GadgetSpeak Articles
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Two useful things, the first for when the selfie needs to be more than at arms length as well as when you need not to be at that place. The second a small item to do just a single job that otherwise would involve several steps to complete.
This is from those clever USB people Brando in Hong Kong. The monopod pole when collapsed is 22cm long and can increase to 98cm. The rear end has a micro USB connection (for charging) and below this an on/off slider. The extended end has a tripod screw but this there to allow the two bits of the adjustable phone frame to be connected together. So once everything is connected your arm length will become something like 1.5metres or more.
If you have not had the battery of a mobile device die on you then you must be incredibly lucky. But do not tempt fate and check out this battery charger.
While data is generally easily accessible from almost any location via the Internet and an appropriate Wi-Fi hot spot, its availability will depend upon whether your mobile device has sufficient battery power to carry out the task. When the mobile device does not have enough power then problems can arise. It would be great if we could simply log on to the Internet or some other system yet-to-be developed and carry out recharging the battery powering our mobile devices.
Do you want a fool proof way to access your photos, videos and music on a range of devices? While OTG is great it does not work on all devices. This uses Wi-Fi to do the work so once the data is on the unit it can be accessed.
The unit is chunky at 14.5x8.5x2cm and weights 250grams. Data can be attached or removed by USB and this device has both USB3 and USB2 ports. Charging of this solid battery powered unit is by a lead provided. One moan that when charging there is an LED that shows red from empty till fully charged when it shows green, it would be nice to know something in between. There are three other LEDs on the face on, Wi-Fi working and Wi-Fi linking.
Vax has introduced a battery-powered upright vacuum cleaner, the Vax Air Cordless, targeted at those who want the power of a full-size cordless cleaner without the inconvenience of having a trailing mains cable to plug in or even trip over.
Weighing in at 4.2kg, it is largely grey in colour with royal blue details – mainly for switches and release catches. In addition to a removable dual-purpose cleaning wand and a soft cleaning brush it comes supplied with two Lithium ion battery packs and their charger. While one battery is on the VAC, the other can remain on the charger even when fully charged.
Look after your health and it will look after you so goes the saying and this next product could prove useful.
Personal health and fitness is an issue that should concern us all. However, for some it is easily ignored due to the demands of everyday living. Fortunately help is available from various wearable devices that offer to provide feedback regarding certain health issues. Originally these devices tended to concentrate their efforts on a single topic such as how far the wearer has walked in a given period. But now devices are available to check on a range of health issues.
This next Focus Multimedia offering bundles together two Big Fish titles that feature a magical world.
Mandolins are great for giving very thin slices of vegetables, they have one nasty problem they are very sharp, most are sold with a guard but these often produce a lot of waste, all other Mandolins are push action this is a pull action.
When I saw this demonstrated at a recent event I thought it was interesting and worth looking at myself, after all a lot of things look great when used by a professional, they are less good when used in the home. The first time I used it I was amazed I cut apple slices so thin that you could see through them, OK interesting but not a lot of use as who really wants apple slices that thin.
With a brand name that suggests an explosive device and an appearance that reminds me of a slightly squashed sweet I enjoyed when I was younger, the subject of this next review is a Bluetooth portable speaker unit.
Forming part of the BOOMPODS range of products, the Downdraft speaker adopts a circular discus-like shape with a diameter of 55mm and a height of 30mm at its thickest point. Weighing 112g, and with its compact size, the Downdraft can easily be transported between locations by slipping it into a pocket or bag.
Smartphone prices are falling fast, reaching the point where you may be thinking of buying your next one outright and topping up monthly with PAYG. Budget smartphones are the sweetspot, but you'll need to choose carefully if you're not going to end up lumbered with rapidly obsolescent technology. The brand new Moto G LTE at around £150 looks like a pretty good bet.
Let's first clear up the distinction between this new LTE (4G) version of the Moto G and the now year-old previous version, because I foresee some considerable confusion, not least because the two models are externally physically identical. There's a good deal of confusion too about what 4G (Fourth Generation) and/or LTE (Long Term Evolution) actually mean.
This is the latest small and powerful option from Gigabyte who are best known for their Motherboards. They do however make some rather nice powerful notebooks that may even satisfy the lust for speed of the modern gamer.
It is 33.5x23.5x1.7cm and weights 1719grams. The viewable screen is 31x17.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 14inches. The screen is full HD 1920x1080. Going round the perimeter finds a Kensington Lock port, Ethernet port, VGA out, two USB3 ports and a dual external headphone/microphone 3.5mm socket; these are all on the left. The front is clear apart from five pin hole LEDs.
