Publication History For : Paul Smart
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A 4inch screen phone may seem small today it certainly did to me as I put my own phone away for the duration of this test but as I got used to it I found it did everything I needed so this is not only about the phone but also the service.
To test the service I deliberately went to several places that I know are ‘dead spots’ where my own phone struggles, one such place gave a good service, another that is notorious dead spot on the line from Waterloo to Wimbledon where you so frequently here peoples conversations come to stop with ‘Hello, Hello’ again still in service. It is 12x6.5x1cm and weights 111grams. The right side has on/off button and below this the volume rocker.
A small PowerShot digital camera, for those who do not know a PowerShot can be little larger than an IXUS the smallest of Canons cameras or as large as the small end of Canons DSLR range, so here it is at the IXUS end of the range.
The Canon SX610 HS measures 10x6x2cm and weights 190grams. The right side has a tight fitting door behind which are AV and HDMI out sockets, above this is a wrist strpap anchor point. The left side has a manual flash deployment button. The base has the solid battery bay which is where you insert any SD card you use, there is also a tripod screw which if you are going to use a lot of zoom is very important.
The name makes it sound like a device of torture but Gadgetspeak is not that sort of site so you and your family will be safe to read about a new headset that has several things that may make it something to consider in a crowded market.
It is rare I start with the price £39.99 but while this is a simple looking set of headphones the simplicity of design makes them useable and of course with any set of headphones for me there are two things that matter, sound quality and comfort.
If you have yet to take a Selfie then you are in the minority, while the original idea was to snap yourself with a star be it sport, fashion or movie it has now become a thing even for a night out with your friends but how do you get everyone in?
Rollei have brought out a range of four to let you telescope your arm and they sent me two of them to be given the once over. This does far more than extend the length of your arm. In sheer distance this gives you up to 90cm beyond your own arm stretch and as it connects by Bluetooth – for either iOS or Android – this means you should be able to see over the largest person in front of you to capture still or even video. There are five extensions on the basic 20cm length.
The first a 32GB stick for iPhone, iPad and computers is how this double ended memory stick is described. The second the largest capacity Portable Power Charger I have currently seen at 11000mAh with both 1amp and 2.1 outputs.
It looks like a slightly large USB memory stick and indeed it is but apart from being able to move items from one USB device to another it does something two other things. It is 3.5cm wide around 1cm thick and around 6cm long. Its width will require either a flush fitting USB port or a USB extension lead. When inserted around 4.5cm is exposed from the PC. The first extra thing is the ability to transfer files either to or from Lightning devices.
The Ixus is Canons pocket size camera range, it does however benefit from all the technology that its larger siblings have in terms of technology so do not reject this unit simply because its small enough to fit inside the smallest pocket.
The Canon Ixus 160 Compact Digital Camera measures 9.5x5.5x2cm and weights only 126grams. The right side has a rubberised edge which at the top lifts to reveal A/V out. In the centre is a clip to attach a wrist strap. The base has a tripod screw anchor and beside this the solid battery door and behind this is also where you place any SD Card you use. The left side is clear. The face has the 8x zoom lens and above and to the left of this the bar flash that cannot be nearer than 2CM to the lens.
Like several Cyberlink products this is very mature and so you should not expect mind blowing new features, however you do get increased speed and slicker functionality with tweaks and improvements to what was already a powerful product.
The box has a statement that probably needs explaining ‘More than 300,000,000 copies sold!’ this is because a basic version is supplied on a lot of new PCs from a range of manufacturers. Here however I am looking at PowerDVD 15 Ultra the version with all the bells and whistles. So for those who do not know PowerDVD is a Movie & Media Player.
A vertical cylinder with speakers at all angles behind the grill that coats the sides. This Bluetooth offering gives a good all-round sound. So what has it to offer that other such devices cannot in what is becoming a rather crowded arena?
The Cowin Thunder is cylindrical at 8.5cm and also 8.5cm tall, it weighs 495grams. It has a white top and bass and chrome all around the sides with no visible seam. Being perfectly round and with speakers all around calling anything the back seems strange but at the top of the back is a 3.5mm socket and below this at the base is the micro USB socket. On the left side at the top is an on/off button. The unit stand .
