Publication History For : Paul Smart
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The first from a name big in shaving for more years than I can remember this offering however is battery powered. The second from the Kings of USB residing in Hong Kong a hand warmer that is available in four colours.
An electric shaver using blades is a basic description it also has two other combs that attach to the base unit to provide the style. A single ‘AA’ battery fits into the arm of the unit to provide the power at a touch of a button. It is 16.5cm long with one of the five bladed heads attached; these have a 4cm across shaving action as it moves across your face. The unit is 3cm wide and 2cm deep with a rubberised coating to facilitate holding when wet.
Assuming their Christmas money is not already spent here are two more candidates. First the i-Hog a flying pig, who said there were no such things. Second for those a little older a vertical jigsaw from Ravensburger of the Eiffel Tower.
While ‘Flying Pigs’ on a Saturday night may not be rare for some members of the community they are hopefully not normal for the 10+ age group that this toy is aimed at. In fact during my tests even younger than that enjoyed flying it. From tail fin to the front of the double rotor is 25cm, the pig – complete with flying goggles – is 15cm from head to tail and 4.5cm wide. The overall height to the top of the rotors is 13cm and its weight is only 71 grams.
The first could be used in the car or for accessing those hard to get to corners it comes with a rechargeable battery. The second to spice up your house lighting, these LED bulbs produce any colour you want from an App.
I have been using this far more than I thought the odd spill (dry) or crumbs neither or which merit getting out the large vacuum. Of course the car is what you think of with a handheld unit but it does have many other uses not least somewhere where a full sized unit will not go, that odd corner where the cobwebs grow but its only inches wide so you would need to more the bookcase. Also those places on a shelf or a ledge, when you have it you find the uses. It is 45x10x10cm and weights 705grams.
Unlike other such devices that are designed to sit in front of the TV this is made so that your TV and stand sit on it. This means that exterior sound really surrounds and engulfs the TV so you realise how bad your own TV sound is.
There are two ways to use this if your TV has a headphone out socket and one way if like mine it does not have this. However using the RCA jacks means that the sound from the TV speaker can be muted separately to the SoundBar which gives a different dimension to available sound both with and without the TV sound being included. It is 71x36x3cm. The last figure is at the edges but it does rise slightly more than that once more than a centimetre of so in.
Here a set of headphones from a new name to me Fanny Wang. Mind you I have not heard of Musical Fidelity who makes the ear buds either. I know I am getting old but two totally new names to me - in the crowded audio field.
I have been to a couple of events recently that I would certainly have appreciated these headphones just to drown out the exterior noise. I was very much taken by the ‘Noise Level’ chart in the back of the Manual for them. Remembering the noise where even shouting into the ear of the person next to you produced no sensible result told me the decibel level was somewhere well over the 100dB so the 95% reduction promised by these would be great.
Twin or Combo both names to denote two and both supplied by Binatone. The first called the Twin Solo Plus which also has an answering machine. The second the Carrera Combo a cordless and a corded phone using one phone line.
The iDect Solo L1i twin measutes 19x5x2cm and slightly curved so that it fits between ear and mouth – unlike most DECT phones that tend to be straight. The technology is a revamp of DECT that Binatone have called iDECT. It is stated to work up to 50 metres indoors and up to 300 metres outside. They certainly worked from one side of my property to the other. Outside I was able to go to the bottom of my garden and down the road by around 60metres before the signal broke up. It has a 3.2x2.
The Prestigo MultiPad is a 9.7inch Android device with things provided as standard that a lot of other manufacturers say are extras. However this is somewhat of a curates egg device as it has faults to go along with the rather nice bits.
Let’s deal with the nice bits, it comes with the micro USB to USB lead that enables you to plug in any USB stick to allow reading of the files from it these can be data, images, music or even video all play without any problem. It has a nice slip case that means you can protect the screen from any scratches that may occur when you are moving around. It also comes with a whole range of books to use with the device as a book reader in multiple languages.
