The Review Smiths - Issue 30 - Xmas Special

Review Smiths

Well, I certainly talked it up last month, we have had snow and ice the last few weeks, it looks like a proper Dickensian dream outside!

So, heres the last mag of the year, we are on the home run to Christmas and the new year, don't panic if you haven't got all your shopping done, you are not alone and we have some last minute ideas waiting for you inside these pages.

We also have our usual reviews of great products from all different areas. Our favourites this month include a way to bring the garden indoors and also to keep warm outside. We have a load of headphones, tech for your car, office, kitchen and home security. plenty to get you started on for your next project in 2023. Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting us throughout this year, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a brilliant new year.

Editor and chief

For all media related enquiries please contact us at info@thereviewsmiths.com For Advertising Enquiries 0208 191 8472 www.thereviewsmiths.com

clIck aND GrOw smarT GarDeN 3

Now we are deep into winter we only seem to get about 15mins of decent daylight a day (I might be slightly overreacting here but only just), this might make the idea of growing house plants seem like something that has to wait until the Spring, wrong!

The Click and Grow Smart Garden lets you grow a wide range of plants from the fragrant beauties to the delicious even in the darkest corners of your home all year round. The latest version, the Smart Garden 3, come is three colours, white, grey and beige and arrives with three complimentary soil pods with basil seeds to get you started, it has a threepod capacity, and you can mix and match these to your hearts content.

These little plant pods are so easy to set up, simply insert the pods (they come in biodegradable pots and contain no harmful chemicals) then add the water to the 1.2l water tank. This is enough water for up to three weeks’ worth drink for your new plant babies. Then it’s just a case of plugging it in, we are aware that every penny counts so it’s good to know the LED lighting system is energy efficient and only consumes 3.8kWh of power a month, that’s about £1.30, cheaper than one fresh basil plant from the supermarket.

The Smart Garden 3 uses two lamp extension arms so the lamp can grow with your plants, all the nutrients are already in the soil and the light and water are automatically controlled, the only way you can go wrong is by unplugging it and forgetting about it.

The are more than 75 different organic and pesticide free plant varieties to choose from (or you can use your own seeds) including tomatoes, strawberries, salads, lavender, calming tea, catnip, busy lizzies and petunias. If previously your windowsills have become a house plant graveyard the Smart Garden 3 is for you, you really cannot go wrong.

The Tula Mic is basically a combined microphone/ recorder. It has minimal controls and a fantastic retro look to it that kind of make you want to go and be in a 50’s Sci-fi B-Movie, which is all part of the charm of this compact little device of course! Thankfully, the technology isn’t from the 50’s and the Tula Mic boasts an 8GB storage space, up to 12 hours of battery life and a noise reduction algorithm from those folks over at Klevgrand so that you can cut out all that unwanted background interference.

As well as the tech inside the Tula Mic, the controls on the outside are really easy to use. The playback functions are all on one side and are the usual standard symbols you would expect so no confusion there and you can listen to whatever you’ve recorded via the universal 3.5mm jack when you plug some headphones in (the Tula Mic has no speaker). The jack also doubles up as an input for a lav

Tula mIc

Mic so that you can just pop the Tula Mic in your pocket and make it less intrusive when needed. As you may have expected, there is also USB-C connectivity so you can easily plug it in to your computer or mobile phone to access those sound recordings. Speaking of which, they are stored in WAV format which makes them easy to edit. Surprising that there is no editing software available when you purchase the mic as seems to be common with so much tech these days but editing suites are easily available.

As for the recording aspect, there are two modes –one that records 360 degree and one where you speak straight in to the grill, so perfect for a group recording or solo work, especially with that noise reduction software!

OppO eNcOre free 2

Ear buds. Everywhere nowadays. Being an old fuddy duddy, it reminds me of being back in childhood when Walkmans were everywhere and everyone had headsets on. Exactly the same thing happening nowadays really but my-oh-my, haven’t things moved on!

The Encore Free 2 is wireless of course and connects via Bluetooth. Pretty standard these days. So, what have they done to make these stand out from the opposition? Well, the main thing is the noise reduction technology built in. The algorithm compensates the audio coming through for the sensitivity of your ears by running you through a series of beeps of various sound levels. You keep clicking if you can hear them until it finds the right level for you and it can cut out up to 42 dB’s of background noise (equivalent to a lawnmower or a vacuum cleaner so you can ease the monotony of chores at least!). Obviously, you’ll need to pair

up with your phone to do this but the good news is, the buds automatically start looking for that Bluetooth connection as soon as you open the case.

As for comfort, they fit pretty snuggly and are also IP54 rated for dust and water resistance so you can use them with confidence if working out or doing DIY. Battery life is pretty good with 4 hours when the Noise Cancellation (NC) is switched on and 6.5 hours if you leave it off. If connected to the charging case, you can get up to 30 hours without NC, helping to keep your electricity consumption low. But my favourite feature is the fact that when you take the buds out of your ear, the music stops! Brilliant, I don’t even have to fiddle with my phone when I’m done, just put them back in the charging case and I’m all good to go for the next time.

Been a while since I’ve been on a plane but even then I recall hand luggage being a combination of a bag hastily stuffed with things that weren’t allowed in your main luggage and essentials you might need on the flight such as a decent book, ear plugs and your own headphones. And a change of clothes. Just in case your main case goes missing on arrival…

The Horizn M5 has been designed for those who make regular flights and have business trips away (and people like me who find it hard to do anything but just chuck stuff in). It comes with a Smart Charger (10,000 mAh) that has been certified for use on all airlines and has 2 USB ports as well as a 1m USB cable. You also get a Premium Laundry Bag that tucks away nicely and is made from water-repellent nylon (the same stuff as on the lining of the case). To further help, there are 2 mesh screens that compartmentalise your luggage which are dual-zippered and, to top it off inside, there is an adjustable compression pad to keep your belongings tightly packed.

