Publication History For : Paul Smart
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A rechargeable battery operated toothbrush designed to allow the child to ‘enjoy’ the time spent brushing his/her teeth, while it is a fairly normal looking brush the difference is that it connects via Bluetooth in an App on a mobile phone. While a young child under full supervision will soon get the idea that different brushing techniques help, my worry is for the mobile phone getting dropped into a basin or worse.
The brush is 22cm long with the round base being 3cm across, the brush itself is the final 7cm with the bristles the final 2cm the head is 1cm across, the unit weighs 114grams. For a small child this may be quite heavy. Although my childhood is long gone – some may say I am now in my second childhood – I used this without problem apart from remembering to have the SmartPhone on and nearby.
While a NAS has long been something for larger organisations and even smaller companies it now has a place for the SOHO or even the Home user as Synology have recently launched a single bay NAS and also Seagate have launched a drive designed for NAS use so a recent visit to London had me finding my way around the chaos at Euston caused by Crossrail for the construction of the Elizabeth line.
While the 22x7x15cm box has the Synology name, they are the people who produce the operating system that it runs on and the drive it has inside is made by Seagate, in fact the drive in the unit I have is made by Seagate especially for NAS use. Also in the box with the NAS are getting started instructions, an Ethernet lead and a mains lead.
Certainly the biggest TV to have invaded my lounge, unlike most others that allow me to slide my own TV back on the unit this needs to be towards the back of the unit because of the width of the screen and the size of the stand.
The Cello QLED 55inch 4K TV measures 124x70.5x.6cm and the stand it sits on is 76cm wide at the front and 24cm from back to front, it is the shape of a ‘C’ this raises the unit by 7cm from what it sits on. It can of course be wall mounted. However as the fitment is the only place I can put any TV the width of the ‘C’ is vital for me.
While one hand operation for a water bottle may not be essential – for most – it is nice and once used you realise what a faff it is to have to use two hands just to get a slurp of water, so this becomes a rather neat implementation of it.
This water bottle from Sigg measures 26cm tall and round at 7cm and weighs 336 grams when empty. The unit as supplied to me is both a Hot and Cold unit and indeed even has a strainer for those who put things in it that need straining, this part can be removed if required. The stated times of the bottles insulation properties are 20 hours cold and 12 hours hot.
Stated to be capable of copying 8K video as captured according to the box. I can certainly confirm capture of 4K video without any problem on two separate devices. It is an SDHC UHS-II Card, mine was 32GB but they do other capacities.
Looking at the face of the card it is no different in size (dimensions) to any other SD card. Turn it over and you see a difference, the same row of contacts at the inward edge of the card but below that an additional row of contacts. It is stated to have read speeds of up to 270MB/s*² and write speeds of up to 260MB/s*². However due to the high quality for one year there is data recovery software available for free. The card itself is warrantied for five years.
Having used numerous types of glues that include the notorious Super Glue here something rather different a mouldable glue marketed under the name of Sugru. I was sent a pack in what they call earth colours of Red, Green, Brown and White.
No fancy packaging in fact they look ‘cheap’ – however do not stop reading – as looks can be deceptive and for the price these are available at rather good. So two in ear gels that for those that like to share their buds can even be used by two but of course that would lose stereo but provided the two of you remain close together you can both hear your sounds from a single SmartPhone.
Unlike other wireless buds these work rather differently in that both buds have batteries and both need to be charged but a splitter USB lead is supplied. So you link each earbud to the pair by pressing the K on the back of one it flashes red and blue and then repeat the process on the other bud and only then do you link to your SmartPhone by Bluetooth. So there is no problem of only one bud being linked as they are linked to each other before the SmartPhone.
The next of the 2019 versions to cross my desk and again a product that gets used all year and not just while being reviewed. However I tend to use one feature the CD/DVD burning software at least once a week all year other features less frequently.
