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
Returning to an old home can bring forth unexpected problems that will need to be solved.
To slightly alter a popular song of yesteryear, "If you go down to the woods today, you better watch out for a hard working dwarf".
This is a very lightweight on ear set of headphones. Appearances can be deceptive and in the case of these it is certainly so, they do not look much and my first thoughts were these are from SoundBlaster, yes they are reasonably priced but they look not that special. Looks are not everything and all that changed when I linked them to my phone and I realized that were a really rather nice offering.
They can be as little as 15cm from base of the ear pieces to the inside of the headband. Each side can be increased by up to 3.5cm so anyone from a child upwards should be able to wear them securely. Total weight is only 84 grams. While most will use these with Bluetooth they can be used with the USB ‘C’ to USB lead as a wired unit. All the controls are on the right ear and they slope slightly from front to back.
If you are looking for a new smartphone, then POCO has a couple of models that might fit the bill.
I suppose you might state that developers of mobile devices should never take the option to take their foot off the pedal and stand still with regards to adding features offered by their handsets. As a result, despite the restrictive effects brought about by the pandemic and lockdowns, new handset models continue to appear on a regular basis. A recent example of this trend is POCO's launch of two new models to its range of handsets. These smartphones are the POCO F3 and the POCO X3 Pro.
While Polaroid cameras have been around for a very long time new models and colours continue to be launched. Even new film types for a range of different scenarios. I was sent both i-type and 600 film types to test with one of their latest PolaroidNow, but I see other types are also available.
It is 15x11x9.5cm these are maximum figures and it weights a tad under .5 kilo at 492 grams. A large instruction sheet is included and providing the unit has some power in its internal battery they are clear and easy to follow. So to avoid any problem attach the supplied USB to micro USB lead for a few minutes before inserting a pack of film stock. All current Polaroid film types colour or black and white are eight image films.
Dare you enter an old house where warlocks practiced their art in a by-gone age.
Mystery of the Ancients - Lockwood Manor is a Hidden Object game with elements of Adventure and mini game action thrown in for good measure. Developed by Mariaglorum, and part of the BlackLime series of titles, this game is based on events which are claimed to have taken place within Lockwood Manor in the late 1800's. According tot the stories, Lockwood manor is where warlocks studied black magic involving the use of human sacrifices and the practice of encasing demons in statues.
Joining forces with an enemy can help defeat an even larger opposing force.
If I mention that The Enthralling Realms - Knights & Orcs comes from the development team at eFunsoft then you would not be surprised to hear that this game belongs to the Match-3 genre. Using the familiar format of creating groups of three or more similarly embellished tiles, arranged on a grid, by switching two adjacent tiles, this game is based on the never-ending war between the orcs and humans.
This is one of the new breed of Chromebooks that give you much more functionality and even allows access to the Google Play Store and that also allows you to link to your Android phone. In fact it bears little resemblance to an early Chromebook that did not even have the ability to store things offline. This should really be considered a totally new category of product.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 511 measures 29.5x21.5x2cm and weighs 1212 grams. The viewable screen is 23.5x14.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 11.6inches and this gives you a variable screen resolution of up to 1518x853 which may make text a little small for some but a slider lets you change it through a range of resolutions up to 911x512. Going around the outside, on the left side is a small blue LED denoting power on, next is a USB ‘C’ then USB3.
Can you solve the mystery of the missing archaeologist and understand a new language?
Thanks to Inkle, a Cambridge based company, you have the opportunity to visit Heaven's Vault. This is an archaeological adventure with more than touch of a science fiction element along with a translation aspect, to it. In this game you take on the role of Aliya Elasra, an archaeologist, as you explore the Nebula assisted by a robot, bearing the name of Six, to complete a mission involving various exploration skills.
Two rather different toys that will also intrigue, first a ball – a little smaller than a tennis ball – that can with very little effort bounce to a far greater height than it is dropped from. Second a rocket that takes off with only the effort of your foot. So while I must say it very quietly they are both toys to get the child thinking and therefore learning.
The box says for 5+ but I would think children far younger would puzzle as to why a ball dropped will bounce up to the same height, or why a ball bounced goes even higher and then exactly how high will it bounce when thrown onto the ground. Even on grass I easily got it bouncing well above my head, on concrete it bounces far higher.
Available as part of the BlackLime series of titles, Malice: Two Sisters belongs to the Hidden Object genre of games. Developed by Game Devo, this title is based around a Boarding School mystery as your character searches for her missing sister.
