GadgetSpeak Articles

(RRP £24.99). Each head should be good for 3 months use at the recommended twice daily 2 minute regime. A pack of 8 will therefore last you two years. Not bad! I've been a fan of electric toothbrushes for a number of years now, but have been generally let down by the quality of the product, which often fails after a few months. Although not expensive in money terms - the sheer waste gets to me.

Combining the current drive towards energy conservation with the extreme weather conditions we have had to endure during the summer months and a product available from Gizoo.com seems entirely appropriate.  That product is a clock with alarm, timer, and the ability to display the current temperature in either Centigrade or Fahrenheit.   However none of these functions have anything to do with the previously mentioned appropriateness.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, of which I was a member until very recently, Bone is a classic comic book series drawn and written by Jeff Smith.  Independently published, the Bone series consisted of 55 issues, which were released over a period from 1991 and 2004, and featured the adventures of bone characters and others.

Even though it is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand it feels very solid and weights in at 215grams. It is 9.5x6.5x2cm but the last measurement the thickness increases by 3cm when you are switched on and at full zoom. This has a 5x optical zoom (just that little bit better than the norm of 3x) and can take images up to 8.

Mogo X54 Mouse from Newton Peripherals I had an original Bluetooth PC Card Mouse from Mogo that worked fantastically every time with my laptop - a great neat piece of technology. Then I upgraded my computer and ended up with a PC express slot and rued the day I couldn't use my super-slim, ultra-portable mouse. The launch of the new Mogo 54 is a godsend to all those of us out in the PC card wasteland who hate using touch pads.

Whether your music is stored on a notebook or MP3 player, there will always come a time when the audio output quality could become an issue.  While a good set of headphones might suffice in some circumstances, this will not always be the case especially when there is a need to share with others.  In such a situation, an external speaker system might be more appropriate.  One possible candidate is the Yamaha NX-U10.

First the measurements it is 47x35x6cm when on the stand that is 24x17cm and raises it up by 4cm. The screen is 41x26cm and this gives the 19inch diagonal measurement. There is a 52 page A4 manual and it is filled with lots of illustrations that are useful if only because this is not just a TV but so many devices. The only assembly required is to slot the base into the TV, no screws or twist and it's a good fit.

Pure Chronos II The government want us ultimately to use digital radio services. Why? Well as with most things government it really comes down to money. If they can persuade us to 'go digital' they can sell off the frequencies traditionally used for radio services to the highest bidder.

Marvin's Magic Freaky Body Illusions This is a set of illusions with the required props to make them work. Unless you are lot more adept than myself you will also need a DVD player to watch how the illusions are achieved. It mentions the DVD in several places on the box but no where does it actually say it's required. However I doubt you would get very far without it.

As part of its range of DigiWalker SatNav devices, Mio has released its C220 model.  Although at the more budget end of its product line up, the C220 packs an impressive amount of functionality into a unit that measures 108 x 81 x 24mm (H x W x D) and weighs in at 100g. Opening the box reveals the SatNav device; a three-part connection kit for in-car use; USB lead; software CD; and various items of documentation.  The C220 SatNav unit is dominated by the 3.

Since the change in law the number of products in this space has blossomed. Here we take a look at a very small transmitter from Belkin called 'TuneFM for iPod'. The package it comes in is completely out of proportion to the product itself. Open the package you find a cardboard mock up of an iPod and right down the bottom the FM transmitter which attaches to the iPod dock connector. The body of the transmitter is around 60x25x11mm in size.

The ZyXEL Homeplug PLA400 comes in a pack of two (other numbers are available) and what looks like a small router is at the end of standard 13amp power lead. Plug one of these into your router and the 13amp lead into a wall socket.

At heart the nüvi 660 is a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation system. It also incorporates MP3 player, Bluetooth hands free functionality and an FM transmitter (see later!). The nüvi is a whole family of different units from the '200' up to the '770'. The 660 under review here is toward the top end of the range in terms of both cost and functionality.

Taking over the role of the flagship Walkman phone is the Sony Ericsson W950i.  With this particular model Sony Ericsson has taken the decision which may come as somewhat of a surprise.  Unlike all the other mobile phones I've look at, whether from Sony Ericsson or many other manufacturers, this is the first model that does NOT include any photographic features.  So it is a mobile phone that does not feature a camera.

When it comes to the development of 3-in-a-row games, Enkord has plenty of experience.  Following on from titles such as Jewel of Atlantis, Jurassic Realm and Clayside, Enkord's latest 3-in-a-row puzzle offering is Emerald Tale.  Set, not in as you might imagine from the title, but in a world of runes, magical artefacts, hairy creatures and an over-abundance of plant-life - hence, maybe, the emerald reference.

It is two tone grey with a silvered ring around the lens. A seven mega pixel offering a year ago would have been a really powerful offering. It has the standard 3x optical but they - unfortunately - still use the optical x digital to produce a figure of 12x something that most companies have been shamed out of doing. The only real use for digital zoom on a camera is to zoom into part of a taken image on the display.

Zoom set up in 1990 to provide sound gear and effect processors to the music industry. The company offers a range of sound mixing desks with recording facilities and a number of recording units. Until recently, I had used a mini disk recorder for background sound and sound bites for use with my films and video. My MDR disappeared in my son's direction, never to be seen again, so I was in the market for a new recording device.

How do you protect your personal digital data especially when on the move?  You might rely on a system that includes encryption, passwords and backups.  While there is nothing wrong with this type of approach, it does rely on the human element especially with regards to remembering those all-important passwords and the task to which each one relates.

This review takes a look at the latest in the DS line of hand-held game consoles. The Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) arguably saw the turn around in Nintendo's fortunes and a continuation of the strategy that brought the DS to market led directly to the new Wii phenomenon. Put bluntly - Nintendo had the foresight to put the user, rather than technology, first.

First the all important dimensions for this Officejet printer it is 49x38x21cm and it weights in at 8.8kilos. There are only three buttons on the front edge, the only one you are likely to use is the on/off. There are four tiny LED's to tell you if any of the four cartridges need changing. The rear has the power input (it's a massive power brick) and the USB input.