For those who have not played the first game in this series, I should explain that the House of 1000 Doors is a magical building that keeps reappearing in different locations before vanishing after a short period.

If the various computer systems I have looked at recently are anything to go by then USB 3.0 is gradually overtaking USB 2.0 with regards to the available USB ports built into the box.  While there has not been an avalanche of new peripherals supporting this new faster technology (presumably due to cost considerations and the fact that not all types of peripherals would benefit from the faster data rate available with USB 3.0), you could find yourself struggling to find an available USB 3.

Originally developed by ERS Games Studio and published by Big Fish Games, PuppetShow 3: Lost City is now available from Focus Multimedia in Collector’s Edition format.  You will have immediate access to a Strategy Guide but the other bonus elements only become available once you have played the game to its conclusion.

In common with a number of other products, I first came across WinZip when it was released as Shareware on a try-before-you-buy basis offering to reduce the size of files using various compression techniques.  More recently WinZip has joined the Corel family of products.  I had been sent version 16 for reviewing (actually at the time of writing WinZip stands at version 16.5 but more on this a little latter).

Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker belongs to the popular Hidden Object Adventure game genre.  Originally released by Big Fish Games, this title is now available from Focus Multimedia in Collector’s Edition format.  Included as part of the Collector’s Edition is a bonus chapter plus wallpaper and concept art.  However these only become available once the main game has been completed.

Ever since Adobe introduced the Portable Document Format technology, more and more documents have made the transition from paper to the digital platform.  While Adobe holds the high ground with its Acrobat product, other companies have produced their own offerings to read and create documents in the PDF style.  One such product is Fusion PDF from Corel. A fairly lengthy installation procedure gives you the opportunity to select the destination drive and folder.

According to the traditional nursery rhyme, the horticultural expert is a young lady called Mary who is asked the question “How does your garden grow?”  However Alawar Games and e-Funsoft have come up with another candidate for this particular area of expertise as they introduce Alice to the game playing community.

The Archos Clipper is an MP3 player with 2GB of internal storage that comes with the claim of being big in sound and small in size.  As this is the smallest, although not by much, MP3 player that I have seen then I can certainly confirm the latter while the former claim is perhaps more debatable.  The Archos Clipper, which features a spring clip on the back of the unit thus explaining its name, has dimensions of 53 x 27 x 10mm (H x W x D) and weighs just 14g.

First it was Pandora’s Box and then came Welcome to Hell Lock.  Now with the third title in the Vampire Saga series it is time for Break Out.  This is a new Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure from that hot bed of casual game publishing we know as Alawar Entertainment.  Do not worry if you have not played the earlier games in this series as each title is completely self-contained with different characters although the last two are located in the same place.

Checking my records revealed that the last Sennheiser headset I looked at was the PX100-IIi model which could be folded to take up less space when not in use.  Prior to that model I had also run the rule over the Sennheiser RS120.  This particular model gave the user cable-free listening so you can wander around without being physically tethered to an audio source.  Now it is the turn of the Sennheiser MM 400-X model which combines the main features of the previous two units.

With the title of Ghost Fleet you might be expecting the subject matter to concern the Bermuda Triangle or other seafaring stories of ships having been abandoned to sail the oceans with earthbound spirits as their crew.  However nothing could be further from the truth with the National Geographic game of Ghost Fleet which takes you into the murky depths of the Atlantic Ocean as you explore the remains of various ships in their underwater burial ground.

A recent addition to the Archos range of personal multimedia players is the company’s MP4 device entitled 3cam Vision.  This unit arrives with 8GB of storage for holding music, video, pictures and other content.  This is a small device measuring 97 x 52 x 10mm (H x W x D) and weighing 64g so it is eminently portable and will not cause an unsightly bulge when stored in a pocket or bag.

Developed by Friday’s Games and published by Alawar, Dark Strokes: Sins of the Fathers belongs to the popular Hidden Object Adventure genre.  This title has been released in Collector’s Edition format.  Among the additional items making up this Collector’s Edition is a Strategy Guide which is immediately available from the Main Menu plus concept art, desktop wallpaper and bonus chapter that is offered as a reward for completing the game.

While there are a large number of users who would feel undressed if they did not have the latest and specification-rich smartphone in their possession, there is still a sizeable percentage of mobile phone users who would be more than happy to have for their communication needs a basic device.  It is for this latter group that Doro aims its various mobile phone offerings.  Included in a recent batch of new additions to the company’s product line up is the PhoneEasy 505 model.

