GadgetSpeak Articles
GadgetSpeak has close to 5,000 product reviews and other articles. You can use this page to find others opinions on anything from mobile phones to computers to the latest kitchen appliance
This is a three in one cable, you can charge your device, you can mirror your device on your PC and even use your computer keyboard and mouse to move around your Android devices screens and even type on it should you need. Finally you can transfer data between the two.
It has been quite a while since I last had the opportunity to check out an Archos device. This lengthy period was brought to an end with the arrival of a product with a slightly unusual title.
The 79 Platinum is not a precious metal mined in a particular year. Instead it is a member of the Archos family of Tablets. As the “79” part of its title might indicate, this is a Tablet with a 7.9-inch screen. While wishful thinking might hope for casing constructed of Platinum, the reality is that this device, running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), has a sleek aluminium casing.
A dual SIM Android phone almost as large as a Tablet could be the solution to solve a multitude of problems to suit a range of users. This offering from Prestigio gives a large clear screen as well as letting you choose how to communicate.
It comes with a fitted flip case that blanks the screen when closed. It weights 260grams (including case) and it is 16.5x10.5x1cm. It has speakers front and back, the front one is at the top above the screen to the left of the front facing ‘selfie’ camera. The rear one is at the base of the back, both have cut outs in the case so they can be clearly heard. The other cut out is for the higher capacity rear facing camera.
Rather than keeping their head in the clouds, users are increasingly using this virtual environment for storing their data which is then accessible from various locations.
When considering Cloud storage, your basic choice is either to make use of storage supplied by somebody else, whether it is a paid for service or one of the free offerings with limited capacity, or manage your own Cloud storage. With this latter choice, you retain full control over the data and avoid any issues that might arise such as the Patriot Act for data stored on servers based in America.
Taking its lead from a popular television series, this next game challenges you to discover who is responsible for murders based on classic novels.
Castle is a Hidden Object Mystery game based on a popular American produced television series. The game, developed by ABS Studios and originally published by GameMill Entertainment, is now available from Avanquest as part of its GSP catalogue of titles.
A rather different Camcorder in that it is very slim and fits easily in the palm of the hand. There are various angles to have the screen so you can capture images from various positions. There are two shooting modes one normal and one almost fish eye like.
The Canon Legria Mini measures 9.5x7.2x2cm when closed; the last figure the thickness can increase to 6cm with the viewing screen raised to 90degrees. It weighs only 174grams. The front has the lens that is covered when off and beside this two rather good stereo microphones. The right side has the on/off slider, then a flip open door that conceals a mini HDMI and DC input, next the on camera playback button and finally a wrist strap anchor point. The back is clear.
While most All-in-One devices are based on an inkjet printer, this next model from Brother features a laser printer.
The Brother MFC-1810 is an All-in-One device. Combining an A4 flatbed scanner with a printer, this product provides the user with print, scan and copy facilities plus Fax capabilities and an ADF (Automatic Document Feed) feature. Rather than the more common inkjet variety, the printer in this model is a mono laser unit making the product more suitable to the small office/home environment. Connectivity is via a standard USB lead which you need to provide.
Having recently told you about a JML Halogen Cooker this is rather different. Most people will know of a Microware and those like me or a certain age know about a Slow Cooker but what does this 8 in 1 have to offer.
Glass, Ceramic and Non Stick all words in today’s vocabulary how to they fit into the GoChef. The GoChef can be used to Boil, Slow Cook, Fry that is Flash Frying Shallow Frying and Pan Frying, Sautéing, Steaming, Roasting, Fondue, Reheat and Defrost. Unlike a Microwave you can use metal utensils and two racks and a frying basket are supplied. The twelve page Instruction and User Guide has five pages of description and useful hints.
While this is a box of magic it is not innocent stuff but often lives up to the box title of Gross Magic. The box states 8+ but perhaps its best for those of even more mature minds as we dont want to give children any ideas.
I find it strange the number of young children who are traumatised by pigeons, certainly if your child is affected by them then the magic in this box will certainly make them puke or worse. Perhaps for a company who makes their name on board games and other such delightful and harmless offering this offering from Hankypanky-toys.com is a step in the wrong direction but you must decide.
If you do not have enough storage space on your Android device for your music and videos then this next product could solve your problem.
Recently I was introduced to OTG (On The Go) technology with the arrival of a small piece of kit. This kit consisted of a lead with a male micro USB plug at one end and a female standard USB plug at the other end. The purpose of this product was to allow the user to add additional storage and content to their Android Smartphone or Tablet. You attach the OTG kit to the mobile device and then plug in a flash stick to the vacant USB plug.
First an item for those who remember or maybe like me those who still have a collection of cassette tapes and a use you maybe put one to. Second a Coffee Mug with attitude that will certainly be a talking point around the office.
