Publication History For : Paul Smart
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Having recently told you about a larger unit from Dimplex here is something a lot smaller and intended to work in smaller spaces such as maybe a damp cupboard or wardrobe rather than a larger room the main reason is the small water tank capacity.
The VAVA Quiet Portable 700ML Dehumidifier measures 26cm tall, 15cm wide and 10cm deep, it weighs just under one kilo. I used this in my small bathroom for a week and it extracted just under one litre of water that for those who have not converted is just less than two pints. The VAVA website talks of (US) oz of liquid which I find hard to follow but one litre was easily held although the maximum stated on the downloadable .PDF file is 670ml.
My two favourite things are ‘food and drink’ and ‘music’ both recorded and even better when live. Here I get a chance to try good quality coffee in my home and even listen to my music while relaxing with a great cup of coffee.
This is the largest coffee machine that has crossed my kitchen but possibly also the best and certainly the nearest to a coffee shop offering. The Melitta Barista Smart measures 37x47x25cm and weighs over 10kilos. Dependant on the type of coffee you want – there are two bean containers – it grinds just the right amount for one cup and then makes it, this can take less than a minute, longer if you are having a fresh milk element in your drink.
This is a small removable lens camera from Olympus that goes under the ‘Pen’ name that Olympus first created several years ago with a single offering that has now grown into a brand all of their own for small easy to use quality cameras.
The Olympus Pen E-PL8 measures 12x6.5x6cm and weighs only 528grams with neck strap and flash unit attached, the latter increases the last figure the height by 2cm. Going around the camera, the left side has only the neck strap anchor point; the right side has its pair as well as mini USB and HDMI sockets behind a flip door. The base has the solid battery behind a door that is also where you insert any SD Card you use, further along the base is a tripod anchor point.
Honor have the same parent company as Huawei in fact their UK PR is in the same building in London. So a lot of the latest technology can be found in both these brands. Here I am looking at the Honor View 10 one of their recent releases.
The Honor View 10 measures 15.5x7.3x.8cm and it weighs 171grams, mine had a smoky blue back and sides that was matt in finish, the screen can be shiny in direct sunlight but still does not seem to show finger marks. The viewable screen is 13.5x6.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 5.98inches; the default screen resolution is 1080x2160 and 18x9 aspect ratio LCD panel, which is full HD plus a bit.
All the pieces in this game are the same length the same thickness and the same width and you have to make increasingly difficult models using them, no glue no nails no screws just friction to hold them together it is not easy, in fact for some of the models it’s very difficult, or for me anyway close to impossible.
My annual visit to the 2018 Toy Fair had me stop in my tracks at this stand to take a second – and third look – at a far more impressive model created by the lady on the stand of a very large balloon (also made of these pieces of pine) which she assembled in 90 minutes, my thought was wow. Which is possibly what she intended she had me hooked. I left with this small set called Kapla Challenge and for me anyway it certainly was. The box is 12.5x12.5x3.
Where Wi-Fi cannot reach there is an alternative to a very long Ethernet lead and that is using power sockets to transfer the signals. Providing the router and the external point are on the same ring main you can get a strong signal it could be your basement, loft or garage.
I was sent a single box that contains two Powerline Adapters it is called a starter kit and this contains all you need to get that out of Wi-Fi spot back into use. The kit has two adapters the one to connect to your router is slightly larger at 14x7x6cm and this has three Ethernet Gigabit ports on the top, the other smaller unit is 13x6.5x5cm and has one Ethernet port on the top.
Here a set of Bluetooth earbuds that arrived at the time I was reviewing two recent phones neither of which comes with a 3.5mm sockets so Bluetooth is not a luxury but an essential. These are both small and light and as required for ‘exercise’ stay put once inserted.
The cord connecting the buds is 60cm long and somewhat surprisingly for me anyway the control box is on the right side and only 6cm from the bud. The box describes them as Wireless Stereo earphones with a less than catchy name of VAVA MOOV 28 model VA-BH009. The buds are 3.5cm from front to back and .5cm across the magnetised back. Apart from the buds – three sizes included – there are also ‘hooks’ which go into the outer ear to help hold the bud in place during exercise.
