So this will actually be my last blog post here on Gotta Have. It’s been an enjoyable 6 months and I hope you have enjoyed reading the stories almost as much as I’ve enjoyed putting them out there. As a final blog post I just thought I’d give you a top 3 run-down of my own personal opinion of the must have gadgets. And yes these are three gadgets which I personally own and couldn’t do without.

At number 3 it’s the XB360, my number one choice when it comes to Gaming. Sure 2008 could be an interesting time for the PS3, but for me the XB360 is still where it’s at. The range of games, the superior online functions and the upcoming IPTV mean that this is still the console to buy if you want it all. Oh and with the rumoured BluRay addition you really could have it all by the end of the year.

At number 2 and only recently moved from the top spot, is the SlingBox.  It was around this time 2 years ago, when travelling on business to Boston (and by doing so missing the FA Cup final match between Liverpool and West Ham) that I realised I needed something that allowed me to watch live TV. As if by magic I heard over the next few days of the SlingBox and within 2 weeks I had my very own. I use this not only when travelling, but also when at home and perhaps wanting to watch some TV out in the garden. This device was, up until 1 week ago my favourite gadget.

At number 1, and this has only just taken this place, it’s my brand new iMac.  All I have to say is why did it take me so long to make the switch. This thing is just pure sweetness and light. Of course one of the main reasons why I left it until now to make the switch was my need for gaming on the PC. Now of course I do most of my gaming on my various consoles, however last night I actually installed WoW on the iMac. It blew me away ! One of my other main passions is photography and the 24″ screen of the iMac is just perfect for this.

So there you have it - my top 3 gadgets (at the moment that is - 3G iPhone anyone)

And that’s about it from me. Hope you have enjoyed the past 6 months. I’m off to let my credit card cool down a little before moving into the second half of 2008 and all the gadget goodness that will bring.

So with spring well and truly upon it’s easy to see the dramatic change in the landscape outdoors. You get a real sense of the rising temperatures when you take a closer look at some of the creepy crawlers that are emerging from their winter hide-aways. It’s at times like this that if you are into your photography at all you may want to consider a macro lens. A macro lens will open up a whole new world of photography, and even subjects which perhaps looking dull and uninteresting using a normal lens will come alive under the treatment of a true macro lens.

If you are considering a macro lens then you could do a lot worse than looking at the Sigma 105mm (this one is for the Canon mount) The 105mm zoom is particularly useful if you are interested in taking shots of bugs, especially those such as dragonflies which are easily spooked (remember when positioned on a digital SLR body this 105mm will actually become closer to 160mm). A maximum aperture of f/2.8 will allow for greater control over your close ups without having to always resort to using a tripod.

I find autofocus on a lot of macro lenses to be notoriously slow but most reviews show this one to be useable under normal circumstances and although not silent, it is not so loud as to be annoying (again useful when you are trying to get a shot without scaring your subject away) I’ve also held this lens myself and it’s lower price perhaps hides the fact that this is an extremely well put together bit of kit, feeling quite solid in ones hand.

If you are considering getting into macro photography, and I for one would recommend it, for the upcoming warmer months then this would be my lens of choice.

So I know the summer is almost upon us and we should be thinking about things to do outside, but given the track record of the UK weather over the past couple of years it may be a good idea to stock up on some movies to pass the time as you wait for the showers to clear. In the past few weeks there have been some fantastic releases, and if you didn’t get a chance to catch them at the cinema first time around, then you may want to consider picking them up on Bluray disk.

First of how about I am Legend.  The tale of one mans fight for survival in a deserted New York. Will Smith plays the part of a sole survivor in this famous American city after a plague has wiped out most of man-kind leaving any survivors as blood thirsty zombies. Unlike some of the Zombie films of the past these guys can get around at top speeds which makes for some great action sequences. Personally I think these were some of the best zombie special effects to date and I for one can’t wait to see them in High Def.

I can also highly recommend Enchanted, which in my opinion is another winner from Disney which will be a sure fire hit for kids of all ages. I actually watched this on a flight during my recent trip and even though it was on a small screen with terrible audio I highly enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see it again, this time with the Bluray treatment.

Finally another disk I can’t wait to get my hands on is 3:10 to Yuma,  a gritty story of a small-time rancher who desperate for money agrees to hold a captured outlaw who’s awaiting a train to go to court in Yuma. If you are even the slightest bit interested in Westerns then you will want to pick this one up - it’s fantastic.