Nero is such a broad ranging product that few will ever be expect in all the modules and that is why Nero KnowHow Plus is so useful once it is turned it helps you to do what you want even if you are not really sure how to accomplish what you want to do. It sits on the right side of your Desktop and gives help and advice. Nero is a suite of products in one there are six main products as well as extra ‘Apps’.
This is a large curved computer panel which can show up to 2160x1440. So if your room can support such a large screen then you will get reasonable sound, great images and once you get used to the curve a more than satisfactory viewing experience.
This Benq monitor measures 71x42x2cm and it has a ‘V’ shaped stand 48x24cm which raises the screen by a minimum of 6cm. As the support arm is movable it can raise the unit by up to 12cm. The viewable screen is 70x40cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 31.5 inches. The screen has 15 degrees of back tilt and 5 degrees of forward tilt. There is no side to side movement but with a screen of this size you will not be sitting that close to it. There is 3.
All of us of a certain age remember the original Polaroid cameras, this one looks very much the same, however this has a big plus over the original it has Bluetooth and can link to your SmartPhone. So with this new camera old technology meets new.
In recent years cameras from Polaroid looked very much more ‘normal’ now this looks like a very early offering and it can take both Black & White and Colour images dependant o0n the film that you insert. It is 14x11x9.5cm and weights a fairly substantial 480grams. Power is provided by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged by a supplied micro USB to USB lead.
This is big and I mean ‘big’ larger than most TV’s and it’s a monitor/panel for use with a PC, however with the software provided it can show up to four screens on it’s one screen. This 40inch display is capable of showing 4K which is 3840x2160.
The Philips BDM4037UW measures 90.5x53x1cm it has a ‘C’ shaped stand that raises the screen by 12cm from whatever you stand it on. The display is curved with the middle 2cm further away than the edges. The footprint of the ‘C’ shaped stand is 42cm at the open front and 22cm from back to front. There is around 10 degrees of back tilt and about 5 degrees of forward movement.
It’s been a while since a new VAX vacuum has come my way. Here an offering that the demonstrator held up with two fingers of one hand and as far as I know he was not a weightlifter so it is quite a light unit that can be used on floors, upholstery or ever picture rails.
A handheld stain and odour removal so if your pet misbehaves it need not be a disaster. So this is not a carpet vacuum or carpet room cleaner this is a handheld battery operated spot cleaner so ideal for an accidental spill or pet misbehaving.
The Bissell Stain Erasermeasures 40x11x16cm and weights 1845grams when empty. Apart from the main cleaning unit there is a different brush head the mains lead to charge the internal solid battery and two 236mL bottles of cleaning liquid which are Spot and Stain and OXY which a small amount is mixed with the water you inset in the unit. No flashy box or packaging just a plain brown cardboard container it seems at least one company has heeded the warnings on waste and recycling.
While I have a Nespresso machine I like the taste of Cappuccinos and Dolce Gusto machines do one as good as a decent Barista can make but of course there are two great advantages, you make them at Home and they are a quarter of coffee shop price.
It is 37cm tall, 26cm from back to front and 12cm wide. A rather modernistic design it can hold up to two pints of water. Unlike other machines this come fully assembled and once you have removed the plastic covering the shiny finish you just need to run some water through in case there are impurities from the production line.
Like a number of Dell offerings it comes with a choice of hard disk, memory and processor options all under the same name of G5 15. So you can choose exactly what options you want at least until next year and then who knows what.
Not a light machine and while it does have good battery life and worked fine on my Wi-Fi those into gaming will probably use it on mains power in a single place and even plug in the Ethernet. It is 38.5x26.5x2.5cm and weights 2.82kilos. The unit as supplied to me had an Intel i5 8300H CPU running at 2.3GHz with 8GB of RAM a small 128GB SSD drive ‘C’ with around 38GB free and a 1TB hard drive ‘D’. The viewable screen is 34.5x19.
