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JBL have produced an excellent speaker system that isn't tied to any specific sound source - use it
to play back whatever you want : iPod, CD player, TV - anything.
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the excellent . The JBL Spyro is built on the same technology to deliver a powerful rich sound system for a variety of uses. The Spyro comprises a central 'bass' unit (the sub-woofer) that provides 24W output using JBL's 'Atlas' transducer. Higher frequencies, and hence the stereo effect, are generated from two rather attractive 6W satellite speakers that look very much like four-petal flowers.
Following its recent acquisition, Magix has integrated some new technology into its graphic design product.
The recent purchase of Xara by Magix has seen both companies continue to develop their own products for the benefit of the user. However this purchase has also allowed Magix access to the technology behind Xara’s graphics software. One result of this can be seen with Magix’s Xtreme Photo & Graphic Designer 2 title which not only includes the technology but also the name of Xara’s Xtreme product.
This console is a mine of information, putting the Oxford Dictionaries of English, Quotations and Modern Slang, along with the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Oxford Thesaurus of English and Fowler's Modern English Usage into a pocket sized unit.
Seiko have teamed up with Oxford University Press and Encyclopedia Britannica to put their weighty publications into a handheld console similar in size to the Nintendo DS. It's quite amazing to think that a good sized bookshelf's worth of knowledge has been squeezed into this little handy unit. This console would be handy for anyone interested in words and their meanings. Equally useful for crossword fanatics, quiz lovers and students of English.
This is a rather nice camera. It takes great still images and good movies. It is not a pocket camera and not a large (DSLR size) unit. Therefore my only doubt is where in the market it will fit, the other slight problem is that it stores images on MS Pro cards but as a Sony you should expect that.
The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC H50 is 11x9x8cm, the middle figure can increase by 3.5cm when the lens is fully extended. It weights 440grams, this again makes it an in between unit, it comes with two fairly substantial anchor points for the supplied neck strap, again I am undecided about this. The rear has a huge 6x4.5cm TFT display and this not only sits flat but can be tilted either up or down by up to 90degrees by a very clever articulated arm.
Video projectors are not new although they have only recently started started to appeal as
an option for those (with the room) that want the full cinema experience in their own home. With
the advent of high-definition, new projectors are required, spurring Sony to announce the VPL-HW10.
Whether you're a fan of the high-definition broadcast systems now on offer or have hailed the end of yet another format war and opted for a Blu-Ray DVD player there's just one problem... All the components are there - all the technology you need to create your own cinema. But how do you get the effect of a huge screen in your home? Well, the answer is to get a huge screen.
Freesat is a digital television service that has come about as the result of a co-operative venture between the BBC and ITV.
This offering will provide subscription free access to satellite delivered television channels and services without the need to tie a customer to a contract. Currently the Freesat offering stands at 80 channels featuring those available via Freeview with one or two extra morsels. While this is subscription-free, some expense will be necessary in order to receive this service. For a start you will need a Freesat digital box or a television with built-in Freesat capability.
It is no secret that I like puzzle games. As a result I was keen to take up the challenge of a new game from Legendo even if it meant tackling spooky spirits.
Some games immediate grab your attention and hold you enthralled while others have the ability to creep up on you as they keep drawing you back for one more attempt. Spooky Spirits falls into the latter category especially if you enjoy the challenge of solving puzzles in order to proceed to the next level. Developed by Legendo, Spooky Spirits, as its title indicates, has a strong Halloween theme as various spirit-world creatures roam the Earth.
This has been a long and frustrating review. The first unit was incomplete so it was replaced. The second had several paper jams and then decided cannot detect edge of paper was its message of choice, so it was replaced so this is unit number three.
I have therefore given it a far more exhaustive test than in normal simple to see if the problems return. So far they have not I suspect that the initial problem unit was a ‘Friday afternoon’ unit. It is 40x30x14cm when closed. The front has a drop down door that you store the paper waiting to be printed on, this increases the 30cm depth by another 20cm. The USB lead and the power leads both enter the unit back right.
