eTeknix » Miscellaneous

Edimax WD-1000TR Wireless WHDI Caster Review

Chris Hadley — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:04:48 +0000

With the current trend of home users having large flat screen TVs mounted on their walls, or even having a ceiling mounted projector for that matter, most people start to find that a mass of cables coming down to their DVD players, games consoles & media centres etc is very unsightly. Edimax have created a solution to this problem with the WHDI caster, which removes the need to have an HDMI cable (or two) running up and down the wall.

The WD1000-TR is a very simple yet effective solution to this unassumingly simple problem, by having a transmitter that connects to the source and a receiver that can be mounted near to the TV or up next to a projector, eliminating the need for those unwanted cables. The WD1000-TR supports full HD resolutions as well as AC-3 & DTS audio streaming, and also boasts a less than 1ms latency for those gamers that would otherwise worry about any lag during play.

The WHDI Caster comes in a dark teal coloured box and on the front lists a brief run down of what its function is. Along the bottom, there is a highlight of devices that are supported, including games consoles, media players and projectors.

The back of the box shows us how the caster would be installed on both the transmitter and receiver ends. Below this is indicated which type of mains plug is included for use in different countries.

Paperwork wise, there is a multi language quick installation guide for setting up the system and this also comes on a CD with the user manual.

Alongside the transmitter and receiver, there are two power adaptors; one with mini USB and one with a DC jack, a small ~6″ HMDI cable, a longer length HDMI cable and a USB Y-cable for powering the transmitter directly off USB instead of the mains.

The transmitter is the smaller of the two parts that come in the box. This part is a simple plug and play half with no further setup required once connected (except for your desktop settings if using a computer). On the top is a power button which lights up blue when on and red in standby.

On the rear of the transmitter is an HDMI port for connecting the source device to and also a mini-USB for power, either by the mains plug or the included USB Y-cable.

The receiver unit is far larger in length and width to the transmitter, but this does contain more inside including the antenna and the graphics card to reproduce the image on screen. On the front are two buttons, one being the power and the other for bringing up the OSD with a quick press or for changing the channel (long press) if there is interference from other nearby devices.

On the rear of the receiver is an HDMI port, DC power jack and a mini-USB service port although this has no use to the end user.

On the rear of the receiver are two screw holes for mounting to a wall. This would be most beneficial where the receiving source is a wall mounted TV or a projector mounted on the ceiling.

Setup is a simple as connecting the transmitter to the source device (in our case a laptop for testing) and then connecting the other half to a TV or projector. As soon as the power is on, the receiver automatically searches for and locks onto the WHDI signal and that is it! No further setup is required. The only intervention that may be required on the receiver end is changing the receiving channel in the event that another device in the vicinity of the receiver is operating on the sane 5Ghz band is therefore potentially interfering with the signal. This would be noticed with either loss of sound or distortion in the image that is reproduced. There are not many tests as such than can be done with a device of this type, but to check how well things worked, I streamed an array of content from a colour enriched HD movie (in this case Toy Story 3) to a fast moving film, then playing Rock Band 3 (for any latency and decoding delay) and finally by streaming audio content across to look for any loss in audio quality.

Throughout all the testing it was hard to notice that the source was not directly connected to the TV at all, even by placing the transmitter further away to take into account different situations of setup showed no real difference. During game play where the milliseconds of latency can make a difference – especially in Rock Band – there was little to no difference in the experience had. To double check this, I re-calibrated my guitar with the TV a number of times with both the caster connected and without and the average difference between the two was a mere 2 milliseconds, oh so close to the <1ms latency that the WD1000-TR claims to offer.

The WHDI Caster worked very well upto its specified range of 10m after which the receiver was unable to locate a signal to lock onto. I did also note that having the transmitter in a neighbouring room did affect the signal, however in a real world scenario, the system is going to be setup in a way that this would not be an issue to most users.

So all in all, why would you want one of these devices? Surely its far easier to run a cable from point to point? Well in a nut shell yes it is, however, there are the situations where you don’t want to be running loads of cables up your wall to the TV and in an corporate environment for example its not necessarily practical to keep reaching up to a ceiling mounted projector to connect a laptop or other media device.

