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What first attracts you to a game? Is its the title or other issues.
I sometimes feel that the name of the production company to be more appealing than its latest product offering. Take, for instance, the which failed to really excite me. However I was amused by the developer's company name which was "Jolly Bears Games". With this particular title, Jolly Bears Games has produced a Hidden Object Adventure game that places the player in the role of an anonymous explorer. This character has a strong interest in the legend of the Incan Sun.
This is both a camera and a printer all in one unit, you can take pictures on it and print them on Zinc paper or as it has Wi-Fi to your phone take images on your phone and send them wirelessly to the units printer for immediate printing while still out and about.
This unit can not only print images taken on the Polaroid Pop 2 but also print images already captured on your phone using Wi-Fi. It is 14.5x12x3cm and weighs 441grams a tad under 1 lb. Its display is 8x5cm which allows you to see what you will capture before pressing the shutter. The image is shown at close to 4.5cm square and this is important as the images will be 1:1 and if printed on the Polaroid Pop 2 They will come out at 3 inches square even though the ZINC paper stock is 11x9cm.
Adding to its range of graphics software products, Corel has released version 23 of its Pinnacle Studio offering. I was fortunate to have been sent a free version of the top of the range Ultimate product rather than the standard Studio or Studio Plus products.
Without a doubt, the fact I had been sent the Ultimate version of the product added to the time required for the downloading of the software and its installation on my work system. The size and length of time required by the tasks can be judged by the number of desktop icons that were created. Normally you would expect a product, even one involved with graphics, to make do with a single desktop icon.
Around eighteen months ago OnePlus had a major worldwide launch in the UK for their OnePlus 6. Then at the start of this year they launched OnePlus 6 Pro. So what as the autumn creeps in does the OnePlus 7 Pro have to offer.
It is 16x7.5x.7cm and weighs 204 grams. The viewable screen is 15.4x7cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6.67 inches. Going around the outside has a lock button on the right side with the on/off button below this. The base has a reasonable speaker, pin hole microphone and USB ‘C’ charging connection. The left side has the volume rocker and SIM entry point. The back has the three cameras in a column 1.5cm down from the top with the LED flash below them.
Amazon started life as a book seller, now it sells EBook readers.
Books, a valuable source of information and entertainment, whether in hardback or paperback format, have been around and will continue to do so for many years. However this should not mean that new, or more recent concepts with regards literature, should be ignored. Not only does the digital format of text presentation provide the means to read literature but it also delivers additional information concerning the story and its author.
While most will think of Brando as the King of anything USB this is a slightly different offering as it actually takes power from your phone for those occasions when the end of the day is a long way away but your beard needs some attention to make you look as though it is still 9AM.
Phones run for a day or so and then they need recharging. This tiny shaver takes power from your phone and fits onto its base. It would take a while to do a full shave especially for those with a vigorous beard however before you buy you need to select the type of method your phone charges either micro USB or USB ‘C’ as they are different items, I was sent the USB ‘C’ version. The shaver itself is 4.7cm long thickest at the head end where it is 2.
When computer problems arise, do you ask others for help? If so who do you ask?
Chromebooks have been a Windows alternative for a while and dependant on the tasks you want to carry out can be all you need. Certainly you would not get a Windows touch panel unit for anywhere near the price of this Chromebook offering.
It is 29x20x2cm and weighs 1350 grams. The viewable screen is 25.5x14.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 11.5inches. At the centre of the top above the screen is a camera. Bootup is 14.5 seconds and by default if you shut the lid it remains live – screen off – so unless you set a password on wake up then you can be working again at the point you left it as soon as you raise the lid.
Winging its way from a German Gaming show is news from Turtle Beach.
Adding to its range of gaming accessories, Turtle Beach announced the release of its ROCCAT's all-new Kain mouse series at the recent Gamescom 2019 event. This particular series has been designed to provide the best "click" and "aimed" experience offering maximum precision and performance for the game player attempting to improve their performance.
The latest version of this ‘gadget’ for Windows is now available. I sometimes get into trouble for calling an item a gadget but when people say our product is not a gadget I say fine, please define ‘gadget’ and while they are thinking I add, a tool to make a task easier? Very few people disagree with my definition and this certainly makes some Windows tasks easier. They also do a MAC version but as I do not have a MAC I can only tell you about the Windows items.
