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Two items that would make ideal gifts that would get used there's a battery charger to charge Ni-MH AA or AAA batteries, both things almost everyone uses and not just live in a cupboard. Second a pen and more - from a well-respected company, second .
This charger can also charge the smaller 'AAA' batteries as well as 'AA' ones. As sent to me it was the charger fitted with four 'AA' batteries. Unlike the design of some other units it externally looks like it is made solely for 'AA' use but remove the supplied batteries and 'AAA' one will fit lower at the front and sit into the same chamber at the back. It is 12x7x6.5cm but 1.5cm of the first figure the length and around 1cm of the width is the overhang of the fitted 13amp plug.
As part of its family of protection software, Norton has released the latest version of its popular Norton Internet Security product.
I am sure whether to claim that this next product is the latest version or not. Having checked the product box carefully, I could find no indication that the version of Norton Internet Security was, in fact, the 2014 offering. However the box does clearly state that this product is always up-to-date as it automatically updates to the latest version so presumably Symantec feels there is no need to add a version identifier to the product’s title.
A small Tower PC but with everything you need apart from a Panel and speakers and if you connect via HDMI you do not even require speakers. While they are no longer fashionable this is small and has far more connectivity than a notebook.
The Acer XC600 small tower system measures 37x10x26cm and while it will work horizontally it is designed to work vertically. The front has two USB2 ports and a multi card slot it also has 3.5mm sockets for microphone and headphones. Behind a flip open door is a DVD multi recorder drive. The right side and top have extensive ventilation slots.
In its various versions, Paint Shop Pro has been a regular resident on my computer systems dating back to its Shareware days. This product is now a popular member of the Corel family.
Back in 1991, Robert Volt, a qualified pilot and software engineer, developed a graphics program entitled Paint Shop Pro. This software, which originally could easily fit on a 5.25-inch floppy disk with space to spare, has grown in size and increased in functionality so that the latest version comes on a DVD. This is Paint Shop Pro X6 which is available in Standard and Ultimate versions.
Developed by Nijumi Games and available as a download from Avanquests GSP catalogue, Stones of Rome is a puzzle game. This title belongs to the popular Match 3 genre of puzzle game. It makes use of a format of Match 3 game play that I have not encountered before.
While this is a Digital Camera it makes an excellent bridge unit for those intending to make the jump to a DSLR unit as it has that rarely seen item a viewfinder as well as a decent TFT screen so all groups are catered for.
The Canon PowerShot G15 compact digital camera measures 11x4x7cm when switched off, you can add another 3.7cm to the middle figure the width. It weights 350grams. It does have a pop up flash unit but it also has a shoe so you can attach an external flash as well.
Like Adobe Photoshop Elements 12, Adobe Premiere Elements 12 is a less powerful and more economic version of one of Adobes marketing leading products used by many professional users. So if you feel that Adobe Premiere video editing software is too expensive for your current financial situation then you might like to consider Adobe Premiere Elements 12 which could well be within your budget range.
As with its companion product, namely , Premiere Elements 12 opens with a flash screen providing access to Organizer and Video Editor Modules plus various video tutorials covering a range of topics found within this product. The Organizer module has a rather neutral style of interface which consists of various shades of grey. This module shares its underlying database with that used by Photoshop Elements 12 and will access its data if it is available.
A set of headphones designed for use with Apple products but they work on other devices, Apple do have high standards as well as high prices so the headphones here give excellent sound quality as well as a good frequency range.
Yes as we mere mortals using a PC know Apple kit is expensive and these are designed for Apple use but they work just as well with a PC or audio system. Open the box and you know it’s luxury, first way it can be closed again as you do not have to destroy it to get the headphones out.
The only link these two items have is that they both came from a Christmas In July event organised by Lakeland. While they are best known for Catalogues, they also have shops and of course a Website to help you choose.
Scales designed for the young cook, easy to use and small, mine was a orange colour and of course they are easy to clean. The only control is the pop out display and this is also the on/off switch. It runs on two ‘AAA’ batteries (not supplied), these fit into a bay in the base, beside this is a slider switch to determine if the scales show in grams or ounces. The pop out measure is 6x3cm and its display is 3.5x2cm. It has a single line showing the number of grams on the scale.
While the tool of choice for many professionals working with digital images is Adobe Photoshop, the pricing of this product puts it out of the reach of mere mortals. Fortunately Adobe, being aware of the financial restraints many of us have to work under and still wishing to draw more customers into its family, has developed a more economic but less powerful offering. This is Photoshop Elements which is now up to version 12 and is available in either Windows or Mac flavours.
Continuing the approach adopted with the pervious version of this product, Photoshop Elements 12 opens with a flash screen that gives you the option of accessing modules entitled Organizer and Photo Editor. This flash screen also provides the user will a number of video tutorials regarding some of the different features of this latest version of the software. Apart from having to put up with an American accent, this is a nice feature and worth checking out.