The Edimax WD-100TR is available for £111.56 which may seem a lot to some of us, but what we have to consider is that the other options that are available on the market vary from £100 right up to the £450 mark. For this reason we can safely say that the Edimax WD1000-TR is priced very competitively and its performance for this price in comparison to the competition is outstanding.

Arctic iPhone 4 Hard Case Review

Andy Ruffell — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:04:11 +0000

In this day and age, the majority of consumers have a smart phone of some shape or form. Whether it be the latest Android based phone, iOS device or even a Windows 7 smartphone. iOS devices such as the iPhone 3GS, 4 and now the latest 4S are some of the most expensive pieces of kit on the market, so as you can appreciate, protecting it in some way or another is a vital necessity.

Sure you can get insurance, but this generally involves a monthly fee and hefty excess when you make a claim. Instead of this, the other avenues that you can take is to protect it the best way you can by use of a screen protector and/or case.

When I purchased my iPhone 4, the first thing I did to it, once it had been taken out of the box, was to put a screen protector on and a case, and to this date, it still looks 100% brand new. The problem with a case is the many different types and designs. Do you choose one with a pretty pattern or do you go for plain? What about the material used? Do you go for a soft rubber-like case or a robust hard case? So many questions, and of course this is all going to come down to personal preference.

What we have today is the iPhone 4 hard case from Arctic, who believe they have something to offer in this tough market, and can give you the right protection when needed for your iPhone 4 in the form of a hard case.

The packaging is sleek and simple with a view of the case and features listed down one side. It also makes it clear that it’s compatible with the white iPhone 4, which is slightly thicker than the black variant. The packaging is the perfect example of what you’d see hanging in a phone shop, and I should know, I used to run one.

When you look at things a bit closer, the inside looks as though it’s made from tin, though it’s not and is actually a glossy-type material to comfortably sit against your iPhone 4. We can see all of the relevant spaces for the iPhone buttons and ports.

The material used on the outside of the case has an anti-slip coating which prevents accidental damage. When feeling the case, you can feel a slight rubberised texture to it, but feels comfortable to touch none the less.The case is made with a precision fit for iPhone 4 devices. The bottom of the case is cut out so that your speakers and dock connector port are freely accessible, whereas other cases on the market make this much more difficult than it has to be.

We can see the precision fit in action here, with space for the power button and 3.5mm audio jack port.

Even though the white iPhone 4 is 0.2mm thicker, the hard case from Arctic can still accommodate, whereas other cheaper ones found on the market and boot fairs don’t always line up properly.

Even the camera has room to breathe, and it’s added flash/light too, it just all seems to fit flawlessly, whereas other cases on the market sometimes have some slight design issues, we’ve yet to find one with this case and it has to be said for the build quality being second to none.

Whilst it is a thin material, it doesn’t feel flimsy and snugly fits over the iPhone and is actually quite difficult to remove once installed. Some may see this as a bad thing, but I’d rather have it difficult to remove than having it fall off at every opportunity.

This is an extremely tough market to crack, as with all mobile phone accessories but iPhone and Apple products are probably the most challenging.

This is because there are so many different types and styles of iPhone cases in the market, but each person has their own unique preference to how they want theirs to be including style, design and material used.

Personally, I was using a standard grey rubber soft case, but after getting familiar with how this hard case feels, it’s not replaced the soft case I had and will continue to stay where it is for the foreseeable future.

The design is flawless, as stated, I’ve seen similar products where certain aspects don’t line up correctly or are the wrong shape or size for the camera, whereas what we have here is perfect in terms of the size and shape of all the cut-outs including the volume, power button and camera.

Priced at $11.95 or €9.01 from Arctic directly, it’s certainly competative in terms of value for money, with some other rival cases being sold for at least double that but not having half of the build quality that we saw from this.

This goes to show that it really can be done cheaply whilst keeping the quality to a high level too, with things like an anti-slip coating and double-sided colour whereas some more expensive, mass-produced clones end up peeling, flaking and leaving you a bit disappointed to say the least.

It’s little things that give that extra to a product and one of the main ones is of course the build quality, couple all of that with the design, a good brand and if it’s priced well too, and if all boxes are ticked, then we can see it selling, and selling well too.

