Accessories

By November 28, 2016 Read More →

Magic Cable Lightning/Micro Connector Review

magic-cable-goldGadJet has sent over a fantastic solution for the people who have to carry a lightning cable and a micro USB cable. Perhaps you may have an iPad and an Android phone, or the other way around and you don’t fancy to carrying two different cables to be able to charge both devices.

The concept cable of the magic cable has taken it to the extreme and build something that is not only convenient but appears to be highly durable.

Measuring in at 1.2 metres the cable is long enough for most needs. The cable is built last with the fishnet design, an almost rope feel that is both hard wearing and quite rigid. Whilst I have already mentioned this is durable, it’s also anti-tangle, so rolling it up on your knuckles and throwing it in the bag will see you not having to spend precious moments untangling it when needed.

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In addition, the ends of the cable are solidly put together with a winning combination of plastic and aluminium to provide a robust connection that’s not going to fray for a long time.

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The clever part of the cable is undoubtedly the micro USB connector with the lightning connection added to the top. Whilst it sounds a little cobbled together in words the actual end result is clear and obvious. The connector fits into both devices without a fuss however it does bring back the old fashioned micro USB annoyance of getting it the right way round. A reminder as to why USB-C and lightning cables or so great in the first place. GadJet have handily put their logo on one side of the connector and you can easily navigate in daylight, however, just a small indentation or nub on the connector would have been one of the handiest things when the lights go out.

The magic table comes in two different colours,  red and silver or black and gold.  Both have a premium look and feel.

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In addition to charging, the cable also transfers data for syncing and copying information to and from your device.  The USB connector appears to be USB 2.0, as oppose 3.0, so speed is not the focus of this cable.  I’m pretty sure it’s fair to say that not many people use a cable to sync the device to the computer anymore.

The magic cable is a great addition to anyone’s load out if they travel, have an Apple device and maybe a backup battery that requires microUSB. Two-in-one devices are usually badly made or thrown together to try and make a quick couple of quid, however, the magic cable is at the other end of the spectrum. Certainly, a cost £10 for one cable is quite steep however, this is going to last you a long time and when you factor in the costs of purchasing both a lightning cable and micro USB cable it’s not that much more to pay.

Grab one from Gadjet here.

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
By November 24, 2016 Read More →

ADAM elements presents new products for Christmas

adam_elements_iklips_duoJust in time for Christmas, ADAM elements has released a range of intelligently designed gadgets including the elegant USB-C car charger CASA CO³, the Lightning flash drive iKlips DUO+ and the iinCLOAK 7, a BPA-free case specifically designed for the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

iKlips DUO+: advanced flash storage and file transfer solution for iOS devices
Many users frequently struggle with the storage limitations of their iPhone and iPad. The iKlips DUO+ thus makes for an ideal companion that not only extends the available storage on either iOS device by up to 128 GB, but thanks to its Lightning / USB-A dual interface also enables users to effortlessly move, copy and share data with their desktop computers. This way, they can take their entire HD movie collection with them on flights or record hours of 4K video without running out of memory space. The iKlips DUO+ is fully MFi-certified by Apple and therefore adheres to
strict performance and manufacturing standards. Thanks to its compact design, iKlips DUO+ is compatible with even the thickest iPhone cases. It comes in five different colours and three storage sizes – 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.

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CASA CO³: all-in-one car charger with a sleek design
With the CASA CO³, ADAM elements makes sure that your devices never run low on battery. The intelligently designed car charger features a USB-C and two dual USB ports that enable users to charge mobile devices while driving. For those among you who rarely travel with just one device, this means that neither your iPhone, iPad nor your MacBook will be left behind on the road – all can be charged simultaneously. Moreover, CASA CO³ is equipped with QuickCharge 3.0 technology, allowing it to charge each device up to four times faster than conventional car chargers. To prevent dangers such as overheating, short circuits or high currents, the CASA CO³ features multiple protective failsafe designs and high quality electronics. With its slick exterior made from a black polycarbonate blend, the car charger fits perfectly in any vehicle.

