Misc

Some of us need more than just a small notebook on our travels. Perhaps ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ is a bit over the top but, here are two offering that may help you keep everything together.

While battery life is often quoted as a major factor when judging portable devices, the actual running cost of the batteries is rarely mentioned. Do you choose the more expensive rechargeable battery type or opt for the cheaper, throwaway variety? Saitek believes it can sway the balance of the argument towards the latter option with its Echo Multi Charger device.

For the last couple of weeks I have been using a five socket Surge Strip, that has a rather nice plus in that it is also a UPS. The size is only slightly thicker than a conventional surge strip.

Like one good book, everyone has one good gadget in them. But how do you take that idea and turn it into a new, commercial product? Here's some tips on how to go forward.

I have long used a gang socket to control my computer with a single switch. These days I use a surge protection switch that has other advantages.

Little did I think six weeks ago when I reviewed a couple of 8 in 1 card readers that the one missing component would be available so quickly.

A mousepad is a mousepad right? Wrong, lots of colours, designs, shapes and sizes but all doing more or less the same job? Wrong, they provide somewhere to allow you to control the mouse cursor to move around the screen right? Right but….

Perhaps the ultimate gadget, something to get you from A to B and then even to C and D. The latest versions of Auto Route and Route Planner probably the most popular packages of their type in the UK.

With more and more devices now connecting to USB ports the available ones soon fill up, if you have a modern machine with a couple of ports on the front changing items need not result in a slipped disc, however more access to ports is still important.

A couple of years ago Corel launched the first edition of Essentials; it certainly was an essential purchase. Now at last Essentials 2 is available is this just as essential?

Why should a gadget be just hardware? Lots of software applications can perform a job that either would be difficult or close to impossible without them, the choice then would be to buy the product produced from a third party.

Maybe not your regular gadget, but i thought worth a mention as it is out for sale in UK on 1st November. It looks like a fantastic car, and with maximum speed over 200mph, its enough to give Michael Schumacher a run for his money!

There are nowadays a plethora of cards from cameras and other sources, most can be linked directly to PC’s to download content. However it is often easier to remove the card and use a Media Reader.

Setting up your video recorder to tape various programmes, within a single session, from the range of channels available from a Sky digibox can prove to be a frustrating experience. Those who have attempted, and failed, to achieve success at this task are the obvious target for a device developed by Bluedelta and entitled the Phantom PV (Personal Video Recorder).

What have Pocket, Mini USB, Travelling, Pen plus many more proprietary names in common? They are all ‘Mules’ for transferring data, as is the Belkin USB Flash Drive.

A remote control car for a Fiver

A quick summary of both shows which I attended today.

Just the coolest camping stove around

I've bought a lot of gadgets in my time, but this rates as my number one. Does it count as a gadget?