Publication History For : Paul Smart
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Just occasionally I get an email from Hoover about new offerings, one such arrived last week and I selected what seemed an interesting offering asking if one was available for delivery four days later just in time for my weekend cleaning blitz.
The next afternoon it arrived and it therefore sat in my hall for three days waiting to clear up the last weeks mess. Assembly was a matter of extracting it from a tightly fitting box and finding the handle among all the accessories and hose extensions all provided. There is one screw - packed in position with a piece of tape – so a screwdriver is required. The supplied 6 metre power cord is almost long enough to do the whole property from a single power point – another .
A notebook with decent Harman Kardon speakers, a not that reflective screen brushed metal front and a mushroom back which means not much to show finger marks all things that are plus points before we get on to what’s inside.
This Asus Zeonbook measures 32x22.2x1.5cm the last measurement is at the back and it is only 1cm at the front and it weighs 1320 grams. The viewable screen is 31x17.7cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 14 inches. The display is 1920x1080. The left side has DC input, USB port, HDMI port, USB 3.1 port and finally a 3.5mm socket for headphones. Both the back and front are clear. The right side has two USB2 ports and an SD card socket.
Magix are a name I first came across years ago and they still continue to publish software products for both home and professional use, most of their products are available to download as a trial once you can get past their ‘I am not a robot’ shield.
Any product that has reached version 12 must have a lot going for it, while I have reviewed other packages from Magix previously some doing a lot of what Sound Forge does this is the first time I have used this package. So in order to help those who have used it before my first port of call was to the What’s New tab. Firstly I gather this is Sound Forge’s first 64bit version. While an expert is probably clear with things like Slice Editing, Soft Cut and Spectral Cleaning.
Very different to the original first launched in 2014 and a little bit different to Chromecast 2 launched two years ago. It really is just a matter of plugging into an HDMI port and downloading an App to your phone the link is almost instant and then almost anything on your phone can be ‘cast’ to the HDMI screen be it on a TV or computer.
The original Chromecast was an oversize USB stick which meant at the very least it would obstruct ports either side of the one you connected to and in most cases you would need to hang it from an extension lead. The latest model is small and circular and is attached to a short lead so it gets away from the other ports on the rear of your TV or panel. It has a 1.5metre micro USB to mains lead plug so in most cases this is long enough but you can always use an extension lead if required.
A sub £80 SmartPhone is not how I normally start but if price is the most important thing then what better way. However if the phone offers the majority of things other more expensive unit do then surely it’s a good place to start.
This offering from Vodafone is aimed at the PAYG customer, it is 14.5x7.3x less than 1cm, it weighs 150grams. The viewable screen is 11x6.2cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of five inches. The screen is 720x1280 pixels. It comes with Android 7. My unit had a white screen surround and a mushroom patterned back (they call gold) which means less finger marks showing. The top has a 3.5mm socket for headphones.
While the most popular buy is a fridge/freezer combo, a lot of people still prefer a stand along freezer especially if this is going to live somewhere other than in the kitchen. This offering from Fridgemaster seems to be an excellent buy.
Before I tell you about the freezer let me mention a very important point the service offered by AO.com. You are invoiced by email as soon as the sale is made, the delivery date agreed, and then a four hour time slot is agreed. On the day an automated phone call early in the morning and then an email reminder of the delivery. AO have an iOS and Android App to let you track the driver’s progress and show the number of deliveries before yours.
Until earlier this year I thought of Sennheiser for quality headphones, then I reviewed the Flex 5000 which came with a set of earbuds, since then a pair Sports buds and now this Bluetooth offering to give you total freedom of movement.
As regular readers will know my ears often swell after an hour or so of use of earbuds so I tried the smallest buds supplied thinking they would not be big enough however because there is little of no weight on the buds as you wear the control unit around the neck like a collar (open neck) the short length of cord between the neck and the ear is not load bearing.
This is part of the Dell back to school/university range. A Chromebook is able to do a lot of things that a Windows or Apple computer can do, it can browse the Internet, collect and send emails and you can these days even store word processing and spreadsheets on it. What it cannot do is run Apple or Microsoft programs.