Unsurprisingly, just as much thought has gone in to the outside. The shell is made from aero-space grade polycarbonate which is as tough and durable as you would expect, as well as being lightweight. The whole case weighs in at 3.8Kg, leaving you with 6.2 to play with for most airlines and its dimensions fit the majority of airline limits. It also has a TSA-approved lock on the main compartment ensuring your personal items should stay personal. A laptopsized pocket on the outside tops it off as far as convenience is concerned. Finally, the whole thing is completely veganfriendly and the production process is 99% waste-free. You shouldn’t need to buy another hand luggage case again.

For more information on the Horizn M5 click here

well

THOuGHT Ou T a ND eNGIN eereD. p r Icey bu T w Ill lasT as lONG as yOu N eeD IT TO.

No idea about you guys but, secreted around the home here and there are ‘important’ documents that, if I’m being totally honest, stopped being important probably over a decade ago. Time to clear out and get rid! Yet there’s always that fear of throwing something in the bin or recycling that an unfriendly individual could take advantage of isn’t there? Data protection is such an important part of our lives now that something like a home shredder is actually a sensible purchase for us regular people and not just the purview of offices at home or businesses.

The Powershred LX70 is a cross-shredder so cuts up your papers in to smaller chunks than a traditional strip shredder, greatly increasing the security aspect of this shredder. The bin has an 18 Litre capacity – a decent size for a home shredder. Makes it mildly less annoying when shredding large amounts of paper, having to constantly empty the bin mid-way through and interrupting the incredibly satisfying feeding of documents to this little beast. I say beast but actually, that’s another great thing about this – it runs fairly quietly, more of a cuddly creepy-crawly than a beast! And aesthetically, it’s unobtrusive and will sit quite happily minding its own business out of the way somewhere.

This is my favourite part though. This thing can also shred paper clips, staples and credit cards with no fuss. How massive is that? No need to spend forever pulling out staples or removing paper clips before shredding and this is way more effective than just snipping the corner off an old credit/debit card. And it hasn’t jammed once yet, just make sure to keep it oiled. Finally, it has a safety lock built in so that when that inquisitive child wonders if your passport can be shredded, they’ll just have to keep wondering!

The thing with mobile gaming is the (usually) massive drain on your battery. Do you push for that one final game when at 6% or do you send that crucial text to your significant other, letting them know you’ve not disappeared off the edge of the world and are just running late? You know you’re going to play that game, just as surely as you know the battery will go flat halfway through a match! The point of this? This controller has wireless charging so now you have no excuse for not sending that text message! After the game of course…

This controller is X-Box licenced and, with Gamepass Ultimate on your mobile you can play all sorts of games using this controller with an air of familiarity and a level of control you most likely don’t have with the mobile device on its own. It can fit up to a 7.13“ long device (The only mobile I could find where this would be too small was the Galaxy Z Fold so it should be good to fit whatever you have as long as it’s not one of those), has 2 mappable buttons to aid in your gaming and is compatible with Android and Windows 10/11 games. A word of warning – it may look like an Xbox controller and feel like one but it’s not compatible with Xbox on its own. One thing that does stand out for me with this particular controller however is that it comes with a little stand for your mobile device so you can actually ‘squash’ the controller down in to a normal size and play as if you had your own little desktop screen! And this means you can play on larger screens such as tablets in this mode. Fantastic if you prefer your screen a little larger.

It’s that time of year again. The colder nights are well and truly drawing in and that patio you got installed for the Summer? Forget it. Covered in leaves and all manner of detritus, what use is it now? Especially as the temperature is now dropping and nobody wants to be outside in the cold. What to do, what to do…

Well, (short of turning up the central heating to max and flinging the patio doors open -doesn’t work by the way, trust me!) there’s not many better ways of heating up that outside space than with a patio heater. This one from Devola has a decent height, standing at 130 cm tall, just right for people-sitting-down-in-chairs size which is far more likely what your guests will be doing this time of year! The base is a good weight ensuring it needs a strong wind to even stand a chance of knocking this down so it shouldn’t be an issue in most cases, just make sure you store it inside somewhere when not in use. Saying that it’s also rated at IP65, meaning it can handle being left out in light rain for a bit so don’t panic too much if that bad weather appears out of nowhere.

The heat itself is adjustable with 3 different power outputs, 650, 1300 and 2000 Watts and a remote control so you don’t even have to get up to change it to whatever is most suitable for your environment. And to help out those who are forgetful, you can set the timer to switch the heater off but only in hourly increments up to a maximum of 9 hours. A standard plug socket is enough for this and the cable is 1.8 metres long, hopefully enough to get it where you need it outside.

English is the third most spoken language in the world, however, you can almost guarantee the person you stop to ask for directions on holiday doesn’t understand a word, phrase books are great but only if you want to ask where the library is. The Pocketalk Translator is a dedicated translator with its own built in 2-year cellular data plan that provides coverage in over 130 countries/regions, this means you don’t need to worry if your mobile doesn’t work abroad and risk incurring roaming fees. It also means you don’t have to whip out an expensive smart phone in public where potential thieves might be eyeing it up, from a distance it looks like a basic cheap telephone. Basic and cheap it certainly is not, there are two main functions to the translator voice translation and image translation. The Pocketalk can translate 82 different languages by using the best translation engines around the world making it recognise local dialect and slang, this device can translate 61 voice bilaterally (the sentence is read out in the chosen language), 21 voice-to-text bilaterally (the sentence is written on the screen), and up to 37 more obscure languages voice-to-text unilaterally to help you muddle through. The built in camera can be used to take a photo of a sign or a menu for example and it can translate what is written in 55 languages, it will automatically register the language so you don’t need to select it before taking the picture which is handy if you have no idea what language it is written in. The Pocketalk is super intuitive, just follow the on-screen prompts when setting up, then simply select the language you speak and the language you want to translate it into. Press and hold the large button at the front of the device and speak into the device, the noisecancelling microphone does a good job at picking out

