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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.
The Alcatel One Touch Pop S3, available on the EE network as a pay-as-you-go phone for £79, is one of the cheapest if not the cheapest available 4G phones. It is an entry level phone that will meet the needs of a great many people at an acceptable price.
To be able to offer it for such a budget price it is obvious that Alcatel has had to look very carefully at the design and has had to cut corners. The 480 x 800 pixel screen is not over bright although it is perfectly adequate for most applications and its limitations are only apparent when one is actually comparing it alongside a more expensive phone. The 5Mpixel camera is fixed focus even though there is built-in flash – something missing in some other low priced phones.
Sorry not a coffee machine ones in the pipeline but something almost as vital for every home an iron. Certainly nothing like any iron I have used before it looks almost professional as are the claims made for what it does.
My own iron is probably thirty years old, it does not get a lot of use, shirts that do not tumble dry without creases and handkerchief’s being the main things it gets to do. This is totally different the iron itself is hardwired by a 1.7metre lead to its storage base so in effect the ironing board is redundant. The base has a 2metre mains lead and the iron sits at 45degrees on the base, to prevent little hands pulling it off a heavy duty clip holds it in place.
This time last year I checked out the Kingston MobileLite Wireless product. This device allowed you to stream content wirelessly to various mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. The content being streamed was stored on SD memory cards and USB flash sticks. Since my original review Kingston has been busy developing the next generation of this product which, appropriately enough, is entitled MobileLite Wireless G2.
Predominately black in colour with a white trim around the sides, the MobileLite Wireless G2 is similar in general size to most of the smartphones it has been designed to work alongside. It has dimensions of 129.14 x 79.09 x 19.28mm (H x W x D) and weighs 171g which means it is eminently portable. Connections for standard USB and SD memory card are located on the top of the unit.
So you have a Windows 8 notebook or PC but you are interested in Touch, Windows 8 was certainly designed for Touch and with the right Panel maybe this HannsG unit and a USB cable you can turn your notebook or PC into a Touch unit.
The HannsG HT231 Touch Panel measures 57.5x41x2.5cm, this figure is total size as the pull out support is built into the back of the unit so no stand to screw on. The viewable screen is 51x29.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 23inches. My unit came without a USB lead but any USB lead such as one for a printer will work fine.
Like the previous Avanquest 4 Play Collection I reviewed recently, this next collection brings together four titles under the banner of Mystery Places.
The four titles in this collection are The Secret of Ghost Manor, The Secret of the Hildegards, Tales from the Dragon Mountain and The Town with No Name. Whereas the titles in the first collection (Ghostly Adventures) were available individually from the Avanquest website, these four titles are currently only on offer in this collection. A front-end menu allows you to select each title for installation individually with the option of including a desktop icon for launching each title.
Is it a laptop? Or is it a tablet? In fact the Pavilion 11 x360 PC is a hybrid as it combines the look, feel and functionality of a laptop with that of a tablet through its screen capability to swivel through 360 degrees, hence the x360 part of the products title.
Basically this is a laptop device that is decked out in eye-catching red livery and is definitely not a product that will easily be overlooked. The HP Pavilion 11 dimensions are 308 x 215 x 21.9mm while its weight is 1.4kg. As you raise the lid of the laptop, revealing its 11.6-inch HD touch screen, you can keep on going until the lid folds back on itself to convert the laptop into tablet mode.
The Brother HL-L250CDN Colour Laser is not a small unit, it is however quiet, fast, and surprisingly to me anyway I managed to accommodate it in my office without too much effort. Certainly not a looker which might be a problem in the home as its USB or Ethernet.
The HL-L250CDN measures 40x30x48cm, however that is with no paper in the unit, open the drop down second input tray and insert some A4 in it and that figure increases to73cm. Yes not a misprint you need 73cm from a wall to be able to print with this unit using the second manual tray. Now you understand why I said it was problem to fit in my office. If this unit had Wi-Fi built in then most would be able to place it in a deep cupboard or at least behind a sofa.
The central problem with projectors has always been the lamp. Power hungry and hot, a typical projector lamp will need a busy fan to keep it cool, further adding to the power consumption, and bringing distracting noise to the party. And lamps can be costly to replace typically between £150 and £250.
Low powered and cool running, LED illumination promises to put a stop to all that. And here's the Optoma ML1500 to show how it's done.
Weighing in at just 1.4Kg, the Optoma ML1500 is a small, light, portable and - in its class - powerful projector that fits neatly into a neoprene case no bigger than a handbag.
