Publication History For : Paul Smart

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With all the coverage given today to inkjet solutions it is often forgotten what a good job a laser can do. Until quite recently a colour laser was very expensive, very large and very heavy, none of those things apply to this unit.
It is 39x40x22 with the detachable A4 input tray in place. Paper is laid face up in the input tray at the base of the unit and delivered face down onto the top of it. The on/off button is near the base of the front to the right of the input tray and the other button and five well marked LED’s on the right of the output tray on the top. The power lead and USB lead are both on the back of the unit near the left side. This completes all the units’ controls.
654520 pure one flow DAB radi

Pure One Flow

Published in Wireless on 11 Jan 2012
This is a DAB, FM and Internet radio; however believe it or not that is just part of what this can do. Pure have their ‘Lounge’ and with this service now improved and enhanced it enables your radio to do much more.
The Pure One Flow DAB radio measures 20.5x14.5x7cm this excludes the 77cm added to the middle figure the height by the eight piece rod aerial. It weights 730grams without batteries. Mine was black and covered in a sort of rubberised material that might give some protection if it were to be dropped. The back behind a flip down door is where batteries (or a charge PAK) are inserted it is also where the DC is inserted.
If you are in the market for a large flat panel then certainly this offering from Samsung should be on a very short list. It is described as a 27inch monitor but for something so big it is not heavy or in any way really bulky.
The screen is 64.5x39x2.5cm. The base it stands on is oval at 28.5x23cm and it raises the screen by 9cm from your desk. The screen has a few degrees of forward movement and around 15degrees of backward tilt, there is no side to side movement. The viewable area of the screen is 60x33cm giving the diagonal imperial measurement of 27inches. I used this attached to several PC’s of varying vintages running XP, Vista and Windows 7 at up to 1920x1080 and all worked correctly.
654518 Acer Ferrari Motion Laser Mous

Mice from Acer and Verbatim

Published in Wireless on 8 Jan 2012
Few if any of us can afford a Ferrari so this red and black offering with the Ferrari logo might be the closest we come. Second Go Mini – not a car reference – refers to a small corded mouse for those who cannot get on with trackpads.
Many – in fact probably most – or us would love to own a Ferrari, most of us could not even afford the insurance, here however is something with the Ferrari log we can afford their wireless laser mouse, it is of course predominately red. It is 10.5x6x3cm, the edges are black as is the scroll wheel and button areas back to the prancing horse logo under your palm. Described as high precision it can be up to 2000dpi.
654517 blackberry playbook tablet compute

BlackBerry Playbook

Published in Phones on 6 Jan 2012
If you say BlackBerry to any one under forty they probably thing smartphone. If over sixty they thing of a berry growing wild picked in late summer. Here for all it’s the BlackBerry offering into the very crowded Tablet market place.
Think Tablet and PC, Android and Apple come to mind, so does another have a chance even one with such a wide user base as BlackBerry. Shortly before I got this Tablet a great number of people in the BlackBerry area were hit by several outages and realised how much they relied on a single small object to control their working lives. It is 19x13x1cm and while it will just about fit in a large pocket it is more a bag sort or tool. It weights a little over 400grams.
654516 packard bell one two M touch scheen compute

PackardBell OneTwo M

Published in Laptops/PCs/Apple on 4 Jan 2012
This is a slimmer, faster and better specified version of the original Packard Bell oneTwo. It is a full featured Windows PC with Touch Screen working out of the box but it is also a Windows Media Centre unit with remote.
The screen is 51.5x32x5.5cm with only the sprung stand increasing the width to a figure of your choice between 22 and 30cm dependant on the amount of back tilt you require to suit you. The diagonal imperial screen size is 21.5inches. This shows 1920x1080 in a clear crisp sharp screen. The left side has headphone and microphone sockets, two USB3 sockets and a multi card port. The top centre of the screen surround has a web cam and beside it a pinhole microphone.
653905 M Audio Keystation Mini 3

M-Audio Keystation Mini 32

Published in Misc on 2 Jan 2012
This is a small 32 key keyboard that connects via USB to your PC. The software is what makes this small keyboard something that really stand out it is Sibelius First a slightly cut down version of the full product that costs several hundred pounds.
The keyboard is 42x10.5x2cm, so the keys themselves are smaller at 7x2cm and the black keys 4.5x1cm in size. You have 19 white keys and 13 black keys however with the aid of the seven buttons on the left side of the keyboard you can raise of lower octaves to get a full keyboard. Here you will also find a volume knob to control sound. The box describes it as ‘32 note ultra-portable keyboard controller’ which although a bit of a mouthful describes it.
Two items that I saw recently at a press event called Digital Winter, other requested items from various other manufacturers have yet to arrive so these two stocking fillers get pride of place as their PR person is on the ball.
These are in ear earbuds, they come with soft silicone buds that enable them to fit to most ears – two other sizes are provided – the sound quality is reasonable with a good base just using it with MP3 or iPods, on a proper audio system they were fine. The lead is white and 1.3metres long so you are dying to know how are they ‘non tangle’.
653903 Jabra Supreme Bluetooth Headse