A cordless vacuum means no restrictions on distance from the power plug; it also has two LEDs on the shoe so no excuse for not getting into those dark corners in fact with its smaller overall shoe size it gets into places most cannot penetrate.
Certainly not a quiet unit, this hard floor or carpet cleaner is at best loud and with the brushes going it can drown out most other things. It is 112cm tall, 10cm deep at the base and 25cm wide at the brush bar. The only instructions were printed on the box and related to the battery. Assembly consists of joining the lower part of the body to the top of the body/handle, there is a single screw which is attached using something like a two pence piece to tighten.
This small smart phone looks slightly retro but as mobile phones devolve so quickly it would have looked very modern not that long ago. So has this latest budget priced offering got something to make you switch for its charms?
The Alcatel Pop2 smart Android phone measures 13x6.5x1cm and weights147grams. The viewable screen is 10x5.7cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 4½inches. Like most recent SmartPhones there are few external controls, the micro USB port – for charging etc – is on the base and the 3.5mm socket for headphones is on the top.
Certainly a large panel if you only want to display HDMI 1920 by 1080 and although it will do this via VGA it can do far more if you use other connections, exactly how much more will depend almost entirely on your graphics chip/card.
It is 65.5x40x2cm the last figure is at the edges but there is a thicker rectangle further in which increases the thickness to 5cm. The stand is a circle with a chunk removed at the front so its 27cm deep and 30cm across. It can raise the panel by as little as 4cm from your desk or as much as 19cm with the hydraulic arm. It can of course be rotated by 90 degrees to be used as a landscape panel. Its weight with the stand attached is a tad over 8kilos.
As you reach a certain age what was an easy task with a pair of shears becomes a three cup of coffee job and a long soak in the bath afterwards. So why not let a budget priced electric hedge trimmer make it as easy as it never was?
I do not need reminders that I am getting old, the last few times I hacked away at my hedge and a couple of bushes left my body complaining for days – it used to be hours – so a hedge trimmer was the answer as this year even the thought of me picking up the shears had my body protesting. With the cost of this unit being so reasonable even getting my shears sharpened seemed daft so I gave in.
With digital cameras being able to capture video its been a while since I have cast my eye over a Camcorder. This was quite a revelation, it should not have been as digital cameras have evolved so have Camcorders and this one can even capture PIP.
The Panasonic HC-W570 camcorder measures 12.5x5.5x6cm and weights 306grams. It is called a twin camera and that is what it is. The normal lens at the front and a further lens at the far-left-edge of the TFT screen. It seems strange and it can be used or not according to the situation.
A single cylinder shaped unit that has reasonable battery life, it supports Bluetooth, NFC and even connection via 3.5mm lead. Perhaps the most important factor is sound quality and here I was certainly perfectly satisfied with it.
It is 19.5x7.5x6.5cm and weights 567grams. It is almost a cylinder with two opposite edges slightly flattened. It can be used either horizontally or vertically, assuming the former the back has a large rubber bung behind which are connections for Micro USB, 3.5mm lead (not supplied) and an on/off slider. A 25cm micro USB to USB lead is supplied to charge the unit.
I confess the Canon i-Sensys MF4730 left me scratching my head for some time. It is a small mono laser All In One unit capable of connection by USB or Network. The reason for my head scratching is that it seems to only work on 32bit systems.
The printer is a near cube at 36x36x34cm and as the last figure the height you need as least a couple of extra centimetres to place anything on the flatbed then it’s even nearer a cube. It weighs just under 12kilos. The software refuses to install on 64bit systems and although I looked on the Canon site and there were a couple of drivers that claimed to be for 64bit Windows they refused to install for me, so I installed it on a 32bit system and it installed without problem.
First a portable very portable rechargeable reading light and from a company that does reading lights, this is tiny. Second a candle made of wax that has a light but no flame and as there is no flame then importantly no danger of fire.
