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Sony HX80 Compact Camera

1/9/2017

I bought this wee camera to complement my larger camera, that I seem to never have with me because its so heavy... Key points about this camera are that its small, but its got a whopping 30x optical zoom and a very clever OLED electronic viewfinder - which is a Godsend if you're using the camera in bright sunlight.

What I would say is DO NOT buy this UNLESS you want the combination of small camera/big zoom. It has a very small sensor, so ultimately the photo quality can be a bit disappointing despite the lenses. In fact I've reduced the photos it takes to 10 megapixels (instead of the 18MP default) as it seems pointless to have such a large image from such a small sensor.

Pros

Well Made
Brilliant Zoom
Optical viewfinder is very clever and useful.
Good battery life and easy charging via Micro-USB
The ability connect to a smartphone via wifi is brilliant, and easy once you've done it once.

Cons

Very small sensor (although thats the only way they can make it so small) with the resultant limit to what can be achieved with the photos.
Fiddly menu system with too many options.

Verdict - 4 out of 5

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Oneplus 3

26/6/2017

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I bought this new in October 2016 for £329, which is around the maximum I'll pay for a phone. I've used the phone constantly for 8 months before writing this review. In that time the 3T has come out (slightly bigger battery, slightly more powerful, otherwise identical) and then the 5 (almost identical, but faster again with better camera). These subsequent revisions though have pushed the price up above my budget.

The good :- battery life surprisingly good. I can enjoy a stock Android experience by resetting it to the Google Now Launcher. It is powerful and fast, light and thin, and I've not really had any problem with it. The Dash rapid-charging is great being able to fully charge the phone in 40 minutes.

The bad :- Its impossible to hold if its not in its case, its like a slippery eel. It shoots off seats, and even slips out of your hand if you're not careful. I invested in Oneplus's genuine case and also the glass screen protector - both were disastrous and I don't recommend either. The case didn't fully protect the screen, and the glass protector was impossible to put on. I got a cheap spigen case and it lives in that all the time. It is not waterproof.

Overall : 5 out of 5, recommended!

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Alpine CDE-W235BT Double Din Car Stereo with Parrot Bluetooth

2/10/2015

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I bought this a while ago to fit into my 2004 Volkswagen Bora (Golf Mk4). In 2015, I figured I no longer needed a cassette deck in my car (can't believe they fitted that in 2004 either!).

Installation was fairly straightforward, except the VW's non-standard wiring meant a wire had to be swapped to give it a permanent power feed (instructions online) and the aerial plug needs power supplied to it via an adaptor.

Why did I buy this model? Because it looks and works like a factory stereo. Big, clear buttons so you're not distracted from driving, and once you've used it a while you can operate it by touch without looking away from the road at all (try that with a modern touch-screen system!!).

FM reception - fairly poor, despite the powered aerial adaptor (its even worse without it)
AM reception - fine
CD - haven't used it!
Bluetooth functions - superb - both for phonecalls and music.
Sound qualty - really great - especially through the upgraded 8 speakers my car already has.
Usability - superb

Overall - 5 out of 5.

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Sony Experia Z2

21/6/2015

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I bought this to replace a Nexus 5 that I'd just dropped and smashed. My priorities were battery life and camera, both of which the Z2 excels at, especially compared to my old Nexus 5. It is not a flagship phone as I buy it for £299 at Argos (contract free, unlocked) but it is still competitive, especially the 21mp camera.

After just a couple of days, battery life is exceptional - about twice as good as the Nexus 5 - and I've had no other problems with it. The construction quality is impeccable.

I'll update this in a couple of months!

5 out of 5.

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Lumo Lift Posture & Activity Coach

11/4/2015

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After reading the review in The Guardian, I thought this is just the thing for me! I like gadgets, I have terrible posture, and to have something remind me to stop slumping, would be fantastic! So I ordered it.

So it arrived. Its quite clever, you put the discreet magnet on the front of your shirt, then the Lumo Lift itself goes inside. Magnets are available in different colours to blend into your clothes (you'll want this to stop people constantly asking what it is!). It works on its own, up to a point, but really you need the matching app on your Smartphone for it.

And thats where I hit the problem. There is no app for the most popular smartphone platform in the world (Android). I was stumped. I hadn't come across this before. It was iPhone only. Surely they would come out with one soon though? Months passed by, but still no app. So I gave up waiting and sold it for a loss on eBay.