Some things I test are more appropriate than others and here a device that I use frequently as my blood pressure does tend to vary which according to a consultant at the local ‘older persons clinic’ is because my diabetes is not great.
While I was aware that when I tend to bend down to do something like tie my shoe laces I do know that on standing up things do swim around a bit. The differences of your blood pressure are really shown by taking it sitting, standing and lying and while in all of us there will be a difference in those three scenarios having a device attached that can record the differences can be very helpful in determining any real problems.
I am sure we all get spiders in the bath and I am told that autumn is the peak time. While some things freak me out, spiders are not at the top of my hate list but really large ones can be challenging especially those that do not want to be put in a glass to be disposed of.
So this tool supplied by Robert Dyas could be the answer especially if one metre if quite close enough to get to one if they do freak you out. Another advantage of the one metre length of the handle is that you do not need to get on a chair for those spiders who are higher up unless of course you have extremely high ceilings. The head is made of groups of 8cm long white plastic bristles interspersed with single bristles.
A company that started as Anti Virus protection but now so many nasty things are not strictly viruses but other ways have been found to affect your PC or mobile device and perhaps the most noticeable is stealing your wallet the last mentioned is not literal but once your cards are compromised they do remove everything you have and even things you don’t like your sanity.
This is an item sold on an annual subscription so even if you purchase just before the latest version is issued you automatically get updated. While McAfee were one of the original Anti Virus companies some people were reluctant to use it as it slowed down the computers performance a feature that has long since been sorted so you should not notice any difference before or after. While they still do a basic Anti Virus product they also do two others called Total Protection and Live Safe.
Having recently told you about a set of Gels (earbuds) from Jabra that I requested at a Xmas In July event I now delve to the bottom of the items given at that event and find a pair of corded buds also from the same company Jabra.
While Active Noise Cancelling is normally something that larger over ear headphones offer this set of earbuds have it and few if any other recent earbuds have offered this feature. There are three sizes of silicon Gels (the bit that goes into the ear) these are small medium and large as well as three sets of wings (often called fins) the bit that fit into the outer ear to hold things in place for those who do more vigorous exercise with the earbuds in situ.
This is the second of three cameras from FujiFilm; this is an interchangeable lens camera that made a short visit to me courtesy of a Christmas In July event. Even after nearly two weeks of use I am still barely out of using Auto mode although it has accompanied me on a range of visits while out and about in the course of my travels for a range of events.
The FujiFilm X-T2 measures 15x9.5x12.5cm with the supplied 18>55mm lens fitted fully retracted, it weights 861grams. Like the previous offering it is powerful and really a small professional camera. A thorough read of the manual is a must to do more than use it in Auto mode as anyone who knows a little about cameras will realise that this is something that requires - no demands - respect. It is a 24MP offering also capable of 4K video capture.
Not something to stick onto your table to roll out the pasta to very thin slices or ribbons but a tool that allows you to put the ingredients into and, out of the unit comes the pasta – and noodles – ready to be cooked and eaten.
If you make pasta you need space and time and also muscles and probably a machine that clips onto the side of a table to pass the dough through several times. Is it worth the time and effort? However if there was a machine that you fed with the ingredients for making pasta and out the other end comes pasta ready to cook then I suspect the answer to my question might well be in the affirmative. It is 35x13.
Yes it’s the time of year when lots of software companies vie to be the first to bring their ‘2019’ products to market. Here is one that I use all year not just while I review it and on a couple of occasions when disaster has struck it was there to help.
So let’s start with what is new. First an all in one bootable media and backup tool on an external hard drive which means even if Windows will not boot providing your PC will run past the BIOS this can kick in. Acronis Active Protection now extends to NAS boxes so Ransomware should be held in check.
Homni Dot/Reston Part 2
Published in Health and Beauty
on
12 Oct 2018
Having given you outline details of what Homni can do and how it links via Bluetooth to Dot/Reston the items that track your sleep quality here I delve deeper which for those like me who sleep badly may give vital helpful information.
