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By August 23, 2016 Read More →

Smart home tech is the future

SAS-CLALARM10_3Online electronics and tech retailer, reichelt.co.uk, has seen sales of smart home products boom by 21 per cent, highlighting that the trend shows no sign of slowing down – and is set to continue revolutionising our homes.

The security category has been a key driving factor with a noticeable surge around the summer holiday period, with alarm devices up by 11 per cent, signifying people are taking additional steps to protect their homes whilst on holiday.

Sales show no sign of slowing down, with reichelt.co.uk predicting a 25% rise as we head into 2017.

From decor-friendly gadgets and wireless power controls, right through to sophisticated security systems, advances in technology continue to make it easier to make homes smarter and safer, and it seems consumers are seeing the value.

Some of the most popular and innovative products have been:

  • Konig Smart Home Security Set – A reliable security system enabling you to manage your home security devices and appliances from anywhere in the world, via an app
  • Olympia Glass Break Detector – With buzzer plate technology, this wireless module for smart devices instantly detects glass breakage.
  • m-e Smoke Detector – A wireless smoke detector with an integrated heat sensor
  • Eurotronic Energy-Saving Controller – With Z-Wave technology, this intelligent energy-saving controller helps to manage heating within the home and monitor energy output
  • Konig Wireless Surveillance System – Supplied with a 4-channel recorder and an integrated 7” colour monitor, this surveillance system allows home observation without the hassle of all the cables to set it up

Product Manager of Home & Security, and Tools of reichelt.co.uk, Holger Engelbrecht, says, “As an innovative retailer in the tech and electronics space, we’ve long been aware of consumers’ desire to discover products that make their homes smarter and safer, and day-to-day household tasks simpler. We’re seeing more exciting smart home products available than ever before, and this is reflected in the range we have available. From wireless video intercom systems through to infrared motion detectors – reichelt.co.uk boasts a large and exciting range of home tech.”

As well as its smart home range, reichelt.co.uk offers a wider variety of tools, components, tech accessories and more – offering many items up to 20% cheaper than elsewhere in the UK.

Posted in: Uncategorized
By August 11, 2016 Read More →

Logitech G610 Orion Red Review

rgbWhen reviewing a gaming keyboard it is incredibly difficult to actually benchmark a keyboard in some way to say whether or not you have a good or bad keyboard from a score that is accrued through various tests. A keyboard very much boils down to whether or not you like it, can communicate with the easily and it’s comfortable for you to be productive or enjoy some leisure time.

The Logitech G610 is an entirely different keyboard to the Logitech G510.  Where the G510 focused on additional features such as media, LCD screens, gaming profiles and programmable buttons the G610 loses all of that in favour of an entirely new hardware approach and a back to basics gaming experience that is determined to win the user over through performance as opposed to extra features.

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The G610 features Cherry MX mechanical switches. These are favoured by gamers and considered to be a standard as they are more consistent in feel and responsiveness, they can take more abuse than rubber dome keyboards. These low-noise switches have a linear keypress for rapid-fire actuation. Cherry MX switches are rated to over 50 million keystrokes and actuate precisely for a reliable gaming experience.

To be honest I find the G610 is a bit of a let down whenever it comes to included features. I love myself some extra buttons to be able to program for additional functionality on the computer and save for some Media buttons in the top right corner the G610 doesn’t provide any of that.  Of course you can program the function buttons on the top row from F1 to F12, however having some dedicated memory buttons is a great feature that most gamers these days will probably have started to rely on even if it is just for storing Memes. There isn’t even a wrist rest included in the box.

That said I would imagine including extra buttons and features would have ramped up the price of this keyboard drastically. Tearing out the membrane innards of the G510 and putting in a whole mechanical key array would ramp up the costs before you know it.

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How is the performance of a gaming keyboard when of all the media buttons have been removed?  It’s hard going, it takes a while to get used to especially if you have been using something other than a mechanical keyboard before. The travel on each key when pressing is a greater distance and can result in a multitude of errors especially when typing for a long period. When gaming the benefits are noticeable almost immediately.  The slightest touch of a button registers which results in near instantaneous reactions. Hardly ideal for typing a document however once mastered there is nothing quite like tapping away at a keyboard that emits a satisfying clack.

 

The look and feel of the keyboard it’s very simple with almost a no frills approach, aside from the backlight. There’s a lot of fun to be had here as the lighting flickers in uniform depending on how you have the keys set to light up. There is a dedicated button for the backlight however rather than being an on/off button, you have to press the button  number of times to dim the backlight and gradually turn the backlight off. A simple feature of holding the button in to turn the backlight off might be nice as if you leave your computer on 24 hours a day that means the backlight on your keyboard is more than likely going to be on with it. When the computer is locked the keyboard takes it upon itself to display some eye candy, lighting up keys and simulating a wave of light from left to right. The backlight is bright at the highest setting, every key is visible.