Some of the things that Parallels 3.5 for Windows does can be already done in Windows but they take more than a single action to be completed so Parallels is often quicker or easier to complete. Archive, select the files and archive it’s as easy as that and of course Unarchive is just as easy. Block Camera, a lot of people are worried about being spied on and it’s a neater solution than sticking something over the camera.
The Alcatel 3 (2019) is aimed at the competitive middle ground where buyers are looking for a feature phone in a very price-conscious market.
Staying awake should not be a problem when playing a game that involves exploring a character's sub-conscious
This latest phone has some nice little extra features, it also is Android 9 and has a pure Android operating system so no skin added this is called Android One but this means with no extra skin to slow it down it is really fast.
It is 16x7x.9cm and weighs 198grams; this includes a clear silicon case that covers the back and sides. The viewable screen is 15.7x6.4cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen resolution of 6.3inches. Going around the outside has volume rocker with on/off button on the right side. The base has its speaker, USB ‘C’ and microphone. The left side has SIM entry point and the top has 3.5mm headphone socket.
If your computer seems slower than usual then maybe it is time for a spring clean.
I suspect most people know of ‘R2D2’ a droid in Star Trek, this camera looks rather like it, it can pan and tilt so unless there is something solid in its line of vision whoever is there gets seen and unlike most other cameras this continues to see where the suspect goes as it can track their movements.
It is round at 10cm across and 12cm tall. There is just one connection a micro USB lead that fits in the back near the base. Like almost all recent cameras it is controlled by an App either iOS or Android. Download the App register and then find the best place to place your camera, as part of the setup routine it will move through 360 degrees and produce an image of what it sees so you can select the area to cover.
As a long established fan of a product originally developed as a file conversion utility and launched in 1991 by Robert Voit's JASC company, it is that time of year when I can look forward to the arrival of the latest version of PaintShop Pro. Now firmly entrenched as part of the company's family of graphic software, Corel has sent me a copy of PaintShop Pro XX to review for Gadgetspeak.com
While this current version of PaintShop Pro package is available in either Standard or Ultimate editions, I was in the fortunate position of working with the Ultimate version of this photo editing and design graphics software. As you might suppose, the Ultimate version of PaintShop Pro 2020 comes bundled with a number of bonus items that add extra value and functionality to the product.
This is a small leather wallet with a push action that partially ejects up to six credit cards each to a slightly lesser extent so you can select the one you need at the checkout of hole in the wall easily, quickly, and more securely.
The wallet is 11x6x1.5cm and also has two additional pockets for things like an Oyster card on the opposite side to the main wallet so you can touch in without having to open the wallet, and as the shape is definitely weighted to one side so no chance of card problems as you know which side you are touching on the reader. For those times when cash is still required notes can also be stored in this section, or indeed under an elasticated strap.
This 27inch QHD Philips monitor, model 272B7QUBHEB, has been designed to provide high performance and to incorporate a range of features such as USB-C docking which are aimed at improving ease of use and enhancing business productivity.
The monitor, which employs an IPS panel with WLED backlight has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. The high resolution of the QHD panel will be appreciated by many business users as it can display 70 rows of a 30 column spreadsheet – if you are happy to view 10 or 11pt type. It has a frameless black bezel on three sides with the lower one being just one inch.
Join the Penguin family as you create mosaics.
Checking back over my recent reviews of game titles, revealed that I had been neglecting one of my favourite genre of gaming playing activity. The neglected genre was that of nanograms. Since I last took a look at the family of penguins and their close affinity with challenging the player with nanogram puzzles, several different versions of the game have appeared.
This is a cheaper Android phone but it looks anything but that, around £100 should secure this SIM free and some might keep this as a second unit or one to take to festivals or night clubs and the like where security is less than perfect.
It is 14.5x6.6x.7cm and weighs 129 grams. The viewable screen is 12.5x6.5cm with the selfie camera above the screen. The diagonal imperial measurement is 5.5 inches. The screen resolution is 720x1440. Going around the outside finds the volume rocker towards the top of the right side with the on/off button below this. The base has the micro USB socket for charging and connection of an OTG device. The left side has SIM and micro SD card entry point. The top has a pin hole microphone and 3.
Time does not stand still especially when a company take-over is involved as part of the process. In some cases favourite projects can suffer the short-end of the straw as it is ignored but this is not always what occurs. Take for example the Parallel's Toolbox and how the company reacted to a take-over..
