Off Duty, Technology - Air Force Times

Turn LPs into MP3s — and other new gadgets

Play, copy those old record albums

Whether you’re nostalgic for albums or eager to experience traditional sounds, the Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB LP-to-Digital Recording System can bring old records to life. Designed to connect to a PC with a USB connection as well as a home stereo system, the AT-LP2D-USB can play 12-inch albums as well as 7-inch singles. Like what you hear? You can use the included software to transfer the music to digital files that can be played back on a computer or MP3 player. The system includes a USB stereo turntable, a phono cartridge and cables for both a PC and stereo hookup. It costs $229.

www.audio-technica.com

Headset ready for music phones

When a call comes in while you’re listening to music on your phone, you don’t have to fumble to find the right key. With Klipsch’s S2m In-Ear Headset, you can answer the incoming call with a touch of a button and get the conversation started with its in-line microphone. Designed to work with phones with a 3.5mm headphone jack, the headset has rounded soft ear tips that provide a comfortable fit while blocking ambient sounds. It costs $60.

www.klipschspeakers.com

Portable drive provides personal touch

Have trouble remembering what you stored where? Verbatim’s Insight Portable USB Hard Drive can help. Not only can you give the drive a name, such as “Party Tunes” or “Mom’s Pics” but the drive’s name will appear on its display, even when the drive isn’t plugged into a computer. A 320-gigabyte drive costs $120 while a 500GB drive is $150. Each drive ships with Nero BackItUp Essentials with automatic backup, restore functions, data encryption and password controls.

www.verbatim.com

Samsung camera features long zoom

Photographers can take the long view with the Samsung HZ25W, a 12.5-megapixel camera loaded with a powerful 24X (26mm to 624mm-equivalent) optical zoom lens that can be used to snap photos and capture 720p HD video. The camera has both manual and auto focusing options, including the ability to automatically select shooting modes for different types of pictures. Images can be framed with the camera’s electronic viewfinder or on its three-inch LCD screen. When you’re ready to review your photos, the camera can search for images based on their date, color tones and even the faces in the shots. Available in October, the camera will cost about $400.

www.samsungusa.com