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
Accessing music from different sources can be carried out by a device such as Terratecs Noxon 2 product.
Following the release of the original Noxon product about 18 months ago, Terratec has now developed the . This piece of kit sets out to handle your audio needs in different locations by combining features such as wireless technology, Internet radio and USB connectivity. Noxon 2 Constructed of white and silver plastic, the has undergone a major design change from the original offering.
On this occasion nothing directly to do with online chat but some observations from a meeting with one of the top people from Sophos, an Anti Virus company big in the corporate environment.
Is it a phone, a camera or a media player? Perhaps like the Sony Ericsson K510i it might handle all three.
As part of its "snap shot" range of offerings, Sony Ericsson has released its K510i model. This is a Triple Band GPRS handset. The product is available in either Midnight Black or Polished Purple. Stylish without being pretentious, the K510i combines the useful aspects of being compact in size and light in weigh. The unit measures 101.5 x 44 x 17.5mm and weighs in at 82g.
I am sure most of us have at least one set of rechargeable batteries, I know I have several sets of AA and AAA however the charger always seems to hide.
Several years ago there was a show entitled Lock up your Daughters; today that advice might change slightly to Lock up your Notebook.
Although absentmindedness (a subject of which I have first-hand experience) is often the cause of a notebook going missing, it is not the only reason whereby a worried user could be separated from valuable data, important applications and an expensive piece of kit. There is always the "pick up and go" situation, where less scrupulous individuals walk off with your property, to take into consideration.
This is a 5mega pixel offering with 4x optical zoom. It comes in a small two tone grey/silver housing in fact it will easily fit in a pocket or purse.
Canon A530 It is 9x6x4cm maximum and weights less than 200grams with the two 'AA' inserted. I was rather surprised to find what looks to be a quality offering with standard 'AA' batteries. While on disappointments the 16MB MMC card is there as well, I thought that for Canon at least 32MB would now be the entry point.
In the past I have been impressed with several Verbatim storage devices but the companys new 4GB Store n Go device proved rather disappointing.
If the idea of a desktop replacement machine that truly has five hours of battery life watching DVDs interests you then this could well be for you. Yes 3 DVDs in a row.
While watching three DVD's in a row may not be what everyone wants - or needs - running a DVD tends to put a fair amount of stress on a laptop battery and often it's a struggle to get one DVD watched but I managed to watch three on this laptop one Sunday afternoon, I had only intended two as that would surely drain the battery but it still had 38% left after the second and while it was down to single digits by the time the third was finished it did it and the total ru
In an effort to cover as many options as possible, Lexmark has released the X8350 Multi-Function Device.
I would hazard a guess that checking out your friendly local computer store would reveal a wider choice of All-in-Ones or Multi-Function Devices (MFD) rather than standalone printers especially with regards to the variety. While there may be an occasional exception, most printer manufacturers seem to feel that the MFD route is the way to go. This, no doubt, explains why I am currently testing the Lexmark X8350 product.
Far cheaper than the full product but with most of the functionality and it even has extras aimed at the Home user - that the main product does not have.
The two main components are WordPerfect and Quattro that's two thirds of WordPerfect Office X3. However far from that being that you also get a range of other items some full packages and some limited time offerings. These two items are the full products as found in the main package WordPerfect Office X3 the only main missing component is Word Perfect Presentations.
After building up your collection of digital media, the next stage is to put it to practical use with video editing software.
This is quite a stylish looking All In One device not at all boxy and best of all it has good connectivity for those who like to work away from a PC
The is 44x28x17cm and is light enough at 5.5Kg to move around if required. HP PhotoSmart 2575 The front of the unit slopes inwards at the base is the paper store (100 sheets?) and paper is stored flat face down. The printed sheets are delivered face up just above this. To the left of this are four card slots for SD/MMC, Compact Flash/Micro Drive, Memory Stick and XD there is also a standard USB connector for Pict Bridge or Flash/Stick drives.
As memory card formats continue to increase, reader devices need to cover a wide range as possible. Check out a product that can handle 19 types for less than nine pounds.
Wanadoo my ISP introduced this service about a year ago, I have recently managed to try it.
Best known for its DVD/CD burning software, Nero brings its expertise to bear on aspects of digital image productivity.
The trend towards digital images, whether of the movie or still variety, has seen the development of a number of application that allow this form of content to be put to practical use. One product that offers to help with the handling of your digital images is PhotoShow Deluxe 4 from Nero.
We all hopefully know the importance of backups. Then why with the majority of PC users only able to use Windows can the majority of backup packages not backup open files?
