy acting in some episodes.  So if you want a watered down Dr Jones then at £60 its not bad - all round family fun!!

It can be a difficult task to get something just right – do you continue to re-design and hopefully sell more or do you leave well alone and see sales decline.  Our extensive range of SPX and XPC cable management systems represent style, ease of use and value for money.  Whilst we think we have got the design spot-on we are occasionally asked if we are going to do the SPX with more shelves.  This we have thought about but we feel that it may make the unit too cluttered as its only 62cm in height.  This style of unit has gone 1 major re-design since we first released the concept and it has proved even more popular.    We also do the SPX Hi-Fi, which people can use to place all their audio equipment on, maybe next to or above their existing SPX with their visual gear on.  Even if you haven’t got a LCD or Plasma then maybe one of our CMS’s is the answer to where to put your audio equipment.  We also realised that having a system that is flexible to individual requirements whilst keeping the core concept is greatly appreciated by the public.

When I first started here at A2000 Systems a very large percentage of our sales were wall-mounted brackets but when we introduced our first Cable Management System the response we received was incredible - sales took off once people realised what a unique product these are.  People who had maybe been put off mounting their TV on a wall because there was no real solution to hiding their cables and leads realised that with a bracket and cable management unit from A2000 the answer was available from one company.  In the early days people would buy both from us but as the range of brackets from other makers has increased we have found that the public were coming to us more for our Cable Management Systems.  Our website is packed full of brackets/tables/stands which we hope fits the public’s wide and varied needs – we are just one click away.  Even in an ever-expanding market place we appreciate all sales be it for an “ECO” bracket right the way up to our “Ultima” TV stand.  We value all custom that comes our way

Making, marketing and selling a product can be a relatively challenging affair with all 3 aspects needing to tie-up if you are to succeed and make a success.  The aspect that I would imagine to be the most challenging is thinking up ideas and then coming up with a final product design.  Flick through any magazine selling a wide range of products and you will notice a huge range of styles and colours, which ultimately give the public a seemingly endless choice.  To be a designer your mind needs be expanding and taking in influences for all sorts of sources be it new inputs or from existing and available ones.  One prolific and world-renowned designer has over 3,000 designs in 35 countries to his name ranging from building interiors to luxury goods.  His mind must never sleep and be constantly on the look out for new influences.  How a product looks again boils down to personal preference – a bit like “I don’t know much about art but I know what I like”

As technology shifts more and more gadgets are either becoming thinner or smaller.  Where once CRT screens were massive in comparision with LCD’s and Plasma’s, and now with the advancement of LED technology the screens are becoming even thinner.  The same can be said for mobile phones.  I remember back in the late 80’s these were massive and heavy with a seperate handset and battery (you needed big muscles to lift this things!)  Now mobiles fit into the palm of your hand and can seemingly do anything (whats wrong with just making calls and texting??)  Second-gen messenger phones are now evolving with an every increasing list of applications - sat nav, GPS, email, web browsing etc.  With their built in QWERTY keyboards they are no bigger than a “standard” mobile phone. But will they ever really compete with the market leader - the iPhone.  The there is the Netbook revolution - a smaller laptop for people who just want to browse the Internet or send/receive emails.  Again smaller, lighter and cheaper than their full size cousins.  Technology will always continue to evolve but as things get more powerful they seem to shrink in size.

Ask any serious audiophile what the most serious question you can ask them and I bet it will be “Can digital music sound as good as analogue??”  Ask most people and they will probably say that trusty old vinyl is still the best sounding music format and that not even 24-bit audio is ever going to alter that.  Ask any serious music listener and they will reveal a deep seated affection for those vinyl discs - DJ’s being the biggest fans.  But then there are CD’s, which continue to dominate “physical” music sales in the UK - surely it was developed to replace good old vinyl with its “perfect sound forever” tagline.  And now there is high-fidelity 24-bit digital downloads to give a challenge to the other two.  There are all sorts of considerations to look at ranging from sound quality to storage space to personnal preference and these are never the same for everyone.  I remember buying my first stereo (from Woolworths back in the early 80’s) with its radio/cassette deck/turntable and always remember buying vinyl not because it was a better sound than cassette but because it was more available.  Then when CD came along and grabbed the market again it was because CD’s were more available than vinyl.  Plus there was the fact that CD’s took up less space and the fact you didn’t have to keep them spotless to get a good sound (unlike records)  Any comparision test be it in a magazine or on the TV seems always to choose vinyl as the best quality sound and I suppose at the end of the day it does boil down to personnal choice - I still prefer listening to CD than downloading tunes.  This arguement will continue to run and run and run with no clear winner in this fight.

