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For those who need a larger screen than even the largest phone can offer and need to be able work when out of Wi-Fi range then a Tablet such as this sold by Vodafone may well solve all your needs just don’t hold it to your ear for answering a phone call.
It is 25.5x15.5x.7cm and weighs 450 grams. The viewable screen is 21.5x13.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 10.1 inches. The native display is 1920x1080. The edges and back are silver grey with the standard shiny black for the front which unfortunately does show finger marks. The edges are very smooth with on/off and volume rocker towards the top of the right side and the base as well as the left side having nothing. The top has 3.
Data is valuable. It is up to you to ensure it is fully protected especially when it is being transported.
Call them what you will – whether flash drives, thumb drives or whatever – these items have certainly made it easier to physically transport data between locations and computers. However this functionality brings with it an increase in the possibility of this data being lost either accidentally or being misappropriated by others.
The Ambiano Premium Stand Mixer, ref. 68007, will go on sale in Aldi stores nationwide and online as one of the company’s “specials” on 20th October. It is a solidly build traditional food mixer which comes with extra accessories to increase its versatility.
Employing a 1000W direct drive motor for reliability the machine offers eight different speed settings from slow for gentle mixing or kneading up to a high whisking speed. The rotary switch also offers a pulse setting. It certainly appears to be robust enough for all domestic food preparation tasks and it had no problem in kneading dough even though, in the instruction book, there is a warning against overheating. The mixer, which is available in red, cream or champagne, is provided with a 4.
While top of the range SmartPhones are in the middle hundreds there are a few ‘more basic’ offerings often with older operating systems that are available for say £50. So what can you expect to get for well under one hundred pounds?
One such is the Obi MVI which looks a little different simply because the top is flat and the base is curved. It has – like some other phones – a skin over the Android 5.1.1 operating system their offering is called Cyanogen. It is a little different in that all the Apps are displays in groups under the initial letter so in a way you can move quicker to what you want.
This is the latest version of the backup software that has protected me for many years. They do two versions one you purchase outright and other a 12 month subscription which of course will give you lots of updates during the year.
I usually just install the latest version on my work machine and continue my regime of weekly full backups. Being a belt and braces person, I also do separate backups for emails and for any work in progress files.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2017 forms one-third of the company’s latest batch of protection software for PC, Mac and mobile users.
As with Kaspersky Total Security 2017 reviewed recently, this software product is available for different numbers of devices on a one or two year subscription basis. Depending upon your needs, you can purchase this product to cover 1, 3, 5 or 10 devices using a mixture of Windows, Mac, iOS and Android platforms.
The Philips 27-inch 272B7QPTKEB professional monitor with its quad HD resolution incorporates a pop-up web cam and is targeted at meeting the needs of business both in terms of performance and space.
With its effective viewing area of 596 x 335mm one can display three virtually full size A4 pages alongside one another or a massive spreadsheet and, in all cases, the 2560 x 1440 Quad HD resolution ensures that small type is extremely readable. In addition, it enables one to present photos and other images in high quality with good colour rendition.
This is a DSLR in a body so small that you assume it isn’t. It comes with a 14-42mm lens and is smaller than even some small digital cameras, it has a neck strap it has a viewfinder and it has a flash shoe in normal conditions you might never use any of them.
The Olympus OM-D measures 12.5x7x8cm and weights 534grams. The right side has a neck strap anchor and a hinged door behind which any SD Card you use lives. The left side has the other neck strap anchor and a rubber bung over the external connectors. The back has a 6x4.
In the middle of July during the year of 64AD, the city of Rome was engulfed in flames with the Emperor Nero an interested spectator. Nearly two thousand years later a company, called Ahead Software released burning software named Nero after the long dead Emperor. A further ten years was to pass as Ahead Software metamorphosis into Nero AG and the company’s software took on the role of a multimedia suite while retaining the Nero name.
Released in Classic and Platinum versions, the 2017 edition of Nero contains a collection of tools to handle aspects of your digital life. This review is based on the Platinum version of Nero which is priced at £89.99. The classic version comes at £20 less with upgrades for both products available at 50% discount from any previous version.
Inspired by Slavic mythology, Eventide Slavic Fable is a Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game.