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iinCLOAK 7: elegantly hugs every curve of your iPhone 7 or 7+
The iinCLOAK 7 case and protective screens have been specifically designed for the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It is made from tough elastic and tactile BPA free PET that, while keeping it from slipping out of your hands or sliding around in your pocket, also gives your iPhone a luxurious, high-fashion style. To prevent the case from getting brittle over time, the case is refined with UV protection. Moreover, patented coatings on the case and protective screens self-repair micro fine scratch marks. To prevent the case from building up dust, it has been especially designed to easily snap on to and off the iPhone.

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CASA: premium adapters and cables
The CASA  line by ADAM elements offers robust and exquisitely designed cables and adapters to users of MacBooks and other USB-C devices. The USB-A-to-USB-C adapter CASA F13, for example, allows users to connect a mouse, keyboard, printer or any other standard USB-A peripheral with the latest MacBook or other computers with USB-C connectors. The CASA HDMI and VGA adapters, on the other hand, are perfect for connecting the MacBook and other USB-C devices to computer monitors, TVs or projectors.

All items mentioned can be ordered from the Taiwan-based ADAM Store.

Posted in: Accessories, Deals & Offers
By November 21, 2016 Read More →

Logitech M330 Silent Plus review

p1030315There is no shortage of good mice on the market at the moment. One of best wireless input devices out there is Verbatim Wireless Mini Travel Mouse. What we have is a plethora of almost perfectly accurate input devices adding and subtracting features to try to achieve the perfect balance of price, quality and accuracy. One of the most reliable names on the market is Logitech, having produced mice for a great many years, they know what they’re doing.

Enter the Logitech M330 Silent Plus. According to the ReviewsCon Guide the  budget/travel mouse that promises both high accuracy and the complete lack of “click.” The second of those features will be particularly enticing for anyone who travels or perhaps uses a laptop in bed with a partner sleeping beside them.

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The mouse itself is almost all plastic, making it light and easy to pack. There is a layer of rubber to add durability, comfort and, most importantly, grip. Between the two buttons is a scroll wheel,  with a push button function and sharing in its surrounding buttons ability to be almost silent. Behind this, jsut about the Logitech branding is a little LED indicator.

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On the bottom are two plastic pads, smooth to the touch and designed to glide across any flat surface. The mouse runs off one AA battery. Logitech have informed us this battery should last 18 months. Having had the mouse for one month I cannot comment on what the full range of the battery life is,  however, I have lost one-third of the battery thus far and I’m not using the mouse as my daily driver. Instead, it’s paired with a laptop and only used for a few hours, two to three times a week.

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However, anyone coming to this mouse is not coming for battery life or perhaps comfort, these are secondary bonuses.  Instead they’re coming for the lack of noise.  It’s almost surreal, it feels like there’s something missing when you click a button or roll the scroll wheel. There is the smallest, lightest thump a two bits of rubber inside the mouse collide and the scroll wheel has a tiny, plastic click emitting from it and is virtually silent when used for scrolling. You will not be disturbing anyone with this much, the Silent aspect is beautifully realised.

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As for accuracy, it’s difficult to measure on a common consumer computer, however, I did have a go. Facing off against a Logitech MX master, the M330 came in with a faster lag time, by 10ms. Whilst the M330 is a great deal lighter than the MX Master, it does appear to be highly accurate.

Where the M330 could be improved are the features. With only 3 buttons in operation, I only wish that there was a simple back button above the thumb grip two concrete this is one of the best mice on the market. Some will disagree the back button is not necessary, however,  it would be better to have the option even if there were to add another couple of pounds on the price tag.

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All in, the Logitech M330 Silent Plus is an almost perfect travel match. Robust enough to survive a few days at the bottom of your back. The battery is easily replaceable in the event you do run out of charge. Using it on a plane will not upset the person beside you. It’s comfortable enough that periods of use will not result in a sore wrist. And as the name suggests, Silent.

You can grab the Logitech Silent Plus For £29.99 here.