Tefal have teamed up again with Jamie Oliver to give us the fantastic Advanced Silicone Bakeware. Their claim that "unbelievable cakes will pop out!" is well and truly justified with a range of baking moulds to make you smile.
It's been one of those weeks! And my Mum always said "Whenever you're down bake a cake - you'll always feel better". She's right and I'm sure Jamie Oliver would agree. So between my Mum, Jamie and Tefal my long hard day was brightened up by cake making with the Jamie Oliver Professional Series Advanced Silicone Bakeware (that's a mouthful bigger than the one of the muffins I've just made). I am now eating one of the most delicious cherry muffins I have ever tasted.
Looking more like a toy than a serious piece of equipment, the Flip is one of those devices whose performance exceeds its appearance.
Why, when you probably have a mobile phone that is capable of capturing video clips as part of its functionality, would you also want to weigh yourself down by carrying a camcorder? Two obvious reasons immediately spring to mind. These are ease of use and image quality. Both of these attributes form part of the concept behind the Flip Video Ultra camcorder from the appropriately named Flip Video UK Ltd.
Phone doesn't really cover what O2 have managed to shoe-horn into the
latest incarnation of their XDA smart phone manufactured by High Tec Computers (HTC).
Marketed by O2 as the Xda Ignito and manufactured by HTC as the 'Touch Diamond', this devices measures a mere 102 x 52 x 11 mm, weighing 110g. Into this very modest enclosure the Xda Ignito/Touch Diamond provides a wealth of functionality hosted on the Microsoft Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system. As is popular these days the primary interface is a touch sensitive screen, although the Ignito should really be considered a hybrid device.
Following my meeting in July with Aaron Powers where the main focus was on FreeTxT I was sent a Nokia phone this is required for one of their current services I have extended this look to cover two other services from Vyke Mobile VoIP also requiring a Nokia phone and Vyke Lite 2.0.
If you look at the Vyke site a number of Nokia phones work for Mobile Vyke I was sent an E51 a rather nice looking phone, however I was sent it from Norway and the instructions were in Norwegian luckily it was easy enough to install my SIM card etc so these were not required. I was also sent a letter (in English) detailing the user account and password I had been allocated and the three applications to download from the Vyke site.
It's a relief to find a vacuum cleaner that relies on how well it does it the job more than trendy looks. The Sebo Automatic X4 Pet is a high technology vacuum cleaner designed for pet owners and allergy sufferers. It's ppowerful 1300-watt motor, sealable filter bags and filtration system has earnt it the British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.
I'm afraid to say I had not heard of SEBO vacuum cleaners, even though they've been around for 25 years, until they sent me the SEBO X4 Pet. However, I'd now say it's a name to look out for. Here we have a vacuum cleaner, designed for pet owners and allergy sufferers, with a very traditional look. But don't let that point you off.
Marks&Spencer 4 - Telescope and Paper Recycling : Astronomical Telescope and Paper Recycling Factory
Here I am looking at a rather nice first telescope that comes complete with a fabric bag to carry it around, sort of edutainment. Second sometime that is high on the government agenda recycling and a Paper Recycling product.
It is up to 43cm long and around 8cm across at the receiving end. There is a (detachable) tripod whose legs stray to 30cm. This can lift the telescope up to 45cm above whatever you are resting it on. The eyepiece has four positions twisting through 180 degrees. There are three others lens that can be attached. I would assume this comes in a box (mine only came in the case) and no doubt the box has all the instructions.
A stereo DAB radio that includes a CD player and the ability to play
MP3 tracks from SD cards is a great idea. The built in alarm in this
particular product makes it ideal for the bedroom!
On first sight the Roberts CRD40 (Sound 40) has an unusual design being wider at the top than at the bottom - looking a little like a bucket. This isn't to detract from the product in any way and the looks very quickyly grow on you. Sound is produced by a pair of 76mm speakers giving stereo reporoduction. Quality is on the whole good for a bed-side product or for a childs room.
