GadgetSpeak Articles

GadgetSpeak has close to 5,000 product reviews and other articles. You can use this page to find others opinions on anything from mobile phones to computers to the latest kitchen appliance

 
The Medusa headset looks rather like an expensive pair of ear defenders, how wrong can first looks be? Sorry, to find out you will have to read on.

Microsoft Rodents

Here I am looking at not one but two mice from Microsoft. Neither of which have any lead to confine their movements. One is Wireless and the other is Bluetooth.

Pocket-sized Scanner

Although scanners have shrunk in size and weight, you would not normally expect to carry one in your pocket. Now you can.

Two Naim CD’s

Not something normally reviewed here, but there is a twist – more in a moment – and either or both would make great Christmas presents for the Jazz lover.

Password Management

My face might not be my fortune but my finger could be my passport to various computer activities.

InboxShield

This product came along at a very opportune time as a new version of my ‘current’ anti spam package had just brought out a new version, for me anyway it turned out to be unusable.

Works Suite 2005

Want a copy of Microsoft Word, this is the cheapest legal way to acquire one. However you also get a whole raft of other new and very recent products on a total of five CD’s.
A coffee machine that does not require plumbing, a decent fresh hot cup of coffee whenever you want it in only 20 seconds, all you need is a 13amp plug. Philips and Douwe Egberts have combined to produce Senseo.
The shape of the is distinctive, in fact I would go so far as to say unique. A little like a jug kettle, a little like those thermos type jugs that keep coffee warm inordinately but in truth nothing like either. Senseo from Philips The Senseo 'coffee pad system' to give it it's full name can produce either one or two cups of delicious coffee from 'ready' in 20 seconds.
Looking to maximise the space of your work desk? Maybe you should consider combining your printer, scanner, fax machine and photocopier into a single unit.
Lexmark's X6170 "All-in-One" product provides the functionality that covers printing, scanning and copying with built-in fax capability. On top of this, literally, the X6170 has an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) feature. Lexmark has packed all this functionality into a box that measures 48 x 25cm at the base and expanding to 50 x 52cm (W x D) at the top. The overall height is 29cm including the rear-mounted paper input tray.

Samsung Q25 Notebook

By no means cheap, but if you need a notebook 1.3kilos is extremely light, the Q25 fills that criteria and you get what are often called extras as standard.
It is 27x23x2cm yes the thickness is only 2cm, the weight is only 1.3kilos and with battery life with a reasonable screen brightness at close to 150 minutes this could well save a very expensive gym membership as current muscles may be enough to carry it around. A 31cm display is clear and bright, excellent when used with power and useable when on batteries.

Samsung SGH-P510 Camera Phone

It’s Samsung calling! This time I have been flipping open the Samsung SGH-P510 camera phone.
Have you noticed that all mobile phones, well at least the ones that I have used, always position the on/off key on the right side of the unit? This is not meant to be taken as a criticism, rather more of an observation. But it does go to show how technology is re-enforcing the dominance that the right hand has over the left in modern society.
Keyboard and mouse sets seem popular these days. Here I am looking a set from Microsoft with wireless keyboard and mouse, the keyboard has an extra feature.
I have had this product for several months without the opportunity to try it. After all you do not upgrade your PC that often. When you do it is often nice to start with a totally fresh installation however this does have it’s drawbacks and should the thought of installing everything from fresh fill you with dread then this is for you.
Instead of letting your fingers do the work, you could use them as an aid to your memory. To discover how, read on!
At about this time of year the 2005 products appear, one keenly fought encounter is between Microsoft Encarta and Encyclopaedia Britannica. Every year I try to note the differences and changes.

So It's Moto To You

Is yours a standard, one-piece model or maybe you prefer a flip top? Then again there are sliders and swivellers. Currently I am using a Motorola V80 which puts me in the swivel category.
Canon have recently refreshed their range of inkjet printers, this is the bottom of the range unit, but do not think it is anyway lacking in features or ability.
This is a four ink two cartridge offering. This does mean that if you use more of one colour than the others there could still be ink left when you need to change the cartridge. However this is not really a printer for a heavy user. There is nothing wrong with it and in my tests it performed perfectly well. A 1500 word document with some coloured text was produced at 7PPM and a 200 word black text document came through at close to 12 PPM.

