Hot wired: Here's a real wind-up

Grundig's Eton FR300

Any publicity may well indeed be good publicity, but on the other hand there has been little mention of the US$100 ($164) laptop since Kofi Annan rather awkwardly broke its crank handle when demonstrating one to the world's media last November.

Was it a wind-up? I couldn't possibly say, but in keeping with this auspicious (suspicious?) day, here are some home - and field - entertainment products which most certainly are.

The Freeplay Devo is a portable DAB (that's Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio that works on mains, battery and wind-up power and claims premium quality sound from its high performance 0.5 watt speaker.

The digital auto-tune function means there's no crackle or hiss and just 60 seconds of winding gives a whole hour of FM listening time.

As well as vastly improved sound quality, DAB radio provides access to a far greater choice of stations - as long as you are using it in Europe.

Freeplay's Summit multi-band radio is perhaps more our cup of billy tea. It features digital tuning on AM/FM and shortwave with 30 station memory presets as well as a clock with snooze and alarm.

It can operate from wind-up (crank) dynamo, solar energy, or via its rechargeable NiMH battery, making it ideal for camping, boating, at the beach or on the road in your caravan.

A full AC charge may take up to a day while a full charge by direct sunlight will take approximately 40 hours - which on reflection does make it more ideal for elk hunting trips in the endless Scandinavian summer than for wintry South Island tramps.

For those less concerned with audio versatility and more interested in personal safety in such remote areas, Global Marketing Technologies SL9000 combines an AM/FM radio with a rugged solar powered lantern and sonic alarm.

The 9W fluorescent tube also has a strobing emergency light and the folding solar panel will provide three hours of power from eight hours of charging in bright sunlight.

Grundig's Eton FR300 is an all-in-one emergency radio unit that, while less hardy, is even more versatile. The FR300 provides you with AM/FM radio plus TV VHF channels, so you can catch The Simpsons audio or listen to the TV weather forecast from your hilltop bivouac.

It is also an LED torch with emergency blinking light as well as an emergency cellphone charger. The hand-crank charges the internal rechargeable Ni-MH battery, with just 90 seconds of winding providing up to an hour of radio play.

Several common cellphone power adapters (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Siemans, Sony/Ericsson) are included.

Not quite in the same league perhaps, more a pull-down than a wind-up, is the NexxTech toilet tissue dispenser which comes complete with AM/FM radio.

I'm not fooling with you.