Wireless with less hassle

One of the PSP's niftiest features is its wireless connectivity; an excellent implementation, it enables you to play games against other PSP gamers over the net with barely a button press and no fiddly cable swapping (it's 'wireless', right?). Clearly you need a wireless network within range that your PSP can hook into, though, and while most PSP owners probably have broadband internet connections at home these days, far fewer have yet gone wireless. (Trips to Starbucks to take advantage of their wireless access can get expensive as well as inconvenient!)

Sony doesn't seem bothered by this situation (unlike Nintendo, which has released its own wireless access device for the DS) so it's a good thing that kit maker Datel has stepped up to the plate to target PSP owners. At £29.99, the WiFi MAX plugs into a USB port on your net-connected PC to create a wireless access point. You can then connect to the internet and play online-enabled multiplayer games with other PSP gamers across the world, without needing to ramp up your PC with a full-on wireless home network and router.

WiFi MAX supports up to five 'local' PSP gamers at a time and comes with software to help you manage the transfer of MP3s and video files between your PSP and PC. And the techies will be pleased to hear it's based on the 'Wireless G' technical standard, which means it's five times faster than a basic WiFi connection.

Note, you DON'T need the WiFi MAX if you've already got a wireless access point onto your home PC; there's nothing special about the PSP that demands its own special WiFi hardware. But by the same token, Datel's quick and easy solution will enable other WiFi-enabled devices such as laptops, PDAs or even your Nintendo DS to go wireless too.