GadgetSpeak Articles
GadgetSpeak has close to 5,000 product reviews and other articles. You can use this page to find others opinions on anything from mobile phones to computers to the latest kitchen appliance
A couple of days before the UK launch I was invited to a breakfast briefing in a swish Kensington hotel to see this conference room camera in action. It is designed for a meeting of between say five and ten people and also remote connections can connect to become part of the meeting. I emphasize part of the meeting as normal conference room cameras do not do this.
The "Meeting Owl" conference webcam measure 10cm across at the base and slightly less at the top of its 28cm height. Its camera is a range of cameras around the top under a 1cm dome hence the name ‘Owl’ as it sees all round without moving, whereas with normal conference cameras they take a viewpoint and if someone at the periphery of the view is speaking even if speakers pick up the remarks the camera view cannot change.
The Philips monitor 272B7QU is a high-end QHD 2560 x 1440 display that offers, in addition to high performance, good ergonomics and a built-in docking station.
Even as one unpacks it, the first thing that one notices about this monitor is its weight. At over 7kg, it is roughly twice the weight of many other 27 inch monitors. This is no doubt due, at least in part, to it being able to deliver up to 60W to external devices via its USB 3.1 ports. This 27inch screen, which forms part of the Philips “B” line is mounted on a spring-counterbalanced stand on a turntable base.
Returning to the land of Dwarves, some rebuilding work is required.
Having missed the original title of “Rune Stones Quest”, I can only guess at the ferocity of the battles and destruction caused as the Dwarves fought the evil sorcerer in this game. Fortunately the follow up offering, appropriately entitled “Rune Stones Quest 2” gives you the opportunity to put right the damage caused to the Dwarves Kingdom in the first game.
A small screen tiny buttons it looks so strange today but only not that many years ago it would have been the thing to have, over 150 games built in would have at that time been unheard of. However when you are old enough to remember these sort of basic offerings the one thing you certainly don’t miss – as a music lover – is the terrible music and sadly that is still here.
The console is 9.3x5.5x2cm and it weighs 72grams. The viewable screen is 3.5x2.8cm. Below the screen on the face of the unit are a five position joystick, to its right round buttons marked A and B and below this two bar buttons marked Reset and Start. Near the bottom on the left side is the speaker. On the left side a slider button for on/off and below this a volume control.
The Goji Go, as you might suspect from its title, is an Activity Tracker. Well-known for its production of computers, smartphones and audio equipment, Goji Electronics has opted for a basic, no frills approach with this particular Activity Tracker.
The Gogi Go is a wristband unit, which can be worn on either wrist depending upon the wearer’s choice, has dimensions of 19.2 x 52 x 12.2 mm and weighs 16.6g. Attaching this wristband proved easier when somebody else was available to hep with the task. The wristband features a couple of metal studs which need to be inserted into appropriate holes on the band. Applying the necessary pressure, while holding the band in position, was not the easiest operation.
Maxcom are quite a new phone company to arrive in the UK, they have been in Europe for some years. While this is not exclusively an older persons phone it would certainly be useful to allow someone to keep their independence and as it has an emergency call button on the back providing the phone is within reach, then help should come when needed.
This is a Flip Phone and it has its own charge dock so close it up – unflip – and when at home it can remain docked beside you so it’s never going to run out of battery. When docked there are three indicators on the area near the top battery, phone and message. Just above this is the camera and LED flash. The other side has the emergency button and beside that the more than adequate speaker.
It is a while since I last took a look at a Jabra product but then along came the Elite 65e.Usually when a personal listening device with A
ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) capability arrives for review, it is of the over-ear or on-ear type of headset with well-padded cans. However this next product, the Jabra GN Elite 65e, features ANC technology within a set of in-ear phones that come supplied with a set of small. Medium and large EarGel inserts. There was also meant to be three sets of EarWings but they were nowhere to be found in the box when I removed the content.
As an ex chef and keen home cook for over fifty years I know that food poisoning is a rather nasty - and for some – potentially dangerous condition. So basic hygiene is key and knowing when various items are hot enough to kill bugs is vital so a quite simple tool like a meat probe is not just useful but vital especially when dealing with larger items.
While a lot of what keen foodies will enjoy at Heston’s outlets are considered by many to be strange combinations they still receive careful preparation. This comes with two ‘AAA’ batteries which need to be inserted into the head of the unit. This is covered by a silicon rubber sleeve that is a tight fit but needs to be partially removed to allow the battery door to be slid off to fit the batteries.
Bluetooth Smart Analyser Pro Model 9192 is one of the Salter MiBody range of body analyser scales. As well as the basic function of measuring one’s weight, it will be useful for those monitoring BMI and other parameters as part of the physical health regime for a group of people.
These scales, working in conjunction with a smart phone app, keep track of body fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) all of which are significant to many health conscious people. The Analyser Pro, which is white in colour and has a top plate of toughened glass, is roughly 31 x 34 cm and is almost circular in shape.
