Publication History For : Michael Fereday
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Sitting in front of a computer is not the best way to get and keep fit. Maybe modern technology can provide a way to improve this situation.
I can remember when photos used to end up stored in boxes or the occasional album if they were particularly precious. This was the time when photos were predominately black and white and were printed on photographic paper rather than the digital variety we have today.
Some photo collections are still stored in a kind of box that is referred to as the hard disk in your computer. Instead of just storing these photos in your computer, you could use the computer to display your images to interested parties using a software package such as PhotoStory. This product provides you with tools to turn your photos into slideshows that incorporate various effects.
Taking up a prominent position on the left of my work area is the latest Samsung mono laser printer to arrive for testing. This is the Samsung ML-3710ND model. It is not the most appealing peripheral that has decorated my work area.
While I have nothing against the two-tone grey colouring for this box-shaped unit, I found the ribbed embellishment running around the full sides of the unit to be rather ugly and they added nothing to the aesthetic quality of the printer. On top of that the ML-3710ND is larger than most of the printer that tend to come by way. The ML-3719ND has dimensions of 366 x 368 x 252.9mm (W x D x H) and weighs in at over 9kg which would certainly discourage me from moving it around.
According to the packaging the Tini-copter is a gadget but that could cover a multitude of sins. Actually it is a miniature remote controlled helicopter that has been designed and created by 50 Fifty Gifts, a company which specialises in the novelty gift market. Aimed at those aged 8 years and upwards, the Tini-copter is available in either black or red as was the review unit.
A certain amount of setting up is required with this kit once you have removed it from the packaging. The kit consists of the Tini-copter and a remote control unit shaped a little like the letter “W”. While the Tini-copter was held in place within the box by sellotape, the remote control was secured with two screws and what looked like some throw-away plastic pieces.
As part of its all-encompassing range covering all aspects of modern-day living, SODs Law makes reference to batteries and their habit of choosing the most inconvenient time to run out of power.
You could be 100% certain that you recharged the device that you now need for a vital task, but the device will have another opinion and you will be left to stew on the situation. You have probably encountered occasions such as this at least once if not many times. Low battery warnings are all well and good but only if you are in the close vicinity of an appropriate charging point for the uncooperative device.
Gear4 Product Roundup
Published in Misc
on
25 Aug 2012
Continuing my look at product line-ups available for the festive season, Gear4 takes central stage.
While Christmas comes but once a year, the month of July often see a proliferation of events that are labelled as Christmas in July by various companies. The reason for the temporary time-shifting of the festive season is so that interested parties get the chance to view the goods that manufacturers expect to feature, and hopefully be placed at the top, on the must-have lists of consumers.
Combining a patriotic look with a portable DAB radio, View Quest has gone for a slang name for England when naming its product.
As well as being the slang name that was often used especially in years gone by to refer to England, Blighty is also the name that View Quest, a British company, has bestowed on its Union Jack personal DAB/FM pocket radio. There is no doubting this radio’s patriotic allegiance and the reason for the inclusion of “Union Jack” in this product’s description as the UK flag is prominently displayed on the rear of the device even spreading out over to the sides.
You could find yourself burning the midnight oil as you try to complete just one more puzzle board in the latest Jewel Quest title.
And still the Jewel Quest saga continues. This is not meant as a criticism, more a statement of fact brought about by the arrival of Jewel Quest 5: The Sapphire Dragon. The developers of this popular game series have come up with yet another combination of jewel board puzzles and storyline. For those unfamiliar with Jewel Boards, I should explain that these boards need to be turned gold by creating match-3 groups of jewels by swapping two adjacent jewels.
Tt can be worrying (well only slightly) if you are put in the situation where you come across a product with the word "Retro" in the title and you realise that you can remember this particular look from your youth or even later. Surely Retro has to mean before "my time" but sadly that seems to be no longer the case. In my defence I will state that with this next item, the Retro designation did refer to the appearance of the product rather than its in-built functionality which did feature an impressive array of some of today's modern technology.