Posted in: Accessories, Desktop Computing, Laptops, Reviews
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By November 18, 2016 Read More →

Aibird running a video making contest

51wecawwm5l-_sl1000_We took a look at the Aibird Uoplay back in July and we were very happy with it. AiBird are running a video making contest about the theme of ’Take Your Gimbal home.’  For those Uoplay users who participate in could have chance of winning the Uoplay2 and Uoplay 2S. Here’s what you have to do to win:
1. Like the Facebook homepage and share this post to your FaceBook.
2. Upload your videos onto your Youtube channel and share it on your social medias.
3. After finishing your video, please send the links and a copy of your video to [email protected].
4. 1st prize will be Uoplay2, 2nd prize will be Uoplay 2S, 3rd prize will be coupons of $100 which can be used on Aibird’s amazon store.

About videos
1. Videos should be taken using a Uoplay gimbals, you can take whatever you like in your life. For example a review, tutorial, DIY. Creative videos would be appreciated. Remember to briefly introduce Uoplay gimbal in the videos .
2. When uploading onto your youtube channel, the title should include words ‘AIbird Uoplay’. Besides our link should be put in the description box.
3. Video should last for more than 2 minutes
*This contest runs for 1 month from November 19th to December 19th
*The prizes cannot be exchanged for cash or other services from AIbird Uoplay company .

Posted in: Accessories, Competitions, News
By November 18, 2016 Read More →

Strike Alpha Cradle for iPhone 7 Review

strikeBack in 2015, the nice folks in the Australian company Strike sent us one of their Strike Alpha Cradles (DIY version) to take a look at. They have sent us another one, this time designed and sized for the iPhone 7.

I must confess to being at something of a loss when it comes to this device. There is just so much about it that just doesn’t make sense to me. Sometimes you get a swanky new gadget to review and you don’t immediately see the utility or value of the thing, but as you use it, the merits start to shine through. It’s that old sales line – “the gadget you didn’t know you couldn’t live without.” I was hoping experience would bring some insight here.

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The Strike Alpha Cradle is a beast of a phone holder/charger. It’s massive and feels extremely solid. Its featureless black plastic and obvious heft gives it a utilitarian air. The plastic does not flex or creak and appears to be of good quality. The arm it’s attached to feels similarly well engineered with a clear plastic suction cup for attachment to your windshield or dashboard. There is a handy plastic disc included if you dash is rounded or textured. The cradles are model specific and sized accordingly to fit your phone. This ensures a very snug fit and there is no chance of your phone falling out as you bounce along the rough, pitted roads of the outback.

One reason for the size of the cradle is that it houses an internal passive antenna function to actually boost the reception of your phone, which would be extremely handy if little Timmy falls down the well in a remote area and you need to call for help.

I can’t fault the quality of the device, it does what it was designed to do very well, I just can’t get my head around the purpose of it. The cradle holds your phone and charges it, but only that phone, and only if it isn’t in a case. If you want one that supports your phone plus a standard case, you have to buy a different Alpha Cradle. Want one that supports your phone with a thick, rugged case, you have to buy another Alpha Cradle. Change handset brand when your contract is up, or the new version of yours is a bit bigger….you see where I’m going here. Why they couldn’t make the cradles a bit more universal, I do not know. It couldn’t possibly be cost effective to produce so many variations.

The reception boosting function is an excellent idea, but in order to take advantage of it, you have to plug the non-detachable male FME cable to an external antenna or built-in GPRS function. If your car doesn’t have built-in sat nav and you don’t fancy taking your dash apart to wire it in, this cable simply dangles impotently from the bottom of the cradle. I’d imagine the amount of people in the UK who would make use of this feature is tiny. But even if you did hook it up, the Alpha has no Bluetooth function and no microphone, so unless you want to resort to yelling at the phone and using its built-in speakers for the reply, the benefit of extra reception is somewhat wasted. If it had Bluetooth, I could maybe see taxi’s having this mounted on their dash.

