Saturday, 5 May 2012

This is One Big TV - Samsung UN55ES8000 55-Inch 1080p



In relation to the television that you may have in your house some people are happy with anything while other people want only the best. Currently there's a television on the market much better than all others, and those are the televisions which are produced with the LED technology. I know that you are aware that technology advances each and every year and there are a few television manufacturers putting this new technology into televisions. The Samsung UN55ES8000 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D Slim LED HDTV is one of the televisions which has all this new technology in it, and what we're looking at in this article.

As I'm certain you have already realized this television is built with the LED technology that provides you with a crystal clear picture regardless of what you end up watching. Something else I should probably not need to mention but I'm going to anyway, is the fact that this is full HD with 1080p. Something which has become a lot more popular right now is the 3 D technology due to all of the new movies being developed like this. To be able to watch these 3 D movies you're going to discover that they provide you with four pair of glasses for free so the whole family can enjoy.

With regards to the new technology we were talking about you are going to discover that part of this technology is gesture control, which will permit you to change channels with the movement of your hand. One more thing you are going to discover that is new in this television would be the fact that it has a voice recognition, meaning you will be able to turn the television on and off and change channels by talking to the television. This is something that is actually amazing in relation to any kind of TV which can in fact be controlled by your voice or even gestures of your hand.

There's one other feature that I'm sure you're going to be extremely impressed with and that is the point that the TV will actually be able to recognize your face with the face recognition technology. You are additionally going to find that simply because this has built in Wi-Fi you'll be able to Skype with your family and friends in a way that you've never been able to do before.

For individuals who would like to learn other technical details and features that this television has you should comprehend that Amazon has a complete product description concerning this product. A few of you may be wondering exactly how much this item is selling for and I ought to mention the you are able to purchase it from Amazon right now for under $3000.

Friday, 20 January 2012

Worth a Look - The Kodak PlayFull Waterproof Video Camera

Just about everybody right now wants to get by themselves a camcorder so they're able to begin recording the items that go on in their lives. One thing you should realize is that you can actually wind up investing hundreds of dollars just to get one of these camcorders. There are actually plenty of individuals out there thinking about purchasing this as a gift for a child, which is fine but investing that kind of money on a child can be rather reckless. The reality of the matter is you do not need to invest big money to obtain a good quality video camera as there are other less expensive models available. The Kodak PlayFull Waterproof Video Camera is one of these other options you have for buying a good quality video camera at a lower price.

One thing I ought to point out concerning this camcorder is that it is still an extremely high quality video camera it just costs less. Kodak is a huge manufacturer of top quality products for an extremely long time frame and many of you already recognize this. Having said that you need to also understand that mainly because this is a lot less expensive you will only be able to record your high definition in 720p

There's a lot of features in this product and will be speaking about a number of them in the following paragraphs. The first feature I want to point out about this camcorder is that it actually has a pop out USB arm which makes it easy to connect to a computer. This is also going to make it rather easy for you to e-mail your videos to family members or even upload them to your video sharing sites. This is in fact a characteristic that you would not expect to come across in a video camera which is priced so low.

An additional great quality about this camcorder would be the fact that it is actually waterproof in up to 10 feet of water. The fantastic thing about this is that you can in fact use it by the pool without having fear of dropping it in and ruining it. This is in addition more than simply a waterproof video camera as it has the abilities of recording videos underwater up to 10 feet down. And when you are done recording you are able to make use of the HDMI port to connect this straight to your high definition television. So you are going to not need to burn these out onto a DVD to be able to watch them on your TV.

You may be surprised to discover how cheaply you are able to get this video camera for, as a Amazon is currently offering this for $79.00. One more thing worth pointing now if you purchase this from Amazon is that they're actually going to pay to have it shipped to your house so you will not have to worry about the shipping fees. The Kodak PlayFull Waterproof Video Camera is really a good choice for anyone who is looking for an affordable but high quality video camera.

