Publication History For : Michael Fereday
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It can prove extremely useful if you can switch the orientation of certain Apple devices when they are attached to a speaker enhancing product.
According to a popular expression, “Love makes the world go around.” Now it might appear that music, or perhaps entertainment, would be a more appropriate suggestion, for attempting to take over this planet-revolving task with the arrival of a circular device from iLuv. This device, designed specifically for providing docking and speaker enhancement features for various members of the iPod family, has a circular shape.
Match-3 titles have been around for quite a while using different methods of creating matches and various types of layouts. This next game allows you to pick and choose from these different features.
Developed by Seppia Interactive and now available as part of Avanquest’s GSP Click & Play series, The Lost Inca Prophecy brings together Match-3 game play with a sprinkling of Hidden Object interludes. In this game you take on the role of Acua, a young Spanish librarian and a dreamer, who lived around the time of Spain’s attempt to colonise the New World.
With so much of our favourite music being stored digitally, it makes sense to include a speaker system as part of your computer set-up.
Continuing with its preference for including a cylindrical shape within its design concepts, Edifier has developed its MP300 Plus product as part of its IT Lifestyle catalogue. This is a multimedia speaker system that is also known as the Aurora. I’m guessing that the reason for it being called Aurora is due in part to the rainbow effect as the product is available in a range of colours.
Time travellers need to be extra careful otherwise their actions could cause ripples that spread throughout time and produce inconsistencies that increase the ripple effect.
With the family name of Clumsy you know that there will be plenty of mishaps occurring due to the intervention of certain individuals. Grandpa Clumsy surely falls into this category especially when he embarks on his time travelling escapades. These trips can have global consequences which will affect the flow of known history and, as a result, change modern day into an environment we would not recognise.
As more and more people take their tentative first steps into using video editing, developers, such as MAGIX, are producing software to help them in this task.
Last year MAGIX released a video editing product that was designed to appeal to the novice user. This product was appropriately entitled Video Easy. Now MAGIX has released a new version of the software and has added the letters “HD” to the title to indicate that there is support for high definition content.
With smartphones, mobile music devices and other electronic gadgets it can sometimes be difficult to find all the power points necessary for recharging purposes. One solution could be to use a universal desktop charger.
Several months ago I was introduced to a product from Inoitulos, a Spanish technology consultancy. This product was the . The “i3” part of the product’s title indicates that it was capable of charging up to three different devices simultaneously. Now the company has come up with an enhanced version of the product. This new version provides the means for powering four devices at the same time.
With a pile of paper, various images and electronic documents all ready and waiting, it is time to test a new multifunction device. This time the manufacturer is Canon.
Arriving as the replacement for its MP490 model, Canon is now offering users the PIXMA MP495. Like its predecessor, the MP495 brings together print, scan and copy facilities within a single inkjet unit. In addition the MP495 features wireless connectivity as standard but this does come at a cost with regards to other types of functionality. Canon has taken the decision to remove any support for memory cards and PictBridge.
Ever fancied a job as a shelf stacker at your local supermarket? Maybe this next game will give you an indication as to your suitability for this particular task.
A recent delivery at the Fereday household saw the arrival of three new headphone sets from Panasonic which might be of interest.
Available in a choice of black or white, the Panasonic RP-HX45 is described as being Hi-Fi monitor headphones. This product has been designed for use with MP3 players and the various members of the iPod family. The lightweight headset consists of a padded, expandable headband with ear-pads that can be swivelled through approximately 100 degrees to suit different head shapes and sizes. By swivelling the ear-pads you can also store this product flat when not being used.
With a desert island, a castaway and a man called Friday, it can only be a title based on Robinson Crusoe.
Who better to be the central character in a hidden object adventure game than an archetypal survivor. In this case the survivor is none other than the Daniel Defoe created character of Robinson Crusoe and the game, not surprisingly, is entitled Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. As part of Avanquest’s GSP Click & Play catalogue, this game entrusts you with the task of helping Robinson Crusoe survive after ending up on a remote island in the Caribbean following a storm at sea.
