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Artists tend to use a pen or pencil when creating a picture, so why not use something similar when working on a computer screen.
As the capabilities and feature sets of modern computer devices develop in various ways and directions, so the available tools adapt to take advantage of the changes made to the make-up of our must-have units. Take, for instance, the humble pointing tool used to provide the user with the means to carry out tactile communication with the computer.
Most will think that once you have located the correct size of battery the only real choice is do you use Alkaline 1.5v or Rechargeable 1.2v. According to Panasonic while any battery that fits will work getting the best performance is down to the correct type of battery.
The four grades are EVOLTA, Pro Power, Everyday Power and Alkaline Power – each one with a different capacity. As different appliances require different levels of energy, Panasonic want to help battery consumers “see the wood for the trees” by guiding them through their purchase decision. So as with so many things today you need to use an App this one is available in the iOS or Android store.
Looking for a way to save money on your next smartphone purchase then Wileyfox might have a solution.
You have only to walk down your local High Street to get the confirmation as to how crowded is the mobile phone market. Often matching, and in the case of my High Street out-numbering the collection of coffee shops, these mobile phone establishments have more different handset models for your selection than you could shake a stick at. The manufacturers of the various brands are constantly seeking ways to make their handsets more attractive to the buying public.
It’s over a year since I told you about the indoor version and here at last is the promised outdoor version, it seems CE compliance takes longer than everyone thought. So here the camera that can work between -25c and +45c and it has no wired connection.
Slightly larger back to front than the indoor but apart from that it works in virtually the same way, the only difference rather than automatically shining a light when full colour images cannot be given because of lack of light this uses infra-red to give you a sharp image.
If the multifunction aspect of modern smartphones is not enough for you then Lenovo offers a modular approach.
As part of the impressive line up of Lenovo products, the Moto Z2 Play is a modular designed handset. The modular design of this product means that additional features can be added to suit the individual needs of the particular user. These additional features, or mods as they are referred to, include items such as extra battery life, wireless charging capability and special camera facilities.
Fancy over-dosing on Hidden Object game play, then read on.
Having just watched the rather gory Hansel & Gretel movie, it seemed the appropriate time to check out the Shaman Games Studios “Catch the Witch” offering. This particular game belongs to the Hidden Object genre and casts you in the role of Alice who is an apprentice of the world famous witch known as Circe. Before entering this world of magic, witches and Hidden Object game play you can make adjustments to the playing environment and create a playing profile.
This board game for adults is based on a TV series, as I have never seen it I can only comment on the game. Strangely it has a 17+ rating that until now I did not know exist, I know of 18+ but that was/is a film classification which used to be – in my youth - ‘X’ or I believe ‘H’.
While there is a folded 22.5x22.5cm sheet with the rules you can probably get the idea better by watching the You Tube Video – link at the end – the box contains everything you need for a probably alcohol fuelled evening and it may even put a relationship of three to the test. The game is said to be for six to ten players – there needs to be an even number – as you play as a pair, six would be fine.
Tucked away on your wrist, this Nokia device can check on various health issues.
As a sign of the times, whenever I now think of Nokia my thoughts tend to drift towards the subject of health matters. Over the last few months I have looked at a blood pressure monitor and a BMI weighing machine from Nokia. Now it is the turn of the company’s Steel HR product which is a wristwatch device that combines activity-tracking features with heart rate monitoring capabilities.
Brando used to use the strapline ‘everything USB’ this was rather disproved by an excellent electric screwdriver set recently reviewed that used standard batteries to power it stil looking at their website most thing are still USB orientated.
The Epson ET-2750 EcoTank inkjet printer is a compact 3-in-1 print/copy/scan unit which, instead of small capacity cartridges, uses built-in reservoirs that are filled from large bottles of ink. This is claimed to reduce printing cost by 74% and so meet the needs of the busy home user who wants to keep an eye on costs.
The unit is quite small, roughly 15 x 14 x 10 inches high, and black in colour. Hence, it does not take up too much “real estate” or look out of place in the modern home. There is just one paper input tray at the rear with the printed documents emerging from the front to land on the pull-out tray which can be pushed out of the way when the printer is not in use. The ink tanks are visible at the front right hand of the machine so that it only needs a glance to check the ink levels.
Whether inside or outside, Blink will offer to provide home security protection.