Can you repair the damage caused by a sorcerer and an evil army in this next game?
Set in medieval times, Storm Tale is a Green Sauce developed Match 3 game that is based on a village that has been devastated by a prophecy involving an evil sorcerer named Tyranus. Following a terrible storm brought about by Tyranus, a terrible army attacked the village, stealing its possessions and then burning it to the ground.
This product consists of ten bags of one size and five bags of a larger size, three air exaction valves and a pump to remove the air so whatever you want to ‘keep fresh’ without air making it go off, you are able to store items in a fresh state for far longer by being in a vacuum.
Vacuum packing is not new but home vacuum packing is, Chefs use vacuum packing in preparing a lot of items. The bags provided are high quality reusable nylon bags and so the curse of single use plastic is slightly lessened. The pump is polypropylene and the valves are silicon and nylon. All are cold resistant to -20 degrees Celsius and heat resistant to 100 degrees Celsius for up to 15 minutes. The two bag sizes are 26x28cm and 20x22cm.
The Huawei development team has obviously been hard at work of late as can be seen by the release of the company’s Honor 7S model.
As this handset is a member of the Honor family of products, prospective customers will no doubt expect an attractive price point. Huawei does not disappoint in this respect. The Honor 7S will be available from Hihonor, Argos or Three priced at £99.00. The Honor 7S handset is available in a choice of Gold, Blue or the Black colour of my review sample. With dimensions of 146.5 x 70.9 x 8.
For those whose preference are earbuds over headphones quality brand Sennheiser have now several items in this category, here a set of buds that use Bluetooth so they fit in the ears and the only connection is that between buds that goes around the back of your neck.
As the buds go that little bit deeper in the ear than with standard earbuds it is very important you choose the correct size from those offered. By going that bit deeper the sound has a bigger area of the ear to work with. The version of Bluetooth is 4.2 and the buds are said to give you up to six hours of time between charges, I got close to eight hours on one charge and the others were at least seven hours.
Adding to the numerous battery chargers currently available is a device with Type C USB support.
Whether for home or business use, the PC computer system continues to evolve and be enhanced in different ways with new features. While these new features have been developed to make life easier for the user, they can, on occasions, cause a degree of frustration for those of us who possess more equipment than we actually need. Take for instance USB technology.
This is somewhat of a surprise to me, having recently told you about the London worldwide launch of the Honor 10 to be offered the chance to review the Honor 7A was not exactly what I was expecting still here are my thoughts. Looking online sees that it was launched in April 2018.
The Honor 7A smart phone measures 15x7x.7cm and weighs 147grams. The viewable screen has the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5.7 inches. The screen resolution is 1440x720 18:9 resolution. My unit arrived without any instructions, so first job is to hunt the SIM entry point once found on the left side near the top it reveals it uses Nano Sims (2) and also has a Micro SD Card slot in the same tray. The right side has volume rocker and on/off button.
The Expression Home XP-5100 is a compact 3-in-1 inkjet machine with WiFi connectivity that can print double-sided and has been designed to meet virtually every need of the home user.
As I mentioned in an earlier review, Maxcom initial attack on the UK mobile phone market is made up of models from the Polish company's Classic and Comfort ranges of handsets. This review is based on the MM831 model from the company's Comfort range that is being aimed at the elderly or infirmed user.
The MM831 is a three-band GSM+ UMTS phone offering 2G GSM 900/1800 MHz and 3G WCDMA 900/2100 MHz support. The phone itself is of the clamshell variety decked out in a combination of matte silver and black with dimensions of 99 x 55 x 17 mm (H x W x D) when in its closed state. Including the supplied removable Li-ion 1000 mAh battery, this feature phone has a weight of 99g so should slip into a pocket or bag without causing too much inconvenience or a bulge.
Filtered water is often the best option simply because unfiltered water can have a taste and as this could even be kept in the fridge it is also chilled. So it is opportune for those who drink bottled could switch to something like Zero Water. One large supermarket chain has recently increased a two litre bottle of own brand water by 25% that is when they have stock.
You get a large jug you pour the water from your tap into the top of the unit it then passes through the patented filter unit and emerges into the jug ready to be drunk. You can then pour water into a glass or using a button on the bass to allow water to flow into a glass placed under the edge of the unit. The Jug is 28cm from the top back of the handle to the front of the spout, 28cm tall and 14.5cm at its widest.
A visit to the HMS Belfast on the Thames introduced me to a company called Cello and its range of televisions.
Over the past few years I have been sent items for review that have been lacking some essential components. These review items have generally consisted of LCD monitors but a more recent product to arrive with missing components is a 22 inch battery powered flat panel television.
A while ago I got up early to attend a presentation and eventually I received the first of the requested items from this event. One of - shall we say – more difficult things to get hold of but in a way something that may be of use to a great number of people.
