If you are like me and like browsing to see what “goodies” are on offer I found Laser’s catalogue a source of considerable joy in locating some of the more obscure bits and pieces.
While writing up the Laser interview with its MD Chris Lau I spent some time pawing over the huge on-line catalogue. In true iTWire fashion we do all the hard work for you - here are a few items that caught my eye.
Retro Turntable: Encore Grand (SPK-TT830WD) A$199.95
It’s a turntable (33, 45, 78 rpm) with a replaceable cartridge and ruby stylus, cassette, CD and AM/FM radio player. It can RIP Vinyl, CD’s or cassettes or AUX IN (not literally) to USB or SD Card. It has Bluetooth so it can also stream music from your smartphone, via AUX IN, USB or SD. And it looks retro and sounds good via twin stereo 2 x 3W speakers, stereo line out, or headphone jack.
There are other turntables and audio accessories in the range.
Dash cams are crash cams: Navig8r 818 Pro X Crashcam (NAVC-818SHD) $349.95
Although one of the higher priced units it is both a GPS navigation device and a cutting-edge crash camera that takes in-vehicle incident recording to the next level with a six element, 165° glass lens, and super HD 1296p @ 30fps video recording for very detailed footage. It has bump (g-force) and save, a 2.7” LCD screen. It has Micro HDMI output for viewing on a TV.
Built exclusively for the Australian market, the Navig8r 818 features on-screen street maps with intelligent alerts for school zones, speed and red light cameras that account for the many varied and specific road rules across the country. Journey review with Google maps, an automatic event recording and park mode which activates camera recording even when your car is unattended.
There many well priced dash cams in the range.
Let the sun shine in: Rugged Solar Power Bank (PB-8000SLED) $ 49.95
It is an 8,000mAh power bank with a solar panel and LED torch and built-in SOS function. Water and dust resistant, I am not sure how fast the solar panel will recharge the device, but it could be handy when venturing in the great outdoors.
I was also impressed with the 6000mAh Qi Wireless Power Bank (PB-6000WC) $39.95 that will act as a Qi charger pad and power bank.
There are lots of power banks in the range.
Multi-USB chargers: 10 USB Port Charging Station (Series) $79.95
I have been looking for something larger than two ports that can deliver the rated amperage to each port. This has 5 x 2.4 Amp/12 Watt ports and or can be used as 10 x 1 Amp/5 Watt ports. It is great for a mix of mobile phones, tablets, power banks, e-books, cameras (action, digital, crash cam), GPS, headphones/headsets, wireless keyboards, gaming controllers, toys and more.
I also noticed commercial grade charge cabinets ranging from 10 to 40 bay for USB and iOS connectors and smartphones and tablets.
Inexpensive and hard to get USB-C accessories:
If you notice all USB-C cables and accessories are damned expensive yet here is a source about 50% less than typical retail. From USB-C to VGA, DVI, and HDMI adaptors with pass-through charging to USB-C to USB-2 printer, mini-USB, micro-USB, and USB-A.
It has an Apple Mac like USB-C adaptor with pass through charging and two USB3.0, MicroSD and SD card support at $69.95 (I have seen the genuine article at well over double that price).
And the notebook charger to rule them all: Uni Charger, 12 Tips, 90w with 1.5A USB $79.95
This charges both Mac and Windows devices as well as USB and takes 120/240/12V (included) inputs. The tips are autosensing, and the LCD readout tells you voltage. At $79.95 it’s a whole lot better and more functional than buying a genuine replacement.
And for the kitch: LED Light Bluetooth Speaker $49.95
I thought I had seen everything but no – a LED light and Bluetooth speaker in one. It uses an Edison screw or Bayonet adapter to plug into any normal light/lamp socket and is billed as “an energy saving LED light and high-quality 4W loudspeaker all in one!” I have heard it and the sound is enlightening. Comes with a remote control as well.
Conclusion
I used to like shopping at the “old” Dick Smith and Jaycar for IT bits and pieces. But Laser has well over 500 interesting accessories and some nice toys, and you can browse and shop online. I have put together my shopping/gift list (yes, it is tragic that I give tech gifts to family and friends), and I think I have saved about 50% off RRP.