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With a choice of five input streams, this next product belongs to Edifier’s family of speakers.
In the past I have looked at various Edifier speaker systems but this is the first opportunity I have had to check out the company’s take on soundbars with the S50DB model. With dimensions of 112 x 12 x 10 cm (W x D x H), for this soundbar, Edifier has gone with a fairly standard design appearance of an elongated speaker unit that can either be wall-mounted or free-standing. Keeping the soundbar company in this kit are a wall mount bracket, screws and rawl plugs, 3.
Being a diabetic I have to look after my feet, most socks tend to dig into my legs so socks with special tops are on my agenda. Here also socks for the airline traveller who – especially on long hall – need to be aware of deep vein thrombosis.
The company concerned was one of the few that pulled their finger out after the range of Christmas In July events that take my time during the recent hot summer weeks. Their socks have had several wearing’s since the event and although woollen socks in this weather may seem strange they do not tend to overheat the wearers feet. I found I had been sent two types of diabetic socks, first ‘Wool Diabetic’ that although for shoe size 11-13 fitted my size 10 feet fine.
Putting your digital photos to work can be achieved with this next product from MAGIX
As a result of the digital age take-over, the collection of captured image owned by users has grown substantially. Taking up space on hard disk storage devices, these images are just crying out to be put to some useful service on our behalf Offering to be helpful in this respect is MAGIX’s Photostory Deluxe software with the release of the product’s latest 2019 version of this slideshow creating product.
Most wireless earbuds still have a cord of some sort even if it’s just enough to link the two buds behind your neck. Here nothing more than the buds that fit in your ear. So the total weight is just an amazingly small 13 grams the pair. So as they say on the box ‘no strings attached’.
The no strings goes as far as charging as instead of attaching a cable to the buds they come with their special case and the USB lead attaches to the back of that so they are charged in a fitted case ideal for transporting them when not in your ears. As regular readers know I have a somewhat problematical existence with earbuds in that my ears swell and after less than an hour they start to become uncomfortable.
HTC has just announced, at a “media pre-briefing” its latest super-budget phone. Scheduled to be available late September / early October this 6 inch 18:9 FHD+ (1080 x 2160) phone will have a retail price of £299 which places it firmly on the middle ground between the premium products and the real budget phones.
Pack your bags with plenty of sun screen as you join a family on holiday.
With that strange object in the sky beating down plus the Met Office aggravating tourism chiefs by issuing an amber health warning and advising the public to stay indoors between 11.00 am and 3.0 pm rather than going out and about spending money it does seem appropriate to take a look at a game entitled Summer Adventure which is not to be confused with Summer Holiday. This Summer Adventure game belongs to the Hidden Object genre.
This camera is much the size of a mobile phone and like a great many mobile phones it runs on Android. While it has internal storage it can also accommodate a micro SD card and indeed initially slightly more puzzling it can also take a SIM card, this is however solely so you can send data that you capture while still out and about to various sites.
The Acer Holo 360 measures 11x5.5x1.3cm and weighs 141grams with the supplied wrist strap attached. The viewable screen is 6x4.5cm which gives the diagonal notional imperial measurement of 3 inches. Bootup is 15 seconds while shutdown is 3 seconds. Going around the outside has on/off on the right side with camera button below this, the base has micro USB port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone socket.
Offering to provide self-help with blood pressure monitoring is a device from Braun.
According to research conducted on behalf of the National Health Service (NHS), around 25% of the UK adult population suffer from high blood pressure often without them realising that they have the condition. High blood pressure can occur as the result of smoking, poor diet and the lack of regular exercise. I plead guilty to two of these. The condition of high blood pressure has been known to increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and dementia.
I see a good number of professional photographers at a range of events and while a lot of them have Canon offerings there are also Olympus and Fuji cameras. Here I get to try a recent mirrorless compact system camera that is very much in their professional range which really pushes my knowledge – or do I mean lack of knowledge – in this category of products.
While it is possible to attach a lens and focus on a subject with you taking the ‘easy’ way out and letting the camera make the choices it is designed for use for those whose knowledge knows as much as the camera so they get that ‘yes’ image. The FujiFilm X Pro-2 measures 14x8.5x11.5cm. The last figure with an 18>55mm lens fitted which can increase it to 15cm. It weighs 837grams.
Adding to its extensive portfolio of graphics products, Corel has introduced the world to its PhotoMirage offering
Designed to allow the user to bring photos to life with scroll-stopping animation, PhotoMirage software comes with the claim of being as “easy as 1-2-3” which certainly brought back memory of office software of old. But back to the present day with PhotoMirage which is aimed at photographers, artists and digital marketers. It has to be admitted that PhotoMirage did not get off to the best of starts.
As you might get from the title this is a 27inch panel. Like most recent offerings it manages to take a minimal amount of desk space and also to supply an excellent image while at the same time looking after your eyes with flicker free 1920x1080 resolution.
