Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are no stranger to popular ratings and high praise from lounge room party goers, but they are set to be seen as too easy now with the release of the new guitar gaming controller.

The controller accompanies the up coming video game release, Power Gig: Rise of the Six String, which is expected to be available for purchase later this year.

The new accessory boasts half a dozen strings, functioning not only as a regular gaming controller for the game, but it also doubles up as an actual electric guitar which can be plugged into an amp.

Both the game and guitar will be sold together, where experienced guitarists can go for the option of chording.

Chording is a whole lot more challenging for users and requires specific finger placement on the strings: perfect for any experienced guitarist, but not so great for beginners.

The game will be available for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. There is no word on the pricing of either items at just yet.

In case you have never heard of Seven45, they are the sister company to First Act, a brand which manufactures music instruments.

Back in the day it was near impossible to go for a run with those huge and oversized portable tape players bulging out of our pockets.

Then there were Discmans, which were also too bulky, and then the MP3 player, which still was larger than we would have liked.

Finally, Apple came to save the day with the iPod, but while the music players are great and small enough to barely notice while exercising, there is still the issue of having the annoying headphones getting tangled and caught in just about everything while moving around.

Thankfully there is something to help us here too!

The iLocket is the new iPod accessory designed to ensure your iPod earphones are neat and tidy.

The device is a flip open plastic case that holds your headphones inside it.

Once it’s flipped open, there’s a spot to wind the cord around.  After it’s all wound up, the end for your ears comes out the top and then there is a small hole for the other end to come out the bottom.

One thing it will definitely do is keep away all the excess scrod from annoying you.

On the back, you will find a clip that you can clip to your clothing to keep the cable from getting tangled with other things while you work out.

The iLocket can be picked up for just under $5 from most websites, including Amazon.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to have music with you when your neck deep in water, then this device is the best for you.

Rather than sit on the decking far away from your ears and splashing of the water, the waterproof speaker can actually bob around with you while you swim and still play your favorite music loud and clear. 

The speaker is also an MP3 player that comes with  an alarm clock and an FM/AM tuner and stereo speakers.

On the inside of the protective waterproof cover you can plug in an SD/SDHC card or even a USB drive to get the tunes you have on hard drive.

Water wise, the device is IPX7-certified, meaning it can withstand immersion in water up to a depth of 1m for up to 30 minutes.

With a medium size of 165×160×165mm, the Music Planet Waterproof Speaker is sure not to get in the way too much while swimming around.

Six AA batteries that last long enough to listen to MP3s stored on an SD card for 13 hours power the device.

The only downside to this product is that it is a Japanese product, meaning it may be hard to get your hands on.

There are a few websites, which sell the device, but even then it is hard to understand the text and buying one is made near impossible!

If you can manage to find one, then you will probably find yourself $120 out of pocket.

Let’s have a look at the available options when it comes to filming someone without them knowing it.

Firstly you could try the hidden camera technique. While it is good, it is usually too far away and doesn’t truly capture the raw emotion that you would up close.

Secondly, there are many hidden camera types, such as ones in your bracelet, head etc, however once again these may stuff up if you have to turn around, or the person may begin to get suspicious when he sees you hand constantly aimed at him!

There is, however, a new option available: the flashlight-hidden video camera.

As the title suggests, the design is a basic torch with a hidden camera inside that comes with night vision capabilities.

The good thing is that you can flash the light in their face and they would never catch on that you are filming them!

Of course, the night vision is good only as long as you are no more than eight feet away from your subject, since that is as far as the night vision range works in complete darkness.

This new filming device can be picked up for around $150.

SPECS:

•    8 Ft Night vision Range for Video, Snapshots, or Audio Only in Complete Darkness
•    640 x 480 at 30 FPS Full Screen High Resolution Video
•    Looks and Functions as an Ordinary Flashlight
•    5-Hour Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
•    8 GB Micro SD Support for Over 20 Hours Recorded Video
•    Records Audio and Color Video

Whether you are out in the city and about to make an important call, or driving miles away from home without a car charger, when your battery dies it is as annoying as anything in life!