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Reviewing - Samsung PN64D550 64-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV

You will find that big screen Televisions are all the rage now and just about everybody wants to get one of these for their houses. Although many individuals always feel that bigger is better you ought to know that if you wanted to get it TV that's at least 100 inches you could easily invest tens of thousands of dollars. If price is going to be an issue for you you will see that televisions smaller than 100 inches will be much more affordable. It's for this reason that we have decided to take a better look at the Samsung PN64D550 64-Inch 1080p 600 Hz 3D Plasma HDTV in the following paragraphs.

Through the description of this television you are able to already tell that this is a 64 inch screen that you'll be receiving. When many individuals go into Retail Stores they seem to always look at the big screen TV's, however they never really seem that big in the store. The same thing goes for this TV, if you were to see it in a massive store it doesn't appear that big but when it's in the middle of your living room you will see how big this is. And to be completely honest a 64 inch TV could actually end up being too big for some people's homes. Having said that, you ought to also be aware that for those who have a good size living room you will discover that this will greatly enhance your viewing experience.

You might also enjoy the point that this TV is a 3D high definition television. And with more movies coming out nowadays which are actually in 3D, this may be a fantastic addition to your home Entertainment System. One thing I ought to mention is that you do not have to watch these 3D movies if you do not want to, but if you do want to watch them you're going to need a source for the 3D programs. This TV doesn't however incorporate the special 3D glasses, so if you want to enjoy the 3D movie experience you are going to have to obtain these glasses separately.

If you decide to check out the reviews of this television on Amazon you are going to find that most men and women really like this television and have given it a five out of five rating. As a result of the rave reviews this television has gotten, it only makes sense that this is something you may want to take a peek at if you are in the market for a big screen.

Of course if you do decide to get this particular television your best option would be to order it from Amazon as you can actually purchase it for just $1714. This is in fact an incredible price for a TV of this size because you are able to actually wind up paying over $2,000 for a TV that is only 55 inches large. We do not have the time or the room to go over all the features that come with this television, but you are able to actually get a detailed description on the Amazon website. Mainly because you can get this television for such an affordable price, it's an option that you need to keep in mind.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Here's the Lowdown on the TomTom XXL 540 GPS Navigator

The TomTom XXL 540 is a much sought-after GPS system that offers you good value and features for the cost of the unit. Compared to just a few years ago, it's now possible to find a very sophisticated GPS system without spending a great deal of money, and TomTom is one of the brands that's made this possible. To aid you in deciding if you might be interested in purchasing a TomTom XXL 540, we will give you pertinent facts in this article.

If you are familiar with these products, TomTom XXL 540 GPS Navigator is known for its Lifetime Maps and Lifetime Traffic to help its customers navigate. LifeTime Maps will updated system every four months so you can be guaranteed current information every three months of the year. Going down any road, you can use the LifeTime Traffic to determine how fast traffic is moving at how long it will take you to get your destination. You will know in advance if there is any road construction, or if a traffic jam has occurred that you need to be prepared for. Getting to your destination using the Tom Tom XXL 540 has never been easier, even if you were to only use these to lifetime components. While the TomTom XXL 540 is ready to use out of the box, you also have the ability to customize many of the features to match your preferences. This is more a matter of personal style than a technical feature, but it can make your unit more pleasing to the eye. There are licensed images and attractive designs, in a gallery, that you can pick from when customizing your unit. You can even upload images or text of your own to give the system your own look. This makes your GPS unit more like a personal website that has the look you want. Customizing a GPS system is not something that everyone, who owns one, does, but you can do it very easily if you want to, because the TomTom XXL 540 makes it easy.

When using the Tom Tom XXL 540, you will find one particular feature, the Advanced Lane Guidance, particularly interesting. Driving along looking for an exit may turn out badly if you do not happen to be in the right lane causing you to miss your turn off. Lane changing during rush-hour traffic, especially in the city, can be disastrous if done too abruptly. Lane changes, and the problems associated with them, are a thing of the past when you use this GPS unit that has Advanced Lane Guidance. Changing lanes will be safe and easy as the guidance system will tell you far in advance of the lane changes you need to make. Just follow the blinking arrow, either pointing to the left or right, and change lanes in that direction.