This is a quite large and very weighty padlock. It is 15x5x2.5cm and weighs 375grams. The top 8cm is the very substantial metal locking part, there is a 3cm circular section on the face of the lock it shows nothing but one of two ways to open the lock is stored in here and where you touch it will decide if you end up with a red light (will not open) or green light (opens) at the end of the entered combination.
There is a new kid in town. Well perhaps “kid” is not the appropriate expression as the new arrival is Maxcom, a company with over 15 years of experience in the design and manufacture of telecommunication products and is one of the leading mobile handset brands in Poland.
Headed by Chris Millington, previously Group Director and UK Mannering Director at Doro, Maxcom’s initial sortie into the UK market will consists of six devices belonging to the company’s Classic and Comfort ranges. Taking centre spot in this review is the 3G MM330 model. This is a candy bar style of feature handset. My review sample is predominately black in colour with occasional silver highlights.
I first saw this almost a year ago but the agency that looked after Roberts at the time seemed reluctant to send it out for review. Since a new agency has been appointed I am now catching up on requests made at last year’s 2017 Christmas In July event.
It is round but a little squashed at 25cm from back to front and the same side to side but only 15cm tall. Both sides are the pair of speakers, my test unit was cream and so the grill covering the speakers was white. At the bottom of the front is a SD card insertion point. Above this a small round knob that has four positions, from left to right, USB, SD, CD and Radio. Above this a small white on blue 3.6x1.4cm two line display.
As well as being used for meat, as its name indicates, the Heston Blumenthal Precision Indoor/Outdoor Meat Thermometer from Salter can also be used for other applications such as jam and cake making. It will enable a cook to take much of the guesswork out of their work and ensure that meat is properly cooked all the way through.
The thermometer consists of a stainless steel probe and the head unit with the On/Off switch and the LCD to display the temperature. The probe is inserted for a just a few seconds to allow it to reach and measure the internal temperature of the meat -- or jam or cake. The probe is 180mm long and has marks etched along its length at 1cm intervals. These enable the user to judge when the probe has been inserted just far enough to reach the centre of the meat.
As the lingua franca of electric documents, PDF (Personal Document Format) allows for a ranger of documents to be distributed between users with different system set ups.
Nuance, a leading provider of voice and language software for business and consumer users, has released the latest version of its Power PDF software.
This is the second offering from Sennheiser that I have seen in the ‘sports earbuds’ category. Being wireless means that it matters not how much vigorous exercise you do as the only connection is between the two buds whatever position the rest of your body contorts to the earbuds stay firmly rooted to your ears.
These are what are called ‘Fin type’ buds in that the fin goes inside the outer part of the ear taking the strain off the bud itself which plugs into the main cavity of the ear. Perhaps the most important thing with earbuds is that you use the correct size and for that purpose there are four different sizes of buds in the box. It is important not to stuff the buds into the ear - not only for comfort – but also for clarity of sound.
With a policy statement that begins “At Brainwavz we have a simple mission to produce innovative, high quality audio products with a dedicated focus on fidelity sound”, Brainwavz has been producing a range of over 25 earphones, headphones and accessories over the past ten years. Now for a look at one of the company's latest products.
Brainwavz has recently added to its range of earphones with the release of the company’s SO IEM noise isolating personal listening device. With this personal listening device, Brainwavz has paired its earphones with a Clearwavz remote and microphone module.
While almost all mobile phones have screens to show the images they are capturing what they do not have is the ability to print them, yes Wi-Fi to the majority of recent printers and All In Ones will do so, most of those are not mobile devices.
So to capture the moment then maybe the Polaroid camera can be what the occasion wants. Here is their latest offering the Instant Square SQ6. The camera is chunky at 13x11.5x6cm and weighs 453grams. The film comes in a sealed pack of ten and full instructions are on the pack and in the manual, follow them or you will expose the film.
Time to return to the classroom and practice your programming skills.
It has been quite a while since I last took a look at one of Orbotix’s Sphero robotic creatures. If memory serves me correct that product was Ollie who made its appearance back in 2014. In the intervening period Orbotix has made a movement towards a more educational stance with its robotic development. A result of this is the appearance of the Sphero Edu brand that includes the SPRK+ product.
This small unit can work with Alexa should you wish. It is both a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker. It becomes an ideal desk accompaniment and for someone like me that is a poor speller it can get you out of a hole when Microsoft Word fails to correct it for me.
Small and round at only 9cm tall and 6cm across, it weighs only 228grams, there is only one obvious control a rubberised push button on the base. The rear has the internal batteries charge connection point via the supplied micro USB lead. The top edge is twistable and this the volume control also touch anywhere around this ring and you are able to speak with Alexa as you would via any Amazon Alexa device once you have linked it to Alexa.
Maxcom Comfort MM831 is a simple to use 3G flip-phone aimed at meeting the needs of the elderly and vulnerable as it incorporates an easy way to call a relative when required.
Older articles
Main Menu
