Publication History For : Paul Smart
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Unlike a number of other Huawei SmartPhones this arrived with little fanfare. It is that little bit smaller than some and for a lot of people this may seem a good feature, so what exactly has this latest offering to offer the user.
It is 15x7.4x.8cm and weighs 177grams. It has 3mm borders except at the base where it is 5mm. The viewable screen is 6.8x14.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 6.26 inches. The selfie camera is top left corner of the display. The screen is 2340x1080 and is easy to read. Going around the outside has the volume rocker and slightly inset on/off button on the right side.
This is large and you will need to sit well away for normal work and even farther away for those times when you marvel at videos shot in high resolution as this panel displays 3440x1440 and unlike other manufacturers offerings this requires no drivers to do it.
The Philips 346B1C curved screen monitor measures 80x37x2cm but the screen is far larger than the measurements given as there is a 4cm difference between the edges and the centre of the screen. It has a two piece arm the flat base 25x25cm and the arm that connects to the centre of the units back 9cm from the rear of the base. The screen has about 30 degrees of back tilt and a good amount of forward tilt. It can be as little as 6cm above your desk to as much as 25cm.
Mobile power is something in demand, did you charge your phone last night and even if you did will it last all day? Here is one solution that may get you out of a hole while out and about a charge station charge point, or you could just buy it all keep it with you, it has both iOS and Android connections built in.
If you opt for rental then you pay £1 for an hour of charging once your use gets to £3 you then get the rest of that day for free. This continues till you get to £30 when the Charged Up unit becomes yours to keep. Alternately you can get it from the website. It is 14.5x7.5x1.2cm and weighs 168grams. The left side has a groove for the hard wired 10cm long double ended micro USB and USB ‘C’ adapter. The same on the right side for the iPhone connector.
If your Wi-Fi is slow – or even non existent – in the further flung places of your home then you are likely to need a ‘Point’ which duplicates the signal once linked to the ‘Router’. The ‘Router’ sits beside your modem, and the ‘Point’ at a place where it pumps up the signal to reach those places that otherwise will not get a sufficient signal.
Like so many things today it is controlled by an App. There are two sides of instructions on 12x12cm card that consists of three items on the left side, Plug in your Router, Get the Google Home App and Set up your devices. The right pane has illustrations in order that a total novice can identify the supplied parts. These are the Router, the Point, a couple of Power Adapters and an Ethernet Cable.
This is a DAB and FM radio with presets, it is also a speaker for those who want output from the ‘Aux’ input plus it also has ‘Alexa’ built in. This oval unit has another big plus the ability to run from its internal battery for up to fifteen hours.
I called it oval as it has rounded corners but in truth it is a 10cm cube when in use. The height when switched off is only 8cm. The on/off mechanism is simply by pushing down in the centre of the top and this releases the unit to show the display, push down again from any mode and the display disappears and it becomes 10x10x8cm. On first switch on you should be given the option to set your language of choice.
An interesting offering at the top end of the budget and below the mid price phone category. This comes with lots of extras not just things like a case and even a solid looking suitcase but also several software offers to temp you but as always it’s the phone that matters.
This is a 3D SmartPhone and once setup the globe on the front screen is an eye catcher. It comes in a large 18x12x4cm hard sided zip up case rather like a suitcase. Inside are a case for the back of the phone, a nice long USB to micro USB for charging, a wrist strap, and the all important tool to open the SIM slot and a small 13x7cm eight side fold out getting started sheet. The phone is 15.8x7.5x.8cm; the viewable screen is 13.
This is a 27inch panel that takes up not a great deal of your desk space. The secret is the shape of the stand that remains mainly within the footprint of the panel. So will this achieve everyone’s nirvana of a clean and clear desk space?
The screen is 61x36x1cm and the stand is24x15cm in the shape of a wide ‘U’, it lifts the display by 10cm from your desk and it gives you plenty of both back and forward tilt. There are a line of five buttons under the bottom right edge if you think you can get a better display than the ‘Auto’ offering. In reality you will probably only use the on/off button. The connections are hidden under the back left behind a detachable part of the housing.
Philips 34 inch curved panel
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This is large and you will need to sit well away for normal work and even farther away for those times when you marvel at videos shot in high resolution as this panel displays 3440x1440 and unlike other manufacturers offerings this requires no drivers to do it.
