Publication History For : Paul Smart
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This is clock but it has no numerals and no hands, so before you shout ‘who has nicked the hands’ it never had any. This is a magnetic clock and ideal for the executive desk as it’s a clever piece of kit and certainly something that requires good light either natural or powered as this just works day after day with no external connections.
It is round at 11cm and 4cm thick. Two metal rods screw into the wooden back to allow it to sit at 45 degrees on a flat surface. It is stated that it can also be wall mounted. The clock itself is a grey metal. The face is divided into twelve quadrants with small slashes at the hours. Move round the face till 3 O-Clock and there are three letters ‘h’ the outermost, then ‘m’ and finally ‘s’ they are about 1.5cm apart.
This is a quiet small four ink printer that can also scan and copy. However for those who print large documents or lots of pictures not for you as the ink cartridges are not large, they do an XL option but still in the space for cartridges this cannot be for the heavy user. However for those who want to print a few top quality images its fine.
It is 36x29x16cm when closed. It’s not heavy at around 4.5kilos. With a stack of A4 paper in the back tray and the front outlet tray fully extended it’s around 50cm from back to front. Power enters back left. In the past I have had problems setting Epson printers up via Wi-Fi, here no difficult questions or having to attach a USB lead (none supplied) to complete the setup.
This is an aluminium alloy mouse mat (Mousepad) but apart from controlling your mouse it lets you get extra USB ports via lead supplied as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port and both SD and Micro SD ports. So your notebook – even USB ‘C’ only now has standard USB3 and more on tap. I am told it also works with MacBooks.
The 21cm square mouse mat has a 6cm angled up extension at the back that has all the ports at the rear, the metal will not scratch the surface it is placed on as it has a grippy leather style base that also stops the pad moving. Two short leads of 15cm long each are supplied the first USB3 to USB3, second USB3 to USB ‘C’ so it does not matter if the port from the PC/Notebook/Tablet is full sized USB or USB ‘C’. My unit was silver but it is also available in grey.
No longer do Nero do a standard version but now you can get a Nero 365 Platinum that expires in a year or Nero Platinum that will keep working – without the addition of any new features – for ever, either way the contents of the package is Nero Platinum.
This is a new departure for Nero partially following that of others like Microsoft that were I think the first to produce a 365 version with Office. Here I am looking at the Platinum version which is Nero 2020 in all but name. To be clear you will still be able to download any bug fixes but not any totally new parts. Nero started – a long time ago – as a product to burn CD’s and DVD’s then it gradually added features.
Originally only available for those taking out insurance from this company, it is now available for all. I looked at the early offering in February. Now it comes with packaging more fitment options and the chance to get far longer video clips.
Since my first review nine months ago the camera will now work with Alexa and you have the option via a subscription to get far longer video clips, the basic is twelve seconds and this increases with the extra subscription to sixty seconds, either way your videos are stored for 14 days. The camera itself is a five centimetre cube but the height can increase by another three centimetres by the base lifting on itself in a three way movement to let you get it pointing in exactly the correct place.
While most think of Adidas for trainers they do other items, here something you might use while you have your trainers on and even during a workout as the earpieces are sweat resistant, yes these are a small set of Bluetooth headphones.
At their smallest they are 18cm from the lower tip of the earpieces and 14cm across at the same point when the earpieces are parallel; there is 4cm of expansion on each side. Their total weight is 213 grams. The material of the earpieces and headband are sweat resistant and removable to wash. The earpieces are round at 7cm and have a good amount of padding.
Having told you about a far larger Google offering the 3XL in February as summer turns to autumn a smaller more compact offering crosses my desk this may suit those who have slightly smaller hands or pockets both cost and size.
It is 15x7x.7cm and weighs 144grams. The viewable screen is 12.7x6.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5.6inches. The display is 2220x1080. The pixel per inch ratio is rather good at 441. It has 64GB storage. Firstly Google Stadia will be coming to the Pixel 3a later this year so those into gaming will be able to stream to this device. This is a mid range phone that has pretentions to be like its bigger and more expensive cousins.
Those old enough to remember manual typewriters will know that you had a good rake on the keys so your hands were always in the right position to type. Desktop computer keyboards less so but if you used the fold out keyboard support correctly there was still some rake, now sadly notebooks have flat keyboards, here is one solution.
