Misc

It looks like a plastic ball, it runs via solid battery a charging station is supplied. It works on IOS or Android devices via Apps free from either the Apple or Android store and not only will it work on the floor but also in water.

First an offering from one of the largest names in Laptop or Notebook bags STM, second an offering from probably the most used peripheral manufacturer but this time a name associated with quality DSLR cameras.

A recent visit to a trade show introduced me to a company that was involved in the development of various products that might stop me moaning about the condition of some hardware items.

At the moment I am in the doghouse – well not literally but my cat no longer considers me his best mate and is doing his best to ignore me. The reason for this unfortunate state of affairs is the arrival of the Sphero 2 from Orbotix. I have been testing this device much to the cat’s disgust and annoyance as he can not understand what it is or why it does the things it does.

As winter draws on it is becoming more and more useful to have a torch with you. Not only does the ifrogz GoLite meet this need it also provides a pocket sized universal battery backup for virtually any smartphone.

Two items that would make ideal gifts that would get used there's a battery charger to charge Ni-MH ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ batteries, both things almost everyone uses and not just live in a cupboard. Second a pen – and more - from a well-respected company, second .

Powerline communications provides a convenient way of using the mains wiring to extend the range of one’s home Ethernet network. In addition to doing this, the Linksys PLWK400 Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender Kit also provides a wireless connection which is particularly useful if one has a Wi-Fi only tablet.

The title “Gel Shiatsu 2 in 1 Back and Shoulder Massager with Technogel” is certainly a mouthful. It is also not one that you would expect to come across every day or act as the title of a product being reviewed on Gadgetspeak.com. Yet, unlikely as it may seem, this over-long title belongs to the next product on my review schedule.

No matter how skilled one is when using a virtual keyboard on a touch screen, a proper keyboard is far better when working with text. ZAGGkeys Universal Bluetooth keyboard has been designed to work with various sizes of tablets and smartphones irrespective of whether they are iOS, Windows or Android devices. It is small and light and will make a very useful accessory for those who need to do a reasonable amount of typing on their tablet or smartphone.

One of the most unsatisfactory issues when using an iPad, or any other touch screen tablet for that matter, are the finger prints and smears on the screen. The iKlear spray cleaner/polish from US company Meridrew Enterprises offers an effective solution to the problem.

A laptop bag is as much a tool as the laptop that goes in it. Consequently, it must be comfortable to use while protecting the machine and its associated accessories together with any other necessities. The Stockholm 16 inch notebook backpack in Verbatim’s Bags for Business range has been designed to meet these criteria.

Offering to increase the connectivity options of your laptop is a new product from Sandberg

This is one of those occasions when the review product was used to produce the text review of which it is the subject matter.

The first does sound like a toilet cleaner but is a brand sold by a supermarket chain of bargain price small electrical products, here an electronic toothbrush. Second a name known by all for ball point pens but here there is a twist.

Irrespective of what Microsoft may claim, Windows 8 is not truly intuitive – even on the touch screen of a tablet computer. Consequently, Windows 8 for Tablets in the Plain & Simple series from the Microsoft Press is of great value in getting started with a Windows 8 tablet and then customising it to meet your needs and then being able to get the best out of it.

I am sometimes asked ‘what is a gadget’ my answer is anything produced to make a job easier. Both these products fall into that category, first a microphone aimed at a vocalist and second a very flexible five port gang socket.

The first is an item I saw at the Wilkinson’s Xmas In July event, an ideal stocking filler for those who expect their tea to be stirred for them. The second is another stocking filler this time from Brando in Hong Kong to get your Smartphone at the correct viewing angle.

While USB Flash Sticks continue to improve their functionality with regards to speed of reading and writing files, especially those products that now feature USB 3.0 technology, they still lag well behind the various pocket sized external drives with regards to the available capacity. Currently 64GB of capacity seems to be the ceiling for USB Flash Drive and, as a result they can not hope to compete on a level playing field with devices such as the Buffalo MiniStation offering w

Verbatim’s Mobile Power Bank model 97926 is designed to provide backup power for tablets and smart phones for those on the move. Because it has dual outputs, it will prove particularly valuable for those who need to keep two devices working and yet cannot be certain of always being within reach of a convenient power source.

“Here, there and everywhere” is not just the title of a Beetles’ song but it is also the approach that many of us take with regards to the storage of our digital content. You could have stored data on an internal drive, external hard disk, optical media, flash stick, memory card, the Cloud or, if you have been involved with computers for as long as I have, the various types of floppy disks. Offering a central repository for all this data is the stated aim of Seagate’s appropriate

To many a mouse is just a mouse. It is a periphery that is used to guide your cursor around a screen and select appropriate options when necessary. However for some, a mouse can be a device that can be used to carry out different actions. Recently I reported on an IRIS mouse that could perform the duties of a scanner along with its more common features. Now it is the turn of Gigabyte to come up with a mouse that can double as a presenter’s tool. It is the type of device that tea

With the demands we put on our mobile devices, it is not surprising that their batteries struggle to cope.

A company I think of for notebook bags have produced a three in one device, a pen, a stylus and screwdriver. Second another multi use item this time aimed at keeping you fit and apart from counting steps it also takes your pulse among other features.

As data files become larger we need larger capacity portable devices to store the items we need to take with us between locations.

Taking advantage of the latest USB technology, Lexar has released a range of flash drive devices with the promise of speedy operations.

The first is a device that ‘other half’s’ will love as the cables are kept out of sight. The second is something most people need a device to keep those cords untwisted. The link they both work in the home or office environment.

The first item will charge devices that are gasping for power it will also via a Free app allow you to transfer and play items via Wi-Fi. The second item the PocketCell Duo does exactly what it says but will allow simultaneous charging of two devices.

Tablets have been able to offer users the ability to act as an eBook Reader for quite a while now. You just need to download the appropriate free app and your tablet can transform itself into a Kindle, Kobo or Nook in the blink of an eye. Now, with the arrival of products such as the Nook HD+, we are beginning to see a turn of the tide as devices, whose primary function is that of an eBook Reader, appear with tablet-like capabilities to enhance their appeal to the discerning user fraternity.

At first glance two items with little in common. However all those original recipes mixed with the hand mixer need to be written down somewhere and of course it’s not only recipes but also designs and patterns that it can hold for posterity.

With the functionality now available from various devices such as smartphones and tablets, the manufacturers of SatNav products face an increasing challenge to persuade would-be purchasers to loosen their purse strings. Why should customers spend their hard-earned disposal income on a new SatNav product when they already possess the tools that are capable of providing basic navigational information through the use of GPS and mapping apps? Garmin’s solution to this conundrum is to