For those of you of the younger vintage before the CD were cassette tapes, these contained audio like an LP – hope vinyl is in your memory – however they were the first easy way to copy music so buy a 45 and copy it for your friends. Here is the up to date version for those trying to woo (impress) a friend and perhaps promote more than a friendship so in modern parlance they become an item or partnership through music of whatever style or type happens to be that persons taste.
It was nearly three years ago that I first encountered CrazyTalk Animator at the BETT Computer Show and wrote my review of the product. While many titles tend to be updated on an annual basis, it is not until now that Reallusion, the products developer, has released a version 2 of this particular title.
A meteor, strange experiments, missing children and a collection of flowers all feature in a title developed by Urse Games.
Supplied by Alawar, Questerium Sinister Trinity is a Hidden Object Adventure game developed by Urse Games and available in Collector’s Edition format. As usual with Collector’s Edition titles, this game comes with various bonus items. Some of the additional content, such as Music, Concept Art, Wallpaper and Screensavers, are available immediately while the ability to replay mini games is only allowed when they have been tackled in the main game.
I have looked at several different Kindles, the HDX7 breaks new ground in that apart from it being an excellent book reader the thing Kindle started as it is now almost a full Android tablet so the screen is in colour at 1920x1080.
The Kindle Fire HDX 7" tablet measures 18x12.5x(less than 1cm), weights 304grams and boots in 21 seconds, but of course most never turn it off and just blank the screen. Shutdown is 3 seconds. One word of warning although this can do most things an Android tablet can do you can only access the Kindle (Amazon) store which does not have such a wide range of Apps as the Android Play Store does. The viewable screen is 15x9.
Today's implementations of Bluetooth are a great way to set up wire-free audio connections. But although Bluetooth has become a standard among handheld devices few home hi-fi systems are equipped to receive it. This is where the Kanex AirBlue comes in.
My old Harman-Kardon AVR630 hi-fi system dates from the CD era. But these days all my music is either on my phone, or fed to my phone from servers in the Cloud or up in my office. I haven't listened to a CD through the faithful HK since about 2008. Mainly because there's no elegant way of connecting it to my local area network. Until now, that is. As I write this, John Coltrane's classic "A Love Supreme" is squealing deliciously from my 5.
I seem to have an affinity with speakers that have unusual shapes. This is not another example but this time from a company I had not heard of before.
Developed by Nakamichi, the NBS 10 is a portable Bluetooth Stereo Speaker product. For those not too familiar with Nakamichi, and until recently I would have counted myself among this group, I should explain that this company has been involved in the research and development of electromagnetism, magnetic recording, acoustics and communications since 1948.
Despite smartphone and tablets now having cameras with more and more megapixels, the results cannot match those of a good quality bridge camera and certainly not the performance of a digital SLR both of which have a range of advanced features including optical zoom. Eye-Fi Mobi, provides the best of both worlds as it enables one to use Wi-Fi to transfer camera images directly to ones smartphone or tablet.
The Mobi SDHC Class 10 cards are coloured orange and clearly state “mobi” and also their capacity – 8, 16 or 32GB. They can just replace an existing SD card in a camera and create an 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi hotspot. Having downloaded and installed the app from www.eye.fi/mobi via the Android Play Store or the iOS app store onto the smartphone or tablet and then switched on the camera one will be prompted to key in the mobi activation code to “pair” phone and camera.
These are both mature products and for not a great deal of money give you lots of control over your data. Both packages work with music and give the best output available from the data input. They are Samplitude Music Studio and Music Maker both from Magix and both 2014 versions.
Without spending thousands of pounds you can produce great sounding music. While it will work with Windows XP the other specifications probably mean it will be a Windows 7 or 8 PC as you need 1.5 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. 4.3GB of hard disc space and at least a 1024x768 display. Finally to load the software you need a DVD Drive. This product has won awards between 2005 and 2013 for its software.
With first living spaces getting smaller one solution is to cut the kitchen. With people of working age and no children eating out for time saving or pleasure is often more important than preparing a meal from scratch so oven.
Here is one solution that takes little room and can be used from a standard 13amp plug. In actual size it is smaller than a microwave. The glass container is round at 30cm it is 30cm tall to the top of the control unit and 36cm either side where the stand and handles jut out. Unlike a microwave that cannot use anything metallic there are no restrictions as to the material you use here. You can even cover the food with metallic foil.
Motorola, Google and Lenovo sounds as if it could be a pop group of the sixties while Moto X might well be the name by which a high profile political figure, of the same period, might be known. However the technology associated with these names is most certainly of the current era.
While the Motorola Moto X smartphone has a similar appearance to the company’s earlier Moto G offering, there is enough difference between the two models to mean that the accessories launched with the Moto G are not compatible with the new Moto X – a mistake in my opinion. As the last smartphone developed under the ownership of Google and now part of the Lenovo family of products, the Moto X will be available in a choice of Woven Black or Woven White.
