GadgetSpeak Articles
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Here a home phone from Panasonic that is tough and stylish and it is even capable of working after being encased in ice. I know they do tough notebooks (Toughbooks) but surely encasing a phone in ice makes that tough as well.
I have my doubts about my abilities to be hard enough to review this ‘Shock & Splash’ resistant handset. At the launch it was encased in a large ice sculpture. Is that what they call ‘splash’? I am really worried as to what they call ‘Shock’ as I have visions of a sequence in an old ‘Gadget Show’ where they got a tank to go over ‘tough’ phones. This Panasonic DECT Phone (KX-TG6481ET) measures 16x5x3cm and weights 160grams.
It seems like only yesterday that I took a look at Magix Movie Edit Pro 14 (actually it was around six months ago but who is counting) yet here I am sat watching version 15 install itself on my system.
Installation is not the quickest operation but at least it gives me the opportunity, as I wait for the procedure to complete, to tell you that currently this latest version of the product comes bundled with a copy of Photo & Videoshow Soundproof 6. This is on top of the various items, such as Photo Manager 8, Mufin Music Finder, Xtreme Photo Designer, Vasco da Gama 3Magix Edition and iClone 3 SE, that are supplied on the DVD media found in the Movie Edit Pro 15 Plus box.
Here I am looking at two different yet similar USB hard drives. Not in either case from mainstream manufacturers of this sort of item. The first from Buffalo and the second from Dane-Elec. Both these 2.5 inch drives are 250GB.
It is 13x8x1.5cm with just over 2cm being added to the first figure by the USB lead. It weights 186grams with the 35cm long USB cable inserted. My unit shiny black ‘crystal black’ on the face and matt black everywhere else. I find there is little to say about hard discs of any size, most come with some ‘extra value’ software to enable you to keep your date safe. Here it is something called ‘SecureLockMobile’.
The hidden object genre of game play continues to be popular as yet another example finds from Popcap its way on to my hard disk and keeps me entertained and occupied for many hours.
As a Private Detective (PI) you are used to being offered all manner of cases but this is the first time that you have been hired to track down a missing will. This will belonged to a fun-loving New York billionaire and has been hidden somewhere in New York City. Speed is of the essence as you have to complete the task within 17 hours otherwise the billionaire’s fortune will go to the Cat & Dogs’ Home.
My lack of horticultural skills is such that my only chance of success is with virtual gardens such as those found in a new title from Playrix Entertainment.
While there are numerous examples of the Hidden Object genre currently available, it is unusual to come across one that has fully integrated the hidden object element into the actual storyline. Usually you just need to identify a list of objects in order to move on to the next scene or maybe receive an inventory item as a reward. One exception to this is a new title from Playtrix Entertainment entitled Gardenscapes which involves you in the restoration of a garden.
Did the idea for this unit come from a number of recent films; it certainly looks like something from several popular films. So you have in effect a webcam that can roam around to give you content from different places.
The website describes this as a toy, well no doubt most children of a certain age would love one but I suspect the price will mean that it will be an ‘executive’ toy. This is a very clever piece of kit. What has 33 wheels? Yes you know the answer before you even try to count them.
Taking on the role of the companys first WiFi enabled Walkman handset is the Sony Ericsson W705 product.
The Sony Ericsson W705 is a slider phone that weighs 98g. In its closed state the handset measures 95 x 48 x 14mm (H x W x D) with the height increasing to 128mm when slid open by a smooth movement under the control of your thumb. The review unit has a brushed metallic silver fascia with gold trimmings and a black back. A red version is available. As you would expect, the front of the closed handset is dominated by a 2.5-inch screen.
Things have changed hugely since I last looked at a baby monitor. Wired has long gone and now wireless with its limited channels has now been replaced with DECT technology, this unit however goes much further.
The baby monitor is 11x8x7.5cm while the parent unit is 11x5x3cm. A well written 40 page manual is well worth a thorough read just to see exactly what this multi functional unit can do. If you are just expecting a baby monitor then you are in for a big surprise. As an example the baby unit has no less than 50 lullabies built in to lull your baby to sleep, with technology ruling every other part of our life why not the baby monitor as well.
First a wireless notebook laser mouse from Kensington with the catchy Ci10 Fit name. Second a keyboard from Brando with Smart Touchpad for those who spend their days typing in figures or using their fingers in controls.
This is just slightly smaller than a standard mouse at 10.5x6x3.5cm. The 4.5x1.5x.5cm receiver fits into the base of the mouse when not in use and this saves the possibility of the mouse and receiver ending up in different places. The mouse is black and grey with rubberised sides to aid grip for those who perspire. As seems the norm these days there are no specific places to click with the area either side of the scroll wheel being the target areas.
