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Exspect launch their pretty pink accessories to protect your iPhone with just a hint of Bling and give your support to Breast Cancer Campaign.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women to experience. Over 1 in 9 women are affected by breast cancer in their lifetime, with nearly 46,000 people being diagnised each year. Luckily research has improved both the awareness of breast cancer and an understanding of effective treatment - so now more and more people who are affected will have a better chance of survival. So it's always nice when we can do our bit to help support this fantastic cause.
Portable external drives come in all colours, shapes and capacities. Recently I have been using an external drive that offers an extra layer of security.
Generally sequels appear fairly quickly following the original offering. But there are exceptions (Zuma immediately springs to mind) with a new title from Alawar being a prime example of a longer period of gestation.
The Treasures of Montezuma 2 has taken over two years to appear following the original title (just subtract the “2”). Possibly one reason for this delay is down to the fact that many users found the difficulty level of The Treasures of Montezuma rose rather rapidly, to such an extent it put them off persevering with the game. I must admit that I fell into this category.
This is the third such device I have seen recently; it is probably good news for both the others that I have seen the Kindle third. However if I had not seen the Kindle third I would never have been able to recommend it for a highly commended award.
This is somewhat different from the other two, yes you can still buy books as you would expect and you can also upload documents and even PDF files to it. Firstly it has a keyboard (45 keys) and second when you purchase items they are sent wirelessly to the Kindle (normally in less than a minute) so you do not even need a computer. By wireless the service is called Wispersync and it uses the mobile phone network, you do not even need to own a mobile phone. It is 20x13.5x.
Available in the choice of Glamour Red, Lacquered Black or Techno White, the C903 belongs to Sony Ericssons family of Cybershot handsets.
Marketed as an entry-level 3G phone, the C903 is a slider phone with support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE-850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSPA-900/2100 so that users can make use of roaming facility. As well as being a slider phone in one direction, it also has sliding capability in another area but more on this particular feature a little later. The C903’s dimensions are 97 x 49 x 16mm with a weight of 96g.
This is perhaps the complete All In One as not only does it scan, copy and print but it can be used via USB or Wi-FI, so should the lounge police object it can be stored away from the PC and live out of view in a cupboard.
The Canon Pixma MP560 measures 43x31x16 the last figure is without A4 stored in the vertical position in the back, but as the only need to have photo paper in that tray the main workhorse can be the underneath tray to print letters and documents from. I had one major complaint with the previous Canon All In One and that was the cartridge size (it was two cartridge) and they were tiny.
While most will buy this latest version of PowerDVD for its ability to play Blu-ray movies (providing of course you have a Blu-ray drive) it can and does support other formats. I am not sure why Windows 7 does not nativity support Blu-ray.
As part of its new season range of printing devices, Canon has released the Pixma MP490 All-in-One unit.
Unpacking a new product can sometimes be like a voyage of discover. In the case of a PIXMA MP490 from Canon, I was convinced that the mains power lead and ink cartridges were missing – that is until I opened the paper output tray and discovered them packed inside. Thinking about it, this was a sensible arrangement as it keeps all the relevant components safely together.
The first question I asked myself is why anyone would buy a stand alone scanner when there are perfectly good general scanners that are included for very little extra when you buy a perfectly decent All In One unit
Another minus is the extra space required, well lets cover that instantly this page scanner is 28x6.5x9cm when closed. In the open position the figure the depth increases by 7cm and the middle figure the height increases by 13cm with the supports raised to allow A4 sheets to be loaded, the sheets themselves are 15cm above the support but still sit perfectly positioned ready for you to press the one and only button on the unit ‘scan’.
Taking the opportunity to give my regular laptop pointing device a break from duty, I took a new mouse from Conceptronic on my travels.
For a while now the design concept behind notebooks, and more recently netbooks, has shown an increasingly interest is the areas of style. Colourful, decorative casings along with features such as bevelled edges and round corners have been used to make these types of devices more appealing to the eye and less likely to look out of place in the modern living room.
This is not your typical boy meets girl story. In this instance the girl invites the boy back to her place but then matters take a turn for the unexpected. Events do not follow the pattern you might expect. The girl drugs the boy who then wakes up in what turns out to be the basement of an abandoned house. So begins the game of Lost in the City.
Rock notebooks are built to order, so delivery time is normally around a week. Here I am looking at what would definitely be a top of the range unit, very powerful and rather expensive, it is all but £3000 and today that is not cheap.
