Publication History For : Paul Smart
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Having previously reviewed a Window Vac and lots of Vacuum cleaners, this was left to last of the three products I requested to review at the recent Karcher open day. The reason is it’s a new tool to me and is definitely not for a child to use.
Having suffered some burns in my past life as a chef I can definitely say those caused by steam were some of the most painful so a steam cleaner is a tool to be used with care by an adult once they have very thoroughly RTFM (read the £$%-&*# manual). What I was sent was the smallest size of their deluxe unit that not only cleans bathrooms and floors but any soiled or stained surface so that old discoloured tile grouting has met its match.
We all feel so much better when we are woken by bright sunlight, of course there are exceptions like if your alarm has failed to go off and you are already late for work and the boss has previously had a go at you for lateness.
Some days even in mid-summer you are not going to get bright sunlight so the solution to straighten up your body clock is to be woken by light rather than a raucous alarm. These tend to work somewhat differently by waking you slowly which may take a few minutes if you are in a deep sleep. If you are very lucky you may have around three hours during the night when you are in deep sleep the rest of the time it is a far lighter sleep.
If you travel ‘light’ then the last thing you want is to wait ages at the baggage collection carousel for your one bag. The solution is a bag that is just within the legal size for carry-on luggage and that is the RiutBag R25 a substantial backpack.
It is 50x37x15cm (maximum unfilled size) and weighs 1290 grams empty. The stated size is 55x40x20cm which I assume is when packed. The material of the backpack feels solid and a close examination of the stitching and zips shows a well-constructed item and perhaps most important it is well padded at the points where it matters on your shoulders and back. In fact when I opened the rear compartment – the one nearest your back - there is a label saying ‘hand made by 18 people’.
While Android 7 phones are still in the minority this offering from Huawei has it. Until last year Huawei was a name I had not heard of. A huge launch brought the P9 to the world’s attention and although this was launched much later this is the latest version of the P8.
The Huawei P8 Lite measures 14.5x7.3x.8cm and weighs 147 grams. The viewable screen is 10.9x6.6cm and this gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5.2inches. It comes with an Octa Core (eight) 64-bit Kirin processor and is 4G LTE which can support downloads up to 150mbps. The display is full HD 1080x1920, 3GB of RAM and has 16GB of internal memory with around 7GB free.
Most Karcher cleaning items use water – at least in part – to facilitate cleaning. Not this one as it is their entry into the vacuum market. Like a number of recent releases it uses the wand principle with the motor at the top of the wand.
It comes with a conventional shoe which can be removed for other cleaning jobs and one of the three supplied other attachments fitted. With the shoe on the wand extends from as little as .62metres high to as much as 1.22metres so no excuse for the kids not to do the cleaning. My next joy was the length of the hard wired lead its 9 metres so it is far longer than most cleaners in fact the longest I have reviewed was 8 metres.
Having recently told you about a Kurio Tablet that although designed for the younger user could equally well be used by an adult that comes with Windows 10. Here a Tablet that comes with a rubber sleeve that could withstand a knock or three.
Once booted this is a nice Tablet which could be used by an adult and you can clear 2.5GB of items from memory by removing the majority of the 51 games pre-installed. However if you do then the Tablet would no longer appeal to a child. It has 5GB of memory with the games loaded 471MB is available, and 2.48GB of free memory with them removed.
I know it’s a long time since the last Canon printer review, partly caused by Canon changing their fulfilment house. Here hot off the press is the latest Canon Pixma offering the TS5050, this is a three in one unit meaning it prints, scans and copies.
While it still comes with a CD-ROM it wants to do the whole install from the Internet. The setup on the printer unit will probably take as long as the software installation – dependant on your Internet speed – the majority of the install time will be for the rather good ‘Image Garden’ software. This is a five cartridge unit small (normal size) that if you are a heavy user will not last that long.
A rather nice phone that has the ability to fast charge via wireless, I did not try this, sticking to the perhaps safer micro USB connection. The word ‘Edge’ is taken literally here as the screen has no border at all, so the screen literally goes to the edge.