Choiix Wake Up Folio Protective iPad2 Smart Cover and Back Case Review

Andy Ruffell — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:42:21 +0000

Choiix are a brand who have appeared on eTeknix only a few times in the past, and that’s down to the fairly slow release of products, but that’s not a bad thing, as when they do release a product it’s generally been thought about extensively and researched fully and that’s why their catalogue has a very unique selection.

If you wasn’t aware, Choiix are a sub-brand of legendary chassis and power supply manufacturer; Cooler Master and focus on the gadget and portable market by offering some very unique products aimed at iPhones, iPads and much more and today sees us taking a look at one aimed at the iPad.

The Wake Up Folio comes in a see through enclosure perfect for seeing the various colours available. We happen to have the bright green version but other colours include white, grey, blue, orange, black and regrettably; pink.

The rear of the packaging shows the various ways that the product can act as a smart cover as well as a back case and how it can be used to accomodate your iPad to be suit your needs. The packaging also has the ability to be able to feel the Polyurethane surface by use of a cut out hole on the packaging.

The smart cover is indeed smart, as it features ridges along the surface from top to bottom which allow the devices to be folded and used as a stand, of which we’ll show you exactly how it can be used in this manner, as it’s certainly interesting to say the least. The smart cover is also very suited to the iPad as it locks the screen as you cover the iPad, and as soon as the cover is removed, the iPad screen comes back on again. Simply a great and well thought idea.

On the inside, the cover features a soft, carpet like material which protects both the rear and front of your iPad which is perfect to keep dirt and other foreign elements away, as well as protecting the screen and of course the rear from scratches without the need for a screen protector which can be more hassle than they are worth to even fit, let alone use once fitted.

The rear of the cover on this particular colour scheme includes a white plastic outer shell and includes the green slightly softer green textured material to give a non-slip surface when your device has been placed down.

The iPad sits perfectly within the case and clips into place into each corner. The mould has been perfectly made to accomodate the iPad 2 as shown in our picture and has no fear of the iPad coming loose at any time. The inside of the cover pulls over the front of your device to keep the screen protected.

The joy of the smart cover, is the fact that it really is exactly that, smart. It folds over several times to create a Toblerone style rest that the iPad can be used to lean against. This allows for the iPad to sit up slightly so that you can use your device from an angle that is more comforting to your position and of course your eyes.

The smart cover features a set of magnetic panels which keeps the design solid and in place and also allows for your iPad to strand up and rest along the bottom so that you have another choice of how you want your device to be angled to your particular style.

Personally I prefer this angle as it can be used to play movies and other video footage whilst I write articles, much like this one.

It’s a great idea and a fantastic concept and we love it purely because of several reasons. The fact that it uses a Polyurethane outer shell gives an upmarket feel to it and the internal microfiber lining is more than perfect for keeping your iPad 2 snug and protected.

The outer protective cover also uses solid strips to give that little bit extra added protection to the front of your iPad, as we all know, accidents can and do happen from time to time, so Choiix have thought about these situations instead of going fashion over form, and have somehow developed this with both in mind.

The choice of colours is a great selling point and has many to choose from no matter who you are. Speaking personally, I’m a big fan to the green that we received but certainly would be interested in the black or white versions as they feature a slightly different Eco-leather outer material opposed to Polyurethane, which could be interesting to say the least and possibly give a slightly more classier feel, not to say that the PU material isn’t ample for what its purpose is and still feels to be of great quality.

As we see more and more Choiix products being stocked all around the world, we can only assume that this particular cover/case will soon be more freely available to the market, though no RRP has been released to the UK as of yet, so we simply can’t comment on the value aspect of it.

Once again, talking for me personally, the Wake Up Folio would have to be priced under £30 to offer some kind of competative value, and though a lot may consider that to be expensive, you have to put it into perspective and take £8 screen protectors as a prime comparison example. iPad owners will appreciate that accessories to go with it, cost money, and that’s been the way with all Apple products, so you wouldn’t really expect any different to be honest.

Overall, it’s a great product that sets out to do what it’s meant to and that is simply to add protection to your complete iPad in terms of protecting the rear and front. As we can all appreciate, an iPad 2 is an expensive investment and wanting to keep it in pristine condition is something consumers care for.

