

The Pool-Mate is like a pedometer for swimmers: it counts your laps (lengths), tots your total distance, efficiency, speed, calories and so on. That said, what it’s built for, it does very well. It does have a bit of processing power and runs an algorithm or two, but what doesn’t these days? Now if only there was an Aga-in-a-Pack.Ĭost€155 (.uk or from .uk)Ĭomputer When Swimovate, who make the Pool-Mate, call it a computer, they’re pushing the boat out a little. One way or another, it puts it up to your neighbouring campers in the not-quite-so-wild outdoors. But it will get the soup piping hot or scramble your eggs. It’s a decent little microwave, pared back of any fanciful rotating turntables or grill-browners. One bit of ruggedness here is that it comes with a set of cables to connect directly to your battery if your in-car power socket doesn’t have a 20-amp rating. It does require juice, accepting a standard 240V supply if you’re in a resourced campsite or 12V from your car. You wouldn’t want to be uncoordinated in the field. It’s got a handle on top, weighs about 6kg and has an ABS body – in a range of colours, mind you. The Wavebox Portable Microwave does what it says on its tin. Still, it beats a Bear Grylls-like effort of lighting a fire with two stones, damp matches and an uncooperative handful of decidedly unkindling kindling.

“Our microwave is the only one that is portable and can operate on AC/DC power,'' said Frank, 42, who originally came up with the idea in 2004 at a construction site where workers complained of always eating take-out food. The new device could very well change how the Middle East gets through a day, he said, and could also become commonplace at outdoor worksites, camping grounds and weekend desert gatherings. “We are looking for a large well-qualified distributor to take on our product.'' In an interview from the US, The Frank Group CEO told XPRESS that he has secured the necessary government approvals for Saudi Arabia and the UAE and is now on the hunt for an established distributor in the region.

Frank suggests it will only be a matter of time before his WaveBox portable wonder will revolutionise the lifestyle of the UAE's car-crazy consumers. In a city where some residents virtually live in their car commuting, working or stuck in traffic jams, American inventor Tim Frank could become a cultural hero for his new creation – a car-friendly portable microwave that plugs into the lighter socket.