Bluetooth Headsets

Published in Entertainment on 30 Dec 2011
First a mono noise cancelling offering from Jabra. Then what Plantronics call a ‘smart headset for your smartphone. Both these Bluetooth offerings fit into the ear and are secured over the ear to allow all-day comfort.
It is 9x3x2cm and weights only 18grams. So when fitted over your ear the weight is not a factor in wearing it all day. There are three methods of charging the headset, mains power, USB power or car cigar lighter and all the required leads are in the box. Perhaps best of all it supports either ear as the over ear part flips to allow left ear wearing. This feature is vital for anyone who is either hard of hearing in one ear or has a hard or arm problem.
653902 canon LEGRIA HF R28 compact camcorde

Canon Legria HF R28 HDMI Camcorder

Published in Cameras on 28 Dec 2011
This tiny handheld unit has probably got more capture power ability than a full size tripod mounted film unit of not that many years ago, so for not that much money you can capture HD movies and sound without any real effort.
Its been a while since I have looked at a Camcorder – as opposed to a ‘Flip’ type unit or the ability of a digital camera – and even though externally it looks similar the guts and how it captures and deals with video has changed. It is 11.5x6x6cm when closed and it weights 305grams. The viewing and capture screen opens on the left side and this can add up to another 9cm to the 6cm width. The screen can rotate up to 270 degrees, 180 degrees away and 90 degrees towards.
653901 Epson LabelWorks LW 40

Epson Label Printer LW-400

Published in Printers/Scanners on 26 Dec 2011
When you think of label printing you tend to think of Dymo, as I discovered earlier this year Brother makes label printers and now I find so do Epson, here I am looking at their latest offering the Epson LabelWorks LW-400.
Of course early label printers were onto impressed metal and you stamped them out one at a time with a revolving wheel, yes I know even Dymo moved into the 21 century but this unit is more like a tiny computer as you are able to store designs, templates and it can even print barcodes all on adhesive tape strips. It is 17x12x6cm and weights 456grams. Mine was a creamy white with black keyboard and a sort of lime green button on the side.
First a set of Headphones that are better than they look and represent a type of music that passed me by many years ago and then some rather nice earbuds that are called ‘noise cancelling stereo headphones’ I agree they are noise cancelling.
These are on ear headphones with a basic looking design. The earpieces are nearly round at 7x6.5cm and sit on the ear. They come in either black or white. The gold plated connector is at the end of what seems to be a 1.5metre lead but this has fifteen curles in it (like the old telephone cords) and this extends the lead to around 1.9metres when fully extended before you pull the plug.
During my review of the Motorola XOOM Android 3.1 Tablet I found no real problems but the one discovered very near the end. It is a fast unit running what is currently the latest version of Android; it is rapid and far more intelligent than some other such units.
The Motorola XOOM measures 24.5x16.5x1.2cm and weights 705grams. The viewable screen is 21.5x13.5cm which gives the diagonal imperial measurement of 10.1inches which gives the 1280x800 resolution. You will need to read on to find what the only thing was that I found against this unit. Unlike a Windows PC an Android tablet has its own way of touch even those running the same version of Android.
653245 Joby GP2B Gorillapod Hybrid Tripo

Joby Gorillapod

Published in Cameras on 21 Dec 2011
Here I am looking at three different tripod type devices to allow you to let go of your camera. First the Hybrid that works with DSLR or pocket cameras. The other two are smaller the Micro250 for the pocket offering and the Micro800 for the larger pocket offering or the smaller DSLR.
I think this was the first to offer gripping of a non flat surface; in fact it can grip round a pole. Here the Hybrid can raise your camera by up to 24cm from a flattish surface like a wall. Not only does it have a ball and socket joint on top to allow you to use camera at any angle but a built in spirit level if level is what you need. The joint will tilt at any angle to 90degrees and it will pan through 360degrees. The total weight of the Hybrid is 190grams. It will support up to one kilo.
653898 ViewSonic VP2365 LED LCD displa

Viewsonic VP 2365

Published in Laptops/PCs/Apple on 19 Dec 2011
This is a wide screen pivot enabled 1920x1080 display. You have a choice of VGA or DVI connection and for good measure it has a four port USB hub built in. Is this the sort of display to give your office that extra wow?
The screen is 54x32cm; the viewable area is 51x28.7cm giving the notional imperial diagonal measurement of 23inches. It certainly looks nice and a telescopic arm means it could be anywhere between 11 and 26cm above your desk in landscape mode. The depth of the unit is between 6 and 11cm and the fixed circular base that it sits on is 24cm across. The connections are all on the rear under an overhang from the thickest part so nothing connected shows below the screen level.
653493 real networks musical rinse for you opo