If you can get that aspect of it sorted, whilst giving extra functionality with the stand up features of the Folio, then we seriously think this product will sell extremely well and will be welcomed by iPad 2 customers with open arms.

Luxa2 H4 iPad Holder Review

Andy Ruffell — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:11:39 +0000

After recently aquring an iPad, my first point of call was to get hold of some useful accessories and whilst number one was always going to be a screen protector, number two would be a case to keep things protected and number three was naturally going to be a stand that makes the iPad look cool on my desk, as i write this review.

Looking around at different brands and styles of stand, I instantly knew that it would be the Luxa2 range of holders and the H4 just screamed out with style and elegance.

The iPad holder has a brushed aluminium solid base which features a set of rubber strips on the bottom to protect the surface that it sits on, such as your desk.

Moving further up the base we find a small opening that allows your relevant iPad cables to be passed through for some sufficient cable management.

The cradle part that holds your iPad certainly has a unique design which can be rotated and tilted to suit the user to get the perfect angle for you. This is especially handy when watching media of any kind as it allows you to put the iPad into landscape mode for widescreen movies and by tilting back and forth, it allows you to get the right viewing angle for the best possible experience.

The cradle aspect has a black rubber base that cushions your iPad and provides extra protection to the metal surface of your tablet.

Each arm has a rubber peg at the end to prevent your iPad from being scratched and can also accommodate iPads that have protective cases around them as a lot of holders have difficulty in this area as they are made specifically for a certain size unit, though this isn’t the case with the H4.

Due to the way that the arms are spaced out, the relevant ports and buttons that the iPad includes on the side of the unit are still easily accessible.

The thing that we like more than anything else, is the hinged action that allows you to flips the complete unit over which is especially handy when playing games like Battleships or when you may be wanting to show a friend something. It also allows you to sit the unit flat so you can play other games like chess, where you can both see the action and what’s going on.

The main thing that stands out with the H4 is the sheer durability and how stable it feels. It sits proud on your desk and feels very solid and there is no fear of your iPad falling out, as even though the grip sensation doesn’t feel fantastic

Looking at the value side of things, at around £40, it’s not the cheapest accessory in the world but it is competitively priced compared to other iPad holders, such as the leather style case/holders or the normal desktop holders, much like this one.

The difference with this one from Luxa2 is that it seems to offer a lot more stability and a bigger sense of style too. Compared to other units on the market, it seems to just have that extra build quality and look much better with the brushed aluminium finish. Though a lot of people won’t be blown away by the creature like design of the cradle, we can’t help but admire it and that’s a winner in our books.

Storage Options 7″ Scroll Capacitive Multi-Touch Screen Tablet Review

Andy Ruffell — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:32:40 +0000

Before I start this, I will make it clear. I own an iPhone, and have always owned one and because of that fact, I’ve never had a chance to fully explore the world of Android, but I’ll be stepping into this with a fresh perspective and will try not to analyse the operating system to much but focus more on the device itself, as at the end of the day, Storage Options make the tablet, not the operating system.

You may remember a little while ago, we took a look at the miScroll from the same manufacturer and whilst it was a great product for the price, it was lacking something in the fact that it has a resistive screen. Today we’re taking a look at the same product, pretty much, but with a slightly improved design and the main important aspect; this model has a capacitive screen.

A capacitive screen has some key features and relies on the electrical properties of the human body, meaning that only a very light touch is needed opposed to adding unnecessary pressure as you would with a resistive screen.

Starting with the accessories, we find quite a lot being bundled in with the tablet, in terms of connectivity with a DC adapter, On The Go cable, USB cable, headphones and relevant documentation.

The unit measures in at 203mm x 132mm x 12mm and has a 7″ screen with a 800×480 resolution and uses a 16:9 aspect ratio. It also features a 16-bit G-Sensor which allows the screen to rotate 360 degrees depending on your preference of landscape or portrait mode.

Around the screen, we find a black border which sadly is a sucker for fingerprints so we certainly advise having a screen protector as your first major accessory.