your voice in a noisy room. When you release the button, your phrase will automatically be read out or displayed on the screen, or you can type your phase if needed although the small touch screen keyboard isn’t easy in larger hands. The large screen is bright and clear allowing you to easily show the person you are with, designed for conversations you can speak naturally in full sentences and it can handle up to 30 seconds of speaking per translation. A conversation with someone will always be slightly stilted but it beats attempting mime or sitting in silence. After the two years of complimentary global data is up you can renew the SIM for $50 for another year or you can connect to Wifi or a hot spot to continue using it. The Pocketalk will store up to 10,000 translations letting you scroll through the most popular, “two beers please” for example and tap it to have it read out again. When testing the Pocketalk out it handled some surprisingly odd sentences with ease, it managed “I want my snake hat back” in Lithuanian, Japanese and Spanish but when I tried “make the Vikings leave my socks alone” it came back “so please see the Vikings to measure my socks weather”. The awkward thing is you will have no idea what you have said so if you receive an offended look it might be worth running it through google translate on your phone to avoid a difficult situation. So, why use the Pocketalk instead of your mobile phone? it’s cheaper to replace than most smartphones if it goes walk about and it doesn’t hold your valuable data, it is also so simple to use, it works in 130 countries, it won’t drain your phones battery and believe it or not, not everyone owns a smartphone.

You would think a metal wallet would be an unwelcome addition to your pocket wouldn’t you? All those straight edges and it must be massive right? Well, this isn’t a wallet how you may think of it, it’s more of a card holder really. Given that most store transactions are carried out with card payments these days and physical cash is becoming less and less common (especially since they increased the contactless payment limit to £100), it actually has more appeal than it would have done say 3-4 years ago.

It can store up to 12 cards, although if you have lots of raised characters on your cards that will bulk it out some and you’re obviously going to fit less than that in but who has that many cards that they actually use?! The shell of the wallet is made from thick aerospace aluminium and is pretty tough so it’s going to last a long time (comes with a lifetime warranty) It’s not just any old metal however: it’s been designed to block RFID (Radio Frequency Identification – the technology they use to remotely read your card details) signals so you can walk around safe in the knowledge you’re not going to have your personal information stolen as a result.

The Axwell Wallet fits nicely in your pocket, taking up far less room than a traditional, material wallet and also has mag-locks to keep it sealed (and if you’re worried about magnets damaging your cards, most of them don’t have magnetic strips on them any more and those that do would require a much stronger magnet than this has to affect them). Finally it comes with a strap and a cash clip for your notes and the cover plates are interchangeable so you can customise it to your taste.

IsOTuNes free 2.0

As with most things, when it comes to earbuds you get what you pay for. Elsewhere in this issue, I’ve reviewed a set suitable for the lower end of the price scale. The Isotunes Free 2.0 are mid-high as far as cost goes but you can tell the difference straight away. Building on the success of the original Isotunes Free, they have improved the NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) up to 25 meaning it can cut out up to 25 dB’s of noise (equivalent to quiet background noise).

Although this is not Noise Cancellation that many new buds have these days, you could be forgiven for thinking this isn’t much but it does actually make a difference, especially when comparing to lower end ear buds. Just don’t be expecting it to help in particularly loud environments.

As you may expect from Isotunes, the tech is as good as you are entitled to think it should be. The sound quality is as good as it was on the originals and they have made use of their Safemax technology to ensure no damage to your hearing, no matter how loud you have it apparently. Personally, I didn’t want to field test this for a long period of time! Got to look after my hearing these days don’t you know? The microphone has noise suppression and echo cancellation properties so you’re able to have conversations in a relatively loud environment and still be heard well. It relies on Bluetooth 5.2 for its connection which, although not the most up-to-date does exactly what it needs to do.

The battery life is pretty good with up to 7 hours use while the charging case is good for 2 recharges, giving you nearly 3 days of average working hours before needing to charge the case up again.

rObOrOck s7+

Remember the show Tomorrows World? They led us to believe that by now we would have robots doing all our household chores and we could just kick back with a G&T, well we are not quite at that stage yet, but we can make a start with our floors. The Roborock S7+ is a two in one robot that can both vacuum and mop your floor, unlike other hybrid cleaners it can tell between the hard floors and textile areas, so it won’t soak your carpets and rugs. This clever piece of tech will automatically detect when it’s on fabric and physically lift the mop element out of the way, it will also do this when it has finished cleaning to avoid spreading dirt around the house. The integrated tank holds up to 300ml which goes a surprising long way, up to 200 sqm in fact, the 600g mop pressure and VibraRise sonic vibration technology scrubs your floors up to 3,000 times per minute. The 470ml dustbin stores dirt day-after-day, when its finished cleaning and has returned to the dock it automatically empties into the 3lt dust bag stored inside the unit, this means the S7+ can potentially go up to 120 days without emptying. The vacuum uses 2500PA HyperForce suction and is powered via the 5200mAh Li-ion battery that will last for up to 3-hours on a single charge, the multi-directional floating brush keeps the brush closer to the ground for a deeper clean whilst the all-new rubber brush is more durable. The S7+ moves around your home using LiDAR Navigation,

the onboard maps are accurate and use Adaptive Route Algorithms to work out the best and fastest routes for cleaning. The Multi-Level Mapping can automatically recognize up to four levels making it easy to move around upstairs and downstairs, unfortunately it cannot navigate the stairs itself…yet.

