Reviews

By May 10, 2017 Read More →

Glovax Pro review

P1030723bGlovax is an interesting Indiegogo campaign I have managed to get ahold of ahead of time. These striking gloves brag they can tolerate more abuse than any other adventure glove including, cut resistance, anti-skidding, abrasion-resistance, water & oil resistance, flexibility, and comfort!

As a gardener, I put them to the test and spent a couple of weekends tackling my jungle with little concern as to the gloves welfare, and they held up pretty well.

In the description, we are told the yarn of the gloves is made with special technology contributing to its durability and resistance. In the hand they gloves feel similar to what you might expect from mountain biking gloves, however, this messes into a rubbery underside with a notable grip.

The variant I have been sent are the Glovax Pro in a rather striking orange colour. Don’t let that fool you, you will be able to find them if you drop them. On closer inspection you notice that the mountain bike-like material is in fact much stiffer and tightly woven, there is only a little give or sketchiness to the material.

Inside the glove is a silky soft underside of the material, all around. This feels good on the hand, allowing the skin to breath and keep cool. On the hand, the gloves feel snug but not restrictive. They are light weight and after a few minutes, you will forget you are wearing them as they are mightily comfortable.

It took me a little while before I was happy to push on push on with the Glovax as I believed I would damage them, however that soon gave way to the carefree attitude as I dug into the bottom of the lawnmower to give it a clean and the glove were tight enough to my hands I that I was to act like I was using my naked finger instead of cumbersome gloves. The only thing that was missing were my nails to get to those hard to reach places.

Cutting hedges, moving lawns, lifting grass and hedge cuttings were much easier as thorns could not jab me and I really felt quite protected. Turning my attention to fixing a broken fence, the glove provided good grip for screws, ripping up broken wood and attaching new lumps of wood together.

The one thing that really bothers me was the claim that the gloves are waterproof. Not to the degree I was expecting. Plunging the gloves into the drain to remove leaves, stones and other foreign matter the gloves let water in. They do not perform like a pair of marigolds by the kitchen sink. Perhaps the rubbery underside keeps the water out if rock climbing as depicted on the campaign page and I am mistaken.

After this, I decided to test another bold claim, the cut resistance. I took the sharpest knife in my kitchen drawer and skid it across the rubber a few times. Each time I tried harder and harder and the gloves withstood it. Certainly, this isn’t revolutionary, however when you consider the gloves weigh around 50 grammes you have to admit, that’s a lot of protection for something so slight.

Glovax are pretty impressive and diverse. There is a lot you can do with them and they would be welcome in most homes and still be used for multiple different things. At a price of $24 for the basic backing on their Indiegogo, they are a better investment than a few pairs of a cheaper alternative.

 

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By May 7, 2017 Read More →

SpeedLink DECUS RESPEC Gaming Mouse Review

P1030695There is no shortage of gaming mice out there, however, the is no one mouse that would suit all hands. Some like smaller mice, lighter, to the point, configurable. Putting a list together of all the things you want from a mouse is actually quite difficult, and you might find the almost perfect combination however it lacks that one little feature that is could well be a deal breaker. The Speedlink Decus Respec has a number of possibilities you might want to consider when on the hunt.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been looking at a number of Speedlink products, primarily a keyboard and a gamepad. These combined features and a low price particularly well I found it quite difficult to find fault. Aside from some disappointing software Speedlink seemed to be on the money.

Working around the mouse, we can see the Decus Respec is designed with the right-handed gamer in mind there does not appear to be a left handed variant available in this particular model. The whole device has been moulded to the contours of the hand and the body fits easily under the hand, including the pinky and ring finger, more on this later.

The thumb has access to a forward and back button, now a staple in mouse standards, from a resting position. The back button takes no effort to press, however, the forward does require a little stretch from the thumb to tap, useful to ensure you do not hit the wrong button and the forward never gets as much action as the back in daily usage.

The index finger sits on the Left Mouse Button (LMB) however it is surrounded by controls. First of all is the larger button next to the LMB, the Double Tap button. This button has a configurable double click for the left button, to save you the effort of double clicking yourself. The instance between the clicks can be set using the software provided.

Behind the scroll wheel is a DPI button, enables the user to adjust the mouse’s sensitivity to a faster or slower pointer speed. The Scroll wheel has a rubber tire style tread around it allowing for extreme grip, the wheel is clickable also. Using the same sensitivity from game to game will keep your aim trained, so it’s important to get it right before playing a competitive first person shooter like Valorant. If you’re coming from CS:GO just like me, then you might also want to check out this csgo to valorant sens converter.

On the right of the mouse as two extra grooves for the ring and pinky fingers. These are exceptionally comfortable, even to those who wield larger hands, like me. Whilst they are an interesting addition, they increase the size of the mouse considerably to a little over 90mm. Some might be happier to forgo this addition for a smaller mouse, however once used for an extended gaming session, the benefits are obvious.

The underside of the mouse has four smooth plastic plates around the edge to maximise smoothness, especially when under on a gaming surface. The optics are in the centre.