Tablets are great when you are out and about but when you put it down on a table or desk you start to want to view it at a different angle, one solution is to find something to prop it against but this is not always a viable option so try this offering from Filofax.
The product has the name of 'eniTAB360º' Tablet Holder and I was sent the small <8.4" to be used with own 7" screen tablet it consists of a single piece of plastic – grey in colour – hinged and with a turntable at the top end of the hinged area. The base is 16cm long and 7cm wide, then the hinge and the top part is 12cm high and the same 7cm wide till the 7.
When I inquired about one of their Dehumidifiers it was suggested that Gadgetspeak readers might also be interested in this small personal heater that is ideal for just heating a small space, it also has an added plus but you will need to read on to ascertain what that is.
The overall size of the heater is 16cm tall at the rear, 13.5cm at the front; it is 10cm wide and 12cm deep. There is a hard wired mains lead that is 150cm long that emerges from the base of the back. The sloping top has a 340 degree rotation on/off switch that controls the heat level. The possible power is 250watts a thermostat cuts it in or out at a set level. It sits on my desk 15cm to the left of my keyboard and depending on how cold my hands are affects the amount I twist the heat control.
Another in the range of reviews of the latest mobile phones courtesy of Vodafone whose network coverage is -in my tests anyway - superior to that offered by other mobile phone companies. Huawei are the new kids on the block making others sit up and work harder to catch up.
The major step they made last year was the vastly improved camera using Leica dual lens technology to give you stunning images. It is 15.5x7.5x.7cm and weighs 180grams. Thin, smart, tough and well built, it even comes with silicon back and side cover to protect from the odd drop. Silver grey front and sides and a ‘mocha’ brown back go to make up the smart look. It is as thin as any phone I have seen, it feels solid and there is certainly no flexibility and is nice to hold and use.
I have an older property and one side of my building especially prone to damp in fact I have had a Dehumidifier in use in one room for 35 years. However recently things have got worse and a second more transportable unit allows it to be moved about between the other two affected rooms the bathroom and kitchen and it can even be used to help dry clothes.
It is 53x18x30cm and weights close to 13Kilos. Dimplex do three models in this range each with a slightly different water storage capacity, I was sent the middle offering the 16litre, the figure relates to the amount of moisture it can extract in 24 hours. For really bad areas of damp the unit can be connected to drain automatically but I very pleased to say my case is not that bad so the internal tank can be emptied as required. The tank capacity is 2.3litres.
This is part of a range of gaming notebooks from Acer. While I openly admit that I am no gamer other reviews will tell you what this and other units in the Predator range can accomplish in the gaming area I concentrate on its other features.
The Acer Predator is a 17.3 inch high performance gaming laptop measuring 42x28x2.5cm and weights just short of 3kilos at 2.94kilos. This is a powerful beast that has the whole rear to dissipate the heat a heady gaming session is likely to create. The left side has a Kensington lock socket, Ethernet port, USB ‘C’ port, HDMI out, USB3 port and an SD Card slot.
Larger memory sticks are always useful if you need to transfer large files such as videos to various destinations, if these devices have the ability to work on what are otherwise conflicting operating systems then so much the better.
It is only slightly longer than a standard USB stick at 6.5x2.3x1cm and both the end pieces are covered. It weighs only 16grams. Assuming you only lift one cover the other is held in place as the rubberised cover has two strips down the back which if required can be integrated into a belt so you never lose the stick unless that is you lose your trousers. The Lightning connector is one end and a standard USB3 (actually USB3.1) connector the other.
While the sound quality of the two previous Cello units have been good there is little any normal TV speaker can do about the terrible sound quality on recent films even those made by people like the BBC are now falling into the choice of hearing speech and being deafened by the music or hearing music at the normal level and lip reading speech, however help is available with a quality sound bar.