There is also a built-in 0.3 Megapixel camera and towards the bottom of the device, we find three buttons for bringing up menu options, going back to the home screen or returning to the last page or menu.

The back of the unit is very iPad-esque, with a silver metal surface. Darted around the bottom area is little denotations to inform us of what the side buttons and bottom connectors are.

On the side we find the power button as well as the volume buttons. It’s also worth noting that whilst some of the models in Storage Options range of tablets have removeable back covers and batteries, this model does not.

Moving to the bottom of the device, we find the 1W speaker, a DC-5V power connector, On The Go connector, reset button, mini HDMI port, TF card slot and headphone jack. Everything to keep you going whilst you’re on the move.

Due to this device having HDMI, it does allow it to become an all in one storage solution for acting as a portable storage space that can simply be plugged into any HDMI enabled screen and allow you to watch full 1080p HD footage from a variety of different formats.

Taking a look at what the tablet can do, and straight away we find that it comes equipped with the Android 2.3 operating system which is a key selling point for keeping the cost down and offering a familiar interface that can be customized to the users needs.

Running on a 1GHz ARM11 processor and only 256MB DDR2 memory, you can’t expect lightning fast results, and the responsiveness of the screen makes up for some of the lag that is generated by the internals.

The display whilst it doesn’t have the greatest resolution, is able to handle HD and high quality content very well and displays clear and vibrant colours in images and video, even with the likes of YouTube, which comes included on the operating system.

Performance is a subjective opinion on a device like this, due to the operating system used and not a great amount of benchmarking applications being available to suit. Instead of us looking at each angle of the tablet in terms of graphics and processing power, we’d rather comment on the tablet as a whole unit and for the most part it’s good.

The tablet seems a lot more responsive than the miScroll that we looked at with a resistive screen, but certain aspects of the tablet still believe in giving up half way through tasks, like watching YouTube videos or simply surfing the web.

Battery life on the whole is good, at around 4 hours worth of medium usage. If you constantly stream videos and multi-task, you’ll find this decreasing, but not at any kind of rapid rate.

After looking at the equivalent resistive model back in October, I was certainly keen to see how the capacitive model would compare as I’ve been used to similar technology with my iPhone which I honestly love. Whilst I was well aware that it wouldn’t be the quickest device on the planet, for the price of £112.88 you can’t complain, and the fact that Scan are throwing in a free Duracell 4GB microSDHC card, it’s everything you need to get going.

Storage Options miScroll Tablet Review

Andy Ruffell — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:58:00 +0000

Tablets have definitely been the talk of the town this year with the release of some big contenders including the iPad 2 from Apple, Motorola’s Xoom and the Blackberry Playbook. The downside with the three listed is that they cost an arm and leg to the majority of consumers, but as they do say in this world, you get what you pay for.

Is that really the case though or can you get everything you need for a cheaper price? Storage Options seem to think so with their much cheaper miScroll, which is said to offer a reasonable spec for a fantastic price as well as offering some unique features that even some of the big named brands don’t in terms of personalisation. Storage Options believe that the miScroll will be a fantastic product for users wanting to personalise their tablet to their own acquired tastes by changing the back cover to various colours as well as having an interchangeable battery so that you’re never faced with your battery running out of power during those vital moments when you really need it most.

Sporting the much loved Android 2.3 operating system, 1GHz ARM11 processor, 256MB DDR2 and built-in 4GB MicroSD card, that’s expandable up to 32GB, as well having a variety of connectivity options, the miScroll certainly looks good on paper, considering its price point, but how will it fair when we get down to the nitty gritty? Let’s take a look to see if it really can keep up with the big boys.

Programmable Message Go Go Cheer Bar Review

Andy Ruffell — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:19:08 +0000

Taking some time away from the serious world of computer components and having a bit of a joke is where we find ourselves today. I mean we all like a good gadget at the end of the day and today shows us looking at exactly that; a gadget, a gimmick, a novelty item that even the most serious user would find amusing and quite fun.

A brand by the name of Navitas are keen on developing some strange lighting products and with the particular product that we’re looking at today, it can only be described as a stocking filler. That type of device that is perfect for Christmas, clubs, raves and general events and will leave you amazed for quite some time.