Large size does not always make something heavier. The Decus Respec is a heavy mouse out of the box, however, it is a weighted mouse. Underneath the house is a cavity holding four 4.5g weights. For those who find the mouse heavy, this can be adjusted or perhaps a lighter mouse may suit a particular game, the user can adjust on the fly.

A lengthy, hardwearing, braided cord connects the mouse to the computer. At the end of this is a custom designed USB connection that stands out from the rest. You will not make any mistakes pulling this out instead of another peripheral.

LEDs seem to be all the rage and Speedlink seem to love them. The Decus Respec is a slave to the popular culture here. The mouse emits a breathing glow of colour cycling through the spectrum when the computer is on. The slits look somewhat like shark gills on the sides. Only the Decus glows on the top with the Respec sitting in black ink.

Overall, the makings of this gaming mouse are superb. Whilst they are not for everyone, it’s getting close.

The speedlink software is in keeping with their other software, unfortunately, this means the task bar icon is identical to the Gaming software.

The software is easy to use and has some fairly useful features. To the top is the main profile editor allowing for 5 profiles and button configuration. To the right of this allows the use to play around with the lighting effects, there isn’t an extensive range of customisation, however, some is better that none.

Below this is a selection of menus for Performance, speed, system and buttons, alongside settings.

Under Speed, you can adjust the mouse DPI, alongside the X/Y, USB polling rate or rapid fire.

Under System Windows mouse settings like pointer speed and scrolling speed can be adjusted.

Finally under Settings are … no settings. Driver updates and reset defaults is all you find here.

To play a game makes for a top notch experience. I primarily game on a Logitech MX Master, a non-gaming mouse,  and find it to be almost perfect for everything I need. The Speedlink Decus Repec keeps up with the Logitech’s precision and performance and adds a few extra buttons that I now look for and perhaps even rely on in certain games.

The Decus Respec sits around £50 on Amazon right now and it’s bargain at that price. The build quality is that of a higher price mouse and the comfort is unparalleled. Combined with the fact that it does exactly what you want it to do in the games you are using it with means this is a brilliant buy for the casual and hardcore gamer. Certainly, a few more settings in the software might push the boat out here, but for now, the Decus Respec is staying hooked up to my computer for now and it will take something incredible to make me want to swap it out. Top marks to Speedlink!

The Speedlink Decus Pespec is available from Amazon here.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, gaming, Reviews
By April 29, 2017 Read More →

Google Home Review

P1030686Google reinvented the wheel when it came to the Chromecast. A small, inexpensive piece of hardware that changed the way we used our television. Can they do it again with a speaker that hopes to change the way we deal with life? Thanks to out friends over at Maplin who can provide you with a Google Home of your own.

Google have taken a speaker, put their Google Assistant software inside and styled it up to be distinct and attractive in almost every home. From a design point of view, things are impressively well balanced, and if you want to add more design items to your home like candles, there are options like Candles By Design that are great for this.

Home was originally released in the United States 6 months before the UK launch on the 6th of April and must have sold well enough for Google not to kill it in the early stages, much like the Nexus Q. The reason for the delay is an obvious one, the differing services for geographic locations. Alongside adapted the voice recognition software of the assistant to allow the huge variety of vocal tones in the United Kingdom work.

This £129 system really has to impress if it is to be taken seriously as there is some tough competition from Amazon managed to beat Google to the market with the Echo and Dot hardware. Much fuss has been made of these and the ease of triggering the assistant and even some false orders.

Looking around the device, on the sloped top is a touch sensitive panel with a couple of microphone holes. The centre has a rotational dial with different colourings depending on the function being used.

To be back of the Google Home is a mute button, a small LED and the Google Logo.

Below this is the speaker cover, this is a material finish, and is available in various colours. The fabric adds a little more of a homely feel to the unit.

On the bottom is a rubber ring to prevent the unit sliding and the power connector.

The closed comparison of Google’s design is something like an air-freshener. Some might scoff that the top is plastic and unable to change colour, and they might be right. For £129.99 it feels like there could have been perspex with an LED to create a little ambience. Perhaps, this is a look we might see in the future and the device is refined over time.

The two microphones on the top of the unit appear to be the only microphones on the device. When asked, Google Home cryptically replies there is “at least one.” Whilst the Amazon Echo features 7 microphones Google equipped the home with only two. Google Home has never failed to hear me.

Google home 802.11ac Wi-Fi and some Bluetooth capability, however, the Bluetooth has not yet been activated.

Interacting with Google Home couldn’t be easier, you talk, it listens. Once connected to Wi-Fi, sorry no ethernet here, the experience is entirely audio based. Save for a little touch action on the top for volume control. Popping out simple commands receives an appropriate response and if you are unsure what to do, you simply ask that too.

As Google is connected to, arguably, the largest online resource of search requests you might think there is little it can;t answer. Unfortunately, there is. Questions and requests cannot be too complicated, the Assistant will respond with a standard statement that things are being worked on and she cannot do. When I say she, the Assistant admits she cannot talk like a “bloke” at the moment.

