Publication History For : Paul Smart
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With so many people turning to iPods or MP3 those like me who have large CD collections need a way to condense the output and this offering allows an easy way to transpose to WAV, MP3, Flac or Ogg Vorbis with little effort from you.
This comes with a rather good database that identifies most published recordings and fills in all the information for you while it is ripping your CD’s. Then with your library stored you can create playlists of simple select by Album or Artist what to play by just using the remote and the units display, just attach headphones or speakers.
I have come across some non descriptive names before but the one above tells me only one thing, its from Bosch. It is a tool for tacking things to things most normally a fabric, plastic or paper to a solid surface such as wood.
My mind immediately thinks of things of a temporary nature such as for an amateur play or for Christmas or such other event lasting for a few days. However I have used this around my home and garage and shed and everything I have tacked has stayed tacked and I suspect that the fabric, plastic or paper will decay before the tacking. In effect this is a stapler with ‘guts’. It is 15cm tall and 15cm deep while it is 4cm wide; it is an overall ‘n’ shape.
The latest do everything phone from Sony - the Xperia S. In a form factor little bigger than just a mobile phone you can surf the Internet, get your emails, make and receive phone calls and use third party Android software to keep in touch.
Being Sony of course they also have their own ‘Apps’ so not only do you have the complete range of Android offerings but Sony’s own as well as those which may be offered by the Network supplier in this case it is Three. The Sony Xperia S measures 17x6.5x1cm, in the case of the last figure the width it is a maximum of 1cm and the edges are only .5cm thick. However despite its lack of thickness this is still a very strong feeling unit and it weighs a substantial 145grams.
This is another small digital camera from a name more associated with lenses rather than cameras. But they do make rather good cameras as well. This offering has a feature that I have never seen before on any camera I have reviewed.
The Pentax Optio VS20 compact digital camera measures 11x6x3.5cm the last figure increases by between 3 and 5.5cm dependant on the amount of zoom. It weights 234grams. The left side has a tripod screw fitment as indeed does the base which also has a door covering the solid battery and any SD card you might use. The right side has two strap connection points as well as a rubber bung to cover the AV connection socket.
Blu-ray movies always seem to carry a premium over the normal DVD version, so making the leap means first a new player and then to get the best from it, buying Blu-ray movies, Sony here offer a starter pack of a Blu-ray unit with eight Blu-ray movies.
Not content with offering a neat - small - unit Sony get it to perform a range of extras with the BDP S185 such as playing music and viewing Internet via Ethernet, this latter option also gets more features for some movies, however it stubbornly refuses to make the tea, do the hovering, or, even the ironing. It is 29x18.5x3cm however you will need around another 3.5cm to the middle figure the depth if placing on a shelf to allow for cable connections.
This small keyboard allows you with the aid of a free download from the Apple store to create small musical masterpieces on your iPod Touch or your iPhone and even for a novice the results can be rather good.
The Gear 4 "PocketLoops" measures 35x13.5x1.5cm and weights 330grams without the iPod inserted. It consists of a two octave keyboard with a dock at the left end for the iPod. The keyboard itself is totally dumb and also completely soundless, it is just of inputting notes into the iPod it has no power of its own any everything is drawn from what it outputs to the iPod.
A slightly chunky offering from GE, but the G100 has a decent CMOS sensor and it has the ability to shoot 10FPS at full resolution. It is 15x optical and takes a 14.4MP image which of course means it can also capture Full HD video.
The GE G100 measures 10.5x7x3cm and weights 220grams. While it is available in black it is also sold in a flame red and as I reviewed it in white. This has a black back, top and black rubberised grip on the front as well as a silvered lens surround. Looking at the unit from the rear the left side has strap anchor point, as does the right side as well as a rubberised bung to cover HDMI and USB ports.
Often trade shows promise much but often the vendors are more interested in direct sales rather than those generated by reviews. One exception to this is the iPod Dock Radio system reviewed here from Sonoro it has an all wood case so immediately you sense quality.
