Tag: Featured

By November 23, 2016 Read More →

Venturer EliteWin S Unboxing

image11The new Venturer 2-in-1 Mini Notebook is ideal as a first computer for students heading to secondary school, college, university or even home use. Like the earlier model, the new 2-in-1 Mini Notebook is equipped with Windows 10 and Office 365 and the EliteWin S has a total 96GB of memory (32GB Flash memory plus a 64GB Micro SD Card included free of charge), vastly improving its storage capacity.

With the new sleek soft touch, lightweight design with soft curved edges, and long battery life, the EliteWin S 11KT is ideal for work or entertainment on the go with up to 8 hours usage whilst travelling.

Unlike other more expensive tablets on the market, the Venturer convertible notebook is equipped with a detachable smart keyboard that has a pressure sensing trackpad which clips on magnetically so it can be used as a stand-alone tablet or quickly transformed into a working laptop, making it easier to type, work and surf the internet.

Posted in: Laptops, Tablets, Videos/Unboxings
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By November 21, 2016 Read More →

Logitech M330 Silent Plus review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Accessories, Desktop Computing, Laptops, Reviews
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By November 20, 2016 Read More →

Whats New On Netflix 14 Nov – 20 Nov 2016

vlcsnap-00015Let’s take a look and see what appeared on Netflix for the week of the 14 November – 20 November 2016.

Posted in: Streaming Services, Videos/Unboxings
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By November 16, 2016 Read More →

Tech Addicts UK Podcast – 16th November 2016 – A Return to Form

grid-bubsGareth Myles, Jay Garrett, Gavin Fabiani-Laymond and Leila Gregory

RSS Link: http://mobiletechaddicts.libsyn.com/rss

Direct Download.

iTunes

Stitcher

Tunein

Show Notes

Listener feedback:

1) Any idea on the UK release date of the new Mi Box?

Andrew Rodgers

Import works only in mainland China, nothing is working: PPTV is blocked, LETV is blocked as well, so you can not see any programs or series, even those, which you are allowed to watch abroad.

2)  what is Thunderbolt 3? Is that a Mac connection and will it be compatible with USB-C?

Raj

http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/thunderbolt-3-guide

What have you been playing with?

Gareth

Gavin

Jay

Discussion: Star Wars Battle Droids

Discussion: HUAWEI MATE 9 IN A NUTSHELL

Discussion: Designed by Apple in California – Apple’s £249 Book

Main Show URL: www.techaddicts.uk

Join the Discussion: https://goo.gl/spaces/6FF6jraF9KHiPUyA6

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @garethmyles ; @gavinfabiani  ; @GadgetyNewsCom ; @JayGarrett ; @swanny

Web: http://gavinsgadgets.com ; http://GadgetyNews.com ; http://swanny.me/

Google Plus: +garethmyles ; +gavinfabiani-laymond   ; +JayGarrett

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By November 16, 2016 Read More →

Griffin iTrip Clip Bluetooth Adaptor Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

32nd iPhone Case Shoot Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Accessories, Reviews
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By November 11, 2016 Read More →

Wraps Wristband Headphones Unboxing

vlcsnap-00013The latest launch from Wraps, the Core series has been launched. You may already be aware of their wearable wristband earphones but now they have produced a premium high fidelity series with titanium speakers.

The CORE earphones are available in space grey, silver, rose gold and gold so there is a Wrap to suit everyone with great style AND premium sound.

Posted in: Headphones, Videos/Unboxings
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By November 9, 2016 Read More →

Adam Elements iKlips DUO review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

iPhone 7 case Shoot Out

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

Presentation

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

Design

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

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

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

Picking holes

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

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

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

So who gets my cash?

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

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

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

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

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

Strike Hands Free Motor Genius for iPhone 7 Unboxing

image7Secure your iPhone 7 whilst on the road with the new iPhone 7 Car Cradle from Strike! This phone holder is specifically designed and built by Strike for your iPhone 7. It has fast charging capability similar to an original iPhone charger with its built-in Apple lightning cable. You can now use your iPhone longer and access your mobile applications safely whilst driving with this Car Cradle from Strike!

  • The internal passive antenna of this iPhone 7 Vehicle Mount & Phone Holder is specifically incorporated to improve your mobile signal once used with a reputable external antenna. The cradle comes with a FME male connector so it can be connected to an external antenna for additional signal boost.
  • Easy DIY package, no need for to hire a professional installer.
  • This iPhone 7 DIY phone holder is compatible with any Bluetooth car kits.
  • Check out the professionally-installed car mount version here.
  • Comes with a windscreen mount. Other mounting options can be purchased separately.
  • 3 in 1 Smarter Solution: Secure, charge, and record. Use this Alpha Cradle and turn your iPhone 7 into a dashboard camera once a Dashcam app* is installed. Record your driving and charge your device simultaneously. Save costs, no need to purchase a stand-alone dash cam kit.

Find out more about the Strike setup here.

Posted in: Accessories, Videos/Unboxings
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