The app can be used to see where the robot has been, set cleaning schedules, adjust suction power, vibration strength, water flow, cleaning sequencing, you can set No-Go Zones, create invisible walls and control it directly via the remote. With its hefty price tag, we were expecting big things from this cleaner and it delivered, apart from a few niggles, the dock is BIG and not pretty making it difficult to tuck it away discretely. The mop can only use water which means you miss out on being able to refresh your floors with a cleaning solution or disinfectants, the vacuum isn’t the quietest when on the carpets, but I will let this one slide as it does provide decent suction, saying that it will leave some pet hair behind but even the big, corded vacuums struggle with ground in pet hair. The S7+ is a high performing hybrid, the mop element is impressive and does a solid job even on irregular floor levels, the vacuum is equally powerful, it won’t replace giving your carpets a deep clean every so often but will easily keep on top of most daily dirt, making it a good choice for busy homes.

p rOs mOp au TO l I f Ts ON carpeTs au TO -empT y DOck s ONIc mOp v I braTION I mpressI ve suc TION

l I Dar Nav IG aTION w ITH mulTI-level m appING cHIlD lOck

wOrks w ITH a le X a a ND G OOGle HOme fu Nc TIONal app cONs ca N ’ T be useD w ITH clea NING sOlu TIONs DOck Is larG e NOT TH e qu I eT esT

When it comes to quality tools you know you are in safe hands with Dewalt and the 305mm Mitre Saw is no exception, this heavy duty saw comes with a dust bag, blade spanner, high quality 60 tooth blade and a material clamp. It uses electronic speed control to allow for precise adjustment of cutting speed when cutting materials other than wood, it can be used with both small profiles and large construction timbers of up to 110 x 303 mm. It is highly durable ensuring lifelong use and will deliver long term accuracy with table and fence design, it has easy to use mitre and bevel controls making it fast and straightforward to change from one set up to another. The cam action mitre lock function makes mitre setting faster to adjust angles between 0° - 50° left and 0° - 60° right, the compact and lightweight design gives you big saw energy whilst making it easy to transport. The XPS Shadow line cut indicator provides ensures consistent alignment of the blade and illuminates the work piece, the new quick release bevel stop setting provides accurate and simple setting of bevel angles up to 49° left and right. The grooving stop allows the adjustment of the cutting depth for grooving and rebating applications, the linear horizontal rails use bronze guides for maximum precision when cutting materials up to 345 mm wide, the dust is well controlled and sent away from the cutting area keeping things clean and visible. The large dual sliding fence gives maximum support in large material cuts at any angle or combination of angles, the speed can be adjusted with five different settings to choose from. This Mitre Saw makes light work of tough jobs, it is easy to move around to different work sites, this is a tool you will be able to rely on for years to come.

rOaD aNGel raX-621bT

I love how they call this a car stereo! My idea of a car stereo is an old tape deck thing with radio (that sometimes worked if you were lucky!) wedged in to a little red Fiesta. If it was a posh car, you got a CD player instead of a tape player… This thing is so much more advanced than one of those things, it’s more like a ‘Driving Assist Technology Asset’ (see what I did there?) than a stereo in all honesty.

Firstly, it links up with your phone, allowing you to pretty much use whatever you have on your phone via the touchscreen including taking hands free calls, playing audiobooks and of course, listening to music. It’s worth noting however, that only music playing and calls can be managed via Bluetooth. For everything else, you’ll need to ensure the phone is plugged in via the USB portal. This also means, even though this is compatible with them, there’s no wireless play for iPhones so be warned! It has a decent sized screen at 7” and relies on the same kind of technology as your mobile for the touchscreen so it’s quite sensitive and responsive to your touch, leaving you to do the minimum on the screen so you can focus on your driving.

This unit is also compatible with reversing cameras and steering wheel controls but you will have to buy these separately of course and won’t be able to take advantage of the Parking Assist until you do. To get all the bells and whistles you end up paying quite a bit… A final word for the installation: unless you know what you’re doing, you’re going to have to pay someone to install it for you! This is not an easy one to wire up for the average car owner.

vasque breeze aT

Many, many moons ago, when I were a lad, I went on Youth Hostel walking holidays in the summer hols with my school. The first time I went I, in my youthful disregard for anything an adult told me, brought my favourite trainers to do the walking in. You can guess how that went. So, the next time I went, I bought some proper walking shoes and didn’t break them in prior to going… Think I’ve still got the blisters from that one.

This was all due to the fact that walking shoes looked horrible to my teenage sense of fashion of course. Well, footwear tech has come on in leaps and bounds since then and these shoes are what I wish I’d have had back then. They have been designed with comfort and lightness in mind and a good bit of ruggedness thrown in for good measure! The collar (the bit that regular shoes are missing and covers your ankle) is made out of a light-weight

material with a design that retains flexibility so that you are both protected and find them comfortable to walk in. The rubber soles are designed with durability and cushioning firmly in mind and are also quite grippy, giving you a decent purchase in most terrain. They’ve also made sure the rubber on the heels and toes extends quite a way in to the middle, further increasing the dependability of these shoes. They’re also water resistant, as you may expect.

Despite having an adult child and having gone through the whole teenage thing with clothing from the parents’ perspective, I really don’t know if today’s teenagers would be happy with how these look but they definitely look better than the options I had and they are definitely better designed and better built than they used to be!