This arrived shortly before mid-day Friday and after charging I left it on for three days all the time doing updates getting emails etc. and use on WiFi while getting to know the phone and still had 30% left which I think is good. Once emptied I did a full recharge by mini USB to USB cable in 140 minutes. On a ‘normal’ work day for me – if I have a normal day – around 45-55% would be used while out and about.
Four years ago I saw Kärcher’s earliest entry into the Window Cleaning market the WV 50. So here is the 2017 version unusually with a lower number than the original at WV 5. This is the top of the range of the three currently available units.
The cleaning unit has a 28cm wide head and all liquid it comes into contact with is sucked into the internal bottle so when you clean your windows you get results as good as the professionals with no streaks and best of all no wet arms. The unit is 31cm tall and a maximum of 8cm wide. The Kärcher yellow colour is predominate apart from the odd bit of black and the see through waste water container.
McAfee Annual Labs Day 2017
Published in Misc
on
21 Apr 2017
This event took place in London just before Easter 2017 and for the second year I was invited to be among the two dozen European journalists there. Of course the big Malware threat ‘Ransomware’ was high on the list of topics discussed however as always you left with many new concerns.
Firstly let me ask a question, how many connected devices do you have in your home? McAfee themselves have just gone through a big chance in the last week their ownership has shifted away from Intel (who still own 49%) and again they have become an independent company. May I suggest you look at a site that McAfee has created and in a lot of cases has found ways to help those who have suffered attacks.
Moving files – especially larger ones – between devices like phones and PC’s has always required extra thought, the trouble is they are often last minute thoughts? Here a solution from Kingston that is as easy as plug it in to a USB port.
A while ago their solution for micro USB ports arrived here a solution if your phone has a USB C port. It is 3x1.5x.7cm and weights a tiny 4 grams. The capacity sizes available are up to 128GB the sample that I requested to be sent was 64GB simply because not all phones will accept 128GB.
A reasonably priced Tablet produced by a company in the toy field but equally useable – without restrictions – for an adult. Unlike a lot of recent Tablets this comes with a detachable keyboard and even the latest version of Windows 10 (v1607).
Kurio describe it as ‘2 in 1 Tablet + PC.’ It is creamy white with blue keyboard and screen surround. The keyboard is a little smaller than full size and has 61 keys these are just about typeable for an adult but ideal for a child. This unit has excellent Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in. I found the units five point touch perfectly acceptable. The viewable screen is 18x12cm with the notional diagonal display of a tad under 9 inches. The screen display is 1280x800 pixels.
Last autumn I saw what was described as Acronis 2017; my first tests were problematic but settled down once a build 5554 was installed. This is still called Acronis 2017 but has a far higher build number at 6116; the latest editions new features are mentioned below.
It is strange to release two versions both in the same release year this version however has more new features as well as a longer title ‘Acronis 2017 New Generation’. I am sure everyone has heard of Ransomware a very nasty infection that encrypts your files and while ‘Anti-Virus’ and ‘Internet Security’ packages do their best sometimes the nasty people win out.
I know the centre of London quite well but move a few miles away it might just as well be a different city so I find Google Maps invaluable and that came into use just south of the Elephant and Castle whilst I was reviewing this unit.
In a car the number of choices off this gyratory roundabout is probably as testing as that near Hammersmith, try either on foot after emerging from Elephant and Castle tube, you might find things even harder. This phone is one of Vodafone’s own range, same high quality as those it sells for other manufacturers but slightly cheaper. It is 15.5x7.6x.7cm and weighs 156 grams. The viewable screen is 12.2x6.9cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5½ inches.
I get the occasional chance to test items from LIDL and as in the case here they sometimes arrive in time to tell you about them before they go on sale in their stores. Here a hand blender that not only is the basic thing but comes with extra attachments for other tasks.
This hand blender measures 29cm long, the green top 17.5cm detaches from the stainless steel bottom 11.5cm, it is circular at a maximum of 5cm at the top and the base and 14cm just above the base is only 1cm across. The total weight is 600 grams with the hard wired 1.5metree lead attached. The top 17.5cm part should only be wiped clean with a damp cloth the bottom 11.5cm bit can be washed normally.