Flash drives certainly seem to be a popular flavour recently. This is the fourth such device that has come under my gaze this month.
This is a DAB and FM radio, as supplied it works on mains but can be run on standard batteries or the proprietary ChargePAK from Pure.
The Pure One DAB radio is 21x14x7cm and the version I saw came in a creamy white colour. I understand it is also available in a TalkSport (black) version from . I also see from the Pure website there is a shocking pink version available. Amazon at £49.99 It has an 75cm 8 piece rod aerial that extends from the top of the unit and retracts into a recess. On the face towards the right side is a 5x1.
Getting your video content on to appropriate media does require a special toolkit. Serif believes its MoviePlus title contains the necessary features.
Digital video editing is becoming increasingly popular. This trend is helped no doubt by the advancements in computing power and various software packages designed to take advantage of the latest developments.
This is a small All In One product that can either be a USB or network device. Not as small as the DCP 315-CN (24/4/06) but it does have some of the same problems.
Just like the it has some rather good translation software however this review is about the ability to scan - copy - print and while the scan feature is used with the translation module that - to me anyway - is an add on to add value. DCP 315-CN Software installation is quite quick given that it installs Paper Port software (for scanning) before the printer driver and the total amount of hard disc used is just a tad over 300MB.
They are small, hold varying amounts of data and are extremely popular as an alternative to paper-based marketing material. They are Flash Drives.
This is certainly one of the smallest DAB radios around, but small certainly does not mean limited functionality as it also has FM and the ability to be an MP3 player.
It is 8.5x6x2cm and weights only 120grams. It has a 2.5x1.5cm three line two colour display in the centre of the face that is extremely clear and easy to read. This is surrounded by eight rubberised buttons that control the unit. All but two are very obvious as to what they do and the 32 page manual describes everything in detail so the job of the two buttons that have a picture of a beating heart and a sun beside them are soon explained.
Although notebooks come with a built-in touchpad, many users (myself included) prefer a traditional mouse.
Meet the PilotMouse Laser Wireless Mini mouse from Kensington. This is the smaller brother of the equally long-windedly named PilotMouse Laser Wireless Pro mouse featured elsewhere on this site. As often happens with family member, there are some similarities but also a number of differenced between these two models.
I think this is the first colour laser printer that has fitted in the review space between my two PCs, all the inkjets and multi functions fit there as do most mono lasers but unit now colour lasers sit in the office doorway.
The unit is 38x32x39cm and while you would not want to walk a mile holding it moving it from one place to another is something any normal adult should be able to do.
Canon LBP 5000 The front has five LED's while the rear has connection points for network or USB cables the power input and on/off switch. So no display and it entirely relies on the LED's or Windows to tell you of any problems.
While blogs and websites are the current favourite methods of publishing your thoughts, there is still a market for paper publications created with DTP software.
The world of DTP (Desktop Publishing) can clearly be divided into two distinct sections - professional and budget. If you are a member of the publishing fraternity then you are probably familiar with the powerful features of products such as Quark Xpress and Adobe InDesign. However not everybody can afford the high price being asked for these titles. Fortunately there is an alternative with products such as PagePlus from Serif.
Philips have often been at the forefront of innovation and this MP3/Picture Viewer/Voice Recorder certainly stands out from the competition.
It may not squeak or eat cheese but your computer mouse can be indispensable. So choose carefully.
Occasionally a wave of nostalgia creeps into my thoughts as I remember the time when mice (the computer version and not those midnight visitors to my secret supply of sweets) had balls and were permanently attached to the system box via their tail.
Do you find Sudoku too easy? I dont, however if you do or if you are bored by always having all the 1 to 9 numbers why not try Karuro.
When the creative urge grabs you, Serif believes it has a product that could provide you with the tools to bring your concepts to fruition.
While applications such as CorelDRAW and Adobe Illustrator grab all the headlines, they are rather expensive and are aimed at the professional end of the market. Not everybody can afford the price or needs the multitude of features available from such products.
Do you like me think these are a pain the neck when walking behind one? However they do have a use and carrying a large notebook all the extras and some clothing etc for an overnight are just some.
I am not talking about shopping trolleys but bags designed to hold notebooks securely and to protect them if dropped. Some smaller models are designed only to be carried here I am looking at two that can either be carried or wheeled. The first from a company that makes bags and the second marketed by a computer company. Port Phoenix Trolley II Port offer free insurance against screen damage to your notebook when using one of their bags.
Older articles
Main Menu
