What you get

- 1 x StreetParty Dock

- 1 X power adapter

- Instruction manual

Audio on the move

Gear4 hasn’t really chosen the most suitable name for a portable product as the name StreetParty makes it sound like an all out DJ setup. This obviously isn’t what you get, moreover you’ll receive a dock just over 24cm in length. This mean it’ll easily fit in your bag and works away from the home too using the optional battery-powered compartment (just bring 4 AA batteries for hours of use).

You’ll be able to happily mount your iPhone 5, 7th generation iPod Nano or 5th generation iPod touch using the standard lightning port. This will charge your device when plugged into the mains, but for obvious reasons you won’t be able to juice up when using the 4 AA batteries.

One thing that you may want to take note of is the dock connector itself which uses Apple’s lightning technology. This thin form factor makes it less sturdy than the ‘old-fashioned’ 30 pin connector, so you’ll want to keep clunky objects away from it when carrying it in a bag. On the plus side I found it more than strong enough to hold my iPhone 5 in position, even after a prolonged session of mounting and dismounting my iPhone 5 (this is as boring as it sounds but I had to be sure it was sturdy before giving my ‘strength’ endorsement).

How it sounds

The thing made Gear4′s StreetParty 4 dock popular is how it delivered crisp, punchy sound. The StreetParty 5 utilises the same dimensions, look pretty similar but has all new components and a different dock connector. One thing to note is that this unit isn’t suitable for baseheads or very loud music, it produces plenty of clear sound though that it easily capable of filling a small room. The high quality audio you’d expect is produced at low, mid and high volumes – which can be heralded as an improvement over the highly rated unit that this one replaces.

Final Thoughts on the StreetParty 5 iPhone Dock

Gear4 call this a pocket-sized product, which is only true if you’re the hulk, that’s the only embellishment in their sales spiel though as it does deliver good quality sound on the move.

Are you considering buying the StreetParty 5 dock?. If there’s anything holding you back and want to learn more please ask below. Likewise current owners can leave their own review too.

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Gear4 StreetParty 5 Apple iPhone 5 Lightning Speaker Dock Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

There’s no conclusive line of treatment but studies have shown that therapy, antidepressants and light therapy can all help alleviate symptoms. Over the past few weeks we’ve been reviewing a lamp which claims to help sufferers of SAD; the Lumie Desk Lamp.

Key Specs

Research has shown that the LUMIE brand is effective in treating SAD. This model is made for use on a desk (as pictured here) and comes complete with a soft diffuser which can filter the light if you find it too bright.

This lamp is a certified medical device, classified as a class 2A product. It produces 10,000 lux at 22cm and 2,5000 at 50cm. When sitting at a desk you’ll more than likely be sat somewhere between these two rages which for us struck a happy medium.

Using the Lumie SAD Light Therapy Desk Lamp

The elongated head contains 96 white LEDs arranged to produce simulated sunlight. You can switch between modes to make the light brighter, or dimmer. We found the dimmer switch particularly useful (although a little temperamental) when reading where a softer light is required.

My office is particularly dark in the winter, due to me placing my desk in the opposite corner to the window (feng shui is not my strong point). This lamp really helped in that respect and I found the light to be far brighter and somewhat more natural than a regular bulb. You will need a fair amount of space to stand this lamp, the base is 20cm X 20cm.

The instruction manual suggests that you should use the lamp for 60 minutes at a time, although you can leave it on all day if required. As I was using it for my office it was left on all day and I found it worked well; my eyes where less strained, I could read my notes easier and the Lumie is a nice looking piece of kit too. Did it stave off the Winter blues? In all honesty it’s hard to say, I’m one of the lucky ones that doesn’t suffer too badly with SAD.

What others have said

My initial research, after admitting I’m not prone to SAD, was to turn to other users. The general consensus is this is a great product. Amazon shows it at a solid 4.2 stars and the reviews on the John Lewis site are mostly positive too. Design and functionality wise I’d agree it is a fantastic lamp, very bright and modern looking. Does it alleviate the symptoms of SAD,  i’m not in a position to say and we’re actually looking for a second opinion on this one, please get in touch if you are a SAD sufferer and have personally used this lamp.