This is a single flat sheet that is already partially cut through and pressed out to form a shape – well three shapes actually – that can either sit flat onto the back of your notebook increasing its thickness by less than .2 cm and raising it by zero degrees or by 15 degrees which can give a 5cm rake, finally it can raise the unit by 25 degrees which is around 8cm all this depends on the size of the notebook you attach it to. It fits any notebook from 11.6 to 15.6 inches.
Over the years I have reviewed a couple of earlier – and smaller – versions of this item. When I saw this at the recent Philips demonstration day ‘Xmas In July’ the claim was made that it could cook a whole chicken in a small amount of time so never one to turn down a challenge I accepted.
As stated this is somewhat larger than previous versions but is still small enough to sit on the average kitchen worktop it is 43cm from back to front, 30cm from side to side and 29cm tall. Unlike other Air Fryers the whole fryer can be extracted on runners so if you wish you can baste the item being cooked without having to hold the cooking basket in on hand or perhaps harder finding somewhere to put it down that can withstand heat.
A good sized panel capable of showing up to 4K as well as a range of screen sizes upwards from HD. Its stand means that the amount of desk space it takes is less than most of a similar screen size and the ability to lower or raise the panel is just another good point that can make this something that can fulfil so many demands without costing a fortune.
It is 61x36.5x1.5cm and it sits on a 20cm circular stand that’s arm raises from the rear so the screen itself sits within the stand. The stand raises the panel by between 4 and 16.5cm from your desk. There is a good amount of back tilt as well as a little forward tilt. The viewable dimensions are 59.5x34cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 27 inches.
As notebooks get smaller something had to go, the easiest to lose was the optical drive, other things were harder possibly the Ethernet connection and then the flood gates opened as some devices have just a single USB ‘C’ and sometimes little else.
So the market for third parties to produce the ability to let your notebook have all the connectivity when in the office and still be as small and light when out of the office. So from Brando those clever people in Hong Kong comes the ‘USB-C Multifunctional Converter’ which gives everything you used to have but no longer do with the exception of the optical drive. It is 28cm long 7.5cm wide and a minimum of 1cm and maximum of 2cm thick, it weighs just 258 grams.
I have used Acronis for years it has often been able to replace a file or files that would otherwise be lost, earlier this year after a hard disc crash I was able to say ‘thank you’ when I was able to restore everything on a new hard drive. These days Ransonware is one of the most popular tools for thieves and used correctly even that can be thwarted.
On the 20 August they launched the 2020 version – as far as I know this is the first in the rush to be first – but only once version 17750 the March update is installed does this option appear. Acronis is running on both my Windows 7 and my Windows 10 system.
Having recently told you about a camera that looks like the Star Trek R2D2 droid that is stated as usable outside here a real outdoor offering that needs mains power and possibly Ethernet – read on to find out why I say possibly – or Bluetooth but it can also work indoors.
The measures 9.5cm from back to front, 8.5cm tall and 7.5.cm from side to side, however as the both the lens and the housing can be twisted and it can be wall mounted the figures given can be in almost any combination. It has the ability to record to Micro SD card but as with all cameras the data can be downloaded however most external cameras should be in a position that is not that easy to reach/remove for logical reasons. A single round cable at .
This is both a camera and a printer all in one unit, you can take pictures on it and print them on Zinc paper or as it has Wi-Fi to your phone take images on your phone and send them wirelessly to the units printer for immediate printing while still out and about.
This unit can not only print images taken on the Polaroid Pop 2 but also print images already captured on your phone using Wi-Fi. It is 14.5x12x3cm and weighs 441grams a tad under 1 lb. Its display is 8x5cm which allows you to see what you will capture before pressing the shutter. The image is shown at close to 4.5cm square and this is important as the images will be 1:1 and if printed on the Polaroid Pop 2 They will come out at 3 inches square even though the ZINC paper stock is 11x9cm.
Around eighteen months ago OnePlus had a major worldwide launch in the UK for their OnePlus 6. Then at the start of this year they launched OnePlus 6 Pro. So what as the autumn creeps in does the OnePlus 7 Pro have to offer.