Real Networks Rinse

Published in Entertainment on 18 Dec 2011
Did you realise the iPod first appeared over ten years ago? What started as a music player to challenge other manufacturers MP3 offerings has now become a brand that has spread its wings and gone on to be far more than that?
Here are twelve musical facts about those years. Do you know the year in which each of these happened? Check your answers with those at the end of the following review to see if you got them all. While I have not had an iPod for more than half that time it has still got lots of duplicates, untitled tracks and as for missing artwork …. So here Real Networks bring you Rinse that utilises the Gracenotes database to remove duplicates, give tracks correct titles and find that missing artwork.
653246 iGo Miami headphone

Headphones from iGo

Published in Entertainment on 16 Dec 2011
This seems to be the season for people to launch and renew their earphone offerings. Today I am looking at two such items from a new name to me iGo. There are four in the range and here I am looking at the Miami and the City.
These are over ear headphones, not large but they do have a good amount of adjustment 5cm on each side. My head is largish but there is still another 1.5cm of adjustment available for those with an even larger head area. Described on the box as white and red they are white everywhere but the 3.5mm lead and the stitching around the headband. The lead 1.4metres long and the plug is gold plated the inline microphone is red matching the lead. In the box is 3.5mm to phono lead 20cm long.
653247 PCTV Systems Broadway LIVE TV Apple iPa

PCTV Broadway 2

Published in Entertainment on 14 Dec 2011
PCTV are part of Hauppauge who have been making TV cards to fit into PC’s for many years. Of course with notebooks the solution had to be USB, here something that works on PC, Android (2.2 or later) and iPhone and iPad as well as the iPod Touch.
Why would you walk round your house watching TV on an ‘i’ anything, of course you probably would not, but from a Wi-Fi hotspot this could be very acceptable and not only does it work in the UK but anywhere in the world via your own router and the Internet. So the PCTV is far more than just a simple wireless enabled TV box. It is 12x14.5x4cm, which has two aerials that can add another 11cm to the last figure the height of the PCTV unit.
653244 advent dt 1308 desktop compute

Advent DT 1308

Published in Laptops/PCs/Apple on 12 Dec 2011
The arrival of a battered box is not always bad news, the arrival of a box with space in it probably is. This unit had been doing the rounds and when it got to me all I got was the system box, not even a power lead or any instructions.
Looking at the various DSG websites it seems there should have been also a wired keyboard and a mouse apart from a ‘Welcome Pack’ and of course the power lead. First switch on was not an improvement as I had to do ‘Windows Repair’ as it would not boot. However this story of doom and gloom does start to become a happier tale. A lot of people would have just boxed it up and said take it back.
653243 air wick odour detect compac

Good Breathing

Published in Health and Beauty on 11 Dec 2011
My first thought was good breathe but then everyone would think about the mouth and teeth and keeping them clean. These two products help you to breathe better first one for Asthma and second one to benefit others.
While I mentioned Asthma above it is stated to help with Hay Fever, Allergy, Pollen Allergies, Sinus Problems, Bronchitis, Breathing Difficulties and Respiratory problems caused by smoking as well as Asthma. While I am Asthmatic and that was the reason I asked to review it I do also have Sinus problems so can it help with both? The pipe is 12x4x4cm and weights 85grams. When you move the pipe it rattles as it is has what is claimed to be five years worth of salt crystals in it.
Whatever device you want to transmit the signal from it can be transmitted by around 15-20metres to an output device providing both devices have an HDMI port; my home has a lot of solid walls and it works end to end.
I tried this with a Blu-ray player, a video recorder, a Freeview recorder and two different PC one with only a Display Port the latter using a plug adapter also from Lindy part number 41018 that converts DisplayPort to HDMI. The kit consists of a transmitter, a receiver, two DC power bricks, one HDMI cable and an IR extender as well as a user manual.
652716 kodak easyshare M5370 touc

Kodak EasyShare Touch M5370

Published in Cameras on 7 Dec 2011
A small digital camera from Kodak, this however is part of their idea to make sharing easier and the camera itself has a 16MP image size and comes with 5x optical zoom so can it offer nirvana of everything to everyone?
The Kodak EasyShare Touch M5370 measures 10x5.5x2cm the last figure the width expands by another 2.5cm when fully zoomed. It weights 137grams. Mine was a metallic red and silvered face with the rest in black. The screen however is rather reflective in strong sunlight. The face has the lens towards the right side with the bar flash mounted above and to the left it can never be nearer than 3cm to the lens.
653241 Zeo Sleep Manager Mobil

