Tech Reviews

Dansette Junior Refurbished Vintage Record Player,c'59 on eBay (end time 17-Sep-09 22:21:09 BST)

via cgi.ebay.co.uk

Her is the a very attractive record player

Tech Reviews: The Last Post

Well, it's been a crazy, hazy, tech-y journey here at Tech Reviews. We've laughed, we've cried, we've fiddled about with things. But the time has come to move on to pastures new.

But what pastures! Our parent company, Shiny Media, continues to publish the excellent Tech Digest, the best site for Tech-related news and reviews. Plus, for the discerning gadget-loving female, there's the legendary Shiny Shiny. Then there's HDTV UK, which reports from the front of the High Definition TV revolution.

PLUS there are Shiny's fabulous gaming sites: PSPSPS, WiiWii and XBoxer. You can probably work out what topics they cover.

So thanks for reading, and we hope you'll check out all of the other great offerings from Shiny Media. Onward!

Review: USBCELL – AA batteries just evolved

The propaganda

Moxia Energy recently unveiled the USBCELL, a unique solution to the problem of AA batteries – the problem being that whenever you need a couple of AA batteries, all you ever seem to have is a drawer full of half dead ones. And we’ve probably all been there; you’re in the middle of an Xbox Live session when the controller finally stops flashing warning lights at you and goes dead, ten minutes later you’re opening up all your TV and HiFi remotes desperately trying to find a magical combination that will give you enough juice to stop you having to hike it out to the nearest shop for a fresh pack.

Rechargeable batteries help, but then you have to hunt down the charger as well. USBCELL are a much more practical alternative because, as the name implies, they can be recharged using any USB port that you’ve got handy.

Continue reading "Review: USBCELL – AA batteries just evolved"

Review: iGo everywhere

The propaganda

Despite the fact that nearly every modern gadget runs off some sort of Li-ion battery, it is alarming just how many power adaptors you need to keep even a modest number of devices juiced up. It is really daft, but sadly there must be a fair bit of cash involved in the sale of power adaptors because companies (I’m thinking of mobile phones manufacturers especially) aren’t exactly falling over themselves in their attempts to make things easier.

Fortunately, iGo recently launched its ‘everywhere’ power adaptor which is making a noble effort to solve all your power problems with a single device. Basically it is a single power cable that fits both the accompanying mains plug and the in-car cigarette lighter plug. You then buy the appropriate tips to match your gadget – be it a mobile, handheld games console, MP3 player, Bluetooth headset, or basically anything, with only a few exceptions. There’s even a Splitter available which let’s you charge two devices at the same time.

Continue reading "Review: iGo everywhere"

Review: LG U830

The propaganda

The LG U830 is one of the more recent additions to the monstrously successful Chocolate and Black Label range, and it is the clamshell answer to the KG800’s (aka Chocolate) sliding action. It also happens to be one of the first HSPDA enabled handsets in the UK and 3 customers will be able to enjoy the full advantage of the high speed data transfer that it enables. That means better, faster web browsing, mobile email options and mobile TV.

Other features are a bit more standard: there’s a 2.0 megapixel camera, 185MB onboard memory, battery life offering 200 hours of standby time, A2DP Bluetooth and a 2.2” 262k colour screen. Adorning the outer edge are touch sensitive multimedia controls, glowing red on black, which makes it immediately recognisable as coming from Chocolate camp.

Continue reading "Review: LG U830"

Sponsored Post: Sony VAIO SZ4 Series

Remember the days when you were uncontactable when out of the office? Those days are long gone now, and portable computing is at the heart of your business connections nowadays.

Whether it’s email, instant messaging or Skype VoIP calls, keeping in touch while on the road is easier than ever. Well, as long as you can find a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect from, of course.

Sony’s VAIO SZ4 Series solves that problem. It’s a stylish laptop that comes with a free 30-day trial of T-Mobile’s web’n’ walk service, which provides you with fast mobile broadband whenever you need it.