This is a 43inch TV with a couple of plus points, first it has an integrated sound bar which looks little more than an extended area under the screen and second this unit has a full Android computer built in so you can get and send emails and search the WWW in fact anything you can do with an Android Tablet. It comes with a tiny Wi-Fi USB dongle to connect to the supplied TV’s ‘Air Remote Control’. The TV is 96x63x1.
Here are a set of headphones with a difference a big difference. Those without hearing problems might perhaps not find the information below useful but for others it might allow both music and speech to be heard a lot better than it otherwise would.
They are a set of intelligent headphones that understand your hearing – or lack of it - and adjust the output to suit. They also come with buds that sit in the ear but do plug them. Also when worn while moving about either corded or cordless they allow air to circulate so that the ears do not overheat. If you know what I mean about hot or plugged ears then you could certainly think the cost worth wild.
Coffee machines are always a hit especially ones which you can approach and know your coffee is ready to pour. Of course that often means the coffee may not be freshly ground unless of course you live in your local coffee shop.
This is a bean machine and providing it has water and beans it can have your hot coffee waiting when you get into the office even if its 6AM. While this unit works perfectly well with you at its side it can also work by Wi-Fi once you have set it up and as the process takes around eight minutes from start to finish it might be just the thing unless you have a servant to do everything for you.
This is a USB cable that has three possible connections at the other end. So if the options given match the connections needed by your devices then on your travels you only need to take this single ‘tri’ ended cable with you.
If your travels go beyond the UK then you might also need to take the previously reviewed Omnia TA502 which someone who knows a bit of Latin told me means ‘everything’ or something close to that, read the review to see if it suits you needs.
This is a larger Android Tablet that has an ‘approved by Google’ label. I am told not many tablets have. It comes in quite a large box for an Android Tablet. There are three different Android Tablets in the range I was sent the largest the 10inch offering, I hope to get a smaller one soon.
This 10" Android powered tablet from Time2 measures 24.5x17x1cm and weights 513grams. The viewable screen is 21.5x13.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 10inches. The right side has the volume up and down controls and below that the on/off button. The base and left side are clear, the top has micro USB connection, headphone socket and behind a lift off door are Micro SD Card slot and SIM slots, also in this area is the rear 5MP camera.
At any time of the year it is difficult to get a doctor’s appointment and so many decide to descend upon A&E. If you have done this then you know you will have a long wait and possibly feel there surely must be a better option available.
In the weather that prevailed just before Christmas fixing a new door bell was not the most pressing thing on my mind, or course once fitted the various groups of carol singers that seem to materialise can safely be ignored from your indoor comfort.
It was only when the thermometer rose slightly that I persuaded myself to install it and as it has video I can then safely ignore all those ringing my doorbell trying to sell ‘x’ or ‘y’ the worst I find are those who start off by saying ‘I am not selling anything’. While a video doorbell may for some seem ‘anti-social’ for those with disabilities or those of us who are older they become more important.
Small enough to use on your lap and it comes with ‘ice cool’ technology to keep your palms cool something you will appreciate in the warmer months. The touchpad – a dirty word for some – has intuitive gestures and there is even decent sound from the Sonic Master chip.
This ASUS Notebook measures 33x23x1.5cm and weights 1473grams. The left side has DC input, Ethernet port, USB ‘C’, HDMI out, USB and an SD Card port, The front has three pin hole LEDs. The right side has a Kensington Lock port, a USB port and a 3.5mm headphone socket. The back is clear as the screen goes back over it to 135 degrees. There are four 1.5cm rubber feet on the base as well as the pair of speakers either side near the front.
I did not know what the Omnia meant so I asked Google and now I have at least a dozen choices, none seem relevant to this tool I am looking at from Adam Elements, first it’s a plug for the three main regions of the world which then accepts plugs from all over the world and for good measure has a couple of USB outlets built into its body.
Certainly not as small as the last ‘Small A3’ unit I reviewed but this uses tanks not cartridges and unlike the first tank unit I reviewed that had the talks on the side these are internal and joy or joys the tanks have no spill technology that works.