Whilst various technologies advance at an ever-increasing rate there does seems one feature that is universal to a lot of them.  Just as we are being told that “THIN” is the new “FAT” in respect of our appearance the quest for thinner and thinner products is building momentum.  With LED technology being used to make slimmer TV screens other applications are using an ever-changing world of tech breakthroughs to make thinner products.  One manufacturer of digital cameras now has a 12MP 19.9mm thin “pocket rocket” to add to its arsenal – this thin modal combines stylish looks with abilities such as being able to withstand tumbles just over 2m, temperatures of –10*C and waterproof of up to 3M.  The 2 most obvious applications where slimness is used to full advantage is in the world of mobile phones and laptop/notebooks with mobiles now having seemingly endless applications that once upon a time you could only find on a computer.  It will only be a matter of time before we see wafer thin pieces of equipment and not just in our visual and audio living room.  At first this will come at a price but as “being thin” gathers pace its only a matter of time before prices will fall.  Who said it pays to be fat??

Whilst various technologies advance at an ever-increasing rate there does seems one feature that is universal to a lot of them.  Just as we are being told that “THIN” is the new “FAT” in respect of our appearance the quest for thinner and thinner products is building momentum.  With LED technology being used to make slimmer TV screens other applications are using an ever-changing world of tech breakthroughs to make thinner products.  One manufacturer of digital cameras now has a 12MP 19.9mm thin “pocket rocket” to add to its arsenal – this thin modal combines stylish looks with abilities such as being able to withstand tumbles just over 2m, temperatures of –10*C and waterproof of up to 3M.  The 2 most obvious applications where slimness is used to full advantage is in the world of mobile phones and laptop/notebooks with mobiles now having seemingly endless applications that once upon a time you could only find on a computer.  It will only be a matter of time before we see wafer thin pieces of equipment and not just in our visual and audio living room.  At first this will come at a price but as “being thin” gathers pace its only a matter of time before prices will fall.  Who said it pays to be fat??

Seemingly just a few months ago the TV world was abuzz with the release of new LED tech screens.  Admittedly this latest technology maybe has some way to go before it has the same market share as LCD’s and Plasma’s but at the moment is some choices to be had in this market.  With 2 manufacturers offering “edge-lit” panels that are super thin and 3 others that offer theoretically superior “full array” options there now is at least a reasonable choice.  These new screens are thinner, brighter and deeper than ever so as to be able to offer an ever-increased viewing experience.  Added to these qualities are that they are more energy-efficient and in some cases, accurately controllable than the CCFL backlights used in older, cheaper sets.  An edge lit screen will be exceptionally thin where as a full array set is, theory the better performer.  These factors combined with Local Dimming, Digital Living Network Alliance, HDMI and 24fps all add up some impressive viewing capabilities on paper at least.  With prices ranging from £1300-£2700 is the class case of “pays your money and takes your choice”.

The monthly “World Best-Selling Gadget Magazine” has just come out and I thought I would review some of the lastest bits of kit on offer.  The first one is the “Dino Sculpture” - available as either a 6 foot brontosaurus or as a 5 foot velociraptor (one for the meat eaters out there).  These steel dino skeletons would be great for the kids (priced at £690 each buy them one of each just to be on the safe side).  What about a Wooden mouse all the way from Russia - available in 4 types of wood/6 finishes this practical PC accessory is a snip at 690 euros!!  It dont matter if you are a kid or an adult, why not get the Lego “Ultimate Collectors Millenium Falcon” - built to Lego-figure (Han, Chewie, Luke etc)scale this modal contains over 5000 parts with moving laser cannons and extending ramp and will provide hours of enjoyment recreating your fav Star Wars scenes and yours for only £340!  And lastly on a more practical note what about a funky and chunky LTD digital watch.  It comes in more colours than you can think of and not bad for £40.  With its blocky display that does what it says on the tin it only works out at 0.027p per second - what a bargain!!!