Here I have two external USB drives, the first from Freecom is large at 2GB and the second is 500GB but they do make a 1GB version, the first is intended for PC use while the second is made for use in the Apple market.
Often external drives – the standard figure is more than 500GB – need additional power other than that supplied down the USB lead. One solution is to have a ‘y’ connection which means you take two USB ports, another solution is lose some of the portability by having a mains (DC adapter) and lead which ties ones to where there is power. This uses the second solution above party because of the fact it is 2TB in size.
Just over a couple of months ago I told you about the smaller sibling the Sound 100, here the slightly larger offering from the Roberts brand that does almost everything connected with Audio & in this case it includes Recording.
The Roberts Sound 200 measures 35x27x11cm, the last figure increases by 60cm when the six piece rod aerial is fully vertically extended from the back. You can record to SD Card and USB Stick. You can record from DAB, FM and CD as well or of course listen to them. It also has a dock so you can throw your iPod or iPhone into the equation mentioned for recording or listening.
Here are two items the first for children wondering how to best spend their Christmas money a Snow Crossbow that can fire up to 60 feet, second something for the parent who goes outside to supervise the child a pair of touchscreen gloves so they can still use their Smartphone device while they are freezing.
It is 50x32x16cm and is predominately white but with orange and blue so it should still be visible if dropped in the snow. Regular readers will have already seen my look at an Aqua Crossbow from the same company that was well received by younger users on 21 October. I am sure most parents will have reservations about both these objects.
In the past I have reviewed earbuds from Cygnett that were in the value market. Here are two sets of headphones their first - that are something to fill the mid price gap, nice quality at a still quite acceptable price point.
An over ear set of headphones. They are well padded both at the ear and at the head the latter very important for the follicle challenged among up. There is up to 3.5cm of extension on each side of the headband so they should fit most. The colour scheme is black and red. The red is highlight bands on the ear pieces and the underside of the headband as well as the 1.5metre lead from the left ear piece to whatever the 3.5mm jack is connected to.
A powerful notebook with lots of memory and joy of joys no shiny black in sight anywhere as the whole thing is silver grey. The screen is of course reflective but not nearly as much as a lot of other offerings I have used.
This is an Intel Core i5 unit with a 500GB hard disc and a small SSD that helps make things quite a bit quicker in starting. It is 36x25x2cm and it weights 2.175kilos. The unit feels really sturdy probably because the screen back is aluminium. You will note from the dimensions that there is no increase in size towards the back – normally caused by an oversize battery.
This is a 27inch flat panel that has a smooth edge at the top and sides. It has the ability to show multiple screens on one screen and perhaps the newest feature via a micro USB to USB lead the screen from recent mobile devices.
It is 62.5x38x2cm around three sides, 2.5cm at the base of the screen but 9cm where it links to the stand and where cables attach. The stand is 29x13cm with 5cm being in front of the display. This lifts the screen by 6cm from your desk. There are five touch buttons at the right of the bottom of the screen with a single blue/orange LED to denote power is on. There is a 1cm border on the top and sides but the viewable screen butts directly to it so no inset as with most screens.
The Sonoro goLondon is a DAB/FM radio although without the rod aerial raised it might not be immediately obvious. The shape is vertical and the actual controls are underneath, it does take a while to get used to this units rather unusual format.
It is 18.5cm high at the back without the aerial and 16.5cm at the front, the rest of the shape is square at 8.5cm. The six piece rod aerial is 38cm when fully extended. The sloped top is the speaker and the only control is the twist on/off/volume control. At the back towards the bottom is a gap in the rubberised sleeve where there is a slider DAB/FM, DC input and Auxiliary input. On either side there is an 8x2cm depression which facilitate holding the unit when moving around with the radio.
The Nikon D3200 is the DSLR has the ability to capture the largest images, at 24mega pixel, the highest definition I have ever reviewed. Just think for a moment one tenth of the image size should be enough to print an A4 image if you use it all.