While most will know Brando for ‘Everything USB’ they do have other items in their portfolio and here is one a Weather Station complete with an external measure and a plus point over lots of others the internal unit can be both wireless and wired.
This weather station comes with one external sensor as well as the internal unit so you get both internal temperature and humidity readings as well as a four colour weather symbol. The main unit is 14.5x13.5x1.5cm and weights 213grams with three ‘AAA’ batteries inserted. The actual display is 10x8cm. The external unit is 11x5x2cm including its small stand this weights 63grams with two ‘AAA’ batteries inserted.
With all the talk of single use plastic either being phased out or carrying a substantial premium either to the manufacturer or possibly the user an unbreakable reusable water bottle is something that could well get more publicity like the one I was sent here from Ion8.
This is designed primarily for cyclists not least as its dimensions are those that fit in the holder on the cycle frame. It is22cm tall and round at 7cm, its empty weight is 150 grams. The bottle is opaque and is marked on the side in both ml and oz. the former calibrated in 100ml measures with ‘-’ every 50ml up to 650ml, the latter in 4oz marks with ‘-’ every 2oz up to 22oz but in my tests another 50ml or 2oz is easily accommodated.
While we have had a wonderful summer this year in the amount of sunlight this is like to cause a greater problem this autumn and winter for those who suffer from problems caused by lack of sunlight or bright light, these is of course a solution.
If you're not careful, a lack of sunlight can actually lead to a form of clinical depression. The less sunlight we see in the winter months, the more likely we are to develop Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms of SAD can be extreme: mood swings, anxiety, sleep problems, or even suicidal thoughts.
The first monitor that I have seen that takes both its power and video signal from a USB ‘C’ port. In fact it has just one connection the USB cable – the other end goes to a USB ‘C’ port on your Notebook or Tablet and an on/off button.
The AOC I1601FWUX portable full HD monitor measures 37x23.5x.7cm and weights 1053grams with prop and USB ‘C’ cable attached so small enough to travel with you. The viewable screen is 34.5x19.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 15.6inches. While the claimed 1920x1080 is of course available the notebook/tablet I did most of my tests with showed 2160x1440 and this reproduced that either landscape or portrait where of course the display was 1440x2160.
Doro have been selling their phones in the UK for many years, not only do they do home phones but they also are the premier manufacturer for those with disabilities be that sight or hearing, now they have moved into SmartPhones that look normal but can still offer help but you no longer have a phone that looks like it’s for someone who has a disability.
The Doro 8035 smart phone measures 14.5x7x1cm and weighs 171 grams. The viewable screen is 11x6.4cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5inches. The screen and surround is black while the sides and back are blue grey. Above the screen is the selfie camera. The normal show all, home and back controls are below the screen and do require a press to activate which will take time to adjust to for those coming from a standard SmartPhone.
Having recently told you about a kitchen scale that is treble the normal maximum of 5kilos, another arrives shortly afterwards. This one is from Terraillon and is called The Chef Kitchen Scale and it has an amazing 15 year guarantee.
It is 25.5cm wide, 21cm deep and 2.5cm thick. One reason for the extra thickness is that it uses ‘AA’ batteries rather than ‘AAA’. The actual weighing surface is 22.5x14cm with the central part of the area in the front of this taken by the 9x3cm display. Touch the area to the left side of the display to change the weighing units or to pause the function of the scale.
One of life’s less arduous tasks is listening to music and streaming music from a site that has a great deal of music in my genre of choice is even better. I have told you about Deezer's normal offering recently. Here is a quality more suited to listening in the home through good quality speakers, this is Deezer Hi-Fi.
Anyone can view the content on Deezer and indeed stream the content in low fi but you will have to put up with adverts after around a couple of tracks and indeed some tracks and even some whole CD’s will be unable to be played.
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