While many pocket camcorders have been designed for general purpose use, the Kodak Playsport is aimed more at the more adventurous members of society. To this end the Playsport combines electronic image stabilising technology, to assist when capturing sporting events, with the ability to be waterproof up to a depth of 10 feet for recording aquatic expeditions.
With dimensions of 58 x 112.5 x 19.5mm (W x H x D), the Playsport should fit comfortably in a pocket or bag without causing an unsightly bulge (Kodak has produced a case for this camera but this an optional extra). Available in a choice of colours, including Abyss (Black), Wave Crash (Blue), Adrenaline Rush (Purple) or the orange of the review model, the Playsport stands apart from the other pocket camcorder that I have looked at, in that it does not feature a flip-out USB connection arm.
Sometimes a knock on the door or a ring of the doorbell can bring a pleasant surprise. However this is not the case when Sam Hunt answers a knock at the door in Alawars Stray Souls: Dollhouse title.
With a choice of Custom (one-minute Hint recharge and highlighted interactive areas) or Expert mode (two-minute recharge and no highlights), Stray Souls: Dollhouse is a hidden object adventure game. Currently the game is available as a Collection’s edition which features a number of extra items.
Ever since taking a look at the Sony Pocket Reader I have made a conscious effort to watch out for similar devices being used in public areas instead of traditional books and other reading material. Currently these sighting stand at just two instances admittedly over a fairly quiet period with regards to excursions. In neither case was the observed device being the Sony Touch Reader which is the subject of this review
As its title implies, this Sony Reader features a touch screen allowing you to carry out a number of actions using either your finger or the supplied stylus. Following the same pattern adopted by the Sony Pocket Reader, this bigger sibling product arrives in a box that bears more than a passing resemblance to a traditional book.
It hardly seems like yesterday when I took a look at the Ricoh CX3 compact digital camera. Actually it was more like four months ago but that hardly gives the company enough time to develop and manufacture a new model. Yet here we are with the latest offering from Ricoh. Not surprisingly this new product is entitles CX4.
I have been a regular user of a Dymo labelling device for many years. While fine for simple tasks, this device was unsuitable for more complicated labels. Fortunately Dymo manufacture a product that is capable of carrying out this type of task.
While it is possible to produce labels of various types using your main printer, it can sometimes be a little fiddly. You need to get the settings and positioning just right plus often your main printer, whether it is a laser or inkjet, can be busy performing other important jobs. An alternative solution would be to have a dedicated label printer on hand to carry out the task of running off address and other kinds of labels when required.
Are the adventure-style games of yesteryear about to make a comeback? This next title obviously feels it is a possibility.
Adding to its range of products for the iPod family and Mac and PC users, iLuv has released a set of earphones that come with a lead that claims not to tangle.
Inanimate objects are, by definition, meant to be inanimate. These types of objects are not supposed to take on a life of their own and move from where you are 100% certain you placed them or get themselves entangled with any other inanimate items that happen to be in close proximity.
When you hear mention of the name Air Force then your thoughts will probably gravitate towards that branch of the armed forces that operates in the sky. However in this case the subject matter is more land-based as it deals with the force of air rather than the force that rules the air. This Air Force is a cordless vacuum cleaner from Rowenta.
Bringing together the various elements of your home entertainment facilities is a task that can be carried out by a media streamer unit. Acting as a centralised hub, this type of device can link together such items as a television, computer, digital recorder, MP3 player and other types of media peripherals while also including Internet, network and storage access in the mix.
With a title not too dissimilar to that of a film many regard as a classic, Mumbo Jumbo has released a game that combines hidden object game play with a degree of detection skills. The game is Unlikely Suspects.
In this game you are cast in the role of a detective who has to undertake a series of cases to find the guilty party from a list of 16 criminals. Each of your cases begins with a telephone call giving you details of the victim and location of the crime scene. A tabbed screen gives you access to the different elements that make up your investigation. These tabs cover Suspects, Map, Weapons, Notes and Accuse.
