Publication History For : Paul Smart
Click to see this members public profile
Older articles
Having looked at various Weather Stations over the years this was an item to cast my eyes over. Various units have been powered by battery and even solar power. This unit is powered by three AA batteries the forth supplied battery powers the outside unit.
The Oregon Scientific Weather@Home unit measures 18x9x4cm, the last figure is only at the base it slims to only 1.18x9x4cm the last figure is only at the base it slims to only 1.5cm within a few centimetres. The external unit is 9x5x2cm and should be sheltered from rain and snow. The main unit has a 10x7cm display that is split into three areas. Below this are the controls also split into three areas with two rocker buttons and a back light button in between.
Both of the phones I am looking at here are designed for those with a hearing impairment, before you think this is not you, just think does anyone complain your TV is up too loud, do you often have to ask people to repeat what they are saying?
I was standing on my patio recently talking to a friend who said is that your phone, it was and yet I never heard it ring. This is a standard phone with keys and a small 3.5x3cm screen, however everything is big, the keys, the colours and most of all the sound. It is 12.5x5x1.5cm and weights 395 grams. Below the screen all the buttons are backlit for around 35seconds easily long enough to find what you are looking for even for someone with slow responses.
A lot of homes these days do not have a proper kitchen so a small oven type device can have its place. This small unit can fry without fat grill roast and more. The nearest thing I have previously reviewed is the Philips Airfryer.
The Russell Hobbs Purifry fryer measures 32cm tall and 25cm deep (30cm with handle) and 25cm across. It runs from a standard 13amp plug. The bowl/basket/partition and handle – the bits that are removable – are all dishwasher proof. Almost anything that you would cook in a conventional oven can be cooked in the Purifry in fact when I saw this demonstrated they were cooking cakes and scones in it. The instructions say it can be used by children from eight years upwards.
This neat electric shaver can be used as a dry shaver or as a wet shaver. For that top up before a night out when leaving the office its ideal. It also works exactly like a wet shaver when required, just lather up and shave in the normal way.
The Braun WF2S WaterFlex shaver measures 15.5x5.5x4.5cm and weights 279grams. The stand is light – some might say flimsy – and consists of a base and sloping back that slot together, the 1.5metre power lead plugs into the base and as seems the fashion for shavers goes to a two pin plug.
These are powerful headphones designed predominately for gamers as they are 7.1 channels, so you should be able to hear the slightest noise from far away and for a gamer this is possibly the difference between life and err death.
Here I am looking at two different portable speaker systems. The first a retro design called Jam Rewind. The second from a company that has a broad field of products Lindy, this like the Jam Rewind is both Bluetooth and Auxiliary input.
It is 17x6x2.5cm and weights 170grams. For those old enough to remember cassette tapes it looks like a bloated version of one. Each reel is a speaker so you have two on one side and two on the other. My unit was grey with red rubberised edges and the back edge has touch buttons. Here you need good feel as the buttons are the same red colour as the back colour. Volume -, Volume +, Track back, Play/Pause, Track forward and on/off with a pin hole microphone in between the last two.
Motorola are one of the most up to date phone manufacturers, they seem to be first to update to the latest version of Android this is 4.4.4 which is still the latest apart from the supposed version 5 available on a very few selected devices.
The Moto X Version 2 measures 14x7x1cm the last figure is at the centre of the top and bottom where the headphone and micro USB connections are, at the rest of the edges it is only .5cm, it weights 143grams. The back is fixed and your Nano SIM goes in to the top and a special pin is provided to allow insertion. The only other buttons are on the right edge on/off and a larger rocker for volume up and down. The viewable screen is 11.5x6.
This is a true A3 printer as well as a unit that scans, copies and faxes, it prints A3 from within the outline of the machine yet is a good deal smaller than you would expect as paper is stored in landscape rather than portrait format.
