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
Digging down in my collection of games not in their first flush of youth. I came across the story of Malgray Castle.
Usually when vampires are featured in a game then you can expect more than your fair share of blood, gore and an overall atmosphere that is soaked in layers of gothic terror. But usually does not mean always and there are exception to the rule. Take for example the game of Vampireville which was developed by Nevosoft. Vampireville combines Hidden Object game play with a puzzle solving aspects.
With a back story of wizards, villagers and an angry dragon, this next game presents linked grids.
Storm Tale 2 continues the story of Erik and Annabelle as related to the old wizard Griffri. Presented in the format of a Match-3 game with some extra elements, this Green Sauce developed game focuses on the destruction caused by the dark wizard Tyrannus and the dragon under his control. You are cast in the role of a helper assigned to assist Erik and Annabelle as they set about rescuing the unfortunate villagers following the devastation inflicted on their land.
A small and very portable DAC can often make listening to output enjoyable this offering from THX can do even more it can clean up recordings so the blur that occurs when changing from Analogue to Digital so you again can hear clearly exactly where the instrument was positioned on the original recording.
The total length of the lead from USB ‘C’ to 3.5mm socket is 20cm; add another 2.8cm centimeters if you do not have USB ‘C’ for connecting via the USB ‘C’ to USB ‘A’ adapter. Next turn the volume level right down unless you wish to shatter your eardrums. The THX device is installed and you are ready to listen with much more depth and clarity and a great deal more volume.
Maybe you should search your drawers, attic, garage or other storage areas to see if you have any old mobile phones long forgotten about.
The G7050 is the latest unit from Canon to use the impossible to spill ink bottles that fit into ink tanks that are so easy to fill. The cost of printer ink is often said to be more expensive than Champagne so having it arrive in bottles means it costs less per page.
The Canon Pixma G7050 measures 38cm wide, 39cm deep and 21cm tall all these figures are when the unit is closed. Add another 10cm to the depth when the control panel and output tray are opened and add another 15cm to this when you are using the second ‘sit up’ input tray at the rear. For everyday printing you use the inbuilt paper tray at the base but for items such as quality photo paper the rear ‘sit up’ tray at the back gives more options.
Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true or maybe that should be that you should be careful as you may receive it. Whichever is your preferred version of the old adage, it forms the basis for a title from the Grim Tales™ series of computer games.
Developed by Elephant Games, The Wishes is a Hidden Object Adventure that involves the trouble a young boy gets into when he accepted the help of an old woman. As usual with games of this genre, profiles can be created so that different people can play the game and have their individual progress recorded. Various adjustments can be made to the game playing environment.
While not as convenient as a smartphone when it comes to portability, a tablet can provide various useful for those in a more sedentary environment.
When I think of Alcatel my thoughts tend to veer towards the company's brand of smartphones. However smartphones are not the only product bearing the Alcatel brand. The company also produces tablets that would appeal to users. One such offering is the Alcatel IT 10 Smart device. I have been looking at this particular tablet over the last few weeks. Decked out totally in black, the IT 10 Smart tablet has dimensions of 255 x 155 x 9.4 mm (W x H x D) and weighs in at 415g.
This is the latest SmartPhone to cross my desk loaned from Vodafone. I remember when Oppo first arrived in the UK and you saw their name at Wimbledon and I am sure most people had no idea who they were, I noticed it this year at The Queens tennis and I am sure more now know they are a mobile phone company.
It is 15.8x7x1cm the last figure the thickness is where the line of three cameras are slightly proud of the back. The unit weighs 186grams; the viewable screen is 15.1x6.8cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of just under 6½ inches. The screen resolution is 1080x2400. Going around the outside has the on/off button on the right side, the base has speaker, microphone, USB ‘C’ port and SIM entry point.
The hard working dwarves return to produce more mosaics in this next title from Digimight.
A few months ago the members of the Dwarves Craft took me on a journey based around the story of a returning son helping rebuild his father's home. Now the central character of that title has continued his adventure by setting out to explore the Northern Ridge of the Dwarves world. His intention is to meet up with the legendary Dwarven craftsman and possible benefit from the craftsman expertise.
While there are a good number of units that are stated to withstand both heat and cold as well as dust and wet there are a lesser number designed to work for longer periods in places where there is zero or very limited mains power available so this triple battery model might be the answer.
It is 34x28x3.5cm and weighs 3.15 kilos. The viewable screen is 30.5x17cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 14inches, out of the box the screen resolution is set at 150% but 125% should still be viewable and for those with perfect vision maybe 100%. The screen surround is 1.5cm on each side with 2.5cm at the base and 3cm at the top. Inset in the centre at the top is a webcam that has a vanity slider. On the area on the right side is a fingerprint reader.