First it was the Ultra then the Mino came along. Now we have an enhanced version of the Mino that promises improved image quality.
Adding to its family of pocket sized camcorders, Flip Video has produced the latest version of its Flip Mino product. This is the Flip Mino HD. As its title implies, this product adds high definition capabilities to the video capture and display features found in the original Flip Mino device.
Not as you may think a printer/scanner/copier but a PC that is built into a flat panel. It comes complete with corded keyboard and mouse. Viewsonic are best known for monitors/flat panels and of course the latter is heart of this unit.
The screen is 44x37x4cm it is raised 5cm off whatever you stand it on by the base that is 22x17cm. The whole PC is located inside the 19inch screen. The only extras are the keyboard and mouse both are black to match the screen. The screen weights a little under 5.4kilos. It uses the same processor as the range of Netbooks but the screen resolution is better at 1366x768. So its Windows XP Home and 1GB of Ram and a 2.5inch hard drive stated to be 160GB and this is normal Netbook fair.
If you were to line up all the different mobile phones end to end, I wonder how long the line would stretch. Sony Ericsson has added to this length with a new Cybershot model.
A recent addition to the Sony Ericsson product portfolio is the C510 mobile phone. This is a candy bar style handset belong to the Cybershot range. Predominately black in colour with a silver band running around the edges, the review unit measures 107 x 46 x 13mm (H x W x D) and weighs in at around 98g. A silver version of this phone is available. Dominating the front of the handset is the 2.
As its title indicates, Silent Hunter 4 follows on from three earlier offerings. I have to admit that all of the previous titles managed to escape my attention. As a result I came to this submarine simulation, subtitled Wolves of the Pacific, without any preconceptions regarding the game play, graphics, storyline or audio aspects.
As a mere man I know its impossible for a woman to walk past a shoe shop without at least a good look, here might be a way to avoid it, online shoe shops and best of all this site has no less than 40 different brands on show.
The link as always is at the end. The selection as you might expect is somewhat less for men as most men I know do not have double figure pairs of shoes and I doubt that many women have less than ten pairs with most far in excess of that figure. I checked my wardrobe, two black, one brown, Wellington boots, motor cycle boots, two pairs or trainers and one pair of slippers so I have eight pairs. Mind you the motor cycle boots are at least thirty five years old.
Sometimes a products title can cause some initial confusion as happened with kit developed by Bluelounge
Space Station! You have to be kidding! Why would you expect anyone with a fear of heights to tackle this particular subject? While experiencing zero gravity might do wonders for my troublesome back; the training involved would be extremely strenuous. These were just some of the thoughts that flashed through my mind when I glanced at the review schedule and saw that I had been pencilled in to review a Space Station.
A useful hobby and enthusiast tool that counts amongst it's abilities carving, engraving, sharpening, cleaning, cutting and sanding.
The Dremel Series 300 Multitool is very much like a small hand-held mains powered drill (in fact one of the jobs it can do is drill). The core unit takes a wide range of different tools, attachments and accessories. The review unit is packaged for Dremel's "Hobby" line and comes complete with twenty five different tools for a number of tasks.
First a quality Bluetooth headset from Plantronics and second, also from Plantronics, a set of stereo headphones - also using Bluetooth connectivity. Two items with different backgrounds the first to give you clear voice communication and the second for clear audio.
First something that's so small and light you could forget you are wearing it. In its most compact form it is 8x4x3cm and it weights just 17grams. It works via Bluetooth and like the unit below can be charged by a supplied USB to micro USB cable however this unit is also supplied with a mains charger and an assortment of plug ends for most countries as well as a cigar lighter charger for use in the car.
This audio unit allows the serious Hi-Fi user to have his CD player, Radio, Internet Radio, NAS and even iPod all in one unit together with the all important amplifier. Just add speakers of your choice for a high quality unit.
The NaimUniti all-in-one system measures 43x37x9cm and it's heavy so if you are planning to put it on a shelf make sure it is strong. We all know cheap hi-fis are plastic better quality could well be wood, well this Naim unit is made of – wait for it – cast iron. The front has the swing (from left to right) CD door and it requires a magnetic puck (supplied) to sit on top of any inserted CD. Below this are two 3.
As a regular user of an Acer TravelMate laptop, I was pleased to receive one of the companys 8000 Timeline series for review. This was the slim-line TravelMate 8371 which is aimed at the business users and currently comes with Windows Vista Business.
Decked out in a matt black case (not everybody needs or wants a reflective sheen) with dimensions of 323.6 x 228 x 26mm (W x D x H) in its closed state, this laptop is not going to show you up when you bring it out in company whether in the home, office or local coffee shop. I was a little concerned at the lack of a holding switch to keep the lid down in its closed position.