As part of its retro series, View Quest has released its Wi-Fi Radio model. This product is available in a choice of black or white face with the rest of the unit coloured matte black. Box-shaped, this radio with a useful carry handle, has dimensions of 284 x 94 x 170 mm (W x D x H).
Recently the Sony team was out in force at a Central London location to demonstrate some of the companys new products that could end up on your wish list for the Christmas season.
Wishing attendees a “Very Sony Christmas”, the company had various products on display. These products were categorised as Home Entertainment, Imaging, Computing, On the Go and At Home. While the constriction of available space means I can not cover all the various products, I will include at least a couple of offerings from each category. Lets begin with Home Entertainment and, in particular, televisions.
Those innovative people at Kingston have come up with a possible solution to increasing the storage capacity available to your mobile device.
While you nice, new, shiny smartphone or tablet will come with a certain amount of available storage space, there will come a time when you will struggle to find the space to store items you would not want to be without. This occasion is bound to happen sooner or later depending upon factors such as the manufacturer and the percentage of your disposal income you were prepared to part with when making the purchase.
Friendly ghosts, shimmering portals and dual locations meet up with an evil spirit in a Hidden Object Adventure game available from Avanquest
It all began with an unexpected phone call from a lawyer. This phone call informed you that you had inherited a house in its own grounds but, apart from it location, the lawyer could supply no further details. I should explain that you are cast in the role of the beneficiary; a young woman named Sara Haverston who immediately sets out to check this dilapidated dwelling that is meant to be empty but is home to several restless spirits.
If you are looking for a budget priced All-in-One inkjet product then maybe this next offering might suit.
Adding to its range of all-in-one inkjet products, Brother has released the DCP-J140W model. This is the company’s lowest priced wireless inkjet product. It has been designed for SOHO users who need to print from a range of devices whether a computer, smartphone or tablet requiring a free download of iPrint&Scan as well as scan and copy documents. This DCP-J140W all-in-one supports both USB and wireless connectivity.
A visit to a Central London location introduced me to a range of products designed for relaxation, stress removal, air pollution and weighing functionality.
Apologies for the play on the standard Father Christmas greeting but I was unable to resist the temptation when bring you details of a range of products from HoMedics. In case you are unfamiliar with this company, I should explain that HoMedics was set up in 1987 with the intension of using the latest technology advances to develop innovative personal wellbeing products. If, like me, you suffer from back problems then this first group of products might be of interest.
While a new version of an OS (Operating System), such as Windows, might take a number of years to make a commercial appearance, utilities designed to keep the OS running smoothly operate on a short gestation period.
New versions of utilities are generally released on an annual basis with the year appendage being used to identify the current version. One such product that falls into this category is TuneUp Utilities 2012. Available with a three user licence this product provides a range of tools covering different aspects relating to the smooth running of your Windows computer system.
Keeping your customers satisfied is the aim of this next game as you run a made-to-order store in fashionable parts of town.
As the developer and publisher of casual games for various platforms, Youdagames has now ventured into the world of glamorous accessories for its next game playing offering. This is Youda Jewel Shop. Available for the Windows platform, Youda Jewel Shop is a time management game that contains over 80 levels of keeping your customers happy by providing the jewellery on their shopping list.
Aliph has recently introduced a big brother to its original Jambox audio device.
The Big Jambox, as its title indicates, is a much larger and heavier version of the original Jambox providing enhanced audio and speakerphone capability to your mobile devices. Available in a choice of Red, White or Graphic Hex (black to you and me), the brick shaped Big Jambox has dimensions of 256 x 80 x 93mm (L x W x H) and weighs in at 1.2kg.
To some Bounty is a tasty treat that combines a chocolate coating with a coconut filling. Others will immediately think of Bounty as being a reward on offer for completing a specific task. Really the concepts are not all that different as a Bounty bar could be your reward for completing a job of work. Bounty is also the title of a match-3 and puzzle solving game developed by Total Eclipse.