Much has been made of the ability to continue a line of questioning on a particular topic, for example, “Who is the President of the United States of America?” the Answer with a little extra information if give. Following this with “How old is he?” meets with silence. I had been under the impression this flow of questioning was a thing, however, it would seem not, for the time being at any rate.

To wake the device with “Okay Google” or “Hey, Google”. Two phrases worked deep into the bowels of the system, and the user is unable to change, so if your dog is called “Blokey Doodle”, chances are Google Home is going to wake up and you are going to give your Dog a more sensible name. Thankfully the trigger words are harder to accidently use that Alexia from Amazon that seems to be leading to light pericombobulations amongst users, but it can cause other friends and family’s phones to jump into action.

Once Google Home’s personality has been summoned, four coloured dots dance on the top of the unit as it listens to you and formulates a reply. Google Home consults Google’s Knowledge Graph and uses a superb vocabulary to generate a reply. If there is a fairly concrete record online Google is able to answer most factually orientated questions and states it’s source as backup, for example, “according to Wikipedia.” Complex questions can stump the little piece of plastic, however, whilst is tries and you can’t help but feel sorry of Google Home the first couple of times you stump it.

However, understanding your knowledge needs is not Google Home’s only trick. You can connect to Spotify, remember particular numbers or phrases, set alarms and timers, and give you a basic crash course in languages. Home plugs itself into Maps and gets to know what is around you, being able to offer tips on where to find local services.

At this the time of writing, Google Home has seen a couple of firmware revisions, however, nothing major. My experience was based on feature available at launch. The main app to interact with Google Home is the newly redressed Chromecast app, now titled Google Home. This really only serves as an aid for setup, inspiration and troubleshooting. There is very little you can actually do from here.

The settings are where most of the action is. You can configure the News source from a limited range of choices, step a Shopping List as a default when you realise you are out of Milk and some other rather standard settings.

After this, the app serves to help you get the most out of Home. recommending services on Google Play and audio prompts it for the handiest features. There is no definitive list and search the web will find many more interactions not listed here.

Google Home manages to be both things, an assistant and a toy. Only time will tell if it will stick like the Chromecast, or will it fade away into obscurity. With the Google Assistant being ready for action on your phone it will make the draw of Google Home ever more difficult, however, it’s something that at least needs to be tried to see if it actually fits.

Over the last fortnight, I have been considering adding two more units to you home as the Home has become an invaluable asset to my daily routine. From reading me the headlines and weather outlook in the morning to reminding me of appointments to reminding me how to spell pericombobulations for this review. Despite Home sitting beside some computer speakers, I find myself throwing the oddly podcast over it as the sound quality is perfectly acceptable for voice. And I admit that I have played the inbuilt trivia game more than one.

However, will it last? Once you have tired of trying to catch it out and finding Easter Eggs there is life in the platform. I can think of a number of little additions that will prove invaluable to be down the road. Google Home is continually evolving and I love the idea that this will be here beside me. Certainly my phone can do it, however, the trigger has to be turned on and this doesn’t help battery life.

Google Home might occupy a small amount of space, however, it offers some big opportunities. Many thanks to Maplin for providing a unit for this review, check out their listing if we have sold you on Google Home. 

Posted in: Featured, Gadgets, MP3 Players & Accessories, Reviews
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By April 25, 2017 Read More →

Speedlink QUINOX Pro USB Gamepad Review

P1030630For years gamepads for PCs were not a thing, now it seems, they have caught up with and even overtake the complex stylings of the console competition. Some prefer them, so, therefore, there is a market. Microsoft and Playstation are forever bettering their input methods from generation to generation and sometimes in between, however with the PC gamers can open a whole next level of customisation and Speedlink knew this, delivering the Quinox Pro. This is a comfortable gamepad, with reconfiguration to the hilt and a price that doesn’t upset.

Looking around the device the front sees most of the action. A D-pad with independent buttons might be one of the more controversial design elements. The non-replaceable thumb sticks are identical and possess a decent amount of travel. Four large action buttons sit to the right with illumination. A Back and Start button sit in the centre with a large Xbox style guide button. A small OLED screen is positioned in the centre bottom region.

On the back, there are 4 accessible paddles and two slider switches, one for switching vibration on and off, the other switches from Xinput to Directinput, cunningly titled X and D. Crucially, the Quinox supports both Directinput, for mouse input signals and Xinput, mimicking the Xbox configuration.

On the bottom are two controller dials which, when pressed or flicked left and right, navigate a menu on the OLED screen.

These dials are separated into left and right and adhere to the left of right thumbstick for the most part. flicking dial brings up the. The left dial configures and selects the Marco modes, remapping buttons to the bumper buttons and paddles on the top and back. Flicking the right dial and using the D-pad turn the LEDs on and off. Time is required to get the most out of these buttons. Initially, they are quite confusing however, the benefits are obvious once you successfully bind a button to a complicated button combination.

The top sees two analogue triggers and two bumper buttons. In addition, there are two programmable buttons. These require quite a bit of extra travel and should not be relied on for frequent usage.

