While my first port of call was the same room as last year, this time it was not set up as a bedroom but as a more general work area Taking the lead position for this product roundup is a piece of kit that is not due to be launched until May. This is the new and improved Bosch IXO IV unit that features 30% more power than the previous version of the world's best selling power-tool. Weighing just 300g, this small device can handle all kinds of screw-driving projects using a range of bits.

The Alcatel One Touch 665 is a clamshell handset that is available on contract or as a pay as you go product.  This handset has been developed for those on a limited budget with simple and uncomplicated needs.

Developed by I Sioux Game Production BV, a company that is based inHilversumin theNetherlands, Youda Fisherman’s opening screen gives you the opportunity to enter your profile name and adjust various settings.  You can select from various languages with each one represented by a national flag plus adjust the volume level for sound effects and background music.

This 16 megapixel camera features a 2.7-inch transmissive LCD rear-mounted screen displaying 230,000 dots.  The screen has a protective coating and is your only means of lining up a scene for capture.  The protective coating was not very effective as there was a small scratch on the screen by the time the review model made its way into my hands – the coating also did not help with keeping finger smears to a minimum.

While Paul Simon wrote and sang about the Sound of Silence, Wolfson Microelectronics was more interested in Digital Silence.  With its headquarters located inEdinburgh, Wolfson Microelectronics is an audio and noise cancelling specialist supplying high performance mixed-signal semi-conductor solutions to the consumer electronics market worldwide.  Digital Silence™ is the retail brand of active ambient noise-cancelling stereo headphones and headsets.

The Pure ONE Classic is a DAB/FM radio that has a rather plain appearance.  Predominately matte black in colour, apart from the silver controls decorating the front of the unit and an extendable aerial, this radio has dimensions of 210 x 145 x 72mm (W x H x D).  Most of the control buttons are arranged in a smiling mouth or horseshoe arrangement around a central dial knob which allows you to scroll through and select the chosen option.

Juliette’s Fashion Empire is a time management game set in the world of fashion from Alawar.  As the game’s title suggests, in this game you take on the role of Juliette as she attempts to build up a fashion empire based in the cities ofNew York,Milan,Tokyo,ParisandLondonby competing with long-established fashion designers in each of the different locations. Options are available for different people to play the game using their profile name.

Since those early days, Paint Shop Pro has developed into a well-respected commercial product which now forms part of the Corel family.  It has also been a permanent fixture, through numerous versions, on my various systems.  As I write this introduction, the current version of this photo and image editing package is installing itself on my work system.

The Galaxy Mini is Samsung’s latest attempt to be the model of choice for those looking for a budget price handset.  With dimensions of 110 x 64 x 12mm and weighing 107g, this handset is fairly unremarkable with regards to its general appearance.  The off-white plastic casing might not suffer from a finger print affliction but the 3.1-inch capacitive touch screen more than makes up for this as it collects smears at a rate.

The Liberty Tab is a Tablet PC built around a 10.1-inch touch screen that delivers a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.  The actual unit’s dimensions are 260 x 179 x 14mm (H x W x D) which does mean you will not be able to slip this device in a pocket when not required.  The weight is 766g allowing you to balance the tablet on one hand while working away with the other.

Adding to a series that includes the original title plus 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and Treasures of Seven, Mumbo Jumbo has released 7 Wonders Magic Mystery Tour.  As with the other titles in the series, this is a match-3 game that involves earning resources for creating Wonders such as Bimini, El Dorado, Atlantis, City of the Caesars, Camelot, Valhalla and Shangri-La.  Four levels of game play are available.

While Microsoft would be only too happy to wave a fond farewell to Windows XP, there are many users who are determined to continue using this familiar friend on their computer.  As the end of mainstream support for this operating system has failed to encourage these XP fans to switch to Windows 7, maybe Microsoft has decided to offer a different type on inducement with the launch of the Touch Mouse which will only run on Windows 7 and subsequent versions.

While first impressions, especially when they are visual ones, are not always totally defining, they can have a positive effect.  The Timeline X 5830T model certainly gets off to a good start with its sleek appearance enhanced by a blue, black and silver colour scheme plus a top that has a downward slope at the rear along with circular hinges. In its closed state the Timeline X dimensions are 380 x 245 x 28mm (W x D x H) and weighs around 2.

Bob Marley, the Jamaican Reggae star who died in 1981, had a vision of One Love, One World.  This vision inspired the setting up of The House of Marley to develop a range of eco-conscious, innovative products based on the guiding principles of superior quality, sustainably sourced, cause minded and waste conscious.

With the Mumbo Jumbo title of Glowfish, you take control of an aquatic hero as you embark on an underwater adventure.  An introductory sequence with colourful graphics and layered scenery leads you through a story of how an underwater paradise was turned into a dangerous environment with enemies lurking in every nook and cranny, behind rocks and plants plus waiting to pounce of our unwary hero as he swims through passageways.

