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GPS and I normally do not normally manage a happy relationship, however this unit was something different and from day one we got on.
Often I have a problem finding enough satellites here on more than one occasion I managed 11, yes eleven. You need three to triangulate and normally this unit found at least seven. I would suggest that you switch on a couple of minutes before you leave allowing it good time to seek them out after that even going through tunnels the signal is picked up again seconds after emerging.
Audio output is often a neglected aspect with a computer purchase which opens the door for considering a dedicated speaker set.
The letter "X" is becoming increasingly popular when naming computer items. Quickly checking around reveals that both software and hardware products have jumped onto this particular bandwagon. We have operating systems using this letter; various applications use the "X" in their version number; and, of course, there is that popular game console from the giant of Redmond.
Two more offerings that I first saw at the recent Dream Toys event, one that might temp the older users and one that could suit all the family.
Rubik's Sudoku I am sure the name gives a reasonable idea of what this is about. Concentrate on the second half and you are there. It is an 18x16.5x3cm box with nine section of 3x3 grids within. The basic Sudoku idea is here with each 3x3 grid column of nine and row of nine to be filled with a number, no number can be repeated in and grid, row or column.
A cheaper and little less intrusive than other docks.
If you read my , you will no doubt be wondering what the alternatives to having a substantial unit sitting by your stereo are. review of the "iwantit" IW300 iPod docking station The grandly named "Kensington" dock for iPods could be the answer. The "Kenny" again comes only in white and could be described as minimalist, but no less effective. I use it in my living room where it sits unassumingly next to my Sky+ box and does not take up much space.
A universal docking station for all iPod models (except Shuffle)
I suppose you could say that I have been bitten by the iPod bug of late and have been trying and buying all manner of iPod accessories. My latest two aquisitions have been made in an effort to make the most of my MP3 collection by linking the iPod to my two home hifi setups.
A time consuming installation produced a comprehensive set of tools for burning media with the latest offering from Roxio.
Joining the ranks of slow installation routines is the one used by Roxio Easy Media Creator. With a number of long pauses when nothing appeared to be happening, the procedure easily exceeded 40 minutes before requiring a system reboot.
This is a device for recording and playing back music, video, pictures and voice. It is also an FM radio. However much as I have tried it always refuses to make the tea do the washing up or the ironing
It is 11.5x8x2.5cm and weights less than 300grams in the supplied protective case. The screen is 7x5.5cm. This is a 30GB unit so lots of space for all those pictures and MP3 files as well as any short videos you might take. It comes with a leather case and while it should be possible to use it in the case as all the controls are accessible I tended to remove it.
A graphics package costing under £10 sounds like an ideal stocking filler.
A photo printer but certainly not run of the mill as it not only supports 15x10cm but also 18x13cm and panorama 30x10cm images. It has a certain upmarket look.
The unit is black with grey buttons and a grey trim around the drop down front that provided the reception for captured images. However when this is opened the whole front is found to be grey.
These two items are both the biggest and the most expensive and also the noisiest of all the toys and games that I selected from this years Dream Toys event, the kids will love them.
Zero Gravity This vehicle will climb walls, I do not mean that it will send parents up them, it actually climbs walls as well as working on the ground. Yes you do need a reasonably flat wall - no hugely deep wallpapers - but it certainly coped with anaglyptia. In the very crudest terms it works a little like a hovercraft - no don't try it on water - air is sucked under the vehicle and this holds it to the wall.
While Microsoft Office is the Markey leader, there are more budget priced offerings for the discerning supermarket shopper.
Certainly a camera small enough to fit in any pocket or purse and while it is supplied with a woefully inadequate memory card it does come with a case as standard.
It is 9x5.5x2.5 but the width extends from 2.5cm to 6cm with the lens extended. The weight is around 200grams. All this means it is easy to fit into the palm of an adult hand. This is a 6.3mega pixel camera with 3x optical zoom that is various shaded of silver. Just for a change lets start with the back this is dominated by the 5x4cm TFT display and to the right of this are six buttons and a five position wheel.
Portable devices have a habit of requiring a power top-up at inconvenient moments. Fortunate help is available.
We are living increasingly in a mobile society. A quick check through the possessions we carry with us on a regular day-to-day basis will certainly prove this point. What with mobile phones, PDAs, portable gaming devices, iPods and other brands of MP3 players, we have come to rely on having the tools of modern life at our finger tips 24/7.
Strange how a company such as T-Mobile can supply the excellent Nokia E61 well before Nokia can. Using it with T-Mobiles Web n Walk software using 3G says there was after all a point to all those expensive licences.
While connection speeds were not up to 'broadband' they are rapid and knock GPRS totally for six. The Nokia E61 is a device that looks more like a PDA than a phone but in fairness it's more than both combined. Anyone needing to connect, communicate and be communicated with (Blackberry style) should consider this device. It has a 39 key keyboard that can easily be used by two thumbs and keys that you need such as @ / .
Space can often be at a premium so why not opt for a multifunction device that can tackle a range of activities without overcrowding the workspace.
Put together a printer, flat-bed scanner, photocopier, media card reader, plus fax and the result is a multi-function product capable of handling numerous home/small business tasks. All these features, plus a telephone handset, network support and ADF (Automatic Document Feed), are included in the Brother MFC-660CN offering which heads the company's new range of multi-function inkjet products.
