A popular saying states that there is no such thing as a free lunch but maybe that should not apply in the case of a free loyalty update.  The loyalty update in question is the one being offered by Corel to its customers who have previously purchased the company’s Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate product which is a video editing package.  The update, which is free, takes the product from its current version up to that of version 20.5 of the software.

Developed by ERS Game Studios, Reveries: Soul Collector places you in the role of a princess who is shortly to be married to King Richard of Misty Island.  However before the marriage can take place, your fiancée is kidnapped by the Chaos Order.  It is up to you to set out on the task of rescuing the King so the marriage can take place.  This task will involve solving puzzles and playing an assortment of mini games and Hidden Object challenges.

Developed by GameMill Entertainment in conjunction with Sony Pictures and Scholastic is a game based on R. L. Stine's infamous Goosebumps book series.  In this game, which can be described as an adventure within an adventure, you are cast in the role of one of the schoolchildren living in a neighbourhood that has been overrun by monsters, such as werewolves and gnomes and the like (plus a white rabbit who likes to wear a top hat) who roam the environment threatening the local inhabitants.

As covered in an earlier report, British Telecom launched its BT Call Protect service at the beginning of the year.  For the benefit of those who might have missed the original announcement, BT Call Protect is a free service that the company offers its customers.  The service is aimed at cracking down on the nuisance callers, who regularly pester us while we relax or carry out important tasks at home.

Although the game of Gem Legend is classified as Match-3 on the host web site, it was based on a concept unlike those formats that I have come used to over many playing sessions.  Instead Gem Legend had more of a puzzle feel to it although it is based around a series of grids housing different coloured tiles which the program refers to as chips.

Decked out predominately in black, the Epson Expression Photo XP-960 combines print, scan and copy functionality with a choice of WiFi, Ethernet or USB connectivity.  You also get the ability to print images of up to A3 in size.  As a very welcome bonus item, you are provided with a pack of 50 A3 sheets of glossy photo paper in the box.

Your role in this game is that of the commoner, Matthew, the son of a gardener working for the Queen Meredith of Nerinia.  While growing up as a child, you are allowed to play with the Queen’s young daughter, Sofia.  As you grow into adolescence, the friendship between Matthew and Sofia grows into love but Matthew knew in his present circumstance that the Queen would never countenance a marriage with Sofia.

To sleep, maybe to dream and then awake refreshed for whatever the next day holds for you.  But sometimes the desire for sleep is difficult to come by.  Worries and stress invade your mind thus causing insomnia to take control and block the advance of the longed for sleep condition.  Sometime I find the thought of a required early morning rising can have the adverse effect and thus interfere with my drifting off to sleep.

Your role in this game is that of Princess Arianna.  On your return from a long journey, that appears to have been unaccompanied and carried out on horseback, you find that you hardly recognise your kingdom as the Dark Witch Morgana has enslaved everybody under an evil spell.  Everybody, that is apart from your pet bird, Corvus, who takes on the task of acting as your chronicler as you set about saving your people in the game of The Far Kingdoms.

I suppose, at a pinch, you could describe this next product, which is the Dell OptiPlex 3050 All-in-One, as a laptop for the desktop.  This particular product, which Dell claims to have been “crafted for functionality and flexibility”, consists of a combined screen and system unit partnered with a bog standard tethered keyboard and mouse.  An optional extra of a wireless keyboard and mouse is available at an additional cost.

BeoSound Shape is a wall-mounted modular system that is based on hexagonal tiles that have been developed by Bang & Olufsen, a company originally set up in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen in Struer, Denmark.  Starting life as a developer of high quality audio reproduction, Bang & Olufsen has gained a reputation for the performance and design excellence of its domestic technology products as well as diversifying into other areas of audio delivery.

Headphones come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and functionality to appeal to the needs of different users.  There are in-ear, on-ear and my particular favourite of over-ear models.  They can come with features that include noise-cancelling and wire-free connectivity, such as Bluetooth, to add to the offered underlying audio quality.

In this game of Glimmer, which includes options to turn off background music and sound effects by clicking on icons tucked away in the lower right corner of the title screen, gives you the option of taking on the role of either Myrana or Khar who are from the same small village and are childhood sweethearts.  As far as I could tell there appears to be no difference in the ability of the two characters other than in their appearance.

Available in a choice of grey, silver or the gold back plates, as is the case of my review sample, , the Honor 6X has dimensions of 150.9 x 76.2 x 8.2 mm (H x W x D) and weighs in at 162g.  While the unit’s rounded corners have a degree of style, the white framing of the Smartphone’s screen will not appeal to everybody.

Following on from the original Arlo and Arlo Q offerings, the NETGEAR Arlo product has now reached its third generation with the Arlo Pro.  For those not familiar with the Arlo family, this product range offers HD security camera facilities.  In the case of the Arlo Pro, the product combines indoor / outdoor, 100% wire-free connectivity with 2-way audio capability. I have had the opportunity to check out the basic VMS4130 model of the product.