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Lumie SAD Desk Lamp Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Agloves – Gloves with a silver lining

Smart phones are great but come with a major winter hindrance because most won’t play well with regular gloves. The capacitive screens used on most smart phones and tablets rely on electrical pulses produced from the human body to work; regular gloves stop this pulse dead (not literally of course). But AGloves have silver thread woven through them which means you can use your phone whilst wearing them.

The major difference between these gloves and competitors is that the threads run through the glove. This means you can use your phone with any finger, thumb or even your palm if you felt the need. In short they worked fantastically, even when wet which is important in a temperate climate.

One niggle was that these gloves do not fair well with Velcro. Threads are easily pulled out when using the gloves, an example of one days worth of wear can be seen here. The build quality is still excellent though, just be sure to avoid catching them on Velcro .

Touchability Gloves

The Touchability gloves work in a slightly different way to the AGloves. They have conducting finger tips instead of threads running through the glove. I found this worked well with my iPad but struggled when using iPhone because they aren’t as precise.

These gloves are nice and thick which makes them suitable for cold weather. They don’t suffer from Velcro wear either, just a few bobbles from a week or two of wear. The neat thing about these gloves is they come in a range of sizes (as do AGloves) and colours so you can pick an ideal pair to suit your style.

In summary we’d say these two are some of the best of the market and are closely matched. If we had to pick one though, the AGloves would win because of the precision when using. On the flip side the Touch Ability gloves are warmer and more hard-wearing, as we said they’re closely matched .

Thanks to Touch Screen Gloves for supplying the gloves for review.

AGloves and TouchAbility Touch Screen Gloves Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Fujitsu has sent their latest 1500M Scansnap scanner for us to test over the next three weeks. This week we’re sticking to the basics; scanning documents, business cards and photographs. Sounds easy doesn’t it, but what if they’re all mixed up and you want them organised?

Should we sort them?

 we shouldn’t! The most appealing thing to prospective buyers of the Scansnap 1500M is that it does it for you. You can quite literally load a pile of receipts, bills, business cards and other documents into the automatic document feeder (ADF) and let her rip. This epic video from the guys at Fujitsu shows how this can be achieved with one click of the machine:

This weeks challenge; scan some photos

In the digital age we very rarely need to scan an image for our website, but when we do we’d prefer it to a hassle free experience. The guys at Fujitsu suggested that we tried this to demonstrate how the machine works, and most importantly to see if it worked well. So we gathered up some photos from magazines, old printed photos and even sketches on scraps of paper to find out how it worked. We then uploaded them to our site to show you the results.

The results are simply brilliant we’ll think you’ll agree. We were impressed with how clear the images came out and the fact that everyone was straightened out and ready to use. If you’re not impressed then please watch this short video and note how the photos were deliberately loaded backwards, upside down and in absolutely no particular size order. There aren’t many scanners which would cope with this type of punishment.

Next week we are going to take a look at how the Scansnap 1500M can be used with documents in harmony with our Apple Macs. Let us know what you think and please send any requests too.

Fujitsu Scansnap 1500M Scan Challenge Part 1 is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

This week I received IPEVO’s PadPillow (formally known as the iPad Cushi) and it claims to solve of these problems. From the photos i’ve seen this seems to be the case but only several hours of ‘working’ with the PadPillow would prove if this was the case.

What you get

This charcoal IPEVO PadPillow was sent via Amazon and arrived in their standard cardboard box. Once opened it revealed on PadPillow in a plastic wrap with one sheet of sales packaging to show you how it worked.

It’s fair to say that this is a simple gadget, but the most useful ones usually are.

Living with the PadPillow

The PadPillow is designed to be a living room or general home use accessory. You simply need to pick it up and plonk it on your lap to start using it. You can unfold the pyramid shaped part of the pillow to create a longer base if you are laying down to watch what’s on screen or use an external keyboard.

The wedge shape props your iPad up at the ideal angle for most situations. You may need to adjust ever so slightly with another pillow if you want a steeper screen angle but on the whole it works really well.

