Publication History For : Paul Smart
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Bob Marley is the name most think of when someone says Marley and I understand there is a connection to these headphones if only in the garish colours that some of the items in the range of headphones have in their colour choices.
This is a sober set of small on ear headphones. Sober was used as the colouration of two tone grey with a black and white striped cord is very sober in comparison to some of the headphones bearing his name. I have an average sized adult head and I was perfectly happy with these on zero expansion so they may be a little big for a child or small adult. There is a total of 3cm of expansion on either side.
Two items from the Homedics range that would not normally receive my attention, being Diabetic I know I must look after my feet but for those who do not, a device that may help, I am long past worrying about my looks the second might improve your complexion.
Badly fitting shoes or socks may cause your feet to rebel and if so you get rough or damaged skin on the soles of your feet and if so it needs to be smoothed away. The box says ‘easily buffs away hard skin for visibly softer feet’. It is 15cm from top to bottom, 7.5cm wide at the head end and 3cm wide at the same point. It weights 165grams. It runs on three ‘AAA’ batteries that are supplied.
There are two companies I think of who design specifically for the hard of hearing. In fact this is often the older person who not only has hearing difficulties but also sight problems, so it’s not only a phone to let you know someone’s calling but one so you can hear what they are saying.
The PowerTel M7510 is a flip phone so in your pocket it is 10x5.5x2cm and weighs only 108 grams, open it and the 10cm length becomes 19cm. The viewable screen is 5x3.5cm which those into the imperial diagonal measurement will call 2.5inches. It is capable of displaying nine lines of text. When phones like this first came out they were exactly that – phones - now they have a camera can play video and even have a sound recorder function.
Not a name I had heard of until shortly after the launch of the Huawei P9 when I found out this was a sister company, so when I received an invite to a breakfast briefing I accepted, I am not keen on rush hour travel at my age and when the venue is nowhere near a tube station even less and worse still it was held on a day when your umbrella was as much use to keep you dry as a colander.
The Honor 5C measures 14.5x7x.7cm and weights 156grams. The back is brushed aluminium and while the front is black it’s not over shiny so your fingermarks are not that pronounced. The curved edges make the phone feel comfortable in the hand. The right side has the volume rocker and on/off button. The base has the speakers and between them a mini USB for charging. The left side has entry point for SIM and micro SD card and finally the top has 3.5mm port for headphones.
This is a small video camera that is designed to be fitted to you rather than held by you, the main people to take advantage of this are those who take extreme sports to a new level and record their progress and then when they show their mum get told what an $%^&* they are.
Unusually Halfords decided to hold their Christmas event not in July as everyone else does but at the end of September. While it was predominately bicycles, there was a range of items for motorists and a smattering of technology items.
Firstly it seems that you need a name to sell a bike so Victoria Pendleton, Bradley Wiggins, Laura Trott to mention just three all had examples on show together with a range of others for young children up to adults at prices from reasonable for a basic model to eye watering to me as a lapsed cyclist since I finished doing my paper round in the late 1950’s. For young children there were a range of sit in cars and also a range of scooters.
A very powerful gaming notebook from HP with a screen resolution that I have only previously seen on very large monitors 3840x2160, lots of memory and the latest Intel i7 processor and just for good measure Bang & Olufsen speakers.
Soon – dependant on how early you need to get up – it will not be in daylight, so those morning rise ups for work become harder. There is a way to wake up more gently and that is by something like this light rather than a harsh alarm clock.
Not an entirely new product as I have used and reviewed several previous versions, this however is certainly the smallest unit. It is circular but on a tilt so it’s 20cm across and 20cm tall and has a footprint with power lead attached of 14cm. The light part is the vast majority of the front with only the lower 7cm being the digital clock and touch screen control buttons below that.
This is the latest SmartPhone offering from Vodafone, as its their own brand you pay a little less but still get all the functionality that a recent Android SmartPhone has to offer, it looks Smart but you save just a little on the cost of it against a similar device from some manufacturers.
The Vodafone Smart Ultra 7 measures 15x6.9x.7cm and it weighs 162grams. The viewable screen is 12x6.8cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 5.5inches. For those - like me – who turn their phones off the 30 second boot time is not that impressive but the shutdown is more normal at 3 seconds. Going around the outside has the 3.
These buds are ‘tuned for performance, won’t fall out’ according to the box, so while the only gentle jogging I do is when I am late for a bus or train I can do lots of violent head movement that will often make earbuds lose their seating.
The pair given to me at an Xmas In July event were turquoise blue. Unusually no buds were fitted to the unit; instead there were four different sets in a plastic bag. This can be a good idea as you are not tempted to try the buds fitted without thinking are they right for me. I decided on the second smallest and I have worn this pair without problems during all my tests.
This is one ‘reasonably’ priced brand that is sold by high end audio retailers. So if they choose Sennheiser from the vast range of headphone manufacturers surely anything that Sennheiser bring out must be worth a look at.
