John Lewis: iPad Mini to be best

John Lewis has predicted the iPad Mini will be its best selling tech product this Christmas, with tablet sales set to boom in the run up to December 25.

The retailer predicted it will sell one tablet every fifteen seconds over the festive period as people look to upgrade old models.

Both the Samsung Tab 3 and Google Nexus tablets appeared alongside the iPad Mini in the top five predicted best-selling tech items.

Apple released the iPad Mini - which has a screen two inches smaller than the standard iPad - last year and a new version is expected to be unveiled in time for the Christmas sales.

John Lewis said 2013 was set to be the 'year of the big upgrade' in tablets with sales of Samsung and Google versions of the device almost doubling over the past 12 months.

'We have seen big developments in the tablet market this year, with models like the Samsung Galaxy challenging the iPad's top spot and growing its market share,' said Adam Brown, a tablet and telecoms buyer for John Lewis.

'There's been so much development in the tablet market over the past few years that we see this Christmas as the time when many tablet-users will see fit to upgrade their earlier models.'

In the battle of the next-generation video game consoles Microsoft's Xbox One is expected to outsell rival Sony's PlayStation 4.

John Lewis's Robert Hennessey said: 'The Xbox One is the biggest launch this year, not just in gaming, but for the entire entertainment category ... Time will tell which brand continues to deliver the goods, but for now, its advantage Microsoft.'

John Lewis' predicted top 10 selling tech for Christmas 2013

1. iPad Mini

2. Xbox One

3. Samsung Tab 3 Tablet range

4. Google Nexus Tablet

5. Sony Bravia KDL55W905 Smart TV 55'

6. John Lewis Spectrum radio

7. Macbook Pro

8. Sony QX10 & QX100 NFC smart lens

9. Juice Cube

10. Bose Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones

Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) May Buy Teletubbies, Care Bears, Inspector Gadget

Netflix has an opportunity with children, but it may need to lay out some money.

Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) may have its biggest opportunities among children. The market is more likely to binge watch and has a much bigger appetite for re-watching old content, as any parent will know. The company may be looking to take control of popular children's characters like the Telebubbies, Inspector Gadget and the Care Bears, according to a report from .

TV show producer DHX Media Ltd. ( TSE:DHX) owns these characters, and Bloomberg thinks that Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) may be looking to acquire the firm. The company is listed on the Toronto stock exchange, and is worth just over $350 million Canadian dollars on today's market.

Netflix looking at DHX Media

The usefulness of children as a market makes DHX Media Ltd. ( TSE:DHX) an ideal target for Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) if it wants to continue its push into original content. According to the Bloomberg piece, Sameet Kanade, a Toronto-based analyst at Jacob Securities, says that the move would be a 'no-brainer.' DHX Media Ltd. ( TSE:DHX) should fetch at least $5 CAD per share, according to Kanade.

Some of DHX Media Ltd. ( TSE:DHX)'s stable of characters are very recent additions. The company has been busy gathering intellectual property through acquisition. The firm acquired Teletubbies owner Ragdoll Worldwide Ltd. just last month, and bought Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. last year. The second company owns the Care Bears and Inspector Gadget shows.

Netflix for children

Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) is well served by going for the children's market, and the design of the company's platform is aimed toward children in a major way. If children get their hands on Netflix, their parents are more likely to give it a try, increasing the stickiness of the service in households.

Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) is also trying its best to become a force in original content. If the company is serious about becoming a content producer, it will need to invest a huge amount of money. Buying a producer of children's content could be the best way to get into the industry.

Netflix, Inc. ( NASDAQ:NFLX) needs to continue to add content and value to its service if it wants to make them more valuable and bring in more revenue to other countries. With a lot of cash in its pocket, the company may be looking for a firm to buy. According to Bloomberg, DHX Media Ltd. ( TSE:DHX) may be top of the list.

A Super

The typical skateboard is made of laminated wood. Wood is durable, relatively lightweight, and has the flex and bounce required by the average sidewalk surfer. What it's not is waterproof or particularly exciting. The Hydroflex Skateboard has all these attributes, plus it comes with a honeycomb-on-acid design.

Hydroflex is actually known more for its 3-D surfboard glassing technique that's used in boards from Lost, Surf Prescriptions, and Proctor. Instead of just wrapping the shaped expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polyurethane (PU) foam boards in fiberglass or epoxy, the company uses a glassing technique that roots the fiberglass and resin into the foam about an eighth to a quarter of an inch. This prevents the epoxy from separating from the foam core of the surfboard known as delamination. The skateboards take this system and go one step further with injected color resin.

The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam and tri-axle fiberglass core of the skateboard are tougher than the foam core of Hydroflex surfboards. The stronger core is formed into a honeycomb pattern. That is then placed into a two-part hard mold where the epoxy resin is injected. Two colors of resin are injected to give each board it's own unique color combination. The result is a durable skateboard that when held to light, glows.

The construction, while light is still very durable with the edges, nose, and tail reinforced internally. During break tests at Hydroflex, the boards were stronger than wood boards. Plus, unlike wood, the foam and fiberglass boards can be molded into any shape Hydroflex desires. Of course, it would probably be in their best interest to continue making them actually look like skateboards.

A kickstarter for the boards is already well on its way to being funded. And when the boards become available at the beginning of next year, you'll be able to choose from deck designs like the Crilla Micro-cruiser ($90), the Beach Leach ($110), and the Angler downhill/freeride board ($230).

Roberto is a Wired Staff Writer for Gadget Lab covering cord-cutting, e-readers, home technology, and all the gadgets that fit in your backpack. Got a tip? Send him an email at: roberto_baldwin [at] wired.com.

Read more by Roberto Baldwin

Follow @strngwys on Twitter.