For those who want and can receive - 4G this item is currently the cheapest PAYG 4G phone on the market. It is a smaller handset that is probably best suited to someone with smaller hands; certainly my large mitts struggled with the onscreen keyboard.
The Alcatel Pop S3 Android based smart phone measures 12x6.5x1cm and weights 135grams. The viewable screen is 5.3x8.7cm and this is described as 4inch using the imperial diagonal measurement. The top has 3.5mm socket for headphones, a pin hole microphone and the on/off button. The right side has the volume rocker button. The base has a micro USB socket and another pin hole microphone. The left side is clear. The back has a 1.
With temperatures rising during July, many companies are keen to show off their Christmas wares.
As you would expect with the UK’s largest IT and Home Electronics High Street retailer, the combo of Currys & PC World has made extensive plans well in advance for the coming festive season. It has even product a Top Ten list of predictions for the must have tech gifts but more on this a little later. With its belief in a “Smart” future, the company has created while offering a range of gifts aimed at different customer groups.
For those who have Wi-Fi but do not have a TV that accepts Wi-Fi input then assuming your TV has a spare HDMI port then this offering from Roku could be the answer. It is somewhat easier to install than the recent Chromecast was.
A little bigger than an oversized USB stick at 8x2.5x1cm it weighs only 20grams. This product streams from the Internet such sites as YouTube are always popular but standard catch-up sites from the UK broadcasters such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and Demand 5 should also appear in the list of Popular Programs to choose but there are many other categories available. One end has an HDMI plug and the other end a micro USB socket.
Adding to the already large number of Bluetooth speakers in the marketplace is the latest offering from Edifier.
I suppose it had to happen sooner or later as I come across one of those “as rare as hen’s teeth” events such as the appearance of an Edifier speaker product that adopts a fairly regular shape rather than one of those used by the company with its earlier offerings. In this instance the product is the Edifier Extreme Connect. This is a portable Bluetooth speaker system.
Nightmares from the Deep: The Sirens Call is the sequel to Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart which was reviewed earlier on this site. Do not worry if you have not played the first title as, although your character is the same in both games, The Sirens Call is a self-contained offering.
Available from Avanquest GSP game catalogue, Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren’s Call is a Hidden Object Adventure game in Collector’s Edition format. Along with the main game, this title comes with a number of bonus items, the majority of which are immediately available. Right from the start you can access the concept art, cut-scenes, Hidden Object puzzles, wallpaper, music and the Strategy Guide.
Olympus is a name big in cameras and voice recorders. So here a slight deviation of the latter into music recording and indeed the microphones needed to impart full range audio recording required for such a complex task.
I have used several audio recording devices and while the sound is normally recorded correctly the main problem is that the range is lost and this is mainly reproduced with treble heavy and bass light results. So any unit with a separate microphone to record bass is certainly worth a good test.
While the presence of coffee shops on the High Street continues to grow, we still need a means of providing our favourite beverage in the home.
Don’t get the wrong impression if I mention that I am a Mug sort of guy. Let me explain what I mean by that remark. I am the type of person who has always preferred having their hot beverage, whether it was tea of coffee, in a mug rather than a cup. Mainly because a mug holds more of the refreshing liquid but I suppose there is also some of my northern upbringing in there as well.
A small device designed to transfer files without the aid of wires in fact it is a mini direct Wi-Fi network to work between itself and a PC or a MAC or an iOS device or an Android device, it also has some subsidiary uses.
It is 9.5x6.5x1.3cm and weights 84grams. Most of this weight is its internal solid battery that means you need no other leads for file transfer. There is a Quick Start Guide a good quality sheet with a single side in English together with another side that is a diagram of the unit and what does what.
Yes its true, the oh so vital tool we all hate doing is now available for FREE from Paragon Software. The most important thing on your PC is your data. If your hard disc crashes money can replace it, can your unbacked up data be replaced?
While it does not make the time required to complete the task any easier to find the fact that you have not paid for the software – from a reliable company – can lessen the pain. The software is a download I will give the link at the end of this article. I have tried it myself on both my test machine and my own main PC.
Despite a couple of changes in ownership, Motorola continues to develop an interesting range of new handsets for the smartphone market. A recent addition to this range is the Moto E. This handset has been designed with the first-time smartphone owner in mind especially those who are looking for a well made handset at an affordable price.
Slightly smaller than the extremely popular and ground-breaking Moto G (currently fulfilling the role of my smartphone device), the Moto E has dimensions of 64.8 x 124.8mm for the width and height with the curved back varying between 6.2 to 12.3mm. With its permanently attached battery, this handset weighs 142g.
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