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I mentioned previously about the size of the cradle, it is actually about the same height as my iPhone and considerably wider. Once inserted, the phone does stick out above the unit by about an inch, so it does take up a significant chunk of windshield real estate and it really does remind me of one of those old school cradles when mobile phones were like house bricks. The charging cable is integrated so if it doesn’t reach the socket, or there is too much cable left over, I’m afraid you are stuck with it as you can’t replace it with one of a more suitable length. Curiously, the USB charger that plugs into the 12V socket of your car is a pretty cheap looking unit, a stark contrast to the rest of the assembly. It too is oversized, looking oddly like a gear knob.

So you see, I can’t really see what purpose this 90’s revival serves, especially when it offers such limited practical functionality and costs an eye-watering £85! More if you want to the professionally fitted model (fitting not included). But then again, this is an Australian company, so if you put the Alpha into that context, perhaps having it mounted to the dash of a utilitarian works vehicle that may need to travel to more remote areas, the construction and external antenna direction perhaps makes sense. Perhaps. But at AU$150, and no built-in Bluetooth there are bound to be better options available.

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
By November 16, 2016 Read More →

Griffin iTrip Clip Bluetooth Adaptor Review

2016-11-16Not long ago, those evil people at Apple stole our headphone sockets and forced us to use their proprietary headphones or one of their adaptors. There was fighting in the streets, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!

Or at least so the media would have you believe. As it turned out, most people just got on with it and the fact that Apple provided both a set of headphones and an adaptor in the box meant it really wasn’t much of an issue after all. Now, to say that it didn’t present a few little logistical grumbles would be fair. For instance, you cannot charge your device whilst listening to music unless you have a different adaptor or Bluetooth headphones. Then there is the fact that you have to always have the adaptor with you if, like most people, you have multiple sets of headphones – one in your bag, maybe one in the office and one at home. Apple would tell you that the adaptors are only £9 each, so you can buy more. Of course, they would.

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Then comes along the Griffin iTrip Clip (no apple accessory can start with anything other than an “i”), an absolutely genius diminutive device that solves a problem simply and tidily. The iTrip allows the user to plug in any regular old headset and instantly convert it into a Bluetooth set, complete with handy-dandy controls for media playback and volume up to a range of 15m. It also has a built-in microphone to allow you to make your headphones into a Siri-compatible hands-free kit. Want to plug it into your car’s aux socket and stream music and calls from your phone? It’ll do that too! And the joy of it is that the device itself is very small and neat, it weighs almost nothing and has a clip for attaching to your clothing so you can even carry it to a gala in your Faithfull Dress. There is no display on the device, but red and blue LEDs indicate its status and helpfully lets you know when the 4-6 hour active battery life is coming to an end. So how much is this do-it-all-dolly? You’ll find it for under £20! Bargaintastic!

Now the device is by no means perfect, I noticed immediately that the volume was much louder than when the headphones were plugged directly in. Normally I’d have the headphones volume sitting around half way, but through the iTrip, I get the same volume at about a quarter of the way up the scale. Not a huge deal, but if like me, you like to listen to music at night just before you drift off, the very first volume point is about the right volume for me, but if you wanted it any softer…..unlucky. When turning on, off or connecting to a device there is an electronic voice that confirms the action. Handy, but watch out, this is loud too! In saying that, I’d rather have to turn the volume down than have to max it out just get any sound out.

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Music streams perfectly clearly through the little Griffin, the responsiveness is spot on and there is very little lag time between pressing the button and the reaction on the device, but I did notice that when I was watching videos, there is an ever so slight delay between the video and the sound. This delay isn’t present when the headphones are plugged directly in, but it is consistently present when using the iTrip. It’s only slight, but it’s enough to throw the lip synch off just enough to make everything looked like it’s been dubbed into English.

The clip used to attach the device to your clothing is somewhat stiff and is moulded into the unit. Personally, I would prefer something a bit less snappable if you are trying to push it onto a heavy coat etc, maybe a spring clip or similar. This is a very minor issue though and for £20, if it snaps, you aren’t going to be in floods of tears, mourning its loss.

