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A substantial Tablet in that the screen is over ten inches, it runs Android 10, however as you probably know Trump had a falling out with Huawei and because of that certain features cannot be included, probably the biggest miss is the Google Store for Apps.
The Huawei Mate Pad 10.4 measures 26.5x15x.8cm and weights 453 grams. The viewable screen is 22.5x13.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 10.4 inches. The screen resolution is 2000x1200 pixels. By default it wants to use Gestures to navigate which may seem a little daunting to those used to Home, Back and Opened Apps.
TCL, one of the world's best-selling consumer electronics brands and leading technology companies, made a number of announcements regarding new and forthcoming products at the IFA 2020 extravaganza. I have selected three of these announcements for this report.
It’s been a while since a pair of shoes or trainers has passed over my desk. Here an offering from Brooks that will support the complete foot. When I first took them from the box I thought that they looked a little small but a comparison with what was currently on my feet disproved that.
Like clothes shoe sizes do vary and I have in the past been happy and comfortable with some shoes that are sold as 9½ but others need to be 10. I loosened the laces as they arrived tightly tied and then loosened them some more and still my foot resisted and then I realised that the top edge of the trainer was rubberised for extra grip and so while the laces do have a job to perform you need to push quite hard to insert the foot but when in the trainer the foot is held very securely.
Dipping my hand into the goodie bag of past games brought forth Magicville - Art of Magic. The result of my blind search is described as a Match 3 Adventure game with more than a touch of magic.
This game brings together elements of Match 3 game play, bartering, puzzle solving and spell casting. These elements can all be required as you attempt to thwart the dastardly plans of an evil sorcerer. You d need to be aware that this is a game that I first played over five years ago and I was returning for a second look at his challenge. The game, which can be played in either Adventure or Time Trial mode involves a limited variety of challenges.
Since I last took a look at a Yubico product, the company has made some changes to its line-up including this next offering
Data is a valuable asset whether you are an individual or, more importantly, a business. The corruption, theft or illegal access of your data could cost a great deal of money and affect numerous people in many different ways. It is up to whoever owns the data, in the first place, to ensure that this valuable item is adequately protected. You can be sure that those who have attempted, and maybe succeeded, in stealing your data will protect the information they have gathered.
I rarely get a chance to see an Apple device as they do not seem interested in UK journalists. So it is nice when a telecoms company offer one for review. It looks very smart and while it uses much the same system to turn on you are met with a wall of permissions just to get to the Home screen.
The The iPhone 11 Pro Max measures 15.5x7.5x.8cm and weighs 222 grams. The viewable screen is 15x6.8cm which gives the notional imperial diagonal measurement of 6.5 inches, however there is a notch 3.5cm long digging into the top of the screen for the selfie cameras. The screen is 2688x1242 pixels at 458PPI. It comes with a 3046mAh battery, so a long day of battery life for most unless you spend it watching Apple TV+ that comes on the unit for a year.
For those wanting to don their video director's hat, Corel offers this next product.
Corel has recently added to its range of products with the release of Pinnacle Studio 24. This product is available in three different versions. You have the choice of Studio, Studio Plus and Studio Ultimate versions. My review of the product is based on the Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 24 software. When fired up for the first time, you are presented with a Welcome screen which provides links to a series of tutorials and new features that have been introduced with this version 24.
These earbuds are one of the best buds I have used, ideal for gamers, movie buffs or music fans. Certainly all three examples are improved by these buds they make the standard for those who prefer their enjoyment to be in ear. This is not just another set of earbuds.
These buds are for use on a Tablet or Notebook and also any USB ‘C’ SmartPhone that uses the port via an adapter for sound, you do not need the adapter just plug in the USB ‘C’ and hear your music, sound from your game or movie. In the box are six pairs of Gels to fit on the buds, the next to largest 15mm are fitted, however you get sizes from 10mm to 16mm and not just jumbled up in a plastic bag but fitted into the box.
Can you defeat a hungry dragon in this next Match-3 title?
When Dark Omens make an appearance it is probably time to make a visit to the mystical world of Lumina. Once there, in the company of two brave magicians named Tenebria and Alrik, you will need to make your way along a winding path as you attempt to restore the balance between light and shadow or good and evil. This is the situation you are faced in Mystika 4 - Dark Omens when an invasion of evil creatures is looming and a power-hungry dragon approaches.
