Following on from Hidden Expedition Everest reviewed recently, Focus Multimedia has now released the next title in the series, namely Hidden Expedition Amazon.  Although this game takes a different approach in some respects, it still retains the basic hidden object style of game play.

A few years ago, when linking together home entertainment devices such as a television, VCR, DVD player and games console, the accepted standard was to use SCART.  With the television at the heart of the link-up, you could use a SCART lead to make the necessary connection to the appropriate device.  However many televisions were designed with a single SCART socket.

  Whenever I have attempted to place any bulb or seed in the ground, the results have more in common with a buried rather than a planting.  Fortunately this next game brings together these two types of event.  Appropriately entitled Plants vs. Zombies is a game conceived and designed by George Fan (I would hate to share his nightmares), who was previously responsible for Insaniquarium (a title I seem to have missed out on). Supporting both the Windows and Mac platforms, Plants vs.

This product is a hybrid stick receiver which means it is capable of delivery both analogue and digital television signals for watching and recording on your Windows XP system.  Making up this kit is the USB stick device; IR (Infrared) remote control with battery; USB extension lead; audio/video input cable; portable TV antenna; folded Quick Installation Guide; and a software CD.

Walk into any computer store, whether it is part of a national chain or an independent outlet, and you will probably see a number of mice vying for your attention.  Evolving from the basic two-buttoned, ball controlled model with a physical connection to the dedicated mouse port on your computer, the modern mouse now comes in an assortment of sizes and shapes with varying degrees of functionality.

As with its main Internet Security product, NAS 2009 comes with one year protection for up to three computers per household which should cover most family set ups.  Installing the product on my notebook proved to be painless but not as quick as I expected.  As part of its installation routine NAS 2009 checks for updates and downloads any found.  In my case, this took 13 minutes.

The latest Asus netbook to come under my gaze is the Eee PC 1000HE model which brings together a 10-inch WSVGA screen with a promised 9.5 hours of battery life and the Windows XP operating system.  Encased within a fingerprint-attracting reflective black casing (you do get a cleaning cloth that can be used on the body casing and screen), the Eee PC 1000HE’s dimensions, when closed, are 264 x 190 x 28mm with a weight of 3.2lb.

Since its original introduction in 2001, a healthy industry has been built up on the back of the iPod as various companies have set about developing a range of accessories for the different iPod devices.  In the past I have checked out a number of these accessory products.

While you may not recognise the name of Gemalto, the chances are that you have probably used at least one of the products that have been developed by this company.  In its B2B (Business to Business) persona, Gemalto produces a large percentage of subscriber identification modules (SIMs) and smart cards in use today.  Developing a more consumer orientated approach, Gemalto’s latest product is entitled YuuWaa – now there’s a name you are not going to forget in a hurry.

Bluetooth technology has been around for quite a while.  During this period it has allowed us to transmit and share personal data, such as found on a business card, between mobile devices.  Thinking back, I can only remember using this facility on one occasion.

Measuring 50 x 7 x 78mm, the Sansa Fuze, with its ability to play MP3 and WMA audio tracks plus video clips, is the company’s obvious challenger to the market leading iPod nano device.  Positioned between the excellent Sansa Clip and Sansa View units, the Sansa Fuze is available with 2, 4 and 8GB storage capacities in a choice of blue, red, pink, black or silver.  This review is based on the 4GB version of the product. Taking over the top half of the unit’s front is a 1.

Following a storm at sea you are shipwrecked on a remote and mysterious island.  You appear to be the only survivor.  Although hardly the most hospitable location, you are at least alive and on dry land.  There is also enough evidence to show that there have been inhabitants at one time or another.  However, for no apparent reason (maybe you just want to get back home to watch the next episode of Lost), your first priority is to escape.

While it might seem illogical, I have always regarded my notebook as a totally different beast from my workhorse desktop machine even though both systems use the same operating system.  I should explain that the difference I am referring to relates to adding certain hardware enhancements to the computer’s make-up.

In this case the phone belongs to the Walkman series and bears the W595 designation.  The combination of the Active blue colouring with silver trimmings and slopping curves at the top and bottom of the unit give this handset a stylish appearance.

Logitech has recently announced that it has shipped its billionth mouse which presumably calls for some sort of celebration but as yet I have no information regarding what this might be.  The count of one billion includes the V550 Nano model which is currently taking up residence on my workspace in its role as the pointing device for my notebook. Like the previous mouse in the Logitech Nano series, the V550 model is a cordless laser device that links to your computer via advanced 2.

I have to admit that I have never read a book from the pen of the best selling author, James Patterson.  This gap in my literally education means that I am unable to confirm whether the storyline used in the James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet game, released by the GSP arm of Avanquest Software Publishing, stays true to the original book offering.

A long established application on my desktop, dating back to the days of Windows 95 and before, is FileMaker.  This product, available for both the Windows and Mac platforms, has provided all my database needs on both my desktop system and handheld devices.  Sad to say, the Mobile version of the product has been discontinued (shame on you FileMaker) but the latest version of the desktop product, FileMaker Pro 10, is now with us.

MAGIX has a long association with different aspects of audio.  The company has developed software products for cleaning up audio tracks and adding special effects; organising the management and computerised selection of themed tracks; plus the transfer and conversion of content on vinyl and tape sources into digital audio that can be burned on optical media.

There are several offerings available to help keep disaster at bay and one of them is Hard Disk Manager 2009.  Describing itself as an “All-In-One Suite to completely protect, maintain and manage your PC”, Paragon’s Hard Disk Manager 2009 is a suite of tools aimed at avoiding hard disk problems and solving those problems that might occur as the result of normal wear and tear through everyday usage.

According to certain members of my family, there is more than a touch of packrat in my make up.  This is a charge I deny although I do admit to a reluctance to dispose of some items.  Experience has taught me that whenever I get rid of something, it is not long before a need arises for that particular item.  As I result I still posses several pieces of equipment and media that are no longer regarded as state-of-the-art.

Although it was not all that long ago that the Flip Ultra was launched in the UK, Flip Video has followed up that initial offering with the new Flip Mino.  Again targeted primarily as the “fun loving” user who wants the ability to capture video content quickly and then transferred it to a computer or viewed on a television set, the Flip Mino is a camcorder that puts simplicity near the top of its feature set.