Entertainment

Not the first Freeview +HD box I have seen but it is the first with built in PVR. So what do you get that you do not get with a standard Freeview box that has PVR. In short it’s the ability to both watch and record HD via your TV aerial.

Those innovative people at Sandberg have come up with a device that turns your computer into a central hub for your audio needs.

First a slim external 8x DVD unit from Lite-On at a reasonable price. Second a pair of quite decent earbuds from Creative (Labs) who those of you old enough to remember as, the biggest name in sound cards for computers.

Do vampires ever die or just hibernate until the next walking blood bank arrives on the scene?

Having looked at a smaller model the HC-20 around six weeks ago what has the bigger HC-30 got to offer that the HC-20 does not have? From the outside if you just think slighter bigger with all the fitments then you have it.

Free-to-air HD television is now with us and available from a device such as Sagemcom HD PVR that also includes dual channel recording.

This is almost one of those big red London bus moments. You know the kind of thing. After a period of waiting patiently, two products delivering media control arrive within days of each other. First it was the recently reviewed Verbatim MediaStation and now it is the turn of Conceptronic’s FullHDMediaPlayer Gigabit offering.

In the world of magic, nothing is what it seems as you quickly discover in a new game from Alawar.

Anyone with an Analogue TV will need either a new TV or a set top box when your area goes Digital. Some regions have already converted. While a few – disabled and elderly – will get some assistance others will need to deal with it themselves.

Every once in a while a game comes along that adds an individual twist to a popular genre. This next title could be said to fall into this category.

So many peoples music collection now resides on large capacity iPods that for many a decent speaker system for their iPod replaces the traditional audio stack system to play both CD’s and Records as well as the old radio.

Making a complete change from other games I have seen from Alawar is a title that takes its inspiration from Shakespeare.

HD TV down your aerial is now possible, some people do not want it with a PVR and this solution from Humax is one such option. So currently apart from all the standard definition stations channels 50-52 are HD channels.

Unlike the box shaped speakers that those of us of a certain age will have fond memories from our music enjoyment sessions, today’s speakers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit in with more modern living environments. One example of this trend is the Portable USB Tube speaker which is part of Conceptronic’s Lounge Collection. The USB part of the title immediately gives the clue that this speaker set is for use with a compu

I first saw what they were proposing nearly three months ago. After a few days to let things settle I tried their service. Not with a brand new up to date photo (stated minimum of 2MP required) but with a scan of a near 40 year old image.

Having built up a popular fan base, the World of Warhammer 40,000 introduces more forces capable of causing death and destruction.

Originally set up in 2003, Cygnett is an international company with its headquarters in Australia. The company has recently added the Cygnett Micro to its product portfolio.

A ghostly apparition, missing students and an ancient Celtic legend come together in a Mystery Case Files titles designed to keep you looking over your shoulder.

Time to dust off your business management skills as you buy and sell plots of land, construct hotels and make money for your recently divorced boss.

As part of its expansion into areas other than purely media storage, Verbatim has released a new product designed to deal with your media management.

First a rather nice small but powerful laptop speaker from Altec Lansing called the Orbit USB. Second another offering from Brando in Hong Kong, this time a clip on USB fan or course there is also an extra, quite small but it still very efficient.

Lets start with a warning – you should not reconstruct the opening of this next game at home. Instead consider playing this game.

Old memories came flashing back as I took on the challenge of a platform style game that certainly had me scratching my head.

Not exactly a catchy name for what could be a rather nice DAB/FM/CD/iPod unit. Its small sleek and dare I say – as a fashion dunce – rather fashionable, however with a note of caution not everything is absolutely perfect.

Settlement development, hidden object game play and puzzle solving come together in a new title from the Alawar casual gaming site. The game casts you in the role of a 300 year old Emperor.

First a rather fine set of upside down torch like speakers together with a beefy sub woofer from Altec Lansing. Second a rather beautiful set of Digitally Enhanced Audio Headphones from Plantronics.

Until last month I was unaware that Panasonic did either headphones or earbuds, mind you they have also been around in the white goods sector (mainly in Asia) for 50 years but more about that on another occasion.

While not in the same league in terms of a long running series as “Last of the Summer Wine”, Murder She Wrote has an impressive pedigree with its number of episodes and has now made the transition to a computer screen.

A visit to a certain residence in Baker Street can lead you into a world of mystery and criminal activity. There is also a French flavour to add further spice.

A small circular shaped speaker that can be connected and powered from any PC with an audio out socket and USB port. However it can also (via USB) be connected wirelessly and with a charged battery with USB power.