Its my fault for not checking first, but really why on earth did they launch a gadget that didn't support Android?

1 out of 5.

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Google Nexus Wireless Charger

30/3/2015

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I bought this second hand on eBay, and have teamed it up with my beloved Nexus 5. Its a brilliant thing! You just put the phone on top of it, feel the magnets position it in the right spot, and it makes a sound effect so you know its charging, and thats it! No messing about with wires. I've also got the LG QuickCover for my phone, which is compatible with the wireless charger, so I don't even need to remove it from the case to charge.

There's a second advantage, if you unplug the mini-usb cable from the wireless charger itself, and plug it straight into the phone, you get a turbo charger that charges at about 1600 amps instead of about 700 amps. Like that, the phone will charge fully from empty in about an hour. It is also exactly the same as the separately available official Nexus Charging Accessory.

Highly recommended - 5 out of 5

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Google Chromecast

28/3/2015

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I got a Google Chromecast when it was launched in the UK in March 2014. At the time I was using both a Nexus 4 and a Nexus 7 - both 'Pure Google' products, so I thought there would be no problems.

It worked within minutes of unboxing, even with my 2007 TV. A lovely crisp full-HD picture, and BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Netflix all seemed to work fine.

The problems started when you actually just wanted to relax, and use it to watch a movie or TV show. If you need to pause it quickly - e.g. if there's a knock at the door, or the phone rings, it invariably would be unstoppable! The smartphone or tablet App would have forgotten it was casting a show, and there would be no way to stop it. So you'd have to unplug it from the TV! At this point you'd discover that it was burning hot to touch... so I gave up, I couldn't be bothered with the hassle. I have 3 ways to put online shows on my TV anyway (laptop via hdmi, xbox 360 or YouView box) so it wasn't worth the hassle.

Its now a year later, and I believe it can work with some sort of remote now, so I may revisit it again.

1 Mark out of 5

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LG Google Nexus 5 Smartphone

19/1/2015

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Having been so delighted with the Nexus 4, I ordered a Nexus 5 from the Google Play store on the day it was launched. When launched it was a massively powerful phone, and at £340 for the 32GB model, competed head-on with the Apple iPhone 5S which was nearly double the price (£630) and exceeds it in most respects.

After the Nexus 4, the big bright 1080p screen was a dramatic improvement, and it certainly felt quicker, but it also feels cheaper after the lovely glass body of the 4, and I certainly wouldn't want a phone any bigger than this. Battery life remained disappointing although the Lollipop Android update in late 2014 improved this.

The official LG Quickcover transformed the phone. If you get one of these, you can change the screen timeout to 2 minutes or more, because when you flip it shut/open it controls the screen, which is very handy indeed. It also works with the handy wireless charger.

Update June 2015 : The phone remained fast until the end, despite approaching 2 years old. The end you say? Yes, I dropped it while getting out of the car. Just about 2 feet, but it was enough to smash the super-fragile screen. The battery life had also become fairly appalling by this point. This fragility, and the poor battery life, has reduced its score.

3.5 marks out of 5

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Netgear N600 Router (WNDR3700v2)

18/1/2015

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Bought 2nd hand on eBay, this is connected to my BT Plusnet "Up to 80 mb" service, and gives me very nearly that speed.

It successfully competes with umpteem other wireless networks in close proximity, and is wired up, via a switch, to my xbox 360, my youview box, my PC, printer and NAS. The Android Apps for the router are excellent too.

5 out of 5

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XBox 360 (both of them...)

18/1/2015

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My first white 20GB Xbox lasted a couple of years before dying with the dreaded 'Red Ring of Death' but I'd been enjoying it so it was replaced in 2012 with a 120GB model - the newer black, quieter model. This is still working OK in 2015.
Used initially mainly as a Windows Media Center extender, but also for Netflix, catch up TV, the odd game, and the brilliant on-demand Xbox Movie rental.
At the time of writing (January 2015) I have no desire for an Xbox One, because I'm not sure what it can offer me that the 360 doesn't already do...

5 out of 5

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Sony HX80 Compact Camera

Oneplus 3

Alpine CDE-W235BT Double Din Car Stereo with Parrot Bluetooth

Sony Experia Z2

Lumo Lift Posture & Activity Coach

Google Nexus Wireless Charger

Google Chromecast

LG Google Nexus 5 Smartphone

Netgear N600 Router (WNDR3700v2)

XBox 360 (both of them...)

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