Despite the explosion in HDTV sales driven by a desire to watch every second of those vital matches, it would seem many people are wasting both their time and money. It really doesn't matter how sharp the image on your TV if the lens in your own eyes give a blurred effect.

With fans attracted by the prospect of improved picture quality, clarity and definition, it is estimated (by Kelco) that the World Cup will help to boost sales of HD TVs by 5% to a total of 7.6 million sets sold in this year alone. However a survey by Glasses Direct, the world's largest online prescription eyewear store, found that 35% of the UK's 32 million glasses wearers have not bought a new pair of prescription glasses in the last two years. They may be unaware that their potentially reduced vision will impede their viewing of the beautiful game which would be a real shame, as three million people have now subscribed to HD in the UK.

"Even a slightly short sighted person trying to watch an England match on HD TV may fail to take advantage of the superior picture quality. If you're investing the money to buy an HD TV to watch the World Cup, you ought to have your eyes checked to ensure you're experiencing the full benefit" says David Hutchfield, Dispensing Optician at Glasses Direct.

Jamie Murray Wells, Founder and Executive Chairman of Glasses Direct adds "We want to help the fans get as much out of the World Cup as possible so we're giving away a free pair of Fabio Capello style ZeroRH+ frames complete with prescription lenses to the first hundred people who now get their eyes tested and find they need a new pair of prescription glasses."

Take advantage of the free offer by visiting http://ww.glassesdirect.co.uk/fabio

Following 200 years of development, from the conspicuous ear-trumpet to the cumbersome ‘beige banana’ Phonak have now launched what is claimed to be the world's smallest hearing aid - the Audéo MINI. This tiny engineering marvel is equivalent to the size of a jelly bean - and has now been launched in the UK.

The Audéo MINI sits virtually undetectable behind the ear and offers a discreet solution for the twelve million people in Britain that currently suffer from hearing loss. Today one in five adults has difficulties with their hearing and this figure is expected to rise to one in three by 2025^*.

Audéo MINI's revolutionary design and unrivalled performance has just beaten more than 4250 products from 60 countries to win the prestigious red dot design award at the world’s largest and most respected design competition. An international jury awarded the Audéo MINI the coveted top prize and will see it showcased in the red dot design museum in Germany.

The Audéo MINI’s design was developed in response to a growing demand from the baby boomer generation, the young at heart consumers in their 50s and 60s, who want to boost their hearing to stay at their best but don’t want to draw attention to a problem typically associated with ageing. According to experts, people currently struggle for 15 years on average before seeking advice!

Valentin Chapero, Chief Executive of Phonak who developed the device, says: "The Audéo MINI is a landmark development for hearing correction and the next significant advancement in hearing technology. Powerful enough to provide the user with crystal clear sound quality whilst small enough to sit, almost invisible, behind the ear."

The Audèo MINI includes state-of-the-art functions including the ability to automatically adapt to changing hearing situations and selectively focus on specific speech sources to reduce the distraction of background noise. Thetechology is also claimed to make it possible for the wearer to detect the highest frequency sounds such as bird song or quiet whispers, which are often the first to go when hearing deteriorates.

Visit www.phonak.co.uk for further information.

^* Davis A. Audiovestibular Symptoms, Including Tinnitus, in the Ageing Population, ENT & Audiology news, 2009: 18(4):85-88

No - not the celebrity type - the twinkling kind!

We've reviewed many cameras here on GadgetSpeak but this one is a little different from those. Aimed at the amateur astronomer Imaging Source have launched a range of low-noise astronomy cameras using CCD sensors from Sony.The family includes sensors with resolutions of 640x480, 1024x768 and 1280x960 pixels and with either colour or monochrome capture options.

Each is equipped with a gigabit Ethernet interface allowing large quantities of live image data to be transferred quickly to a computer.

The cameras are controlled by PC software provided with the product that allow capture of single or multi-sequence images. The use of Ethernet for communication allows a highly affordable remote interface to the camera. The bottom of the camera has a standard tripod mount while the front lens nose-piece is threaded for a C/CS mount.

You can think of these cameras as top of the range web-cams especially designed to attach to your telescope and aimed at the amateur astronomer that wants to capture their observations for later analysis.

