Hugo's Tech Reviews

Altec Lansing Desk Speakers VS2620 Review

2010-10-01T20:28:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £24.95 here.

Pros	Cons
+ Best quality sound on the market for the price	- No subwoofer
+ Much better looking than similarly priced speakers

First Impressions:

Ease of use – Very simple, just plug the speakers into the mains and into your computer and it’s done.

Design - The Altec desk speakers look great with a funky pyramid shape, brushed aluminium and clean lines.

Sound Quality – The best I have heard from desktop speakers and well worth the low price tag. A very impressive volume range much louder than expected. Listen to a recording here.

What’s in the box:

- Speakers

- AC Adaptor

- Manual

Tech Specs: See full specs here.

Conclusion: A great looking and very inexpensive set of desktop speakers with the best sound quality I have heard in this class for the money.

Edifier Soundbar USB Review

2010-09-25T15:54:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £39.99 here.

Pros	Cons
+ Nice aluminium finish	- Overly complicated volume control
+ Keeps wires to a minimum

What it does: The Soundbar is an all in one micro speaker powered by USB with full audio streaming capability designed to sit on your laptop just in front of your screen.

First Impressions:

Ease of use – Set up is easy, just plug in and play. However the volume control is overcomplicated. The volume is controlled by a button on the side of the bar. To turn down the volume you have to hold the button down and to turn it up you have to push it multiple times. It would be simpler surely to have the same button but make it twist like a conventional volume dial.

- Design – The Soundbar is cased in elegant brushed aluminium with a sleek and slim design.

- Sound Quality – Good for its size, but don’t expect any great depth or breadth of sound from such a small system. Listen to a recording of the sound bar here.

What’s in the box:

- Soundbar

- USB Connector

- Aux Cable

- Carry Pouch

- Manual

Tech Specs: - Speaker Dimensions (W x H x D): 261mm x 36mm x 44mm

- Full specs here.

Conclusion:

A nice looking micro speaker system ideal for those times when you are watching films away from your desk and need to boost the usually pitiful volume of your laptops inbuilt speakers.

Jay Bird Sports Band Headset Review

2010-09-25T15:51:00.000+01:00

Rating: 7/10

Best Price: £34.95 here.

Pros	Cons
+ No wires	- Instructions could be clearer
+ Good quality sound for a reasonable price.	- Hard to use the controls while running

What it does: Wireless Bluetooth headphones perfect for running, cycling, etc.

First Impressions:

Ease of use – The instruction manual could use a bit more than pictures, but once you have connected your iPod to the headphones operation is very self explanatory. The main trouble is trying to use the controls on the side of the headphones whilst running.

- Design – A nice look with a plethora of colour schemes to choose from. And nice attention to detail mirroring the button configuration in the other ear to keep its symmetry.

- Sound Quality – Impressive quality sound for inexpensive headphones.

What’s in the box:

- Headphones

- USB Charger

- Manual

- Spare Ear Guards

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

Conclusion: A good solution to the problem with wired headphones when you are doing exercise for a good price. However the short fall with the device is that when running it’s fairly hard to use the controls without stopping.

Auslogics BoostSpeed 5 Software Review

2010-09-17T15:36:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Price: £32.05 for installation on three computers.

What it does: A computer maintenance and optimization tool, to speed up the running of your computer.

Pros	Cons
+ A programme which actually does speed up your computer.	- Some modules take a little while to load.
+ At £10.60 for each computer it’s very cheap for what you get.

First Impressions:

BoostSpeed 5 is far more detailed and actually has a noticeable effect on the computer its run on than any freeware in competition with it.

The different tools in this programme are almost endless. You can defragment your hard drive, monitor which programmes use most CPU and or memory, explore the largest files and folders in order to delete or move them and recover accidently deleted files. With all of the modules you could choose the preset option and let the programme do the work or manually choose specific areas to tinker with.

Ease of use – A nice simple and intuitive layout with easy to understand explanations of each process.