Blink, the wire free home security and HD video monitoring system has been enhanced with the introduction of a new camera unit. Developed as the result of customer’s requests, this latest camera, known as the Blink XT, is a waterproof model suitable for use outdoors in all kinds of weather. This product can be integrated into an existing system or used as a standalone offering.
Recently I visited HMS Belfast and saw the whole range of Cello TV’s including the recently reviewed Battery TV offering, here is something that is a first for me in TV’s a curved screen offering although I have reviewed a couple of computer panels that have curved screens.
This is their smallest curved TV at 32inches. My normal TV is a little larger but I choose the 32inch for logistical reasons, Cello place their stand supports towards the end of the TV and what I sit my TV on would not be wide enough to support anything larger. Having moved my TV further back and unplugged my aerial input as well as the HDMI connection between my PVR and my TV I was ready to assemble and install the Cello in front on my own TV it weighs just over four kilos.
While I have seen All In One units in both grey and black colours this is a first for me, a black unit with a red top, before you ask it’s not my blood. While even if it has a CD to make installation easy it refuses to use it and downloads which could be a problem for those with a poor Internet connection.
Downloading and installing the drivers and basic software took 6 minutes and just under 400MB of hard disc space on my Windows 7 system. As seems normal on most Canon units I review, both the USB and power input are back left of the unit. This is a six ink offering. The last statement should tell you this is not a unit you would buy to print emails and documents but a photographic printer.
The recent worldwide launch of two new smartphones held in London by Huawei brand Honor was held with the slogan “For the Brave”. One, the Honor View 10 was described as “challenging the smartphone market with AI” will be available early next year while the other the Honor 7X is available now.
The Honor 7X is a good all-round phone for the budget-conscious. It has a large high-resolution display, dual-lens camera, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The phone with an all over black finish (but also available in blue) weighs 170 gm (just under 6oz) and packs a 5.93 inch 18:9 “FullView” edge-to-edge screen providing 2160 x 1080 FHD+ resolution into its 155 x 75mm overall size.
Having in recent years told you about Kaspersky Internet Security here a different product from Kaspersky their Family Security Cloud offering. This it seems is only available as a download product so for me to review it I was sent a link to download it.
The download is not large by today’s standards at just over 150MB but for it to work efficiently you need regular Internet access. This product firstly considers what is and is not safe for any devices that your children might have access to.
With the tag line of Blink and you are home, this next product guards your home.
Having surrounded your home computer system, and the data it holds, with your preferred choice of antivirus and Internet protection software, you might have thought you were safe and secure from outside intrusions. But that is only part of the problem faced by many. No matter how many hours you spend in the virtual computer environment, there are still those excursions in the real world of bricks & mortar to consider. Just what is going on in your home when you are away.
Prime membership from Amazon brings certain benefits including guaranteed one day delivery and extra substantial reductions on certain items; this coffee machine from Nespresso was £30 cheaper as a Prime member than for everyone else.
As a reviewer when you see various good quality coffee in a range of machines by Nespresso and others you miss it when they go away. While my normal instant coffee is one of the best out there I admit that I have become ‘hooked’ by better quality such as that supplied by two decent recent Nespresso review units.
Music on the move has become an increasingly popular past-time as we adopt a mobile life style. Unfortunately the audio output of many mobile devices used to store and deliver the audio entertainment is often relegated into second and sometimes an even lower rating position when it comes to improvements being made to the new version of devices. Stepping in to help in the respect of improving audio output is the nano iDSD Black Label DAC/headphone amp from iFi.
Music on the move has become an increasingly popular past-time as we adopt a mobile life style. Unfortunately the audio output of many mobile devices used to store and deliver the audio entertainment is often relegated into second and sometimes an even lower rating position when it comes to improvements being made to the new version of devices. Stepping in to help in the respect of improving audio output is the nano iDSD Black Label DAC/headphone amp from iFi.
While searching for your father, you encounter a cursed child.
Cast in the role of a psychic named Scarlett Everitt, you need to take the lead in solving the challenge of Scarlett Mysteries – Cursed Child. Developed by World-Loom Games and published by Artifex Mundi, this Hidden Object Adventure title is described as an interactive gothic horror novel set within a steampunk frame.
A lot of homes need a Dehumidifier as there is too much moisture in the air or even the walls of a property but almost as nasty is having a too dry atmosphere especially if you have frail people, by trying to keep a home warm you could also make it too dry.