The BenQ GW2780 measures 61x36.5x1.5cm, its stand is an inverted T with the top of the T being 31cm long and 9cm thick and the upstroke linking the stand to the support arm 7cm wide. It lifts the panel by 10cm from your desk. There is around 30% of back tilt and close to 10% of front tilt. With the stand attached it weighs just under 5kilos. It can be wall mounted should you wish and the weight without the stand is less than 4kilos. The viewable screen is 60.5x34.
The Alcatel 3V 5099D is a 4G LTE smartphone with a 6 inch screen which is competitively priced and offers a range of features comparable to those of the premium brands.
Are you ready to undergo a test to see if you are suitable to join the Unavowed?
Whenever I encounter the words “Wadjet Eye” in connection with a game, I am immediately taken back to a time when a player was meant to use their imagination to embellish the more basic environment created by the development team. In the case of the latest Wadjet Eye offering of Unavowed, this journey back also includes the appearance of a set-up file for the Window’s environment used by the game.
While for some a kitchen scale able to measure up to 15 kilos may seem overkill for others especially those using large copper pans will say at last. As the dimensions are bigger so to the great relief of those with less than perfect sight is the display.
The Salter Max digital kitchen scales measure 34x26x2.5cm and the weighs 1.365kilos. The scale can weigh from a single gram up to 15 kilos or 33 lbs. Most kitchen scales will measure amounts up to 3kilos or more recently 5kilos they are small in size and that - when not in use - is a plus but when larger bowls or pans are placed on the scale there are two main problems firstly things can weigh too much and it is also hard to read the display especially if a bowl or pan covers the display itself.
With a range of versions, MAGIX has released its latest music making software.
MAGIX, the popular provider of multimedia software, has just released a brand new version of its Music Maker product. Originally making its initial appearance some 23 years ago, this latest version of the MAGIX loop-based music production software is available in five different packages including a free download.
This is neither large nor heavy so ideal to use when out and about. A black sandwich with silver grey slices, it is a Notebook and a Tablet running the latest version of Windows 10 V1803. Three sides of the screen have tiny edges the forth the bass is the less than usual place to find the webcam. There are other surprises like only USB ‘C’ ports.
The Dell XPS 13 "2-in-1" convertible laptop measures 30x19.5x1cm at the front and 1.5cm at the back it weighs 1212 grams. The diagonal imperial measurement is 13inches As this folds back on itself the rear is clear of any ports. The left side has USB ‘C’ and headset 3.5mm socket along with a button to show the current battery state in 20% increments. The front is also clear apart from an LED to show when the unit is on.
Leave your hands free for other tasks when using this Filofax kit.
Tablets (of the electronic rather then medical type), of whatever size and operating system, are generally advertised and offered for purchase as portable handheld devices. But sometimes this categorisation does not always fit in with the needs of the user when specific occasions arise.
A couple of days before the UK launch I was invited to a breakfast briefing in a swish Kensington hotel to see this conference room camera in action. It is designed for a meeting of between say five and ten people and also remote connections can connect to become part of the meeting. I emphasize part of the meeting as normal conference room cameras do not do this.
The "Meeting Owl" conference webcam measure 10cm across at the base and slightly less at the top of its 28cm height. Its camera is a range of cameras around the top under a 1cm dome hence the name ‘Owl’ as it sees all round without moving, whereas with normal conference cameras they take a viewpoint and if someone at the periphery of the view is speaking even if speakers pick up the remarks the camera view cannot change.
The Philips monitor 272B7QU is a high-end QHD 2560 x 1440 display that offers, in addition to high performance, good ergonomics and a built-in docking station.
Even as one unpacks it, the first thing that one notices about this monitor is its weight. At over 7kg, it is roughly twice the weight of many other 27 inch monitors. This is no doubt due, at least in part, to it being able to deliver up to 60W to external devices via its USB 3.1 ports. This 27inch screen, which forms part of the Philips “B” line is mounted on a spring-counterbalanced stand on a turntable base.
Returning to the land of Dwarves, some rebuilding work is required.
Having missed the original title of “Rune Stones Quest”, I can only guess at the ferocity of the battles and destruction caused as the Dwarves fought the evil sorcerer in this game. Fortunately the follow up offering, appropriately entitled “Rune Stones Quest 2” gives you the opportunity to put right the damage caused to the Dwarves Kingdom in the first game.
A small screen tiny buttons it looks so strange today but only not that many years ago it would have been the thing to have, over 150 games built in would have at that time been unheard of. However when you are old enough to remember these sort of basic offerings the one thing you certainly don’t miss – as a music lover – is the terrible music and sadly that is still here.