First a small round ball with a rubber strap to allow it to be attached to a bag or belt, the result you can take photos remotely on more than one device. Second a tiny 32GB microDuo OTG flash drive for transfer of data and this is USB.
With the amount of available content, either free or subscription based, you might need help to access it. This next product could help.
The Roku Streaming Stick, as it name might imply, is a product for adding streaming capabilities to a device. In this case it is your television set. Resembling one of the original flash sticks, the purple coloured Roku Streaming Stick has body dimensions of 70 x 25 x 10mm (L x W x D) and simply slots into a HDMI port of your television set.
This can work as a single triangular speaker or via a hub form a multi room offering. It can work wired, wireless, Bluetooth or even via an Auxiliary cable. If this is not enough with the right sort of TV you can improve the TV sound with the M7.
They are useable with or without a provided prop. The shape is rather like a large section cut from a round of cheese. Front to back the speaker is 20cm. Side to side it is 39cm. It is 13cm tall. The prop fits in the back near the connections and makes the unit stand firmly at 36cm. There is a curved cover for the back and remove it to reveal, mains lead connection, Ethernet, Service Port, 3.5mm input and two plus buttons for additional speaker link and WPS router connection.
Not everybody needs a printer with various bells and whistles such as Wi-Fi and remote printing capability. The subject of this next review is just such as basic device.
The Canon PIXMA iP2850 is an inkjet printer. This model concentrates all its functionality on the print aspect using two ink cartridges (Black and Colour). Connectivity is via Hi-Speed USB 2.0 with the user providing the necessary lead to link the printer to a computer. Apart from a couple of Canon Logos and a Fine Print sticker, the printer is decked out totally in Apple White signifying that Canon feels this unit has been designed specifically for home use rather than in an office.
Redemption Cemetery is a series of Hidden Object Adventure games, currently standing at five, published originally by Big Fish Games. Focus Multimedia has taken two of these titles and bundled then together in a single package which is priced at the companys usual £10.20 level.
Having done an excessive amount of walking over the recent weeks at the range of Christmas In July events this was lovely. In previous years shoulders and then backs have had Shiatsu attention, this year it is the turn of feet.
This device can be controlled by a toe as no need even to bend down to turn it on or off. It is 33cm wide, 35cm deep and 9cm tall at the edges just slightly higher between your two feet so it can even slide under a lot of furniture. Come in, shoes and socks off and relax the pressure of the day away and get your feet ready to face more work. The two feet panels are 20cm long 8cm wide at the heel and 10cm wide at the toes so all but the largest feet can be totally massaged.
If a wireless network does not work for you then this next Devolo product might provide a solution.
While Wi-Fi is the choice of many when setting up a home network, the technology does not suit every environment especially when obstructions can cause dead areas. A popular alternative solution is that provided by Powerline technology with products such as those developed by Devolo. The company’s latest addition to its dLAN Powerline series is the dLAN 650 Triple+ product.
Archos are a company that has made Tablets but a quick rack of my brain cannot remember any phones from them in the past. While this is a phone it is of course also a PDA and as it runs Android also a Tablet so a three in one device.
A Quad Core Processor with 4G capability, a 5inch screen, 8MP rear camera and 8GB of memory are just the main features. The screen resolution is 1280x720 so far nearer that of a PC than a lot of phones and web pages are very readable. It is 14.5x7x.7cm and the viewable screen is 11x6.2cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 5inches mentioned above.
The latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) speech recognition software, Version 13, is more accurate, easier to train and works with a wider range of applications than previously. Consequently, an even wider range of people should be able to benefit from its use.
DNS is arguably the most popular speech recognition application with this latest incarnation, which is claimed to be 15% more accurate and easier to use than previously, available in Home and Premium versions. Hence, there is a one to suit most people's needs and make it easier to create and edit documents as well as sending emails. Advances in speech recognition technology have enabled Nuance to make the "training" far simpler than before.
A mobile charging device, not just a standard device but one that should be able to charge your devices it can do several at once for no additional cost after you have purchased the Freeloader. This feat is accomplished by using solar power.
The Freeloader iSIS measures 13x7.5x1.7cm and weighs 228grams. While no great claims are made about its rugged uses the rubber sides and ends are very extensive and should save it should it be dropped in most situations. The box states the case is impact and water resistant, the claim is a one metre drop which probably corresponds from most peoples waists. The back of the unit has a substantial belt loop 4x4cm belt loop and there is also a Velcro strap included.
This is not a case of Jam tomorrow as offered in Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Did Next. Instead it is, in fact, Jam today as HMDX adds another device to its series of Jam portable speakers. This is the Jam Plus which, as you might suppose from its title, is the slightly larger sibling of the companys original Jam device that I reviewed last year.