During the ever-passing years, PaintShop Pro has undergone numerous make-overs. It would have taken somebody with the skill of a Nostradamus to get even close to how the original file conversion program would develop into today's graphics suite offering.
Now up to version 2021, the latest edition of PaintShop Pro is available as either the vanilla or ultimate offering. I have been looking at the top-of-the-range Ultimate product of PaintShop Pro 2021. This version of the graphics software comes with a collection of bonus items made up of Painter® Essentials™ 7, PhotoMirage™ Express and Corel AfterShot™ 3.
This is a large and heavy multi-function unit suitable for an office environment as it has the ability to set up all sorts of restrictions with times and users so you do not end up printing magazines for whatever local group. This is a colour laser All In One unit that comes with starter cartridges pre-installed. It is certainly a two person move at 35kilos.
The Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw measures 46cm deep 43cm from side to side and 48cm tall, these are all maximum figures and all leads used are contained within this footprint including the paper out tray, only if you use the second manual paper feed do these figures get exceeded and as the manual feed is a drop down to 45 degrees from the centre front of the unit this adds 15cm to the depth. You can use this via Wi-Fi or Ethernet or if required USB. Installation is from a CD or via the Internet.
Accidents can happen and a Dash Cam can provide evidence to help protect the innocent party.
Nextbase, producer of the largest Dash Cam brand in the world and holding over 80%, by volume share, of the UK market, has added to its product range line up with the release of its 622GW model. This new offering comes with a range of features that the company feel will enhance the critical evidence gathering that can occur thus allowing the driver to concentrate on the main aspects of the driving experience.
Not a new name but certainly the contents are a lot more powerful than the unit I reviewed three years ago. This is a light Notebook that is powerful at the same time; it can happily show a presentation onto an external HDMI panel so ideal for those that travel around.
The Acer Swift 3 measures 31.5x21.5x1.5cm where the last measurement at the back with the front being as thin as 1cm. The viewable screen is 30.5x17.5cm which gives the notional diagonal imperial screen measurement of 14 inches; the screen resolution is 1920x1080 which by default is shown at 150%.
Maybe not as complicated as recent royal issues, this next title takes a look at the life of nobility.
As you gather round the table in order to view and chat to others many miles away and this next product could help.
The arrival of this next product immediately caused a couple of flashbacks. The first of these involved the Amstrad company with its video telephone product. Unlike the earlier more basic offering of just vocal communication, this product allowed users to talk and view whoever they were communicating with at the time.
'How do I do that' or 'let me think' as I do not complete that task very often. Windows can do most things however it often makes the task difficult. Parallels Toolbox has a range of one step tools to complete the tasks that Windows makes more complex, some may even seem impossible this collection of over thirty different tools are in a simple package.
Let’s start with Archive, Block Camera and Break Time; I don’t think any need any great explanation the last named is perhaps the most important for those studying. The next three can all be done in Windows but each requires a separate two key selection to complete here they are simple for those who do this action infrequently; they are Capture Area, Capture Screen and Capture Window.
When transferring data, SSD can offer a fast solution for carrying out this task.
When I think of SanDisk my initial thoughts tend to drift towards memory cards although I do have fond memories of the company's small MP3 player which is still providing good service and its plans to release popular albums in memory card format. However the company does have other products including the Extreme PRO device which is a portable SSD for allowing fast access to video and photos stored on a computer.
Normally writing this first paragraph is easy, it just explains very briefly what the item being reviewed is, be it software, hardware, something for the home, something for the office or even something for the children. This box connects to the Internet using your modem but it is not exactly a router, it’s really for the Internet of Things, any wiser?
Can you help an awakened princess find the missing population she was meant to rule.
While you may be familiar with the story of Sleeping Beauty, this next tale relates a completely different set of events with its own slumbering lady. In this case the sleeping character, who is the Princess Sophia, awakens after a century length repose in the comfort of her castle, she discovers that she is the only human around. All the other humans seem to have disappeared.
Coming to the rescue of over-burdened iPhone/iPad devices is a data transfer tool.
Recently I looked at the SanDisk Ultra Disk USB Drive. This product provided a means of transferring data between devices with standard and micro USB connectivity. SanDisk also has a product which performs a similar function for devices, such as iPhone, iPad and computers, that rely on standard and Lightning connectivity. This product is the SanDisk iXpand™ Flash Drive Go which is the subject of this review. With dimensions of 53 x 12 x 12.
