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While the camera itself is tiny the headset that comes with it is of a conventional size. If you want to see the other party while talking on Skype video conferencing this could be for you.
To use the USR Mini Cam for Skype your PC will need to be running SP2 of XP or later. You will need a spare USB port for the camera and two audio sockets for the headset one for the microphone and the other for the speaker. The headset comes with 2.1metres of lead so providing you are near to a PC it should be okay. The mini cam has 1.7metres of lead certainly enough to fix on or near the monitor/panel.
We take a look at a new addition to Kensingtons range of optical mice.
When considering the make up of your computer system, I just wonder how much thought goes into the selection of the mouse. In many cases, I should imagine, the answer would be "very little". Yet this input device is constantly being handled and does provide the main communication route between the user and the desktop.
In the dim and distant past I used to see a lot of Olympus cameras, now the chance to review them again has arisen and I took it with both hands. Here is certainly a pocket offering but still powerful.
It seems strange to say 8 mega pixel (actual 8.3MP) is near entry level but that is the way things are going. The is a little over 100 grams and is 9.5x5.5x1.5cm. The back is dominated by the 5x3.8cm TFT display. Olympus FE-250 Quickly through what's where on the camera, the base has an anchor point for a tripod and the door that hides the battery and optional xD card. The right side has A/V out and mini USB as well as anchor point for the wrist strap.
Adding to its range of store and go devices, Verbatim can now offer 12GB of storage capacity.
I first came across Verbatim's Store 'n' Go product family around 30 months ago. Since that initial offering, which, if memory serves me correct, was a 1GB device, the product has gone through various guises that include a five-in-one device featuring a camera module and U3 functionality. The latest product in the Verbatim Store 'n' Go family goes under the title of USB HD Drive and has a capacity of 12GB.
I remember an extremely wet day last year, a very long walk from Clapham Junction to Battersea Bridge (faulty sat nav) and then a presentation offering almost everything that a mobile phone could possibly offer.
It was a huge event held at Three's UK headquarters with almost all the partners there for the multitude of things that can work with a phone. All the journalists there were offered a three month loan of a phone and when mine arrived this year I put it through it's paces. It's strange how any Nokia phone I get to review comes courtesy of a mobile phone company and not Nokia.
Since the days of Nynex and Cable and Wireless and then NTL I have had analogue cable television, for a while now I have been nagged to upgrade to digitalTV, but until very recently one of the channels I view a lot was an extra on digital whereas on analogue it was a standard channel.
I used to pay £24.50 a month for a phone line and cable TV, for the last year or so this has been discounted to £16.50. The phone line I used little as originally it was for fax and now I tend to scan and send by email. So when after the NTL takeover by Virgin and prices were commoditized and finally the TV 'medium' pack was changed to the 'large' pack I took the plunge and upgraded.
A Greek location was chosen for Sony Ericssons latest product announcement. However this was not the Mediterranean location but the Hellenic Centre situated in Central London.
T250i
Sony Ericsson Selecting the day after a Bank Holiday for a product release is hardly standard practice but this did not stop from announcing some new additions to its product portfolio. Taking centre stage were four new and a stereo Bluetooth headset.
This black box can should it be required - occupy a very small space. However the quality of images and text printed are good, so if you have a only a small space this printer could fit it.
The is 44x30x12cm when closed however add another 22cm to the last figure when paper is in the vertical tray at the rear waiting to be used. I discovered the small footprint when moving some stuff around during a reorganisation and for most of the review it sat on the end of it's box and performed without any problems.
Returning to the puzzle-solving genre, Enkords latest game has our reviewer improving his living conditions.
Making an improvement to your living environment would rate high on most people's wish list. When that living environment is a virtual one then the improvements can be brought about by a combination of puzzle solving skills and mouse manipulation. Plus, of course, you will need a copy of Enkord's latest game entitled Clayside.
This is rather like an Archos device I reviewed last year (4/8/06) it is smaller but still has a watchable screen it is far easier to use and the bonus is costs about 1/3 the price.
This is a small black box from the , it weights only a little over 100grams and is 8x7x1.7cm. The TFT screen is 7x5.3cm. It comes with a slip case so it can easily fit in to a pocket, bag or purse. The base and back have no buttons or connections. On the right side is the built in microphone and the up/down push jog control for the menus. Next the top that has six black push buttons that control the unit all clearly labelled on the back edge in a silver/grey text.