The Epson ET-2600 is a multifunction device that can provide print, scan and copy facilities.  As well as the print, scan and copy features with WiFi connectivity, this multifunction device comes with the promise of delivering cartridge free printing as indicated by the “ET” part of the product’s model number.

In ancient times a dreadful demon came to our world and began to wreck havoc.  Druids, who had mastered the power of Avalon, tried to defeat the demon but with no success and many died.  Eventually the ArchDruid cast a dark spell to entomb the Demon in a cavern.  Here the demon would be forced to stay until a comet hid behind the moon and thus cause the sky to turn purple.  This state of affairs would result in the demon being set free thus allowing it to take over the world.

While headphones, of whatever variety, are an excellent means of listening to your favourite music when out and about, they are limited in being just a private personal listening tool.  For those occasions when a group listening situation is called for, then headphones can be replaced with a portable speaker system such as the Edifier MP233 product which combines AUX, microSD and Bluetooth functionality in a device that has a stylish look to it and is portable.

While giving the outward appearance of being an old-fashioned but attractive historic dwelling, the central character of the game certainly earned its reputation of being cursed.  Ancient spirits had taken possession of the dwelling many years ago and settled in the establishments ten rooms.  Since this evil invasion, nobody had dared to enter the house.

In 2016 MAGIX, the well-known German development house took over some of Sony software offerings including VEGAS Movie Studio 14 Platinum product which is the subject of this next review.  This new addition to the MAGIX product portfolio consists of four main elements.  Along with the title offering of VEGAS Movie Studio 14, you get NewBlue VEGAS Movie Studio 14 Platinum, DVD Architected and Music Maker.  Each application is installed in turn.

Following the success of Mirror Mysteries, GoGii has developed a follow up offering entitled Mirror Mysteries 2: Forgotten Kingdoms.  As with the original game, and obvious from its title, mirror do play a major part in this battle between good and evil which is conducted in a Hidden Object Adventure environment spread over worlds connected via portals. You are cast in the role of an investigator who has been hired to investigate the disappearance of Tommy Bryant.

With ever-present dangers, such as malware and the threat of a ransomware demand, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting or devil-may-care user, it does seem extremely fool-hardy not to have the insurance-like blanket of a backup system.  Offering to provide “Peace of Mind” in this respect is the latest version of Nero BackItUp software which has recently been enhanced to work with an Android app to back up data from a smartphone.

Originally making an appearance with My Pal Violet, the cuddly soft toy, named Violet, makes a return with this next Leapfrog product.  Entitled Read With Me Violet, this particular offering, from the Leapfrog range of educational learning tools, is aimed at the 2 – 5 year age group.  As its title might suggest, this product has been developed to help introduce the child to books, print, comprehension and early vocabulary.

Located on the outskirts of a small town at the end of a winding path, the Katz property had been designed by Wilhelm Katz to house steam powered machinery to manufacture small boiler units to drive all types of transportation.  Adding a decorative appearance to the factory was an assortment of bronze farm animals.  The mansion part of the structure was added later and was lavishly decorated with ornate woodwork, fine art and impressive furniture.

Home Security kits continue to be a popular offering with manufacturers, retailers and customers.  The latest such product to come my way is entitled the Smart Home Security Kit.  This product has been developed by D-Link with my review sample being supplied Currys PC World. Conveniently packaged in a single box, this kit consists of four items.  Each of these items arrive packed in their own individual boxes.

My Pal Violet is a soft toy with a customisable centre aimed at the 6 – 36 month age range.  As part of the Leapfrog range of educational toys for the younger members of the family, Violet, in her white and Violet fur, cries out to be picked up and cuddled.  However this cuddly creature, with dimensions of 308 x 270 x 190 mm (H x W x D) has more to offer than just tactile sensations as is explained in the accompanying Quick Start Guide.

How is the performance of your Windows computer right now?  I am willing to bet that there has been some degradation in its performance over the months since it was first set up with its Microsoft operating system.  As we tend to slow down as we get older, your computer will exhibit a similar trend.  While trips to the gym and regular bouts of exercise might help us, a computer might need to fall back on some performance boosting software such as AVG TuneUp Utilities.

One of Jack’s ancestors was the infamous Conte Gille de Brais.  While out hunting one day, the Count was attacked by a wolf when suddenly a mysterious stranger came to the Count’s rescue.  This stranger was a demon who demanded that the Count should enter an agreement in return for the help he had received.  This agreement, signed in blood, stated that the Count would become immortal in return for sacrificing an innocent member of his family on a regular basis.

Breaking the pattern, I have come used to over the last few years of releasing, a new single version of True Image each year, Acronis has produced a second version of its 2017 True Image offering.  In order to distinguish this second version from the original product, Acronis has named the latest offering True Image 2017 New Generation.