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Absence makes the heart grow fonder but would it be true as I take a look at a Creative webcam after a long break.
It has been a number of years since I last had the opportunity to look at a web cam from Creative. In fact it was back in the days when the company still preferred to be known as Creative Labs. The intervening period has certainly seen some remarkable changes in the design and functionality of the device. This new addition to the Creative family is the Live! Optia.
A small set of stereo speakers for iPod owners that produce good sound from a compact package and at a reasonable price.
Intempo produce a range of iPod speaker systems, along with a varied range of other audio products. The IDS-05 is a mid-sized unit at 23x13x9cm (width x height x depth). Sound is produced by combination of three speakers - two stereo 3W, 2" mid-range speakers to the front and a single, centrally mounted 9W, 3" sub-woofer to the rear. The speakers are not covered with any protective grill.
This DAB radio (also has FM) is the same wedge shape and size as the recently reviewed Siesta, there are of course differences the first of which is the colouring it looks a silver grey great for a bedroom.
First the all important dimensions these are of course maximum 19x17x6cm, the 19cm width is only 3cm at the rear. Under the unit is where the power adapter enters and where the aerial wire exits. The power lead is an adequate 1.8metres, the aerial lead is a barely adequate 60cm.
Polaroid is a name traditionally linked with instant film and sunglasses. They have however been
at the forefront of a number of technical developments over the years. Now they are capitalising
on that heritage to enter the high-definition TV market.
We'll be taking an in-depth look at Polaroid's Definia Range in December. This is a little sneak
preview of the Polaroid range. Paul Smart recently
and
was impressed with the results. The Definia range take that core technology and integrates a
digital (Freeview) tuner.
Here is a neat little toy that would make a great value extra present at Christmas and keep the kids exercising even indoors in the cold months.
Funkix is described as a technology filled Sports Sack. Derived from an 80's craze, the multi-million selling "Hacky Sack" the Funkix takes this concept and moves it into the twenty-first century. There are three different types, all shaped like a mini football with a different 'technology centre'. All of them are designed to be thrown, kicked or juggled and aimed squarely at the 'kid' in all of us - big or small.
Here I am looking at two devices the first something that was around when I was a kid Rolf Harris promoted it and the second something rather new in style and design.
Stylophone This has been around - almost since I was a kid - it was endorsed by Rolf Harris who first came to notice for his digery doo and not his paintings 'do you know what it is yet' those came a lot later. This to me looks identical to one I saw very many years ago it is 16x10x3.5cm. I doubt the original had MP3 input or probably not a headphone output as I don't think 3.5mm jack plugs were around then.
There are now a plethora of mobile video devices on the market. Personal DVD players started the
market which has been taken up by solid state and hard disk players like Apples iPod range and
the Archos range of products. While the concept has been great, personal video in public has never
been, well, that personal. A criticism myvu hope to address with their range of 'media viewers'.
On a recent train journey virtually half the passengers had headphones inserted with their
favourite music blasting into their ears. Despite an ever increasing range of mobile players
capable of delivering video - not one of those passengers were making use of that video
capability. There are probably a couple of reasons for this.
Haynes Laptop Manual: Buying, using and maintaining a laptop by Gary Marshall is a most useful book. -- not just for existing users but also for those who are potential buyers. In view of the fact that more and more people are opting for laptops, that probably means most of us.
It covers the various phases in laptop usage ranging from picking the right laptop, using it, and all the way through to upgrading it. From then onwards, it may be back to square one with having again to choose the right laptop etc. etc. However, by the time this occurs, there will probably be a new addition of the book to guide one through the process. When going into a High Street PC store one is faced with a confusing array of machines.
I have been a long time user of a Dymo handheld device for printing labels on tape. The company also produces printers for creating paper-based labels.
I am an inveterate labeller. Whether it is my music collection, DVDs or even just to identify which plug connects to which device, you will usually find a label, with appropriate information, attached. As a result I am an obvious candidate for a device that can print professionally looking labels to add that touch of style which I would rarely achieve if left to my own devices.
An electronic game that replicates the TV series Deal or No Deal. Easy to play and easy to carry around.
The Deal or No Deal electronic table top
game is for four players. The first thing I liked about this
board game is there are no pieces to loose!
The lack of individual pieces makes this an easy game to
play on the settee, in the car or to take around to the relatives
on Boxing Day. Like other TV tie-in games, it does help if you've watched the
TV show.