In Europe the cameras are available from Imagine Source on the URL below. Prices start at €440 for a 640x480 mono device. If distance isn't a problem then the family does include less expensive Firewire and USB interfaces, although with the latter bandwidth will be limited.

http://www.astronomycameras.com/en/products/

I think this clip has been around for a while, but it's the first time I've seen it and I just had to post it here. The clip shows one of our local Posties, Mike Izzard, putting a smile on the face of colleagues at the St Albans sorting office. Mike delivers mail in the Welwyn Garden City area (UK), where GadgetSpeak is based - and we do like to promote local talent!

Apart from improving morale at his local office (and lets face it the post office needs a bit of a morale boast at the moment) Mike has been selling copies of the DVD for £1 with the proceeds going to the RSPCA. He's raised over £600 so far and the YouTube video has been viewed over 3500 times.

Absolutely brilliant!

Here's the link to the YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYZCz9L-_-0

Yesterday saw the launch of Windows Phone - Microsoft's answer to the growing popularity of the iPhone and of up-and-coming open source phone operating systems like Google's Android, Symbian and Palm's WebOS. In reality and despite the hype this is not a new system from Microsoft but rather the latest upgrade to Windows Mobile - now at version 6.5.

Accompanying that launch is news from HTC of new handsets and upgrades to their existing range of Windows Mobile based phones. The HTC HD2 is new. A bright 4.3" touch screen providing access to the latest in Windows mobile software and a 1GHz 'Snapdragon' mobile processor from Qualcomm aims to provide the power necessary to avoid a sluggish experience.

The HTC Touch2, Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2 will in future ship with this software and upgrades may be available for existing customers.

Apple can be given a lot of credit for expanding the popularity of 'smart phones' - phones that can run a myriad of applications more generally associated with computers than phones - with their iPhone product. Until that time such devices had been primarily used for business and carried a hefty price tag. Apple can't of course take all the credit - improved technology has driven down the cost of cramming the necessary processing power into a small form factor at an acceptable price.

Attacking the market for a mobile business tool saw Microsoft offer Windows Mobile. It carried Windows compatibility as a hallmark and was aimed at keeping corporate IT departments happy - not end users! In the early days it was slow and never really gained the popularity Microsoft would have liked with those end users.

With the iPhone the market has changed and smart phones now have a consumer mass-market appeal and Microsoft wants a slice of that pie and hence yesterdays major Microsoft Phone launch. A multi-million dollar global marketing campaign to spread the word. Technically what they have launched is Microsoft Mobile 6.5 - the latest release of their existing software packaged to be something new. The news really is the push for volume. Deals with Toshiba, Samsung, LG and HTC will lead to a claimed 30 new devices equipped with Microsoft software by the end of the year. Some of these, like the HTC models, will be simply upgrades of existing Windows based phones. Others will be new.

Learning from Apple once more Microsoft hope to join the bandwagon for downloadable applications, a significant revenue stream for their fashionable competitor. Microsoft Marketplace takes on Apple's App Store. To compete though Microsoft has to attract developers - Apple already has over 80,000 applications. To attract those developers Microsoft needs the volume. Chicken and egg?

What's not in question is Microsoft's desire to take a slice of this market. They've competed before in new markets against stiff competition - just look at the XBox. Can they do it in the mobile market? We'll just have to wait and see!

The latest in Pioneers NavGate range of in-car systems, the AVIC-F310BT provides GPS navigation, entertainment and communication into a single package. To deter those with light fingers Pioneer have taken a tip from traditional in-car stereo systems by making the front fascia removable, which can then be dropped into a bag or hidden somewhere secure in the car.

The detachable screen has another advantage though. Take it indoors and attach it to your computer via a USB cable and you can analyse your journeys via a downloadable PC application available from the Pioneer site. In these days of escalating fuel prices the system will even provide you with an 'Eco Report' - where you're driving style will be taken apart for you (scary for those with a heavy right foot!).

The system comes pre-configured with maps for 44 European countries, which Pioneer claim is ten more countries than other vendors. I've definitely lost track of the number of countries in Europe, I'm pretty sure I can't think of 44 let alone 34!

The display and main control of the system is via a 4.3" WQVGA touch sensitive LCD panel. In navigation mode this will provide you with optionally 2D or 3D route information complete with directions using street names.