The Quinox connects by a 2.4m braided microUSB to USB cable that is detachable from the controller. This is a good length to please most folks, of course from some I won’t be long enough however it is replaceable with a longer MicroUSB cable. One warning is, do not pull this out unless you have to, plugging the cable back into the controller is not easy and quite frustrating. The braided cable is good quality, tough yet soft to the touch.

In the hand, the Quinox Pro is a comfortable gamepad. Very similar in feel to the Xbox One controller if a little thinner. The rear paddles might be a little uncomfortable for the larger hands however they might just take some getting used to. Gaming feels quite natural however as an old school gamer I found it a little daunting to have so many buttons, something the youth or seasoned gamer might not experience.

The build quality is perfectly acceptable with strong plastic and durable buttons that feel they last a long time and take quite a pounding.There are no details or design flourishes to speak of and this is quite refreshing where an over saturated market has some great controllers with nonsense etched into the body. Speedlink have things, simple and black but not without and an eye-catching dash of red.

Some folks will use a Gamepad for every game, personally I am not a fan of gamepads in general, however, I do concede they have their merit when pairing with the right game. Project Car has some easy benefit from the analogue sticks, platforming games perform well and the controller wipes the floor with any keyboard and mouse combo. However, it cannot measure up to a first person shoot or strategy game that demand keyboard and mouse.

The Speedlink Quinox Pro USB has everything you would want from a gamepad. There is little to fault and a price tag that makes it worth considering. If you want more custom controller options, you can check out SCUF Gaming and the likes.

For more information, check out the Speedlink site here.

Posted in: Accessories, gaming, Reviews
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By April 20, 2017 Read More →

Venturer PrimePro 12 TS review

P1030596aThe world of the laptop and two-in-one device is a crowded one at the moment and Windows 10 has really excelled at providing an operating system that is both lightweight and features packed for the budget to mid-range device to run quite well. Venturer look to be making waves and this environment and whilst their latest device, the PrimePro 12 TS, is not without its flaws, the sum of the parts is commendable.

The Prime Pro 12 TS easily feels like they have learnt from the mistakes of previous models. It looks a lot better, it feels more premium and most importantly it runs smoothly.

A 12-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels proves to be just perfect for day to day interactions. Of course, this is a touchscreen device and therefore prone to large, oily fingerprints, something that is very difficult to avoid. One thing I will say about the screen and whilst it’s hardly a negative a small quirk is that the display is off-centre due to the camera on the left-hand side. Once noticed it’s impossible not to notice again. Everything is fine when running this in portrait mode, however, adopting landscape to plug it into the keyboard it just feels a little Asymmetric.

The keyboard bundled with the unit is a great feature and one that will attract many a business person who isn’t interested in the high price of the Surface line. By comparison with the previous Venturer model we looked at, the keys are greatly improved, there is decent spacing and enough travel so that you know that you press the button once you’ve pressed it.  Early usage finds that the keyboard dock was a little unresponsive and this annoyed me to some degree.  I felt I needed to push a little harder for the keyboard to respond, building up speed saw letters being dropped however once I got the knack I was able to build up speed whilst also pushing the buttons to a degree that I was sure of that the keyboard had received the signal. Over time this went away and now it’s very simple to type without issue. Perhaps the keys had a “bedding in” period of sorts.

The magnetic connection between the keyboard and the screen is very strong, I never doubted it for one moment which is commendable. When connecting the screen to the keyboard it always worked the first time, there was no fiddling around trying to find the connection and with a solid “thunk” you knew you were there.

The touchpad is great. Measuring almost 5 inches by 2 inches, there is plenty of travel in any direction. With no moving parts and stylishly cut into the keyboard’s base, there is little that can go wrong with it.

One thing that can be said about the unit as a whole is that it’s not the lightest, in fact, the whole thing bundled together is quite heavy. Weighing in at 1500 grammes, it’s on the heavier side,  but thrown it in the bag and it’s not that noticeable.

Folding the device up and putting it away is initially quite tricky but after using it for a few days you realise just how simple that actually is and becomes second nature. Once bundled up everything feels secure and protected save for the exposed microSD card, the one big problem on the exterior of the device. This popped out once on the train and landed on the table. Whilst it only happened once, it was one time too many.  I noticed it and felt it as I tapped it with one of my knuckles however on a busy train or leaving a flight this might be less than ideal. Perhaps a little piece of tape might hold things together a little better but who wants that?

Port-wise the Venturer Prime Pro has a lot to offer. Some my gripe there is only one USB, however, I never noticed the need for more. The mini HDMI is handy however I feel it’s a little redundant and was replaced by the micro HDMI and the micro USB was something I never found a use for.

The addition of the rear camera is a peculiar one and the device could do without it. For most of the time, I forgot it was there and whilst it is only two megapixels I guess it might be handy for capturing a business card but it certainly isn’t going to record your holiday memories. With a fixed focus and strange zoom in appearance, the photos feel as if there should be a warning that objects may be closer than they appear.