With all the Blu-ray drives I have reviewed somewhere I have mentioned that Blu-ray is not only about picture quality but Dolby sound as well. Here not only do you get the Blu-ray player but also a rather nice set of speakers.
It is 43x30x7cm with cables inserted. It weights just under 5kilos. All but the front is matt black; the front is shiny black and electric blue. The left side of the front is where the drawer for inserting discs is, Blu-ray, DVD and even CD’s. The central area has a pop out iPod holder and the right side has six illuminated (when on) buttons and a large volume control knob. The sides, top and base have nothing leaving a very full back of connections. The left side has the hard wired 1.
What do Beyonce Knowles, Stephen Fry, Oprah Winfrey, Stella McCartney and Miley Cyrus have in common? They all use a Flip Video pocket camcorder.
In the beginning there was the Flip Ultra. This pocket sized camcorder quickly grabbed the public attention and numerous competitive products quickly made an appearance. Flip Video, the company behind the initial release, quickly followed up its original product with the Flip Mino and then came the Flip Mino HD. You might at this point suppose that the Ultra version would have passed into history but you would be wrong.
Following his experiences at word creation in Bookworm Deluxe, Lex, the worlds friendliest bookworm, returns as the central character in Bookworm Adventures from those creative people at Popcap.
Here two devices to help you talk on the move. Both these devices allow hands free speaking and listening. The first from Plantronics and then the second from Jabra, both are light and efficient.
The body is 4.5x1.5x2cm and the total weight is 11grams. The figure I gave do not include the covered wire hook that sits behind the ear include this and the 4.5cm height can increase to 8cm. It works with almost any Bluetooth phone and is specifically designed for in car use where noise, wind and echo can be problems. During my tests – even with windows wound down – I was able to hear the other party clearly and they never asked me to repeat anything I said.
While colour will often enhance a document, sometimes all we really need is a crisp monochrome document such as delivered by a mono laser.
In the past I have checked out and worked with a number of Lexmark printers and multi-function devices. All these various models were based on inkjet technology. Now it is the turn of a Lexmark mono laser product, namely the E260dn, which is currently taking over my general printing tasks. The E260dn is network ready via a Fast Ethernet connection. Decked out in two-tone grey, this box shaped unit measures 260 x 406 x 370mm (H x W x D).
I have had this device for some months; however I have only been able to use it twice. Normally a device review has a lot of use but when it requires two units to do anything meaningful it is somewhat difficult when you only have one.
The Leyio UWB device measures 7.5x5x2cm but is waisted so in the centre it is .5cm less. It weights 70grams, so it is easy to fit in a pocket. It has one task to transfer data quickly using something called UWB (ultra wide band) when you come across another Leyio, you pair taking only a few seconds and then the one sending data flicks their wrist towards the other device and that’s it, large files can be transferred in a matter of seconds. No PC is involved at all.
Apart from mainstream wired phones for home and office, Doro also do DECT phones. Recently their mobile offerings are becoming widely accepted for those with disabilities, first however a seven button remote control.
How can a remote control with only seven buttons replace a remote control with forty or more buttons. In short it can’t but often the only controls required are volume up or down and channel up or down and this it can duplicate. Most remote control replacements are almost as complex as the ones they replace, normally they work by entering a code number to make them a near (or exact) replacement to the remote that came with the TV (or other device) they are replacing.
Backups, as has been stated many times, are important; not only for your peace of mind but also to ensure you have the appropriate tool to help you recover when disaster strikes.
An external USB2 CD/DVD drive is obviously extremely valuable for those who have a netbook or a notebook that lacks such a drive. Furthermore, it can often rejuvenate a somewhat tired machine or even one with a dead DVD drive. The Lite-On eSAU108 series are USB-powered and are thus easy to connect and use.
A proliferation of mains adapters is always a nuisance. Consequently, being able to power a writer directly from a PC is obviously a boon. However, although these drives are claimed to be very power-efficient, sometimes the peak power drawn during some random read/write operations may, with some computers, exceed that available from a single PC USB port. To ensure that this does not become a problem, the drive incorporates technology to carry out a power check.
Another Multi Function unit (it has Fax) silver grey with a broad black stripe around the top edge, so sad to say it will never pass the lounge police. However as an office machine there is little wrong with it.
The Canon Pixma MX860 measures 48x35x7cm when closed. If you store A4 paper in the back vertical tray this adds close to 20cm to the height. You will probably need another 10cm clear at the front to the 35cm depth when printing. Space required might be 50x45x30cm this would allow you to place books on the flat-bed if say you sighting point were a shelf. This is a five ink five cartridge unit. Printing the nonsensical 200 word document produced 12PPM in custom (set to speed) mode.
The value of data can decrease if it is not immediately available. A portable USB storage device will allow you to take your data with you on your travels.
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