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

Conclusion:

A case of doing exactly what it says on the tin, it keeps your computer running fast and removes clutter from your hard drive.

Feel free to ask a question and leave a comment.

Reallusion iClone 4 Pro. Review

2010-09-09T16:36:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Price: £122

What it does: Software with which you can accomplish real time 3D animation, in-screen motion editing and facial puppeteering.

Pros	Cons
+ Lots of customization	- A limited number of avatars to choose from
+ Pre made templates	- Difficult for beginners

First Impressions:

- Ease of use – Several steps to go through to start animating your character but after a while you get quicker at it.

- Design – Uncluttered interface with easy to navigate tabs

What’s in the box:

DVD

- Manual

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

To start off you choose your backgrounds; either a 3D preset or one of your own pictures. Then using the Set tab you add ground, sky, any water, grass, trees, fog and rain as desired. As well as manmade items such as floors, walls, etc.

Once your background is created simply change to the Actors tab and you have one male, female and child default avatar all of which are pretty high quality. But there are a limited number of characters.

Once you have your setting, weather, buildings and avatars you get to breathe life into them with the Animation Tab. You use motion paths to move your avatars and transition curves to make the movement less jerky.

Conclusion:

An exciting piece of software with the potential to make impressive animations with the right know how. Lacks variety of avatars, but you can tinker to make them more unique.

Feel free to ask a question or leave a comment.

iClone4 PRO + iClone 3DXchange2

Facial Animation Creator CrazyTalk 6 Pro. Review

2010-09-09T13:43:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £85.73 here. Standard version: £29.49 here.

What it does: Facial animation creator software with which you can take any photo and make it speak, smile and a host of other emotions.

Pros	Cons
+ Loads of features.	- A little hard to navigate.
+ Upload to YouTube straight from the programme.

First Impressions:

Ease of use – Easy on the whole with the option to keep it simple in basic editing and effects, but with loads of features and configurations to play with if you are feeling more confident.

- Design – A little tough to navigate, but after a while you get the hang of.

Once installed, it was easy to start a new project either choosing my own photo, taking one with a web cam or using one from the programme itself.

Then there are a few step by step processes to crop, rotate, adjust the colour levels and mark the points which at movement will be centred around on the photo.

Once you have suitably adjusted the picture, you can make it talk through a text to speech function with the ability to adjust volume, pitch and speed; or you can record your own voice. Then you can adjust the emotion on the face and the lip sync key to make the character talk more naturally.

You can then share your creations in a full screen viewing on your computer, or upload to YouTube in HD from the programme itself.

What’s in the box:

CD ROM software

- Manual

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

Conclusion: An astonishing amount of features to play with creating great animations, all at a great price for the standard version.

Feel free to ask a question or leave a comment.

CrazyTalk6 Standard

Edifier OnTheGo if350 Review

2010-09-09T09:13:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £93.05 here.

Pros	Cons
+ Decent sound quality and radio reception.	- Not the cheapest of docks out there
+ Built in rechargeable battery	- Prone to scratches in areas not covered by neoprene case
+Remote and carry pouch as standard

Ease of use: Very simple and well laid out buttons on the top of the speakers. The remote has a fair few buttons; however it is also very intuitive and straightforward.

- Design: The back of the speakers are a nice iPhone white, and black at the front. The LCD display is a little on the small side.

- Sound quality: The Edifier has a very impressive sound quality for its size. Bass strong enough to give depth to the music and the volume goes to a good level, easily enough for a BBQ or small garden party. Here are a couple of recordings of the speakers.

The dock supports itself with a flip down leg at the back released by a catch. When the leg folds down the iPod dock folds down at the front. At the back of the if35o is a line in jack and a slot in which the remote fits in.

The neoprene pouch is a nice extra, but as it does not cover the entire system, over time the speakers may get scratched and bumped.

The LCD is readable but gets hard to read in direct sunlight. When in standby mode the screen displays the time, in aux and iPod modes it displays the volume and battery level.