Have you ever wondered about the origin of certain high-tech devices that appear in the various James Bond movies? Often these devices are based on actual equipment available today as I discovered on a recent shopping expedition.
It may come as a surprise to discover that a visit to a certain shop located in Central London (actually in Portman Square just off Oxford Street), is high on the agenda for those involved in coming up with the equipment for these flights of fancy.
As in many areas of technology the humble digital picture frame, a fresh idea only a couple
of years back, has evolved to take on more functions.
This particular incarnation from Linx includes a slide-show picture viewer along with an MP3 and Video player. First of all the hardware. The screen is a bright 8 inch display with a viewable area of 18cm by 10cm givin it an aspect ratio of 16:9. Resolution is 800x600. All of the controls and connections are on the rear of the unit, including the two small 1.5W stereo speakers.
Not a Sonic Screwdriver but a Sonic Toothbrush, this will not as far as I know open locks and solve the secrets of the universe but it will according to Philips get your teeth two shades whiter in two weeks.
Due to a dentist drilling on a nerve when I was seven it was a long time before I went again and because of that my teeth were in a state. I have been fortunate since my early twenties to have the same dentist (over forty years) and now I trust him totally. I have been using this offering from Philips for over a month and while my yellowed offerings may or may not be lighter they do feel cleaner as do my mouth gums and tongue. The unit is 25cm long and the main body is 10cm in circumference.
Fashion has reached even the most mundane of computer peripherals with Toshiba, amongst others
launching a fashionable range of external hard disks to either transport or simply back-up your data.
Interesting for a fashionable product - there doesn't seem to be a product name - it's just a
"Toshiba External Hard Drive"
With fashion in mind Toshiba are shipping their drive in four sizes, with each getting a distinctive dash of colour, that also denotes the size : ; ; ; and the latest member of the family - . My test unit is the 320GB grey version. As well as the colour you have a shiny black case measuring approximately 16x 81 x 127mm (DxWxH) and weighing a very slight 155g.
As part of its recent updating of its product portfolio, Polaroid has added to its range of digital photo frames.
In the past I have looked at a couple of Digital Photo Frames from Polaroid. These have been of the smaller (7-inch) variety. Now it is the turn of a larger model. This is the Polaroid 10.2-inch Digital Photo Frame (XSU-01050B model) with support for MP3 music files. The products 10.2-inch display screen, with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 1024 x 600, is surrounded by a bevelled reflective black frame that increases the unit’s dimensions to 12.625 x 8.25 inches (W x H).
Just wonder whether a certain Hungarian Professor of Architecture and Design realised how long lasting his creation would be.
For some, the defining memory of the Eighties could well be that of the fiendishly clever, or perhaps you prefer the description of annoying, puzzle – namely the Rubik Cube. I have to confess to being one of the many who fell under the spell of this contraption and spent many hours in attempting to solve this puzzle developed by Erno Rubik, a Hungarian Professor of Architecture and Design.
This looks very like a DSLR but it isnt. In some ways its a poor mans DSLR accept that the lens is fixed but what a lens and it has over 14x optical zoom. The other big bonus it is a lot cheaper than a DSLR.
It is 12.5cm wide 9cm tall and between 15 and 21cm wide dependant on where the lens is. It is not light at 970grams. So the neck strap is all important, in fact it will look exactly like a DSLR but it will cost a great deal less. Anyone who has focused using the sides of the lens on a DSLR will love the fact that’s exactly what you do here. Most DSLR come with the basic 18-55mm lens and should you require more that’s another lens to carry around.
The Franklin 12 Language speaking global translator is a small easy to carry tool for those who want to travel extensively and lightly. It comes with lots of other handy features including calculator, MP3 player, currency converter and address book - so may be the only gadgetry you need to carry with you.