When you need help with various office tasks, calling on your Brother could provide the solution.
When your multifunctional device already contains an inkjet printer; flat-bed scanner; photocopying facilities; fax capabilities; network support; ADF (Automatic Document Feed) features built in; media card reader; PictBridge support; and a telephone handset, you would be forgiven for thinking that, apart from speed issues, any developments would be purely cosmetic.
While this is a standalone product it works with Photoshop to help you manipulate RAW images. In fact during the beta stage I am told 500,000 photographers took part.
Like most Adobe products it is not an impulse buy, the price is such that even a product such as this - a powerful tool - prevents that. However I suspect will rapidly become an everyday tool for most professional photographers and also the keen amateur who works with RAW images. Adobe Lightroom This programme works with both RAW and Jpg images. Having worked with the image within Lightroom the changed image can be saved as Jpeg or TIFF.
Canon's new HDV camcorder. Presented with all the "hype" of a film star. Is it an "Oscar" or a "Razzer"?
The great day dawned and the parcel delivered. The had arrived. The first shock was its size - it is very small. This feeling of inadequacy was soon dispelled as the camera had a good solid feel and sat well in the hand.
A red carpet conveniently laid in the Brick Lane area of London lead us to a display of the latest television screens from LG.
Never the one to sit back on its laurels, LG has been extremely busy of late. Recently we had the dual format HD drives and now the company has expanded its range of TV products. These new models are either of the LCD or Plasma format and comprise series designated as LY95, LF66, PF95 and PB65 with various screen sizes being manufactured.
This is a two in one phone meaning that you can make and receive calls like any landline offering but it can also make and receive Skype calls, it even includes three months of free Skype in calls.
This cordless phone from US Robotics (USR) is stated to have ten hours of talktime and one hundred hours in standby. Do not be put off by the array of cables when you open the box. The five pages in English at the start of the Quick Installation Guide make most things clear and the only problem I had was physically switching the phone off - I do not mean ending a call - as this was not described correctly.
Normally a game has a shelf-life of months or maybe a year in exceptional cases but Another World tries to buck the trend with a 15th anniversary re-appearance.
How many games do you know that have celebrated their 15 anniversary with the release of a special edition of the title? Not many I bet! In fact I only know of one and that is "Another World". This game, developed by Eric Chahi, was originally launched back in 1991 when it appeared on the Commodore Amiga.
According to the Met Office we are already experiencing a hotter than average Spring, with the hottest April in 300 years (as if we hadn't noticed). This weather is likely to continue into summer, with a 70% chance of higher than average temperatures, and even a 1 in 8 possibility of a particularly hot summer as we saw in 2003 and 2006. So it seems like a great time to be talking Bar-B-Qs.
If you haven't already got one, now is
the perfect time to contemplate culinary delights on sunny patios on
unseasonably warm evenings. Remember that mid-summer's day is on
21 June. Evenings will get longer until then, but by
the school holidays we are already looking to the nights drawing in.
So get the Chef's hat on, pull out the bangers and arrange that
summer party.
I as regular readers will know am no style guru, but the cream and grey HP PhotoSmart D7160 looks low slung and stylish to me. In fact say it quietly some ladies may even allow it into the lounge.
This is a that comes with some rather nice HP photo software to help you improve your images without hassle. You then have the ability to print, email or even backup the output. photo printer It is 44x40x12cm, apart from the 5x4cm TFT display that could raise the 12cm height by another 5cm should your preferred viewing angle be at 90 degrees, mine is less than half that but it will depend on where the printer is placed.
Unlike multifunction devices, where the scanner is usually a bolt-on basic unit, a dedicated scan can provide additional features.
It has been quite a while since I last had the opportunity to try out a new standalone flatbed scanner. The main reason for this long gap is down to the popularity of multifunctional and all-in-one devices. These types of product do have the decided advantage of saving on workspace and power source requirements. However there are occasions when the specific functionality of a dedicated scanner outweighs these considerations.
I cannot think of anything recently that has had so many names for a USB device, Pen Drive, Stick Drive and USB Stick to name but three, now with Vista utilizing them names like Ready Boost and Ready Flash are added into the mix.
Here I am looking at two such devices one by San Disk and the other by Kingston Technology. I have no doubt that numerous other such devices are out there. The only proviso as far as Vista is concerned is that it needs to be a USB2 device so that data can be moved quickly. The whole purpose is to store all the small files available for quick access.
