Misc

Here I am looking at two different devices to provide power, the first fits round your wrist like a bracelet to power your PDA or Phone. The second is a box to provide power to USB devices when the mains are not around.

While I have checked out a number of GPS devices in the past, I was not prepared for my initial introduction to a unit from Garmin.

A visit to a recent Press event introduced me to the Singapore company heavily involved in digital lifestyle technology.

While the various members of the iPod family and MP3 players are great for one-on-one listening, they do need help when group listening is called for.

Although ratified towards the end of 2008, USB 3.0 devices are only just being to appear. An external hard drive is my introduction to the technology.

Don't bother trying to link these two items, the best I could come up with is that with the hub you don’t need to ferret round the PC and the Vacufresh you feel better because you wine keeps longer, yes I agree very tentative.

Tired of waiting for data to be transferred using USB; then the wait could be over with the arrival of the latest 3.0 technology.

The Garmin 1490T is a 5 inch screen GPS unit which offers, as well as the basic features, Bluetooth connectivity, traffic alerts and maps of Europe and not just the UK and Ireland. It is intuitive in operations, provides spoken street names and has a high contrast colour screen which is easy to read under most conditions

Recently I reported on the diskGenie, an external hard drive from iStorage. This device adopts a "belt and braces" approach to security by incorporating AES 256-bit encryption with a PIN Number being required to gain access to the drive. In fact without the correct PIN number being entered, the drive would remain invisible to the operating system.

Finally small hydro power is available in a custom format! FSP has a free calculator that you can view or download (see www.fsplimted.com) to figure out how much power your stream can produce, plus it provides “target RPM” based on the turbine diameter that you are using. This which means you can match the perfect turbine to the perfect motor to make an incredibly efficient and very affordable micro-hydro power plant. Their basic kit is available for just over $400, but p

This product is a MUST for every mad scientist. FSP’s affordable science kit has three experiments in one, all powered by a high voltage step up transformer. The main portion of the kit is a jacob’s ladder, commonly seen on old horror movies due to the huge spark it creates...

While software arrives on optical media, sometimes the destination device lacks the appropriate means to access the software. This next product could help solve this dilemma.

Retyping your hand written notes on your computer is a task that a product from IRIS offers to take care of for you.

There have been various initiatives designed to ease the problem of recharging portable devices. The use of USB and solar powered devices are just a couple that have gained credence. Now we have a device that offers to recharge multiple devices simultaneously.

Often you need access to your important data from a variety of locations. One way to ensure you have this access is to invest in a portable hard drive.

I received samples of the glue (two types) and the tape last year, a few weeks later I was rung to find out how I was going with it, my answer was I would review it when I had found the need to use each product in real situations.

A single sentence at the launch of Duracell Torches event made me aware for the first time that Duracell made rechargeable batteries. After several months I found out the correct agency and then after a couple of bouts of illness an eventual meeting.

According to a popular saying "There is more than one way to skin a cat" (with apologies to the bundle of fur that keeps me fully occupied) and this is definitely true when it comes to setting up your backup routine.

How ever big the area surrounding the keyboard there are always times when it is just not large enough. I often find the 30x20cm area set aside for my mouse to move around in taken by notes, cups or even a plate.

Recently I have felt like putting my laptop on a diet. The reason for this unusual thought was brought about by the need to test a laptop bag.

For those of you that were introduced to corporate presentations in the form of acetate slides and permanent markers things have come a long way.

To me I knew the name Duracell for one thing batteries. Here they are launching a range of top quality torches, powered of course by their batteries. However the torches themselves offer something new, not seen before.

This book by William R Stanek and published by O’Reilly contains a massive amount of information in its 960 or so pages. It is not a book to be read but one to be delved into as and when the need arises – and this could well be anytime from the moment you get the computer.

It is not just call centres that require headsets for communication purposes; ordinary users could find such a device will suit their needs.

A recent delivery from Spain brought with it the ability to charge various portable devices simultaneously.

As somebody who spends a great deal of time typing, my choice of keyboard does need to combine functionality and, more importantly, ease-of-use.

Recently I heard from a reliable source that this type of product had been recommended by a doctor as a solution to overcome a medical problem. However, to the best of my knowledge, the product in question is not available on the National Health.

While the desktop PC often has up to six USB ports, a Notebook or Netbook rarely has more than three. So with more and more devices connecting via USB we all from time to time will need a hub to provide extra ports.

Portable external drives come in all colours, shapes and capacities. Recently I have been using an external drive that offers an extra layer of security.

Taking the opportunity to give my regular laptop pointing device a break from duty, I took a new mouse from Conceptronic on my travels.