The Neos Indoor Camera was developed in association with an insurance company and their clients were the first to benefit from it. Here are two more items that can save the householders money by avoiding water damage problems and the second a sensor kit so you can know when a door or window is opened or movement is detected.
Both of these items are add-ons that also require you to have a Neos camera installed as they link into your Wi-Fi and then give you push notifications via the camera. However it is possible to have the camera unarmed with the Neos App open on your phone and get notified of an open door or window that the sensor is attached to.
Keeping your data safe and secure is the task of this next product from Western Digital.
Combining local network and Cloud accessible storage is the aim of the WD My Cloud Home product. Whether it is photos, videos, documents and other files, the WD My Cloud Home provides the capability to gather and store the relevant data from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The gathered data is stored on this central location that can be 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB or the 8TB of my review sample.
This is a scale that can help in the fight against Obesity. However it also does other things giving you other reading while on the scale, you decide from a list in the App and just for good measure it will give you the weather forecast, for those who weigh themselves first thing in the morning this may help you decide what to wear.
The Withings Body Cardio scales measure 32x32x1.2cm with a central bar to help you keep your feet apart. There is a 7x4cm display window. The numerals displayed are 2cm tall and very easy to read. While being naked during weighing yourself is not essential you do need to have bare feet to get the best from the scale as certain features require bare feet.
When a magician takes his act on to the street, you should be ready for some surprises.
Without any connection to the more recent removals of monuments, the VAST Studios developed Shattered Minds: Encore casts you in the role of a detective sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a series of famous monuments. These landmarks included the Statute of Liberty, Coliseum and the Pyramids.
With a name that reminds me of a lighter, this next product combines two functions.
Sometimes the arrival of a product for review coincides with the ideal circumstances.Take for instance when a printer appears when I have a shed load of documents that need printing or a memory card turns up as my smartphone is pleading "feed me, feed me" as it needs more storage space to hold the content I am attempting to cram into it.However, as you could well imagine, this is not always the case as can be seen with this next product.
This is a new SmartPhone designed for 5G but that still works using 4G if you live or work in an area currently without 5G coverage. This is supplied with a transparent back and sides silicon cover that stops the cameras being proud on the back which means that you can lay it on any surface without any danger of scratching that surface.
The Moto G 5G Plus Smartphone measures 16.7x7.3x1cm and weighs 222grams with cover. The screen is 15.6x7cm which gives the notional imperial diagonal measurement of 6.7inches. The display is 1080x2520 pixels in a 21:9 ratio which is the same resolution as most recent films. The twin front cameras do bite into the display near the top left of the screen.
Often when used as a mobile entertainment device, a smartphone requires plenty of storage space.
Have you heard your smartphone whimper? It is not a pleasant sound, some would say pitiful, and one that you should attempt to avoid hearing at all costs. Well perhaps not at all costs. The situation can be alleviated by the act of introducing your favourite mobile device to a memory card with appropriate capacity such as the SanDisk Ultra microSDXC™ UHS-1 Card. Promising speeds of up to 95 MB/s, I have been looking at one of the higher capacity cards from this series.
It looks a little like a ‘tank’ with the top removed so in one form it’s just the treads that grip but once it moves into the fitment it moves as if on stilts. There are some pieces supplied to guide your Power Treads unit around a course which you design but you can go freestyle and use things found in your home to make your own truly original track.
If this was just a vehicle with some curves and twists then the stated age of five plus would be fine however as you have to assemble not just the course which is a test in itself with the pieces provided but you also need to fit the treads to the vehicle so maybe an older sibling would be useful to tell you what is possible. Although it can do some amazing twists and turns it cannot defy gravity.
If you are looking to simultaneously charge several devices then this news might be of interest.
With an impressive reputation for successful crowd-funding campaigns, Changeasap is a consumer electronics start-up based in Sydney. Following its successful crowd-funding campaigns for products, such as Flash Graphics Powerbank, Infinity Magnetic cables and X-Connect cables, the next cab of the rank to emerge from Changeasap is the company's Omega product with its own crowd-funding campaign.
While restrictions are being placed on passport travel, they do not apply to this offering from Western Digital.
While a traditional passport will prove useful when travelling between countries, Western Digital (WD) believes its passport offering can perform important facilities for your computer system and environment. The WD My Passport is a portable storage device which offers features that include automatic back up, password protection and data encryption. I have been looking at the Ultra version of the product which is available in 1TB (my review sample), 2TB, 3TB and 4TB capacities.
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