This has a very small edge top and both sides and only a normal size at the base, it is also very thin. However the most important thing is the quality of the image on the screen, this is excellent and while I tried with the controls to better the ‘Auto’ settings I failed.
It is 53.5x31x.5cm the last figure at the edges. The viewable screen is 53.3x30.2cm which gives the notional imperial diagonal measurement of more than 23¾ inches it’s actually 23.8inches. The stand is a ‘V’ shape back to front so it’s only .5cm at the back and 30.5cm at the front in total it is 19.5cm from back to front. A little surprisingly it is a standard 1920x1080 display.
How big is yours – relax you have not suddenly gone to a different type of website – I am talking about your keyboard, 46x17x3cm would not fall into the category of large, here however I am looking at one that can be described only as small.
This Penclic Mini Keyboard measures 27.5x11.5x1cm, it weighs 282grams and can be used as USB or Bluetooth. So that means the amount of desk space needed is far less if indeed any. The provided micro USB to USB lead plugs into the back of the keyboard to charge its internal battery and it can be left in place and if you plug the other end into a USB port on your PC or notebook this provides power either while the keyboard is charging or a connection so it can be used as a USB keyboard.
Around four years ago I reviewed my previous Kodak printer, I was told they were shutting that part of the business but still producing cartridges for their units. I saw a Kodak offering last month from Curry’s for a Kodak Printer so this sent me into detective mode.
The Verite name has been appended to the word Kodak and here I am looking at the ‘65 Plus’. This is an All In One unit which means it Scans, Copies and Prints. It can be connected via Wi-Fi or USB and it can also connect to mobile devices by several methods including installation using NFC. The unit is a black box so your other half may insist it resides behind the sofa or in a cupboard, so Wi-Fi would be needed for most in this case.
Having recently looked at various large and high resolution panels there is something soothing about a panel of average size with average resolution. This offering the GW2270 is exactly what the review below is all about, a 22inch panel displaying 1920x1080.
The display is 50x30x1.6cm the last figure at the edges, it has an ‘L’ shaped arm connected to a 28x12cm stand, the central 6cm is another 7cm deep to keep the unit stable on your desk. The notional imperial diagonal measurement is 21½ inches. There is only a couple of degrees of forward movement and a good 15% of back movement. There is no side to side movement but as the unit is quite light it is easy to turn the unit and stand.
This is the last of the five recently launched Health items from Philips. In fact for most the words should be ‘unhealthy items’ but that would infer that the items are unhealthy when in fact it’s the user who has the health issues. ‘Unhealth’ should perhaps be the word, when we go to see our doctor most visits will be to a ‘Health’ centre when surely it should be ‘Unhealth’ centre but that word gives my spell checker palpitations.
The Thermometer is 13.5cm long 3.5cm wide and 2.5cm in a slight curve it weights 75grams. It is powered by two ‘AAA’ batteries that are supplied. If you have been in hospital then a similar type of device has been stuck in your ear to enable a nurse to determine your temperature that works almost instantly this takes a few seconds and if you are taking your own temperature then two small beeps tells you it has a reading.
Almost every bus journey I make sees babies in a pram or pushchair playing with their parents SmartPhone. Now the SmartWatch is growing in popularity kids are going to want to play with that as well so here something that might prevent that confrontation.
This looks like a SmartWatch for kids. In truth it initially seems little more than a watch with extra screens and items to keep them occupied. This I suppose makes the watch Smart as most parents dream of keeping their small charges occupied; at home this task might fall to the TV or video/download. When at pre-school then this falls to the teacher or teaching assistant, but on a journey be it on a bus, train or car it’s down to the parent or guardian.
I think only one previous Sat Nav that I had seen has had a specific bicycle mode, this was interesting as it enabled things like bridle ways into the journey equation. A pedestrian Sat Nav would allow progress down one way streets. This offering from Beeline is rather different again.
The Beeline cycling Sat Nav uses your Mobile Phone to plan the journey and then has a small circular sealed rubber device that you attach to your handlebar to point the correct way meaning your phone can remain safely in your pocket. It is circular at 5.5cm and 2cm deep, there is a 3cm rubber loop that goes around your handlebar and its total weight is 60grams. It has a built in clock – once initially linked - which can show the time even when your phone is switched off.