It is 16x7.5x.7cm and weighs 204 grams. The viewable screen is 15.4x7cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6.67 inches. Going around the outside has a lock button on the right side with the on/off button below this. The base has a reasonable speaker, pin hole microphone and USB ‘C’ charging connection. The left side has the volume rocker and SIM entry point. The back has the three cameras in a column 1.5cm down from the top with the LED flash below them.
While most will think of Brando as the King of anything USB this is a slightly different offering as it actually takes power from your phone for those occasions when the end of the day is a long way away but your beard needs some attention to make you look as though it is still 9AM.
Phones run for a day or so and then they need recharging. This tiny shaver takes power from your phone and fits onto its base. It would take a while to do a full shave especially for those with a vigorous beard however before you buy you need to select the type of method your phone charges either micro USB or USB ‘C’ as they are different items, I was sent the USB ‘C’ version. The shaver itself is 4.7cm long thickest at the head end where it is 2.
Chromebooks have been a Windows alternative for a while and dependant on the tasks you want to carry out can be all you need. Certainly you would not get a Windows touch panel unit for anywhere near the price of this Chromebook offering.
It is 29x20x2cm and weighs 1350 grams. The viewable screen is 25.5x14.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 11.5inches. At the centre of the top above the screen is a camera. Bootup is 14.5 seconds and by default if you shut the lid it remains live – screen off – so unless you set a password on wake up then you can be working again at the point you left it as soon as you raise the lid.
The latest version of this ‘gadget’ for Windows is now available. I sometimes get into trouble for calling an item a gadget but when people say our product is not a gadget I say fine, please define ‘gadget’ and while they are thinking I add, a tool to make a task easier? Very few people disagree with my definition and this certainly makes some Windows tasks easier. They also do a MAC version but as I do not have a MAC I can only tell you about the Windows items.
Some of the things that Parallels 3.5 for Windows does can be already done in Windows but they take more than a single action to be completed so Parallels is often quicker or easier to complete. Archive, select the files and archive it’s as easy as that and of course Unarchive is just as easy. Block Camera, a lot of people are worried about being spied on and it’s a neater solution than sticking something over the camera.
This latest phone has some nice little extra features, it also is Android 9 and has a pure Android operating system so no skin added this is called Android One but this means with no extra skin to slow it down it is really fast.
It is 16x7x.9cm and weighs 198grams; this includes a clear silicon case that covers the back and sides. The viewable screen is 15.7x6.4cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen resolution of 6.3inches. Going around the outside has volume rocker with on/off button on the right side. The base has its speaker, USB ‘C’ and microphone. The left side has SIM entry point and the top has 3.5mm headphone socket.
I suspect most people know of ‘R2D2’ a droid in Star Trek, this camera looks rather like it, it can pan and tilt so unless there is something solid in its line of vision whoever is there gets seen and unlike most other cameras this continues to see where the suspect goes as it can track their movements.
It is round at 10cm across and 12cm tall. There is just one connection a micro USB lead that fits in the back near the base. Like almost all recent cameras it is controlled by an App either iOS or Android. Download the App register and then find the best place to place your camera, as part of the setup routine it will move through 360 degrees and produce an image of what it sees so you can select the area to cover.
This is a small leather wallet with a push action that partially ejects up to six credit cards each to a slightly lesser extent so you can select the one you need at the checkout of hole in the wall easily, quickly, and more securely.
The wallet is 11x6x1.5cm and also has two additional pockets for things like an Oyster card on the opposite side to the main wallet so you can touch in without having to open the wallet, and as the shape is definitely weighted to one side so no chance of card problems as you know which side you are touching on the reader. For those times when cash is still required notes can also be stored in this section, or indeed under an elasticated strap.
This is a cheaper Android phone but it looks anything but that, around £100 should secure this SIM free and some might keep this as a second unit or one to take to festivals or night clubs and the like where security is less than perfect.
It is 14.5x6.6x.7cm and weighs 129 grams. The viewable screen is 12.5x6.5cm with the selfie camera above the screen. The diagonal imperial measurement is 5.5 inches. The screen resolution is 720x1440. Going around the outside finds the volume rocker towards the top of the right side with the on/off button below this. The base has the micro USB socket for charging and connection of an OTG device. The left side has SIM and micro SD card entry point. The top has a pin hole microphone and 3.