It’s the nations favourite Pod coffee brand often known as Nescafe Dolce Gusto, for those who like Starbucks coffee it now includes Starbucks brand coffee to work in their Pods. So what does this ‘XS’ machine offer well first it is rather small with a water tank to match. So probably the ideal unit for a single user or just maybe a couple.
The Krups Piccolo XS measures 28cm tall, 24cm deep and 13cm wide so any other Krups machine dwarfs it. The only instructions are on the outside of the box but as everything is assembled all you need to do is insert the mains plug, put water in the clear container at the back and lift the preparation lid an insert a capsule.
OnePlus are rapidly becoming a SmartPhone that has new features and pushes the boundaries. In fact a lot of their ‘fans’ will reserve in advance as they are happy with what produced, so what has this latest offering from OnePlus at the top end of mid pieced handsets have to offer.
It is 15.9x7.2x.8cm and weighs 189grams. The viewable screen is 6.9x15.2cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6.54inches. Going around the outside has the on/off button on the right side with a lock button above it. The base has a speaker, USB ‘C’ for charging and OTG devices, the SIM entry point is also there. The left side has volume rocker. The top has a pin hole microphone. There is a raised circle of 2.
This is a keyboard for those who hate the onscreen keyboard that you get with SmartPhones and Tablets. But it is small in its collapsed dimensions it even has a carry bag and the whole thing is 27x5x3cm and weighs only 228gram including instructions.
The bare keyboard weighs only 189 grams and unfolds to 25x10cm with each key being 1.3cm square and to save you checking those on a normal desktop PC are 1.5cm square so still very typeable. The area behind the keyboard needs another 6cm of space and here is where your Tablet or SmartPhone sits. So total space required is 31cm.
With all the advertising on television and magazines I am sure we all know that a powered toothbrush gives better cleaning results than a manual brush. While the whiteness of your smile is important to some, perhaps the most important thing is to have no tooth – or tooth associated – pain.
It is 25cm long 3x2.5cm at the base and slightly thinner towards the top of the handle, the replaceable head forms the last 8.5cm of the length. While the 22x7x4.5cm flip shut case has space for two toothbrush heads only one comes in the box. There is a 7cm round clear stand that is supplied for when at home and this clips over an identical one which forms the charge point ending in a two pin plug which are the only plug sockets that should be in a bathroom.
Google do not make cheap phones so if you are looking for a bargain buy it’s not here, having said that Google make phones that look good and normally work well, however any phone these days has to be great to get to be the desired one.
It is 15.8x7x.8cm and weighs 192grams. 14.5x7cm is the viewable screen which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6.3 inches. The screen resolution is 1440x3040 pixels. I was sent the orange backed one which to my unfashionable eye looks weird, the front and sides apart from the orange on/off button are black and the orange on the back is interrupted by the 2.4cm raised square that are the cameras. Switch on is 9 seconds which is good.
This is one of several security software products that promise to keep you safe. What each product promises is slightly different so they all have a place according to what you want, here an offering from Panda their Internet Security offering.
The ‘Dome’ is what they claim will protect you; some of the offerings are switched on by default others are up to you. When you click on it the front screen will tell you your PC is protected and how many files it has scanned in my case 162,216 when I looked, scroll down the Window to see exactly what is and is not currently protected. The first choice is Scan and this would take place when required once done it then checks everything extra as it is connected or attached.
This is a pen that allows you to make almost anything in 3D. The illustration on the side of the box can be made in a few minutes others will take a lot longer and maybe even require some artistic talent to create but the basic process is simple.
In the box is the pen rather like a thick biro at 15.5cm long, it is near diagonal in shape with the sides 1.5cm wide. There are two buttons 2.5cm from the tip. At the back is where the mains lead is connected as well as where the filament strips are inserted. The strips are 25cm long; the box contains three different packs each with five strips each of five colours so if my maths are correct that is 18.75 metres of filament which should build quite a few items.
Mobile Wi-Fi in almost any country, this is what this small orange coloured unit promises. Like the majority of things today it is run from an iOS or Android App. Once the App is downloaded and the Solis is charged a couple of minutes for setup should have you connected anywhere.
While I cannot claim to have used this in the Scottish Highlands, the Sahara Desert or the middle of the Atlantic Ocean everywhere I did try it I got the ability to collect and send emails and browse the Internet, with a SIM inserted in your phone you can also send and receive phone calls and SMS messages, that last statement may seem strange of course you have a SIM in your phone but I deliberately set up a brand new phone so it never had my Wi-Fi information so it could not use it.