The Nikon D3200 I am looking at comes with an 18-55mm lens and, , this does come with built in flash. Quite unusually I have been able to use this for a longer than normal test period, sometimes this is because the company need it back to go to another journalist or other companies have sent me cameras and either way on this occasion I was able to test and retest under a range of conditions.
When CDs first came out the need to copy or backup started and there were two major players in the market. Nero was one of those but now it is so much more than CD backup software, one of the few things it refuses to do is make the tea.
There are two version of Nero 12, here I am looking at the Platinum version which has the addition of hundreds of extra video effects including retro movie effects, the ability to stabilise shaky videos (very impressive), rip Blu-ray to almost any other video format as well as watch Blu-ray movies on your Windows PC. If you decide to buy the standard Nero 12 offering you will not have the above but will have everything else it has to offer.
Both these devices are small, one from a source that you expect to produce scales for various purposes, the other from a company that produces all sorts of speakers for i devices as well as for other products One Bluetooth the other wired.
A somewhat strange name from a company that produces scales and back massagers but this Bluetooth speaker does give a rather good sound from a very small body. I assume the Jampot comes from the container it arrives in, it does get good protection especially useful if you purchase it by mail order rather than retail. It is circular at 7cm and is 6.5cm tall. A ring around the base and top are black while the rest is a metallic blue.
While this is aimed at 4+ it could at a pinch be used by the childs parents as in parental mode you have access to the Internet and therefore could use it for browsing as a standard Android device. It comes with versions of lots of games for various ages.
Out of its bright orange case, as I suspect any adult user would choose, the KidzStar Tablet from Binatone measures 19.5x11.5x1cm. It is not designed as an adult tablet but should your own PC or Tablet be unavailable then this can contact the outside world. This is primary a tablet for the young, exactly how young will depend on your common sense, there are games to appeal to pre school children but for various legal reasons the box states ‘4+’ as the age group.
While most new PCs come with Anti Virus software it is normally only a trial lasting for 90 or 60 days. Most of these are from Norton or McAfee and while they work and these days do not slow the PC down that much there are options.
Most people want protection while on the Internet and when running programs and files downloaded from it. These days a growing number of products and updated choices are primary supplied as downloads, this means reinstalling is often tricky or not possible. A few minutes or less unprotected on the Internet is all you need to get a virus or other malware, the first you may know about is a huge credit card bill as someone has captured your personal details and at best it’s a nasty mess.
While all of the UK has now gone Digital there are a significant number managing on a simple device to import and view the signal, a lot are discovering that their video recorder now just does not function anymore.
So here is a small box that not only imports the signals it allows you to record two at once and even has a working pass though that can watch any digital TV using the same single aerial signal and if that is not enough it has an Ethernet connection so that lots of things like iPlayer and other such things are all available on your TV. The box is 31x28x5cm the middle figure the depth is with all relevant leads plugged into the rear of the View 21.
This is a single powerful speaker sold by a company who make musical instruments and amplifiers to professional standards. So while you could say this is just an iPod Dock you know to expect that it could give more.
Certainly this is not designed to blend in with the lounge furniture with its black colour unusual shape and heavy chrome handle and fittings all set off with the large holed metal grill all of course give it the effect desired. It is 20cm across around 30cm tall with iPod in place and around 25cm deep with cables protruding from the rear.
Here a dock that can ramp up the volume even without mains power, in fact it can work even if the i device is not even docked in the unit. Yes in this form it is Bluetooth enabled even though it mentions Wireless, so connected or not.
The HouseParty Portable is 34x14x7cm and weights 1221grams with your ‘i’ device which can if required be docked. While most iPods can be docked using the standard connector later iPod Touch and the Phone and iPad can all also connect Wirelessly. Let me state here that ‘Wirelessly’ means without visible connection as it uses Bluetooth.
A large panel that is not limited to 1920x1080 resolution. In fact in can display up to 2560x1440 which is a good step up from 1920x1080, this of course can be used to show more detail or just to display more than a single window.