This is the first Windows 7 manufacturers system I have seen, and a 64bit version at that. However the only other software supplied on my unit was a copy of Cyber Link DVD Suite V8. I was told a trial of BullGuard A/V should have been supplied. I downloaded it (as I do not like going on the Internet without A/V software) firstly on another system and then when that gave an Error 102 – whatever that is – reluctantly downloaded it directly onto the Rock.
A fear of heights and falling means a helicopter trip is unlikely to feature on my schedule. So Ill just have to make do with a Bladez Toyz model.
The latest batch of mini helicopters launched by Bladez Toyz, a company headed by ITV Tycoon winner Iain Morgan and financed by Dragon’s Den business guru Peter Jones, includes the Salvation 3D model which is the subject of this review. The last Bladez Toyz helicopter (the Salvation 1) I looked at came with a fairly standard remote control unit with twin joysticks. This was powered by 8 AA batteries.
This is probably the best mini camcorder I have used, image quality is excellent and the sound is also better than other such devices. It is however not perfect as the camera side could definitely be improved from what is available.
The Veho Kuzo Camcorder measures 2x6x10cm, open the TFT screen and the 2cm width becomes 9cm, the total weight is just less than 100 grams. If this were just a camcorder I would seriously consider recommending it for a 5x5 award, the quality is that good. However as it also has a still camera capability that is less than perfect the total mark will have to be less. The rim of the TFT is 6.5x5.4 with the viewable portion of the screen 5x3.8cm; it can be turned through 270 degrees.
Here I am looking at two more unusual items, first a 7 port USB hub with all ports switchable. Second an LCD water powered clock in what looks exactly like a soft drinks can, the surprise for regular readers is only one is from Brando.
Who would have thought when the first mini low-powered notebook made an appearance that we would soon be faced by an influx of netbooks such as a new offering from Packard Bell (now part of the Acer family).
Recently I told you about the Cool-Er the first such device I had reviewed; here is an even smaller unit from Sony. Sony has the advantage of having produced such devices for a while so this is actually something like generation three.
The pocket edition of Sony's popular 'Reader' measures 10.5x15.5x1cm. The viewable screen is 7.5x10cm. It weights 170grams, and sad to say from a male perspective mine was pink. So just like the Cool-Er I needed to review it in the privacy of my own home. No wonder the PR lady apologised to me before sending it out saying it’s the only unit we currently have available. The top has an on/off slider. Both the left and right side as well as the back are clear of controls.
With colours that include Blush and Dusty in their description, it has to be another Sony Ericsson handset that has been the focus of my attention
Joining the ranks of Sony Ericsson slider phones is the W395 model. Available in a choice of Blush Titanium or Dusky Grey, the handset is constructed of brushed aluminium with a design and feature set aimed at appealing to the youth market (well that leaves me out of the equation). The W395 has dimensions of 96 x 47 x 15mm (H x W x D) when closed with the height expanding to 127mm when open. The handset weight is kept down to a reasonable 96g.
For those who have not had the pleasure previously, let me introduce you to Natalie Brooks. This teenage detective is not only curious and adventurous but also impossibly slim. Having been the heroine of two earlier adventures, Alawar has brought Natalie back to solve the mystery of Hillcrest High.
Following an animated comic book style opening sequence, the Mystery of Hillcrest High opens with Natalie receiving a letter from her old school friend, Chad. It is the contents of the letter which sets Natalie on the trail of this latest adventure that involves the infamous Black Cat Gang and their attempt to commit the crime of the century.
With things like TVs continually getting lighter why is it that laser printers seem to be getting heavier? This is not that large but heavy to the point that even strong couriers struggle to carry it by themselves, or course the box does say two to move it.
It is 48x42x40cm with cables inserted, the light grey colour with black area around the control panel will certainly not ingratiate it to the ‘lounge police’ so the wireless ability of this unit could have it stashed away in a cupboard say under the stairs so as not to offend. The stated weight in box is 29kilos it certainly felt heavier to me. The main difference between a laser and an inkjet (apart from the weight) is that the claimed print speed will be achieved.
Not everybody can get on with the ear-bud style of headset. If you fall into this category then a Sennheiser headset is a viable option.