It is 47x35x30cm only a tiny bit larger than most A4 units and remember this can store A3 paper within the unit, the secret is that the unit stores in Landscape format – don’t worry it still prints in portrait – with the page appearing sideways has another advantage in that it needs less space in front for paper to appear.
This is the latest and largest Fire I have seen. Unless you have a poachers pocket in your coat I doubt it will fit. The latest Amazon Fire version 4.51 is installed and this gives some significant advantages for the user to have.
The Amazon Fire HDX 8.9" tablet measures 22.5x15.5x.5cm where the last figure is thickness at the edges, it is slightly thicker once you are 1.5cm in, and it weights 372 grams. As with a lot of tablets it comes naked and to fully protect the screen you need a case and both Amazon and third parties sell such items, if you spend a lot of time typing then a keyboard might be useful addition to the unit I was sent both a case and a keyboard, they work correctly. The viewable screen is 18x11.
I have seen several versions of this software over the years, all were previously tied to a hard disc that enabled you to clone a disc to your new hardware. Here this is the full boxed version that not unsurprisingly can to this and much more.
I have entered some long serial numbers over the years but this seems to be the longest if you count the blanks its 71 characters. A full disc Backup took 77 minutes to USB2 disc, it took 110.4GB, the disc copied has 134GB used. One week later the incremental backup took 20 minutes and was 21.2GB in size. Two weeks later the next increment took 16 minutes and was 22.3GB in size.
Having recently looked at two bagless upright cleaners it seems only right to review a similar bag less cylinder option. Here a 700watt option from Hoover that is an immediate winner from me for one small feature that it has.
The Hoover XP71 vacuum cleaner measures 43cm long, 27cm wide and between 10 and 30cm high. It weighs 6.4kilos. As with any corded machine you need to work out the best position to plug the unit in to enable the least number of plugins to do the whole property. As I live in a bungalow I had previously found that 7.5metres from a central point covers everything.
This is a PowerShot offering which along with the Ixus brand are Canons two non DSLR offerings. This is one of the larger small units as such it is almost as large as some smaller DSLR units and it comes with a neck strap not a wrist strap.
The Canon PowerShot G16 compact digital camera measures 9.5x7.5x4cm, the last figure can double when fully zoomed. The unit weights 354grams. As with most recent offerings it has Wi-Fi to transfer images and of course to let you know where you took that great sunset. The right side has neck strap anchor point and a door behind which are connections for AV and HDMI so you can show your videos direct to your TV.
Last autumn I visited a venue called the Ice Tank, it was for a presentation from a company based in Germany that has a product to efficiently control your central heating, it even knows when the last person leaves or the first arrives back at your home.
This big brother scenario might sound rather frightening but for a home where people work different hours this can save a good deal of money so you do not end up heating an empty home. A bold statement was made during the presentation that they could control any heating system however old. I know my gas boiler is at least 50 years and its controller probably of the same vintage. So I agreed to test it out. Everything can be done from their website.
Over the years I have reviewed a number of coffee machines, all have been very popular with readers, some seem to think that the coffee from Pod machines is not hot enough, so this unit that uses fresh milk that it heats could be their answer.
This machine has one huge plus over other Lavazza machines for those who love Cappuccinos and Lattes a milk froth maker is attached. The size without the milk froth maker attached to the right side is 28x21x23cm the unit wider at the front and is only 12cm at the rear, the hard wired mains lead emerges from under the water tank so these figures are maximum.
Not quite the specifications or price - of the last offering from Ben Q but still a rather nice 27ince flat panel, this one suitable for those of us who cannot quite justify the price tag associated with the higher specification that it offered.
The screen of the BenQ EW2740 measures 62x37x2cm, the stand is 31x12cm with the support arm protruding back by another 7cm in the central area. The stand raises the screen by 8cm from your desk. The viewable screen is 60x33cm giving notional diagonal imperial screen size of 27 inches. The total weight is 4.2kilos. The unit has a good amount of back tilt stated to be 20 degrees and a tiny amount of forward tilt. All the connections are in a vertical column on the support arm.