In conclusion, you should check around and look at a variety of GPS systems before choosing one to buy. The TomTom XXL 540, however, is one that many consumers have been happy with, especially since it's less costly than many other models. With its low price, and its long list of features and benefits, you really can't go wrong with this particular GPS unit.

Thursday, 10 November 2011

Give Your New Photos a Second LIfe with the Epson Perfection V30 Scanner

If you want to scan photos and 3D objects with clarity and detail, then the Epson Perfection V30 Color Scanner might just be the right scanner for you. It is reasonably priced for a scanner that features 4800 dpi optical resolution and many useful features. The photos will have amazing clarity thanks to the high resolution of the scanner. With the Epson Perfection V30's one-touch scanner and easy set up, you can get started scanning right away.
You can easily restore old color pictures using the Epson Perfection V30. This Epson scanner has a high-rise lid making it a snap to scan books or 3D objects. The Epson Perfection V30 scanner also comes with an innovative system that can do rapid scans with no warmup time. You'll be more efficient and productive as the Perfection V30 consumes less power. Additionally, it is safe for the environment since the Epson Perfection V30 does not have mercury. With four one-touch buttons, you can easily make copies, produce PDFs, attach a scanned picture to an email or simply scan a photo.
Without any hassles, you can scan hundreds of pictures, as the V30 adjusts and readjusts the settings automatically. You are going to get optimal results as the image type is recognized by Epson's Full Automatic Mode, determining the best settings. The Epson Perfection V30 crops the borders, straightens the picture, and corrects the resolution all automatically. If you put more than one image on the glass, not only will they be detected, but saved as individual files as well. You will have more control over scans with additional modes, and user-friendly menu settings. You can attach a picture to your email with a fast scan from the V30. The V30 scanner is made with advanced sensor technology, which brings out exceptional clarity with 4800 by 9600 dpi resolution.
You will discover the professional results of the Epson Perfection V30 to be outstanding when you scan your old photographs. You will be able to scan your photo albums and books quickly and easily because of the 180-degree high-rise lid. Seasoned photographers value the quality and value of Epson products. The Perfection V30 scanner scanner is an extremely handy scanner that you may find yourself using it daily. Old photos kept in an old box can be enhanced and digitized with one touch. You will be surprised how easy it is, when you lay the photo on the scanner bed, and then a click on your mouse. Backlight correction and digital dust correction are easily accomplished with Epson's Easy Photo Fix.
The Epson Perfection V30 is cheap, and has a number of positive reviews, so it might be the right scanner for you to get. If you need to scan all of your old photos, the Perfection V30 scanner is highly valued.

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Brother Labeling System (PT2730) - Works From Your PC

The Brother PT2730 is probably a good choice if you want an electronic labeler. Unless you are needing the labeler for your office, it may be more than you actually need. You won't have difficulty installing and setting the PT2730 up. Place the starter cartridge in, together with the CD in the CD drive and it walks you through the install. The labeling system uses 8 AA batteries or an AC adapter and it plugs into a USB port also. You should be ready to go in approximately five minutes.

The Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) is packed with template guides for asset management, address, cables and albums plus a lot more. The drop down menu from the application program will give you access to all the built-in guides. You can try to get really creative with these labels with features like clipart, pics and text manipulation. You can print out non-smearing labels that are attractive, and you can even include a company logo on them. The software and templates are updated on a regular basis so you won't lag.

The Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) is a professional desktop labeler that can have added functionality by being connected to a MAC or PC, or it may be used as a stand-alone. With 8 built-in fonts, the PT2730 is able to print up to seven lines of text and you can preview it on its big graphical display. Labels could be created and printed on media up to 24mm in width and are laminated. You can easily access more than 50 pre-designed labels from the Label collection with a single push of a button. Moreover, you can use a text reminder feature that will save words that you usually use. The Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) features a built-in automatic cutter and has an impressive and modern design. The PT2730 comes with 24 mm of starter tape, a USB cable, an AC adapter, software and the Labeling System Hardware that may be hooked up to a PC. It comes with a two year warranty and a manual also.