Mystery Trackers: The Void is a Hidden Object Adventure game available in Collector’s Edition format from Focus Multimedia.  The game is based on the Void Mansion which was built in 1890 for the Void Family.  Originally regarded as a residence to be desired, the building fell into disrupt following it being inherited by Dr Mallens Void who used the mansion to conduct terrible experiments before abandoning the building.

Time has a major influence to play in this latest title developed by Alawar Games and published by Alawar Entertainment.  Like Twain’s original offering, the game’s main character, and your role, is transported from their own time period and location to a distant past when King Arthur ruled Camelot.  This time travelling feat is brought about as the result of a lightning bolt striking you while you are busy with your farming activities.

Following its recent practice of replacing version numbers with its product titles with the letters “MX”, this latest release of this product is entitled MAGIX MP3 deluxe MX.  Installing this collection of tools for organising and managing your digital music collection is straightforward if a little time consuming.  You can select the destination drive and folder for the software while a 30-character serial number will need to be entered when you first fire up this product.

The Samsung ML-2955DW is a mono laser printer.  The “D” and “W” designation part of its title refers to its Duplex and Wi-Fi capability.  This mono laser gives the user a choice of Ethernet, USB or Wi-Fi connectivity with you providing any leads (other than for mains power) that are required.

Inspired by a Washington Irving short story first published in 1820, the PlayPond developed Mystery Legends Sleepy Hollow game relates the story of The Headless Horseman who is out for revenge for the removal of his upper appendage.  The game is described as a Hidden Object Adventure but I will have to take issue with this.

Checking my records, which tend to be far more reliable than my memory, revealed that I had first come across iolo’s collection of utilities, known as System Mechanic, eight years ago with the arrival of version 5.  Back then the product made great play of the software’s toolbox approach and even used a desktop icon showing a red toolbox.

Following the successful conclusion of the Murder in the Rue Morgue, Chevalier Dupin returns to lead the investigation into the disappearing and possible murder of Sara, wife of Monsieur Mark Davies.  Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, this is a Hidden Object Adventure game with the player cast in the role of Dupin’s assistant.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is a 7-inch tablet that is decked out totally in black.  With a weight of around 425g and dimensions of 130 x 194 x 10mm, the PlayBook could be slid into a pocket when not required or held comfortably in one hand for most tasks.  I say “most tasks” because I found it a little uncomfortable to hold when getting my regular fix of Angry Birds.  Still as I tend to restrict myself to one session of bird-projecting a day, this is a minor issue.

I have long been a fan of the Science Fiction genre.  One of the first novels of this type that caught my attention was John Wynhams’ Day of the Triffids which dealt with plants that moved about and killed people.  I was reminded of this story when starting to play Natural Threat: Ominous Shores.  This is a Hidden Object game from Alawar based on plants that have been genetically enhanced with some rather disastrous effects.

One of the first, some would say the actually first such offering, computer game was that of Pong.  For those not old enough to remember this ground-breaking, black & white offering with simplistic chunky graphics, the object of the game was to direct a constantly bouncing ball into your opponent’s protected goal playing against another human being or the computer.

While watching digital content on a computer screen may be fine when it is being conducted on a one-on-one basis, there are often occasions when the audience consists of more than one person.  You could be watching a movie, viewing family photos in a group, or maybe demonstrating a particular application.  Then again you could be indulging in a brainstorming sessions with others gathered around a screen.

Witch’s Curse 2, as you might expect from its title, is the follow up to Witch’s Curse.  As with the original title, Witch’s Curse 2, subtitled Return of the Curse, continues with the adventures of the very determined Princess Isabella.  With this offering developed by Gogii, the story is taken up after a year’s interval.  Not only is Princess Isabella now married but she also has a baby daughter who has becomes the new target of the evil witch.

Now up to version X6, MoviePlus is Serif’s video editing software that features support for high definition among its feature list.  To be honest the high definition feature is not actually new as it appeared in the previous version of the software but it is a must-have feature for the modern video editing fraternity.

House of 1000 Doors: Family Secrets is a Hidden Object Adventure game which is supplied in Collector’s Edition format.  This means that, along with the main game, you get a bonus chapter, available when you complete the game, and a strategy guide that you can access whenever the need arises.  When playing the game you have the choice of Casual or Expert mode.

Although standards do exist, and are sometimes held to, in the world of computing, we do tend to have different needs and set-ups with regards to our personal choice of equipment combinations.  Often the actual physical set up of your equipment will be governed by the environment in which you plan to operate.  This is particularly true when needing to create a home network system as walls and other obstructions have a habit of getting in the way.