I’m amazed that Griffin can produce this device in the £15-20 range and at this price point the functionality it delivers dwarfs its few little niggles. Sure, I’d like a longer battery life, but then the device would probably have to be bigger and the price would definitely go up so it’s a good balance. This is an easy recommendation for anyone with an iPhone 7, but beyond that, it will also work with any phone or tablet, making it a versatile little gizmo that anyone could use. Thumbs up from me.

Posted in: Accessories, Gadgets, Headphones, MP3 Players & Accessories, Reviews
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By November 15, 2016 Read More →

32nd iPhone Case Shoot Out

img_5411Phone cases have become a massive industry in recent times and with good reason. They are a physical insurance policy for your expensive handset. Some folks are brave/foolhardy enough to risk carrying a naked phone while others take the opposite approach and encase theirs in super over-engineered Iron Man like exosuits. For those left floating somewhere in the middle, there is a mind-boggling variety of options to choose from. 32ndshop.com specialise in very affordable phone cases, covers and holders and accessories. They recently sent us a sample of their wares.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from cases costing market stall prices, but I was genuinely surprised when I opened the basic, bare bones packaging. Rather than getting some cheap, tacky plastic offering, these appeared to be very well put together products in a soft, thick leather, nice stitching and the designs are far from garish. Remember to have a good and affordable iPhone back glass repair contact in case you need it.

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The first of the three cases we received was a deep purple, (excuse me….”Aubergine”) coloured wallet with magnetic closure. The phone cradle itself is a fairly rigid plastic, but it holds the phone securely. The inside cover has slots for credit cards and has a soft finish in the same deep purple Aubergine as the outside and the 32nd logo is stamped on the bottom inside cover. Simple, straight forward, but well executed, especially for the price of £12.99. It even came with a screen protector for crying out loud!

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Next up was one of those slip cases which always remind me of the sort of thing my Grandfather used to keep his glasses in. Rather than being attached to the phone, it’s more of a holster type idea which protects your phone when it’s in your pocket. I prefer a protective case myself, but if this is what you are after, it’ll certainly do the job. It’s again, a good thick “Premium Italian” leather, this time in dark brown, and there is a simple pull tab to help you get your phone out. This is magnetically held in place to stop it flapping about, which is a nice touch. At £20, this is one of their most expensive iPhone covers, but is still very reasonable. Again, it is not over-engineered, not over-designed, but it does what it is supposed to do simply and elegantly.

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Last up was a rather cheerful floral print wallet, same design as the purple one except, this time with a tab closure. The interior is a nice tan colour which complements the outside well. It also came with a screen protector. Not my personal taste of course, but the quality produced at this price point is hard to find fault with.

Overall, there really isn’t anything particularly special about these cases, they are neither innovative nor original, they are not feature laden or flashy. But what they deliver are solid, well-constructed, good looking cases that do exactly what you need them to do for the same price as the flimsy Chinese knock offs on eBay. Certainly worth a look.

You can check out the full range of iPhone 7 case here: www.32ndShop.com

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
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By November 9, 2016 Read More →

Adam Elements iKlips DUO review

img_5387The Adam Elements iKlips duo is yet another in an endless stream of removable data solutions for the iPhone and iPad that seems to be hitting the market these days. They come in all shapes and sizes, capacities and colours, so what makes this one any different? And why the heck is it so frickin’ expensive?

The model I have for testing is the 16gb model in bright red. I know from the IKlips website there are other more sumptuous looking colour combinations which will perhaps assuage some of the £50 price concern, but this basic red on red plastic and silicone unit, whilst not unattractive, looks no different to me than the sort of cheap and cheerful stocking fillers you see everywhere. So first impressions are far from mind-blowing.

The unit itself is a small double-ended device (hence the name) with a USB 3.0 connector on one side and lightning on the other. It fits easily, yet securely in a silicone holder, which initially seemed like a bit of a gimmick, but it is actually very functional, protecting the connectors and enabling you to attach the whole thing to a keyring. I will say that it does seem very well made and definitely feels a lot more solid than a lot of the standard fare. I was concerned that the device might fall out of its little silicone holster, but even with a good bit of pocket travel, this never happened.