A pair of speakers and a rather nice sub woofer that might even pass the other halfs scrutiny as it is in fact shiny white and therefore is more likely to go with whatever the lounge police think is acceptable whereas black probably will not.
The subwoofer is diagonal in shape 24.5x10x29.5cm. the pair of speakers are the 9.5x23.5x12cm, the total weight is just over 4kilos. While they are sold as Bluetooth speakers they also work perfectly well as a wired unit using a 3.5mm cable to the Auxiliary Input socket.
Last year I attended a press event and requested to review a couple of monitors from one company. The first one to arrive is the subject of this review.
As part of its extensive range of monitors AOC has released the e2451Fh model. This monitor forms part of the company’s Style Line that makes use of the latest LED-backlit LCD technology for displaying its full HD images on a 24-inch screen. Both the stand and the surrounding bezel are decked out in a lacquered white finish. While I personally prefer a black finish for a monitor, I have to admit that this white offering does tend to grow on you over a period of time.
This is one of those occasions when a game arrives for review just after seeing a film based on the same subject matter that was the prequel to the game.
The sixth title in the Dark Parables series of Hidden Object Adventure games is entitled Jack and the Sky Kingdom developed by Blue Tea Games. As usual with Dark Parable titles, the game’s designers have taken a well known fairy story and looked to see what might have occurred after the original tale had ended.
This is an All In One unit, that means it can Print, Scan Copy and Fax. It is very compact and you can print by normal use from a PC or by sending items across the Network or even across the world by using your special email.
The HP OfficeJet 4630e measures 41x33x17cm with the paper tray shut but the difference between shut and open is only 5cm and the paper is within that. No further increase on the 17cm height is required if you are using the sheet feed. The connections are all back left of the unit. All the controls are on the fixed sloping front lid, twenty two buttons and the 4.5x3cm six line display. Unlike some such units there is less dead time before a simple page is printed.
While many printers now offer a remote print solution through their own dedicated app, this next product offers a wide ranging solution for multiple printers.
The xPrintServer Cloud Print edition is a product that has been designed by Lantronix to allow users the functionality to send print jobs from Android based mobile devices to network based printers. Developed as part of the company’s family of mobile print solutions, the xPrintServer can also handle those devices that are running Google’s Chrome Browser and the Chrome operating system plus other units running off the network.
The Kanex DualRole Gigabit + 3-Port Hub, which is compatible with those Macs and PCs that have a USB 3.0 port, will be of interest to users of machines lacking an Ethernet port. When plugged into a USB 3.0 port it provides that missing Gigabit connection as well as extra USB 3.0 ports.
Although wireless LAN is increasingly seen as an alternative to an Ethernet connection – especially in the small screen lightweight and yet high performance laptops -- many will find the additional connectivity provided by the DualRole a major benefit. After all, a wired Gigabit connection is more secure than Wi-Fi, faster and often more convenient.
After their ground breaking Moto G handset recently reviewed what could Motorola produce next. Its called the Moto X and it looks very inviting, you can get it to answer your questions and the curve in its back suits your hands shape.
The Motorola Moto X measures 12.5x6.5x1cm the last figure is at the centre of the back, at the sides it is .5cm and it weights 137grams. The case is sealed meaning the battery cannot be changed and you have no expansion possibilities as there is no micro SD card slot. The top has a 3.5mm socket for headphones; the right side has bar buttons for on/off and a volume up and down rocker. The base has input for the supplied micro USB cable to charge it.
Two items that may suit those with a recent iPhone (it also works with a 5th Generation iPod Touch) a clip on camera to give both zoom and macro. Second a slip case that cleans your screen every time you place it in the case.
I see from the olloclip web site that this should also work with iPhone 4 models but as I do not have one I would check before purchase to make sure. It is an attachment that clips over the edge of your iPhone 5, 5S or iPod 5 generation device that gives four different possible views. Connect the red lens one way and your compatible ‘i’ device has a fish eye view, switch it round and you have a wide angle view.
Arriving looking like a drowned rat, due to one of the heavy downpours that occurred recently, I was introduced to this next makeover product. Unfortunately it only worked on digital images and not bedraggled reviewers.
Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. It is also said that the camera never lies. However, in this digital age, the camera’s output can be manipulated to tell less than the whole truth. One product that offers to help in this respect is FaceFilter from Reallusion. As it tiles clearly indicates, this software product concentrates its functionality on the facial area of the subject matter rather than general body sculpture. Now up to version 3.
This is a small inkjet all in one unit. That means not only can it print, but it can also scan, copy and for those who still need it fax. It also has the ability to print from memory stick and even to scan to memory stick if the PC is not available.
The Canon Pixma MX390 measures 42x32x20cm, add 18cm to the second figure the depth when the paper tray is open, you will need to add a few centimetres to the last figure the height to use the flatbed. The external connections power, USB fax lead etc are all back left of the unit.
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