This product is ideal if you travel often on business or for leisure but don't have time to learn the language. The Franklin 12 Language speaking global translator will translate to and from 12 languages in any combination. You choose the Source and Target language from: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. So not only can you translate from English to French and so on.
Storing your music collection in MP3 format is just the first stage as you let your creativity take over with help from a product from Magix.
Although various competitive formats have appeared since its introduction, MP3 remains the choice for many when storing their music. It does not matter whether the original tracks were stored on vinyl, tape, CD or Internet based sites, the content generally ends up in MP3 format on a computer’s hard disk. But once it there, what do you do with it? Magix MP3 Maker offers a range of features designed to help you take the next steps.
Like most people I'm very aware of the existence of Research In Motion (RIM) and their BlackBerry products. This is the first time I've used one in anger, and I'm pleased to say it's not all hype!
In this case I've been provided with the Blackberry Bold 9000. This is one of the wider variants that has a small, but full qwerty keyboard and a landscape orientated screen. Total dimensions are 114 x 66mm with a 16mm depth and a weight of 136g. The device feels very solid and well built. The rear of the device has a leather-like textured cover that is removed to insert the SIM card or to access the battery. For once it's good to see a cover with a proper clip that makes removal simple.
So at long last I get to see for a few days one of the biggest talking points of this year. It came with no documentation a Linux operating system and apart from an initial problem with Wireless connectivity it worked flawlessly.
It is 22x17x4cm and weights 1140grams. The screen is 19.5x11.5cm giving the notional 8.9 inch diagonal measurement. The screen is 1024x600. The processor is a 1.6GHz Intel Atom. It has 1GB of RAM. 20GB of storage. A 1.3 mega pixel webcam. 3xUSB ports. 2 year warranty. External VGA and Ethernet ports. Headphone and microphone sockets. SD card port and a very easy to use copy of Linux. It also has wireless and Bluetooth.
When the High School Musical Build-a-bear arrived in the Gadgetspeak office the editor and I had a short discussion over whether it counted as a gadget. It went like this: I said "Well it's not really a gadget" and our editor, Pete, said "But it's a fantastic product, and we like good products!" So here it is - the Build A Bear review.
I didn't have to go the Build A Bear workshop specially to do a review as my kids have already been several times. If you have kids under 10 it's a very special experience. And in fact whenever we've been there we've seen quite a few girls in their 20s putting their heart into their bear too. Build-A-Bear is a truly lovely concept. There are Build A Bear workshops (stores) all over the country now.
First an Energy Reducing Kettle and then a power saver device Audio Visual Standby. This is the third of my reviews from the Marks & Spencer Christmas In July event. The first two were of reasonably priced useful items, here I am less sure.
Is it just me but for many years I have added just the amount of water I want to the kettle not just for the point of view of saving the cost of electricity (a great deal more now than previously) but also for the fact it takes far less time to boil. The Marks & Spencer energy reducing kettle claims that it increases the efficiency of your kettle by up to 31%.
Computing for the Older and Wiser, by Adrian Arnold with the sub-title Get Up and Running on Your Home PC will not be of direct value to most GadgetSpeak readers. Nevertheless, I can recommend it to keep the Older and Wiser out of your hair.
All too often, we are called upon to assist someone who has just bought a machine. While this is not a problem in itself, frequently, the result of answering one or two simple questions can be the thin end of the wedge with the newbie just calling again instead of trying to resolve the problem themselves in the first instance.
Up until very recently the mention of the company Teufel would have meant nothing to me. But that was before I was introduced to Thorsten Reuber, Managing Director at Lautsprecher Teufel GmbH which should give the clue that this is not a UK company.
In fact Teufel is a German company which started life as a single Berlin store back in 1979. Since then the company has developed into Europe’s leading direct seller of loudspeaker systems. Now Teufel is bring its direct selling approach of combining quality products with a more aggressive pricing attitude to the UK via the Internet.
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