One thing which could be improved is that the wedge is free to open and swing when being moved. Although this isn’t too much of a problem it could have been remedied by including some low grip Velcro within the closed part.

IPEVO claims that you could use it as a pillow to rest your head too. Based on how soft the cover is and durability of the cushion inside we’d have to agree that the PadPillow is both iPad and human friendly .

Final thoughts and info

Man, lap and iPad all united with the PadPillow

One thing that is certain is that the days of propping my iPad against a couple of pillows is well and truly over. This gadget allows me to view my iPad whilst sitting or laying down and even provides solutions for my wireless keyboard when I need to use it. The PadPillow is a must for any iPad user.

You can pick up a PadPillow in six different colours; Steve’s Blue Jeans (after the late great Steve Jobs), lemon grass green, light khaki (shown in this review), honeysuckle pink, tangerine and charcoal grey. They cost $34.99 from the IPEVO website or UK users can pick one up for £29 from Amazon with free delivery.

What do you reckon? Would you consider buying a pillow for your iPad?

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IPEVO PadPillow iPad and Tablet Cushion Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Today we present our review of the MP3-D01; a tripod small enough to carry around in your pocket or even leave attached to your bridge or DSLR camera. But is it any good? We’ve used it for a range of shots and cameras to find out.

Contents

1X MP3-D01 pocket tripod

1X Warranty pack

1X carry pouch

1X screw tool/keychain

Using and living with the MP3-DO1

The tripod comes in an easy to open cardboard box; none of this blister pack nonsense as used on other products. Once you’ve got the box open it’s simply a case of grabbing your camera, positioning the tripod (there’s a handy ‘front’ marker) and tighten up the screw with the adapter provided. Some people have complained that this is fiddly but I didn’t find it too tricky.

I tested it with a Canon D600 and Panasonic FZ48 and it worked beautifully with both. The legs fold in when not in use which works brilliantly with digital SLR; it’s suitable for any mirror-less camera and there’s a smaller version for regular digital cameras too.

Stability wise we’d say it lives up to manufacturer spec when it says it will hold 1.5KG; although only in some positions. We’d rate it more at 1.2KG (for all angles) which suits most DSLR’s with a standard lens which means super zooms are completely out. To be fair you probably wouldn’t want to use this tripod for shots like that anyway and it’s far more suitable for close quarters and regular zoom shots.

The tripod is solid in construction and made from high grade steel with rubber feet for added friction. Some people have mentioned the screw is flimsy which i found to be untrue. If this does worry you it’s worth noting that it comes with a spare and any broken parts are covered by Manfrotto’s five year warranty anyway.

Conclusion

My initial scepticism quickly dissipated and i’d happily recommend this to anyone who is limited on space and doesn’t want a full size tripod. It’s suitable for flat, uneven and even slippery surfaces because the rubber feet stick like glue.  Inclines aren’t a problem either; although the GorillaPod is far more versatile but is far bulkier to carry around too. Manfrotto also gives customers an impressive 5 year warranty which makes up for the fairly high price point.

In summary i’d say this isn’t a full on replacement tripod; but is a great piece of kit to carry around in your pocket for steady photographs on the move.

This and other tripods are available from the Manfrotto website and other retailers such as Amazon at £29.95 (RRP).

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Manfrotto Pocket MP3-D01 Tripod Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

I immediately called dibs and set about building the set and after a short while this is the result. You have to admit this is geeky coolness at its best.

How it looks

As mentioned before this is based upon the scene when Gollum leads Sam and Frodo into Shelob’s lair which results in Frodo becoming entangled in her web. Sam uses his elven sword to free his friend, then Gollum goes ape before the duo make their escape. The set comes complete with three mini figs which include props such as the ring, swords, capes, Gollum’s fish and turnable heads which have different faces for different scenes (Frodo has a petrified face and Sam has an angry look as well as their regular faces for example).

The set comes with a high quality booklet on how to build, which as you’d expect is very easy to follow. It took me about 40 minutes to complete but i’d imagine it could take a lot longer, or if you are adept take less time to finish.