In the unboxing video, I was unsure of the volume switch, as to whether or not it was a handy placement. In usage it became invaluable. Easy to find and as it’s a button it was actually more responsive than other options like rollers.

Windows 10 runs very well. Initially, I was highly concerned as upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 took a ridiculous amount of time. After almost 24 hours I finally had the machine up to date. This concerned me as I figured things were quite slow when it came to the Intel atom 1.83 gigahertz processor inside, coupled with 4 gigabytes of RAM. Thankfully once updated the machine appeared to be pretty quick. I rarely noticed any slow down when opening multiple applications and even managed some light gaming with some older titles downloaded through GOG Galaxy.

To boot the device from fully powered off to a usable state took roughly 20 seconds. When using the device it lasted for around 5 hours doing a little word processing and web development,  nothing too intensive. The media playback on the screen worked well, movies look good and the full HD display impressed. The speaker was acceptable however as with most speakers there is always room for improvement. Viewing photographs, the colour representation was pleasantly more than adequate and at no stage did it appear washed out. The screen gets a solid thumbs up indoors. Outside, one a sunny day things were a little different. With the brightness up full, the screen’s glossy finish made things impossible to see, a real shame.

The Venturer Prime Pro 12 TS is a very good alternative if you aren’t prepared to spend the money for the typically recommended Windows 10 experience. At £350 it is a little more than a budget laptop however you do get a more accessible experience having the choice to leave the keyboard behind and that might be worth that price difference.

I have enjoyed my time with the Ventura prime pro12 TS. It’s an interesting form factor from a company daring to be a little different. The Prime Pro does turning heads and people have asked questions. I can nit pick, but there is nothing I can really complain about, it’s a strong package at a good price and worth considering if you’re looking for a portable Windows 10 two-in-one device.

Posted in: Laptops, Reviews, Tablets
By April 16, 2017 Read More →

Speedlink Ultor Review

P1030602Speedlink have sent over their latest Ultor Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and a keyboard that can be considered as a portable offering. Featuring Red switches the Ultro loses the numerical pad leaving the keyboard much shorter than other on the market and a lower price tag than some of the competitors.

This mechanical keyboard has an impressive metallic red chassis buried under its keys. There are only small portions of the chassis peeking out in various places as Speedlink have cut down on any excess to make a keyboard truly too the point. The Chassis might have a plastic underside however that makes sense as it is rarely visible.

The keys on the Ultor feature Red switches, also known as Kailh switches. Kailh switches may be a copy of Cherry MX (Red) however they have a good reputation in the gaming community and are not a cheap alternative or second best. that are almost indistinguishable from their Cherry MX (Red) counterparts.

Some may take issue with the lack of additional keys, volume control and no USB or audio ports. There is a multitude of gaming keyboards on the market and it’s refreshing to have a mechanical keyboard in its purest form. There will be a market out there.

Underneath, the keyboard features three rubber feet that keep the keyboard in one place when in use and two rear legs can be raised or lower depending on the angle required. These 10mm legs can be locked into position and only feature one locking position. The are not adjustable.

Connecting the keyboard to the computer is a hard wearing braided cable. Oddly this connects off centre on the keyboard, however, I can’t imagine too many people finding fault with this, perhaps it was in the centre before a D’Pad was chopped off. The cable is 1.7m long and that feels generous.

When activated the keys glow blue and leak light stylishly onto the red chassis and things look pretty good. Some might scoff that the keys should glow red to match the keyboard, however, the blue allows for a much clear visual especially when tapping away, late at night, much like I am doing now. The buttons are bright and eye catching and I am personally a fan of the blue on red. A nice mix from Speedlink. The WASD and cursor buttons glow white to differentiate themselves and it’s a nice touch. However, there is no option for the user to colour coordinate and this might both some. The default is good, but customisation is always better.

 

Losing keys does not mean losing functions, additional functionality comes from the Fn button found to the right of the Space Bar. This alters the functionality of all of the F keys along the top of the keyboard alongside the Print Screen and Scrl Lock keys.

F1 through to F4 adjusts the USB polling Rate.

F5 through to F8 are media controls

F9 pulls up your media player and F10 through to F12 are volume controls

The Print Screen key turns the Ultor into Gaming mode, activating the Macro keys. Scrl Lock key adjusts of Brightness in a cycling mode and a Breathing Effect thrown in for fun. There are 11 different brightness levels (10% increments including off.) Under these buttons is a total of Six Macros keys described as M1 to M6 are configurable through the Speedlink software.

In use I found the keys to be responsive and comfortable. The odd time I had to remind myself that this is a mechanical keyboard and it responds to the tiniest pressure and resting a finger on the button can accidentally register a hit.

For typing, the keys don’t feel too crammed together, however, there isn’t much space between each for someone with large fingers like myself. If you think you might have encroached on a neighbouring key then you likely have as the keys are that sensitive. The Return button does have an odd quirk. Tapping the bottom right corner can cause a crunch, it will still register the stroke however it just feels a little unnatural.