As you might suppose, you are cast in the role of one of the sisters mentioned in the game's title. You are Victoria who sets out to search for Emily whose last known whereabouts was on Urami Island. This location was the site of the boarding school that both sisters attended when they were younger. In the intervening period, the island and the school had become abandoned with people whispering that a curse had settled upon the island.
This looks very similar to the other recently reviewed Canon unit the G2560 on the 3rd March 2021 however while the dimensions may be similar the speed and connection methods do vary so worth a look at both reviews to see which might fit your needs best.
The G3520 is 44x32x16cm, the exception is the rear input paper tray that doubles the height (the last figure), the left side at the back has the power input and on the right side also at the back is USB input. However this can also be used via Wi-Fi meaning the G3520 does not need to be tethered to your PC and you can also print to it from other devices such as Tablets and SmartPhones.
Can you find the missing parts of an invention and rescue your brother?
Available from the catalogue of BlackLime titles, Final Cut - Death on the Silver Screen is a Hidden Object Adventure game that is rated suitable for those aged 7 and upwards. Set in the 1950s, the game casts you in the role of a daughter of a film mogul and inventor, named Morton Wolf. Following the death of your father, you are faced with the bizarre disappearance of your brother and the occurrence of strange events taking place in your father's mansion and deserted film studio.
These are the latest TransMemory flash drives and micro SD card offerings from Kioxia. I was sent a 128GB USB3.2 and a 256GB similar device one was black and the other white. Also was a 128GB High Endurance micro SD card and this also has a holder so it could be used as a standard SD card. The TransMemory devices have a five year warranty and the micro SD card a three year warranty.
The 128GB one (white) was 5x2x.8cm and weighs 8 grams. It has 8x2mm hole through the case on the right of the top edge so that it can be attached to a keyring. The cap only fits one way as it is larger one side than the other, this is a snug fit so far less likely to fall off in a pocket or bag. This is a USB3.2 Gen 1 drive however it still works with earlier versions of USB3 and even USB2 at a somewhat slower speed.
This early example of Hidden Object game play turns friends into enemies.
Now available on the budget BlackLime Games label, Dark Ritual is a Blackwood Mansion Mystery. This game, rated at being suitable for those aged 12 and upwards, is a Hidden Object Adventure game. Despite being worried regarding your sister, who has gone missing, you are assigned by the FBI to undertake the task of investigating the case of Dr. Seymour Brown, a scientist who is rumoured to have been conducting inhumane experiments and dabbling in the occult.
When looking for assistance when solving a crime in the countryside, who better to ask than a fox.
Developed by Paprikan, "Montgomery Fox and the Case of the Diamond Necklace" is a game that belongs to the Hidden Object genre. When a diamond necklace, belonging to Lord Raccoon of Hiser, goes missing, panic spreads though the countryside and everybody questions as to who could have committed the crime. Help was required and who better to ask than the famous city detective, Montgomery Fox. He immediately asked for your assistance to solve this crime.
Are you ready to set out on a journey to discover the four elements that could save the world?
Temple of Life - The Legend of Four Elements is a Hidden Object Adventure game. Developed by QuickClick, this game casts you in the role of Jane, an archaeology student whose professor has made a discovery that could unleash total destruction of the world. Not unnaturally it is up to Jane to work through numerous tasks and puzzles as she attempts to correct the professor's mistake, restore balance and save the world.
If like me you have negatives from films that the original photographs have long disappeared this device gives you a way to get new photographs. It is made from good quality board and you need to follow the clear – but simple – instructions to erect the scanner, next you download the PictoScanner App and then feed in your negatives focus and then you have a Colour or even Black & White image on your phone, now you can print them out.
The PictoScanner comes in a box measuring 15x10x3cm and the scanner unit folds out from the base so when not required it can be collapsed again to save it from possible damage. You will need 2x ‘AA’ batteries that fit into the unit as shown in the instructions and there is a simple on/off button on the base of the unit to turn the light source on/off. It can take either single film negatives or a strip which can be fed through most of mine seen to be three or four in a strip.
Just how can you save money on your electricity bills.
This is both a landscape and a portrait panel that has plenty of back tilt and some forward tilt as well as side to side movement available. It is close to 24 inches in corner to corner display size and has built in speakers as well as a USB3 hub; so far however it has stubbornly refused to make my morning coffee, oh well I suppose you can’t have everything.
It is 54x32.5x2cm however this is only the screen and surround, the viewable screen has .5cm borders top and sides with a 2cm border at the bottom. The viewable screen is 53x30cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 24 inches. An arm connects the 20x20cm base to the click in place fitment behind the screen; the arm raises the screen between 4cm and 20cm from your desk when in portrait mode.