It includes the world's first laptop, the pop up toaster and the PlayStation 4

The list was compiled following a survey of 3,900 gadget lovers It includes the world's first laptop, the pop up toaster and the PlayStation 4 It also shows how gadgets have made a huge impact on our health over the last century, starting with the design of the artificial heart in 1941

By Ellie Zolfagharifard

PUBLISHED: 06:00 EST, 8 October 2013 | UPDATED: 06:42 EST, 8 October 2013

Does it make you feel old to know that Dyson's dustbag-free vacuum is 20 this year?

Or that the much-loved Sony Walkman and the world's first ever laptop, the Epson HX-30, are both over 30 years old?

These are just a few of the gadgets that have made it onto the 100 gadgets of the past century that we can't live without, with technologies ranging from humble zip to the Playstation 4.

The list reveals how, despite the pace of technological development, gadgets invented at the start 20th Century still play a major part of our everyday lives today.

One example is the zip, a gadget that we use in everything from tents, suitcases to jackets and pencil cases.

But the technology, which was developed around 1913, was slow to catch on with the public.

It wasn't until Esquire magazine touted the zips as the newest tailoring idea for men' in the 1950s, that zips really took off.

In 1917, 24,000 zippers were sold. Today, Japan's YKK, which makes close to half of all the zips in the world, churns out 7.2 billion zips a year.

The invention of the world's first laptop, the Epson HX-20, in 1981, shows just how rapidly technology is moving forward.

The Epson HX-20 had a four-line by 20-character LCD screen, a cassette tape for data storage and even a small printer.

This was all packaged into a stylish silver casing and the entire system had a battery life of around 50 years.

The list also shows just how gadgets have made a huge impact on our health and fitness over the last century, starting with the design of the artificial heart in 1941.

This was followed swiftly by the kidney dialysis machine three years later, the breathalyser in 1955, the hearing aid a year later and the pacemaker in 1958.

Technology has also become an integrated and much loved part of our kitchens thanks to inventions like Pyrex in 1915, the pop up toaster in 1919 and the electric kettle in 1922.

The modern day can opener made an appearance in 1925 just seven years ahead of its electric counterpart.

The Teasmade has been brightening many a morning since 1933 and the microwave oven and Kenwood's food mixer have been helping us make light work of cooking since the 40s.

The list was compiled following a survey of 3,900 gadget fans commissioned by Gadget Show Live.

'When we talk about gadgets, we often talk in terms of the 80s onwards - of phones, laptops and music systems,' said Gadget Show Live event manager Katie Tozer.

'But gadgets have been around for hundreds of years. This list, which takes us right back to 1913 with the invention of the zip, a gadget that was so influential it's still in daily use today - is just the tip of the iceberg and it shows just how integral and essential they have become to the way we live, work and enjoy life today.'

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL GADGET LAUNCHES OF THE PAST 100 YEARS

Step away from the gadgets and nobody will get hurt

Summary: Smartphones and tablets tap into the vast information superhighway, and the lure to always be doing that is very powerful.

(Image: CNET)

The scene: any restaurant in any town. Two or more folks are sitting at a table, not saying a word. They all have a smartphone in hand, tapping or swiping on the screen, totally ignoring one another.

You've almost certainly seen this more than once, maybe even today. Odds are you've been in that group staring at the phone, instead of interacting with those around you.

Don't miss the special feature: BYOD and the Consumerization of IT

The lure of always being connected to work, the web, and acquaintances other than the ones you happen to be with, is great. There's a vast amount of information out there and the thought of being disconnected from it, even for a short while, makes you uncomfortable. So, you always have a tablet or phone in hand, even when you should be relaxing.

This is common, and it's eroding the ability that many have to disengage from work. Whether the gadget at hand is supplied by the employer, one in a BYOD program, or a purely personal device, it's constantly connecting the user to the job.

I'll bet most folks are actively handling work tasks more hours than ever before. Maybe it's to read and respond to an email from a coworker, return a text message, or look at the latest financial spreadsheet. Whatever the activity, it is causing thoughts to shift back to work instead of focussing on the leisure activity at hand.

It's common sense that it's wise to take frequent breaks from work during the day. It lets the body, and more importantly the mind, recharge by standing down from the pressures of work. Just a few minutes away from the problems and stress of work-related activities can go a long way to allowing both the body and mind to relax and escape.

In addition to work breaks, it's more important to step away from the tablet or phone during off hours. It does little good to leave the office for a lunch break and to spend the entire time handling work stuff on the gadget at hand. The lunch break should be spent relaxing and getting away from the job, not continuing to work.

After work hours it's crucial to do the same, put the phone down when out with family and friends. Talk to them about anything but work. Escape from the rat race when provided an opportunity to do so. No email, texts, nor surfing the web. Take advantage of the down time to give your mind a good recharge. This will pay bigger dividends in the long run than any benefits gotten through working all of those extra hours.

The following rules can go a long way to helping relax instead of working:

No phone nor tablet when out with others. No exceptions. When dining alone, no working on a phone or tablet. Reading novels is the only exception. Ignore notifications for incoming email, social media updates, and text messages when dining or taking a break.

Following these guidelines can help anyone get much needed down time. It won't be easy to break old habits, it may take a strong effort to disengage from work and the web. The only sure way to do it is to step away from the gadgets and enjoy life regularly.

As ZDNet's Jason Perlow says, keeping one's attention on a gadget can steal moments that will be lost forever. That's very true, and just as importantly it prevents giving the mind a much needed rest.

Don't just take a vacation break once a year, take little breaks whenever possible. And keep the gadget out of your hand when you do.

See related: The ABC's of BYOD for the SMB BYOD: Death of the nonworking vacation? 5 things not to do when telecommuting Home workers: Get out and meet people

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