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The volume roller is large and responsive, it’s easy to find alongside the rest of the media controls that surround it. Hastily jamming your finger down in that area generally meets with the required function you’re looking for. Various other keyboards on the market have a small congregation of keys that are interlinked, this one goes for large and separate and therefore less room for error.

 

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One of the best features are the legs of this keyboard, there are three options. Laid flat on the rubber feet, setting 4 and setting 8. I am guessing the 4 and 8 are millimetre elevation. Also, cable and the connection between the cable and the keyboard is nicely reinforced. This keyboard will travel well and it built to last.

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Sound wise the keyboard is fairly quiet for a mechanical keyboard, it has a satisfying clack as you tap away, however, if like me you record a podcast fortnightly you have to be vigilant when typing or else the sound of the keys will be almost audible in the recording. As a gamer using a microphone and headphone setup

Logitech has a very simple to use interface when it comes to the software for the keyboard.  Everything is laid out very nicely and is very simple to navigate around. Icons are colourful and explanatory and there is a wealth of options available on how to set up the keyboard for various different profiles. It’s easy to switch between profiles to display various keys being highlighted when using a particular game, these profiles can be amended to the user’s preference or setup from scratch.

Would I carry on using the Logitech G610?  Unlikely, I don’t game as often as I used to and spend much more time writing. In all honesty, I’ll be moving back to the Logitech G510 once I finish writing this. The G610 will go to my stepdaughter who is an avid gamer playing World of Warcraft and League of Legends. The keyboard will easily benefit her and be a welcome upgrade to the aging and noisy Corsair she has been using.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, gaming, Reviews
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By June 12, 2016 Read More →

Tales from the Acer Live Blog 2016 Conquer new worlds #AcerLiveBlog2016

Screenshot (1)Acer UK invited a number of top UK Tech Bloggers to Belfast, Northern Ireland to unveil their latest Predator gaming range, as well as the Acer Jade Primo windows 10 phone and the Android Liquid Zest 4g.

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The event was hosted in Belfast’s only five start hotel, The Merchant, which has been famously used by Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan in the popular BBC series The Fall. After a brief lunch and introduction we were taken to The Brian Ballard room which had been darkened red room glowing with several laptops in the middle of the room and a display of monitors with desktops at the edge of the room.

Linda_Hassall_-_Head_of_UK_Marketing_-_Acer_-_May_2014Linda Hassall, Head of Retail / Channel Marketing UK & Ireland at Acer introduced herself and gave us a quick briefing on the products that were us.

In the room we had The Predator monitor range Predator Z35 £799.99, Predator X34 £899.99 Predator XB271HU £549.99,

With these new monitors Acer promises;

  • Wrap around Gaming
  • Get a panoramic view of galactic domination with a wraparound game space that pulls you deeper into new worlds.
  • New Smooth Experience a whole new smooth. NVIDIA® G-SYNCTM eliminates screen tearing and minimizes stuttering for legendary PC gaming.

These huge monitors were designed to give the consumer the ultimate gaming experience and with the G6, G3 and the compact G1 attached to them have Acer created a gamers paradise with the Predator range?

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The Predator Desktop range G6 £1199.99 G3 £972.95, G1 £549.99, The Predator 15 laptop £1187.97 Predator 17 £1449.79

The G6 is a huge machine that Acer have packed the latest technologies in, even though these machines are VR ready we did not have any VR content to play with at this time.

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G6 specs

  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • CPU: 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6700k processor
  • GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 980 Ti 
  • RAM: 64GB DDR4 2133MHz

You already know what’s inside. Power-up for galactic domination with the latest top-end NVIDIA® and Intel® hardware. IceTunnel Gaming is hot, so stay cool with IceTunnel cooling system. Multiple air intake zones on the front and left side of the machine create a powerful airflow that efficiently pushes out hot internal air.

G3 specs

  • Operating System: Windows 10 Home
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-6400 processor Quad-core 2.70 GHz
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 with 2 GB Dedicated Memory
  • RAM: 12 GB, DDR4 SDRAM
  • HDD: 2 TB

G1 specs

  • Smaller & Deadlier
  • This desktop’s 16-liter body conceals the power of a full-sized graphics card – up to NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX Titan X1.
  • VR Ready
  • NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 9701 graphics and above, you’ll be ready for the world of virtual reality.
  • Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5
  • SoundBlaster X-Fi MB5 and 7.1 channel audio will captivate you in glorious gaming audio. Amplify enemy footsteps, mask your voice, and more.
  • Dual Headset Cradles
  • Two retractable cradles on either side of the PC give you convenient places to rest your headsets.
  • Sound-Reactive Growl Lights
  • Configure these pulsing multicolor LEDs to react to your game sounds and music the way you want them to.
  • There was also the Predator Z650 projector £939.32. Specs

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To complete the Predator range Acer have constructed the Predator 8 tablet retailing at £199.99.