The cameras supplied with this product are truly wireless – no Ethernet and no power – as they run on the supplied batteries that last for on average two years. So once an intruder is detected the image is on its way to the Cloud and then back to your phone instantly.
The initial units sent to me were designed to be used indoors but there is soon to be an outdoor version which seems to have overcome the one obvious shortfall of looking through glass. This I will of course test as soon as it’s available. Unlike all the other cameras I have recently tested this has no physical connections so no power required and no visible data transfer method as it is done wirelessly to a ‘Sync Module’ that connects to your Wi-Fi. The cameras are 7x7x2.
At the end of last year WileyFox launched two new SmartPhones, at the event it was let slip that another was soon to be launched, during terrible January weather it was launched and this is what it was all about a larger screen with higher resolution and a larger battery.
However unless you have them side by side you might struggle to tell them apart for example the screen is .2 inches larger – remember that is a diagonal measurement – the screen resolution is higher and the battery is larger. The version of Android shipped with is still six but I am told Android 7 will be downloaded onto devices by the end of ‘quarter one 2017’. The Swift 2x measures 14.6x7.2x.7cm and weights 153grams. The viewable screen is 11.4x6.
There are a number of TVPlayers available and certainly the main ‘terrestrial channels’ all have their own ‘players’ but they all need registration of some sort even if it’s just entering your post code. Here there are some extra channels not available on Freeview and this works on Windows 10, Android and iOS.
Having told you in the last few months about their excellent SmartPhone, their rather good MateBook computer I now get the chance to tell you about their watch that can bring both into focus in different ways, here the Huawei Watch.
Perhaps calling it a display aid for a SmartPhone might be a more accurate description. Unusually for a SmartWatch the software it uses is AndriodWare and not anything proprietary. The watch is 4.2x5x1cm and comes with a black leather strap. First job is to charge it using the supplied cradle that fits onto the back and the other end of the hard wired cable to any USB port be it on a PC or to a wall socket front.
Y-Cam has been producing home security cameras for a while. There latest offering is what I am scrutinising here. It is the EVO, possibly the easiest camera I have even setup. This unit is intended to be used indoors only and it is powered by USB.
It comes with a small stand so is easy to move around, however it can be fixed to a wall or ceiling with the provided screws. The base of the stand is magnetic so anything metal it is placed upon provides a firm base. Every movement within range is tracked and all video clips start around four seconds before the movement occurs and within a timeframe continue till after the movement stops.
Philips launched a range of five ‘Health’ items at their Christmas In July event in 2016, however the first available unit was late in the year and the other four followed soon after. This the Bathroom Scale is my forth review item.
While this is perhaps the most ‘healthy’ device of the five, for some trying to gain or to more likely to lost weight is a big health issue. The scale is 31.5x31.5x2.5cm the last figure can be increased if required by larger feet that are supplied. The scale itself weighs 2kilos. The clear 7x5cm display is backlit. The unit is powered by 4x‘AAA’ batteries that are supplied. There is an A5 five language User Guide with the first thirteen in English.
It is rare for me to start with the price; £20 for a food mixer on a stand is I think unique, so I asked to review one. You could probably get a basic hand held offering for this price but certainly not one with a set of beaters a set of dough hooks as well as a large stainless steel bowl and stand.
Assembly is just a matter of unpacking, remove the stand from the box along with the beaters and dough hooks, then unpack the actual mixer unit, the longest job was removing the plastic tie from the 1.2 metres long hard wired power lead, now clip the mixer into the stand and plug in the lead and you are ready to go, maybe two or three minutes in total.
If you expect your Tablet to have a hard life then you are better off paying more and getting one that will survive knocks and drops and even a degree of getting wet. In fact Panasonic launched another of their Toughbook’s on a weather balloon to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere and then brought it back by parachute and it still worked.
If you expect me to give it such a test you are mistaken, however I did take it out and about and while the temperature was below freezing but it was not nearly as low as those for the one below the balloon. I did use it in drizzle without problem. However my job is to review what is put before me and this is a powerful Windows 10 unit.
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