Its HSDPA/3G card is simple to install, meaning that whatever method you use to stay in touch, you won’t be left out of the loop when out and about.

SONY VAIO SZ4 Series

POST SPONSORED BY SONY

Review: AA Navigator Vive!

The propaganda

The AA is best known for its breakdown and repair services, so it isn’t an enormous surprise that it has used this reputation to hop on the GPS bandwagon. The result is the AA Navigator Vive! – a budget sat nav that manages to pack in a hefty number of features even despite the low price tag.

It has a full touch-screen interface, MP3 player, Photo viewer, full maps of the UK with full postcode search and subscription to the AA’s speed camera software free for 6 months. You also have access to the AA’s extensive database of Points of Interest which includes everything from golf courses to B&Bs, petrol stations to cinemas.

If you’re unfamiliar with the intricacies of in-car GPS devices, the AA has made efforts to make programming the device even more straightforward with an ‘Easy’ mode – but there’s still a more advanced version for more seasoned users. Hit the turn to find out what we think.

Continue reading "Review: AA Navigator Vive!"

Sponsored Post: Sony VAIO SZ4 Series

Spring's almost here again. You can practically hear the lambs chirruping in the trees. Something like that, anyway. The point is, you should have a spring in your step at this time of year, which isn't easy if you're lugging round a heavy laptop.

Meet the Sony VAIO SZ4 series. With an A4 footprint and weighing just 1.69kg, it won't leave you laden down. Yet it's still packing all the power you'd want from a top notebook, thanks to its Intel Core 2 Duo processor which boosts its performance while multi-tasking.

Better still, it'll have you hopping, skipping and jumping online in a jiffy, thanks to its free HSDPA/3G WAN card, which comes with a 30-day trial to T-Mobile's web 'n' walk mobile broadband service.

SONY VAIO SZ4

POST SPONSORED BY SONY

Review: Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe

The propaganda

At its heart, the Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe is a very basic sat nav device designed to get you from A to B without involving any complicated programming. The only features that set it apart from the many, many other GPS devices out there are TMC traffic updates and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to use the device’s internal mic and speaker to make hands free calls – especially handy now that the penalty for using a mobile whilst driving has been increased.

However, unlike most other GPSs, Garmin lets you choose from a range of optional extras that you can add on to improve the unit’s functionality. This includes the usual things like full European maps and speed camera locations, but also more unique features like a travel guide and a language guide for when you’re travelling abroad. The compact form factor and very generous battery life help to make sure that it is easy to carry around and won’t conk out on you while you’re trying to garble your way round the Spanish for "two beers, please".

Continue reading "Review: Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe"

Sponsored Post: Sony VAIO SZ4 Series

Giving up caffeine for Lent? Good on you, but it won't half play havoc with your computing on the move, if you've relied on coffee-shop Wi-Fi hotspots to get online in the past.

Sony's VAIO SZ4 series will bolster your resolve. Not only is it a lightweight laptop with a whopping battery life and security features, but it comes with a free 30-day trial of T-Mobile's web 'n' walk service, giving you mobile broadband on the go.

You won't need a Master Barista to help you set it up either: you just load the software, slot in the supplied HSDPA/3G card, and get surfing.

Sony VAIO SZ4

POST SPONSORED BY SONY

Review: Motorola S805 "DJ Style" Stereo Bluetooth Headset

The propaganda

Stereo Bluetooth looks set to become incredibly popular throughout 2007. If CES is anything to go by, and that after all is what CES is for, then it looks like we’re going to be bombarded with all manner of devices offering A2DP connectivity, ranging from phones to car stereos, MP3 players to headphones. Apart from the blissful absence of wires, lure enough in itself for anyone who is fed up with constantly trying to untangle their mobile and iPod from a perpetually knotted headphone cable, A2DP often comes in conjunction with AVRCP which allows you to control music sources wirelessly as well.