Many users found the Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) to be really versatile, giving them a lot of control over what is put on the labels. The Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) prints labels rapidly and the adhesive sticks really well. The option to use batteries or AC adaptor makes the Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) fantastic for portability. The PT2730 comes with lots of features but its simple layout still makes it easy to use right away. The only drawback is that the PT2730 doesn't have much starter tape to work with. If you expect to print a lot of labels, see to it that you order a pack along with the PT2730.

Brother printers have been recognized to be built on quality and the Brother PC Connectable Labeling System (PT2730) is not at all an exception. The PT2730 by Brother is a noteworthy product to check out if you are shopping for a labeling system.

Friday, 21 October 2011

Does the Apple Ipad 2 Have Anything New to Offer ?

The Apple iPad 2 is an example of how Apple demonstrates effective marketing of its products. Before the excitement over the first Ipad died down, the iPad 2 was released, making people curious about the differences between the two. Some of the main product features of the iPad2 are covered in the review below which should be helpful to you if you are thinking of purchasing one or in deciding whether to upgrade from the original iPad.

Apple is well known for making devices that are lightweight and attractively designed. The main complaint voiced about the original iPad, though, was that it was too bulky to carry around. The most important improvement, then, is that the iPad 2 is a lot more compact and a lot more thin than its predecessor. iPads are, after all, supposed to be portable devices that people enjoy carrying around, using in cafes, planes and pretty much anywhere else they go. The weight of the iPad 2 is also less than the original model, and although the difference is only about 15%, even this can make a difference if you're carrying something around with you all day. So, with the iPad 2, Apple has found success in building a lighter and more portable device. The iPad 2 has 512 MB of RAM--twice that of the original tablet. So when you are browsing on the Internet, your web pages will load twice as fast and graphics will be easier to see. In terms of every day activities the difference in RAM isn't that big a deal but in the playing of games and other RAM-heavy activities, the difference is significant and noticeable. Things like watching videos, editing videos, going through photos, etc use up lots of memory so having double the memory capacity makes the device quite a lot more powerful and capable of lots of stuff. Original iPad owners might not find this detail worthy enough to consider an upgrade but if you're a first time buyer, it can make the iPad 2 quite a lot more appealing.

One of the most particularly frustrating aspects of modern technology is that almost before you finish paying for a new piece of technology a newer and vastly updated version of that same technology is released. This is what happened when many people bought the iPad when it first came out. The simple fact is, though, that if you did purchase the first iPad, you probably don't need to buy the iPad 2 even though it does have some additional features and capabilities.

The cameras are nice, sure, but you probably already have cameras in other devices. So don't worry if you bought an original iPad instead of waiting for an Apple iPad 2; you won't be missing anything that can't be lived without.

Sure it's not totally perfect but there are still a lot of reasons to buy an Apple iPad 2. As long as you do not expect anything major from the cameras and don't need flash capabilities, an iPad is great for web surfing, video and movie watching and video chatting with your friends through the Face Time feature. You should not think of the Apple iPad 2 as a replacement for your primary electronic device but it is still great and interesting and you can enjoy a lot of different things about it.

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

The Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 - Quick Review

When it comes to a home theater system, the size of the particular TV really matters. A projector is one of your best options when it comes to acquiring something even bigger than a big screen TV. One of the advantages of a projection TV is that you can truly end up obtaining images of about 10 feet and also bigger depending on your projector. Enjoying different sporting events and movies is something you will never believe till you watch them. There are a lot of different models of projectors on the market but we will be looking at the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 on this page.

As you may have already figured out this is a device that will project the image to a screen or a wall and the size of the images will depend on how far away you place the projector from the display screen. For those who have a small room and you set the actual projector eight feet away from the wall or display screen you can get an 80 inch image. Needless to say if you take this product and put it 12 feet away from the screen or perhaps wall you will find that you can get a 10 foot image. You will find that you will end up with a wonderful home theater system if you work with a projector.

If you have ever seen a projector image before, you may know that the older pictures coming from the older projectors did not make a very good image but this unit offers an amazing image. This is achieved because of the actual contrast ratio of 50,000:1 as well as the 2000 lumen's that will allow you to watch the screen either in the day or even night. Another thing that the majority of of the older models couldn't offer is high definition, simply because it was not available years ago. This is also something which will provide you with one of the greatest images you can get from a projector.