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I removed the unit from its holder and tried to plug it into my iPhone 7, which currently resides in a fairly thick Gear4 drop “proof case”. This is usually where most of these devices fall, right at hurdle number 1. Thankfully the designers of the iklip were switched on enough to elongate the connector just a smidge – but that smidge makes all the difference! It’s a snug fit, but you can fully plug the iKlips into the phone without removing the case, this is a huge win for the device and I’m starting to take it more seriously.

Now comes the acid test. As we’ve seen before, no matter how good the device is, if the supporting app isn’t up to snuff, it’s going to fail hard. Prompted to do so, I downloaded the iKlips app from the app store and was presented with a simple screen that looked similar to other generic apps I’ve seen before, showing the memory used on my phone along with options for Photos, Music, Videos and All files. There is also an Adam Elements logo in the centre which brings up the options menu.

Fortunately, this is where any similarity between this app and the others ends. It appears simple, but as you delve into the various options, you just keep discovering more and more functions and capabilities. There has clearly been a lot of time and effort spent on this software and it shows. It is well laid out, the features make sense and there is a help function if you get lost. It even offers the ability to format the drive in either Fat32 or ex-FAT for you.

The iKlips features a really handy option of utilising its memory in real time. With the device plugged in, you can record photos, video etc, straight to it, negating the need to continuously transfer content to the device. The only minor niggle I found with this was physically using the phone with the iKlips sticking out the bottom, it was certainly doable, just felt a little clunky. The software also allows the IKlips to act as a backup device for photos, calendar, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram as well as a variety of cloud storage services.  File transfer is straight forward, quick and can be password protected so you can share specific info whilst protecting others. All terribly clever. The more I use it, the more it impressed

Plugging the USB end into my PC, I tested the transfer speeds and it did not disappoint. It claims read speed of 140Mb and, while I couldn’t quite reach this number, I did come dangerously close. This is vital if you want to use the iKlips as a backup for your phone and don’t want to sit for hours waiting for your all important holiday snaps to transfer across.

So to answer my own question, the thing that makes this one different is simple – you get a shed load of additional functionality. It’s not just a basic data holder, it is so much more. Of course this kind of thought, care and attention comes at a price. Whether or not that price is justified is, I’m afraid, entirely up to you dear reader.

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
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By November 8, 2016 Read More →

iPhone 7 case Shoot Out

img_5389Recently we received a selection of cases for the iPhone 7 and since I have been dubbed the sites’ “iPhone guy”, it fell to me to discover the merits of each. The sample that arrived was the Cygnett Urban Wallet, the x-doria Revel and the gear4 Soho. Cases are a very subjective item, so this will be entirely based on my opinion. If I was to part with my hard earned pennies on one of these, which one would I choose? Time for a head to head shootout methinks.

Presentation

All 3 arrived in rather swanky packaging, with slide out trays, flip up cover and magnets galore. There was plenty of information clearly displayed and all conveyed a sense of quality. No real winner so far. I’m not sure how I feel about extravagant packaging. On one hand, it adds confidence that you are getting a quality product, but on the other, saving a few quid on a more functional box could drop the price.

Design

I love the idea of the Cygnett. It’s a walled design, but the actual case is held in the wallet with magnets, meaning that you have the option of running your phone in a simple case if you were mounting the case in your car for example and then simply clip it into the wallet for pocket carry. I love the versatility of it. Once in the wallet, the lap is held closed with another magnet.

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The x-doria is a sleek and simple case. It’s constructed of a translucent rubbery plastic and has very useful rubberised grippy panels down each side for traction in sweaty mitts. The Revel offers a number of colours and pictures on the case so you can pick the one most applicable to you. t fits very snugly on the phone so t doesn’t alter the profile too much.

The gear4 Soho is again a fairly simple design with a clear plastic backing and a rubberised surround.  Gear4 claim that the case meets military drop standards of 3m/9ft and I could believe it. The case fits the phone well and there is a good amount of squishiness (apologies for getting too technical) which would certainly help absorb impacts.