This is an All In One from Canon that, on first glance, appears to have no controls on it at all, just a grey, silver and black rectangular box with a lid on the top of the flatbed scanner.
The is 43x34x15cm when closed. Lift the paper storage tray at the rear and place some A4 in it and this adds 20cm to the 15cm height. The controls all sit under a flip up lid on the right top edge at the front of the unit including the 4x3cm TFT display that can sit at vertical or up to 30 degrees beyond to suit, so that viewing is always easy.
Fed up with terrestrial landscapes then venture further afield with Distant Landscape
Use any MP3 player in your car via an FM channel. Illegal (just) but worth doing.
So the search went on for the ultimate ipod incar experience, you may have read my earlier on this site and how I was non too impressed with it's performance. Well my search took me to Maplins electronics store in my home town where I spoke to a staff member about my mission to find an FM transmitter for the ipod that retained clarity and reduced background hum.
Play your ipod through your car radio via an FM channel. Still illegal in this country. But only just.
I recently took delivery of a beautiful shiny white 30GB Apple ipod and was anxious to use it to it's full potential, which of course mean't playing it whilst out driving. I had run my last MP3 player via a cassette adaptor, but was determined to make the ipod in car experience as wireless as possible. Skimming through the internet for solutions brought up the Griffin ITrip FM transmitter.
With space at a premium an All-In-One is often the answer here I am looking at a unit not much larger than a lot of printers, but it also scans and copies. The latter without needing the PC connected.
The is 41x27x16cm when not in use. The 27cm depth just about doubles when the drop down tray that is the paper input and output is lowered and extended. You need a few centimetres of clearance above to place items on the flatbed to scan but apart from that it can happily sit on a shelf it weights a tad over 5Kg.
Why wait to print your digital photographs when you could use a portable photo-printer.
The rise in the popularity of digital cameras has seen the development of printers designed specifically for the purpose of printing the images captured by these devices. Generally referred to as photo-printers, these units are generally compact for easy portability and provide several methods of receiving data. One such device is the PP500 from Kodak's EasyShare range of products.
A futuristic coffee machine that has special coffee and dried milk capsules (pods) that quickly combine to make currently four kinds of coffee that are top notch.
Currently the comes with a starter pack of coffee and dried milk capsules as well as a cup/saucer and glass to give that coffee shop appearance. However the main thing with this machine is the speed of making a Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato both of which require a milk and a coffee capsule or an Espresso or Caffe Lungo that are drunk black and require just a single capsule. If the machine is switched on cold water is turned into a hot drink in around 20 seconds.
An eight megapixel camera for under £200 is possible with the Kodak C875
The C875 is a digital camera that forms part of Kodak's Easy Share range. Classified as a "point and shoot" model, this is an eight mega-pixel camera with 5x optical zoom and 21 pre-programmed scene modes. Emphasising the "point and shoot" nature of this camera is Kodak's decision to provide a basic wrist-strap rather than a more sturdy travel pouch for carrying this camera when out and about - it is immediately available for those impulse photographs.
This is a compact All In One unit, however while it is small and the controls are easy to use, all is not as it should be.
The is 39x35x16cm and light grey and black in colour. There are a total of 15 buttons all at the right side of the front edge of the top along with a rather poor LED display that you always seem to be at the wrong angle to view what it is saying. The front has two card slots as well as a PictBridge one. It is nice to see a proper paper tray - rather than an open shelf-printed results are delivered face up on a shelf just above the paper tray.
Both of the products reviewed here are new versions of old favourites. Monopoly using a credit card rather than cash and a 1990s version of Trivial Pursuits.
The latest LG phone has pretensions of being your personal DJ.
LG entered the UK mobile phone arena around three years ago. Since then the company has increased its mobile product portfolio to its current level of 35 models. One of these is the LG U400 unit which adds a 2.0 mega-pixel camera and DJ-style music compatibilities to its telephonic features. This phone, at the time of writing exclusive to the 3 network, is predominately black with silver and blue trimmings.
There are two versions of this phone the E50-1 with camera and the one I looked at the E50-2 without the camera.
This is a small but solid neat phone that looks businesslike, not having a camera seems a little strange but some companies prefer it as then employees cannot photograph documents, I was amazed when I heard that but I am told it is true. The dimensions are 11x4x1.5cm and it weights around 100grams. The 4x3cm screen is bright and easy to read. This is required as the top 1.
Containing features that could be described as small, fiddly, sexy and slow, this music player is also not over-endowed with storage capacity.
One thing you can always say about Maxfield products is that this German company does try to be different when it comes to the packaging. When a small silver coloured box, measuring 100 x 100 x 75mm, arrives you wonder, or maybe hope, that some kind person has sent you some quality chocolates or perhaps a personalised cake. But the labelling on this box quickly reveals that this is a Maxfield music player that goes by the name of MAX-SIN Touch.
This is probably just too big to fit in most pockets but the lack of a case is not vital as the lens is covered and the screen is capable of being rotated 180 degrees as with a lot of camcorders.
The is 11.5x6.5x5cm and weights around 350grams. This is an 8mega pixel unit with 4x optical zoom. The SD card supplied is only 16MB (down probably to pressure from retailers) but I was very surprised to find it comes only standard with (4) AA batteries. Canon PowerShot A630 The TFT screen is all but 5x4cm and is described as a 2.5 inch LCD. The lens is 7.3-29.2mm giving the 4x optical.
With USB dominating connectivity issues, extra ports will always prove useful.
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