The radio picked up all the main stations no problem, and it was easy to store them into one of 18 pre-sets.

What’s in the box:

- OnTheGo Speakers

- Remote

- AUX Cable

- Neoprene carry case

- AC cable

- Manual

Tech Specs and Features:

Features:

Portable speaker for iPod or iPhone.
Two 3-inch speaker drivers deliver smooth, clean, uncompromised audio.
Built-in rechargeable Li-on battery – up to 15 hours of playtime on a single charge.
Full function wireless remote allows navigation of iPod songs and playlists. When not required simply store in the slot within the unit.
Fold away dock and neoprene carry pouch.
FM radio with up to 18 presets.
Black LCD screen – displays radio station, volume and battery status.
Switching power supply for worldwide use.

Specifications:

Total power output: RMS 12W (2 x 6W)
Input Type: iPod / Aux / FM
Power supply: Full range universal 90V – 240V, 50Hz/60Hz
Gross weight: Approx 1.5kg

Conclusion:

On balance the IF350 is a petite yet solid portable speaker, well designed with added extras such as a carry case and remote as standard. For the price, it would be nice to have DAB on top of FM radio. However it is a nice package with lots of functions.

Feel free to ask a question or leave a comment.

Search Amazon.com for Edifier speakers

Ricoh CX3 Digital Camera Review

2010-09-08T15:33:00.000+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £204.99 here.

What it’s up against: The Canon PowerShot SX210 IS (£197) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10 (£219)

Pros	Cons
+ Lovely metal design	- No manual controls
+ Nice crisp LCD screen	- Canon at lower price with higher meghapixles.

First Impressions:

- Ease of use: Nice uncluttered metal buttons with a simple, intuitive layout.

- Picture quality: See pictures below and a sample video here. Both the colour and sharpness of the lens is good and 720p HD video recording is a nice addition as well.

- Design: Lovely black aluminium metal case, with an expensive and retro look.

The camera is easy to use with all the buttons where you would expect them to be. The menu functions are a little sprawling but it doesn’t take long to familiarise yourself with it. Simple to point and shoot to create good quality images without spending forever setting up the camera.

What’s in the box:

- CX3 Camera

- CD ROM

- User guide

- Warranties

- USB connector cable

- AV Cable

- Rechargeable battery and charger

- Wrist strap

Tech Specs:

- 10 Megapixel

- 10.7 Optical zoom

- HD 720p Video Recording

- Full specs here.

Conclusion:

The Ricoh CX3 has a good range of features at a reasonable price. A nice metal case and a crisp LCD screen make this a fine camera.

Feel free to ask a question and leave a comment.

Ricoh CX3 10MP CMOS Digital Camera with 10.7x Wide Angle Optical Macro Zoom and 3.0 inch LCD (Black)

Fujifilm Finepix HS10 Review

2010-09-06T15:39:00.000+01:00

Rating: 7/10

Best Price: £285.40 here

What it is: A 10.3 Mega Pixel digital camera with all the trimmings and gizmos of an SLR.

Pros	Cons
+ Impressive lens range.	- Costs nearly as much as an SLR
	- Only 10 Megapixels
	- No internal rechargeable battery

What it’s up against: The Olympus SP-800UZ, the only other digital camera with a 30x zoom lens.

First Impressions:

- Ease of use – Nice and simple command dial and menu functions including one button playback and video recording.

- Picture quality – See photos here and a sample video.

- Design - The matt black finish and ergonomic curves give the HS10 a nice strong look. Big controls allow rapid and simple access to the cameras many functions.

The Fujifilm HS10 looks like and is a serious piece of tech requiring a little time familiarising yourself with the features and manual.

The most impressive feature is the zoom which even at maximum keeps very good picture quality.

The LCD screen can tilt 90 degrees upwards and 45 degrees downwards which helps with shots from the hip or above your head. One issue is that the screen has neither a cover nor the ability to turn around for protection when not in use.