Two groups of people tend to wear white gloves, snooker referees and people handling very precious antiques that might be affected by the oils on your hands. I have found a third group where white gloves are supplied iElements owners.
Having used CorelDRAW since the very early days of Windows it has become an old friend. It was one of the first applications to move to a CD and now the huge content of extras always a Corel thing demands a DVD.
So what is new is version X6. Well by far the biggest is that it is at last a native 64bit application which means for those with complex items everything about it will be quicker including the redraw that was always a bottleneck with 32bit. Opening a large image when you have multi core processors is faster as indeed is saving.
Strangely enough I saw this at a launch last year, at the same event the large Kitchen Machine was shown and as that became available first it was reviewed first. Here this little device is for anyone who chops and slices.
The first thing for me is the compactness so ideal for those smaller kitchens. 14x14cm is the base area required with whatever you are catching the output in needing space in front. Assembled it is 28cm tall so it should fit easily on a shelf. The overall weight with a cutter in place is just less than 1300 grams, so not that heavy. Everyone should eat their ‘five a day’ and something like this may just encourage those less keen to get their ration via fresh vegetables.
While a few may still be wowed by huge MegaPixel, most now know its the quality of the CMOS that gives quality of image, here you get a perfectly respectable 12.1MP and an excellent 20x optical zoom in a small form factor.
It is 10.5x6x3.5cm and weights 220grams. When on the lens can extend by up to another 5cm fully zoomed out. Mine was silver grey but it is also available in black or pink. The left side is clear, the right side has anchor point for the supplied wrist strap and a rubber bung behind which are HDMI and USB connections. The base has anchor point for tripod – essential if you use anything like the 20x zoom – and a door behind which is the solid battery and any SD card you may use.
A Multi Function product as it has Fax so why is it described as a Home product. Surely virtually no one in the home used Fax. I always struggle to find office users who still use Fax, but I assume Fax is still popular somewhere.
The Kodak Hero 9.1 measures 44x39x21cm and apart from maybe adding a few centimetres to open the flatbed lid that is the full footprint of the unit. The paper input tray fits snug to the front of the unit and the dimensions include the duplex bubble at the rear. You can set it up to run, USB, Ethernet or Wireless. One little niggle for me is that you insert the CD and then it downloads the majority of files from the Internet.
Its been a while since I have looked at an MP3 player rather than an iPod. It is also a nice small unit that is smaller than most of course size and weight mean the display is tiny in comparison to some units but this is from Sony.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-B173 measures 8.5x2x1.3cm and it weighs just 27grams. Perhaps the biggest thing in its favour is that you can plug the USB connection (remove the cap of the unit) into a PC it is read as a drive and then you just Drag and Drop items. We all take Drag and Drop for a given today but if you are old enough to remember times before it you still appreciate what it gives not least when certain products do their best with fancy installers to stop you using it.
Two more offerings from the kings of USB Brando in Hong Kong. Both are used for cooling the first also carry a message or messages that show while spinning. The second a little more novel it comes in the shape of a cannon.
This is a maximum of 27cm tall on its base but it is likely to be a great deal less at probably no more than 20cm as the link between the base and the fan is bendable in any direction as much as you like. The base is 9x9cm and triangular giving the fan reasonable stability. The total weight of the unit is less than 90grams overall. The actual head is 8cm across and the blades look floppy one is clear and the other has a brown strip down the centre.
In comparison to the tiny phones of not that long ago this Android offering is huge. But as a friend of mine said it can do everything I want so I do not need a PC and if you are a light PC user then why not as the screen is huge.
Overall it is 14.5x8x.6cm and the viewable screen is 11.5x7cm, this last dimension means a lot of screens can be viewed with no or very little enlargement even with my old eyes. The weight of this lovely item is only 180grams. The one and only drawback I have found is that you will not get a full day of browsing from a single battery charge. The right side has the on/off button, the base the micro USB connector for charging, the left side volume up and down rocker button and the top 3.