A 25cm long rubber coated strip that can be bent to any angle. One end has two LEDs in the underside, the other end has a crocodile type clip and just behind this an on/off button. The first 18cm are 1cm wide and the last 7cm are 2.5cm wide. Attach to any book and you have nice even light that is sharp and crisp and yet not hard on the eyes. The crocodile clip can extend to 2cm. The on/off switch has on, lower intensity on and off so from on its two pushes to get to off.
A modem router is not something you change that often, unless of course you get a fault. For most people it either does the job or it does not, the one real exception is the Wi-Fi if you have a property where it only just covers then you may change.
This unit has a more powerful Wi-Fi than most units so this may be a solution struggling with Wi-Fi reception. It is a near round unit at 10.5x8.5cm and is 22cm tall there are no external aerials, so just add a few centimetres for any connections to the 10.5cm depth and that’s it. The connections on the rear from bottom to top are DC input, power on/off button, flush Wi-Fi on/off button, four Ethernet ports, a USB2 port, a USB3 port and finally DSL input port.
Think of it as a vacuum cleaner that washes and dries and you are on the right track. If you have empty rooms its brilliant as you work in straight lines, it washes and dries as at goes along so clear everything away for those new looking carpets.
It is 111cm tall, 33cm wide and 35cm deep and the total weight is 9.5kilos. It comes more of less assembled in a 67x47x40cm box and it evens contains two bottles of carpet cleaner fluid in the box. Assembly is straightforward just add the handle to the base and clip in see through containers to the front of the unit. Joy of joys it comes with a good length of cable at 8metres.
Previous items I have reviewed from Thumbs Up have taken the sound from the SmartPhones speaker and given you a better result. This unit uses the same idea common to most in that the signal is sent via Bluetooth to give an excellent sound.
The Bass Connect bluetooth speaker measures 7x7x3cm and weights 192grams. The sound from it is amazing, remember the only input is via Bluetooth so what it is receiving is most like to be MP3 files.
A name that I reviewed several items for some years ago, now perhaps more famous for it being on the shirts of Southampton Football Club in the Premier League. So what have these earbuds to make them stand out from the crowd?
To start with the colour a flat cord – always a good idea to stop knotting when in the pocket or bag – it’s yellow on one side and black on the other. The next thing is the fitment it’s the type that goes over the ear so less stress on the ear itself. The cord itself is 1.2metres long, the first 40cm from the ears are two cords and then they become one for the final 80cm to the gold plated 3.5mm plug.
When bleary eyed I viewed the first night sleep statistics on my Android phone I almost let out a cheer as at last a sleep monitor gives a real figure so you no longer feel you are going crazy with what other devices claim for sleep periods.
In the past I have tried skull caps, arm bands and various other devices they all claim I sleep well even when ‘not in bed’. A 3cm wide and 64cm long strip of a thin plastic type material goes under your bottom sheet in a position around the buttock to chest area. This strip ends in what looks like an early iPod – but with no screen – and hard wired out of the base of this is a 1.
This is very like the Roku Stick, somewhat like Chromecast, but as it is far cheaper than either it would be better, however it also has a lot more features and has another huge plus it is from Amazon so how can it be anything but a big hit.
Of course Amazon are not a benevolent organization and once you have the fireTV Stick the front screen will offer you the chance to download lots of videos and even some ‘Amazon Only’ series, a lot of which are free if you take out a Prime Video subscription, they even offer you a free month to check it out. The stick is 8.5cm long with the last centimetre being the HDMI connection so will not be visible when connected. It is 2.5cm wide and 1cm thick.
Sold as a Clinical D Image panel it is capable of 2560x1440 display. The clinical bit of the last sentence means the display needs to be ultra-sharp and clear as when a surgeon is looking at say an X-Ray image he/she needs clarity.
This 27 inch Philips LCD monitor measures 63.5x39.5cm and it is 2cm thick at the edges. This is a 27ince panel. The near round support base is 30cm across, the arm coming from it can raise the panel between 1 and 16cm from whatever you stand it on. These figures assume you use it in portrait mode but it rotates easily to be used in landscape. Connections at the rear are from left to right audio input, HDMI1, HDMI2, Digital and Display Port at the other side of the support arm DC input.