What’s in the box:

· HS10 Camera

· 4 X AA Batteries

· A/V cable

· USB cable

· Lens cap and chord

· CD-Rom

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

Conclusion:

A “superzoom” camera at the higher end of the price scale, near the point of a basic SLR. A nice SLR finish and a very impressive manual zoom very unusual in a digital camera.

Feel free to comment or ask a question.

Fujifilm FinePix HS10 10 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD

Magix Digital Dj Review

2010-09-02T22:45:00.000+01:00

Rating: 7/10

Best Price: £29.99 here

Pros	Cons
+ Professional sounding mixes	- Overwhelming interface to a novice
+ Lots of features

First Impressions:

Ease of use – Quite complicated interface (see pic below), but after a while you get the hang of it.

Once you get past the fairly overwhelming interface you can very quickly start to create your own mixes. As a novice I stuck to the AutoMix to create a playlist, however the more professional of you can create quality remixes with sampling and looping capabilities. Furthermore using the preview function you can cherry pick the perfect tracks for your playlist heard through your headphones whilst your gig is in full flow and the pitch fader allows for seamless links between your tracks. There is even more features to the software such as cue, tempo analysis, auto sync, reverse and precise pitch control.

What’s in the box:

Cd with software

· Instruction manual

Tech Specs: Full specs here.

Conclusion:

Once you get used to the busy interface, Digital DJ is a excellent piece of tech with the simplicity for amateurs to make a few good mixes, whilst the more professional DJ can create masterpieces with plenty of extras.

Feel free to comment or ask a question.

Digital DJ

Here is a screen shot of the main page.

Swann ThumbCam Review

2010-09-02T00:50:00.004+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £45.91 here

Pros	Cons
+ Very versatile	- Hard to tell what’s in frame
+ Wide selection of extras as standard

What it does: A tiny camera to “shoot videos of bike rides, runs, sports, hand gliding, events and more.

First Impressions:

- Ease of use – Nice and simple interface.

- Picture quality – See an example video here.

- Design – Ridiculously small, uncomplicated and sleek.

The front of the camera has nothing but the lens, the back has a loop for your lanyard and the base has a mini USB port for connection to a computer. The right hand side has the Mode button and MicroSd slot, with the power button on the opposite side, with the top button holding the Record/Stop button.

It takes a little time to get the hang of the device, but the manual is well written and easy to follow.

Along with the camera you get a nice selection of peripherals including a protective clear silicon case, belt/pocket clip, wall mount clip, pivot clip, USB cable and a mini-CD with the necessary software on it.

Picture and sound quality are very impressive from such a tiny device.

The drawbacks to the device are that with no screen it is hard to know what’s in frame, and there is also no zoom facility.

What’s in the box:

ThumbCam DVR-415

· MicroSD Card 2GB

· Silicon Cover

· USB Charging Cable

· Wall, Magnetic, Belt Brackets

· Software CD

· Operating Instructions

Tech Specs:

· Resolution – 720 x 480

· Frame Rate – 30 FPS

· Weight – 20g

Conclusion:

A very adaptable little camera, with sound activation and mounts allowing it to be used in a variety of situations.

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.

SWANN SW361-THC ThumbCam Mini Digital Video Camera

Swann ActionCam MDV-450 Review

2010-09-01T22:05:00.001+01:00

Rating: 7/10

Best Price: £54.93 here

Pros	Cons
+ Simple to operate	- Jerky video quality
+ Lots of peripheral extras	- Hard to line up the camera when on bike helmet.

What it does: A small and lightweight camcorder designed for video and photo capture during extreme sports.

- Ease of use – Fairly simple to use with coloured LED’s to indicate what you are doing.

- Picture quality – see a sample video here.

- Design – Sturdy. Well designed for heavy outdoor use.

First Impressions:

The camera is well built and designed for outdoor use with “weather resistant anti-corrosive casing” and a shock resistant design.