Here is the latest and greatest Moto G from Motorola who smashed through the glass ceiling of SmartPhone pricing, with their first Moto G, then more recently a 4G offering also bearing Moto G name and now the latest Moto G.
A decent sized clock powered by micro USB lead, it has other features that anyone familiar with Oregon Scientific will know, it tells you the temperature both inside and out and just for good measure a display projection feature.
The The Oregon Scientific Prysma projection alarm clock measures 20x8x2cm which includes the 4cm wide part at the end that swivels to project onto a wall or ceiling, more about this feature further down. I had just plugged the unit into the power socket and was about to look at the instructions as to how to set the correct time when the phone rang, a short call that involved me saying ‘no’. I then looked at the display to see that the time was now correct.
Sennheiser is one of the few affordable brands sold in top end shops whose diet normally consists of brands costing a great deal more. However do not think of Sennheiser as a cheap brand as they are not and the quality is good.
For those looking for a good quality set of headphones at a price that is not ‘cheap’ but still affordable then Sennheiser is a brand to check out. These are over ear offerings – however Sennheiser also do on ear – and there is 3cm of movement in each ear, not as with some a flimsy band but a solid internal movement backed up with a solid rubberised band.
This is a Windows 8.1 notebook but it has an ability that most notebooks do not have, the screen can flip through 360degrees so not only is it a notebook but also a Tablet and because its a Tablet then it also has touchscreen ability.
The ASUS TP300LA "Flip" measures 32x23x1.5cm and weights a tad under 1.8kilos. The left side has a Kensington Lock port, USB2 socket, SD Card port, volume rocker and on/off button. The front has three well marked LED’s. The right side has a 3.5mm headphone socket, two USB3 ports an HDMI port and DC input. The back is of course clear as the screen can flip totally over it. The viewable screen is 29.5x16.5cm which gives the notional imperial diagonal size of 13.3inches.
Perhaps a strange time of year to be sent a DSLR unit with a 55-250mm lens as this requires either very large rooms or outside use to get the best from it, however so far the weather has been kind and my short time with it was productive.
The body is 10.5x9x7cm, I am mentioning things this way as not everyone will use 55mm to 250mm lens with it. Add the lens and the last figure becomes between 18cm and 22cm. The total weight is 804grams (without neck strap). As always I start with it in the easiest mode ‘Auto’ and assume that I know nothing.
I admit that the main reason I accepted this evening invitation was to see the view from the top of The Shard, sadly the 34th floor was the highest we got but this amazing portable scanner made up for the disappointment initially felt.
A scanner to turn documents the right way up automatically – however you feed them - certainly got this journalists attention. Being cordless is another box ticked, having the ability to transmit data to mobile devices is another and being small enough to fit in any bag cannot be a minus. Setup took around 10 minutes while 2.4GB of data was transferred from the supplied DVD to my PC via USB.
Here I am looking at two items that all arrived rather late from various sources, so in order to get them to your attention in time for Christmas I cover them together in one review. They are a Wireless Speaker in the shape of a mug and a Gentlemans Shaving Set, neither is expensive.
It is 9.5cm tall, 4cm square at the base, 7cm across at the top, it weights 240grams. It can be used upright or resting on its handle that protrudes from one side by 2cm making the sound go slightly upwards. All the controls and connections are on the base, when standing it does look exactly like a square cup if you cannot see the green speaker grill on the top. The cup itself is plastic but looks like china apart from the silvered handle.
Happily you not need to be an Athlete to use this rather nice cordless vacuum otherwise that would certainly have ruled me out. In fact from setting it up to first use was less than a couple of minutes, no screws it just clips together.
To use it on the floor or carpet it is just a matter of clicking together the foot and handle to the body. However for those harder to get at places like stairs there is a long hose and a harness/strap so you can wear the unit and no danger of pulling the unit onto yourself. It is 114cm tall, 13cm across at the middle and 28cm across at the foot. I make the weight 3.2kilos.