The Epson ET-7750 A3 printer/scanner measures 49x61x18cm, it would need to be a very strong shelf to place it on so even if you have such a shelf allow a few centimetres more to the last figure to put items on the A4 flatbed. The 61cm figur3e is with the back A3 paper tray raised as well as the output tray at the front extended. There is a small display in the 32x10cm lify up from the base area in the front this can be flat to front or extended to any point up to 90 degrees. The display is 5.
While the Windows phone seems for many manufacturers to be not the path to take with iOS and Android the winners left to slug it out between themselves in business we are told there is still a sector that needs/requires Windows phones.
A dark blue box contains the phone, a micro USB charge cable and a card with instructions on how to fit the supplied 2100mAh battery. As this phone is sold for business use you will probably already have a Microsoft account if not after a bit of faffing about it lets you create one. From then on its reasonably straightforward although I found for around the first half hour little could be done as ‘Apps were updating’ after that speed and use improved greatly.
This is very thin in fact so thin that the only connection is in the leg of the base of the unit which in turn goes to a fitment that looks rather like a power brick and then everything power and computer connection via HDMI goes from there.
The unit comes with the stand already attached, the screen is 54x32x.5cm, this is raised 9cm from your desk by the stand, the stand is 24x18cm in a ‘C’ shape only the left side arm connects to the screen. This means the open end of the ‘C’ shape lays flat on your desk and this is where the supplied lead connects the power and HDMI signal via a 60cm long lead that goes into one end of the 14.5x6x4cm block that is not only the power supply but also the HDMI connection.
How many passwords do you have, probably not as many as you should, if one site gets infected or has a leak then any site you use that has that password is vulnerable. Not a pleasant thought so you have two main choices. Write down all your passwords, which is not a great idea, or find a way to let someone else look after all your passwords.
One such package for SmartPhones is Keeper Security. I am told more than 10% of all passwords is 123456, while of course there are still those who use default settings and one of those is err PASSWORD. Hopefully not you, or before long – maybe it has already happened – you will be compromised. The very early virus writers did it for fun and I believe that ‘Hello World’ would be displayed on your screen.
A small camera that comes with a large number of fittings so however you use it you should be able to get great videos and images up to 4K. My use of it was far more mundane but I was still amazed at the video and sound quality it produced.
The GoXtreme Vision 4K action camera measures 5.5x4x2.5cm without any fitting or extreme use case. As always with new devices I do what most people do and see what I can manage to work out without recourse to the manual. I found a Micro SD Card and inserted it, pressed the on/off button and took a short video, extracted the card and inserted it in the card reader it in my PC and watched the video without problem.
An alternative to a standard light fitment fitted with a bulb for special effects like colours or moods is to have something like this offering from ‘jedi lighting’ which provides the whole gamut of colours, shades and effects in a single clip on fitment.
It is controlled by a supplied remote control so unlike other such offerings does not require Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to use. The only things not included are the three ‘AAA’ batteries and possibly a magnifying glass for the limited multi language instructions provided on the box. A few minutes with the twenty button remote control that also has a double centre joystick (another six choices) and a flip switch on side, so yes the instructions on the box are inadequate.
Many will think of this as the same as that offered by Withings the company taken over by Nokia last year, there are some changes but these are mostly on the cosmetic side such as different straps being options with the unit and wider availability of the 40mm option.
This is an analogue watch but it also is a full featured health and fitness device that works in conjunctions with your Android or iOS device, so it can truly be called the best of both worlds a timepiece and even possibly a life saver. Anyone looking at the 36mm round face will see a conventional stylish analogue watch, as the name suggests it is stainless steel and has what looks like a conventional winder on the right side.
Most people hold their new items and Xmas Showcase in July, not sadly Holland & Barrett, they chose the start of the cold weather -preamble version- when to be fair some of their products on view would help the numerous coughs, colds and sniffles in the less than warm environment.
The venue was an old three storey warehouse in a less salubrious part of London. The showcase was on the first and second floor. After the event I asked several people what they thought of Holland & Barrett items, most replies were on the same, lines of pills and things of the like, and most have heard of their famous ‘penny sale’ when you one item at full price and the other costs 1p.
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