There is a panel on the camera half way down, with 4 LED’d and a REC/PAUSE button in the centre. There is also a hole where the microphone is as well.

On the base of the camera, there is a screw top that when removed revels the MicroSD card slot, Mini USB port and the on/off switch.

The camera also comes with several stands and grips to attach the camera to oneself or your bike or car. These include a bicycle helmet attachment, a bicycle frame bracket and a car mount.

Downloading the images is just the same as you would from a normal video camera or digital camera.

Still picture quality is good as is the video quality; however it is a little jerky due to a fairly low frame speed. There is also some wind noise, but nothing to get worked up about

In the box:

· MDV-450 Camera

· Micro SD Card 2GB

· Camera Stand with Suction Grip

· Bicycle Helmet Attachment

· Bicycle Frame Bracket

· Magnifying Sight Scope

· USB Cable

· Instruction Manual

Tech Specs:

· Video Resolution – 640 x 480

· Photo resolution – 2048 x 1536

· Framerate 24 fps

· Storage – 2GB Mirco-SD Card

· Weight – 60g

· Full specs here

Conclusion:

A neat little camera with plenty of extras at a very good price. Video quality is a little poor but good enough for the armature extreme sports enthusiast.

Feel free to comment or ask a question.

Swann ActionCam MDV-450 - Camcorder - supported memory: microSD, microSDHC - flash card

Magix Photo Story 9 Review

2010-08-30T17:55:00.001+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £26.99 here

Pros	Cons
Simple and intuitive interface	Video encoding can be fairly slow for longer shows
Great selection of effects

What it does:

Photo and video editing software for creating slideshows specifically for CD or DVD that can be shared with others

In the box:

· The disc

· A manual

First Impressions:

· Ease of use – Simple and intuitive.

The programme interface is intuitive and creating a project is easy. First you choose to create either a CD or DVD based slideshow you drag images or video to include to the timeline.

There are a plethora of transition effects to use from fades to 3d effects.

Text can be added over the top of images or in frames of their own. The programme also includes image editing features to tinker with your photos, its by no means sophisticated, but enough to sharpen up your snaps. You can also add MP3 tracks as background music from iTunes

Once you have created the slideshow, you can create an interactive DVD menu to navigate your creation. You also have the option of uploading your photos and slideshows to Flickr and/or YouTube to share with a wider audience. Here is one I knocked together in about 3 minutes.

Tech Specs:

Runs on Windows XP, Vista and 7

Full specs here

Conclusion:

PhotoStory 9 is an intuitive product with loads of customisable options to make your slideshow your own. Remarkable results are accomplished very easily and quickly.

Here is a screen shot of the programme

Feel free to comment and ask a question.

STM Sonic 15” Laptop Bag Review

2010-08-29T16:04:00.004+01:00

Rating: 9/10

Best Price: £34.86 here

Pros

Cons

+ A whole lot of bag for the money

- Not much variation on size or colour

+ Nice retro look

First Impressions:

The Sonic is reminiscent of the Pan-Am bags of the 70’s with plenty of storage for a day on campus. There are pockets and compartments everywhere you look. The Sonic is fairly big, however surprisingly light weight. The padded shoulder strap is a nice touch if you are carrying your laptop for any length of time.

The main compartment holds your laptop in a separate padded compartment, and there is another one with plenty of room for books, pads and folders.

There is also a front zippered pocket which swallows up your charger, hard-drive, pens and anything else.

Overall the Sonic proves a stylish yet sturdy choice.

Tech Specs:

Lining: nylon
Weight: 2.10 lbs 0.94 kg

Conclusion:

A brilliant bag at a very reasonable price, with loads of space and a nice finish.

Feel free to comment and ask me a question.

