Whether you want to jazz up the look of your smartphone or tablet, protect its beautiful lines or add to its already considerable capabilities, there are some great-looking gadgets built just for Android
JAYBIRD SPORTSBAND 2 £99; www.advancedmp3players.co.ukThese Jaybird Bluetooth headphones are some of the loveliest wire free sets we've encountered. The sturdy-but-slim headband, well thought out controls for accepting calls and adjusting the volume and the comfort of the cushioning that rests against the head all appeal. A choice of nine colours is also available.
Base controller £349;
extra modules from £79 each; Android app free; www.sonos.com
If you like to have music wherever you go and to be able to change the track or the volume, this high-tech, high-fidelity marvel is one of the swankiest options around. And you can use your Android phone as a controller.
£349; www.myechostar.com
This Echostar media-streaming box uses Slingbox's 'location-shifting' concept to send footage from your PVR or a media hard drive to your Android phone or tablet. Up to 150 channels can be viewed, so you use the Echostar to access live programmes you wouldn't otherwise be able to tune in to. You'll need the £18.16 SlingPlayer Mobile app, too.
$39; www.case-mate.com
Case Mate has designed some smart cases for the Dell Streak 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. These denim-style folio cases are cleverly designed to act as a stand for the tablet, as well as protecting it from wear and tear.
£39; www.solartechnology.co.uk
The Freeloader Classic is a more powerful version of a solar charger. Though not limited to Android devices, its mini USB connection means it will work with any handset that uses such a connection. The Classic has a 1200mAh battery as well as 50mAh crystalline solar cells to soak up the rays.
HAUPPAUGE BROADWAY 2T
£299; www.hauppauge.co.uk
Turn your Android tablet into a portable TV by adding a wireless TV receiver. The Hauppauge Broadway 2T works with tablets and laptops, and simply requires a Wi-Fi or 3G connection over which to stream live TV programmes. Hauppauge is touting the ability to work with iPads and iPhones, but Android, Windows and Mac laptops and tablets are all supported.
From $59; www.powermat.com
Powermat recently unveiled more wireless chargers and this time it's looking to keep Android fans suitably powered up. The Powermat 2X conductive charger with Powercube takes a slightly different tack frcm previous models of the inductive charging gadget. It has charging tips for specific gadget types, such as Android smartphones.
£15; www.proporta.com
Proporta sells an extensive range of cases and covers for smartphones and tablets of every kind. We like the look of the Mizu II range, with its focus on soft fabrics and muted colours. This particular case fits larger Android phones such as the Google Nexus One.
£199; www.visioneer.com
This 51x70x293mm device is a neat self-contained scanner. It has an SD Card slot and comes with a 1GB memory card to which scanned in items are stored. The scanner can produce colour or black and white PDFs or Jpeg images.
£99; www.archos.com
If you're taken with the Android interface and want more devices that use it, the Archos eBook reader could just fit the bill. An alternative to getting a tablet, it has a colour screen, stores hundreds of books on its 4GB internal memory and comes primed with Wi-Fi. The 600MHz processor may not sound that beefy, but since it's serving up only web pages, a few lightweight apps and your eBooks, it ought to be enough.
£39; www.voixltd.com
If you sometimes prefer to use an 'actual' keyboard to type out lengthy memos, the Voix Bluetooth keyboard is worth considering. It sports an attractive tiled keyboard that takes up admirably little space and also doesn't add much heft to an already bulging briefcase: it weighs just 286g. This includes the weight of the built-in rechargeable battery
£19; www.bullguard.com
With intelligent gadgets storing more and more of our personal details, it's increasingly important to ensure the information stored on them is kept under lock and key. If your smartphone or tablet ends up in someone else's hands, they have access to almost every aspect of your communications. Security software such as BullGuard can help, even checking for keylogging software embedded in the apps you download from the Android Market and other download sites.
£TBC; www.samsung.co.uk
Sticking with the idea of complementary Android devices, comes Samsung's equivalent to the iPod touch. The Galaxy S Wi-Fi player comes in 4in and Sin screen variants and runs Android 2.2. A 3.2Mp camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Google Maps and support for DNLA media sharing means it's all geared up for beaming music and video over your home.
£99; www.pogoplug.com
There are plenty of devices that enable you to stream content to or from your Android tablet or phone so you can view your photos or video clips on a large screen TV or a PC monitor. The Pogoplug is the funkiest-looking option we've seen. It allows you to remotely access your files and to view them wherever you like. The device works best over a gigabit Ethernet connection, but also over Wi-Fi and has a free Android app so you can easily get to the items you want.
£19; www.proporta.com
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a lovely tablet and we really don't want it to get knocked or scratched. Invest in this leather-look pouch and you'll ensure it's the protective case that looks like it's taken a beating. A clip stops the Tab from sliding out, while inside is a luxuriously soft lining to keep your favourite gadget scratch-free.
£89; www.freedominput.com
We haven't worked out why this is more than twice the price of the Voix Genie, but we guess its down to its diminutive size and its suitability for connecting to a smartphone rather than a tablet. The fold-up keyboard offers a full-size keyboard and dedicated control keys for specific smartphone and tablet functions.
£212; uk.creative.com
The Creative ZiiSound D5 makes it very easy to free up the tunes stored on your Android handset and plays them in crystal clear quality. Since it's Bluetooth, you just need to pair the D5 with whatever smartphone or MP3 player you have.
$99; www.seagate.com
The Seagate GoFlex USB hard drive is just 9mm thick and packs in 320GB of hard disk space. It also sports USB 3.0 connectivity and promises backups and file transfers up to 10 faster than with an equivalent USB 2.0 drive.
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