Stuff Gadget Awards 2012 – Tech Accessory of the Year winner

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Synology DiskStation DS212j

Network-attached storage drives are normally about as exciting as attending Belgium’s BeigeCon in a minibus with the National Paint Drying Observers Association – but Synology’s DiskStation DS212j is different. How can you fail to be excited by its dual hard drive bays, ready and waiting to be filled with up to a whopping 4TB each? Or the excellent iOS and Android apps that make uploading and downloading files a cinch when out and about. Not forgetting the DLNA streaming and USB port that allows you to plug in a pair of speakers and play music direct from the drive, or iTunes server functionality which makes home streaming the work of seconds. With all that excitement, it’s no wonder it doesn’t come in beige. Read review

Runners-up…

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0

With a 720p cam, new flight tracking functionality and impressive aerobatic tricks, the AR. Drone 2.0 is a worthy sequel.

Sphero

Connected by Bluetooth and controlled by your smartphone, we’re pretty sure that the go-everywhere Sphero is the most fun you can have with just one ball.

Sennheiser U 320

Sennheiser brings its audio smarts to gaming headsets with these cans, complete with separate game/voice volume controls.

HP Envy 110

Small, stylish and kitted out with plenty of wireless connectivity (such as its very own email address), the Envy is a printer to be proud of, not hide away.

Akai Synthstation25

Just download Akai’s SynthStation app, slot your iPhone into this 25-key keyboard, and turn your blower into a full-on synth.

Amazon Kindle

You could write an ebook on why the Kindle is the world’s best e-reader (it’s fast, the huge ecosystem) but just this one will do: it only costs £70.

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.