From a first glance however we’re not quite sure what it’s all about, but that’s where sites like us come in handy by breaking it down and taking a good look at exactly what is on offer. Due to that, we’re ready and waiting to get straight into this review, so that we can sit back, relax and take things a little bit less seriously for once in a while.

Akasa Internal Cardreader with Bluetooth Review

Simon Telford — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:36:00 +0000

If you look back several years, we all had Floppy Disk drives which were mostly of the 3.5″ form, and of course all cases had the 3.5″ bays at the front to take a floppy drive. Things have changed a lot since then, but not quite as much as you might expect.

While we all upgraded our optical drives from CD and then to CD-RW and eventually doing the same with the DVD format, the humble floppy disk drive did have a slow and painful death. Why would you need 1.44Mb of storage when you could use a 750Mb CD? Well Akasa have decided to take advantage of the fact that there are still lots of cases out there that have 3.5″ bays at the front, especially their own. However, instead of providing with a Floppy Disk Drive they have upgraded it to something that should be quite a bit more functional for most of you, an internal card reader. Everyone who has a camera or phone, or many other devices, will know the fun of memory cards, and while you can plug most phones and cameras into USB ports it is often a lot easier to take the memory card out and plug it into a card reader.

Akasa have as such provided us with a good array of media card support, they have gone for 6 different slots catering for all the popular brands and sub-brands of memory cards. On top of this, for extra functionality, they have added Bluetooth, which is never a cheap addition. In theory this allows you to connect your phone, headset and other devices directly to your computer without any wires.

We do however know, from experience, that Bluetooth can be very hard to get to work with a PC, and is often quite temperamental, so heres hoping Akasa have got it right.

Tt eSports Dasher Gaming Mouse Pad Review

Andy Ruffell — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:06:00 +0000

While we like to take a look at a lot of hardware at eTeknix, some other accessories can make a large difference to your overall gaming experience, or even to your general computer experience. Today is the turn for a mousepad by the gaming brand of Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS.

Tt eSPORTS have been producing mice, keyboards, headsets and mouse pads for a while now, and seem to be going from strength to strength as they are getting into more and more major retailers. Recently they have in fact opened up a Tt eSPORTS Store, and while it is in Taiwan it certainly shows the progress and success they are having.

We have learnt to expect good things from Tt eSPORTS, primarily as it is a sub-brand of the very successful Thermaltake, but more than that, we know that they go to a lot of trouble to develop and design their products. For starters, their products are always thoroughly tested by professional gamers before they even get anywhere close to a shop. For that reason you can expect them to just work, and usually work brilliantly.

While a mousepad may seem like a simple piece of cloth and rubber there are still a lot of options as different surfaces will suit different mice better and suit certain gamers. The Dasher Speed Edition is as you probably expect is designed to be a fast mousepad so it should allow the mouse to slide easily while giving excellent tracking performance.

Specifications:

Dimension (LxWxH): 400x 320x 4mm
Material : Cloth Weave surface with rubber base

Akasa Baymaster S USB 3.0 Card and Drive Reader Review

Andy Ruffell — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 10:19:00 +0000

We always try to review every aspect of computing and all the likely additions you are going to add to your computer. Today is a turn of a Drive and Card Reader.

Akasa have such upgraded a popular model, the Akasa Baymaster and while it doesn’t look like they have made many changes, there is one big difference. It now takes advantage of USB 3.0 Superspeed, giving up to 10* faster data transfers when compared to USB 2.0.

There are lots of varieties of card readers, drive readers and fan controllers out there which offer you the chance to upgrade your standard case with lots of extra features. Some come in 5.25″ bay size and others, like the Akasa Baymaster come in the smaller 3.5″ bay size. This does unfortunately mean it is less compatible with cases, however it is possible to get adaptors to fit a 3.5″ drive into a 5.25″ bay.

Akasa have tried to fit in lots of very popular features into quite a small 3.5″ bay, this includes compatibility with 3 of the major memory card types: SD, Extreme Digital, and Memory Stick. While being compatible with nearly all of the varieties that are based around these 3. On top of that the Akasa Baymaster S has a 2.5″ drive reader, allowing you to plug in the laptop HDDs or SSDs that you might have.