Although there aren’t a huge number of A2DP standard wireless headsets available in the UK at the moment, Motorola has always been at the forefront of this particular technology and it’s no surprise then that it has been first to market with what I consider to be a decent sized pair of headphones. I personally can’t stand earphones and think they are bloody uncomfortable, so a full sized pair of cans is always my personal preference. And they always sound so much better.

The S805s have an integrated mic with echo and noise reduction for making and receiving calls and they offer play/pause, skip and volume controls accessed by buttons on either side and jog-wheels built into both ear pieces. You charge them via the mains, which takes about 3 hours, and if you want to listen to a non-Bluetooth source, they even come with a 3.5mm cable.

Continue reading "Review: Motorola S805 "DJ Style" Stereo Bluetooth Headset"

Review: MPMan ‘The Blade’

The propaganda

Apparently taking the expression 'iPod killer' a little too seriously, a new MP3 player has appeared on the horizon, going by the name of The Blade. Before the more sadistically inclined ask, the feature set unfortunately doesn't stretch to self-defence. What it does include is a gigabyte of space for audio and video, with a set of different SRS profiles for your music. Also thrown into the package is a voice recorder and built-in mic, FM radio and trendy set of earphones. The Blade, so named for its wafer-thin 7mm depth, also sports two earphone sockets, handy for a spot of music sharing on the go.

Continue reading "Review: MPMan ‘The Blade’"

Review: Novogo S700

The propaganda

Novogo’s S Series navigators are developed with navigation, and navigation alone, in mind. Unlike so many of the current mid-range GPS systems that come filled to the brim with extra features like music players, photo viewers and organisers, Novogo clearly believes that a GPS shouldn’t get bogged down with functions that you probably wouldn’t use – even if your phone, MP3 player, PDA, digital camera and laptop didn’t have it all covered already.

The result is a compact, standalone navigator that comes with full maps of Western Europe, using TeleAtlas mapping software, and is backed up by a 400MHz Intel CPU, 64MB of RAM and a SirF Star III GPS receiver. As you can see from the pic, it comes in a wider range of bright colours and you can also get real time traffic updates with an optional RDS add on.

Continue reading "Review: Novogo S700"

Shiny Awards 2007 - coming very soon

The Shiny boys’ tuxes are back from the dry cleaners, while the girls are fending off calls from major Italian fashion houses.

Yep the awards season is on its way. And up there with the Globes, the Oscars and the south Suffolk Marrow growers' Vegathon is the annual Shiny awards.

Each year Team Shiny, in conjunction with a crack possee of gadget know-it-alls from The Sun, Guardian, Q etc get together to vote for the best and worst gadgets of the year.

Among the categories are serious stuff like Green Gadget, Best Smartphone and Web 2.0 innovation as well as a few more entertaining contests which we’ll let you know about very soon.

Continue reading "Shiny Awards 2007 - coming very soon"

Review: devolo dLAN AVdesk starter kit

The propaganda

WiFi is great and everything, but even the fastest wireless networking standards can still be baffled by the presence of thick walls and architectures that don’t allow you to conveniently place a WiFi source in the exact centre of a home. Even in a relatively small building, you can still find areas of patchy reception, and things like microwaves can confuse it still further.

HomePlug is an alternative to WiFi – admittedly it does still involve wires, but as it uses the existing mains power cable in your house, it is a much more appealing alternative to trailing reels of network cable about your home, or the more costly alternative of getting it hard wired into the walls. German company devolo has already been manufacturing a selection of HomePlug products for some time, but the AVdesk is an upgrade to the technology as it now offers network speeds of up to 200Mbps.

Continue reading "Review: devolo dLAN AVdesk starter kit"

Review: Tech air 3707 laptop bag

The propaganda

Gravity – Newton’s law that describes the movement of celestial bodies in our universe, or as I prefer to think of it, the cowled spectre looming over (or perhaps below) us, laying in wait to instantly transform a few hundred quid’s worth of technology into a heart wrenching explosion of shattered electronics at a single misstep. Laptops are certainly no friend of gravity and yet surprisingly few laptop bags offer anything but the most rudimentary protection against a high speed collision with the pavement.

