Publication History For : Paul Smart
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I know people who love using a Notebook but hate using its Trackpad. So here are two USB wired mice that could well help then both for work and play as both these offerings have more than the standard two buttons and a scroll wheel.
Redex is the gaming brand of Trust and the box states it is an Accurate Lightweight Gaming Mouse with fully adjustable RGB, up to 10,000, and 80 Mill Kailh switches. It is 12cm long a maximum of 5cm wide and 3cm tall. A 1.8m long USB lead emerges from the front edge. It has standard left and right buttons with scroll wheel there is an extra touch button behind the scroll wheel and two further buttons on the left side. It is lightweight at only 72 grams.
The words ‘All In One’ normally relate to a printer that also copies and scan. Here it is an audio device that has everything in a single unit that measures 38x18x11cm. So you have DAB+, FM, Internet Radio, CD, Spotify, Podcasts, Bluetooth Audio and Auxiliary Input via 3.5mm socket.
The initial setup is controlled from a 6x5cm screen on the top of the unit, the first thing is to connect it to your Wi-Fi network once done you see a screen that displays eight icons in two rows of four. Control can be from buttons in front of the screen and you can move through selections sequentially. There is also a small remote control that allows you to make changes from the comfort of your chair.
A more unusual offering from Trust a USB microphone. Perhaps the most interesting part is the fittings it is supplied with.
The microphone itself is round and 13.5cm long. It fits into a fitment that has an 8cm round mesh fitment to avoid breath or worse hitting the microphone. Behind this two 3x3 rubber strips and you slide the microphone through one and 4cm later the second this gives a tight hold to the microphone but stops any vibrations from whatever it is resting upon. The base of this fitment has a tripod screw and an 11cm long tripod is supplied.
This is a 27inch QHD panel 2560x1440 although it is equally usable at HD 1920x1080 for those whose eyesight is not the best. A gaming panel with reasonable sound so you should be able to hear the enemies coming as well as see them. It is available from the link at the end at a very good price so what is the reason, read on to find its one drawback.
It is 61x37x1.5cm; all the connections are in a single line on a downward pointing overhang on the rear 9cm up from the base. They are from right to left power input, USB upstream, four USB ports 2x2 (one always on providing there is power to the panel) two HDMI and two DisplayPort and finally a 3.5mm audio socket. The panel can be used in both landscape and portrait modes, in landscape it can be as little as 5.5cm above your desk and a maximum of 21cm above it.
Getac do a range of ‘Rugged’ units useful for those who work outside and when you first start you will see a choice of three options for using this touch screen offering, Glove – Finger – Stylus. This unit runs Android but these days Android has access to a whole lot more Apps than earlier versions. So this Tablet is designed to work where others would not. I am told this model is used for British Touring Car Championships for the Race Operations Team.
The Gatek ZX10 measures 27x19x2cm and weighs just over a kilo. Exactly what connections are available will vary as this can be produced by Getac for whatever environment you need. It is a rugged unit designed to work in times and conditions units sold by mainstream manufacturers could not cope with. Going around the edges of the test unit I was sent has behind weatherproof doors USB ‘C’ and Nano SIM entry points, USB and 3.5mm headphone socket all on the left side.
This hard backed book is entitled ‘The Quiz of 2022’, the program is one of the BBC’s most popular ‘Have I Got New For You’. I don’t get to read many books as most of my reading is online and while some might tuck themselves up with their Notebook or Tablet turning the page on a book in your hand is a rather different experience.
HIGNFY stated in the 90’s and Paul Merton and Ian Hislop have been there for almost all of the programs. In basic terms it’s a show that’s a quiz about the news. For the first twelve years the host was Angus Deayton, now there are a whole range of hosts.
This is not one product but two in one. It is a charge device for things like mobile phones when away from a USB port. However it is also something to keep you warm when out and about a small HeatBank that can keep your hands warm.
If – like me – you are of a certain age then the name Zippo will remind you of a lighter. Indeed when I was searching for a price I see they still exist. The Zippo HeatBank 6 measures 10.5x4.3x2cm and weighs 141 grams. Unlike other charge devices the sides of this unit are not sharp but curved so it rolls nicely in your hands. At one end is a connection point for a supplied lanyard. At the other end the connections.
In a lot of cases you want more volume than is available, either because something was recorded at a low level or you are in a noisy environment. Often increasing the volume will also increase static and other things you don’t want. The solution can often be as easy as playing through a DAC as this gives you what you want more volume as well as clarity of sound.
Here I am looking at two items that could well be solutions for a couple of Christmas ideas. Secret Identity is a game for both older children and adults. The second also ticks two boxes most will know what Top Trumps are, a set of playing cards, but they are always on a theme with great images, here the images are Sports Cars something that will appeal to all the people that cannot afford the real thing.