Joining the collection of Grim Tales stories is The Stone Queen. This game belongs to the Hidden Object Adventure genre and comes from the Elephant Games team of developers.
Like other titles in the extensive Grim Tales series, The Stone Queen allows you to create profiles to store the progress of different players plus make some adjustments to the game playing environment. Different audio output levels can be set for elements such as music, sound effects, environment and the voice dialogue delivered by voice actors.
This is a rather nice 24inch flat panel from Philips. It takes up only a limited amount of desk space and has a good amount of height adjustment, all the normal connection types are supported and it can also be used portrait as well as landscape and just for good measure it has three USB ports - one always on – built into the unit.
The Philips 243B9 measures 49.5x52cm on its stand at the minimum height of 6cm on its stand in landscape mode this can be increased to 20cm, the screen thickness at the edge is less than 1.4cm. The viewable screen is 52x29.5cm which the notional diagonal imperial measurement of just under 24inches, 23.8inches to be exact. In the centre top of the screen surround is a touch out webcam that means your personal privacy is guaranteed if you remember to push it in when not in use.
TCL took the opportunity of the Mobile World Congress 2021, held in Barcelona, to whet our appetites with various announcements regarding a number of new products.
Sounding a little like a Star Wars device, DOOGEE has developed a smartphone that can act as your message.
DOOGEE, the Spanish technology company, has announced the launch of its S97 Pro product. This particular product comes with the claim of it being the world's first rugged smartphone with a professional laser rangefinder. As yet I have not laid eyes or hands on this product but I have been supplied with various specs and information regarding this phone that forms the basis of this report.
I was sent an email offering samples to review from a company called If You Care, I asked for household gloves and cleaning cloths, what I received was far more so I will tell you about what was delivered from ‘If You Care’. Before the pandemic of close to 18 months ago I am sure we all washed everything and wiped surfaces regularly, now I am certain we do all that and more and probably most people’s hands suffer from all the extra twenty second washes that take place numerous times a day.
Children can find it easy to get lost especially when surrounded by attractions. Can you help re-unite a grandma with her missing grandson?
Penguins do seem to appreciate mosaics. I am not referring to the artistic designs produced by the Roman Empire of many centuries ago but those that form the basis of Match Gems nonogram puzzle offerings featuring members of a penguin family. In this case the penguins are Mrs Penrose who, when taking her grandson Robby, on a trip to an amusement park, manages to loose the youngster. Her resulting search for the boy is covered by the game Fantasy Mosaics 45 - Amusement Park.
Have you ever considered what happens to games once they get past the first flush of popularity?
Occasionally an unsold copy could be left to gather dust on a retailer's shelves or maybe it could be purchased by another publisher to be re-released as a single offering or packaged along with other similar titles. Falling into the latter category is a collection of five Hidden Object games. These titles are National Threat 2, Echoes of Sorrow 2, Dark Strokes, Treasure Masters Inc - The Lost City and Esoteria - Hollow Earth.
Tablets are great when out and about, however when back in the office be it at home or at work it is nice to have a larger screen to view the output but a lot of Tablets have few connections on the unit to save space, some in fact have just a single USB ‘C’ port used for charging and connecting external devices so this USB ‘C’ to HDMI lead can solve the problem.
This converter cable is 19cm long from the tip of the USB ‘C’ end of the lead to the point where your HDMI lead is inserted. At the other end is a 3.5x3x1.5cm connection area. While most will use this for the times they want to read or work on a long document or view a long or complex webpage without recourse to strong glasses, it is well known that staring at internet pages and the like on small Tablets or Notebooks is a major cause of headaches.
Set in an area of London during the late 19th Century, you find yourself in the role of an investigator attempting to solve a series of horrific crimes.
With the original story coming from the pen of Robert Louis Stevenson, Joindot created The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde game. This title belongs to the Hidden Object Adventure genre. Profiles can be set up in the game so that different people can play and have their progress recorded. Options are available to adjust the volume levels for background music and sound effects plus view the game in full screen mode and make use of a hardware cursor.
This offering from Xiaomi is another recent offering that is perhaps sold on its photographic and video abilities but instead of it costing a lot it’s more of a mid-range to budget offering. This is a name that may not be known that much in the UK.
The Redmi Note 10 from Xiaomi measures 16x7.5x.9cm, the last figure is at the rear cameras that protrude slightly from the case. The viewable screen is 15.6x7cm and this gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of a tad under 6½ inches as the corners are chamfered. The display is 1080x2400. Going around the outside on the right side are the volume rocker with on/off and fingerprint reader.
Described as the "True story of Sleeping Beauty", the Curse of the Briar Rose belongs to the Dark Parables series of titles. Developed by Blue Tea Games, this title offers Hidden Object game play as you take on the role of a detective tasked with solving the mystery of fast spreading vines threatening the local environment.