This tablet looks amazing, with four speaker grills on the front of the tablet this looks like a winner however on lifting it off the table I was disappointed in discovering the Predator 8 had a plastic feeling case which made the tablet feel flimsy. The gun metal casing could have been made out of a more solid material, there is no denying the insides of this tablet are impressive, which makes the Predator 8 a good competitor in the mid range tablet market,  this is let down by the casing. Had Acer a metal body like the cheap Archos 70 platinum they could have had made a potential record breaking tablet.

Predator specs

  • Operating System Android Lolipop 5.1
  • Display 8-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1200)
  • 16:10 aspect ratio, 380 nits,
  • Zero Air Gap & IPS technology
  • 283.02 ppi, 10-point touch
  • Processor Intel Atom x7 (2.4GHz(
  • Graphics Intel HD Graphics, Gen 8-LP 16EU 600 MHZ
  • Memory LPDDR3L 2G
  • Storage eMMC up to 64GB
  • Audio Single digital mic, 4 x 2W speakers,
  • Camera 2.0MP front, 5MP back
  • Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2 x 2 MIMO
  • Dolby Sound solution
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Input & Output MicroSD up to 128GB, 1 x micro USB 2.0
  • GPS/Glonass, G+Gyro eCompass sensor
  • Power & Battery 10W fixed type 5V/2A adapter
  • 17.3Wh / 4550mAH

There was also Acer’s two mobile devices the Liquid Zest 4G £109, their budget Android phone  and the Jade Primo £429 without dock £475 with dock. I got to use these two devices I had more time with the Jade Primo  but  hope to get them both soon for a full unboxing and review.

With all the buzz happening in the room it was no surprise that #acerliveblog2016 was the no.1 trending hashtag on Twitter that evening

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What I first noticed was the robust and bulky design of the Predator range that evoked  nostalgic eighties memories with its bold red on black colour scheme.  This design carried over all the Acer Predator products from the Monitors, Desktops, Laptops to the Predator 8 tablet.  Acer based their design on galactic battleships, hence their tagline of ‘Conquering new worlds’  However this chunky, bulky design is very much an eighties view of what future technologies would have looked like, would this style suit the age we are living in where consumers want sleek and slimline tech? In any case I was hopelessly lost in their design with the backlit keyboards and mouse imagining my younger self being in a gamer’s ultimate fantasy.  I can recall the last time I was a serious PC gamer was the end of my schoolboy days, I last bought a PC gamer magazine at the beginning of the new millennium when I was still a young free and single man. As friends around me got hooked on the first wave of new age consoles I was adamant that PC gaming was still the frontrunner, so much so I built my own PC and kept it up to date with the latest graphics, sound cards etc. however this was short lived as when I graduated I had to get a job and the spare change for PC gaming was needed for living.

Fast Forward a few years and with a wife and kids I found my gaming time limited and opted for the easy option of having a games console rather than trying to keep up with the forever changing tech advancements. That being said within 20 minutes of playing Metal Gear solid 5 on the Predator 17 laptop my fire for PC gaming was reignited. I forgot how great it is using a keyboard and mouse combination rather than relying on a controller and hoping the charge lasts as long as you are in the zone. I then excitedly moved to the Predator Z35 Which is a beautiful 35 inch curved LED monitor with the huge G6 desktop to test out some more of the games available. The large screen was amazing and if I had the room and spare cash I would definitely have this type of set up in my home and would recommend it to any serious gamer, for the advanced gamer they had a three monitor display which I was lost in as I could only focus on the screen in front and found this setup more annoying than fun. The G1 was a condensed version of the G6 packing almost identical specs but with a rather cool, programmable LED casing, but for my needs I found the gaming experience on the Predator 17 to be just as good and with the added bonus of it being portable my gaming station can be tidied away easily.

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The Predator 17 specs

  • Operating system: Windows 10 (64 bit)
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (3 GB GDDR5)
  • RAM:16 GB DDR4
  • SSD: 256 GB
  • HDD: 1 TB 5400rpm

With these specifications you would expect this machine to be heavy and it is weighing in at 3950g this powerhouse of technology has a custom made Predator back pack which can be bought with as a bundle pack from….

From turn on to playing a game it took about 55 seconds on the Predator 17 which I was most impressed with, on my console it takes a lot longer, with constant updates needed to be downloaded.

A very strong marketing image however this may not be to everyone’s taste, would a more sleek metallic slimline range have more appeal to a wider market? Even so the power packed into these laptops and desktops is not only a gamer’s desire but also for  consumers who need that extra power to work on projects or edit hd video.

We had been allocated teams for some challenges that were to be completed throughout the weekend and we were given an acer rucksack containing the liquid zest 4g, Jade Primo, a Predator 8 tablet.