The most impressive aspect is Shelob which comes equipped with posable limbs, a rotating bottom and a string which pops out from said bottom area. This can be used to hang her upside down, tie the characters up or be retracted using the small wheel on her belly. She even includes subtle details such as an injured eye and other facial features; you’ll enjoy building the spider from start to finish (unless you’ve got arachnophobia of course).

As with other Lego sets you are able to build a few different scenarios. You can create Gollum’s leaping rock, complete with fish for example. Our favourite has to include Shelob though, her web is the coolest part and actually holds her full weight. It would look epic hung from a shelf or ceiling, as pictured here.

Other sets in the series

This is a medium sized set but you can get smaller and much larger scenes to help fulfil you Lego reenactment of the series. These sets include The Orc Forge, The Mines of Moria, Urak-Hai Army and my personal favourite; The Battle for Helm’s Deep. The whole series looks impressive and will provide a great precursor to the upcoming Lego Lord of the Rings video game which is out later this year.

If this medium sized Shelob set caught your eye you may be interested to hear the RRP is £19.99, available from Amazon, Lego and any good toy shop now.

Shelob Attacks Lord of the Rings Lego Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

Neil Wilson, product manager, Epson UK, certainly seems to think so: “Using the new Claria Home ink set, the Expression Home range allows you to benefit from the versatility of glossy, home photo printing and crisp, clear text output. You won’t have to worry whether printing documents or photos is the driving factor in your household, because you can now have both. Whether you’re printing coursework, home documents or family photos, this range ensures that your needs are catered for.”

What’s in the box

You get one xp-102, one regular capacity cartridge of each colour, a power cable, start up guide and software disk. You also get a whole lot of packaging and tape to peel off.

Setup and usage

It comes with a quick start guide which is useful if you’ve not setup a printer before; if you have then this probably isn’t needed. Most modern day computers (I tested it on a Mac) will detect the device instantly once plugged in, prompting you to install from CD or over the internet. If you are doing it by the book then you install the software first.

USB port and power port (not pictured) are neatly tucked away. It’s a shame that a USB cable is not included.

The printer comes with a set of starter cartridges; you get four in total which are branded with poppies/daisies to make shopping for them in a future easier (no silly codes to remember). You install the cartridges, let it run setup and hook the printer up using a USB cable (not included by the way) and are ready to go.

Using the printer is similarly easy; every program has a print option these days. When printing photos you can opt to use your preferred software or Epson’s own bundled program which we found worked well when printing 6×4 photos and full A4 prints too.

The sticker speed is 26 pages per minute, which is totally true if printing a standard page of text. Obviously pages of higher quality or images take longer; photos are markedly slower due to the printers 5,760 Dpi.

Looks silly; probably against the user guidelines but still works with larger books.

Scanning is also a doddle because there’s a lift up lid which can arch slightly at the hinges to take thicker books. This works best with single sheets of paper, although magazine thickness books also produced good results. Thicker books also scan although a telltale black border often is shown due to the lid not forming a seal around the document (this is the case with almost all scanners and copiers).

Quality

The machine itself feels sturdy, but certainly not bulletproof. It’ll probably stand-up best in a house which takes care of their gadgets and wouldn’t be suited to oafs, heavy handed people or children which like to pull at things.

The prints on the other hand are fantastic quality. I tested it with some 6×4 glossy paper and the photos came out at well enough to be used; it certainly beats paying 39p down boots for a single print. Documents also stood up well with even the fast draft print option reading well, I did find that a good quality all in one paper worked wonders (but that’s just common sense).

Final Thoughts

So is Neil Wilson right? We’d have to say that he is. Over the years all in one printers have gotten smaller, smarter and cleverer. The Expression XP-102 was easy to setup and can produce colour snaps, A4 prints, documents and copies with ease. It wouldn’t suit a heavy workload and isn’t wireless but that’s what its bigger brothers are for and you also need to your own USB cable.

You can pick up the Epson XP-102 for £49.99 RRP, but like most things a good Google search can turn up some bargains, Amazon have it for cheaper for example.