£64.99

Sustainability. It’s everywhere these days (quite rightly so!) and the average consumer is gradually being swung towards avoiding disposable items in favour of making repairs to damaged ones and re-purposing those that are no longer fit for purpose. However, with electronics these days, everything is sleeker and designed to not be opened by the consumer, leading to frustration when one breaks as you have no way of getting in there and usually have to pay an exorbitant amount for a specialist to fix it for you or buy brand new again. The Pro Tech Toolkit has been produced to allow us regular members of society to do exactly that and make you feel like a pro while you’re at it! Within this kit are tools that allow you to pry and poke, ones that open and others that grip. 64 bits are included, all made from S2 steel (shock resistant and generally considered the best type for making tools with) so no matter the screw type the manufacturer has decided to use, this kit has you covered. There are 3 types of tweezers, 3 types of spudger (tool for wedging things open with as little damage as possible) and a small suction handle for lifting those delicate screens out as well as other useful bits and bobs. This is all well and good but what use are these if I don’t know what to do anyway? The Ifixit site has a tag entitled ‘Fix Your Stuff’. If you click on that, you then get an option as to the type of device you are trying to repair. The rest is intuitive with pics and brand logos clearly laid out so you can find the exact device and problem you’re dealing with. That’s what makes this toolkit worth buying, it empowers you to be almost self-sufficient.

Lastminute Christmas shopping

baG s eT

A lovely idea for those who are bringing a little life into the world is this Hospital Bag Set, which includes the Core Restore Postpartum Band, box of bamboo nursing pads, the Smart Electric Breast Pump, 10 Breast Milk Storage Bags with adapter and 30 bags without, and a hospital bag checklist. This will give a loved one a good head start with getting organised for the big day.

Click here for more info

RRP £209

lOla & lykke

mum-TO -be- s eT

Here’s one for the mums to be, pregnant mumma’s have to sacrifice a lot at xmas, no booze, no good cheese, indigestion and exhaustion are just a few symptoms. This kit comes with a whole-leaf rooibos and peppermint tea to help relieve morning sickness as well as a hot/cold gel therapy pack that comes with the Pregnancy Core Relief Support Band that just gives mum a little extra support throughout the day.

Click here for more info

RRP £99

p u N kT mp02

One for those looking to take a step back from invasive tech in the new year, the MP02 is a minimalist phone with 4G that keep you in touch with phone calls and texting, plus internet access available to secondary devices via WiFi/Bluetooth/USB. The MP02 brick phone is unlocked and works all over the world.

Click here for more info

RRP £279

p u N kT ac 02

To help keep the phone out of the bedroom theres the classic AC02 alarm clock, with Japanese qwartz movement, it is battery operated so can come on your travels with you. It features an art deco design; it is protected by thick scratch-resistant glass has a solid aluminium body and a distinctive anodised finish. No need to blind yourself at night thanks to the glow in the dark luminescent hour points, clock hands and alarm time indicator and the white LED light ring with auto fade-out, don’t worry, there is a snooze function too.

Click here for more info

RRP £219

m IGHT y vI be

Sticking with our Low Tech we have the Mighty Vibe MP3, this tiny little device planner lets you stream music offline, take advantage of your Spotify Premium and Amazon Music and escape your phone at the same time. It is WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, works with both Bluetooth and wired headphones. With 5+ Hours of playback, 1000+ song storage, voiceover playlist navigation, drop and water-resistant body make it the perfect gift of music fans.

Click here for more info

RRP £109.99

s

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m G OODs m aG pOD

This clever device can be both a stand and handle for your MagSafe iPhone, giving you the perfect parking spot for your phone. Built with a magnetic disc that sits on top of a pivoting socket with collapsible mini-tripod legs, elevating your iPhone in those crowded, cluttered, wet and unclean areas allowing for the perfect shot.

Click here for more info

RRP $49.95

s T m G OODs m aG lOOp

This clever little loop is three tools in one, it can be swung-out as a kickstand, the soft-silicone finger loop adds stability when holding your phone perfect for the small hand big screen combination and to ensure you are never caught short there is even an integrated bottle opener, all this attaches magnetically to your iPhone’s MagSafe.

Click here for more info

RRP $29.95

Nerf DINO squa D

r e X- r ampaG e

Nerf just got even more mega it has teamed up with legendary dinosaurs and created the elite DinoSquad! This beast offers triple-dart action, breakopen loading by pushing the front horn on the dino's head the barrel then swings down to reveal the dart chamber inside. There's onboard 12-dart storage on the stock and comes with 12 Official Nerf Elite foam darts. Eyewear recommended (not included), no batteries required. Ages 8+.

Click here for more info

RRP £25.99

TOur b Oar D G ame

Here’s a new way to cause some arguments with family this Christmas, Travel World Tour board game lets you travel the world, discover and visit exciting travel destinations. Players buy destinations instead of properties, complete travel goals, and stamp the dry erase gameboard with their token stamper to win. Create memories with the Travel Journal cards that become part of the gameplay in future games and learn fun facts about locations whilst passive aggressively throwing money at your nanna.

Click here for more info

RRP £19.99

furreal cINNamON my

sT yl IsH pON y

Aw, sweet little Cinnamon is ready to make a new best friend this Christmas, she has over 80 sounds and reactions, can blink, move her ears, head and neck and will react when she’s fed and petted. She also loves a good groom, she has 26 styling accessories, including 4 shimmery horseshoes, a flower crown and 20 flower hair decorations for her bridle. Her apple accessory doubles as both a brush and a snack and at bedtime she will also play a little wind down song, the perfect pal. Ages 4+.

Click here for more info

RRP £59.99

lOll I pOp baby camera

We can’t recommend the Lollipop enough, not only will it give you peace of mind but will also be a window into some precious moments. It also offers sleep tracking, lullabies and white noise, photos and videos, two-way audio, crying and barrier crossing detection and is packed with an industry leading security cloud service. The ultra-clear image in both night vision and daytime makes it hard not to watch the little one whilst they sleep.