Specifications:

[TABLE=class: product_text]
[TR]
[TD]Application[/TD]
[TD]3.5″ PC bay[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory card slots[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Memory card types[/TD]
[TD]Memory Stick (MS Pro, MS Pro Duo, Magic Gate, Extreme, Ultra)
Secure Digital (SDXC, SDHC, SD, Ultra, Extreme, Elite Pro, High Speed, MMC, MMC Mobile)
Extreme Digital (X card, Type H, Type M)
M2 (Memory Stick Micro M2)
microSD (microSDHC, High Capacity)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Interface[/TD]
[TD]HDD Docking: USB 3.0 ( 2.0/1.1/1.0 compatible )
Card reader: USB 2.0 (1.1/1.0 compatible)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Data transfer rate[/TD]
[TD]HDD docking: up to 5Gb/s (USB 3.0) and 480Mb/s (USB 2.0)
Card reader: up to 480 Mb/s[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]LED indication[/TD]
[TD]Power On, Card In & Data Transfer[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Power mode[/TD]
[TD]USB powered[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]PC connection[/TD]
[TD]Internal USB motherboard header, USB3.0 A male connector[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Supported OS[/TD]
[TD]Windows 2000 / XP / VISTA / 7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Plug & Play[/TD]
[TD]Supported[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD=width: 250, bgcolor: #F0F2F4]Product code[/TD]
[TD]AK-ICR-10U3[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

ZOWIE G-TF Competitive Gaming Mousepad (Speed Version) Review

Andy Ruffell — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:29:00 +0000

While mousepads might not be the first thing you think of when we start talking about computer accessories there are lots of gamers out there who can’t live without their gaming mousepad. Technology has moved on such that the mousepad is not essential for a mouse to operate, in fact most new mice do work on all surfaces that you are likely to use. This might be the case, but you will find that on some surfaces the mouse sticks, or it doesn’t track properly as the surface is not perfectly uniform, this leads to lots of problems.

Games love every advantage they can get. The need the precise DPI that works best for their mouse and demand the fastest response times. Mousepads have been designed to make mice move across them with improved control while moving faster. This helps aid reaction times in games and could even help you out in more everday applications like Photoshop where high-sensitivity is needed.

The mousepad we’re looking at today is from ZOWIE who you may not have heard of until very recently when we looked at their gaming mouse, though they are certainly hoping to change this in a big way. Their products could currently be classed as a bit more up-market compared to others as they are concentrating on design, performance and build quality. That said, they have no choice but to give you good value for money, so we already expect quite a lot from their products.

Features:

The speed edition of the popular G-TF faster than ever
Newly designed rubber base for increased stability
Liquid resistant surface allows for easy maintenance
Triple-stitched edges preventing fray and increases the lifetime of the pad
Rolled edges for added comfort while playing
100% compatible with all types of mice
Perfectly oversized for gamers & designers: 440 x 320 x 2 mm / 17.3 x 12.6 x 0.08 inch

Scan 2-Port HPU-300 NC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI Express Card Review

Henry Butt — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000

When USB3.0 was introduced to the market a couple of years back, there were very few products on the market that could make use of the high-speed interface. It was also very expensive to add USB3.0 functionality to your system with expansion cards costing in excess of £50 and peripherals being even more expensive.

Since then, USB3.0 products have come down significantly in price, making it as affordable as ever to add USB3.0 functionality to your system. There are also a vast number of USB3.0 peripherals available on the market now which will let you make use of the massive bandwidth of the USB3.0 interface.

Specifications

Supports Super-Speed data transfer rate up to 5.0Gbps.
Provides USB 3.0 interface compatible with prior ubiquitous USB 2.0 standard
More power at the connector, max. 900mA
Built-in 4-pin power connector for receiving extra power supply from system
Supports standard PCI Express slot
Supports hot swapping and Plug-and-Play capability
Compliant spec. to USB 3.0 Rev 1.0
Compliant spec. to Intel xHCI Rev 0.96
Compliant spec. to PCI Express 2.0 base spec.
Compliant spec. to PCI Express Generation 2 spec.