The Jam Plus device is a Bluetooth speaker which adopts a barrel shape as it rises to a height of 8cm from a base with a diameter of 8cm. Living up to its Jam designation, the product arrives packaged in a container than could easily be mistaken for a jam jar. The resemblance to a jar of jam is enhanced by the various colours schemes used for these devices. You have a choice of blue, red, grey, pink or purple for this device.
This unit is designed to take up to a 15.6inch notebook/laptop. It does however have room for a few extras so could be just about big enough to contain a spare shirt and socks etc so could just about constitute an overnight bag.
The first thing I do is discover how many pockets in unusual places such an item has. This I found even has its own raincover in a little zipped compartment near the base of the outside, something I think you will never find in normal use as it will be on its base. Unzip the main compartment and you have the padded blue area at the rear for your notbook/laptop in front of that a 21x28.5cm padded area which could be for say a Tablet on the outside of this two 10.
While not everybodys favourite household task, a vacuum cleaner, especially a cordless one, can help.
Some company names have been known to take on an even greater significance through common usage. Rather than just representing the company and/or its products, its name is used as the generic term for a particular concept. One of the more recent and a prime example is that of Google with the name representing the company and that of a verb used to describe the act of searching for information.
With the various conspiracy theories, the assassination of J F Kennedy is an obvious target (no pun intended) on which the developers of games can base their work. One example of this is Hidden Files Echoes of JFK. Available from Avanquest GSP label, this game sets you the task of investigating more modern day events that are meant to have a connection with the assassination of JFK on the 22nd of November 1963.
This pair of speakers are described as Monitors which for those who do not know is a term used by musicians to have speakers facing themselves so they can hear what they are playing. Here there is a twist in that they can accept Bluetooth input.
Music is important to me, while journalism is my job; my hobby is photography and music especially Jazz is my passion. So little things like quality of sound in recorded music are something that I very much appreciate, enjoy, savour and even dare I say the word love.
While perhaps not as cheap as chips as one television presenter is inclined to mention when discussing the value of an item, the cost of additional storage for either Windows or Apple computers is becoming increasingly affordable as the amount of storage capacity on offer increases.
As I have mentioned before, on more than one occasion, my first hard drive was a 20MB model and this was considered more than ample at that period of time. However, as I am sure we are all aware, our appetites for storage has increased greatly as we need storage space for videos, music, images and software to satisfy our productivity and entertainment needs.
Now that Motorola has launched its Moto G 4G, users will be able to choose between the 3G and the new 4G version. It is an upgrade to its existing 3G version -- a powerful Android smartphone which has already attracted a great deal of attention because of its performance and value for money and which has already become the phone of choice to many who have been deterred by the high prices of other smartphones.
The new 4G weighs just 144g, is available in both black and white, and is the same size, 66 x 130mm, with a thickness ranging from 6 to 12mm because of the back is curved to enable the phone to sit comfortably in the hand. The 3.5mm headphone jack is at the top and the microUSB port on the bottom edge while both the power and audio buttons are on the right hand side. The (non-removable) 2070mAh battery is claimed to provide up to 24 hours of mixed usage.
Yes the round of Christmas shows has started, I know September has only just begun but various companies show what they think will be on your Christmas wish lists in JULY and here are the first two offerings from one such event held at the Ice Tank in London on what was one of the hottest days of the year and the venue certainly was not even cool.
As an ex chef I know the importance of knowing if food is cooked, while some like certain things rare, other items like chickens and turkeys must not be served pink simply because bacteria that lives – even in the dead carcass – and can only be killed by heat. In the box are the Digital Probe and circular battery to power it. A sleeve to keep the probe in when not in use and a small chart with recommended temperature to know if the item is cooked.
Most of us have two hands but often for taking photographs especially selfies another would be useful. So here something from Autograph designed for that purpose among others, not another hand but mounts that leaves your hands free.
In fact they also sent me three other devices that are useful to hold or steady a camera in specific situations. First a handlebar camera mount so those on bicycles can capture images as they cycle this from a company called ARKON. Next something called a Bottle Pod that will fit into most wine bottles which can be useful when flat surfaces at the right height are not accessible, this item from Polaroid. Lastly a near standard Mini Tripod called PIXI from Manfrotto.
Enigmatis: The Mists of Ravenwood is the sequel to Enigmatis: The Ghost of Maple Creek, a game that I seemed to have missed for some reason.
Available in Collector’s Edition format from Avanquest GSP game catalogue, this Mists of Ravenwood title is a Hidden Object Adventure game in which you are cast in the role of a female detective who is still on the trail of the demonic preacher from the first title. When playing this game you have the opportunity to adjust volume levels for sound effects and background music.
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