My first thoughts on seeing this DAB/FM radio were “was it modelled on the Kilroy graffiti of old or maybe the top half of Humpty Dumpty”.  The Twilight is a domed shaped unit with a translucent lamp module perched on top of the main radio component and is certainly eye-catching with its modern day styling. Measuring 360 x 180 x 120mm (W x H x D), the Twilight is a fairly sturdy piece of kit that weighs in at 1.65kg.

With its tastefully decorated maroon top, the Packard Bell EasyNote TS does tend to stand out when resting on your workspace or lap.  No doubt the laptop’s dimensions of 381 x 258 x 38mm (W x D x H) helps in this respect and makes me thinks that for many users this particular model will be regarded as a desktop replacement rather than a travelling companion especially with its weight of 2.6kg.  This Packard Bell laptop comes in a range of flavours.

The Epson BX635FWD is a 4-in-1 multifunction device that Epson describes as being the ideal office printer.  Providing print, copy, scan and fax capabilities, this product allows for USB, Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to your computer system.  You also get an ADF and duplex printing functionality.  Recently this multifunction device has been taking over the various print, scan, copy and fax duties for my home office.

Now available from Focus Multimedia in Collector’s Edition format, Farmscapes consists of the main game with 30 bonus match-3 levels and some extra hidden object levels.  You also get an animated screensaver, farm wallpaper, an original soundtrack plus a walkthrough to help you complete the game.  Apart from the bonus levels which only become active once you have fully upgraded the farm, all the other components are immediately available.

The latest version of this software is entitled PhotoPlus X5 and comes with the promise of providing “powerful digital photo editing” as you organise, edit, enhance and share images.  Following the usual Serif pattern, the PhotoPlus X5 installation routine requires the user to enter a 25-character product key.  You will also need to select from either US or UK English and choose from a list of file associations you wish to set for this software.

While not in the same category as Big Red Buses, which have been known to hunt in convoys, I have recently come across two mobile handsets from different companies that both have a feature I have not seen in other products.  The feature in common is that both these handsets have dual SIM capability.  You can insert two different SIMs either for use as personal or business tasks or to give you communication support for different areas of the globe.

With a title of Voodoo Whisperer Curse of a Legend you can be pretty sure that supernatural forces will be to the fore – and you would be correct.  Available as part of Avanquest’s Click & Play series, Voodoo Whisperer Curse of a Legend is a Hidden Object Adventure game with ghosts, spells, black magic and dastardly deeds.  The game is set in New Orleansin the 19 Century when dark forces are making a concentrated effort to take over the town.

Consisting of 23 tools covering different aspects of your PC’s performance, WinZip System Utilities Suite comes with a user license that allows you to install the product on three different computers running Windows XP and later.  It has to be said that my initial experiences with this software did not get off to the best of starts but matters improved a little later on.  Part of this blame could be put down to the total lack of any documentation supplied with this product.

The latest protective title to come my way is Norton Internet Security 2012 (NIS 2012 from now on).  Positioned between the company’s 360 All-in-One Security package and its Antivirus product, NIS 2012 offers to provide protection against a range of malware threats including online identity theft, infected and unsafe websites, phishing, spyware and social network threats.. Installation of NIS 2012 is straightforward and relatively quick.  On the test system, a 1.

Having recently looked at a game based on The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, I was expecting more of the same from another title based on a different novel from Wilkie Collins.  In this case the game and the novel bore the title of Woman in White.  As with The Moonstone, the Woman in White is based around Hidden Object game play but with more of an adventure feel to the game. When playing Woman in White you have a choice of opting for Casual or Expert mode.

Ebook readers were originally conceived as a means to store your personal library of favourite books allowing you to read the text in digital format.  Features such as bookmarks, note taking and electronic dictionaries were added without distracting too much from the original core aspect.  Now, however, we are seeing devices appear that place both music and video on an almost equal footing with the eBook capability. Falling into this category is the Binatone Readme Daily product.

As is usual with Collector’s Edition format, you get the main game, spread over eight chapters, with an integrated Strategy Guide plus a bonus chapter, wallpapers, screensavers, concept art and a soundtrack with sheet music.  You will need to complete the main game before gaining access to the bonus items. When starting the game you have a choice of playing in Regular or Expert mode.

In the past I have looked at, and used, different DECT phones either as a single unit or in various combinations.  All these handsets, from manufacturers such as BT, Panasonic and Doro, adopted an upright position when mounted on the accompanying docking station.  This next DECT phone, however, prefers a more restful inclination as it lays flat in a sideways position on its docking station.

Queen of Spaces casts you in the role of a police Inspector who has drawn the short straw by being next in line when the previous officer goes missing in mysterious circumstances when conducting an investigation.  You are ordered to investigate a haunted mansion owned by a strange countess who is rumoured to possess a mysterious deck of powerful playing cards that are believed to give their owner everlasting life.

When faced with a new software product, your first experience of the software will be with its installation routine.  While many software packages make this introduction to a title as user-friendly as possible by keeping the user intervention to a minimum, this is not always the case.  Sometimes an installation will go out of its way to make things more difficult than they need to be.