This Maginon Digital Camera goes on sale in Aldi stores on Sunday, as with almost all of these offers when its gone there are no more. This is an ideal Xmas present and rather than having to then purchase an SD card and case both are supplied in the box.
Firstly it looks expensive – it isn’t – second it takes good images – even at lower resolutions – and third as the SD card and case are supplied its ready to go – even a wrist strap is provided – lastly the price is an amazingly low one for such a good camera. My suggestion is get down to your Aldi today as tomorrow they may all be gone. It is 10.5x6.5x3.5cm the last figure is the width which can increase by another 4.5cm when fully zoomed in.
It is your responsibility to make sure your data is kept safe. A scheduled back-up process can help in this respect.
Many years ago, when hard disk capacities were much smaller and software tended to arrive on 5.25 or 3.5-inch floppy disks, I would regularly spend an afternoon feeding this type of media into a drive as I backed up my computer system. Those days are now happily just a distant memory as the backup process has advanced to the stage where you merely need to schedule a job and then forget about it as the software takes the strain.
It is time to grab your virtual passport as you travel to four different locations and test your puzzle solving skills.
This is the smaller SD version of the Kobo HD that was launched earlier this year. Can this smaller device match what it offered, or does it launch offer even more as it has at least one feature that I have not noticed in other readers.
Size is always important and my first thought was is it big enough. It is 15x11.5x1cm and weights 174grams. However the readable screen is 9x12cm with twenty lines of text in the default font size which is only just big enough for my old eyes but once you get into it then its fine. It certainly fits easily into the palm of your hand. This has the best of both worlds being e-ink and having a backlight the latter will automatically turn off after 15 minutes.
The Samsung S27C750P is a 27-inch LED Monitor that forms part of the companys Series 7 family of products. This particular model is of the type that can be viewed in either landscape or portrait orientation depending upon your needs.
Unpacking the Samsung S27C750P revealed two separate units consists of a rectangular metallic silver base stand and the display unit with a permanently attached support pole. Both units are reassuringly weighty giving a solid appearance to the product. Connecting the display to the stand base is straightforward as you slot the two items together and tighten a single screw.
A three in one printer, that means it prints, scans and copies. The black colour may mean it is hidden from they who must be obeyed when in the lounge but it can be connected by Wi-Fi and in fact can do extra things when in Wi-Fi rather than USB mode.
It is 43x36x16cm when closed; you will need a few centimetres more than the last figure to place items on the flatbed. It has two internal paper trays so while neither are huge this means paper can sit ready to be used within the size given.
Powerline communications provides a convenient way of using the mains wiring to extend the range of ones home Ethernet network. In addition to doing this, the Linksys PLWK400 Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender Kit also provides a wireless connection which is particularly useful if one has a Wi-Fi only tablet.
The kit consists of two adapters and Ethernet cables together with a set-up disc. In addition to both adapters, each having an Ethernet port, one also supports wireless data at up to 200Mbps. Physically, the wireless adapter is roughly 7.5 x 11.5 x 4cm deep while the non-wireless one is about 1cm shorter. They are black in colour and, by the way, when they are plugged into a wall mounted power socket all the annotations are “upside-down”.
Recently I have reviewed, Wireless speakers, Bluetooth speakers, Wired and Wireless speakers, now a 2.1 speaker set that is totally wired, even the control (I nearly said remote control) is wired so if you like everything wired
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While Wireless and Bluetooth have their place, if your PC or audio system is static a wired solution is often best and cheaper while it can still give excellent sound quality. The speakers are 12x10x14.5cm at the front, they are near triangular in shape and only 10cm tall and 4cm wide at the back. Each speaker is hardwired to the sub-woofer by a lead of just over two metres in length. The sub woofer is 27x16x9cm and has two connectors on the back, inputs from the left and right speakers.
received an email recently which reminded me that there was a task that required my immediate attention. This email informed me that my Norton 360 subscription had expired and I was no longer protected. This wake up call was just the impetus I needed to make sure the next product under review would be the latest version of Norton 360 which provides antivirus and Internet protection for up to three devices.
A somewhat unusual flat panel that requires just one connection, USB, no other power is required and it will configure itself as a second display. This is an ideal accompaniment to any Desktop or Notebook where a second display is required.
It is the same size as mid range notebook screen, overall it is 37x23cm, it is 1.5cm thick when the flip out stand is closed. It weighs just 1200grams. The actual screen display is 34.5x19.5 which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 15.5inches. The ‘V’ shaped support arm can be moved out in various amounts dependant on the amount of backwards tilt you require.
Freesat HD is a subscription free service giving access to a range of television and radio channels with some addition features. To gain access to this service you do require to have an installed satellite dish and a set-top box such as the Humax HB-1000S which is the subject of this review.