Luckily though, Tech air’s creators must have lost a few prized gadgets to the earth’s pull as its TechAir Protection technology offers about the most extreme protection you can get for falling laptops. Further features include the i-TRAK system, through which you register a unique number for your bag and that apparently helps you get your bag back quicker if you lose. I can’t say the odds of getting the laptop inside it back as well are that good, but it’s better than nothing.

Continue reading "Review: Tech air 3707 laptop bag"

Review: Pentax Optio W20

The propaganda

Pentax’s ‘W’ series cameras are built to be more rugged than other compacts; the main feature is the water and dustproof design, which protects the delicate innards against the elements as well as the more raucous variety of indoor activities.

The W20 is really only a basic update to the excellent W10. It now includes a 7.0 megapixel sensor, a higher sensitivity of ISO 1600, SDHC memory card compatibility, Face recognition AF and a new Blur Reduction mode.

Other features remain mostly the same as its predecessor and indeed most other basic compacts on the market. There’s a 3x optical zoom, 2.5” LCD viewfinder, Macro mode (1cm) and a range of scene modes to getting the right shot that little bit easier.

Continue reading "Review: Pentax Optio W20"

Review: Mio DigiWalker H610

The propaganda

Although GPS systems are slowly starting to appear in handheld devices like mobile phones and PDAs, in the UK at least, Satellite navigation is still very much the domain of bulky in-car units. Mio’s H610 is very clearly aimed at taking GPS out of the car and placing it squarely in your pocket or bag.

It is extremely compact at 22 x 60 x 87mm and weighs in at 166g – very few buttons adorn the chassis as almost everything is controlled by the large 2.7” touchscreen display. For guidance it uses Mio’s own MioMap v3 software backed up by a SiRFStarIII GPS chipset. And to keep you entertained whilst you’re out and about, there also a digital audio player and MPEG-4 video player, and a selection of games. For storage, you can either use the generous 1GB of internal memory or expand further using an SD or MMC card.

When you’re travelling, there’s also a wealth of handy features to use that include a currency converter, compass, tip calculator guide, phone country code list, world clock and international clothes size guide.

Continue reading "Review: Mio DigiWalker H610"

Review: Sony DVDirect VRD-MC3

The propaganda

Sony’s DVDirect is designed to help you unshackle yourself from the computer when you want to store/backup your digital media. It is specifically aimed at digital camera and camcorder users. You can use it to create DVD slideshows of as many pics as you can squeeze on to various DVD formats including DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, and importantly DVD+R Dual Layer discs. You can also choose from a few menu backgrounds and music to accompany the slide show with.

And, with its multiple inputs (composite audio/video, S-Video, USB, DV and SD, MS, xD, CF, and Memory Stick Duo card slots), the device isn’t strictly limited to backing up photos and camcorder movies. For example, you can also use it to back up old VHSs into DVD format.

Continue reading "Review: Sony DVDirect VRD-MC3"

Review: Orange Bluetooth Loudspeaker System

The propaganda

While I was cleaning out the attic the other day I found a neat little stereo. It has all the usual play/pause, volumes controls and stuff, but the weird part is that it only takes these funny looking shiny circular thingies – there wasn’t an iPod connector in sight. That’s just weird.

But you know, plugging your player into a stereo is soooo last year – Bluetooth is what 2007 is all about. In fact, Orange revealed it special Bluetooth Stereo Loudspeaker System back in October, but it should come its own this year as more and more handsets start to offer the latest stereo Bluetooth standard, called A2DP, which has been designed specifically to stream high quality audio wirelessly.

The speakers fit together as a single unit, or you can separate each speaker off from the main unit, with a little under 1m worth of speaker cable to play with on each. The controls are pretty basic and consist of a single volume dial, which acts as the power switch as well, and the essential Bluetooth button. There is also a 3.5mm line in.