This game is based on a pirate theme and begins with an opening introductory sequence that places you somewhere in the middle of Nowhere. Actually Nowhere is somewhere and is the name of an island that you would expect pirates to visit. Using a comic book style of story telling, this sequence involves a fight between a group of pirates, who have just finished burying their loot, and the forces of law and order.
Blocking out unwanted noise while you listen to your favourite music is becoming a must-have feature of many new headsets. As yet I have not come across one that is 100% successful.
I have to admit that when it comes to my choice of headset listening pleasure, an over-the-ear style of unit will come first, second and third in my list of preferences. I find that this type of headset feels far more comfortable while delivering an audio quality that suits my ears. The iGO City product is one such headset.
Forget among a split personality, in this next game you can switch your role backwards and forwards between four characters.
When loading up a Wadjet Eye production, I can be fairly confident that retro style graphics and plenty of dialogue delivered by voice actors will play an important role in the game. Resonance is no exception as you enter a game world set in the city of Aventine. Your task will be to solve the mystery of the unexplained attacks on buildings around the world in this point-and-click adventure.
Speaker units have been a popular topic of late when I have been reviewing items. One such product is a speaker set from Sandberg.
Described as being designed for use with a PC and MP3 player, the Sandberg Play Speaker Set is a 2:1 unit. It is made up of a subwoofer and a pair of satellite speakers. All three units are predominately black in colour. The speakers have gone with a reflective sheen while the subwoofer has a more subdued matte appearance.
With a different company name and a newly designed interface, there is a new look to an old favourite with DIskeeper 2012.
Once upon a time there was a company called Executive Software. In 1981 this company turned its attention to the problem of data being fragmented on hard disks causing deterioration in the overall performance of the host computer. This was, and still is, a big “No, No” for users everywhere. The solution produced by Executive Software was a product entitled Diskeeper.
NASA technology and a branded set of ear-buds are just two of the features found on a new HTC smartphone.
As part of its One series of smartphones, HTC has released its One S model. My review unit, kindly supplied by Vodafone, has an appealing if understated aluminium body with dimensions of 130.9 x 65 x 7.8mm (H x W x D). Weighing just 119.5g (battery included), this smartphone fits comfortably in the hand and slips into a pocket or bag without causing an unsightly bulge or over-burdening you.
Time to join a school of magic and increase your powers through the use of words.
When I first came across the title of Academy of Magic, I was expecting a game that belonged to the Hidden Object Adventure genre. However I was wrong. While searching forms a central plank of this game, Academy of Magic has more of an educational slant as you attempt to find words from a random selection of letters arranged on a wall of tiles.
With a title like Jambox you might think it was a container to store your preserves but instead it is a device for enhancing audio.
What with the plethora of portable music players, smartphones and various tablets, our entertainment on-the-move needs are well catered for. However this generally only applies on a one-to-one basis due to the restrictive nature of a personal headset or the limitation of the built-in speakers that were never intended for group listening.
Doro continues to increase the functionality of its handset. Following the introduction of a camera with the last model I looked at, this time 3G technology is added.
Towards the end of last year I attended the launch of a new product and then had to wait patiently for over six months before the promised review unit arrived.
While some companies (no names, no pack drill but they know and you know who they are) concentrate on a larger size with their tablet products, others, such as Huawei, have gone for a more pocket sized offering.
Alongside its normal catalogue of games, Focus Multimedia has introduced its BlackLime budget line of titles. This next game is one such offering
Originally developed for the business community the BlackBerry mobile device has now gained popularity with many young users who appreciate its messaging capability.
The BlackBerry Curve 9320 is a smartphone that RIM has positioned at the budget end of its product range. As you would expect from the product’s title, the 9320 has curved corners for its rather squat looking body. The unit has measurements of 109 x 60 x 12.7mm (H x W x D) and weighs in at 103g so should fit comfortably in a pocket without over-burdening the user too much.
A products installation routine not only sets up the software for your use but also provides you with your initial introduction to the particular title. Generally installation routines fall into the category of joy-to-use or bring the user face-to-face with various problems. Sad to say the installation for this next product under review was more inclined towards the latter type. The product in question is PDF Converter Professional 8 from Nuance.
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