Just 12cm wider than an A4 unit this six ink inkjet offering might solve problems for those who need the ability to print A3 as well as A4. It can also print direct from a range of cards and memory sticks, connection can be via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB.
The Epson XP-960 measures 45x37x15cm however if you place this on a shelf you would need a few centimetres more on the last figure the height to add or remove items from the flatbed. You will also require around another 13cm in front for the paper output tray and TFT screen to open so 45x50x28cm should be the overall space requirements.
While Currys / PC Word sell products from various manufacturers, the company also offers some of its own products such as this set of headphones.
The Goji Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones forms part of the Currys / PC World’s family of in-house products. This set of headphones is of the over-the-ear variety. Included in the box with the headphones are a micro-to-standard USB charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable, instruction booklet and a draw-string soft carry pouch for keeping everything together when not being used and in transit.
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.
Originally developed by Avid and now part of Corel’s extensive range of graphics products, Pinnacle Studio has recently been made available in its version 20 guise.
Depending upon your needs, this collection of video editing tools is available in a choice of Standard, Plus or Ultimate versions. Both 32 and 64-bit editions are available. I have been looking at the 64-bit downloadable version of the Ultimate product. The combined action of downloading and installing the Studio software was rather time consuming. While the process was taking place, I took the opportunity to watch a full movie on television.
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.
Making a change from the usual diet of Bluetooth speakers, this next product relies totally on an audio lead connection.
The M2280 is another member of the Edifier family of speaker units. This particular model is described as a multimedia speaker system. It consists of free-standing left and right speaker units that come with cables for connecting the speakers, power lead and an audio lead plus a small User Manual booklet offering basic instructions. Clearly marked with Left and Right insignia, the two speakers have dimensions of 240 x 124 x 125mm (H x W x D).
Describing itself as “an original hidden object adventure”, The Travels of MARCO POLO has been developed by Totem Studio and is now available on the GSP game label forming part of the Maximum Game family.
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.
For the man who has everything, including unwanted body hair, this next item might be appreciated.
As part of its line up of recommended grooming gifts for the man, who wants to look his best for every occasion, the Philips Series 1000 is an electric razor. However unlike most electric razors, this product has been designed not for use on the face but instead for other areas of the masculine body. As a result this product is classified as a BodyGroom device offering a manscaping experience for those wishing to have the ultimate smooth body without any unwanted hair.
As the start of the school year comes rushing up both parents and students start looking at new laptops. While the former want value for money and an assurance that it will do what is wanted of it, for the latter, style is also important.
In terms of basic specification the VivoBook Max X541SA should tick all the right boxes. It is available in an attractive brushed finish in either silver/white or red/blue and has a 15.6 inch 16:9 (1366 x 768) screen, an Intel dual-core Pentium processor N3710 1.6/2.56GHz (burst), 4GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive.
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.
What do Rio, Sydney, Boston and Ibiza have in common? They are all product names for headphones.
Established in 2010 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, Urbanista is a company that was formed out of a vision to glorify the urban lifestyle following a concept of designing for life in motion with the development of its various headset products. A rather high fluting look at the company’s raison d’être you may think but it does provide me with an opening for this piece.
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.
It is up to you to ensure your computer and mobile devices are protected from malicious threats.
Described as “Our best protection for your family on PC, Mac, Android™, iPhone & iPad”, Kaspersky Total Security software comes as either a download or retail purchase package. Actually that is not strictly true as the retail package does not contain a physical copy of the Kaspersky software.
It was the title that first caught my attention with this next game.
With a title that reminds me of some earlier arcade games that use to dominate my game playing sessions many years ago, Invasion 2: Doomed seems like a follow-up title which it is but isn’t. It is a follow-up in that the two lead characters are the same as those in Invasion: Lost in Time but the story line has no connection.
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.
Sometimes it is worth taking a second look at a product that failed to impress the first time.
It was about two years ago that I first encountered the Chromecast technology that allowed user to stream content from the small screen of a mobile device to the larger viewing area offered by a television set. It has to be stated that my experience with the product and technology was hardly inspiring. In fact I was so disappointed that I quickly put the product to one side and forgot about it as more appealing offerings grabbed my attention.
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.
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