What's New Week ending: 10 October 2008
Waterproof TV makes a splash in Japan
The Panasonic home offers perfect conditions for entertainment
A 'wellness' wall featuring a life-size yoga instructor to take you through your paces and a TV you can watch in the shower are among the more unusual products at the CEATEC consumer electronics show in Japan.
We popped over to Tokyo to plough through the hundreds of exhibition stands and pick out the top products on display.
See our full CEATEC report for more on Panasonic future technologies, Sony's thinnest digital camera yet, 3D TVs, and Gesture TV, which allows you to change the channels, volume and viewing options with the mere wave of a hand.
The new Renault Laguna Coupe unveiled at the Paris Motor Show
Peugeot's Prologue to the Paris Motor Show
We've been in Paris this week too, where Peugeot’s main concept car is the Prologue, a hybrid concept hatchback with a 200bhp powertrain yet CO2 emissions of just 109g/km.
The show also features Renault's revamped Mégane and the new hybrid from Honda - the Insight has a hybrid petrol/electric engine.
See our motor show report for the run down on the main launches from the big name manufacturers.
The BMW 3 Series has a new look - we give it a onceover
BMW's class-leading 3 Series gets a facelift
The BMW 3 Series outsells every other large car in the UK and now it's been subject to a 'life cycle impulse' - or facelift, in other words.
So what's changed and has BMW managed to refresh without spoiling a winning formula?
We had a good look at an entry-level 318i SE saloon and took it for a drive to check under-the-bonnet performance.
Lab results for Panasonic's flagship LCD TV
Panasonic adds to the Viera collection with the TX37LZD800 - and we've full test results online now.
It’s a top-of-the range 37-inch HD-ready 1080p LCD TV, it has plenty of features and we've plenty to say about it. Plus we've also got new results for DVD recorders.
How do the price comparison sites compare?
Get the best out of price comparison websites
Price comparison sites are big business these days but they can be confusing.
So we set about investigating the big names sites comparing products including travel and car insurance and credit cards to see how good the quotes and products they offer are, how clear the information they provide is and how useful they are for making sure you get the best deals on insurance and credit.
You may want to check out our findings before making your next comparison.
Plus, if you're worried about savings with the financial world in turmoil, we've got advice on the nationalisation of Bradford & Bingley and what it could mean for you.
Make sure you don't get sow-sow seeds
Get the best seeds for the best results in your garden
If your plants didn’t flourish this summer it could be the seeds rather than your green fingers at fault.
Which? Gardening’s annual seed report has revealed that, once again, a number of leading flower and vegetable seed brands are still not up to scratch. In one packet of pepper seeds, all nine seeds were dead, while a packet of parsnip seeds contained 80% dead seed.
See our full report to find out which are the suppliers you can rely on for seed quality - and if you don't have much space in your garden we also have advice on growing plants in pots, including edible ones.