Managing Digital Media

Most people have a collection of videos, photographs and music which they want to preserve. If you fall into this category then help could be at hand – so read on.
This is certainly something for that special person in your life. It is a watch but that is rather like saying one of Turners masterpieces is a painting. A watch tells the time, so does this, however there is more ....

A Freeview option from Hauppauge

Adding extra channels to your basic television viewing could not be easier. All you need is one of the new generation of set-top boxes such as the Hauppauge DEC110-T.
This digital terrestrial receiver, measuring 160 x 140 x 35mm and capable of bringing the Freeview channels into your living room, comes boxed in a package that contains all the bits and pieces you are likely to need. For a start you get the DEC110-T unit but more of this piece of equipment later. There is a remote control powered by two AAA batteries and a 12v power supply for the actual unit.

Brother Garden Labeller

With Christmas only around three months away I will from time to time cover things that could be given as gifts, some quite reasonable and others for that special person. Lets start with something for anyone keen on gardening.
I have recently looked at two labellers from Brother one for the younger members and another for the office. Now how about one that is ideal for the gardener, it can be used to label seeds, pots or even shrubs in the garden as the labels are weatherproof, heat resistant, and perhaps most important fade proof.

Powerstixx Ultra 2.1

Add a designer name and the price goes up, however it is not always the case that the quality goes up to match it. Here I am looking at a set of very stylish 2.1 speakers, is the name all they have to offer?

Wireless PC Lock

Walk away from your PC and it automatically becomes locked, nothing on the screen and no access, return and you are exactly where you were and no passwords to enter.

Playing the N-Gage Game

Ever tried playing a game on your mobile phone? Let’s face it, this is hardly the most enjoyable experience especially when compared to dedicated hand-held game devices. One possible solution could be to turn the situation around and make your phone calls from a game device.

Canon PowerShot S70

3megapixel not enough, 5megapixel not enough, then how about 7.1megapixel? The latest PowerShot S70 has exactly that as well as other great features in a compact housing.
It is 11x5.5x3.5cm and weights less than 300grams. It comes with a 32MB Compact Flash card and solid rechargeable battery. There are five image sizes 3072x2304 (large), 2592x1944 (medium 1), 2048x1536 (medium 2), 1600x1200 (medium 3), and 640x480 (small). Like almost all recent digital cameras it can take short movie sequences but instead of just 160x120 and 320x240 the normal images sizes this can also take 640x480 as well.

A New Sign of the Zodiac

So your pockets are bulging! Maybe it is because you are carrying too many devices. Perhaps one solution might be to switch to a device that combines the features of a PDA and gaming console.

USB to 5.1 Audio Adapter

If you enjoy music on a PC/Notebook then the speakers and sound card/chip are important. To put a better sound card in a notebook is very difficult and even in some PC’s not that easy, here is an alternative.

Brother P-touch 18R

Having recently tested an entry level labelling machine (P-touch 55 22/8/04) aimed at the younger market here I get involved with a larger machine that has even more functionality.
The earlier machine was meant for kids both in the colour choice and key size as well as having mobile phone type input. Here in this machine that would look at home in any office - it's grey - with QWERTY keys and a total of 58 keys almost all can produce symbols or accents with the press of a second key.   It is 14x12x5cm and it is close to 600grams.
I do not normally play a lot of games, perhaps the occasional Freecell or two and the odd – very odd – game of Bridge, however I have to confess that the Bank Holiday saw me spending far to much time on Trainz.
Free means different things to different people. Take Freeview and free-to-air as an example. There is no subscription charge but you do need to purchase an appropriate receiver.
The Government's perceived wisdom (surely an oxymoron) is that analogue TV has had its day and will be replaced by digital broadcasts. This digital switchover is due to begin in 2007. A taster of what is to come can be experienced with the Freeview service which rose, Phoenix-like, from the debacle known as On-Digital and its monkey figurehead.
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