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The phone I was most interested in reviewing was the Jade Primo. I had taken some time to quickly do a live periscope unboxing which proved difficult with no tripod to hold the camera, check out the unboxing here. The phone felt premium with the Super AMOLEDscreen. The camera was a bit slow on response although we were told this was a prototype I hope to do a full review and let Gareth do a proper unboxing. Below are a few video tests and images taken with the Jade Primo. The Windows 10 operating system was just standard I didn’t have enough time to investigate to see if Acer have incorporated some of their own style into it.

Our first day came to an end with cocktails in the famous merchant cocktail bar, followed by a quick drink in Belfast pub and then on to the strip joint, a restaurant.

I woke to yet another sunny day, the gods of old and new were making sure the good folks of Acer and fellow bloggers were going to have an amazing time at Castle ward co. Down with @clearskyni Game of Thrones experience.

Being a huge fan of the show I was so excited and caught up in the atmosphere that I forgot to periscope and document my time here. Castle ward was the setting for Winterfell in Game of thrones season one and two, a lot of CGI was used to build on top of the existing castle as we were shown a brief clip of the making of Game of thrones there.  We of course got dressed in official HBO endorsed Winterfell clothing for the occasion and accessorised with our swords we set off for our first challenge.

Using the Acer Liquid Zest 4G, we took some action shots during our archery practice. Learning to shoot a bow and arrow was an amazing experience, and I even managed to impress myself after a few shots with some solid coaching. For those interested in archery gear, having a reliable bow case is crucial to protect your equipment. The Liquid Zest’s 8-megapixel camera was sharp and responsive, although we didn’t include the shots taken in the review.

We had to use the Predator 8 to recreate a number of scenes from Game of Thrones armed with our swords and wigs our team was willing and prepared to take this task and win.  Unfortunately we discovered that it was quite hard to become actors and directors in an instant and our determination to create a HBO worthy clip turned into more of a ‘You’ve been framed’ blooper reel.  The Predator 8 was very capable in shooting the clips in 1080 hd however we paused the video while shooting our scenes which left us with very large files, which in turn made editing the clips on the tablet sluggish.  The sound on the clips was

To end our time at Winterfell we had a medieval banquet of ale, chicken, beef casserole, bread and more beer.  

To end our time on Acer’s Liveblog weekend we visited Belfast’s St George’s market, winner of UK’s Best Large Indoor Market 2014 by the National Association of British Market Authorities.  We had to search for a blitz memorial, and look differ something acer green, being colour blind I had to let Matthew and Katherine seek out this as I would have taken a picture of something orange or yellow.


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I had a fantastic weekend and look forward to receiving some of the products mentioned for  a full review for the site soon.  I think this weekend although was aimed at ‘Conquering New Worlds’ for me it was rediscovering old worlds and igniting my passion for PC gaming all over again. All I need now is Quake and Command and Conquer Red Alert.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, Editorial, Laptops, Phones, Tablets
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By May 29, 2016 Read More →

Archos 70 Platinum tablet Review

P1020999Archos have sent us one of their budget tablets, costing a mere £54.99. Have Archos made a premium cheap tablet or is the Archos 70 platinum lack lustre?  Out of the box the casing on the tablet has a brushed metal feel, which is a good start. The tablet weighs 272g which feels nice and light. The tablet has a 7inch screen.

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On the top of the tablet you have the micro USB charging port, a microphone and a 3.5mm head jack. On the left hand side there is MicroSD card slot.

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On the right hand side you have the volume rocker, followed by the power on button.

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At the bottom of the tablet there is another mic.

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On the front of the screen there is the front facing camera, 0.3 megapixel.

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On the back of the tablet there is a camera 2 megapixel, 1080p video capture and a speaker grill on the lower right side.

Inside the Archos we have a Mediatek MT8127 quad-core clocked at 1.3 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM running Android lollipop 5.0.  There is 16gb onboard storage with an expandable microSD slot up to 64gb. There is a 2600 mAh battery offering 6hrs 25mins of battery life, video playback. Before turning the tablet on I was worried that only having 1gb of ram the tablet would not keep up with the latest apps, although this was the least of this budget tablets problems.

When I turned on the tablet it became evident that there was a 3mm gap between the screens. Perhaps this was Archos advanced IPS technology that boasted ‘extra wide viewing angles’ but I was not a fan. I tested the speakers and found their output horrific. The sound was muffled and distorted. A problem that could be forgiven as you still have the 3.5mm jack for headphones but shared viewing or watching a video on the tablet would be an unpleasant ordeal. I also noticed a burn in on the screen, for those who had the first wave of HD plasma screens you will understand the annoyance when you leave one screen to move to the next, the ghost image of the screen before lingers for a few seconds.