This Dell Chromebook measures 30x20.4x1.5cm and weighs 1290grams. The viewable screen is 25.5x14.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 11.6inches. The screen opens to 180 degrees. The base has four enlarged rubber bumps to keep the unit off your desk and allow the speakers to function, these are placed either side at the front of the base and give better sound – and more of it – than a lot of other notebooks.
This sadly is one of those occasions where the launch bears no resemblance to the availability of review samples, so while I was ready to go when the launch came my memory of exactly what the camera can do was somewhat dimmed by the time taken for one to arrive which means the time required to review is longer.
This is a camera that can work on land or under water, when used in the latter condition the ability to get a level shot may or may not be important but it does have both horizontal and vertical levels, it is of course fully waterproof and can withstand the odd drop as I remember from the presentation day. If can also function in extremes of temperature. The zoom is quite impressive and is of course periscopic to avoid any possible leak points with the normal lens expansion. The camera is 11.
The Air Chef is the second of my three choices from the Birmingham based company that I came across by accident during a visit to the Exclusively Housewares show in London early in the summer, the first was the Home Baker already reviewed.
The Air Chef is 32cm tall, 32cm from side to side and 38cm from front to back. As you will probably have guessed this is cooking tool like the previously reviewed Home Baker but totally unlike the third item still to come. Once you have unboxed the Air Chef anyone into cooking will love the choices around the 3.3x2.2cm display ‘Rapid, Roast, Fries, Bake, Pizza, Grill, Skewer and Rotor’.
A while ago I was sent some Nespresso compatible pods from a London company named Volcano my Nespresso machine failed to work – no fault of the pods – so now with another machine I can test these as well as pods from Aldi and Dualit.
If a company makes a compatible pod it’s a very fair bet that that companies machine must be a big seller and of course have the ability to make decent ‘pod’ coffee. There are two camps ‘pod’ and ‘bean’ and while a coffee shop will use beans these are best the instant they are ground so that requires a grinder so the pod is the more likely home solution. I have accumulated pods from Volcano, ALDI and Dualit.
If you have a clear desk policy then with your PC under the desk you still need to connect various peripherals and the best way to do that is a USB hub so if this hub lives in the item that need to be on the desk - the panel - all you need is the keyboard and mouse and you are working. If you still have a cluttered desk then this panel can help.
This Philips monitor measures 54x32x1.7cm with the last figure at the edge. The stand is a circle with a chunk taken out of it at the front, 27cm from side to side and 24cm back to front. There is a telescopic arm that connects the stand to the rear of the panel. The arm itself extends 42cm from the desk with the panel being able to be raised between 5 and 21cm from the desk. The panel can also be used in a portrait orientation, the swivel is anti-clockwise.
Having had a rather good fan in my office for some of the hottest part of the summer now a slightly different device this one from Philips aimed at those who may struggle without better air quality so here the Philips Air Purifier.
This Philips Air Purifier measures 66cdm tall, 35cm wide and 25cm deep. It comes assembled but not ready for use as you have to unwrap the filters which although in place are sealed until removed unwrapped and reinserted. The filters are in line, first the HEPA filter, then the NanoProtect AC and then the Pre-Filter. All the controls are on the top surface and are invisible when the unit is off.
One thing any person trying to lose – or gain – weight requires is an accurate scale. Here the latest offering from Terraillon is stated to be the thinnest on the market and because it is metal it’s solid and also very easy to keep clean.
This is however not only a scale to show your weight it also tells you other things like your body mass index, it shows body fat, body mass, body muscle and body water content. It can do that for up to eight different people and in the case of twins with identical body composition it asks which number to store the information under. All the data can then be transported to up to eight different SmartPhones using a free App downloadable from either iOS or Android store.
Until recently I was not even aware that Sennheiser did earbuds then I reviewed the Flex 5000 that came with a set. Here I have to thank Vodafone for allowing me to extend my review period with their Samsung Galaxy 8 phone as these earbuds were designed for the Galaxy range of phones and Tablets.