This item from Philips is circular 33cm tall and 22cm wide. It is in two parts with the point where the two parts join together being slightly wider than the top or the bottom. Where a Dehumidifier starts without water in its talk and stops working when the tank is full a Humidifier cannot work without water in it and once its tank is empty it will stop working until more water is poured into it.
Combining the functionality of a notebook and tablet elements is a product from Acer
Adding to its extensive range of computer based products, Acer has released its Swift 3 offering. While classified as a notebook type device, the Acer Swift 3 adopts the more modern style of product by incorporating the ability to split itself into two separate units. A straightforward ripping motion is all that is required to turn the basic notebook format into a tablet and detachable keyboard arrangement.
A cutthroat shave from a barber is a treat that will probably take a long time especially with a hot towel treatment. Now this kit gives you chance to do it for yourself at home - certainly not something to try after a night out.
For me anyway the extra sound - quality and amount – that Dell can give you from a panel is a big plus if only from the point of desk space and the fact that you no longer need a pair of speakers on your limited amount of desk space.
This 22 inch monitor from Dell measures 49x29x1.5cm and its stand lifts it 10cm from your desk. The notional diagonal imperial measurement is 21½ inches. The area above and to the sides has virtually no border with only 1cm border at the bottom. It is of course a full HD offering (1920x1080) and allows you to connect via HDMI or VGA. The stand is ‘D’ shaped at 24x15cm; this connects to the arm from the panel by a twist screw.
Wileyfox is now offering an appreciable discount on the price of smartphones in return for users accepting lockscreen advertising with its Add-X service. This is the latest move in a cut-throat marketplace where vendors are looking for innovative ways of attracting price-sensitive buyers and generating revenue.
Following a tie-up with Korean firm Buzzvil, whose lockscreen advertising service is already active in South Korea, the US, Japan and Taiwan, Wileyfox has launched its range of Add-X variants as an extension to its existing range of Swift 2 and Spark smartphones. They are being offered with up-front discounts of up to 42% off the list price. However, users who buy a discounted Add-X phone will have the opportunity of reverting to a standard Wileyfox phone by paying back the discount.
Still quite a new idea, I have reviewed one such item previously a thermometer that you move across your forehead, it then gives a near instant reading. It can be used by the whole family as when the reading is taken you scroll through all the names and highlight yours; the reading is then transferred to your SmartPhone via Wi-Fi.
Most will think of Nokia as a mobile phone manufacturer but they have purchased Withings who have long been a name in health and fitness devices. It is 12cm long and 3cm wide the head is circular for the front 3cm, behind this area is the single control an on/off button, working back from this is a 4cm area made up of 1cm tall figures or letters which are white dots – six to the 1cm height – and that is it.
Do not think of this as something to get oil stained in the garage or that languishes in the shed. This is more like a piece of jewellery it even comes in a box that might otherwise contain a necklace or perhaps a bracelet read on to find the contents.
While never small this Backpack can quickly become cavernous so not only most Notebooks and all the extra bits that come it as well as a spare shirt pants and socks to facilitate an overnight stay can all be accommodated in this Backpack from Riut.
The Swift range was launched a year ago in Glasgow and I have previously looked at a different model from the same range. This is a rather smart looking Notebook with the screen capable of going back to 180 degrees.
The Acer Swift 3 is an ultra-thin notebook measuring 33x23x1.5cm and weighing 1629 grams. The base has a 27x1cm strip of rubber and the two front corners a 3x1cm front to back strip to protect whatever you sit it on, this matters because the body is all metal. Looking at the Acer site finds 21 different Swift 3 models with various memory and processor combinations. The one I have has silver body an Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD drive.
The Supra KeySafe C500 is a secure key box that, when installed outside a house, provides a safe and secure means of holding keys and yet making them accessible to authorised people.
StarTech is a company that has those had to find things that others do not have. Here something that could be a larger seller with more small notebooks being marketed with only USB ‘C’, so how do connect a standard USB device as well as other components.
‘Ultra-Portable’ is often the phrase the notebook is compact, and, as long as everything you need is already there that is fine. This 17x9x4.5cm box and all the likely to required leads are supplied by StarTech with the less than catchy name of MST30C2HDPPD Okay that’s the part number but the name is USB-C Docking Station for Laptops – Hard Drive Bay – MST and Power Delivery – 4K.
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