The Speedlink software is not lacking in any features however it doesn’t really go above and beyond either. We have three tabs, Main keys, Macros and Advanced. Along the bottom are five profile tabs, when selected each of these profiles will be configurable by the three tabs above.

Under the Main Keys tab, you can remap keys for each profile and remapping is as simple as clicking on the key and reassigning the function in a pop-up menu. This is for key remapping only, not button combinations.

The Macro tab is where you can reassign any of the six Macro keys. The Macro keys allow for simple keyboard commands or more complex commands such as Windows functions and key combination.

The Advanced tab allows you to adjust various other settings on the keyboard such as USB Polling Rate, Windows Key Setting Key, Response Time and Light Intensity. Not entirely sure why these are summarised as Advanced and adjusting something like the brightness here adds an awkward delay in the outcome on the keyboard. You are better off using the Fn key.

If I was to gripe about one thing, it would be the tray icon, it’s the same as other peripherals from Speedlink, if you own a Speedlink mouse you will have to guess or hover over to assess which tray icon you need to open to adjust any settings.

Overall, I like the Speedlink Ultro very much and it has become my main keyboard, at least for the time being. The compact design saves space and the red, metal chassis is a subtle eye-catcher. With the price tag of around £80, the Ultro is great value and a superb example of a gaming keyboard on a budget. This much quality at such a low price is hard to find.

You can pick one up from Amazon here.

Posted in: Accessories, gaming, Reviews
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By April 5, 2017 Read More →

Thinkware F770 Dashboard Camera Review UPDATED

thinkware-f770-9Thinkware are pushing the boundaries of what dashcams can do and cost. The F770 is one of their more attractive offerings and a newer the F800 is about to arrive on our shores.

The F770’s mount sticks onto your windscreen directly and I’m sure a number of users will be instantly put off the device. No suction cup has been included, only a piece of 3m tape. The mount is a simple piece of plastic with a few clips that click into the main camera’s body.

Thinkware were kind enough to clear up this issue with the following statement:

It is common sense to avoid obstructing the field of view of the driver, so the recommended location for a dash cam is behind the rear view mirror and as you can see from the below picture the THINKWARE F770 is totally hidden behind the rear view mirror from the driver’s perspective and looks like part of the original equipment. If a suction mount was used this would not be the case.

More importantly the decision was made due to legal considerations. If you use a suction mounted car camera in the UK, if the device (camera and / or cradle and / or suction cup) intrudes more than 4cm into the secondary (pink) wiper clearance zone, or intrudes more than 1cm into the primary (red) wiper clearance zone of the windscreen, you are committing a serious traffic offence (dangerous driving) under the UK Road Traffic Act 1988, and your vehicle is not roadworthy (it would fail an MOT).The company selling a windscreen suction mounted car camera has a legal duty to ensure a) that the camera can actually be attached to a section of the windscreen of the vehicle which does not result in an unlawful intrusion of the primary (red) and / or secondary (pink) wiper clearance zone, b) that the screen does not remain on or visible to the driver and c) that the user is aware of the law. If the company sells a suction mounted car camera without doing this, they have committed a crime.

 

Looking at the device, on the “front” you have the camera lens, this rotates through (around) 87° to allow for coverage depending on the angle of your windscreen.

On one side there is only a little groove for heat dissipation and the reset button.

The other side has a hatch for access to the power socket and the microUSB port. There is also a groove for a penny or tough thumbnail to turn the camera lens.

On top, there are more vents for heats and cooling. Two LEDs, WiFi and GPS. Dedicated buttons for Manual Record start/stop, turning off and on the microphone, WiFi on/off, formatting the SD card and the power button. The device turns on when the car is started so this power button is purely for exceptions to that rule.

Along the back is the slot for the MicroSD card, some more vents and the hole for the cables for the side hatch.

Recording at Full HD 1080p at 30 frames per second. The F770 records at 9.5Mbps bitrate with a mono 48kHz audio track at 728Kbps. Footage is captured to expandable storage and the F770 takes a microSD card and there should be a 16GB card included. A 16GB MicroSD card will store up to 200 minutes of footage. As with most dashboard cameras the recording loops and overwrites the oldest files provided they have not been tagged as an incident. In this case, the footage is moved to a separate folder for safe keeping. The OS on the camera as a few settings to change the storage capacities for kept footage.

To connect your camera to your phone the F770 has Wi-Fi access built in. Using Thinkware’s app a simple ad-hoc connection it made and the two devices shake hands. Connecting to the camera with your phone allows the user to stream the footage live to the phone, personalise the settings, and align the camera so image captures as much as possible.

Other settings include the sensitivity of the G-sensor, configuring the Parking recording, silencing warning for lane departure and speed zones.

The app includes an explorer function to allow the user to stream or copy video footage to their smartphone. This was something of a laborious task and it was a lot quick to remove the SD card, plug it into a computer or phone and copy the files directly

Remarkably this is a handy feature that turns off the device input voltage drops to avoid draining the battery in standby mode.

