Which gadget websites are the best and what kind of products do they sell

Asks Esme Harrison

A. There are loads of sites out there, but some of the best UK ones are the more general, unspecialised sites that offer a wide range of products in different categories, e.g. boys toys, office gadgets, high tech toys, mobile communications.

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They offer product reviews and consumer tests and usually sell their goods at a discount. They are, however, very male-oriented and often centre on boys being boys and wanting to play with high tech toys - girls presumably have more important things to do - but once you get past that they are usually very informative and a good place to shop for bargains and presents.

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Q. Can you recommend some

A. Some of the easiest to navigate and best bargain sites include: http://www.iwantoneofthose.com - this site is great for bargains and unusual gifts. One of its current special offers includes the Rome II MP3 Player. It is one of the smallest MP3 players on the market; it is the same size�as a tape cassette and actually plays like one as it fits into your tape deck. It is available in 32MB and 64MB formats and is operated by rechargeable Nicad battery.

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http://www.firebox.com/home is another good product-based site. Its current promotion is on Motorola's new voice-activated V3690 WAP-phone. Its VoiceNote technology recognises the owner's voice and switches itself on (and off) at your command, while its voice recorder files all your numbers. It comes with 200 minutes of talk time and 115 hours of standby time. One of its more unusual products is The Stone, which could become a new puzzle fad. The game involves a series of interlocking puzzles on a whole host of different subjects. The game takes place on the Internet and instead of using a CD-ROM to play, you have to purchase a black pendant ie 'The Stone.' (�14.95 or �11.95 from this site). The pendent is engraved with six mysterious symbols, which is the code to let you play the game on the official site�- http://www.thestone.com. And unlike other online games, this one has a really cool twist. The twist is to find your Stonemate, for every pendent made there is only one duplicate in the world, once you locate this person online you can assist each other in solving the problems the game selects. It's a very unique idea and very addictive!

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Other good sites include: http://www.21stcentury.co.uk http://www.gadgetsuk.com

http://www.boysstuff.co.uk and http://www.paramountzone.com

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Q. What about gadget magazines are they any good

A. In the UK we have two really good magazines devoted to gadgets - T3 and Stuff�and lots of specialist magazines on individual topics. Again they are targeted at men, hence the bikini-clad women on the front covers, but they are both great reads and keep you in touch with current trends, fads and prices. They both review foreign gadgets especially from Japan, Korea and the US and do in-depth features on new technology and consumer tests.

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So if you're buying a new PDA, MP3 or laptop they'll let you know of the top ten new products on the market and how they rate them. They often feature special offers that you won't find anywhere else, and therefore build on their customer loyalty.

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For example, Stuff magazine's May 2001 issue lets you know how to order Nintendo's brand new handheld Gameboy Advance (GBA) before it goes on general release here in July. It reviews the machine and some of the top games that will be available including Mario Kart, considered by some as the best racing game of all time; Sonic Adventure - since the demise of Dreamcast, Sega is now developing its character for the GBA, so if you always liked Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog from the old-school platform games, you no longer have to choose as both are available here; Chu Chu Rocket (cat and mouse maze game) and Magical Vacation. More information on how to order an advance copy of the GBA is available from http://www.cex.co.uk

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Q. Is it possible to check out new product information directly from the manufacturer

A. It is, but the problem is knowing where to look and when a new product is launched, which is often covered in the magazines and on the web sites. However, if you know of a new launch, you can go direct to the manufacturer's site for more comprehensive information on how it works, but you won't get an unbiased overview.

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A couple of good manufacturer sites are those posted by Sony and Apple. The best way to go about your product research is to do both: check out the magazine reviews and then see what the manufacturer says e.g. Sony's new NW-E5 MP3 player, the first on the market to offer good recording space (96MB or three hours of music) is reviewed in both magazines and Sony can be contacted at http://www.sony.co.uk for the nitty gritty technical spec.

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The same applies for Apple, its two new computers the Apple iMac 500 (available in very cool 'Blue Dalmatian' and 'Flower Power') and the Titanium Powerbook G4 (laptop) have been splashed all over the press in reviews and advertisements, and you can get comprehensive information from Apple at http://www.apple.com.

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By Karen Anderson