This is not an easy game to master, so it is not for younger children, the stated age is 10+ having said that the object is to make people guess your card which is probably the exact opposite to what the object of most other games objectives are. Unlike a lot of games for several players you need to be sober to get the best from it. It can be played by a minimum of three players and a maximum of eight players. You will need a level playing surface such as a good sized table.
For a while now printer companies have encouraged you to use only their ink and buy it direct from them. This latest offering goes one step further by offering free cartridges sent through the post for the first nine months. However to qualify you must claim it on your initial setup. The unit does not come with a CD/DVD so you have to have an Internet Connection during the setup; the software comes from the Microsoft Store and not HP.
This is a three in one unit meaning not only does it print but it also scans and copies. The unit is 46x32x25cm. The only external connections are the power lead and a USB upstream port. Once the install software is installed it looks for the unit and it cannot be found. On screen help covers this and that is when you need to use the dummy Wi-Fi connection it has installed, once located it then automatically switches back to your normal Wi-Fi offering.
Those of us who use a Desktop or Tower system still need a keyboard and a mouse. I have always used wired offerings, these days you are less likely to have special ports instead having connections via USB. So when I got the opportunity to test a set of keyboard and mouse from Trust my own offering was disconnected and the Trust items connected.
They only use a single USB port and being wire less units you are not tethered in any way. The batteries required for both units are already inserted and you just need to pull the small strip of paper out that stops the contact being made. Insert the wireless USB controller and wait a few seconds for Windows to install the driver. There is an on/off switch on the right edge of the keyboard and a similar slider on the base of the mouse.
This is a 28inch flat panel that has a fast 1ms response time and is equally at home at 3840x2160 or at 1920x1080 The first to suit a gamer the second for someone needing just a little more assistance at the standard resolution due to less than perfect eye sight. Unlike most flat panels this has speakers that are as good as standalone speakers as they are a pair of 3w offerings.
The screen measures 62x37x1.6cm. Both the sides and top have very narrow borders, the base has a 2cm border with five control buttons under the edge near the right side and the front shows a pin hole LED when power is on. The connections are in a single line 8cm up from the base on an overhang. They are from right to left four USB ports (one always on providing the unit is powered) then the upstream USB. Next are two HDMI 2.1 ports and two Display Ports. Next is a 3.
Christmas is just around the corner and while it is a time for families and especially younger children. What of those of teenage years approaching adulthood, well games of an adult nature might be of interest that may even lead to a relationship. Here are two such games the first for up to four players but playable with less. The second is a for a couple of consenting adults. So dependant of age you may start with Fondle and move on to Monogamy.
In the box are a 1.2x1.2metre mat with a range of pieces of fruit in various positions, a 25cm circular double sided spinner, four pairs of coloured glasses and a 21x15cm piece of card that has the rules in six languages. I suppose it’s a little bit like twister as the mat has positions that you might have to say place a foot.
If your main uses of a PC are for emails, browsing the web and word processing or spreadsheets then a Chromebook can be cheaper and even a more secure form of connection to the outside world as Chromebooks are both automatically updated in the background and have Anti-Virus protection built in so you can remain in a safer environment.
This one from Acer measures 36x23.5.1.5cm and weighs 1677g and can show a full HD screen. Going around the outside on the left is a USB ‘C’ port a USB port and 3.5mm socket for headphones. The front is clear. The right side has micro SD card port, Ethernet connection, USB ‘C’ port and finally a Kensington Lock port. The rear is also clear as the screen goes back beyond 180 degrees. The viewable screen is 34x19.
This is the smaller of two ‘Cooler Bags’ designed to keep things like beers cool over a long period of time for those into outdoor pastimes when far away from any electrical power. However I can see another use to keep things hot for a long period of time especially in these current times when some may not know when their next hot meal may come.
This is an inkjet printer that uses tanks rather than cartridges and the method of filling the cartridges from bottles has shown an improvement from early offerings so there is absolutely no chance of spilling ink as even when the cap of the bottle is unscrewed there is no danger of ink exiting even if the bottle is knocked over or turned upside down.
The Canon Maxify GX5050 is described as a Wi-Fi Printer and indeed that is how I used it but it still has an Ethernet connection and even an upstream USB. The device measures 40x40x20cm with another 4cm added to the last figure at the rear where the second upright paper tray is. Unlike a lot of units that are called printers that are three in one or even four in one devices this is solely a printer.
Not all laptops and notebooks come with a webcam and nowadays most screens for desktop do not have a webcam. So this latest offering from Creative Labs has a place. It also has an advantage that both the camera and the microphone use the same USB connection so no chance of a situation that I have come across previously of the microphone working and the camera not or even vice versa.