This is specifically a gaming headset that is designed for 7.1 systems but also works quite well with 5.1 systems or lower. With the headphones spread to the earpieces being parallel and the extension arms fully extended there is 21cm from the base of the earpad to the top of the well-padded headband. This includes the maximum extension of 5cm each side. Let’s just say if I met someone with a head that size I would not pick a fight with him.
This small digital camera is made to withstand a tough life. It is also able to function underwater the claim is 15metres and the shock proof claim is 1.75metre drop, neither did I test but I take the manufacturers word, it has a bright yellow front just in case you drop it underwater.
The Fujifilm XP90 rugged, compact digital camera measures 11x6.5x2.5cm and it weights 207grams. Any camera that has a waterproof element needs to be well sealed which firstly means no visible movement of the lens when zoomed this is achieved by a periscopic movement within the case and the lens itself needs to be double skinned, next any part that opens IE the battery bay needs a good seal and a double lock.
A simple thing that I am sure we all have at least one of, this however is something different as it is a lot taller than most, it is very solidly constructed and I see that it comes with a ten year guarantee and it still costs only £10.
Milk pans are often flimsy things and normally quite low the one I have had for years is 14cm across and 7cm tall, it weights 325grams. This offering from Wilko is still 14cm across but 12cm tall and weighs 675grams. The inside is coated in a non-stick material, the outside is stainless steel.
I am told there was a long struggle with authorities before this name could be listed as a trademark in the USA. However now this underwear brand has passed naming tests I put a pair through wearing tests to see if they do what they claim.
What claim you may say, well it’s in the name that your balls will be comfy. A few years ago I would have said that this article would only be on interest to men but I read that the vast proportion of male underwear is purchased by women and I assume not for their own use. Trunks, Y-Fronts – remember them – briefs are just three types of underwear, these are described as long boxers.
Philips have long been a big name in lighting and their range of Wake Up Lights are very popular and far more humane than an alarm clock, more recently they have had a range of infinite coloured bulbs controlled by an App here something different a kids projector with 24 images which can also be a nightlight.
Think an upside down cone with the sharp end removed, it is 12cm tall 4.5cm across at the top and 11.5cm across at the base. The images are on a circular disc that has eight images spaced around its edge, there are three of these they fit in the unit 5.5cm from the top and can be turned when in the unit to show whichever image you prefer. At the base is a three position slider which in the rightmost position is a night light the central position is off and the leftmost the top facing projector.
Not in itself a new item but apart from the normal screw fitting style available for this sort of Wi-Fi bulb this unit also comes with bayonet fittings far more often found in UK home and because these bulbs are thicker after the thread they often will not fit into wall fittings.
This unit plugged straight into one of my hang down from the ceiling leads and once switched on immediately gave a nice bright light far stronger than the standard 60watt bulb it replaced although the notional figure is 75watt equivalent it seemed brighter. Next download the LIFX App from either the iOS or Android store again straightforward and just 17.1MB on my Android device.
First a three pin plug that folds into something very small and has two 2.1A outputs on its back. Second a set of earbuds but far from being standard the excess cable wraps around the wrist available in a variety of colours and three different styles.
7.3x5.5x1.5cm is the total size of this unit that can easily slip into your pocket so that wherever you go that has mains power you can charge whatever devices you want and because it has 2.1A outputs it can do it very quickly. The first 3cm of each side folds out to form the front edge of a 13amp plug.
Having recently told you about a 64GB micro SD card from Toshiba, here a standard SD card and a coloured USB stick get put through their paces in a range of devices and also with computers with different operating systems.
The cards class and speed make all the difference and when shooting video from a camera is a good way to know if your class and speed is adequate. Speed used to be easy to judge with the number shown on the card 2 was around 2MB/s, 4 was around 4MB/s, 6 was around 6MB/s, 8 was around 8MB/s and the best was 10MB/s which was a 10.
I am always worried when I see something that has a similar name to an already reviewed product, this I am told is different as you now have Bluetooth but even though my memory is short these still look familiar, why not Further Grind or even Grind 2.
20cm from the bass of the earbuds to the top of the padded headband is the maximum size this includes the 3cm of adjustment possible on each sideband. The earpads are circular at 7.5cm and the weight of the unit is 180grams. When the unit is at maximum size there is a wire that runs down either side just inside the frame but when at minimum size this juts out and could catch. I was happy with them at their smallest size as this leaves a small space at the base of my ear for it to breathe.
This is possibly the simplest way to clean your carpets, the technology means they dry a lot quicker, the one problem you are left with is where you put all the furniture while this product does what it does for you and your carpets.
From the moment I opened the box I was happy, as a reviewer items that come out of a box need to go back in the box and the three main components that make up the machine have clear positions and the large bag with all the extras fits down the side. With something like this unless you live in a very large mansion it will not be used every day or even probably every week so storage or everything together is important so the next time it’s needed the parts are all immediately available.