Streacom HDMI Audio Mix Cable Review

Luke Hill — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Streacom are a company who were founded in 2010 with their goal being focusing on combining superior design and quality with the latest material and production techniques. They aim to deliver solutions that will precisely meet customer requirements regarding features, performance and quality. They offer a variety of products which all have their individual ways of solving problems that have previously arisen.

Ever experienced the urge to watch the best quality High Definition video and also listen to the best quality audio from your device? I have… unfortunately I have also had the problem where neither of them function properly together thanks to a device with limited connectivity options. Streacom have designed a product which can possibly eliminate all of these video and audio problems via the use of a unique cable. Their method is to use a standard HDMI cable to send the best quality HD video to your display, but they have very creatively attached a stereo audio splitter to one end of the HDMI cable so that the audio can be routed separately. This results in everybody being able to enjoy the impressive picture that your High Definition device offers as well as enjoying the crisp, clear audio output by your sound set-up.

Another problem is solved by this cable. You now have the ability to listen to music through your sound system connected to your PC or other device while your display device such as the TV is switched off. This is a great feature especially for people who use a HTPC or need music played by their computer for an upcoming house party!

There is the potential for multiple home theatre headaches to be solved with this product, but does it also cause some extra problems? Let’s find out if Streacom can live up to their high expectations…

Specifications

Maximum resolution of 2160P (4096x2160P) @ 24Hz
HDMI m – HDMI m
Certified for HDMI High Speed Ethernet 1.4
Stereo audio (RCA Cinch)
Gold plated
Power supply through USB
2 metre cable length

Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier Review

Michael Peck — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:40:00 +0000

Antec Inc was founded 25 years ago. They aimed their high-performance computer components and accessories products at the gaming, PC upgrade and DIY markets. Over the last 25 years Antec has built up a very good reputation and are now best known for their PC cases and power supplies. As they have moved into the HTPC case market it makes sense to expand on that segment to release other products which might give them an advantage in the market over their competitors.

They now produce a range of media component products from hard drive enclosures to multimedia stations. Today we take a look at the Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier which is designed to be a complete solution for home theatre PC builders or those users looking to enhance the media experience of their PC.

The Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier fits into two 5.25″ drive bays and provides access to your PC using the supplied remote control as well as providing information on its inbuilt LCD display.

Features

IR receiver with LCD display to see system information, adjust the volume, check email status, and more
IR receiver mounts in external 5.25″ drive bay
Sleek remote with incredible functionality, allowing user to play and manage media, change settings, and browse via the easy-to-use Thumb Pad Mouse controller
IMEDIAN software allows the playback of most media formats through internal codecs, full 1080p HD support, and a simple and convenient graphical interface
Support for CD/DVD, removable storage, network media, and digital/TV analog cards
Fully compatible with all versions of Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Designcord 5 Metre Autorewind Cable Reel Extension Lead Review

Andy Ruffell — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:41:57 +0000

We are primarily a hardware review website, but from time to time we may take a look at a gadget or electrical product that isn’t made as such for computers but still has a good connection with the principle behind them. Our curiosity is always peaked when we see an item that is different from the norm and breaks the mould as they say.

Today certainly does that as we take a look at a very unique item from the Netherlands. Designcord are a fairly new company who believe they can offer a solution to some of the most common faced problems with power extension leads and cable reels.

That brings us on to the product we’re looking at today. Designcord have come up with a autorewinding cable reel extension lead that has a lot of unique features including fixed sockets and overheating protection but is this really an answer to what consumers want or is it just a fad that no one really wants?

Features

Stop cables from being tangled
Simple to use
Automatic rewind
Fixed sockets
Child and overheating protection

Specifications

[TABLE=class: grid, width: 100%]
[TR]
[TD]Model[/TD]
[TD]AR-EUC-5-UKB[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Socket[/TD]
[TD]Type G (UK)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Plug[/TD]
[TD]Type G (UK)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Length[/TD]
[TD]5 metres[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wire[/TD]
[TD]H05VVF3G 1.0 mm2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Specification[/TD]
[TD]220V/-250V~50HZ, 10A/230V~2200W[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Warranty[/TD]
[TD]24 months[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]EAN barcode[/TD]
[TD]8717371695859[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]