Just after my review of the Oppo Reno was published I was invited to the launch of version 2, having checked that these items would be available for review without a long wait I journeyed to East London for the launch event held in Canning Town.
Two phones were launched as well as a headset. Here I am looking at the slightly lower specifications of the Reno 2 Z which has a Gorilla glass back so it could be a little slippy, however there is a reasonable back and sides case in the box. It is 16x7.3x.9cm and it weighs 200grams. The right side has the SIM entry point and below that the on/off button. Boot up is 15 seconds and shutdown is 3 seconds. The base has speaker, USB ‘C’ port, pin hole microphone and 3.
In the morning there are two stimulants to get you out of bed one you will know about as you reach older age -your bladder - and the second the smell of a fresh brewed cup of coffee, even the sound of the beans being ground could do it.
As Bean to Cup coffee machines go this is thin at 19.5cm wide, it is 48cm deep and 35cm tall. Setup is just a matter of putting beans in the hopper on top of the unit and putting water in its container that shares the back part of the unit with the bean hopper. Next flush some water through and test the steam from the milk frother. Now place a cup under the coffee outlet and in less than two minutes you can be drinking your first cup of black or white coffee.
Where did I - you - put my keys, who has moved my mobile, where is my &*%!ing wallet and many more. Perhaps more importantly you could attach one of these – with their permission – to your cat, dog or tortoise to locate then when they become elusive.
Something I have looked at before, now available in a range of styles and pack sizes. I was sent a four pack of ‘Pro’ and another pack of four of ‘Essential’. First the ‘Pro’ this consists of four tiles, two white and two black. They are 4cm square and are less than .7cm thick with a notch cut out of the corner will fit on any keyring or possibly all but the smallest cat or dog collar as they weigh only 13 grams each.
Early this year I told you about the Google Home Hub, now Google have launched another range of products. I will start with probably the smallest the Google Nest Mini (2nd Generation) that is truly small but it has a big sound with twice the base of the first generation offering.
The Google Nest Mini is round with a 9cm diameter and is 4cm thick; there is a choice of four colours: chalk; sky; coral or charcoal. There are three touch controls on the device volume down, volume up and mute. The only physical connection is the 1.5 metre long micro USB to mains plug. The initial setup requires the Google Home App which is available on the iOS or Android store. Once setup is completed you can run the Nest Mini totally from your voice so the phone does not need to be present.
A lot of software is sold as a subscription some stop working once the subscription ends other will continue to work with limited functionality which in the case of security software probably means you will soon find you have problems with viruses and other nasty results. So one thing you always keep right up to date should be security software.
I am old enough to remember when you purchased a floppy disc and then later a CD-ROM but as threats became more immediate these needed to be updated and so what you buy now is a download link and these are updated every time you go online as the threats are not just updated monthly weekly or daily but all the time.
This is a foldable chair that fits into the back section of a backpack, it can be used separately from the backpack or still attached to it, so ideal for those journeys on a packed train where you can find a corner but cannot find a seat.
The backpack is 35x27x40cm and the chair once assembled is 30x27x29cm. I am told the weight capacity of the chair is 100 kilos just as well as I am very close to that figure. Let’s deal with the chair first when assembled it is two 20cm wide 19cm side pieces going into an 8cm wide hinge the wide top sides click together by a two piece 2cm wide and 11cm long clip. The top half is two more 20cm wide side pieces that form an overall ‘X’ shape. The sides are two each of 3.
A recent very noisy event at an iconic London institution had me see a range of audio items one such was this soundbar from Orbitsound and if you delve through the Gadgetspeak archives you will find other such reviews from them.
This recent offering has Airsound and Airamp technology. Airsound means wherever you place the unit in the room you get surround sound. Airamp is an active amplifier which increases clarity and reduces distortion. You can connect to it by Wi-Fi or Bluetooth the setup for these is via an iOS or Android App. The third choice is via optical and the required lead is supplied in the box. There is also an option to listen via Aux input.
Having recently told you about a smaller Chromebook, here is something larger that may suit. In fact for those only used to Windows this will not have a lot of differences for you to get used to and if you do not require third party Apps designed for Windows then it may do everything that you require. Also with Windows 7 support ending in January 2020 another reason to change.