The range of Christmas In July events are always hard work with often five of six events to cover in day. One thought my aching back, legs, shoulders and everything else looks forward to is trying the latest items from Homedics.
I have previously reviewed similar smaller items but they were all battery powered which made them lighter but naturally that meant with less power to delve quite as deeply into the problem areas. This unit comes with a 2.2metre mains lead that is hardwired into the base of the handle.
A gift that anyone wanting to get into baking will appreciate, a flat surface 5kilo kitchen scale, an instant read thermometer and a timer. Best of all they all match so even the kitchen that has them in will look smart before cooking starts.
Salter are the name in small scales this 5kilo offering allows you to place a dish or bowl on the scale and reset it to zero so that adding a certain amount of a substance does not require any maths, you can then add the next ingredient or should you wish zero again and carry on until you have all the ingredients. The scale is 22x19.
A 5 inch SmartPhone from Archos called 50 Power, it looks like many other phones but your secret is that it is sold SIM free and costs somewhat less than a lot of equivalent phones; it can be either a single SIM or dual SIM phone.
This Archos Android Phone 50 Power measures 14.5x7x.7cm and it weighs 147grams. So let’s start by explaining the one or two SIMs the back is non removable so the battery cannot be replaced by the end user. Using the supplied pin type device press on the hole in the upper right side of the case to revel the SIM carrier, SIM one goes further in while you can then put SIM 2 at 90 degrees or if you prefer a Micro SD card.
While it is a pod coffee machine the Bosch Tassimo Joy can dispense other hot drinks and unlike most coffee machines it accepts coffee from a range of manufacturers and so if you have a favourite coffee shop brand and they do a Tassimo pod then you can have your fix at home.
This coffee machine is 28cm tall – this increases to 36cm when the top is open to insert a pod – 22cm wide at the front and 34cm deep. Before you can start using it you need to follow the instructions to flush the unit out and this unit comes with Britta Filter tablets to ensure good water.
It seems a shame that virtually no phones come with a protective case as standard. Here are two offerings the first for the excellent Huawei P9 and second for either the iPhone 6 or 6S, the first called Tudia and the second Defense.
This is a light but strong case to protect what is a very good camera phone yes the one with the dual Leica lenses. This is my phone camera of choice and I have taken a lot of great images with it apart from it doing everything else expected of a quality phone. When you say to a lot of case manufacturers what cases do you have for the P9 or P9 Plus the normal response is silence, so when I was offered this I certainly made space in my review schedule.
These days young children know all about Dinosaurs even probably before they can read, I have to assume that the Miposaur was one of these but my childhood was a long time ago and while we were slightly more advanced than wooden toys the Dinosaur was not in our repertoire.
While I doubt that the real thing had a ball this one certainly does and he/she plays with it, he/she also has a wheel that moves it around, which it my historical knowledge is correct was yet to be invented. However this is a very interesting toy that like the child who will play with it has moods, and your child – like you – has to live with them. It is 39cm long, 15cm from the base of the wheel to the shoulder and 19cm wide.
Nikon have long been a good name in cameras both professional and even down to small amateur units. The Nikon L340 is such a beast available from some retailers for under £100.
The Nikon L340 measures 10.5cm wide, 9.5cm deep and 7.5cm tall it weighs 465grams, all those figures are when it is switched off. When the lens is fully extended that can add 3.5cm to the depth and if the flash is raised this adds 2.5cm to the height.
The main purpose of Wi-Fi extenders is to allow you to access your Wi-Fi signal in places that it does not comfortably reach. This kit does that but it can also give you an extra Ethernet port ideal for those devices that do not have Wi-Fi.
For those who do not know this Wi-Fi anywhere technology requires two 13amp plugs one near your router and the other in whatever far flung part of your property that cannot normally effectively receive the Wi-Fi signal, the two requirements to make this work are that they are on the ring main circuit and that it is an electrical socket and not a gang socket or a surge strip on either end.
Tablet prices are falling which I am sure everyone knows. The £49 being asked by Amazon for their latest 7" Fire sets a new low price for what is a very powerful Android tablet. So what if anything is not included in this latest offering?
The Android Fire 7" tablet measures 19x11.2x1cm and weighs 312grams. It has a shiny black front which has the nasty side effect of showing fingermarks and the back comes in a choice of colours I must keep telling myself that mine is magenta and not shocking pink. All the buttons and connections are on the top, headphone/earbud socket, volume rocker, pinhole microphone and on/off button. The back has its camera top left and its internal speaker bottom left. The viewable screen is 15.5x8.
Not a totally new item but an enhanced version and if anything it is a little smaller than previous versions I have seen. There are occasions when headphones or earbuds are unsuitable and for one reason or another full room speakers also so this small unit can then has its say.
It is 7cm tall and 7cm across at the base it then barrels out slightly and then tapers towards the top where it is 6cm across, it weighs 204grams. My unit was red apart from the bottom 2cm that was purple.
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