This being said the tablet did run games like Minecraft and Roblox well, although my son did complain about them being sluggish at times.

The cameras on tablets frustrate me, why have them there if they are not going to give you a reasonable camera display for video calling. Below are a few images and video taken with the futile cameras.

As with Android lollipop the operating system was fine on the tablet. Clear, clean and simple, Archos did not imprint a heavy overlay on top of the Android platform which makes the tablet easy to use for children or grandparents. The Archos 70 Platinum comes about a stock as you can get however you are reliant on Archos to support it. Lollipop is present as this verison of Android is compatible with their Fusion Storage system to allow users to combine the MicroSD card with the internal ROM and have a larger usable space without having to transfer bits of app to SD, like in days of old.

I tested Antutu on the device and as you can see it scored a very low score.

I had to remember that this was a budget tablet and although it had its screen and sound flaws this tablet did have it’s positives. The USB host cable for connection with a keyboard or mouse was something you did not see on tablets at this price. The storage capacity on the tablet was great, the feel of the tablets metal casing was nice. The Archos 70 Platinum offers a well designed robust tablet with a few flaws but at £54.99 this can be overlooked. Had Archos input an extra 1gb of ram, a better speaker, and a better screen and still kept the price this low this tablet could have been an excellent purchase. Nonetheless still an affordable tablet for kids that’s life expectancy might be short and thanks to the metal casing extended a little longer.

  • Expandable Storage – Micro SD card, up to 64GB (when formatted to fat32 standard)
  • Internal Storage 16gb
  • RAM 1 GB
  • GPU – Mali 450 MP4
  • CPU – Mediatek MT8127/ Quad-Core @1.3 GHz Cortex A7
  • Diagonal Size- 7 inches (17.8 cm)
  • Resolution – 1024 x 600 pixels
  • Technology Type – IPS technology, 5 points Capacitive Multi-touch
  • Back camera – 2 MP 1080p
  • Front Camera – 0.3 MP
  • Battery Size – 2600 mAH
  • Battery Life – Video Playback 6hrs 25min
  • Battery Type – Li-Ion Polymer
  • Battery weight – 40g
  • Charging Adaptor – 5V – 1.5A, Micro-USB IN
  • Bluetooth, Wifi & GPS for better connectivity everywhere

 

 

Posted in: Reviews, Tablets
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By April 21, 2016 Read More →

Three Easy Ways to Stay Healthy at the Desk

275P4VYKEB_f imageWith World Day for Safety and Health at Work coming up on 28 April 2016, MMD, a leading technology company and brand license partner for Philips Monitors, highlights some easy tactics that desk-based workers can employ to keep their working space as healthy as possible, learn more here how to work comfortable.

The theme of this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work is workplace stress you can ease by using the different Hemp flower strains available at the online store linked above. The increased pace and pressure in working lives is a major contributor, so products like https://d8superstore.com/category/thca/thca-dabs can really help with this. Over a lifetime, people can spend upwards of a third of their waking hours at work, so reducing stress levels is key. Awareness has grown in recent years that smart choices of workplace equipment can make all the difference to health and well-being at work. MMD has a commitment to designing and producing displays that help users to make these smart choices. And by following a few simple rules, people can stay productive and healthy even with hours of screen time every day. I f you are looking for healthy stuff for yourself try the cbd oil toronto services and products.

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• Go easy on the eyes. To prevent eye fatigue and stay concentrated, it is vital to have a display that minimises strain. Screen flicker will impair concentration; and over the long term, continuous exposure to the blue light of display devices is shown to increase the risk of vision impairment. Many displays from MMD feature a new health-and-wellbeing technology called SoftBlue, which mitigates the potential long-term impacts on eyesight from blue light exposure. Displays using this special LED technology reduce light at harmful wavelengths by over 90% – and still maintain full color fidelity and brightness. Screen resolution is also a key factor to consider to keep eyes fresh, so 5K monitors like the 275P4VYKEB are also an option to minimise eye strain.

• Sit up straight. The right posture is essential to eliminate backache. All over the world, innumerable workdays are missed for this very reason – and back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability. People who suffer from such disability and aren’t well-compensated, should immediately contact a long term disability attorney. With an adjustable monitor stand such as the Philips SmartErgoBase, users can tilt, swivel and height-adjust their display, ensuring their line of vision remains at a natural and healthy angle to the screen. The outcome is better posture overall and less chance of a painful back at the end of the day. As a welcome side effect, the base reduces cable clutter for a neater, tidier workspace with more focus and less distraction.