A special Dual save function is also included whereby built-in memory is used for incident recordings, in the even the removable memory is damaged you will still have the files. A good backup consideration.

Footage shot on the Thinkware Camera is good, a fine example of how paying extra give the user a big step up in quality. Night video is also acceptable with no blobs of light or underexposure. Crucially there are no lost frames either. The 30fps is consistent.  Footage can be seen in the Unboxing video above.

GPS has been built in and location data is added to the footage. This can be viewed using desktop software.

It all sounds great, what the catch? The warnings are a pain, the camera will shout as you if you slip over the speed limit, and one occasion the camera’s speed limit database is incorrect. A bong will sound when changing lanes and whilst this is great for a tired driver who might drift, it can be irritating when on a long motorway drive.

One gripe I have with this and most other cameras is the power cable, at the one end is the connector for the 12v socket however as in some cars there might only be on 12v socket the dashcam will monopolise it. I have a phone charger and Bluetooth hands-free kit that sit in a three port USB converter with my current dashboard camera, however, the Thinkware has upset this happy arrangement.

It’s pricey and gets pricier if you want a rear camera as well. For the money, I would have expected a better mount, rather than have a lump of plastic permanently attached to the windscreen, it’s a relatively small footprint, but makes this difficult when you sell a car or want to switch the camera to a second car.

The Thinkware F770 has a few shortcomings however it’s indiscreet and produces the goods. It’s up there with the best of them and if you are purchasing then you better be sure this is the one for you.

The Thinkware F770 is for sale on Amazon.co.uk for £199

Posted in: Cameras, GPS/Sat Nav, Reviews
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By March 26, 2017 Read More →

Dubleup Credit Sized Power Bank review

IMG_20170308_133524Powerbanks are increasingly becoming a must-have accessory over the last few years and manufacturers are going to extra lengths the make their just that little bit more attractive to the rest. Be it, adding a flashlight, waterproofing, huge capacity or artwork. However, one company looks to be adding a particularly attractive feature, size.

As capacities increase we see batteries getting bigger and more cumbersome, requiring a bag to carry them. The Dubleup aims to be the backup battery that you can take with you at all times and whilst it’s not going to have your phone back to 100%, it will get you out of a spot.

 

Designed to fit in your wallet or purse the Dubleup has most of the same proportions of a credit card. Save for girth, there is a battery in there so it has to have some girth. And whilst it might be as bloated as three credit cards piled on top of one another, that’s not exactly wide. Especially when you consider there needs to be a connector to charge the unit and a button to activate it.

One the one side the charger has an attractive metallic look, available in three colours. Black, silver and pink. This is a tough and somewhat scratch resistant surface. A subtle logo is in place on the top left and there is a connector on the top right, more about this later.

The understand is a little less elegant, however, this is the where all the action is. On the left is the charge cable and this is the Dubleup’s most commendable feature, the cable for your device is built right in, no need to carry one with you. A power button and some LEDs sit next to this and at the far right are some markings for capacity and output.

There is little on the sides save for the input charge port.

The one this that most will probably take issue with is that the capacity is 1280 mAh and this is lower than most phone batteries. Additionally, the output is 1A so no fast charging will take place here. Expecting your phone to be 100% after a 30-minute charge on the Dubleup is missing the point. This is designed to be in your wallet or purse to top up when battery life is grim. Perhaps when at a party on down in the bar with friends, somewhere that you don’t want to take a bulky powerbank with you and perhaps didn’t have the ability to charge your device over the course of the day, not everyone can.

Slow to charge, and from 0% to around 38% the Dubleup was dead when I unplugged it from my phone 90 minutes after starting. Just enough of an injection of power to see me home. I was able to put the Dubleup back in my wallet and motor on for a few hours before going home. A bit of a life saver in the right hands.

The Dubleup is a godsend, and not just for its slight footprint. The addition of the inbuilt charge cable is the icing on the cake and whilst options only cover MicroUSB and Apple Lightning connections this is an excellent addition to anyone’s wallet, purse or phone case! Hopefully, USB Type-C will be on the cards for the future.

As a Kickstarter project, you can register your interest now on Dubleup.com and check out the Kickstarter page HERE.

An Early Bird Offer is currently available. Get your Dubleup for just 60 AUD (around £36) or bag 2 for 100 AUD (around £60). Prices will include shipping.

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
By March 25, 2017 Read More →

EasyAcc 13000mAh Power Bank Review

IMG_5768I love practical gadgets, things that can not only really make life easier, but actually get you out of a bind when the poop hits the fan. The way modern life is for most of us, your mobile device is never far away, often, never out of your hand. Manufacturers have spent billions investing in battery tech to provide enough power to enable your device to withstand heavy or prolonged use, but there are times when it’s just not enough.

There are many portable power packs available as a solution to this problem and both manufacturers and users are starting to figure out just how essential these devices are – for emergencies as well as daily use. This means that we are seeing increasingly inventive and innovative tweaks, refinements and improvements in them.

The model I have been looking at recently is the EasyAcc 13,000mah power bank. A fairly standard looking device that houses a couple of neat little features.

