GadgetSpeak Articles
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While I enjoy listening to music when driving, I prefer somebody else, other than me, to provide the entertainment.
You have probably seen, and maybe even enjoyed joining in with one of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke sessions that involve various celebrities having a sing song within a car. I must admit to being one of those people who have not had the "pleasure" of participating whether as a spectator or as part of the choir.
With all of us spending more time in our ‘bubbles’ clean air is vital as otherwise if one gets a cold – or worse – we all get it. So this device from Philips could well help. It is rare that I quote the top of the box in this introduction but here it seems appropriate ‘removes 99.97% of airborne allergens’ is the claim.
The claims are that it removes Pollen, Pet Danger, Household Dust, Outdoor Pollution, Gas, Dust Mite Allergens, Bacteria and Virus. You can track everything via the Philips Clean Home App. The Philips Air Purifier 3000i AC3033 measures 64.5cm tall and round at 27.5cm, it comes fully assembled but you have to remove the lower back half to remove the packaging from the filter which is already in place. It has a 1.8 metre hard wired mains lead that emerges from the base at the back.
Farmyard animals gather together to produce a travelling bubble-like environment to test the player's shooting skills.
Published by Zariba Ltd., Bubble Zoo 2 has been categorised as a Match-3 game but I prefer to think of this title belonging to the Shooter genre. By that I mean the type of game where you shoot objects at a travelling chain to reduce its size or even remove it completely. You can achieve this by making sure the colour of the fired projectile is the same as that of the area it hits.
Combining extra functionality connections and plenty of storage capacity is a device from OWC.
Available in capacities ranging from 2 to 32TB, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual product combines drive storage capability with a 3-port hub functionality. Adopting a rather sturdy appearance, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual device is a silver coloured, aluminium box with dimensions of 240 x 140 x 85 mm (D x H x W) and a weight of 1760g. Included with the main drive unit are a power cable, USB Type C cable and a USB Type C to USB type A 3.2 cable.
While this is box that things can be stored in I do not think it describes it very well. Most will use it while sitting or lying in bed and it can support your Tablet at an angle and still leave you able to write or type on the top of the box without things moving around, it you like it’s a third hand.
The other word in the title ‘felt’ to me does not describe the moulded base and sides while they are felt my feelings make felt a soft substance that moves and this is solid. It is 36x24.5cm at the top and 33x21cm at the base, it is 7.5cm deep. My review period of it overlapped while I was reviewing the Samsung Tab S7 one of the Tablets along with various iPads mentioned in the instructions that came with the item.
iStorage continues to push the boundaries with regards to protecting mobile data.
Think of this large Tablet that can be used in the home, the office, and anywhere in between as it has a Sim and can therefore keep you in contact anywhere. It has rather good speakers however few will want to hold it to their ears because of size, so Bluetooth for a headset and some form or privacy for your phone calls.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 measures 28.5x19.5x.5cm and weighs 576 grams this with the supplied stylus attached in its charge port on the back. The viewable screen is 26.5x16.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 12.4inches. This review unit was sent to me by Vodafone who have it available in Black or as I was sent Mystic Bronze. It is currently available in 4G or 5G versions the former is £17 a month cheaper.
Switching, due to circumstances, from a live to digital event, DreamToys 2020 announced its choice of toys that should captivate.
For the more energetic, outdoor customer, DOOGEE has a possible handset.
Announced as the world's first infrared night vision Android 10.0 rugged smartphone, the S96 Pro is a new offering from DOOGEE Hen tong Technology Co. Ltd. Available in a choice of Fire Orange, Army Green and Mineral Black, the S96 Pro has dimensions of 167 x 81.4 x 15.5 mm (H x W x D) and a weight of 310g (including the battery) which presumably reflects its rugged appearance.
While a lot of devices claim to take your blood pressure they give a single figure and most will know your blood pressure is made up of two components systolic and diastolic the ideal reading is something like 120 over 80. What most devices give you is your pulse which in a fit and healthy person can be around 60 when resting.
Your doctor will use a cuff that fits on your arm and in the times when it was possible to see a doctor in person outside of an A & E visit they would attach such a device to your arm and then tell you to stop talking while they take your reading. This unit has a solid rechargeable internal battery which means the display sits on your arm along with the cuff and will work either on a bare arm or over a shirt and still give accurate readings. The solid part is 15x4.
It's sale time for a weekend with Huawei.
With Black Friday fast approaching, Huawei has today announced it will be offering huge savings across its portfolio of smartphones, audio and wearable units, in its first Golden Weekend on the Huawei Store. In celebration of reaching 5 million customers in the UK, Huawei is rewarding fans with discounts of up to 33% on a range of cutting-edge products.
Two small and useful items for the young, the first a table game and the second two musical toys that may even lead them into a useful career as a musician. They are from the same PR company that sent the large .pdf file in August these items are both reasonably priced. With current restrictions both items are suitable to be posted without costing a fortune.
First the Table Top Bowling Game that does not need a huge amount of flat space to play it. It is 1.2metres long and 23cm wide and weights 294 grams. The flat laminated sheet is supplied rolled up in a box with the weighted pins and balls there are two weighted magnetic strips that go at either end of the sheet to keep it flat. The six pins are each 7cm centimeters tall with a small weight to help keep then standing.
Can you help solve mysteries steeped in the past?
Artifacts of the Past - Ancient Mysteries belongs to the Hidden Object genre of games. This title, developed by Kranx, was originally published by Big Fish Games and is now available as part of the BlackLime catalogue of titles. Profiles ca be created so that different players can participate in solving the ancient mysteries on which this game is based. You also have the usual options regarding the game's playing environment.
Time for some news about a set of headphones that promises extended play time.
I suppose it could be regarded as one of those "Big Red London Bus" moments but, in this case, it is one that has some "bells and whistles" added to it. Earlier I had checked out a set of wireless headphones that came with over 20 hours of playing time from a single charge. I felt that this was rather impressive but then I received news of another set of wireless headphones arriving in my in-box.
Acer seem reluctant to bring in new names, as I have reviewed an Aspire 5 in the past, only the bit after the ‘5’ varies here however there is doubt that this a different unit as the previous one weighed over 2kilos and this one only clocks in a tad over 1.5 kilos so what else is new on this small and light laptop?
The Acer Aspire A514-52 laptop computer measures 32x23x1.5cm and weighs 1524grams. The viewable screen is 31x17.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of close to 14 inches. The screen is HD 1920x1080 with the default display set at 150% but I was perfectly happy using it at 125%. The 84 key keyboard has 4cm clear behind 2.5cm clear either side and 9cm clear in front with the 10.5x6.5cm trackpad mounted 9.5cm from the left and 12.5cm from the right.
An online launch event introduced a new Xiaomi family of smartphones plus a wrist adornment.
Xiaomi has announced the arrival of its latest range of smartphones. This is the all-singing, all-dancing Mi 10T family of handsets that is made up of the standard version, Pro model and a Lite offering. As you might expect the whole family supports 5G technology. Taking on the role of the company's flagship offering, the Mi 10T Pro has been designed to take your mobile creativity and exploration experience to the next level. Featuring dimensions of 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.
Do you know someone who has everything and is therefore a nightmare to get presents for? I may have a solution especially if they work at a desk, a range of three basic items but made in high quality brass any of which would be a huge talking point. I am told that only two of the three are currently available and the third is a pre-production sample.
First the Stria Ruler – pre production – it folds out to 30cm – 12 inches – and is marked on both sides one in centimetres and the other in inches. A two centimetre area in the centre is what it pivots round. Open or closed it’s an accurate measure with the centimetres and the tenths marked as inclines to .5cm. The inches are marked in sixteenths of an inch.
Available in a choice of Standard or Collector's Edition format, Otherworld - Shades of Fall is a hidden Object game.
I have been looking at the Collector's Edition of Otherworld - Shades of Fall, a Boomzap developed game. As usual with Collector's Edition offerings, this game comes with a number of bonus items to justify its status. While features such as wallpaper, sound tracks, concept art and a Strategy Guide are available immediately; offerings to replay cut-scenes, replay mini games and an Epilogue are only available once encountered in the main game or when the game is completed.
I am used to review samples coming with a US keyboard where only a few keys are differently placed but this arrived with a German keyboard and when you use a UK keyboard overlay on it a number of keys move the most obvious is that the Y and Z are transposed but harder to fathom is where other keys have gone the most vital on initial setup of this Notebook is the ‘@’ key as try entering an email address without it, once booted you can investigate further.
The Honor MagicBook Pro measures 36.5x23.5x1cm and it weighs 1.674 kilos. The viewable screen is 35.5x20cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 16.1inches. The margin on the top and sides is only .5cm. The unit is 1920x1080 with the screen resolution defaulting to 125% but it is quite useable at 100%. It has an AMD Ryzen processor and graphics running at 3GHz. It comes with 16GB RAM.
While Lockdown has altered our normal pattern of living, this next product might help deliver a restful night of sleep.
Huawei does seem to prefer targeting the younger market with its new products such as this latest offering.
Due to be available later this month, Huawei has announced the arrival of an addition to its Huawei P smart series. This is the all-new Huawei P smart 2021 model. Aimed at meeting the smartphone needs of today's young consumer, this latest addition combines a large display, enhanced battery performance support and a smarter camera facility for capturing the range of memories so important to us.
Most recent ‘outdoor’ cameras that have crossed my desk have been battery offerings that would require you to climb up to change the battery or recharge it. They of course require only fitting, this offering from D-Link is wired so it needs to go through either a wall window or door frame to get power and to deliver its signal to you.
It is 8.5x5.5x6.5cm the last figure the depth is increased by the bracket so could be as much as 12cm. The hard wired lead that emerges from the back of the bracket is 4.2 metres long ending in a round 1cm across fitment that carries both power and signal. There is a further plug/fitment on another 3 metre length of cable that ends in a power plug so however you link it you need power within three metres of entering your home. Also in the box is a ten side fold out Quick Start Guide.
Polish your Match-3 skills as you help an inquisitive fairy rescue a loyal friend.
Adding to your drawing skills are a couple of new offerings to the Wacom product catalogue.
When the subject of Wacom is broached, my thoughts immediately focus on the company's extensive family of digital pen tablets and associated products. Recently the company has added to its catalogue of offerings with a couple of new items. These are the Wacom Intuous and the Wacom One. The first of these new products is, in fact, three offerings as there are three different models of the Wacom Intuous.
This is a new phone brand – to me anyway – it comes from Nigeria and seems to be a good build quality with components to match. My initial observations note that the rear mounted cameras seem to extend by more than a normal amount from the rest of the case.
The Infinix Zero 8 measures 17x7.5x.8cm but the last figure increases to 1cm where the diamond shape area that holds its cameras protrudes. It weighs 207 grams. The viewable screen is 16x7.3cm the corner to corner measurement is 6.85 inches and the screen has 1080x2460 pixels. Going around the outside has the volume rocker and the on/off and fingerprint reader on the right side. The base has speaker, microphone, USB ‘C’ connector and 3.5cm socket for headphones.
Could you hang on for a moment while I take a restful break from working on my reviews and reports?
How are you coping with the personal restrictions that have been placed on you due to the pandemic and its related issues? Maybe, like many, you have been forced to, or made your own decision to, work from home. While you may think your routine of carrying out your work remains the same, apart from the change of location, the resulting effects can alter considerably as you start to develop symptoms such as back, neck and shoulder pain.
Although this does not have ‘Smart’ in its name it is far more than just a watch it is taking your pulse counting your steps and is the first watch I have used that tells you your blood oxygen saturation and of course it also tells you the time.
The Honor Watch ES measures 4x2.5x.6cm and weighs 33grams with the strap. You need to link it to your phone via the Huawei App and a search down the various watches finds the Honor ES. Once linked you are met with a very bright and colourful display screen with the hours in yellow below this are the minutes in white with the day and date to the minutes left. Below this are three dials the red one is heart – pulse - turquoise blue for steps walked and green for battery state.
Searching through discarded junk is not my favourite type of Hidden Object game play but you might enjoy it.
Somewhere, maybe over the rainbow or not, is a kingdom envisaged by Shaman Games. This kingdom, which is only accessible with the use of an airship, was inhabited by peaceful and happy residents. Included among the residents was Sarah, a young girl at the opening of our story, and her father, the royal mechanic. However the peaceful tranquillity of the kingdom was broken by the arrival of an invading force lead by the evil Lord Marcus.
While the pandemic may not have increased your expenditure, have you figured out how much have you spent?
According to recent research, as an average adult, I should pay out nearly £1 million during my lifetime. This expenditure does not just apply to me but to anybody who is regarded as an average adult which probably means YOU. While concentrating on the expenditure aspect, the research, as far as I can tell, has failed to address the issue of where the money required to cover these outgoings might come from.
This is a piece of software that I have used for many years, sometimes it’s a single file that I need to get back but twice now it’s been that Windows refuses to bootup and I have been happy to say in one case it was only a few hours work to get up and back to a few days previous, the other occasion took longer as I needed a new hard drive but in both cases it saved me.
The latest version states it will protect you with Active Protection for Ransomware Attacks, Malicious Files, Zoom Injection Attacks, Illicit Cryptomining and Malicious Websites and of course what it was first designed for to protect you from inadvertent delating of files and folders and allows complete reinstallation of Windows even if your PC fails to boot. All these extra protections do come with a downside in that the overall complete backup takes a little longer.
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