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• Stay focused – to have time for breaks. Having a clean desk is key to staying more relaxed, productive and ultimately healthier. It all comes down to a sense of space – and a larger display helps to create a more spacious working environment. With more room to keep multiple windows open simultaneously, there is no need for the distraction of continually opening and closing task windows, and far less scrolling. Here too, screen resolution is also key. If the office is short on desktop real estate, users can obtain a greater sense of space by working with a higher-resolution display. The extra vertical and horizontal pixels (as on the Philips Monitors 27-inch UltraClear 5K) have the effect of creating additional space on screen. By being more productive, people gain time for regular breaks which are so important, for taking time out to chat to colleagues or get out for a walk in the fresh air. This helps people to stay relaxed, productive, and ready for the next challenge.

More information on Philips monitors: www.philips.com/monitors

Posted in: Desktop Computing
By April 16, 2016 Read More →

Homido Virtual Reality Headset review

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Homido Virtual reality headset

Get the virtual reality party started…

You will have heard of the virtual reality wave that is causing quite a stir with high end devices with high prices preparing to launch during 2016; Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Playstation VR to name but a few, all these devices come at a costly price. Google cardboard is a cheap alternative step into the VR world although it does have its limitations.

With thanks, the people at mobilefun.co.uk have sent us the Homido Virtual reality headset for smartphones. Homido have produced a quite robust well designed headset to let you enter the world of VR with your smartphone. Out of the box you will notice straight away the adjustable strap attached to the headset no more holding your headset to your eyes like you would have done with Google cardboard. Homido recommend downloading their own app ‘Homido Centre’ for you to get the best experience possible.

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The headset is completely adjustable for you needs, the head strap allows you to make sure the headset is comfortably tight. There are a number of lenses included to help the best possible viewing – Short cone – short sighted people, Medium cone – people with normal vision, Long cone – long sighted people. There is a slot to slide your phone into, currently I am using the Honor 7 with 5.2 inch screen which is about the right size of screen to insert, any larger than 5.7 inches may find it difficult for you to get the full benefit of the headset.

Once you have your app ready and the phone inserted all you need to done then is use the adjustable buttons on the side to move the screen closer or further away from your eyes until the screen you are looking at inside the headset is at the right distance, and breathe, be prepared to journey into the world of VR.

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The Headset it made of hard plastic and feels solid, however I would be afraid that if dropped or accidentally damaged its lifespan could be short. There is a nice soft sponge cushioning your face from the hard plastic body of the headset which is a bonus. Priced at £47.99 this headset is cheaper than that of the Samsung headset at £89.99 but does cheaper mean better?

I found through usage of the headset that the lenses do get dirty, hence the lens cleaner cloth included in the box. I had also experienced the lenses steaming up a few times although I was getting the cold at that time. There is currently a wide range of virtual reality 360 degree videos available on Youtube accessible through the Google cardboard app, also the Homido app lets you watch 360 videos as well as download some virtual reality games. Unfortunately I did not have a Bluetooth control to connect to my phone I did find the Homido space abduction app really enjoyable. When sitting at my table I was told by the app installed to look at the box of the Homido headset, this enabled Augmented Reality. The app was using my camera enabling me to view the room around me i focused on the Homido box and boom, before me appeared a farm landscape with cows.

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The box turned into a video displaying information about the Homido headset and then the aliens began to invade and started to try and abduct the cows. By looking at the alien spaceships it unleashed a fury of gunshots to bring down the alien crafts. Such a simple game yet really effective.

The Homido virtual reality was my first time using a VR headset. I would definitely recommend purchasing a headset for the novelty and for the kid in me that always dreamed of a time when virtual reality would be a reality. At £47.99 this is significantly more expensive than the cheaper alternatives however you do have a more superior robust headset. Why Buy?

You can purchase the Homido Virtual Reality Headset here for £47.99

● Experience the virtual world through your smartphone

● Universally compatible

● Huge range of VR apps already available

● Lightweight and comfortable

● Adjustable display

● Protective case included

● Compatible with 4 – 5.7″ smartphones with iOS or Android

Posted in: Accessories, Gadgets, gaming, Reviews, Wearables
By January 29, 2016 Read More →

MMD presents display highlights from Philips Monitors

aMMD, the leading technology company and brand license partner for Philips Monitors, will present some of its latest products at ISE 2016 – from 5K resolution to eye-protecting SoftBlue monitors. The Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) trade show is a show for professional AV and electronic systems and takes place 9-12 February at the Amsterdam RAI. MMD will be showcasing at the Philips stand 10-K136 and exhibits include the following products:

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One standout highlight is the new Philips 27-inch LCD Monitor 275P4VYKEB with UltraClear 5K resolution. With 14.7 million pixels (5,120 x 2,880), the latest 5K resolution technology packs four times more content per screen inch than Quad HD resolution, for more dazzling visuals than ever. The new display is also equipped with PerfectKolor technology, which ensures factory-calibrated 99% Adobe RGB colour space and one billion colours. As well as brilliant colour and resolution, the display is thoughtfully engineered to fit the way people work, with webcam, MultiView for dividing the display space into multiple partitions, built-in speakers for great sound, as well as a non-glare screen and Flicker-Free technology for reduced eye fatigue. 

