Flair way to heaven

Even sitting unpowered on my kitchen bench, it attracted a series of “Now that’s Mickey Mouse” or “What is that?” digs from AV buddies.

Four of us — Froggy, Wolf, MacReagan and I — form an exclusive Audio-Video Sad Tragics Club (AVSTC).

We meet monthly to tech-talk about the latest gear while downing a few beverages.

B&W’s Zeppelin iPod sound system guest-starred at our last AVSTC session.

Froggy is fresh from a stint at Her Majesty’s expense in historic Beechworth.

MacReagan’s job as an airport baggage handler funded his plasma TV, but his ex wants the tele in their property settlement.

Wolfie is single — and single-minded about iPods. He flies into a rage at their mention.

Love or loathe them, Apple’s iPod range has been one of the most successful audio-video products — ever.

Since being unleashed in 2001, more than 150 million of these iconic MP3 players have been sold.

Gear picks

Nokia N95, Rogers, $400 with three-year wireless contract

The Nokia N series smart phone offers so much more fun than mere chatting, and the eight-gigabyte N95 launched recently by Rogers is no exception. Flip it sideways and it shoots five-megapixel photos like a regular handheld digital camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a 20X zoom. The 2.8-inch (seven centimetre) screen can flip between landscape and portrait or upright modes and lets you watch videos or TV, surf the web, or just listen to music. It slides two ways, with one way giving access to the multimedia controls and the other sliding open to reveal the keyboard (www.rogers.com).