Honestly, first impressions aren’t great. The unit comes in a very plain cardboard box and while it isn’t unattractive with its grey and orange colour scheme it feels rather plasticky. It doesn’t feel flimsy, but it does feel a little…….cheap. I have noticed from using it, the plastic does mar and scratch quite easily. The pack itself is a decent size and I personally think it strikes a good balance of capacity, physical size and weight – your mileage my vary. All pretty standard so far.


However, under the device are two micro USB cables and that’s where things start to get interesting.

Two output ports is nothing new, but the party piece of this little device is the dual input ports. You can plug in two micro USB cables to the two ports and charge the device in half the time. This is genius! EasyAcc claim that a full recharge can take as little as 3.5 hours and in my testing, this seems pretty accurate. This is a fantastic feature for travellers who are maybe camped out in an airport for a few hours, or even if you are just topping the battery up at home and don’t have the time that it would take to charge a regular pack of this size.


The output proved pretty good too. The EasyAcc charged my iPhone 7 from 20% to full in a little over 80 minutes thanks to its smart charge function.


It has, of course, the now obligatory little LED light, which are generally pretty useless, but in this case, they have put a reasonable sized parabolic lens over the LED to amplify the output and provide a bit more of a useful amount of light. Nice touch!

I have been really rather impressed by this charger. Yes, it feels a bit cheap, but it still manages to feel solid. EasyAcc have chosen to forgo the flashy materials, packaging and little carry pouches in favour of functionality. The inclusion of the two charging cables is a real bonus too.  For £18.99, this is an easy recommendation.

Available on Amazon now for £18.99

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
By March 13, 2017 Read More →

Y-Cam Protect Alarm review

1486848637243Y-Cam is a security setup that employs a bunch of little peripherals under the one hub to give you peace of mind when away from home of when you locked everything up for the night.

Here we take a look at the Y-Cam Protect Alarm system. A basic, starter kit that notifies you when something happens in the home.

What you get in the box:

First up is the alarm hub itself. This box looks like an alarm system, is large enough to act as a deterrent however it’s designed to plug into your route so it might have some limits as to where you can place it. The Hub has some holes on the back for screws to allow wall mounting.

Also is the box is a door sensor with some adhesive tape to attach to both the door and the door frame. A motion sensor and remote control are also included.

 

The Y-Cam Protect calls itself a “Triple Layer” security system. This uses wired, wireless and SIM card to protect your home if your internet or power is cut.

In order to use the third level, the user has to pay for the SIM service. This costs either £5.99 per month or £59.99 for the year. The SIM provides alarms to the application and text messages to your phone when the alarm has been triggered.

There is also a feature to include the Plus button on the remote to send an emergency message to two mobile numbers. If an elderly relative has fallen perhaps, they can summon help if they have the remote on their person.

The battery on the Y-Cam lasts for around eight hours, this would be handy if there was a power cut and house was broken into a few hours afterwards. The motion and door sensors are battery powered and are said to last a year before needing replacement their batteries replaced. 

 

The sensors work for the most part. Testing the motion sensor was a little deflating as I was able to wave at it in the dark from a meter away without it jumping into action. During the day it was triggered by my pets and unlike my main house alarm does not have a function to disregard differing weight categories. However, it’s cost £150, my house alarm was close to £1000 and only upsets the neighbours when it goes off instead of tapping me on the shoulder to tell me my phone collection might not be there when I get home.

You can also arm or disarm from anywhere by the application. Whilst the Y-cam isn’t loud enough to annoy the neighbours on a false alarm it would probably aggravate your dog/cat that set it off in the first instance.

When armed the hub announces that it has been armed before allowing an adjustable grace period to clear the area. Setting off the alarm is an odd experience. The bell inside is loud, but not pant wettingly loud. You neighbours are unlikely to investigate and the sound may only serve to alert an intruder that something has happened. Instead, notifications will fly out to your device for you to react to.

The Y-Cam app is available for both for iOS or Android and is relatively simple to use. There are not many options, however, I would imagine as you add more peripherals to the system it would become a lot busier. Whilst I do not have the addition camera the functions are available to give a taste of how I could enhance the system if I were to feel inclined.

The Hub settings have a large amount of customisation making for quite an attractive experience. From naming sensors and items on the Y-Cam system to checking signal, there is a lot to work with, however not all is necessary when you are just plugging in and wanting it up and running.

 

The Protect system works pretty well. The remote is useful however I found using the application a lot more useful. I couldn’t help but think that the remote would really only be for the elderly. It’s not something you would attach to your keys when you go out and oddly enough it sat beside the Y-Cam hub for most of the time, so I didn’t lose it.

The Protect function arms and disarms quite quickly and the app is updated quickly when something happens with the system. One afternoon I did encounter a problem with the app when I received an error stating “regld required” however it worked later.

The Y-Cam Protect is a good-value home alarm system with an extra layer of reliability. It’s easy to setup and use with the benefits that easily outweigh the shortcomings. The subscription fee has it merits however it might not suit everyone.

 

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