Give your fingers a rest and instead use your voice to communicate with your computer by using the latest software from Nuance.
It was not until I started checking out this next product that I realised that my computer system box had a face.
While perhaps not the first name you think of with regards to digital photography (although those of my generation grew up using this company’s photographic products), Kodak still has much to offer. Take, for instance, the company’s latest pocket-size camcorder appropriately entitled the Kodak Playtouch. Available in a choice of Smoke Gaze (Black), Chrome, Cabana (Orange) or Spa Blue (Teal), the Playtouch offers a range of features including full 1080p HD capability.
Keeping your computer running at its optimum capacity can be time consuming and often frustrating unless, of course, you hand the task over to experts.
Iolo technologies is a long established company operating in the field of utility and performance enhancing software for the PC market. Identified by the American Business Awards as the fastest-growing US Company in both 2009 and 2010, iolo technologies has just released the latest version of its flagship product. This is System Mechanic 10 which offers to take over the performance management aspect of your computer system.
Travelling to Paris and moving back in time, you can insert yourself into a tale of murder and kidnapping from the pen of Edgar Allan Poe.
First published in 1841, Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre tale of Murder in the Rue Morgue has been the inspiration for a number of projects. The latest of these projects forms part of Big Fish Games Dark Tales series which is currently available from Focus Multimedia. Not surprisingly this product is entitled Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder in the Rue Morgue. The game belongs to the Hidden Object Adventure genre as the player joins C.
It is time to visit Americas Midwest in the 1930s and test your skill at with-drawing cash from banks where you have no accounts.
John Herbert Dillinger Jr. was born on the 22 June, 1903. By the time of his violent death on 22 July, 1934, he had become “Public Enemy Number One” in the eyes of the US Justice Department while to some others he was regarded as a folk hero.
With a name like BookBox you should have a good idea that the product in question will be meant to act as a digital library depository as it allows you to store and read your collection of ebooks. And you would be correct. However this BookBox does not limit its functionality to the sole task of being an ebook reader but more on these additional features a little later.
The BookBox is a View Quest product that is currently available from HMV stores. It arrives in a brightly colourful box that should appeal to the targeted youth market. Opening the box reveals the main BookBox unit, USB lead and appropriate three-pin mains plugs, protective case and a mini Instructional Manual. As this device is meant to be portable, it should fit easily into a pocket and this is definitely the case.
As well as some imaginative colour naming, Sony Ericsson sometimes takes the same approach when naming its devices. One example is the Zylo.
Typing the word “zylo” into your search engine should produce numerous hits covering many different subject matters. However, in this case, the only Zylo we are interested in is that of a mobile phone from Sony Ericsson. The Zylo is a quad-band handset that will work on any GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 network plus Class 10 GPRS and EDGE. Available in a choice of Metal Black or Pearly Rose, this mobile phone is a slider handset.
Simple in its game play but very addictive, the Bejeweled franchise continues. The latest version is Bejeweled 3.
Adding an ecology slant to the familiar mobile phone feature set, Sony Ericsson offers a green product.
Adding to its already extensive range of mobile phones, Sony Ericsson has released its Elm handset. This model belongs to the Sony Ericsson GreenHeart family of products. GreenHeart is an environmentally friendly initiative that includes the use of recycled plastic; no lead and less chemicals; and documentation in electronic format. This eco-friendly handset adopts the candy-bar format and is available in a choice of Metal Black or Pearly Rose.
Having first seen an early example of this product at a Panasonic hosted event in Munich, early last year, it has taken until now for me to get my hands on a sample for reviewing. I have to say the wait was worth it.
What was often referred to as “that box in the corner” or the “goggle box” has now become the dominant and central feature of numerous living rooms. At the same time televisions has shrunk considerable in depth but increased in width with many families feeling they could not manage with anything less that a 40-inch display for their viewing pleasure. However not everybody has the space to accommodate one of these wide screen offerings.
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