STM Bags DP-0964-1 Medium Sonic Shoulder Bag, Fits up to 15.5 Inch Screens

STM Scout 13” Laptop Bag Review

2010-08-28T17:29:00.003+01:00

Rating: 10/10

Best Price: £32.95 here

What it’s up against: Crumpler Silver-Digg, Belkin Messenger

Pros	Cons
Stylish
Very well made

First Impressions:

A well designed product which looks casual and stylish, which is unusual for a laptop bag! The bag opens with a main flap and has a buckle to secure it. Once opened there is the main padded laptop compartment with another protective flap. Furthermore there is a big pocket for your documents, a Velcro pocket on the outside at the back, a smaller zipped pocket and two pouches at the front, one with pen holders and the other with a key fob. Good quality fabric and secure straps add a luxurious yet secure feel to the Scout. A bag which looks good enough to use as your main day to day shoulder bag, with plenty of space for lecture notes, charger, pens and a book or two.

Tech Specs:

- High density padding surrounds laptop

- Secure buckle closure for main bag

- Velcro closure over laptop section

- Cushioned felt laptop lining

- Utility pockets for accessories

- Full sized document pocket

- New STM design shoulder pad for carrying comfort

- Holds most 13" laptops

- Main fabric: 14oz water resistant canvas

- Lining: 210D water resistant nylon

- Weight: 1.2 lbs 0.5 kg

Conclusion:

   A great bag for daily use around campus. A little more expensive than your basic laptop carry cases, but as it works just as well as a day to day shoulder bag due to it not looking like an unattractive laptop bag, so it is well worth the money.

   Feel free to comment and ask a question. Don't forget to subscribe by email.

STM BAGS Scout Small Laptop Shoulder Bag, Fits most 13-Inch Laptops, Olive

STM 15” MacBook Neoprene “Glove” Review

2010-08-28T15:30:00.002+01:00

Rating: 10/10

Best Price: £13.95 here

Pros

Cons

+ Low price for a good product

+ High quality

First Impressions:

The case is your classic neoprene one, with high quality stitching and an internal zipper guard to keep your laptop from being scratched. Thin enough to fit in a bag nicely without being bulky. The waterproofing is an added bonus and weight off your mind.

Tech Specs:

Main fabric: neoprene
Laptop space: 25 x 36.5 x 2.8cm
Capacity: litre
Weight: 0.24 kg

- 3mm neoprene surrounds your laptop

- Durable YKK zippers for long lasting protection

- Internal zipper guards protects the laptop against abrasion

- Designed to specifically to fit Apple's MacBook Pro 15"

Glove Components:

Self-repairing, durable YKK zippers, load bearing stitching

Conclusion:

A great little case at a good price, with a good amount of thought going into the design.

STM Bags Medium MacBook Pro Glove 15-Inch Laptop Bag (Black)

Feel free to comment or ask me a question.

Powermat Wireless Charging System for the iPhone Review

2010-08-22T21:20:00.005+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £39.99 at the Carphone Warehouse

What it’s up against:

PowerSurface Wireless Charger £39.95

WildCharge Universal Wireless Charger £49.97

Pros	Cons
Good price for a case and charging dock together	Limited number of compatible products
One less wire on your desk

What it is:

The Powermat 1X wirelessly charges your iPod, iPhone, or Blackberry by placing the device with a Powermat receiver onto the mat.

First Impressions

The Powermat is easy to use. Simply take it out of the box, and plug it in. Then you take the receiver and attach it to your device. Then place the receiver on the mat.

When you put the receiver on the charging spot, there is a magnetic pull to the right position, a light turns on and a sound effect plays letting you know it’s charging. The dock is small and compact with a groove in which the case sits. Once your iPhone is fully charged the Powermat then turns itself off so not to damage the battery.

The case has a nice matt finish on tough black plastic, it is well designed with a small outc

rop on the back where the receiver is but it still easily fits in the front pocket of your jeans.

What’s in the box?

Receiver Case for iPhone 3G/3GS

Powermat 1XA Charging Mat

Micro USB to USB data cable

Universal, international power supply with built-in cord management

Conclusion:

A clever piece of tech, perfect for your desk at work so you don’t have to carry your charger with you. Also any way to cut down on clutter on the desk is a plus in my book. A good quality product at a good price for what you are getting.