Screensavers were originally designed to save the CRT screen from being burnt with a static image. The aquarium was a great idea highjacked by virus writers but here have a wonderful safe soothing environment.
If you happen to have linked monitors then up to three can be used to display an even larger tropical wonderland. The install is in two bits assuming you want both the fish and the backgrounds. Unlike another BHV product you can bypass the registration screen. Around 40MB of hard disc space will be used and it works either as a conventional screensaver or a standalone product. In fact you get four Desktop icons should you install both programs.
Having recently looked at the Epson inkjet printers and a flat bed scanner, it is now time to combine these facilities.
The is a multifunction device. This predominately dark grey product with a matt silver top combines an inkjet printer, flat-bed A4 scanner and fax capabilities within a single unit. You also get PictBridge and memory card (CF Type II, Memory Stick, SD/MMC and xD) connectivity with the latter being hidden in a front-mounted concealed compartment.
A little smaller than the other TVs I have looked at but not everyone has room for a 32 or 37inch one. This 26inch version is not only just bigger than that it is quite light to move.
First the actual dimensions, the screen surround is 65x47x12cm and the stand is 29x27cm and adds 5cm to the height. The 26inch screen is 58x32cm. Like most modern TV 's once you have turned the TV on it can live in standby (not very good for the environment) and as the mains lead is hard wired into the unit your choice is either switch off at the 13amp plug or remove it from the plug.
Adding a face-to-face capability to Skype calls requires a web cam such as the one from US Robotics.
Following the release of its USB telephone adapter that allows Skype calls to be made from a normal telephone, US Robotics has now ventured into the field of Internet video with its Mini Cam for Skype product. Now, not only can you make free or reduced rate calls using the popular Skype service, you can also view the person at the other end of the connection in all their glory or otherwise as the case may be.
This is a stylish looking multi function unit, however despite the neat outward appearance doing things other than copying without the PC is not that easy.
It is 45x34x16cm you need to double the last figure the height when paper is stored waiting to be used. The USB lead goes in back left and the power lead towards the right on the rear. The controls are on the top all together in a line to the left of the flatbed scanner lid that opens landscape. A total of twenty four buttons and a one line LED display. This is fixed so you need to adjust yourself to be able to read it.
Adding an optical media burner to your system has never been easier when the device is external and uses USB connectivity.
At one time adding an additional optical drive to your computer involved a degree of surgery. You would have needed to open up your system box; find an empty bay; remove the face plate from the bay; insert and screw the drive into place; and attach both a power and data ribbon lead to the appropriate sockets before closing the case and completing the process. If a laptop was involved then the problems could be multiplied.
While this name may be new to you I have followed their introduction to the UK a few years ago, now they are firmly here in the camera, projector and flat panel aeras.
This is a small - shirt pocket - but quite powerful digital camera. It is 8.5x5x2cm and the weight is only just over 100grams. It is a 6MP offering with the standard 3x zoom. It has a Pentax lens 6.2 to 18.6mm. The unit is brushed silver and grey, the front has the lens and the flash and although they are fairly close it does not seem to suffer to much from Red Eye.
This product has the kiss of death attached to it by being called Educational. A few years ago there was a movement to call such things Edutainment, that, also seems to be no more.
This product comes on two CD's and to run it the CD always needs to be in the ROM. The install therefore is very quick (around a minute) and it takes only 40MB of hard disc space. You are met by a bewildering front screen shaped a little like a brain however despite a total of 20 items that look to be clickable most at this stage do nothing and only a small proportion flash red to mean they are part of a trail. To load a talk click once on a title.
Strap yourself in as we take off in our spaceship to protect the planet from waves of alien attacks in a new game from Enkord.
The anticipation you can feel when coming face to face with a follow-up title can be both worrying and exciting. You can never be sure whether the developers have expanded and improved the original theme or are merely trying to cash in with a mish-mash of ideas that demean the original product.
A laser printer is often the best and nearly always the quickest for those requiring monochrome textural printout. This offering from Dell can be a USB or network printer.
Image Courtesy of Dell Inc. Should this come with a PC from Dell then they may well have already installed the required software. However it is one of the simplest software installs I have done. First however the packaging in the printer needs to be removed. It is supplied with the toner cartridge already inserted, however you need to remove it to remove the various bits of packing around it.
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