Social Services come to the rescue as an evil politician searched for a child with psychic powers.
Paranormal Pursuit - The Gifted One is a title from Alawar's catalogue of offerings. This title, developed by Logris Games, is a Hidden Object Adventure game. I have been looking at the Collector's Edition of the title which comes with a number of extra items to add further appeal to the prospective player. Available from the game's main title screen, some of the extra features can be accessed immediately while a couple require progress to be made or the completion of the main game.
Offering to add visual capture facility to your car is a device from a company with strong Korean connections.
When thinking of automobile GPS navigation devices and dash cams, one company whose name does not immediately spring to mind is that of Thinkware. This is probably for the reason that Thinkware has concentrated its effort at developing its profile in the field of automobile accessories in Korea rather than the rest of the world.
I see quite a lot of ladies wearing large watches so this could be considered a unisex offering. However my wrist is not particularly small and I needed to take a link out of the strap to be able to place this near my wrist bone without the removal of it the watch had to be nearer my elbow so a lady may need to take more links out of the strap.
The case is 43mm and has a silver coloured band just outside the viewable dial and then outside this cut metal designed to look like precious stones so quite blingy. The dial is close to 1cm thick. The band on my unit was silver in colour, but there are two other option available. The watch charges by USB and a circular dock fits onto the rear of the watch and it then wakes telling you to download Wear OS from the iOS or Android store.
Looking for the latest smartphone then OPPO has launched a new series of models.
Offering users a choice of models, OPPO has launched its Find X3 series of 5G premium smartphones. The initial release consists of the Find X3 Pro 5G, Find X3 Neo 5G and Find X3 Lite 5G. These three models are expected to be available, in the UK, from the 14th of April at the OPPO e-store and a range of carriers and retailers. With all three models offering 5G connectivity, lets take a look at some of the specifications of each handset model.
If your Wi-Fi is slow – or non-existent in certain areas – then your answer may lay in Powerline adapters so the loft, basement or garage may come into range and best of all not at a snail’s pace but at a speed suitable for those into gaming. Devolo have two solutions that can help, a starter kit (two units) or as reviewed here a whole home Wi-Fi kit.
They are each 15x7.5x4.5cm in size. The plug part is near the base so even those of us with skirting board sockets can use them. They should be plugged into a power socket and not into a surge strip or even a gang socket, you do not lose any sockets as what was plugged directly into that socket can now be plugged into the face of the unit.
Once pandemic restrictions are removed, there might be a need for a new airport.
Match-3 game play is a popular genre. Often the game will send you on a quest to restore ruined communities or break an evil spell cast over an area. However in this next example of the genre, you are placed in the role of building an airport while, at the same time. solving a murder mystery as you defeat various attempts to distract you by thwarting those who do not want you to succeed. This then was my expectation when I decided to check out "100 Days without Delays".
I have recently been informed that Marshall is launching its new in-ear headphone product.
Well know for its expertise in the development and product of audio listening equipment, Marshall has announced the launch of its Mode II product. This is the company's first rue wireless in-ear headphone set. The product sets out to combine the Marshall music legacy with forward thinking technology to enhance the listener's experience. The Mode II in-ear headphones, as it becoming the normal trend, come packaged in their own charging case to help expand listening time.
Having recently told you about the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite now I get the change to test the 10T Pro. This is a larger offering and my ruler tells me it is 6.5 inches from screen corner to corner. As you might expect for such a large screen it is also somewhat heavier.
The Xiaomi 10T Pro measures 16.5x7.7x.7cm and where the camera block protrudes on the back as much as 3mm the viewable screen is 15.6x7.4cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial measurement of 6½ inches, the claim is 6.67 inches but as the corners are rounded that is not possible on the screen. The screen is 1080x2400 pixels. It has a 5000mAh battery so all but the very heaviest users should be able to get two days of use between charges.
Helping you breathe easily is the announcement of an air quality monitor.
While some may be content to listen to music on their phone or in their car there are those who want more from their streaming service like better quality output to be enjoyed through quality headphones or speakers and there Deezer have solutions for you with their Hi-Fi service that also offers some recordings in 360 degree surround sound.
I have looked at Deezer several times over recent years, the reason I keep looking is that they continue to enhance their offerings. They have long had a feature that allows you to find the title of a playing tune from the playing notes – providing the innovation is not too far from the original - now they have a new feature that allows you to find the title when all you have is some of the lyrics.
Older articles
Main Menu