The Live Cam Sync V3 is small enough to fit easily in a bag, the box it comes in is only 11.5x7x10cm, the cameras actual dimensions are 8x3x3cm and it is attached to a small stand that increases the total height by only 2cm. The stand is designed to hang over the top of a screen it is 6cm long and the drop down balance arm is 4.5cm. Installation on Windows is very quick – less than 30 seconds – and it is immediately recognised on Zoom and other such products.
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office 2023
Published in Software
on
21 Sep 2022
For many years I have used Acronis to get a total disc backup that you can restore without any other media such as the original Windows CD being available. More recent years have seen them give extra protection such as from Ransomware. Just over a year ago I stopped using additional Anti-Virus software instead letting Acronis handle everything. Updates are made as needed and only occasionally do they produce a new version such as what I am reviewing here the Home Office 2023.
While it still does a ‘complete’ backup for those occasions when Windows refuses to boot and on one occasion I have had to use this feature. Far more often you use the feature that allows you to restore a file that has been overwritten by a later version and that can save you hours of work in itself. Like most I have programs (not Apps) that were downloaded and get used regularly but the source has changed and so could not be restored.
At last a company starts to do something about sustainability as the case on this unit is made from recycled plastic, it has a slightly rough feel no doubt not essential but to make you feel you are doing your bit. This latest offering in the Aspire range is called Vero. The strap line comes up on bootup ‘Vero for Planel Earth’. What does this latest offering from Acer have to offer both for sustainability and also for value for money in these testing times?
The Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51 measures 36.5x24.5x1.7cm and weighs 1800grams. Going around the outside has power input, Ethernet, HDMI, two USB3 and a USB ‘C’. Both the front and back are clear the right side has two LED’s, 3.5mm for headphones and a USB3 finally a Kensington Lock connection. You can also charge the unit with a USB ‘C’ connection. The base has four horizontal 2x.7cm yellow rubber feet, behind the front feet are the 2.5x1.5cm speaker outlets.
Here I am looking at two new lights from WIZ. They are both mains powered but the control can be by an App or a remote control. The first a 30cm bar light described as the way to light up small spaces with ease. The second 10.5cm round and 18cm tall with a leather handle, when first powered on both start out and white but by using the App or the optional remote control they can be any colour you like and that is just the start there are more options.
As mentioned above this 30cm long and triangular in shape so can sit anywhere it comes with an adapter that can fit in either end of the bar, the lead is 1.50 metres long ending in a three pin plug. Out of the box the light is white and you can control the brightness by pressing a tiny nipple on the back of the light. Once connected by Wi-Fi or the optional remote control you can then really see what it can do, it can have warm or cool light to suit both your mood and the situation.
Most flat panels have speakers built in, however in order to keep the panel thin the speakers are not that great. The same is true for most Laptops and Notebooks in facts the majority put the speakers underneath so sound is projected directly into the desk or whatever it is rested upon. So should you want to watch a movie or three or listen to music you need something better, here is one such solution the Creative Sound Bar.
Most Soundbars are longer and are designed to give you more sound and better quality sound from your TV. This unit designed to do the same from your PC, Laptop, Phone, Tablet and according to the instruction sheet also from PS4, PS5 and Nintendo switch. This unit can use the USB cable to take music from a PC, it can also use 3.5mm socket from audio devices or connect to any Bluetooth device. It is 7cm tall 40.5cm long at the front 37.5cm long at the back and 8cm deep. It weighs 1107grams.
Having recently reviewed the best phone I have ever used and then one that any other company apart from Google would have consigned to the bin 18 months ago this was always going to be, shall we say, difficult. In the past I have reviewed several other Honor offerings, so to be as fair as possible I took a good bit longer before presenting my thoughts.
The Honor Magic 4 Lite measures 16.5x7.5x.8cm and weighs 192grams. The 6.8 inch display is 1080x1980. The right side has the volume rocker and recessed below this the on-off button. The base has the USB ‘C’ connector for charging and data transfer via an OTG device, also a microphone and SIM entry point. Both the left side and top are clear. The rear is dominated by a raised circular Matrix at the top end which contains its three cameras and LED flash.
I do not sleep well so when I get a chance to review items that might improve my sleep I take them. This tool is speech and music and while I have managed to fall asleep in a boring presentation in the past this is something new to me.
The is round at 8cm and 6cm tall without its wooden lid in place, I used it with its built in speaker but if you need more volume then use its 3.5mm socket to connect to external offerings. There are eight subjects and eight different items on each subject, there is a male and a female voice and there should be 8 minute and 20 minute versions of each offering; however despite my best endeavours I was only able to access the 20 minute versions.