Picking holes

Whilst I love the idea of a removable wallet, the magnets on the Cygnett aren’t super strong and I would be concerned that they are the only thing holding my precious phone in place. The actual case offers little in the way of protection. It looks pretty but the sides do not sit proud of the screen so there is no protective bezel and no impact defence when it’s outside the wallet.

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The x-doria is simple in design so offers a sort of midway point between protection and low profile. There is a slight raised bezel, but it’s so small that if you have a glass screen protector, it will sit flush. The grippy surround definitely adds to the traction, but it is very rigid and, given how tightly this case fits, there is little impact protection.

The gear4 has a transparent case and we all know what that means. After a while, it’s going to look like frosted glass as it shows every scuff and scratch. Also if you are in the habit of tucking the odd item behind the case – password notes, emergency cash, metal panels for magnetic mounts, etc forget it. and finally, whilst offering the best protection of the 3, it’s also the chunkiest.

So who gets my cash?

This is actually quite a tough decision as, despite my nitpicking, I do actually like all 3 of these cases. So this comes purely down to personal preference. I think I will have to discount the Cygnett simply because of the confidence, or lack thereof. I’m sure my phone would be more than safe in it, but I just can’t get passed the thought that its al just held together with some small magnets and that’s asking a fair bit of trust.

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I really like the x-doria. I wasn’t familiar with the Californian based company, but I checked their site and some of their other cases look really impressive particularly their more rugged ones. The Revel I got is blue with a picture of a Husky on it, which is nice if you are into Huskies, but It doesn’t do much for me personally. Now if the Revel (minus the husky) were to fit into the Cygnett wallet (and they made the magnets stronger), that could be really something appealing.

My personal tastes run towards the more protective cases and gear4 Soho, whilst it doesn’t appear as a rugged case, certainly inspires some confidence. Add a decent screen protector and you are good to go. As the winner, I carried this case in my pocket for a couple of weeks and was actually surprised to note that the transparent plastic has held up rather well and looks almost good as new. Yes, the fact that you can see the metal plate which I use to attach it to the (super strong) magnetic holder in my car is visible, but it’s a black panel on a black phone, so it’s not a deal breaker.

So the winner for me is the gear4 Soho. It’s certainly not perfect, but in this shootout, it came closest to the bullseye.

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Posted in: Accessories, Phones, Reviews
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By November 4, 2016 Read More →

Griffin Elevator Review

The Griffin Elevator is a very handy piece of kit to have if you have a laptop made from quality products and with a certain elegance and want to match that to a stand without breaking the bank. The Griffin Elevator really enhances the desk with minimal effort.

Essentially, the Griffin elevator is two pieces of bent metal with some pieces of rubber set strategically in order to avoid any scrapes or scratches to either the desk or the bottom of the laptop. There a couple of pieces of clear plastic to hold things together. Most of the elevator screams quality.

The main idea of the Griffin elevator is to lift your laptop to allow you to regain a little bit of desk space, in reality, this doesn’t quite work as there’s not much you can put underneath it save for a temporary storage for peripherals or documents. The elevator still occupies the space under the laptop with the legs and feet, however, it still gives you somewhere to put things in out of the way. Once used on the desk it’s quite difficult to go back as you realise just how much space you’re actually saving and it actually makes your laptop a great deal more comfortable to use.

In an effort to make the elevator portable Griffin have added some transparent plastic to hold the supports together this can be removed and the elevator can be compacted down to fit in a laptop bag or suitcase to be taken with the user. One slight issue with this is that the transparent plastic used in the separator scratches is quite easily when the metal legs are removed and inserted. This is unfortunately quite visible because the plastic is transparent.

It would have been nice to see some for a cable management built into the Elevator, detachable/interchangeable clip to support your laptop’s charger cable.

Other alternatives on the market tend to be highly overpriced whereas Griffin has managed to get the combination of price and quality just right. Little issues like these scrapes are easy to overlook when you consider the price of this item.

Posted in: Accessories, Laptops, Reviews
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks