Clear Acrylic and Brushed-Metal Case The model I was sent works with iPod's with video. The dimensions are 10.5x6.5x1.5cm. The front was blue brushed metal with the rest acrylic apart from the area over the click wheel that is a thinner plastic that enables protection for the wheel while at the same time enabling you to use it. The area over the screen seems to cause no distortion to the image displayed.

My music collection spreads over vinyl, tapes, compact disks and MP3 tracks with the latter consisting of duplicates from the compact disks.  Recently I have been looking at a way of converting the first two categories into MP3 tracks that can then be burned on to optical media.  The product under test is SnapMusic Studio 715 from KWORLD.

Not a BoomBox but a BoomBag A simple device that is not that expensive. Simply connect your iPod or MP3 player to the 3.5mm plug inside the bag and hey presto the sound issues from the speakers. It is a fabric bag looking rather like a sponge bag with handles. The inside is plastic lined. It is 32x10x15cm, the pair of fabric handles add 20cm to the last figure the height.

Having spent a large wedge of your disposal cash (perhaps in the region of £80 or even more) on your Creative ZEN V mobile music player ( ), you could be forgiven for feeling rather peeved that your new purchase does not include a carry case for your new device.

No matter how quickly I learn to type there is an undeniable pleasure in writing long hand. It's not that I'm an old fuddy duddy but I get more tuned in with my brain this way. Since graphic designers took to their Macs and wielded a Wacom stylus, handwriting recognition software has offered some interesting possibilities. Not being tied to your laptop and being able to write more intuitively is a great plus.

Generally a review product's involvement in the actual writing process of a piece, such as this, is minimal especially when that product is a peripheral device rather than a system box or word processing package.  All the testing and use of the product will have been conduced prior to the writing stage.  Of course there are some exceptions.

First this is an almost white rabbit that seems to have only ears, face and part of it's upper body. It is a maximum of 24cm tall to the tips of it's upraised ears and a maximum of 40cm round. Looking at my notes of a year ago I see that it has 17 different colours of lights not only displayable in it's belly but also it's face and ears.

It is becoming increasingly common for homes to contain more than one computer.  Often these system boxes, along with various peripherals, are linked together via a network whether that is of the wired or wireless type.  However not everybody needs the functionality offered by a network.  In some cases all you really need is a quick and easy method of transferring data from one computer to another that is in reasonable proximity.

Belkin Compact 6 socket This unit is an upturned 'T' with three sockets either side of the base this could sit on the floor or a desk or other flat surface and the plugs allow for both above and below plug power bricks of a reasonable size as the actual plugs are mounted mid way. A cable management clip is supplied in the box allowing all the leads to be kept safely together.

It was not all that long ago, when buying various items of computer equipment, that your purchases would be restricted to the single colour of computer grey.  Whether it was a desktop or tower system, monitor, printer or whatever, the one constant was the ubiquitous grey.  Nowadays there has been a sea-change.

Even with the advent of Windows Vista, and the expected boost that the new operating system was meant to bring to sales of new powerful computers, currently portable computers are outselling their larger desktop siblings.  Whether you refer to these portable models as notebooks or laptops, they will, at some stage or another, find themselves being used when perched on your lap (hence the laptop designation).

As part of its webcam family of products, Logitech has released the specifically for use with a notebook.  While it is theoretically possible to use this webcam with a desktop system, you would need to have a fairly thin LCD monitor for attaching the device.  There would also be a problem with the USB lead as this is permanently attached and only measures 74cm which is more than adequate for a notebook but not so for a desktop system.

Mobile technology is great.  It can make life easier; increase your productivity; and satisfy your entertainment needs where ever you are.  However you can attract some envious, curious or even disgusted looks when using a portable device in some public environments.  You are also reliant a great deal on the availability of appropriate power sources to keep your devices up and running.

Following the release of its USB telephone adapter that allows Skype calls to be made from a normal telephone, US Robotics has now ventured into the field of Internet video with its Mini Cam for Skype product.  Now, not only can you make free or reduced rate calls using the popular Skype service, you can also view the person at the other end of the connection in all their glory or otherwise as the case may be.

Although marketed as a portable piece of kit, your average laptop or notebook rarely comes with the appropriate means to make transporting it easy.  While you could tuck it under your arm as you move from location to location, it is hardly a practical solution to the problem.

It has been quite a while since I last looked at a webcam.  In the intervening period, the various models have certainly become smaller, more adaptive and feature-rich in their make-up.  A good example of these various trends can be seen with the offering.

Although notebooks are central to Acer's company strategy and responsible for a greater part of its success, the company does produce other types of kit that appeals to users.  Desktop systems, servers, LCD monitors, high-definition television and cameras all play their part as do MP3 players; various bags for portable devices and the new Mnemonick device.

I am not talking about shopping trolleys but bags designed to hold notebooks securely and to protect them if dropped. Some smaller models are designed only to be carried here I am looking at two that can either be carried or wheeled. The first from a company that makes bags and the second marketed by a computer company. Port Phoenix Trolley II Port offer free insurance against screen damage to your notebook when using one of their bags.

Nobody who has been involved in buying a notebook will, no doubt, has been encouraged by the sales person to add a protective bag to their purchase if one is not already included as part of a sales promotion.  The rise in the popularity of notebooks, over desktop systems, has seen an increase in the range of bags designed to both protect and facilitate the transport of the portable computer.