The screen surround is 62x37cm and the ‘y’ shaped stand lifts it a basic 8cm from your desk but there are other choices. The basic front to back of the stand is 32cm and side to side at the front of the ‘y’ is 52cm giving stability. The viewable screen area is 66x34cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measure of a tad under 27inches.
This is possibly the best Android Tablet that I have used so far. I will qualify that statement by saying it is most like a standard PC notebook and therefore easiest to use by anyone coming from a PC background to use an Android device.
The Archos G10 XS Android powered tablet measures 26.5x17x.5cm but it is supplied with a keyboard that allows the screen to sit at around 100 degrees from flat and allow near normal typing. The keyboard is 16.5cm deep and it matches the width of the unit. If taken out with the unit it forms a magnetic sandwich and this of course protects the screen so it is even more like a notebook.
The first a rather nice small 2.1 speaker set from Edifier that I tried in my lounge replacing my handmade speakers. The second I used out and about not however on the device it was made to be for a bicycle as I no longer ride. Both cost less than £40.
This is a three piece speaker set, the two satellites and the sub woofer. Small yet powerful, their weight is light in comparison to my own hand crafted offerings of half a lifetime ago, these are also a lot smaller in dimensions. Playing music from the same source through both produced good results but as the Edifier cost not a lot more in 2012 money to what my own speakers cost in 1960s pre decimal money and that the Edifier take up a lot less space… They are 15.
Neither of these items will break the bank and both are useful and likely to be used so are an ideal present. First a charger for use in most of the world, second something even smaller a cable with a rotating end to charge micro USB and Apple.
In essence a Mains powered USB charger however it not only comes with 13amp plug but also those used in Europe and Australia. It is 7x4x2.5cm before you attach whatever plug end suits your area. With the UK plug fitted it becomes 8x8x3cm. So at this point you think why - when there are lots of 13amp ways to charge your USB device - is this iLuv offering any different.
A small notebook from Acer that I assume is aimed more at the office market as joy of joys no shiny screen surround to show your fingermarks. It also comes with a rather large battery that protrudes down at the rear of it.
The Acer TravelMate P- (TMP633) measures 32x22x1.5cm at the front but this swells as you go back culminating at 4cm at the back where the battery is, it weights just 2kilos. I assume there must be another configuration with a smaller battery as the back pair of rubber feet never sit on the desk. The left side has the Kensington Lock socket, DC power input, two USB3 ports, SD Card and Express Card ports.
Doro are a name that produce phones that allow the visually and audibly challenged to still send and receive calls, until now the main problem is most of their handsets looked different so drawing attention to the users disability.
The Doro PhoneEasy 715 however looks like a number of mainstream units but you can have very large text, extremely easy to read displays and ring volumes far above that on most phones. The other advantage is this is extremely easy to set up. The handset measures 10x5x1.5cm, slide it open to reveal the keypad and the 10cm height becomes 15cm. The unit weights only 104grams.
Another title could have been drill or screw. The first not only does what you expect from an electric drill but a little more The second will screw and unscrew either or both could make excellent Christmas presents for those who use such items.
For those who think size is important then having a spare may also be important. Here I am looking at not one but two electric drills from Hitachi both are cordless and while one is larger than the other both have their place. First the smaller one the WH 18DSAL, it is 23.5x14x5cm the height includes the battery pack but it is 11x7cm at the pack. The first 12 pages of the Handling Instructions are in English which covers safety, charging the battery and fitting items in the chuck.
Something for the young child that may let you find out if they really want a pet cat or dog. Both these do things that cats and dogs both do, some are nice others are less pleasant but the beauty here is that you can turn them off.
It is 21x18x14cm in the sitting position, it moves a little and creates a number of noises, some are charming others less so, however as there is no smell attached a young child will probably enjoy the noise and they look fun. For once I can say batteries are included and providing it has not been played with in the shop the 3x‘AAA’ should be fine. It pants, burps, snores, barks and farts. It also waves it left leg in the air.
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