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Epson Expression XP-102 All In One Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

I was intrigued to try it out, purely after reading the mixed reviews on Amazon.

What you get: Box Contents

- Cruzer 6 shaver unit

- 3-Day beard comb and protective cap

- twistable trimmer

- 2 pin cord charger

- charging stand

- cleaning brush

- trimmer oil

Setting Up and Using

The first thing you’ll need to do is charge the unit which is simply a case of popping the unit into it’s charging cradle and plugging it into a 110-250 volt outlet which is standard in Europe. If you’d rather charge it using mains power you will need to bring your own adapter. All in all this step was straightforward, although I found the stretchy cord a little too bouncy when the shaver wasn’t in the cradle which resulted in the empty dock levitating above my bathroom worktop.

The shaver is capable of cutting down to a baby smooth feel. It is used without either of the trimming attachments and performs well on most areas of the face. I used it both in and out of the shower and found good coverage on most areas of the face bar my neck which still required a ‘clean’ razor shave to get it looking neat and tidy.

The unit comes with two different trimming attachments; one for three day stubble and one which operates between 1.2mm and 6mm in length. The three day stubble attachment sets the trim height at 3mm and is by far the easiest one to use, maintaining an even length over the entire face (not neck though). The retractable feature on the second attachment is also easy to use, although I found it difficult to maintain an even length during my first attempt.

This is me before trimming. Note: a couple of weeks worth of untidy hair growth.

It’s probably worth noting that on my first attempt my beard was a good couple of weeks growth. The Cruzer seems to work best when maintaining a length, taking a couple of seconds to landscape the whole face rather (which is awesome in the shower) than the ten minutes it takes to manage a longer length beard.

After trimming. It looks neat and uniform although I did have to shave my neck with a Mach 3 as there were a few stragglers.

The precision trimmer is a handy addition if you like to create a neat line, or shapes in your beard. I didn’t really get into anything arty but found both the trimmer heads worked well. Anything over 5mm seemed to take a while to trim down though.

Final Thoughts

The Cruzer 6 is a great looking facial shaver, it comes complete with a great deal of accessories too. It works well when regularly used, but on longer growth cycles can struggle (it has inspired me to trim and  maintain every day in the shower now though). One glaring omission is that it doesn’t come with a case, which considering it’s portability seems a bit odd.

On the whole I found the Cruzer 6 face a solid piece of kit for general trimming, tidying and shaving. I still believe that wet shaves are king, but whilst in a hurry or travelling this is handy thing to own. It has an RRP of £69.99 but can be found for half that at many stores such as Amazon.

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Braun Cruzer 6 Face Trimmer Review is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos

At first glance it appears to be just your run of the mill pen, until you unscrew it and see it uses standard ink cartridges. You pop one in (one supplied) and within a few seconds can be writing using the style of writing that usually comes with a sharp nibbed fountain pen.

The Differences

The pen uses a rollerball similar to the pens you are used to but the ink within is thinner which means you get a fountain pen style without all the rigmarole of holding the pen at the correct angle.

Ian Jeffery, CEO of Studio Pens explains: “If you found it hard to write with a fountain pen – breaking the nib, learning which angle to hold the pen as to make the ink flow and so forth – the FountainBall could be for you”.

Using

You can use the FountainBall right out of the box; simply unscrew the barrel and pop in an ink cartridge and you are writing in seconds. I found it easy to use, with no smudges or ink drops (which for me happens a lot when using a traditional fountain pen).

Kelly was suitably impressed with the concept too; although we both felt the pen lacked a little finesse and felt plasticky. It just didn’t feel special like a fountain pen did but does write like one and is far more practical to refill than a traditional rollerball.

The price is similar to the equivalent Parker Pen, with an RRP of £18.99. But the consumables are much cheaper because you can use standard ink cartridges which are a few quid for fifty. Overall we’d say this is a good addition to your writing gadget arsenal if you like the appearance of calligraphic writing but want the versatility of a rollerball pen.

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FountainBall – a ballpoint pen that thinks it’s a Fountain Pen is a post from: Gadgets and gizmos