Click here for more info

RRP £121

GaTION wITH Gps, HD DasH cam

Dash-cams are rapidly becoming one of those things in driving life that are pretty much essential. Almost as essential as a Sat-Nav. But, having both just clutters up the dashboard and can potentially restrict your line of sight. If only there were a way to have both together…

Well, blow me down, that’s exactly what this does! Let’s start off with the Sat Nav part of this. Firstly, there’s the standard post code location search but also the ability to search for junctions and then plan your quickest or shortest route or one avoiding tolls for example. You can save up to 16 routes which should be plenty for the average driver and the speed camera locator helps to make sure you are aware of the speed limits specific to whatever you are driving (This comes at the price of £29.99 per year however). You also have a lane indicator function that shows up nice and large on the Hi-Res 5” screen, helping you to get in the right lane on time.

On to the Dashcam. It records continuously as you drive so you can be rest assured everything will be captured in case of an incident and with 1080P HD and a 130° field of view, anything necessary should be recorded in good detail. There is also a microphone to record inside the car so mind your words! If it gets to the end of its storage space, it automatically deletes older footage and you can download any footage to your PC using their Snooper Player which also has a map showing where you were travelling alongside the footage itself. You get an 8GB Micro SD Card included so you don’t need to worry about getting one and it comes with the obligatory windscreen bracket. All cables needed are included as is an in-car power supply.

var IDesk cube cOr N er 36

Now that we’re a little more aware of ergonomics and the importance of posture when it comes to repetitive tasks, more and more people are realising that the traditional desk and chair combo may not be the best for them after all. And, with working from home becoming more of a staple in todays day and age, it becomes even more important to make sure you’ve got the right set up for you.

The Cube Corner 36 (so named as it is designed to fit a standard sized cubicle in the corner) allows you to adjust the height of your working area without having to mess about with raisers or awkward manoeuvring of a desk. A lot of thought has gone in to the design of this desk aide and, not only is it really easy to adjust the height due to the spring assisted lift feature and air-lift piston (very handy for those who need to constantly adjust their work area),

there are 11 different height settings too. Control is easy as there is a lifting handle on either side of the desk unit and the spring assistance makes this a smooth transition. Due to the design, cables trail at the back of this and it’s designed to not catch them when being lowered so you can lower the desk again safe in the knowledge that you won’t be trapping anything.

You’re able to host 2 monitors on the upper level due to how roomy it is and the lower level has almost as much space so you’ll be able to set up your keyboard and mouse in whatever arrangement suits you best. Finally, the base is weighted and pretty solid despite a small base area, so you should have almost no wobble, even when at its maximum height.

era prOTecT OuTDOOr camera

Unlike other security cameras I have reviewed in the past, this one doesn’t suffer from either a very obvious cable that can be cut or a battery that could be taken out/disabled and so gets around the major problem that those kind of cameras suffer from. This one, short of spraying the camera lens with paint or literally destroying it gets around that by having the power cable go straight through the wall and in to the mains of your home, love it! But, to get this level of security, you’re either going to have to chase the wire through wall cavities or have a really obvious eye-sore on the inside. Ah well, can’t have it all!

From the camera point of view, it records in HD 1080p and has a motion sensor built in as well as night vision. The camera itself though is in a fixed position but it does have a 110° field of view – you’ll just need to make sure that where you set it up makes sense for a power source internally and the view externally. It’s also IP66 rated, the highest rating you can get so this camera shouldn’t stop working because of the weather. The app provided by ERA allows you to receive notifications and view the feed as it happens. There is a cloud storage facility for this device but you only get a 3 month free trial included and need to pay a monthly subscription after this of £9.99 in order to make further use of it.

For the initial outlay, this is not a bad camera. But, for the time and effort it inevitably takes to set up, lack of local storage and a pay-monthly subscription to access your recordings after the free trial I think there are other security cameras I would prefer to buy.

TH e subscr I pTION serv Ice fOr TH e clOu D sTOraG e Is

H aT leTs THIs secur IT y camera DOw N. a sH ame seeING

aarke carbONaTOr 3

There is perhaps one well-known brand that immediately springs to mind when you think of carbonation at home, but we encourage you to set that name to one side just for now and check out the stunning Aarke Carbonator 3. This striking carbonator is available in a range of attractive finishes including Copper and Gold, but we were lucky enough to receive the Hammertone, a special edition model that features a rugged, industrial finish. This design looks professional, it will look at home in a rustic, modern, minimalist décor as well as industrial settings. The main body is constructed from a seamless, stainlesssteel enclosure, it measures up at 414x153x258mm and a robust weight to it of 1680g. Everywhere you look you will find premium materials being used including the stainless-steel CNC-machined precision nozzle for a smooth and controlled spray beam, the internal safety valve system has had an overhaul to improve functionality. It is worth noting the Carbonator 3 does not come with a Gas Cylinder, a two pack can be added on during purchase for £60, they offer an exchange service with a free returns box (any 425g screw in cylinder is accepted), and you will

receive a £10 deposit refund (per cylinder). Each canister is filled with 100% renewable gas, and this will provide you with about 60L of sparkling water, the Aarke is also compatible with CO2 cylinders from Sodastream (except for Sodastream Quick Connect), AGA, Linde, and many other standard gas cylinders approved for use with sparkling water makers, with the exception of Australia and New Zealand. Included in the kit is the Carbonator 3, an 800ml BPA-free PET water bottle, stainless steel drip tray cover and Aarke cleaning cloth, it is easy to set up, simply fill your bottle up to the fill line and attach to the machine. Next just push the lever and hold until you hear a buzz, then release and unscrew the bottle from the machine and it’s ready to be enjoyed as it is or with additional flavourings added. The Carbonator 3 is clearly built to last and is easily the most stylish Carbonator we have come across, we loved the Hammertone design, the gas and extra bottles are initially pricey but its worth the investment for the premium quality and gas exchange program.