Lime green seems to be the in colour for ‘sports’ earbuds. These are very bright and of course they do show up in reduced lighting areas. The buds themselves come in three sizes which fit onto the overall fitment that flexes over the ear. The silicon buds are mid grey as is the control unit which is 28cm down the cable and below this once the two cables become one is the shirt or top grip to stop the spare cable moving around. 92cm further on (making the total cable length 1.
Certainly not my favourite job and one that only gets done when things get really bad or as in this case when I am sent a tool to take the hard work out of cleaning windows and best of all remove the mess so all you see is clean windows.
I seem to remember a strap line that I think referred to a vacuum cleaner ‘so easy to use even a man can use it’ it seems appropriate here but no doubt if someone used it today there would be a pack of lawyers claiming certain laws had been broken. So I will simply say I found it easy to setup and use and yes I am a man.
Unlike the recent pod machine I reviewed from Lavazza this unit requires a single power lead as the creamer unit takes power from the coffee machine as is integral on its right side. The last two months have taught me one thing my top of the range instant coffee is not a match for quality coffee pods.
This Nespresso Machine measures 35x27x12cm, the exception is where the milk frother joins the unit two thirds of the way down the right side and then the width increases by 10cm to 22cm. While people who make ‘good’ coffee at home are in two camps the ‘bean’ and the ‘pod’. This machine is from the ‘pod’ arena and Nespresso are one of the leading players.
This is an external light and a camera and it runs on a standard power lead so if you already have an external light – with or without a sensor – you can just replace it and this will come on when something is sensed and it also records automatically.
This is certainly the most expensive security camera I have reviewed. It is external and has an integrated light so it is a two in one device. Open the box and there is the light camera unit at 20.5x10.5x6.5cm and a backing plate that fits without overhang on the rear of the unit. There are two screws and raw plugs together with a small Philips screwdriver. Lift the snug fitting padding to find three 44 page manuals and one of these is in English.
On a recent visit to London during the rounds of Xmas In July I saw a rather nice coffee machine – reviewed 1st September – an electric scooter - sorry no review – and this water bottle. The contents come out as a clear liquid even if they are put in with colour, no it’s not a magic trick but the secret is in the filter inside of what is otherwise like a quality padded standard water bottle.
The example I saw at the event was the demonstrator pouring a cola into the bottle and a clear liquid emerging from the bottle. Yes I did ask the question about passing your own ‘water’ into the bottle and would the liquid coming out be drinkable, he said he had not tried it and before you ask neither have I during my tests. The bottle states ‘removes up to 99.9% of bacteria, viruses + more’.
A pair of lime green earbuds – other colours are available – have kept me company on a range of journeys in an around London. The first advantage is that your SmartPhone remains well and truly out of site be it in your pocket or purse.
These are described on the box as Wireless Sports Headphones with LED neckband.
It’s been a couple of years since I have been offered a Roberts DAB radio to review. While I have looked at offerings from other manufacturers the Roberts units have not been available. This I assume was down to the excellent PR lady I have been in contact with for some years moving on.
This is a DAB/FM Alarm Clock Radio, it is 19x11.5x6.5cm but you will need another 3cm behind it as the power lead sticks out by that much. Instead of the more normal rod aerial this uses the wire type offering it is 60cm long and emerges from back right it should either hung down or be stretched up especially for the initial scan of DAB stations, in my area it found 96 stations. This is a mono unit but you can listen in stereo via headphones or earbuds.
While I get to see a range of new phones from Vodafone here are something that I have previous not seen. First a very nice small pair of on ear headphones ideal for traveling with, second a small cube speaker for those occasions when you share your sounds.
These headphones are small, with the phones parallel there is only 13cm between them, at the same position and no side extension it is only 17cm to the base of the head padding. Fresh ‘N Rebel seems to be the name for these matt blue on ear headphones. There is close to 1.5cm of padding on each ear and nearly 1cm on top of the head.
This is the latest – and certainly the best – Nest indoor security camera that I have seen, the information about when and what was seen along with the video quality makes this a wow product for any internal security purpose you may have.