I seem to be in the minority. I say this as a result of the content supplied with the vast plethora of mobile devices that are currently available. Otherwise why would the different manufacturers all take the same approach of insisting on including an ear-bud style of headset for personal listening if the majority of users prefer the ear-muff style of headphones.
A rather nice small digital camera that I have had a chance to review for slightly longer than the normal two weeks which means I can delve more fully into the various styles available with it while taking out and about with me.
It is 10x6x3cm; with the lens fully extended the 3cm width becomes 7.5cm. The camera is quite weighty for a pocket portable at a tad over 200grams. This weight gives it a very solid feel and also helps with the overall balance. The solid battery is stated to last 1000 shots between charges and while I never managed that many images I never charged it after the initial charge. 10x optical zoom is a decent figure that can still be held still without a tripod. 12.
Here I am looking at two of Brandos more whacky gadgets. First what looks like a Hamburger but it is a hand warmer and massager. Second what looks like a largish mouse (not the rodent) but is a card reader with a memo taker.
While you cannot claim any real ‘medical’ powers for this device it is fun. Imagine a lightly browned burger bun with a burger inside and then a rather garish bright green thick layer of lettuce and that is it but don’t stop reading now as it does have a couple of uses. It is 5cm tall and 8cm across.
Oysters are usually associated with pearls and a shell fish that does not appeal to everybody. Now an oyster is offering to add speaker capability to various devices.
My first portable (not quite a luggable) music playing device was a record player with its own built-in speaker (this was the time when mono was still the accepted standard). It would play the rather larger and breakable records of the hits of that period while keeping my arm muscles well exercised through the need to wind-up the unit in order for it to work.
As you might guess this is based on the Pure Elan however it is rather different. While the sound quality as with all Pure units is excellent I suspect the style police have had something to do here and this would look good almost anywhere.
The Pure Elan II measures 38.5x15.5x10cm (without the rod aerial extended), the six piece rod aerial fully extended will add 64cm to the last figure the height. The whole unit apart from the silvered handle ends and the control area on the top is a wonderful matt black so if you have this in the kitchen no finger marks are likely to show as they do with a shiny surface. It can be run on batteries or even a Pure ChargePak (optional accessory) however most of my tests were run on mains power.
As house guests go I would not normally consider allowing a gorilla to share my abode but in the case of this minigorilla I might well make an exception.
When is enough considered enough? If the question refers to computer storage capacity or speed of operation then the answer is probably “Never”. The same is, no doubt, true when making up a wish list for the battery life length for our various portable devices.
Feeling peckish? Then maybe you would like a snack but not one that will interfere with any dietary issues. Recently I came across a number of games which could be described as Snack titles. Each one is priced at under a fiver admittedly by just a penny which could help with any budgetary restraints.
A rather nice 32inch LCD HD Ready TV from Sharp. Considering what even a small flat panel of a few years ago used to weigh, this even with its stand is light. However when you remove it from its box without the stand fixed its very light.
Without the stand it is 76x50x10cm (max), the stand lifts it a few centimetres above whatever it is sitting on. The stand is 38x28cm. The importance of the remote control is perhaps best stated by the fact that page three of the Operation Manual describes it before it even mentions the TV. In fact the only times I go to the TV is to turn it on/off using the flip button on the left edge or to connect or remove a cable for some external device that is connected to it.
While Sony Ericssons main market push seems to concentrate on the feature-rich, high-end products, the company has released models designed for the less-demanding user.
Of all the various Sony Ericsson handsets I have looked at, the S312 is perhaps the smallest unit yet. Even down to the packaging and the folded User Guide, this product goes for the compact look. Adopting the candy bar style, the S312 is available in a choice of Dawn Blue or the Honey Silver of the review unit. As mentioned, compact is the name of the game for this handset which measures 100 x 46 x 12.5mm (L x W x D). The S312 weighs in at 80.1g.
The latest incarnation of one of the best and easiest to use MP3 players the Sansa Clip, this one comes with 4GB of internal memory plus it also has a micro SD card slot so if 4GB is not enough you can add even more memory.
On first glance it looks very similar to the previous incarnation of the Sansa Clip but the clip on the back is more substantial and this unit has no rounded corners. It is 5.5x3.5x1.5cm and weights 28grams. The screen is 2.3x1.2cm but can still show four lines of very readable information. The USB connection (transfer data and charge) is on the left side near the top with the volume rocker below it. The top has just the on/off button while the bottom is clear.
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