Continue reading "Review: Orange Bluetooth Loudspeaker System"

Review: ViaMichelin X-980T

The propaganda

As one of the largest (i.e. widest) standalone GPS systems to grace the UK, the ViaMichelin X-980T unsurprisingly packs in a wide array of features. The list includes real-time traffic info via FM-TMC, Bluetooth connectivity, Full UK post code search, maps of 20 European countries and a unique set of Points of Interest (POI) locations that includes restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions (more on that on the turn).

The unit itself is fairly bulky, especially thanks to its 4.3” LCD screen, and the full dimensions are 150 x 82.5 x 26.8mm and 260 g. A 416 MHz Intel processor backed up by 64Mb RAM and a SiRF Star III GPS receiver power the device.

Continue reading "Review: ViaMichelin X-980T"

Review: Maxfield MAX-IVY

The propaganda

The dust has barely settled since the arrival of the MAX-SIN TOUCH, but Maxfield has already revealed yet another addition to its rapily growing MP3 player line up – the MAX-IVY. Blue is the new red this time and the MAX-IVY boasts a set of sexy backlit, touch-sensitive controls very similar to those found on its predecessor. This time though there’s a touch sensitive slider bar navigation and volume controls.

Like so many other flash MP3 players, it is roughly comparable to the iPod nano in size although it is a few millimetres larger in each dimension. That does however mean that you get space to fit a larger screen in (1.8”). It is compatible with a healthy array of audio formats including MP3, WMA, WMA DRM 10 and OGG Vorbis as well as JPEG image files. Interestingly it is even compatble with .lrc files, which will display the lyrics as you listen, however music in this format isn’t exactly abundant just yet.

Continue reading "Review: Maxfield MAX-IVY"

Review: HP Photosmart A618

The propaganda

The rapid adoption of digital camera technology has also made it possible to print decent quality photos in the comfort of your own home and without the need to build your own light-proof room full of noxious chemicals. HP was quick to enter the home photo printing market and its Photosmart printers are among the best available. Its compact range is designed to let you get on with printing without being forced to connect it to a computer. It is small enough to carry around (and has an integrated carrying handle) and it will let you print photos up to 13 x 18cm in size.

Inside the front cover you have a pretty decent selection of card slots (xD, Memory Stick, CF and SD) as well as a USB port, which is PictBridge enabled so you can either hook your PictBridge camera straight into it or just use any USB memory device. And if that sounds like just a bit too much physical effort, then you can also use the integrated Bluetooth to wirelessly print your pics.

Continue reading "Review: HP Photosmart A618"

Review: Mio C710

The propaganda

The C710 is Mio’s top end sat nav system, designed to provide an all-in-one solution to your navigational needs whether you’re driving, cycling or walking. The wealth of features includes full postcode recognition, speed camera locations, Bluetooth handsfree connectivity, Outlook contact synchronisation, MP3 playback and photo viewer and, more importantly, fully pre-installed maps of 24 European countries and built-in TMC traffic alerts.

And that’s all bundled up into a very compact package too. The device weighs in at 170g, with dimensions of 110 x 70 x 20mm and it comes with a range of connectors for bikes, cars and a belt pouch for walkers.

Continue reading "Review: Mio C710"

Review: Exspect Recharge4

The propaganda

There’s few things more frustrating than having your Mobile/MP3 player/Handheld console run out of juice when you’re on the move – especially when you’re in an airport several hours from home, surrounded by electric lights, X-ray machines and tannoys, but with not one single plug socket available for your use. And given the sheer number of batteries that need charging in your ordinary everyday gadgets, this is going to be an increasing problem.

Unless you have an Exspect Recharge4, that is. It is so named because it will recharge one of your gadgets four times from just one of its own charges. The most obvious use for this is the iPod but it has also branched out to support mobile phones, handheld consoles and pretty much anything else that uses a mini USB charger. The review kit I have is the iPod version, but it actually comes with both an iPod plug and a selection of mobile phone adaptors and a mini USB plug and a standard USB plug, which is pretty generous.

Continue reading "Review: Exspect Recharge4"