Photography is far more than just pointing and clicking these days, although arguably, it never really was when you want to get an actual good photograph. Nowadays, there are all sorts of editing tools for those digital photos we all take, all in an effort to recreate as closely as possible the actual image we remember when we pressed that button! This can be a slow process, especially if you don’t have a set colour/tone palette to draw from for each photo.

Despite all this technology, it still needs a push in the right direction. You frame the Spyder Checkr Photo in a picture with the same lighting and setting as you plan to use for your session, take the image in your camera’s RAW format and then use this picture in Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Camera RAW or Hasselblad Phocus to help calibrate all the colours in your images using the Spyder Checkr software provided to create an HSL preset to use for your shoot and across multiple camera systems. Suddenly, you have a simple way of unifying all those images and creating a far more professional looking set of pictures.

The Checkr itself is a bit larger than a decent sized mobile phone when closed so slips easily in to a camera bag or your pocket. The colour cards are made with 78% bamboo and so have high sustainability and recyclability. Given what it’s used for, the colour quality needs to be spot on and Datacolor have gone for an ultra-matte finish on the cards to ensure that there is little to no reflection to disrupt your images and have used high quality ink resulting in less colour deterioration over time increasing the longevity of the cards. There are 62 colour targets including 6 flesh tones and a 24-step grey scale giving you easy white/grey balancing.

spyDerX elITe

Who’d have thought Your monitor has been getting it wrong all this time? All that colour it shows in nice HD quality and the pictures you’re looking at don’t even look like that in real life! First and foremost, the SpyderX Elite is a monitor calibrator and a very good one at that. It adjusts the colours and tones coming out of your monitor to more accurately reflect whatever image is coming out of it. It knocks the socks off of its nearest competitors as far as speed is concerned taking about a minute and a quarter to do its thing making it the fastest one out there by far.

As well as the calibrating unit itself, you get the Spyder Checkr Photo (reviewed elsewhere in this issue) that is slim and fits easily in a camera bag. It includes 62 different colour and tone patches on 4 replaceable cards. The point of this is to set it up in the frame of the shoot for 1 picture. This image can then be used in either Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Camera RAW or Hasselblad Phocus to calibrate the colours of the photos you are working on. Included with the software is an all-in-one calibration control panel, calibration targets for motion work, soft-proofs work with print previews and it displays side-by-side matches for visual fine tuning. Another feature of the calibrator is that it also monitors the ambient light in your room and can be set up to adjust automatically for this, ensuring your own perception doesn’t adversely affect the finished product.

Finally, there is Softproof. This software shows you what your images will look like on other devices, such as tablets, using a preview function. Great for those that offer digital photos as part of their package (and who doesn’t these days?).

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ekO ImIra prO ulTra clear seNsOr mIrrOr

Once you get used to intense detail that a light up make up mirror provides you will not go back to using a regular mirror to get ready in the mornings. The iMira Pro Ultra Clear goes even further, with both 1x and 5x magnification which means there isn’t a single stray hair or rogue bit of make up that goes unnoticed. This free-standing bathroom mirror comes with three light settings that are easily adjustable via touch control, letting you get the best light for the time of day and your needs. The Natural light simulates natural sunlight, which is ideal for creating daytime looks, the Bright setting delivers a cool bright light for working on finer details and the Warm light helps you perfect an even look with warm indoor lighting. The 20cm mirror is double sided, with 1x magnification on one side and 5x magnification on the other, it just flips over within the frame of the mirror, so the light remains in the same position with the same setting. The lighting is 1100 lux and has a colour rending index (CRI) of 96, the brightness is also adjustable with a satisfying scroll up or down of the touch panel. There is a hand auto on/off sensor that detects when you are in front of the mirror, lighting up automatically as your face approaches and then turning off after 12 seconds of moving away. The mirror is rechargeable via USB, one charge will last up to four hours of continuous use or around 3-4 weeks of average daily use. The Pro Ultra Clear has a durable body with a fingerprint resistant finish, a surface friendly bottom that holds the mirror steady when you flip it over, the auto switch on is particularly useful when you have a hand full of brushes and makeup.

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ekO arOma seNsOr fOamING sOap DIspeNser

We already have a few automatic hand soap dispensers; they were a great thing to have during the peak of pandemic giving you and the rest of the family touch free access to soap with a wave of a hand. One of the downsides I found was the number of batteries these things got through, so it was great to find the Aroma Sensor Foaming Soap Dispenser from Eko has a built-in battery that is recharged via a USB cable (included). One charge will last about two weeks of average daily use, this compact device measures up at H18 x W7 x D12cm and has a sleek, stylish finish that looks good in both the bathroom and the kitchen. It can hold 250ml of soap and the handy transparent window lets you see the amount left, the Aroma Sensor dispenses foam soap instead of the usual liquid, the main benefit of this is that it uses smaller amounts of soap, and it is cheaper to refill. It would have been nice if a sample of foam soap was included with the dispenser to get you started but it doesn’t, meaning you can choose whatever brand and scent you prefer. Adjustable dispense settings let you increase the output from 0.8ml to 1.4ml up to 2ml, the motion sensor is fast to react and will deliver the soap in just 0.2 seconds. The touch open lid requires a firm press down before it pops up, making it easy to refill and more difficult for curious little hands to get into, the base has a grippy rubber surface to keep it firmly in place whilst the main body has a fingerprint resistant finish. The only downside however is when it is switched on there is a blue LED light that flashes every few seconds when it is in standby mode, it can be turned off completely but this sort of defeats the hands-free purpose, it just means it will be living in the downstairs loo instead of the ensuite. This attractive dispenser looks great and works well, the rechargeable battery is a nice touch, we just wish it wasn’t wasting energy on flashing lights and some soap could be included for the price.