The initial email notification will say ‘Someone’ or ‘Something’ has been seen with a still image you can then click on the link and see a very high quality video with exact timeline. It is possible for you to identify people so it can say change this message to ‘Mother’ or ‘Jimmy’ for example and if they have access you can then ignore the message.
As my trips to various venues around London for Xmas in July comes to an end I smell the inviting coffee from Lavazza and here in the form of a tiny machine for your Expresso or other black offering as well as a separate machine for those who prefer their coffee white with a coffee shop head.
Always popular with Gadgetspeak readers are coffee machines of all types no matter if they are pod or bean machines and if they have good coffee with them then this reviewer gets his fill of extra nice coffee as his reviewers perk. While the quality of the coffee is the most important factor, for those who love a cappuccino then being able to foam the milk is also important and the kit as supplied to me does that. Few will disagree that the Italians know about coffee.
Not just another Tablet/Notebook this looks very different and while it has an attached keyboard there is nothing showing when it is turned off and it can also be used with a (pen) supplied as a drawing area altogether taking things in a new direction.
They do a PC and an Android version I was sent the Android one. It is extremely thin and could even be described as a book because of the way the hinge looks, it is 25.5x17.5x1cm, the last figure the thickness is at the back and its even less at the front, it weighs 690grams. The viewable screen is 21.5x13cm. Everything about this unit is minimized.
When the first ‘Polaroid’ type camera came out it was the camera equivalent of sliced bread. The models were big and the quality of the image was not that great but to see the image immediately was what people wanted to have.
Here a Hybrid camera from FujiFilm that can function as a near normal camera but still have the ability to produce that near instant image. The FujiFilm Instax SQ10 measure 12x11x4.5cm and weighs 471grams. It has two modes, the ‘Auto’ mode is what you have with any conventional camera, whatever you click the shutter on gets printed which of course can be expensive as the film strips are not the cheapest.
This is a food scale which when use with an App might help you to lose weight, that is you have the willpower to keep it up and above all NO SNACKING BETWEEN MEALS the last directive is perhaps the most important thing of all.
The scale is 26x15.5x1.5cm and weighs 606 grams with the required – not supplied – 3x‘AAA’ inserted. The batteries are inserted in the back of the scale and each corner is raised slightly by a tiny foot to insure accurate measurement. The deck of the scale has a 5.
This is one of a range recently launched at Thorpe Park on what in some parts of the country was the hottest day of the year. While it was an event I was unable to make I have been kept up to date by the excellent Acer PR Company, here the first offering sent to me.
This laptop from Acer measures 37.5x24.5x1cm at the front and 2cm at the back, it weights 2304grams. It has a grey back, black elsewhere apart from a matt very dark grey screen surround so less finger marks will show. The viewable screen is 34x19.5cm and is refreshingly matt so quite good in strong sunlight. The screen is 1920x1080 and has a notional diagonal imperial measurement of 15.6inches. There is a webcam built into the centre of the area above the screen.
Often things arrive at totally the wrong time of year, sometimes however they arrive exactly when you can get the best from an item, here one of the latter category a column fan during the hottest part of the year and over the next few weeks it got lots of use in both my office, lounge and bedroom, in the case of the last mentioned because it was nearly silent.
This column fan measures just over a metre tall and around a quarter of that size at the base, it weighs just under 5.4 kilos. It can rotate 90 degrees or be used in a static position. It is ribbed all the way up in horizontal increments and starting 27cm from the base there are 59 rows of three spaces where the air is expelled. The area they cover is slightly decreased as they near the top. The top edge is slightly sloped and the manual controls are on this area.
A flat panel that has speakers is the norm these days, they are normally tiny and do not have much volume, here something different as the speakers fit into the stand of the panel, so they can be larger and also give a far better sound.
The Dell S2418H full HD monitor measures 54x30.5x1.5cm; its stand will raise it from your desk by 10cm. The stand is a frame in the shape of a landscaped ‘D’ and the supplied speaker fits in it .5cm at the front (flat edge) and 3cm at the rear, it has two buttons + and – to control the volume. There is a short grey lead that emerges from the rear of the speaker which connects to the panel; the audio signal is transferred via the HDMI connection from the panel to the speaker.
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