A Bluetooth speaker with good battery life excellent sound and it can not only get wet like in the bathroom but get involved with you while for instance riding a bike or perhaps even more extreme tasks beyond my current imagination.
The FUGOO Sport Bluetooth Active measures 18x5.5x7cm; the 5.5cm is at the bass and its only 4cm wide at the top. Mine was black with turquoise blue rubber trim but I know there are different jackets available. Let’s first mention the accessories that come in the box. Mains charger that goes to a USB lead also in the same turquoise colour, next a 3.5mm extension lead yes you have guessed it in turquoise blue and finally a fabric slip case.
This is quite a small and lightweight offering from Pentax. However this does not mean that the images its takes are anything but excellent in both JPG and RAW. The only unusual thing to me is that both the body and lens are white.
The Pentax K-S1 Digital SLR camera measures 11x9x15cm and weighs 771grams without the neck strap. The right side has a rubber bung behind which are HDMI and USB outlets, there is also a neck strap anchor point. The left side has the anchor point pair. The face is whatever lens you attach I was sent an 18-55mm offering As well as AF/MF twist control. The top has the manual rise built in flash with button on the left at the very top is an external flash shoe and below this the viewfinder.
This is the latest in a range of health and fitness items. It has one distinct difference in that it looks like a standard smart analogue watch. It is quite thin, is worn on the wrist, and, to anyone else looks exactly like a wrist watch.
The strap is 25cm long and rubber although the face of it looks like leather. The watch dial is 4.5cm across and the watch is .8cm thick and only .5cm thick at the edges. It has no winder and it does not require charging it has a large clock type battery in the rear and this is stated to keep it running for ‘eight months plus’.
While ink jet printers are still dominant in the colour market lasers can now offer much more and with less of a premium, printing speeds are better and perhaps most important the quality of the printed output is now excellent.
It is 42x42x32cm, if using the flatbed you will probably need another 12cm to the last figure the height to insert a book or magazine. The mains lead enters back right and Ethernet/Fax or USB back left, once attached there is no reason to leave more than ventilation clearance behind as all the controls are on the front. The on/off button is on the front at the top right, just above this on the top edge is NFC and everything else is either controlled from the PC or from the 6x4.
These quality wireless headphones from Sennheiser can take input from RCA jacks or Optical. The latter means that if your TV has optical out those of us with less than 20:20 hearing can now hear that murmured dialogue so favoured in US movies.
They can be as much as 23cm across at the base of the earpads and the same from the base of the earpads to the top of the headband. Each arm has 4.5cm of contraction from this point and the earpads will sit happily at half the mentioned spread. The pads are well padded in a velvet like material and the headband has two leather pads usful for those of us who have no hair. The headphones can be worn either way and there is some side to side movement for those who favour the behind the head style.
Having recently looked at two DSLR units from Canon it is now time to try something smaller and lighter but the technology is still rife in this latest offering in the Canon PowerShot range, so what wonders does the G7X offer.
The Canon PowerShot G7X measures 10.5x6x3.8cm and weights 300grams, add 4cm to the last figure when the lens is fully zoomed. The right side has a flip door behind which are AV and HDMI connectors, below this is a flush button that will search for a Wi-Fi access point and behind the flip door is a strap anchor point. The left side also has an anchor point as well as the built in flash flip up button.
This arrived shortly after the Mio Fuse, for something that uses the same App it works in quite a different way often to achieve the same goals. However its obvious differences are unlikely to matter to the user just getting the results.
A black rubberised band that has some stretch at 26cm long with a solid watch type device at 4.5x4cm in the centre. It has a bright yellow surround to the watch area that is controlled by two press areas on either side and the initial setup although straightforward will take a while as with one area to change setting such as year time and weight etc. has only the other button to increase the setting such as 3 to 4 etc. and if you require 2 you have to go up to 0 then 1 to find 2.
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