The Acer Chromebook 315 measures 37x25x1.5cm the last figure is a maximum around 5cm from the back, it weighs 1791 grams. Going around the outside has power LED, USB ‘C’, USB3, micro SD and headset on the left. On the right are USB3, USB ‘C’ and Kensington lock connector. Both the front and back have no connections. The underside has for 3x.7cm rubber feet that raise it just enough to stop it scratching whatever you place the Chromebook on.
First one of the smallest at less than 10cm tall which has either a looping light or a light always on inside the rabbit. Second one of the largest Pokémon items and certainly for the older child which has induction charging for your iPhone and also USB for those of us without ‘i’ devices.
It is a tad over 9cm tall and comes with the required batteries fitted inside behind a door in the base protected by a Philips screw to deter a young child from eating them. A cord is attached between its ears to hang from the top of a pram so the child can be entertained. The switch on the base has three positions, off, on with a slow rotation from on to off which may even encourage sleep and finally on.
This is the latest offering from Sony. Like most Sony offerings it is high specification, the 21:9 screen ratio may not suit all and like a lot of recent offerings there is no 3.5mm socket for headphones. Read on for more details of this latest offering to pass my desk courtesy of Vodafone.
The Sony XPERIA 5 measures 15.5x6.7x.8 and it weighs 165 grams. The viewable screen is 14.3x6.1cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 6.1inches. Start Up is a sparkling 10 seconds while shutdown is 2 seconds. 21:9 for the screen ratio means that watching movies look better than with a lot of other current offerings. The screen is full HD and more at 1080x2520. My unit was black but I am told other colours are available, both the front and back are glass.
With the nights now longer than the day’s most of us need to get up before the sun and that means we are far more likely to be woken unnaturally with the result that we feel – at the very least – less charitable towards others and therefore unhappy. This light from Philips can wake you with a gradually brightening light and for the heavy sleeper even bird song.
When the other end of the day arrives our sleep pattern can be out of sync and a red light can pulse to get up ready to sleep, this offering from Philips has both and it even has a built in radio. It is 22cm tall, 22cm wide and a maximum of 11cm deep at the base and less than 2cm deep at the top. The light unit is circular within those measurements. There is a line of four ports at the back towards the base, USB for charging only, a Reset button, DC power in and finally Aux in.
A new name to me and without a visit to the Amazon Christmas event it would have probably stayed that way. This is a portable USB lead that has USB or USB ‘C’ on one end a coiled lead to fit into a small carry case and three different ends to make sure it has a fitment to suit whatever you need to charge, so wherever there is power so do you.
In fact there are six different combinations so three for each of USB and USB ‘C’. The outer box measures 9x9x2.5 and the inner one round at 6.5cm and 1.5cm thick; there is a rubberised loop to fit over a finger or more likely a belt. The weight is less than 50 grams. It has a clear top the flip open container has a black coiled lead 9cm long – fully coiled to over 30cm uncoiled. The ends are white, as it arrives USB on one end and micro USB on the other end.
This is ideal for a first alarm clock for a child; it can also act as a night light. Dependent on the child’s age it can be powered by ‘AAA’ batteries or USB. It also has a built in sensor so you can even check the room’s temperature.
The Pokémon Lamp Alarm Clock has a rectangular base unit measuring 11x4x5cm with a rabbit – the light – on top that is 13cm tall to the tips of its ears; however the light is from its feet to its head just under 10cm. The display is around 6x2.5cm which means you get 2cm high digits for the clock; easily seen even the child has less than perfect sight. The clock shows hours and minutes in either twelve or twenty four hour format with the day of the week above the minutes.
While this was launched before the Cricket World Cup it did not arrive with me until the Cricket season was finished. Indeed anyone watching the main courts at Wimbledon would have seen the ‘oppo’ name on the show courts, great advert but how many will have known what the name referred to.
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro measures 16x7.5x.8cm and it weighs 216grams. The viewable screen is 15.5x7.2cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6.6inches. This is a large phone with hybrid zoom. The selfie phone gives a wider capture angle as the lens is not in the screen but on a pop out above it. Start up is 13 seconds and shutdown only 1.2 seconds. Going around the outside has the on/off button on the right. The base has USB ‘C’, SIM entry point and speaker.
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