This is the first of the latest batch of Logitech keyboards to come my way. This is a new breed of keyboard that notes the increased number of notebooks that people use on a desktop.
So apart from this being a full size keyboard it also comes with a stand to raise your notebooks screen so that in effect you have the same arrangement as you would get with a desktop, so you just put your laptop in the stand and forget it has a keyboard once you have tuned the cordless offering here to your notebook.
If it's classic styling you're looking for - a DAB radio that'll looks as good as it sounds
and that can comfortably take pride of place in your home then Roberts may have something for you.
The 'Revival' range has been around for a little while from Roberts in various finishes. This
limited edition version takes style to a new level. When you take it out of the packaging
the first thing you notice is the weight - at around 1.5Kg (3lb) without batteries this is
probably the heaviest DAB radio I've seen.
As USB flash drives shrink in physical dimensions, they do seem to increase in storage capacity and additional features.
In an effort to differentiate their USB flash drive products from the competition manufacturers have put in varying degrees of effort into trying to make their particular products stand out from the rest of the pack. Physical dimensions and various shapes have been tried as the means of differentiating certain brands while others have opted for the approach of adding extra value in the form of bonus software such as Ceedo, U3 and encryption protection.
Add together equal measures of scientific exploration and computer interaction with a dash of curiosity, fun and creativeness could well result in a product from Digital Blue
The product QX5 Computer Microscope has been specifically developed to allow children to explore a world of small creatures and other items without too much fuss or mess. This kit consists of a cylindrical shaped microscope with a permanently attached USB lead; a stand with a moveable tray for holding specimens; and software for displaying and adding special effects to the images.
As an Officejet it is unlikely to ever get past the lounge police partly because it is not small but mainly because it is black with grey sides, shame really as it is a nice MFU.
Firstly for those occasional readers an MFU (Multi Function Unit) has fax capabilities whereas the AIO (All In One) does not. Both have the ability to print, scan and copy. It is 54x42x36cm and compare that to a lot of similar machines and you will see it is big. Mind you it has a duplex unit that adds to the second figure the depth and the third figure the height would be less without the page feed.
Are you looking for the best hair straighteners to go to that party, or just look great for work. We put 4 different hair straighteners to the test.
When I received four different hair straighteners I wondered what could be different about each. Most straighteners these days have ceramic plates, held to be better for your hair, and swivel leads to stop the wire from tangling up (a good invention).
Although many users tend only to think of Olympus as a developer and manufacturer of traditional and digital cameras, the company also has a long established reputation for producing high quality digital voice recorders.
Recently the company expanded its range of voice recorders with three new models in its DS series. These models are the DS-30, DS-40 (the subject of this review) and the DS-50. Measuring 110 x 37.5 x 16mm and weighing 73g, the DS-40 is a handy size device in more ways than one. It will fit easily into a pocket or bag, without an unsightly bulge, when not in use.
The demise of
VHS video tape has left a big hole in convenient TV recording not filled by the promise of DVD.
This Thomson box from Top Up TV offers a rich set of features at an unbeatable price.
Hard disk recorders have been around for a little while - most famously pioneered by Tivio and
then, in the UK, by the Sky+ box. Great if you're a Sky subscriber. With the advent of FreeView
based Digital Television Recorders (DTR) this facility is available to the masses without
the expense or restrictions of a subscription-only services. have launched their own product in this space - the
" " - not quite as catchy as "sky+" - but don't let that put you off.
This is an Analogue TV but it has almost any connection at the rear so with a digital PVR you have a new TV with the ability to view and play HD.
This is the first TV I have reviewed that is supplied with a screwdriver. Yes it is self assembly - of the stand - the screws are provided as are the screw holes and after a couple of minutes it is ready. A good idea should you ever need to relocate it as the box for a 32 inch TV is tiny only just bigger than the screen so the stand needs to be flat in the boxes back.
Over the last couple of months we've reviewed a number of coffee machines, across a wide
price range and with distinct capabilities and characteristics. We're just about
coming down from our caffeine high so now is a good time to offer a summary!
First of all a few terms so we're all singing from the same hymn sheet!
is the common 'brew' across the machines we reviewed. Think of this as a base coffee
from which others are made. Espresso is a short (40ml) strong black coffee. From this base
you can add hot frothy milk to make , for example. The machines we reviewed made coffee either from special proprietary 'capsules', such
as the system or the Braun Tassimo capsules, from fresh ground coffee or from
.
While neither of these two items are likely to be needed that often when one or other is it will certainly get you out of a hole.