Wrist bands seem very popular here is one that has many functions, it can be a watch, an exercise monitor, a pedometer, it has a sleep tracker and with the aid of either an iOS or Android App this information can all be stored.
The band can expand to 22cm or contract to 19cm; it is a maximum of 1.5cm wide at the face and a maximum of .7cm thick. There is an App for either your iOS or Android device that in theory should make the setup easy. Downloading the App is easy as is entering your personal information and even the linking of your device to the fitness band. You now know there is a but - to my mind a big but - if all that information can be transferred why oh why cannot the time be updated in the same way.
Doro phones have always been easy to use and had features designed to help those with limited sight and or hearing. Now here a unit that looks more like those available to those people without such disabilities to worry about.
Early phones from Doro were a lifeline for those with severe disabilities, now Doro are trying to offer more and make the units look more trendy so they do not stand out in a crowd to embarrass the ‘normal’ looking user who had a disability. For a while now Doro units have had a camera this is no exception. What is very new is there remote manager which allows a friend or family member to manage the unit and help make their life easier and still to remain independent.
As the year draws to close many software companies make sure that 2015 versions of their software are on the dealers shelves. Internet Security is one such product, with virus writers now getting more destructive so must our guardians be more vigilant.
One of the companies vying for our business is Kaspersky Lab. You can purchase the products online and download or from a dealer or company supplying online who deliver a CD or DVD with the software on it. Either way the software will need continuous updating and what you are actually buying is a 12 month licence to keep your computer or computers safe.
Not just a large screen panel but a very high resolution one. In fact the only way you will get to use it at the highest resolution is if you connect it via Display Port, but I am told that the next version of HDMI should support it.
The BenQ 27inch BL2710 measures 63x38x3cm. The stand is 37x26cm but only the back middle is as much as 26cm where the circular hydraulic arm is, the rest is only 19cm deep. In its lowest position the arm raises the screen by only 1cm from the desk but it can raise it by as much as 14cm. All these figures are in Landscape mode but it can be used in Portrait mode by a simple 90degree turn and when used via Display Port it changes the orientation of the screen automatically.
This is a four in one unit as it has the ability to send and receive faxes. So not only a rather nice printer and a good unit for the occasional copy but also useful for scanning both to a PC and it also has the ability to scan to a card or USB stick.
Thed HP Envy 7640 measures 44x45x20cm and weighs less than 8Kg, the second figure, the depth, includes the power lead which protrudes beyond the official measurements. Even in its small height there are two inbuilt paper trays an A4 one at the base which should hold around 100 sheets and a photo paper one above it that supports both 15x10cm and 18x13cm sheets. On preparing to print an extension to the output shelf extends and this stops output spilling onto the desk/floor.
Most cameras that I review are still units that have the ability to take movies. This is almost the reverse being a unit most likely to be used to take video but it can also take still shots however this is fixed to one of two fixed distance focuses.
The Canon Legria mini XI measures 10.5x7.5x3cm and weighs 240grams. The front of the unit has the lens with twin microphones either side of it. When off the lens is covered. The back has a single LED labelled Access and a flip door behind which sits the solid battery and any SD card you use. There is flip stand that pulls out and is strong enough to stay where you put it so the unit could be placed on a shelf or table pointing at the object to be videoed.
Have you ever wanted to use one mobile device to charge another? Have you wanted to transfer data by cable from a PC to a mobile device, in fact why not you use the same cable to charge and transfer data. Finally a clock in a Spray Paint can that shows on any surface.
Anything that has a micro USB charge socket this cable can work with. Its total length is 25cm including what look like two identical micro USB plugs, however one is marked with the standard USB symbol and the other with a lightning bolt. So plug the latter into your tablet or other such device that has power and plug the USB symbol end into your phone and you will have power to make that call.
Main Menu