Given this is Pioneer as you'd expect some considerable attention has been taken with audio quality. The built in 50Wx4 amplifier should provide you with clear, crisp and powerful sound, assuming you've equipped your vehicle with suitable speakers! As well as CD playback you can also attach your iPod or iPhone via a cable. As far as I can tell no support for Bluetooth A2DP profile though for other media which would have allowed standard support for a wide range of media players and phones.

Bluetooth support is included to support phone operation giving you a hands free operation and allowing you to leave the phone in your pocket.

Pioneer offer a number of car mounting options a number allowing you to simply replace your factory fit audio system with the NavGate.

Official price for this Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F310BT is currently £649.99 although I note that it is available from Amazon for £569.45 including delivery.

You can find more details, although not full technical specs, on the Pioneer web-site:

http://www.pioneer.co.uk/navgate

Image Courtesy of Apple

Hot on the heals of yesterdays news that Orange are to ship the Apple iPhone 3Gs we have news that Vodafone are to follow suit. You'll have to wait a little longer though - Vodafone won't be shipping until after Christmas. If you are a Vodafone customer though you can register your interest on-line. Orange expect to ship before Christmas.

In both cases this leaves around a three month delay before you can lay your hand on the iPhone. What impact will this have on the mobile market? Are you likely to delay signing up for a new contract until the iPhone is available? Could these announcements keep you loyal to your current provider?

Of course this does leave T-Mobile customers looking a little out in the cold.... but then again there's always tomorrow for yet another announcement.

Share your thoughts on the how this is likely to shake up the mobile market in the coming months by leaving a comment below!

Image Courtesy of Apple

O2's strangle hold on the supply of the much sought after Apple iPhone appears to be nearing an end with the announcement that Orange are to also ship the product iPhone 3Gs. No date has thus far been announced but interested Orange customers can register their interest now.

So... what does this mean to the average Joe? For a start Orange customers can stop looking enviously at every iPhone being flaunted by O2 customers walking down the street. They will also no longer need to make excuses like "Well - I prefer the [add your own phone] over the iPhone - it's just a gimmick".

There's also a chance the price might come down. The minimum contract for a free iPhone on O2 at the moment is £44 per month. As cool as the iPhone is, it doesn't actually do anything many other phones haven't done for a good while, and often done better (I'll be reviewing my new and rather cool Sony Ericsson W995 shortly :-).

What do you think? Are all you Orange customers going to be beating down the door at your local shop to join the cool brigade - or are you going to snub the Apple product because they snubbed your favourite mobile operator? Comments below!

Remember Bubbly Bubble Gum? Barley Sugar (my great-grandmas favourite)? Fruit Salads chews? Mint Humbugs? Aniseed Balls? I could go on... and on!

This isn't quite the same as your youth where you'd stare wide eyed at the rows of sweet jars at the local newsagent. Not quite the same as finally watching the nice shop keeper weigh out 2oz of your favourite sugary treat. Not quite the same as handing over the remnants of your pocket money in ½p, 1p and 2p coins.

The prices might have gone up and the personal touch a little lacking but for those unfortunate souls that no longer have a proper local sweet shop "A Quarter Of" can still bring back memories!

Right now they have have some of the last remaining stocks of paper-tube Sherbet Fountains - you know the environmentally friendly decomposable tubes that would often start to decompose as you made your way through the contents! They have a form where you can register your protest against this monstrous change to this valued institution!

Of course if you still have a local sweet shop - keep using it!

Vodafone have put together the first real-time music top 40 using Twitter to cast votes.

If you hear something you like all you have to do is tweet the hash-tag #RealTimeTop40 (if you don't tweet then that will mean nothing to you!) with the name of the artist and the track. Your vote will be automatically counted.

Of course voting is only half the story - you need to see what's currently popular. Vodafone have a special web-site for this : http://www.realtimetop40.com/

The results change as you watch. Looking at it now Patrick Swayze is number one with "She's Like the Wind". You can also vote your favourites up the list by clicking the Vote for This button which takes you to twitter with the tweet already filled in for you.

If you take a look at the GadgetSpeak twitter feed you'll see my vote for Pink - Please Don't Leave Me :-)

Naturally you can buy the tracks from Vodafone's on-line music store!

Obviously there are still a few people out there that don't use Twitter.... aren't there?