Currys stops selling energy-guzzling patio heaters

patio_heater.jpgCurrys, ever keen to announce that they’ve stopped selling something that’s either unfashionable or environmentally unfriendly, has told the British public that they’ll no longer be stocking patio heaters in any of their stores.

According to recent reports, using a patio heater for two hours produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as a car produces on an average day, adding 380,000 tonnes to Britain’s annual CO2 emissions.

Given the Great British weather, it’s no surprise that many people have decided to install outdoor heaters, particularly as a certain genre of DIY / home improvement telly programmes have encouraged doing wonderful and expensive things in the garden.

Opinion: Doesn't anyone have anything better to do than shop on Christmas Day?

Jon_smal.gifJonathan Weinberg writes… It’s meant to be the one day of the year when you can have a total rest. No work (for most of us), nothing to do indoors other than eat, drink and be merry and with no real shops open, no reason to be tempted to spend cash on anything other than spare batteries that you forgot for those gadget presents and some cream for the mince pies.

So what on earth possessed people to finish up their turkey and pigs-in-blankets, watch the Queen’s Speech and then nip upstairs and buy a TV or toaster from the likes of Comet or Currys.

I don’t know, sure Christmas is a time to be with the family, or if not, it’s a time to get drunk on Advocaat or Sherry so that your handy is not even steady enough to use a mouse. It is not the time to be shopping online, no matter how many bargains there might be out there…

Be all ironic with Contexture's 45 cassette-tape Nano case

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There’s so much cassette-tape nostalgia floating around these days, ever since Curry’s announced they would stop selling the format. If cassette coin purses, cassette skulls or cassette-shaped MP3 players don’t float your boat, then you were probably born after 1995 perhaps these Contexture cases for your Nano will?

The Canadian design studio has created one-of-a-kind shelled out cases for your Nano, made from recycled cassette tapes. Extremely…

£40? For a camcorder? What, are Disgo nuts?!

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Hang on, hang on. A video camera for less than £40? And it hasn’t fallen off the back of a truck? How on earth!?

It’s true, and you’ll be able to pick one up this weekend on the high street. Aimed, as most products are these days, at the YouTube generation, it’s a pocket-sized digital video camcorder which weighs no more than a mobile phone. Powered by two AA batteries, it’s simple to use, with only three buttons for one-touch recording…

Opinion: Free laptop deal looks good

Jon_smal.gifJonathan Weinberg writes…

Let’s face it, who among us is ever going to turn down a free gift – especially when it’s worth up to £500. Well, that’s the prospect facing techno shoppers at Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PC World this week.

You couldn’t have failed to see the ads in the newspapers over the weekend proclaiming the gratis machines in return for signing up to broadband with the likes of Orange and AOL. ‘So where’s the catch?’ I hear you ask. ‘There’s always a catch!’

Well, you’re right, to get the free laptop you are tied into a contract with the firms for two years and yes, the machines aren’t super-spec’d enough to suit most Tech Digest readers. But in terms of getting people interested in technology and onto the interweb superhighway, it has to be good news…