The console is 9.3x5.5x2cm and it weighs 72grams. The viewable screen is 3.5x2.8cm. Below the screen on the face of the unit are a five position joystick, to its right round buttons marked A and B and below this two bar buttons marked Reset and Start. Near the bottom on the left side is the speaker. On the left side a slider button for on/off and below this a volume control.
The Goji Go, as you might suspect from its title, is an Activity Tracker. Well-known for its production of computers, smartphones and audio equipment, Goji Electronics has opted for a basic, no frills approach with this particular Activity Tracker.
The Gogi Go is a wristband unit, which can be worn on either wrist depending upon the wearer’s choice, has dimensions of 19.2 x 52 x 12.2 mm and weighs 16.6g. Attaching this wristband proved easier when somebody else was available to hep with the task. The wristband features a couple of metal studs which need to be inserted into appropriate holes on the band. Applying the necessary pressure, while holding the band in position, was not the easiest operation.
Maxcom are quite a new phone company to arrive in the UK, they have been in Europe for some years. While this is not exclusively an older persons phone it would certainly be useful to allow someone to keep their independence and as it has an emergency call button on the back providing the phone is within reach, then help should come when needed.
This is a Flip Phone and it has its own charge dock so close it up – unflip – and when at home it can remain docked beside you so it’s never going to run out of battery. When docked there are three indicators on the area near the top battery, phone and message. Just above this is the camera and LED flash. The other side has the emergency button and beside that the more than adequate speaker.
It is a while since I last took a look at a Jabra product but then along came the Elite 65e.Usually when a personal listening device with A
ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) capability arrives for review, it is of the over-ear or on-ear type of headset with well-padded cans. However this next product, the Jabra GN Elite 65e, features ANC technology within a set of in-ear phones that come supplied with a set of small. Medium and large EarGel inserts. There was also meant to be three sets of EarWings but they were nowhere to be found in the box when I removed the content.
As an ex chef and keen home cook for over fifty years I know that food poisoning is a rather nasty - and for some – potentially dangerous condition. So basic hygiene is key and knowing when various items are hot enough to kill bugs is vital so a quite simple tool like a meat probe is not just useful but vital especially when dealing with larger items.
While a lot of what keen foodies will enjoy at Heston’s outlets are considered by many to be strange combinations they still receive careful preparation. This comes with two ‘AAA’ batteries which need to be inserted into the head of the unit. This is covered by a silicon rubber sleeve that is a tight fit but needs to be partially removed to allow the battery door to be slid off to fit the batteries.
Bluetooth Smart Analyser Pro Model 9192 is one of the Salter MiBody range of body analyser scales. As well as the basic function of measuring one’s weight, it will be useful for those monitoring BMI and other parameters as part of the physical health regime for a group of people.
These scales, working in conjunction with a smart phone app, keep track of body fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) all of which are significant to many health conscious people. The Analyser Pro, which is white in colour and has a top plate of toughened glass, is roughly 31 x 34 cm and is almost circular in shape.
Can you repair the damage caused by a sorcerer and an evil army in this next game?
Set in medieval times, Storm Tale is a Green Sauce developed Match 3 game that is based on a village that has been devastated by a prophecy involving an evil sorcerer named Tyranus. Following a terrible storm brought about by Tyranus, a terrible army attacked the village, stealing its possessions and then burning it to the ground.
This product consists of ten bags of one size and five bags of a larger size, three air exaction valves and a pump to remove the air so whatever you want to ‘keep fresh’ without air making it go off, you are able to store items in a fresh state for far longer by being in a vacuum.
Vacuum packing is not new but home vacuum packing is, Chefs use vacuum packing in preparing a lot of items. The bags provided are high quality reusable nylon bags and so the curse of single use plastic is slightly lessened. The pump is polypropylene and the valves are silicon and nylon. All are cold resistant to -20 degrees Celsius and heat resistant to 100 degrees Celsius for up to 15 minutes. The two bag sizes are 26x28cm and 20x22cm.
The Huawei development team has obviously been hard at work of late as can be seen by the release of the company’s Honor 7S model.
As this handset is a member of the Honor family of products, prospective customers will no doubt expect an attractive price point. Huawei does not disappoint in this respect. The Honor 7S will be available from Hihonor, Argos or Three priced at £99.00. The Honor 7S handset is available in a choice of Gold, Blue or the Black colour of my review sample. With dimensions of 146.5 x 70.9 x 8.
For those whose preference are earbuds over headphones quality brand Sennheiser have now several items in this category, here a set of buds that use Bluetooth so they fit in the ears and the only connection is that between buds that goes around the back of your neck.
As the buds go that little bit deeper in the ear than with standard earbuds it is very important you choose the correct size from those offered. By going that bit deeper the sound has a bigger area of the ear to work with. The version of Bluetooth is 4.2 and the buds are said to give you up to six hours of time between charges, I got close to eight hours on one charge and the others were at least seven hours.
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