The story of Sleeping Beauty began, as I am sure you know, with the birth of a new princess who was cursed at birth. Later, when pricked by a spindle, the princess and everybody else residing in the castle fell into a deep sleep that could only be broken by the princess being kissed by a prince. At this point, the kiss woke up everybody apart from the princess and thus the legend of the Sleeping Beauty was born.
Joining the ranks of Match-3 game play is Arabian Treasure - Midnight Match. The game has been developed by REDZONE Studios, a company I have not encountered before.
This game certainly qualifies as one of the slowest title to load that I have come across. It felt you were left staring at its initial screen displaying a hand shape cursor for what seems ages. This continues until you click the mouse and are then moved on to the game's title screen displayed in a central area of the monitor. This rather compact view of the action is a foretaste of what you have got to come when actually tackling the Match-3 game play.
As far as I know this is the first Wash and Dry unit, earlier units shampooed and then washed drying often meant that that room was out of bounds for a good length of time. Here this unit automatically washes on the forward stroke and dry’s on the back stroke, for even quicker results there is a dry only mode.
The VAX Platinum Smart Wash comes in a 60x50x36cm box and the main installation is placing the handle into the base unit, having done that the water container fit in, everything is well documented in the instructions. It is 107cm tall, 42cm deep at the foot and 33cm wide. Total assembly time is less than fifteen minutes and involves fitting the top tank and the handle that just clips in.
By the time you read this review, we could be allowed to take holidays where ever we want. But perhaps not to this location.By the time you read this review, we could be allowed to take holidays where ever we want. But perhaps not to this location.
This BOOLAT Games, this title belongs to the Hidden Object Adventure game genre. It sets you the task of exploring a town where the inhabitants have disappeared and time seems to stand still. Prior to starting this adventure, you can make the usual collection of adjustments as you create profiles to record the progress of individual players. Adjustments can be made to the audio levels for environment, music and sound effects.
This is the latest offering from Ring, the Ring Video Doorbell 4. As far as I remember this is the smallest ever box yet it still has everything required in it. Dependent on where you live a problem could well be false positives which may be generated by field of view, it is possible to limit certain factors in what the camera sees however bushes and trees may still be a problem, but there is a solution with ‘People only Mode’.
The Ring Video Doorbell 4 unit measures 12x6x2.5cm and this only increases should you use the angled slice device that is provided for those on hills or where fitting the unit flat is impractical. Having reviewed earlier Ring devices I had an idea of what to do, here however the setup is even simpler as is linking to your Wi-Fi that could previously be a little problematic. Providing you have charged the units battery and you have a drill everything else is in the 13.5x8x6.5cm box.
It is time to travel around Egypt as you search for objects concealed in various locations.
Thinking back, and it did require some delving into my memory bank of past-playing gaming, my first encounter with Hidden Object titles was the Amazing Adventures series developed by SpinTop Gaming and released on the PopCap label. This series of titles took you to different locations where you needed to find hidden objects and play a number of puzzle type games. I was reminded of the series when I came across a boxed copy of Amazing Adventures: The Lost Tomb.
Step back to Victorian London as you investigate and foil an attempt to take over the world.
Stepping back just over a century in time, e-Funsoft has based its latest Match-3 offering in London as it was during the reign of Queen Victoria. The game in question is Gaslamp Cases - The Deadly Machine. Following the usual pattern of recent 3-Funsoft Match-3 titles, this game consists of a series of chapters made up of a number of grids, conversational interludes between two static characters and various sets of upgrades that need to be completed in order to progress.
This is filter coffee machine, simple in design but works well with easy to use controls. Perhaps best of all very it is easy to clean so if your tipple is filter coffee then this offering from Melitta should certainly be on your short list.
The 'epour' from Melitta has a total footprint of 32x37x16cm. Cold water is placed into the rear of the machine at the top by removing the lid, this can store up to 1litre of water. It comes with a 70cm long hard wired mains lead. There are just three buttons on the area below the coffee pot at the front, Pre-Brew, Brew and Control. The front of the machine at the top has the area that you place a filter in and then add coffee to your taste.
As restrictions are eased and life begins to revert to a more normal existence, here is some news from Huawei.
When I wrote a piece about face masks a year ago they were still a talking point and one that few - if any - of us thought would still be a feature of day to day life a year later. Now when we leave home it is a thing we check along with wallet and keys as while in an open area they are not currently compulsory they are on public transport and shops.
The vast majority of masks that I see are what are deemed as single use pale blue with white elastic to go round your ears. Some more fashion conscious people – mainly ladies – make their own and they are very inventive and sometimes very colourful but do they fulfill the requirement? I see more of the Perspex shield that start at the forehead and come down to the mouth, again I wonder if they stop germs coming from the wearer.
Older articles
Main Menu