DFollowing Parallel becoming a Corel Business unit, you might have suspected that the Toolbox development being put on the back-burner but instead version 3.5 of this collection of one-click, time-saving productive tools has been released for the Windows and Mac environments. This review is based on the Windows version of the Parallel Toolbox product as the tools offer the user a range of features.
Making things from raw vegetables does not really appeal to me, fruit yes, vegetables no I tend to prefer my vegetables cooked. But things like carrot cake can appeal even to children so be a man and give it a go, the pulp that is not juiced goes into a vacuum environment and can be kept – even frozen - to be added to stocks to give extra bulk.
While this can be a conventional blender it also has the ability to become a vacuum blender which means the parts of the fruit or vegetables not liquefied can be kept and added to soups and stocks and as once you pressed the vacuum button the residue keeps far longer and can even be frozen for use at a later date.
No doubt you are aware that the latest step forward within the world of communication expansion is that of 5G. This latest technology is slowly spreading its net(work) over the communication world with the promise of better things to come as users adjust their equipment to take advantage of this latest Holy Grail of mobile orientated features to keep users happy.
Although the spread of 5G might seem initially slow with regards to its availability rather than performance. you do need to consider the geographical spread that this technology needs to cover and the upgrading of the equipment needed to support the technology with the range of equipment being developed by various competitive companies and the tactics being used to promote their take on the product and its technology.
I think of a plaster for a minor scrape of the skin, while most will say the biggest name in plasters is Elastoplast but they do other things apart from plasters. Here I am looking at plasters, wound healing ointment and wound spray.
What most used to call ‘Blood Poisoning’ is actually sepsis and that can be fatal. Some years ago I was feeling unwell for several days but as I had an Asthma review on the Thursday I did nothing, I walked into the nurse’s room at my health centre she looked up from her desk and said ‘you are not well’.
Based on an idea by David Molyneux, subsequently developed by Three Headed Eagle and published by Play-In Digital, "The Seven Chambers" is a game that belongs to the Hidden Object genre.
The game involves the trials and tribulations of a young woman's apprenticeship as she attempts to master the Karmic influence that the planets bring to the world. As you take on this role you will need to battle clawed beasts, fallen angels and tricky alchemists plus manipulate lost souls as you explore past lives and memories.
Another of the items I saw at the Homewares show in June. This time a set of five – three of one size and two of a smaller size – that are sold as a value pack and since they arrived have been put into service both in my fridge and my microwave.
The larger size is 23x14x6cm and stated to hold 900 ml. The smaller size is 14.5x10.5x6cm and stated to hold 375 ml. They are described as microsafe and have also spent a lot of the time in my fridge. The label holding the pack together states they are free of BPA, PVC, lead and phthalates so they are completely safe for storing food.
Taking a more basic approach is a speaker system from Edifier.
Joining the ranks of Edifier speaker system product line-up is the company's R980T offering. This speaker system is made up of two wooden encased boxes covering the role of active and passive units. Various permanently attached and floating leads are provided for connecting purpose along with a User Manual covering different languages for carrying out the straightforward set up process required by this speaker system.
Regular readers will have seen recently a Kindle review, this Kindle called Oasis, it is very different in shape and it is the first I have seen with a front light. So can this change merit the far higher price of the unit over even the 8th Generation unit?
The Kindle Oasis 2 from Amazon measures 15.8x14cm and weighs 189 grams; the first 5cm of the width is .7cm thick about the same as most newer SmartPhones however the rest of the width is harf that this is the part with the viewable screen that is 14x10.5cm. However if you hold it the other way up so the thicker part is on the right the screen turns round to support this. The viewable screen is 10.5x14cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 7 inches.
Technology can help you find what you may have misplaced.
Have you noticed how often the word "Smart" is tagged onto numerous inanimate objects and devices to give them the appearance of so-called super-intelligent facilities? In some cases this built-in intelligence feature can be combined with a fund-raising facility to provide the cash to take the new concept from its original thought to full fruition.
Most streaming services are only MP3 but just a few offer a Hi-Fi mode and while you have a subscription you can even download your music to play back when no Internet is available or when only more expensive mobile data is the only option.
Listening while on trains, buses or tube is not only a relaxation but it also avoids the extreme noise of some tube trains through tunnels when no signal to stream is available, you just get your own sounds at a level to suit your ears. While you can still log into Deezer via the Internet the long awaited Deezer Desktop is now finally out of Beta.
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