The sound of almost anything small will be improved by this speaker system from Bayan. Designed for iPod or iPhone it also has an auxiliary input that means with the aid of a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack lead any MP3 player can benefit.
The Bayan Audio 3 speaker dock measures 29x22x17cm. Tthose are maximum figures as the first 10cm of the unit is the tweeter and below this the dock for your iPod or iPhone and this is only 8cm deep at the top and base with the central portion only 1.5cm thick. The quality of the sound is entirely due to the fact that almost all the unit is made of wood to give its excellent tone.
The Canon Pixma MG8250 is a sleek black unit that will look good in any office. I fear however it will need to be discretely placed in most homes unless the lounge police are of Goff persuasion. It is a lovely six ink offering that prints, scans and copies.
When closed it is 44.5x38x18cm, double the last figure the height if you have A4 paper in the rear photo printing recess. Add 11cm to the middle figure the depth when the paper output tray opens automatically for printing. The overall weight is 10.7kilos so it would need to be a strong – and wide – shelf to take the weight of this unit. The screen is on top so great for viewing from above but it can be raised from the base to nearly vertical if required.
This is designed by Stefano Giovannoni. It looks very swish and is a high quality DECT product. When on the charging base it looks elegant away from the base it still looks smart, even lying on the sofa or the kitchen table.
This DECT phone from Alessi measures 18.5x5.5x5cm when base and handset are paired together. Individually only the last figure changes and that becomes a maximum of 3cm with the base unit and 3cm for the handset. It is a very stylish matt black colour. Even the User Manual has an air of quality about it. In Italian, English, French, German and Dutch. Not like a lot of such offerings each are in there own section and has its own numbering and of course is very easy to follow.
Another item launched last year among glitz and glamour at no less a venue than Claridges. I was told it would be on sale in January maybe is was but review units only arrived with the UK agency at the very end of March.
Anything with the Prada name is a status symbol, however will this unit coming from LG a huge name in electronics as well as mobile phone make the perfect phone for use on the streets, I have tested it for the last month. It looks classy the mottled black back looks like a skin, the face is black a little reflective but not as much as most. Switch on and you see the theme as all the basic icons are monochrome, for colour move to the Google service screen.
Having recently reviewed the tiny Sony P Tablet. This offering is more the normal size; however the shape of a thin wedge is still totally different from anything from any other company. So with design and style does it perform?
The Sony Tablet S measures 17.5x24cm when in landscape mode and the thickness varies between 2cm at the back and less than 1cm at the front. The viewable screen is 20x12.5cm which gives the imperial diagonal measurement of 9.4inches. The screen display WXGA which is 1280x800. It is an Android device with version 3.2.1 and has 1GB of RAM and can support up to 32GB od storage dependant on model. However this is not all available.
Two tools for different jobs that can help you do them without disasters. The first locates those hidden things in walls like pipes and cables so you dont screw or drill into them. The second allows you to get a straight line to work from.
When was the last time you tapped a picture frame pin or a screw into a wall? A lot of newer houses do not have picture rails – very useful for hanging pictures from – in fact often walls in new houses are not solid at all. So you need to find battens in order to nail or screw anything in.
The first backed by the RAC gives a variety of ways for people to know you are there as a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian. The second from the USB kings in Hong Kong Brando that can sit on your desk or childs bed table to give that beam of light.
While the front illustrates it sitting on the ground – presumably guarding a broken down car – I see other uses dependant on which of its settings you use. The point of this is that they say ‘it can be seen up to 1km at night’. It is circular 10.5cm across and 4cm thick, each of the sixteen breaks in the rubber surround can show a bright light. These can be static or rotate according to the setting that you choose to suit the situation of its use.
The first of a new range of mobile phones from Doro. Doro from Sweden now have a good range of both mobile and home phones. The latter are great DECT units, the former as the one here they produce easy to use units.