USB Portable Floppy Drive Nowadays the majority of new PC's are sold with an 'A' drive, the capacity is small and most situations can be handled with a pen/stick drive. There are occasions when these will not do and one of these could well the one that totally knackers you or me. Certainly if you have several PC's then if Windows will not boot then a USB floppy could be a 'lifesaver'.
With this little foursome she can have a pampering experience any night of the week - and you'll still have change from £100. Great gadgety beauty gifts for the girls at Christmas.
Boots are a firm favourite with shoppers at Christmas so we asked Boots for a selection of their gadgets for the girls this Christmas. They sent us some of their popular products: The Boots Compact Epilator, Lee's Box of Tricks and the No 7 Rechargeable Manicure Set. We also received the Mini-Massager on the Go, by Homedics, which you can also buy from Boots. For girls who want smooth legs for Christmas and New Year - a nice little epilator - affordable and simple to understand.
While the various MP3 type devices were designed as personal music players that has not stopped developers from trying to expand the range of audience participation.
Entitled , the provides additional audio output capabilities to your MP3 player. Although it does come with a claim, clearly mentioned on the packaging, that the product has been designed for all MP3 players, it is obvious that the iPod has had a major influence on the design concept but more on this a little later.
I am so impressed with the Kaleidoscope games. It's fantastic to see a company that has come up with a truly original, high quality and addictive game. The Kaleidoscope games deserve to reach the iconic status of Monopoly and Scrabble, when the other board games inspired by TV programmes and novelty characters are 6 feet under.
Just when I thought that was the perfect game, along came it's big brother -
Krusade - a board game for 2-4 players. I liked Kaleidoscope
Classic, the original game, so much that it was awarded the
Gadgetspeak 5*5 award a few weeks ago. Kaleidoscope
Classic In brief, Kaleidoscope Classic is a
brainteasing puzzle of 18 pieces which cover 64 squares and can placed in at least 101 ways to give different patterns.
While I have seen cheaper unbranded boxes on sale in adverts, this is a new ball park low in a nationally advertised box it breaks the £20 price point and of course its not a sale price.
This is a simple black box, it is 21x17x3cm with the aerial lead inserted. There is a single LED on the front and the mains lead is hardwired into the rear. Unusually for basic Freeview units not only does an aerial input but an output as well. Most will connect to a SCART socket and it of course has one of those.
For those of you that like espresso, but often just want a jug of warm coffee then
Krups have combined both functions in a single unit.
The is a stylish brushed stainless steel and black plastic unit. The combination of espresso and filter means that it's physically bigger than other machines we've tested at 35x32x31cm (Width x Height x Depth) - my measurements from the actual unit and weighing in at 3Kg.
With music where ever you go, Sony Ericssons slider model offers plenty of functionality.
The Sony Ericsson W850i is the company's first slider model to grace its family of mobile phones. Available in either golden white or precious black, this phone measures 98 x 47 x 21mm and weighs 116g which, while not the smallest device around, is a reasonable size for the functionality it provides.
Everybody loves to win a prize especially a possible life-changing one as is offered by this next product.
Eternity is supposed to last for a very, very long time. In fact it is meant to be the infinite period that never ends. Yet despite this apparent longevity, not only do we have Eternity but Eternity II. I should make clear that this Eternity and the follow-up Eternity II are puzzle type games that have been developed by Christopher Monckton who was at one time (but not an eternity ago) an aide to Margaret Thatcher.
This is a powerful intermediate user camera, more than point and shoot but a step down from a DSLR however it has 6x optical zoom and can take 12mega pixel images.
This is not a small unit, but somewhat less in size than a DSLR. It is 11x7x4.5cm and weights close to 400grams with it's 4x'AA' batteries inserted. I found it surprising that such a powerful unit only comes with 'AA' batteries. The case is silver in colour apart from the right hand side 'the grip' area which is black. Almost all the controls are also in this area.
Usually at Gadgetspeak we review products. Recently we were given the chance to review a video encoding technology called Mobiclip. A technology that will enable mobile phones to store movie length films at high quality and without impinging on battery life. We were sent a Nokia N73 with a film on memory card using the Mobiclip technology by Actimagine.
You can't actually go out and buy 'Mobiclip'. It's one of those things to be aware of and look out for when buying a mobile phone. You'll find some Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola phones that come with Mobiclip technology and, if you want to be able to watch full length movies on your phone, this may end up being one of the reasons why you choose one phone over another.
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