I still can’t get my head around wireless charging. No cables, no connection and yet, somehow, this weird ‘sciency’ magic stuff happens when you put your device on something and bingo, it’s charging! I reckon Tesla would be jumping for joy that we’ve finally ‘got it’ if he could see this (actually, probably not, he wanted free energy for everybody but that’s a different conversation.)! Anyhow, I don’t need to know how it works, just that it does is good enough for me.

The actual charging platform on this device goes under the table (cunning!) so what you see on the surface is a sticker to simply outline the charging point. No more really obvious wireless charging points cluttering up your work surface. The pack comes with magnets to help you align the sticker and charger so you can ensure you put your phone or whatever in the right place. You can either stick the charger in place with adhesive tabs or screw it in for a more permanent fixture. You also get a spare sticker in the pack so if you are prone to re-arranging the home on a regular basis, you’re able to relocate at least once.

The Neatcharge only works when the item to be charged is placed within 34mm (about an inch and a third) so if you have a thick surface, have yourself a cheeky little measure first. Also bear in mind that if you have a case for your device, this will increase the distance from the charging unit itself. What’s the point of convenience if you have to do extra stuff like taking the phone out of its case to make the charger work? Definitely plan ahead! The other thing to be aware of is that this won’t work through metal but all other materials should be fine.

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HumaNscale NOva lIGHT

Most desk lamps I’ve had to deal with are those things with springs all over them combined with built-in finger removing capacity. Not to mention having to find that exact point where you get enough light to work by and the light bulb being just far enough way to avoid burning your skin… Then again, I’ve hardly kept up to date with the technology of lamps over the last few years and I am glad to say they have moved significantly on.

This thing looks slick. Its minimalistic design and counterbalance arms (can rotate up to 180°) with minimal external wiring makes it look quite inconspicuous and can easily be folded after use to take up minimal space on your desk top. The arms themselves are easy to manipulate (you can do this easily one handed) and stay in place quite well allowing you to get it just right and not worry about it for

the rest of your desk top session. The wide base means it generally stays put and doesn’t get pulled over easily when adjusting the arms.

As for the light itself, it’s composed of multiple LED lights than can throw out a decent amount of light at 440 Lumens when turned up to max but can be turned lower if needed. Even better though is the power usage at just 7 watts. Not only is this giving you the light you need, it’s doing so at a very cheap rate. To top it off, it automatically turns itself off if no movement is detected for a while and, when you turn it back on, it stays at the same level of light you had it on before you forgot to switch it off. The bulbs are also guaranteed to last at least 50,000 hours.

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In my previous job, I used to be ‘the guy’ that people came to for all their computer accessories such as keyboards and mice (mouses?). And, I can quite confidently say that most ergonomic mouses looked at worst bizarre and complicated to, at best, grossly oversized and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how they were meant to be better than a regular mouse. But, no-one seemed to complain so I guess they did what they needed to do. Or maybe it’s just they didn’t want to come back and tell me…

Humanscale have teamed up with Razer to come up with this ergonomic mouse with the focus firmly being on comfort. And it doesn’t look weird or ridiculously huge! It looks like a slightly fancier version of a normal mouse in all honesty. I ‘get’ how this works and it really is quite comfortable to use. The shape has been designed to fit in to your palm and has a 30° tilt to match how your wrist actually naturally falls when your arm is extended over a desk so you’re not holding it at an unnatural angle to use the mouse. This alone makes a massive difference and instantly felt more natural to use. The tilt also allows for a larger area for your thumb to be in when resting so you can avoid accidentally clicking the buttons, something I’ve been frustrated by on more than one occasion.

Moving on from the design, the optical sensor tracks movement at a rate of 16,000 DPI meaning you don’t have to move the mouse around loads to get the cursor moving, again reducing the amount of effort and strain on your wrist. The mouse buttons are good for 50 million clicks and the battery lasts for 400 hours.

With many of us still using video chat in our work and social lives having a decent webcam is a necessity, the Logitech Brio 500 is packed with features to make virtual interactions an enjoyable and productive experience. This webcam is full HD 1080p has with light correction, Show Mode and auto-framing, this requires Logi Tune, it is worth noting it is not available on Chrome OS, it is compact at 110w x 31.5d mm. The Auto Light Correction uses RightLight to automatically adjust to the environment, so you appear well-lit even in poor lighting, the Advanced Image Quality uses the 1080p resolution and AI-based face image for a crystal clear, so your personality comes across over the screen. The Auto-Framing is powered by RightSight and centres the camera on you, this means when you stand and move around it will follow you keeping you in shot during meetings, when it’s time for a bit of privacy simply rotate the integrated shutter to completely block the camera. The built-in mic has a range up to 1.22m provides noise reduced audio and it also enhances your voice, so you're heard clearly and not the washing machine or kids in the other room. The new Show Mode lets you tilt the camera down and present sketches, notes, or work in progress on your desk, the included mount has a micro-suction pad that secures the webcam to the back of your monitor, so you can make quick adjustments with one hand. The Logi Tune app provides additional features that let you to adjust the field of view, mute the microphone, adjust colour and image resolution, the camera can be set to 1080p/30fps (1920x1080 pixels) or 720p/60fps (1280x720 pixels). The Brio 500 is a good little camera, ideal for those who regularly work or socialise over video, the image is great, and the auto framing is great for anything active like work out classes.