The Humax HB-1000S box is rather nondescript in appearance. Compact in size with dimensions of 200 x 155 x 30 mm (W x D x H), the metal box is well perforated with punch holes on the top and slots along the sides and base of the unit. An on/off button and infra-red sensor are accompanied by logos for Humax and Freesat HD on the front panel. Four small feet on the base of the unit raise it above the surface to aid w the free flow of cooling air.
This next title mixes match-3 game play action with a storyline based on royal princes looking to take over their fathers kingdom.
As it title indicates, Experiment 2 is the follow up to Experiment. Unfortunately I seemed to have missed out on the first offering but I have been informed that with this latest game you again need to come to the aid of Sophie and Adam as they attempt to thwart a plan being hatched that could cause the four kingdoms of Ice, Air, Earth and Fire to plunge into darkness.
Scales to weight things and scales to weight yourself. Both are rather special, kitchen scales normally have a glass ceiling at 5kilos, these can easily weight twice that. Second a set of scales that also analyse you to give more information.
Two simple pieces, a scale that can measure 10kilos and a wide stainless steel bowl to fit on the scale, you can even use it without the bowl to weight difficult items of strange shapes. First the bowl 7.5cm across at the base and 25cm across at the top, it is strong and with no corners easy to clean as well. The scale is 21x16x6cm maximum. Apart from the display angled at 45degrees at the front the rest is only 3cm tall. Again no edges so it wipes clean with ease.
Although our various mobile devices can play music, they often need help to produce quality audio. This next product offers to help.
I have always looked forward to the arrival of a new speaker system from Edifier as the company’s design department generally comes up with a shape that is a little out of the ordinary and brings a smile to my face (not a pleasant sight but one that I am stuck with as I do not fancy plastic surgery). However on this occasion, with the arrival of the Edifier Bric Connect, my first glance at this new product was tinged with a little disappointment.
Two small cameras with subtle differences to give you security when in and when away from your home, you can view content on a PC or Mac or on a mobile device, you can even have movement alerts sent in an email to you.
Certainly the box is a cube and once the contents have been removed it needs a puzzle expert to replace them all again. Of course unless there was a fault this would not be a process you are likely to carry out. The camera is 6.5x6.5x4cm with power lead inserted. You can run it either wired or wireless; however for the initial setup it has to wired. Unusually these days you need a CD-Rom to install the files from a mini CD. This process is very quick and then you need to finish the setup online.
Like so many things you have not got, you manage, often until you have it you do not realise what sort of problems you were overcoming. Here I am referring to the Wi-FI ability of a device, where Ethernet just is too difficult.
I found two uses for this USB stick Wi-Fi device immediately. First I have a Tower PC that does not have Wi-Fi it works but to be honest you do not move a Tower PC too often and it sits only a few feet from my router so not an immediate requirement. Second the notebook I upgraded to Windows 8, even when this was Windows 7 the Wi-Fi never worked correctly/at all.
The title Gel Shiatsu 2 in 1 Back and Shoulder Massager with Technogel is certainly a mouthful. It is also not one that you would expect to come across every day or act as the title of a product being reviewed on Gadgetspeak.com. Yet, unlikely as it may seem, this over-long title belongs to the next product on my review schedule.
As the title indicates, this product makes use of Shiatsu practices to help massager specific areas of your body. If you are not too familiar with Shiatsu I should explain that in Japanese the word means "finger pressure". Shiatsu is a type of alternative medicine that consists of finger and palm pressure, stretches, and other massaging techniques.
If you really want to improve the sound quality of your Apple device you need external sound, here is perhaps the widest single speaker unit I have looked at. From the same people that the recently reviewed Libratone Zipp came from, but bigger, much bigger.
This Libratone Lounge measures 101x10.5x24cm. While there is a wall mounting kit provided I would check the wall strength before fitting it as it weights 12kilos. I used it on the floor and in front of my TV on the TV unit. This is designed as an ‘i’ device unit but can work with the humble PC it can also work as a soundbar with your TV using the provided proprietary Digital Optical cable.
As one of the leading suppliers of HomeBase network technology, Devolo has been taking a look at how best to include Wi-Fi into a HomeBase network
Now I do not want you to panic or get in a state but, according to those “inventive” people at Devolo, computers could well be suffering from a particular ailment which some believe has reached epidemic proportions in the UK. This ailment is not, as you might suppose, be as a result of one of the numerous viruses or various anti-social activities that are currently being unleashed on the general community.
You can not keep an n Emperor down for long especially when his name is Montezuma. As a result Alawar has announced the release of the latest episode of one of the companys most popular franchises with the arrival of The Treasures of Montezuma 4. This time, however, the Emperor takes a back seat as the game is more to do with his beloved Anakaona.
This latest take on the Match 3 genre opens as Montezuma and Anakaona pledge their undying love for each other. However the celebrations are quickly cut short by the appearance of the conquistadors led by Cortez. The Aztec Gods come to the aid of the royal couple by opening a portal to another world so that they can escape from the clutches of the invaders. Unfortunately Anakaona is shot before she can enter the portal and escape.
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