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Another high-resolution display on show is the Philips 241P6VPJKEB. Despite its modest dimensions of 23.8 inches, the monitor brings a real sense of space to users’ desktops owing to the sharpness and clarity of the 4K resolution. It also features 1.074 billion colours, 99% sRGB colour standard and integrated webcam and microphone.

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Representing MMD’s line-up of Philips monitors with innovative SoftBlue technology, the 24-inch display 241P6EPJEB will be at ISE as well. SoftBlue technology protects eyes and reduces eye fatigue by mitigating the impact of blue-light exposure. It does this by eliminating blue light emissions at potentially harmful wavelengths, but without sacrificing the fidelity and quality of the original colour. Users therefore enjoy well-being for their eyes alongside professional-grade colour fidelity.

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Furthermore, MMD showcases two Full HD USB Docking Monitors at ISE: a 21.5-inch model (221S6QUMB) and a 23-inch one (231P4QUPES). Thanks to integrated Ethernet, they provide one-plug access to desktop equipment, networks, intranet and Internet – via a single USB cable.

 

More information on Philips LCD monitors: www.philips.com/monitors

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Desktop Computing, Press Releases
By December 15, 2015 Read More →

Sennheiser unveils new version of the HD 800

opopopThe Sennheiser HD 800 is cherished by music lovers throughout the world for its brilliant sound image and impressive spatiality. With the HD 800 S, the audio specialist now presents a new version, which even surpasses the listening experience of its predecessor: Acoustically, the proven transducer technology and the innovative earcup design of the HD 800 are still being employed, while the sound image has once again been further optimized in the medium and low frequency range. Sennheiser has also enhanced the equipment level of the HD 800 S with the addition of a symmetrical XLR4 cable. The color was also slightly changed: the earcups of the new model are resplendent in a premium matte-black finish.

Ever since its launch, the HD 800 has been a firm favourite among music lovers and audiophiles. Brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction and a particularly clear sound image combined with a frequency response from 4 to 51,000 Hz – these are the outstanding qualities of the multi-award-winning HD 800.

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With the HD 800 S, sound reproduction has been optimized even beyond the high benchmark set by the HD 800. This is made possible through the innovative absorber technology that was first introduced in the IE 800. This patented technology ensures that the so-called “masking effect” is neutralized. This acoustic phenomenon, that diminishes sound quality, arises as the human ear is unable to perceive higher-pitched sounds, that have low-volumes, at the same time that sigificantly louder sounds in a lower frequency range occur. Through the application of the absorber technology, the energy of the resonances is absorbed, thus preventing any unwanted peaks in the frequency response and ensuring that even the finest nuances in the music remain audible over the entire frequency range.

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Impressive sound experience – outstanding technology

The improved audio quality of the HD 800 S is based on the high-end technology of its legendary predecessor. As before, the core of the new model is a unique transducer system which, as in the HD 800, is the source and guarantee of an exceptionally detailed sound image. Measuring 56 millimetres, it is the largest transducer currently to be found in a set of dynamic headphones. In spite of the size of the transducer, the patented diaphragm with its innovative ring design minimizes any distortion that might occur especially at higher frequencies – keeping total harmonic distortion to less than 0.02 percent. Meticulous attention was also paid to the design of the earcups. These are designed in such a way that the sound waves are directed to the ear at a slight angle. This ensures a particularly natural and spatial sound perception.

In order to achieve even better audio quality in the reproduction of audio sources with a symmetrical output, such as the Sennheiser HDVD 800, the HD 800 S comes with a symmetrical XLR4 cable.

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Luxurious materials for luxury headphones

“The HD 800 is in a class of its own. During its development, we took time to focus on every single detail,” explained Maurice Quarré, Director Business Segment Select & Audiophile at Sennheiser. And that is also true for the new HD 800 S. Like their predecessor, these high-end headphones from the audio specialist use only the highest quality materials – not least to optimally support the outstanding sound properties. For example, the transducer is embedded in a specially manufactured stainless steel gauze. For the headband, the audio specialist has chosen a design consisting of several layers of sound-attenuating plastic and stainless steel, while the connector contacts are gold-plated to ensure optimum contact. The earcups are made of high-quality, high-attenuation plastic, which is used in aviation engineering as a substitute for metal. It is precisely these components on the HD 800 S that feature a matte-black, silk-gloss finish, providing the new high-end headphones with a unique, silky luxurious look. In this way, the outer appearance of the HD 800 S is in perfect harmony with the exceptional quality of the sound image.

Like the HD 800, the HD 800 S is hand-crafted at the company’s German headquarters in Wedemark. It will be available from mid-December 2015.

Posted in: Accessories, Headphones, Press Releases
By September 1, 2015 Read More →

How to Recover Files after Format?