Zeo Sleep Manager

Published in Health and Beauty on 5 Dec 2011
If you own an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad then this app together with the headband and software can tell you how well you are sleeping. I am perhaps not the best to review this as my sleep patterns are to say the least erratic.
If you do not own one of the devices above I see Zeo also do a bedside unit that I understand works more of less the same way but this is currently unavailable to review, as soon as it becomes so I will arrange to trial it. I was leant an iPod Touch and several of my initial problems were caused by not knowing the interface of this iPod. There is a six step instruction card that should really get you ready to use the product for the first time.
653240 Manfrotto ML 360 H Midi Hybrid LE

Gifts for the Photographer 2

Published in Cameras on 4 Dec 2011
Here something brand new and LED light that can also be a flash that has just been released. The second item also from Manfrotto is something all serious amateur photographers need is a bag to keep all their items in.
This is the largest of three arrays recently launched but this is the only one that can also be used as a conventional flash. It is 13x7.5x3.5cm and with the required 4x‘AAA’ batteries inserted weights 168grams, this in the overall size. It can be fitted either vertically or horizontally as there are two shoe fitments. There are four rows of nine LED’s and intensity can be adjusted by on/off twist wheel, there is a separate flash button on the back.
652718 Kodak Hero 7.1 All In One WiFi Printe

Kodak Hero 7.1

Published in Printers/Scanners on 2 Dec 2011
The latest range of Kodak All In One devices, USB and Wireless and software that can do more than the average software package. Here I am looking at the basic All In One offering units cost less than they did and ink is cheaper as tanks are larger.
The Kodak Hero 7.1 All-In-One printer measures 45x41x19cm, all black and rather boxy, certainly not something to please the lounge police but it can be USB or Wireless and of course the latter means it can live out of sight in a cupboard or maybe behind a settee.
652717 Philips RQ1280 SensoTouch GyroFle

Philips SensoTouch 3D

Published in Health and Beauty on 30 Nov 2011
It’s been a while since I have reviewed anything from Philips; I think the last thing was their Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. Here I am looking at their latest battery operated shaver although it is far more than a simple shaver.
I was attending an event at a posh London hotel and as I left I happened to see that Philips had the adjoining room, I spoke to the PR lady on the door and asked to be sent information and as a result I got a chance to review this. A mixture of chrome, rubber and plastic it is 17x6x7cm and weights a comfortable 178grams in the hand, either hand. It stands vertical in the charger unit and there is also a range of other bits and pieces to allow the man to claim some of the bathroom clutter.
While there are hundreds of iPod/iPhone docks around few products are currently coming to market that are in the hi-fi category. This product currently available in Aldi stores has CD and FM radio as well as the iPod iPhone capability.
The main unit is 26x16x24cm the last figure the depth is with mains and speaker cables inserted. The speakers are slightly bigger at 31x18x23cm. Both the main and speaker units have the same matt black colour. The speaker faces have two wire (effect) grills and the rear has a small indent and the speaker wires are hard wired. The only change from the matt black are two small silver grey areas between the speaker grills that match with a circular knob just above the central area of the main unit.
652715 corgi london red double decker bu

Toys & Games 13

Published in Entertainment on 27 Nov 2011
Little did I think three months ago that this feature would run to thirteen parts? First something large – not costing a fortune – and second something rather small that you will see all over London in 2012 transport with the Olympic logo.
Fancy letting your six year old loose with saws, hammer and nails? No nor would I, but here it is reasonably safe and the wood provided is made of expanded polystyrene (like the packing round almost any product you buy) but brown instead of white and grained so it looks like wood. The saw has plastic teeth and when I ran it over my hand I did not even graze my skin. Perhaps another important fact there is no saw dust when the material is cut.
652714 Sony NEXC3KB Compact Digital Camera Syste

Sony NEX-C3K Digital Camera

Published in Cameras on 25 Nov 2011
The Sony NEXC3KB is described as an Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera, what a lot of people would call a DSLR, it is small and easy to use but still has most of the ability you would expect from a DSLR unit, meaning excellent images.
Before I go on to describe this rather neat small unit there is one thing that dissuade some from buying it. While it can capture both RAW and JPG images (at the same time should you wish) it does not have any 4:3 options. Your choices in a range of capture sizes are either 16:9 or 3:2 so should you want to print an A4 image you will need to think before you capture about how you frame your shot.
652713 brother MFC J430W All in One Wireless Colour Inkjet Printe

Brother MFC-J430W

Published in Printers/Scanners on 23 Nov 2011
This is a multi function unit (it has fax) and it can connect either by USB or Wi-Fi. In fact I used both with equal success. I did however have a failure as no matter what I tried it refused to feed photo paper in any way.
The Brother MFC-J430W measures 40x37x18cm, the last figure the height will need a little extra to slip an A4 landscape page onto the flatbed, probably around 5cm which is around the same amount as using the ADF which flips open from the top. This is a four ink and four cartridge unit.