With so much more video being produced out of studio one thing needed is lights even a well-lit room does not look top notch so this solution from Zhiyun could well help solve it. During lockdown a great deal of meetings moved to online from home where ordinary room lighting did not hack it. The doughnut ring light was popular but is there something better like this Fiveray offering to give you professional standard lighting from a single internal battery powered unit.
It is 50cm tall and 4cm wide and 3.5cm thick except at the handle where its 4cm. It weighs 900 grams. There is a tripod mount on the base. Just above the grip on the left side is a USB ‘C’ connector to charge its internal battery. The back of the grip is rubberised for ease of holding. The only other item to mention is the 7x3cm area on the face of the grip, this has a joystick ‘control centre’ and a small 2x1.
These are the latest set of earbuds from Creative to land on my desk. They are just a little bigger than most buds of a similar type and when I weighed them this was confirmed. However they still sit comfortably in your ear. So what is new to make you shell out to purchase another set of earbuds apart from them being from Creative to tempt you.
Each bud weighs 7 grams and in their charge box the total weight is 87 grams. 15 hours use before you have to recharge and a total of 60 hours before you need to search for a USB port for more charge. Both these figures are 25% more than most other sets of buds that only offer 12 hours. They have a total of six microphones so you should be heard more clearly by others.
Not everyone wants the latest or biggest phone that can take fantastic photos in near darkness. What they do want is something that can make and receive calls and take the odd photo or three and browse the Internet while out and about for things like when will that bus or train arrive and possibly will it ever rain again in my lifetime. So perhaps a solid reliable phone like this Google Pixel 4A, while this is well over two years old it still gets updated to the latest version of Android.
The Google Pixel 4a measures 14x6.7x.7cm and weighs only 144 grams; its viewable screen is close to 6 inches, the screen is 1080x2340. Going around the outside has the on/off button and volume rocker on the right side. The base has speakers, and USB ‘C’ for charging, or data transfer and microphone. The left side is free and the top has 3.5mm socket for earbuds or headphones. The back has its camera and LED flash top left in a 1.7cm square raised area.
This is a 27inch UHD multi view flat panel from Philips. Up to 144Hz refresh rate is possible and all in a small footprint. It has a good amount of rear tilt and a little forward movement so ideal for those who play games or even for business users. It has decent speakers for those needing to present and as with most recent panels a wide viewing angle.
The Phillips 27inch Momentum 5000 is just more than 61cm wide and only 34cm tall and at its edges only 2cm thick. It has a four sided open ‘M’ shaped base 16.5x15.5cm, 34cm wide base that raises it by between 9.5cm and 19.5cm from your desk; you can also pivot it to view in landscape mode. For those into serious gaming this panels 1ms refresh rate could save your life in so many games. 4K (UHD) 3840x2160 display is ultra-clear.
As with most recent SmartPhones it is all about the cameras. Here one of its four cameras is an amazing 108MP. However with 5G those who download a lot to their phone are also able to do this with minimal delay. So what has this latest offering got to make you choose it apart from of course the extremely powerful camera that it has?
It is 16x7.5x1cm the figure at the top left of the back where the cameras are, it weighs 207 grams. It comes with Android 11 and MIUI 13 which sits on top of the Android operating system and while I was testing it loaded the Android security update for July ’22. It comes with 128GB of storage and around 32 GB is used. There is 8GB of RAM. It has an Octa Core Media Tek Dimensity 920 Processor. The display is 6.67 inches and has a 120Hz refresh rate to the 2400x1800 display, 395PPI.
If you find that Bluetooth does not always perform reliably then this little gizmo from Creative may made your Bluetooth stronger and most of all reliable. As I live in a home with solid walls I have long found that Bluetooth soon drops off under the stated distance you should be able to achieve. So can I roam that little further away before dropouts happen?
Your headphones or earbuds must support aptX. This is Smart Bluetooth 5.2 Audio Transmitter with aptX Adaptive. Assuming you are using USB ‘C’ it is just over 2cm long, 1.5cm wide and .5cm thick once inserted in a port. If however it’s USB then the adapter makes its protrusion 4cm. Should you need to extend length for your calls then a 3.5mm socket will have a 2cm protrusion.
I still get requests to review Desktop systems and this latest offering from Acer is much smaller than most, in fact not only smaller but also a great deal lighter. In fact I placed it on top of my own normal sized Desktop system and this amplifies the smallness. It also comes with small cordless Keyboard and mouse that take just one USB port to connect both.
It is 29.5cm tall, 9.5cm wide and 32cm deep add another 5cm to the last figure for cables into the back of the unit. The mouse is 10.5x6x3.5cm at most and weighs 81 grams with battery inserted. The keyboard is 41x11x2cm the last figure is at the back; at the front it is hardly 1cm. The keyboard has 112 keys with the numeric and alpha keys being full-size.
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