Thankfully for iPhone users only, there is a great little gadget to ensure this problem happens less often.

Of all the iPhone accessories out there, the iPhone Booster Stick is one to pay attention to.

What it does is charge your phone, or give it extra charge, by plugging in a USB stick into the bottom of it.

The Booster Stick comes with two Eneloop Nickel-Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries that will give an approximate run time of 90 minutes.

It doesn’t come with a USB cable, so unfortunately you will have to buy that one separately.

The Booster Stick is perfect for any iPhone user who regularly forgets how much battery life they have, or someone who uses their phone so much that they cannot go a day without having to charge it.

The good thing is that it is not only for iPhones, but it will work for anything from music players, to mobile phones and onto portable game consoles.

The Japanese made gadget can be found through selected stores for just under $50.

The folk down at Stanley’s have conjured up one of the most indestructible outdoor stereos on the market, which will be sure to keep your ears entertained while you work.

At face value, the stereo looks more like a generator than it does a music machine with steel bars, hardened plastic and rubber all but completely covering the stereo.

What it means is that it can withstand all the dangers that would usually exist for a normal, unprotected, jobsite radio.

You can drop it off the roof and it will still work, you can hit it with a hammer and you can even let it sit in the rain wile you work inside and it will STILL work!!!

In short, this outdoor stereo is the toughest on the market and a perfect present of gift for any tradesman or outdoor worker.

The radio comes with AM/FM capabilities as well as being USB and SD compatible.

It is also capable of working with your MP3 player and has a digital LCD display and an AUX input.

The best part about the Stanley stereo is that it comes with little to no hassle to use.

You plug it in and let it play without having to worry about dust, rain or dirt getting into it.

If you like what you see and hear then you can grab a Stanley outdoor stereo for yourself for just over $50 from selected stores and websites including www.toolsnow.com

In particular Nokia’s have continued to satisfy customers day in and day out for the past decade.

Now they have unveiled their latest design, the Linux based smartphone, the N900.

Available on our shores in April, the N900 comes with a hybrid touch screen, a QWERTY keyboard and a massive list of added features.

The store will be sold in major stores around Australia including Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi, and phone stores Crazy Johns, Telechoice and Allphones.

The N900 was released globally around six months ago, but as usual, Australia has to wait until almost last to get our hands on it.

In terms of the design, the N900 won’t let many users down. It has a stylish operating system and its slick, clean look will be sure to turn a few head while using.

In summary, users who don’t mind spending a little time getting to know a new system, the Nokia N900 is really a great buy.

It has been a long time n the waiting to find a phone with the N900’s capabilities matched with its stellar performance and now the N900 is pushing smartphones to even higher levels.

Not that Google and Apple have to worry about too much at this stage, but it is a wake up call that there are other competitors breathing down their necks.

The N900 is expected to retail at around $900.

In short, the new system enables people of all ages and musical skill level to create and make their own music by breaking laser beam paths and creating changing sounds.

To set the device up you will need the three CDs that come with the package, along with one for a tutorial on how to become good at laser music!

The CDs contain 30 original Beamz tracks that the user can play with and improvise onto like a DJ.

The Beamz Music System hooks up to your laptop or desktop via a USB stick and it is through the computer in which the laser breaks register and in return deliver sound.

The package includes an entire digital music system that plays over a hundred instruments and sound variations that span over 20 musical genres.

30 Beamz songs are included to get you started and you’ll receive five more to download for free!

The Beamz Interactive Music Systems begin at just under $200, and if you are after the more advanced version that comes with a studio software package it is selling for around the $300 mark.

Standard package includes: Beamz instrument, Beamz Player Software, USB cable, 2 Beamz Music CDs, Quick Start Guide and DVD Instructional Video.

Both are available for purchase at the Beamz website: www.thebeamz.com