Screen Shot 2015-09-01 at 07.38.35Mention the word ‘free’ and you may think that there’s no free lunch in this world. But in the world of software, you should know that there’s one recovery software free download that has been making the waves all over the world.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free 9.0 is one of the best file recovery software for all of your photo recovery needs to recover deleted, formatted or lost data from PC, laptop or removable device easily and quickly. It even supports a lot of languages, so you can use it natively according to your preference.

There’s actually a solid reason as to why the recovery software free download is so popular. It is so easy to get started with using the file recovery software – download, install and launch. No questions asked and no unnecessary email that you have to give-away.

Say for example if you want to perform a photo recovery of your digital camera, this recovery software free download comes with two progressive scanning modes:

  1. Quick Scan – helps you to find deleted files
  2. Deep Scan – helps you to find formatted, inaccessible or lost files

It will be able to help you recover anything from pictures, videos, audio, emails, documents and everything else in between. You can even pause at any time during the scan and continue later, but it is advisable to complete the scan as soon as possible to maximize the chances of photo recovery.

Another cool feature of this file recovery software is that you can specify the exact file type and location before you even start the scanning process. So if you want to perform a photo recovery from your digital camera, just select Graphics and your Digital Camera. This will ensure that the recovery software free download application saves you precious time and gives you the exact files that you want. Once it finds all the recoverable files, you can then filter your search by file name, type and date. Since it is an image file, you can even view the thumbnail of that image, so you can be sure of which files that you want to proceed with the recovery process. You can also visit www.venyu.com/disaster-recovery-services/ for major recovery processes.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free 9.0 is a top file recovery software that can be used for all of your photo recovery needs. Who say a free application can’t be this good? The recovery software free download certainly is more valuable than some of the paid applications that are out there in the market.

Posted in: Apps & Games, Editorial
By July 14, 2015 Read More →

The world’s first mind-controlled electric car created by MoneySuperMarket!

Carol Vorderman

MoneySuperMarket have debuted world’s first mind-controlled electric car this morning. Carol Vorderman was on hand to take the car for a spin using her big brain! Video footage has been made available for all to see of Carol working her way around the track.

On Thursday the track is empty and waiting for some lucky members of the public to be brain trained and drive the car themselves, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All they need to do is register before lunch time tomorrow at midday following this link: http://www.moneysupermarket.com/hubs/car-insurance/mind-drive/ .

Eighty years since the first driving test and with more distractions on our roads than ever before, MoneySuperMarket is reminding people to keep their brains in gear when behind the wheel with a truly epic motoring experience – the world’s first mind-controlled electric car. Also they make sure to inform people to compare courier insurance especially because this is essential to drivers.

The Car Insurance Epic Mind Drive gives drivers the opportunity to negotiate this ground-breaking vehicle around a futuristic track using brainwaves alone to turn left, right, move forward and stop.

The car is controlled with an electroencephalogram (EEG) neuro headset, using sophisticated software algorithms to translate raw EEG data into mental commands. Each user must train with the headset so it can decipher their thought patterns and learn their unique mental topography. The software is then able to recognise distinct thought patterns and using some complex electronics, wirelessly sends these commands to the car’s controls.

The Car Insurance Epic Mind Drive track

Those selected to take the driver’s seat will be judged on the track by a series of variables. This includes statistics fed back by a Telematics Module in the car reporting on how safely and accurately they drive, a technology system used to calculate fair premiums and save drivers money on car insurance policies. Accuracy, smoothness and lap time will all be fed into a bespoke formula to generate a score that they can take away with them, along with the pride of being one of the very first mind-control drivers.

The experience highlights that driving with your brain in gear not only keeps you safe but also saves money on your car insurance. Choose the right insurance with auto insurance policies fit for your lifestyle.

David Harling, Digital Marketing Director at MoneySuperMarket commented: “Driverless cars are currently being road tested but until they’re an everyday reality, we know it’s as important as ever for motorists to use their heads while driving. Our customers are great at using their heads to find the best car insurance quotes and have inspired us to launch the Car Insurance Epic Mind Drive, a once-in-a-lifetime, truly epic experience and you can get more info about electric cars checking the 5 Laws Anyone Working in Vw T6.1 Kombi Vans Should Know.”

Carol Vorderman

The Car Insurance Epic Mind Drive experience is live now. Drivers should go to http://www.moneysupermarket.com/hubs/car-insurance/mind-drive/ and register before 12 noon on Wednesday 15th July for the chance to drive the world’s first mind-controlled electric car on Thursday 16th July.

Visitors to the site will also be able to register for the chance to play the exclusive mobile driving game, using their heads in a live video call to drive by facial recognition and gesture alone.

Posted in: Gadgets, GPS/Sat Nav, News, Science & Technology, Videos/Unboxings
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