Just Mobile Xtand for iPod Touch Review

2010-08-22T21:16:00.004+01:00

Rating: 7/10

Best Price: £19.00 on Amazon

Pros	Cons
Excellent build quality	Bulky as a portable device
Slick and simple design	iPod does not fit with a protective case on

What it does

The Xtand is a desktop stand for your iPod Touch allows you to switch between landscape and portrait.

What it’s up against

The PED3 stand, a very similar product to the Xtand, but uglier and less sleek.

Features

Solid aluminium construction
360-degree rotation
Adjustable viewing angle
Cable management
Non-slip rubber pads

What’s in the Box?

· The Stand

· Fittings for the first generation iPod touch

· Instruction Manual

First Impressions

Very easy to put together with a smooth and simple design, very reminiscent of Apple brand products.

The Base is sufficiently wide and sturdy with rubber feet to protect your desk and stop it from moving around. Four rubber pads on the end of each tip keep the stand’s solid-metal pieces from scratching your iPod and also help keep it in place.

The iPod slots in with ease, but it’s held in place firmly, requiring a firm hand on the base of the stand to help it out again. No marks or scratches are left on the iPod once you have removed it, and there’s plenty of open space to easily insert the charger and earphones.

The Xtand provides convenience by tilting the iPod towards your head in contrast to having it lay flat on your desk.

Whilst travelling on a train or plane the Xtand would be much better way to watch a film than my usual balancing act using a bottle and my wallet. However it is a fairly bulky object to carry around.

Conclusion

A very well made product at a good price, a little chunky as a portable device, but on the whole a nice piece of kit.

Olympus LS-5 Recorder Review

2010-08-22T21:13:00.004+01:00

Rating: 9/10

Best Price: £169.00 here

Pros	Cons
+ High quality recordings	- Small fonts on screen
+ Easy to use
+ Sleek and good quality finish

The LS-5 is very much the same as the LS-10 I previously reviewed so for a full review see the previous article. The main difference between the LS-5 and 10 is the editing software which comes in the box. As opposed to the LS-10, the LS-5 comes with Olympus’ own software ‘Sonority’, which in my opinion is a much better piece of kit against the Cubase software with the LS-10.

Conclusion

The fonts are a little on the small side and an internal rechargeable battery would be nice, but on the whole it is a great device The Olympus LS-10 is sleek, well made and easy to use, which produces high quality recordings, perfect for bands recording on a budget to students recording their lectures.

Olympus LS-10 Recorder Review

2010-08-22T21:10:00.004+01:00

Rating: 9/10

Best Price: £199.00 here

Pros	Cons
+ High quality recordings	- No internal battery
+ Easy to use
+ Sleek and good quality finish

First Impressions

When you first pick up the Olympus you are struck by the smooth and solid feel, due to the aluminium case. At 165g it is nice and sturdy so you don’t feel you could break it easily.

At roughly 13cm by 5cm by 2cm the LS 10 can easily fit in a jacket pocket.

The screen is crisp and clear with a good back light; however most of the fonts are on the small side.

The buttons are logically laid out, crisp and responsive. When you get your hands on the LS-10 it is a very intuitive device.

Ease of Use

The ‘quick start up guide’ gives succinct and easy to follow instructions.

To make a recording is simple, press the REC button and it goes into ‘REC PAUSE’ mode, where you adjust the mic sensitivity via adjusting the ‘MIC SENSE’ switch and adjust the recording level dial accordingly.

Press the REC button again and it records. From then it’s very intuitive; STOP button to stop, PLAY button to play what you recorded. Simple.

The menu tree consists of 6 folders which allows for easy arrangement of several recordings in one day. It appears a little sophisticated, but if you are comfortable with using file-menus on a computer you will figure it out quickly.

The Cubase software which comes with the LS-10 is a useful tool; and makes it easy to edit your recordings.

