charlie's Journal: What did I buy?

Not a lot, really. However, I discovered a couple of coolish things.

• Dixons (large chain electronics store) has branches in the duty-free sections of most UK airports. They're selling Palm M505's for 254 including tax, way below the street price.
• There's a Japanese shopping mall in Hendon, North London , and they're having a half-price sale of very nice crockery -- bowls, tableware, ornamental stuff, all imported, all Japanese, at about a third what you'd pay for it elsewhere.
• The stall at Camden Market that sells Theremins -- including a DIY desktop model for 30 -- was impossible to locate on a crowded Saturday. (Anyone know of a good source of compact theremins?) However Cyberdog was well worth a visit.
• M & L Engraving of Derby engrave pewter and glassware, and make leather goods. Send them 40 and they'll build you a custom-made Palm Pilot belt pouch -- with room for a folding keyboard -- to order. And what a pouch! We're talking about quarter-inch thick hide with a fabric-lined brass plate inside it so that if you sit on your PDA it will survive. As this is a tenner cheaper than the official Palm product (and infinitely more durable), I had to order one.