Making things from raw vegetables does not really appeal to me, fruit yes, vegetables no I tend to prefer my vegetables cooked. But things like carrot cake can appeal even to children so be a man and give it a go, the pulp that is not juiced goes into a vacuum environment and can be kept – even frozen - to be added to stocks to give extra bulk.
While this can be a conventional blender it also has the ability to become a vacuum blender which means the parts of the fruit or vegetables not liquefied can be kept and added to soups and stocks and as once you pressed the vacuum button the residue keeps far longer and can even be frozen for use at a later date.
I think of a plaster for a minor scrape of the skin, while most will say the biggest name in plasters is Elastoplast but they do other things apart from plasters. Here I am looking at plasters, wound healing ointment and wound spray.
What most used to call ‘Blood Poisoning’ is actually sepsis and that can be fatal. Some years ago I was feeling unwell for several days but as I had an Asthma review on the Thursday I did nothing, I walked into the nurse’s room at my health centre she looked up from her desk and said ‘you are not well’.
Another of the items I saw at the Homewares show in June. This time a set of five – three of one size and two of a smaller size – that are sold as a value pack and since they arrived have been put into service both in my fridge and my microwave.
The larger size is 23x14x6cm and stated to hold 900 ml. The smaller size is 14.5x10.5x6cm and stated to hold 375 ml. They are described as microsafe and have also spent a lot of the time in my fridge. The label holding the pack together states they are free of BPA, PVC, lead and phthalates so they are completely safe for storing food.
Regular readers will have seen recently a Kindle review, this Kindle called Oasis, it is very different in shape and it is the first I have seen with a front light. So can this change merit the far higher price of the unit over even the 8th Generation unit?
The Kindle Oasis 2 from Amazon measures 15.8x14cm and weighs 189 grams; the first 5cm of the width is .7cm thick about the same as most newer SmartPhones however the rest of the width is harf that this is the part with the viewable screen that is 14x10.5cm. However if you hold it the other way up so the thicker part is on the right the screen turns round to support this. The viewable screen is 10.5x14cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 7 inches.
Most streaming services are only MP3 but just a few offer a Hi-Fi mode and while you have a subscription you can even download your music to play back when no Internet is available or when only more expensive mobile data is the only option.
Listening while on trains, buses or tube is not only a relaxation but it also avoids the extreme noise of some tube trains through tunnels when no signal to stream is available, you just get your own sounds at a level to suit your ears. While you can still log into Deezer via the Internet the long awaited Deezer Desktop is now finally out of Beta.
Sometimes people snort at me our product is not a gadget, I say fine, define to me what a gadget is, while they are thinking I add would you disagree with the statement ‘something to make a task easier’ I have yet to have anyone disagree with that statement. Certainly this item from the King of USB Brando certainly keeps you cooler in hot weather and saves the need to move your hand and say a newspaper back and forward over your face.
Yes this is a battery powered powerful fan and it has three different speeds. It is 15cm tall, 7.5cm wide at the fan end and 6cm wide at the handle end, 2.5cm thick at the fan end and 1cm thick at the handle end. The total weight is 81 grams. The fan enclosure has seven curved blades and the maximum entry point is .5cm so even the smallest finger cannot get in.
As we grow order most will notice that they have to say ‘pardon’ far more often and that people mumble far more – or at least we think that they do – however hearing loss is a factor everyone has to face so what if anything can be done. In my own case I have Tinnitus – a ringing in the ears – which makes discerning speech when several are speaking in the same room near impossible.
This is a set of Bluetooth earbuds but while they can be used quite successfully to listen to music I would not say that is there main purpose. Like most recent products they work with an App downloadable from either the iOS or Android store. A simple hearing test conducted in the App will show/notify/horrify you of the amount of hearing loss you are suffering.
Hard to get places can be accessed with this item, and if something metallic like say a ring has got out of reach then this small unit has a magnetic end to attract and before you capture it you can locate it with its LED light on the end.
One word in the title had me thinking this had a motor that word was ‘Vac’. It is actually a brush and the brushes holder is another brush which also has sticky Velcro sides. For good measure the end of the outside container is also a larger version of the small brush, in both cases the bristles are 3cm long meaning they can delve into crevices. The larger unit is 19cm long 7cm wide and 5cm tall, this has grippy Velcro on either side and a round brush bar on the underside.
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