Phones today from a number of major players are computers mainly and phones second. Doro however do not go down this path. In all probability the young will not be large users of these, such devices tend to concentrate on the basics and only recently have you been able to do more than call which includes sending texts. While this does the basics it is intended mainly for those who have problems using more complex units.
This is a very sleek unit almost flattened so while the height is tiny there is some width and depth increase. It is a six ink offering ideal for those who need to print decent images, however it still scans and copies.
The Epson PX730WD Epson All In One PX730WD measures 43x52x15cm, for those who place things on shelves – it would need to be a wide shelf so maybe the top of a low cupboard would be better - another 5cm should enable things to be slipped under the landscape scanner lid. The power lead enters back left and both USB and or Ethernet cables enter back right of this unit.
This is the second large TV that I have recently had the pleasure of sharing my lounge with. Both were 40inches, the last one was a Smart unit, this one perhaps is more affordable as it is what most call a large TV.
Four screws attach the base of the stand to the TV, attach the power lead and your aerial lead and you are ready to switch on. You should be taken to a screen to run through the setup but this does not happen if it has been used before but all the relevant screens can be easily accessed the most important is the channel scan and this took only 57 seconds to find 111 digital channels that is made up of TV, Radio and Data, extremely rapid.
Its been a while since I have reviewed a watch with hands. In the last couple of years my life saving heart rate watch and the rather stylish if strange Nooka offering have taken my time, here a Casio Chronograph but it has hands.
My starting point for most reviews is size and weight so 5cm wide, 5.5cm top to bottom - with strap lugs – 1cm thick. The weight is a not insubstantial 176grams this is with the rather bulky metal strap attached to the unit. It’s been a while since I have worn a stainless steel bracelet as the two mentioned above had basic plastic offerings. While I assume it is politically incorrect to call this a mans watch surely the weight alone will discourage many ladies from wearing it.
With care and a decent recipe anyone can make acceptable bread, the trick with a Breadmaker is that it can work while you sleep rather like a baker so you can wake to the smell of fresh baked bread for breakfast.
I have reviewed a couple of such units in the past, the last two years ago was worth a highly commended. The Russell Hobbs 17887 is currently getting on for 30% cheaper than that so all things being equal it should rate well. It is 42x26x27cm and weights around seven kilos. It consists of an oven that opens at the top; it has a fitted loaf tin with paddles in the base. All the mixing and proving is done by the machine in the loaf tin.
With Flips now a discontinued line there is a gap in the market for a small pocket size camcorder, this one from Kodak is waterproof to ten feet and has a range of special features as well as the ability to take stills as well as video.
The Kodak Play Sport ZX5 video camera measures 11x5.5x1.5cm and weights 125grams. Like most cameras and small video units the storage medium is SD card and this can accept cards up to 32GB. The on/off button is on the top of the camera, the right side has whatever SD card you use behind a snug fitting door. Bottom corner has two holes for you to feed a wrist strap though very useful for underwater use. The base has the normal tripod screw fitting.
Another recent release from Canon, this one definitely for those who print a little, scan a little and copy occasionally. Just the single open input tray with the non automatically opening exit tray above it and just two cartridges.
The footprint of the Canon Pixma MG2150 is 45.5x30x15cm. If you place it on a shelf you will need maybe another 5cm to the 15cm height to slide items under the flatbed lid. Both the USB connection and the power lead enter at the back left of the unit. There are a total of nine buttons all in a column to the left of the landscape flatbed lid.
It is not often that a pair of quality headphones arrives at the same time a quality set of earbuds. Regular readers will know my aversion to the in ear stuffing of so many earbuds, so it was nice that the earbuds were over ear.
Focal have been a top brand of speakers for some time and more recently known for excellent Studio Monitors, here their first headphones, described as lightweight and able to remove most external sound and best of all deliver accurate sound. My one slight difficulty with the statement above is the term ‘lightweight’ as they weigh 250 grams with lead attached. The dimensions are 9x7.
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