Storage and Connectivity

The LS-10 has an internal memory of 2GB and accepts SD cards up to 8GB thus having a potential of 10GB storage capacity.

You can record in WAV, WMA and MP3 file formats, meaning you can download your recordings onto iTunes and Media Player. Furthermore you can take music from iTunes and listen to it on the device.

Stereo Speaker

The quality of sound of the speakers is surprisingly clear for their size. They are not powerful but loud enough for playback in a quiet area. This is very useful for checking recordings without having to use another bit of equipment.

Remote Control

The remote and receiver is a very useful accessory. Especially for use in a lecture or meeting to be able to start and stop recording form your seat. However due to the thin plug you would have to be careful as it looks and feels quite fragile.

Sound Quality

Playback through headphones or speakers is very good. There is a richness to the audio which you would expect from much larger recording equipment. The bass was especially deep.

In the Box:

2 x AA alkaline batteries
a usb cable
an 1/8" audio cable
a zippered carrying case
a strap
2 windscreens
a Quick Start Guide
a DVD-ROM of Cubase LE4 music production software and an Instruction Manual in 3 languages (English, French & Spanish).

This is a very good selection of included accessories, but an AC adapter would be nice, so not to have to buy new AA batteries, however the long battery life almost makes up for it.

Tech Specs

2 high quality microphones
WAV/WMA/MP3 recording formats
2GB internal memory
SD card slot
Built-in stereo speaker
Optional Infrared remote control

Complete specs can be found on the Olympus LS-10 web page.

Conclusion

Devotec Industries Solar Sound 2 Bluetooth Speaker Review

2010-08-22T20:49:00.009+01:00

Rating: 8/10

Best Price: £69.99 here

Pros

Cons

+ Wirelessly play music via Bluetooth

- Not great quality bass

+ Potentially infinite playback, weather permitting.

- Very long charge time from empty on solar power

+ Doubles up as a hands free speaker phone

- The case is very snug, not allowing the cables to fit in the side pouch

+ Touch screen controls

What it does

An innovative speaker system with a green conscience to it.
It’s a portable speaker with wireless technology and a solar panel, so no more mountains of dead batteries filling landfills.
Impressions
Gloriously simple piece of kit. Simply plug in and play whether via Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack.
Sleek black design with responsive touch screen controls and a solid build quality.
Good sound quality for a portable device, but a weak bass sound, which is very common for these types of small speakers.
To listen to the audio quality follow these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlxYm0-OoDE&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgLHCultkqA

What it’s up against

Nothing quite frankly. There is not one other product in the market which has a solar panel, playing music wirelessly, with an integrated microphone and a touch panel.

Specs

16.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm
2 x 2W RMS power
Bluetooth range of 10 meters
Playback time: On Bluetooth 5-10 hours. On analogue 5-20 hours. Longer playback possible using the solar power.
Charging time (from empty): Mains power 5 hours, Solar power 12-24 hours (full overhead sunshine)
Capacitive 3 button touch panel
Integrated microphone

In the box

Speaker
Case
AC Plug
Charging Cable
3.5mm retractable cable

Conclusion:

At £69.99 it is a little pricy, but I would not be put off, build quality, the quality of sound and the wireless and solar technology are worth the money.
A flexible and high quality unique product, great for use on a beach, a camping trip or at a barbeque. Wonderfully simple to use and set up, with surprisingly good quality sound for its size. A slight lack of bass at higher volumes, however a great piece of innovative green thinking, perfect for use outside.

Pros	Cons
+ A whole lot of bag for the money	- Not much variation on size or colour
+ Nice retro look

Pros	Cons
+ Low price for a good product
+ High quality

Pros	Cons
+ Wirelessly play music via Bluetooth	- Not great quality bass
+ Potentially infinite playback, weather permitting.	- Very long charge time from empty on solar power
+ Doubles up as a hands free speaker phone	- The case is very snug, not allowing the cables to fit in the side pouch
+ Touch screen controls