Even though the bulb that comes with this product provides you with 2000 lumen's you will also find that this bulb will last for approximately 4,000 hours. Which means that you could be able to watch about 2,000 movies or sporting events in style. You may find that everyone wants to come over to your house to enjoy all of the football games. You will recognize that this can be a problem for those individuals who tend not to like having company. However for those of you that enjoy having football parties, your only issue will be getting the individuals to go home following the big game is over.

So for around the cost of a 50 to 55 inch TV, you can obtain yourself one of these products from Amazon and it'll only cost $1,157. Another thing that you will realize is that if you do choose to order this unit from Amazon, they're going to pay the shipping fees. There is not surprisingly another benefit that you will find if you get this from Amazon, and that is that you'll be saving more than $600 off the retail cost. When it comes to upgrading your home theater or even setting up your very first home theater the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8350 might be precisely what you are looking for.

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Is the HP TouchSmart 600 1055 23" PC the Very Latest Computer Technology

Should you be one of the those people who are always trying to find the next best computer to hit the market you might find that the HP TouchSmart 600-1055 23-Inch PC fits the bill. You are going to discover that computer towers are becoming a thing of the past and all the computer components are going to be placed in the computer screen. And that's why this computer is recognized as one of the top of the line computers available today and what we're talking about here.

One of the greatest things concerning this computer is the touch screen technology that they have put into a 23 inch screen. If you are unaware, 23 inch screens have been around for many years, but it's the touch screen that's really the big feature here. The touch screen means that even though you can use a mouse it is not essential. You will recognize that the touch screen that you receive with this computer is among the things that men and women really love.

If you do decide to use the mouse with this computer you're going to discover that the mouse and also the keyboard are wireless. And to make things even better you can make use of the wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n to hook up a wireless printer to this computer system. This helps to scale back on all the wires you would have with a traditional tower type computer. Therefore, the most wires that you have to connect to your computer system is one for the internet and also one for the power.

One thing we should discuss is the quality of graphics you'll find in this device. You might find that gaming on this computer might cause some problems with massive sized games but you'll be able to watch blu-ray movies with the built in blu-ray player without an issue. There are plenty of games that just require too much for the graphics as well as the graphics card which comes with this computer isn't powerful enough to handle some games. Nevertheless for movies and various other games you will not have any problem.

Although there are actually too many features relating to this computer for us to cover here, you will be able to see all of the features on Amazon's product description page. You'll also discover that you will have the ability to order this computer right from Amazon for just $1,499.99. Even though some of you may possibly be thinking that this is a lot of money to invest on a computer, when you look at all the amazing features offered with this system, it might be worth the price. In all this computer system has taken all of the most advanced technology and put it all in to this one computer while eliminating the tower.

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Here are Three Great Canon Printers Worth Considering

Canon printers are highly favored in the industry, and they have a long history of manufacturing valuable merchandise. When the company started in 1936, they were a camera company and it is highly likely that that is what they are still best known for. However, they have expanded with additional electronic products, such as copiers, scanners and obviously printers. The next are a few of the most stylish Canon printers, which you might want to take into consideration if you're keeping your eye out for a quality printer.

You can find the Canon Pixma MX330 multifunction inkjet printer for around $100. This impressive model has the ability to copy, scan, and produce high speed faxes. As a printer, it's suitable for printing both documents and photos at a resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. With the LCD screen, you can easily make adjustments to your documents and photos before printing. There's also an auto-document feeder to make it easier if you want to copy or scan multiple documents. If you want the printer mainly for photos, you should know that it doesn't include a multimedia card reader, but digital cameras can be connected to the unit through the PictBridge USB port. Overall, the Canon Pixma MX330 is an excellent value for a multifunction inkjet printer. High quality photo printing can be achieved with the Canon PIXMA Pro9000 priced under a whopping $500. With the maximum 4800 x 1200 color dpi resolution this patented FINE printhead technology is sure to give you extremely high quality photo prints every time without fail. Color and quality are what you will see with the 8 dye system in this unit. The efficient machine can print a high quality professional looking print in less than 90 seconds. Avoid paying the price the pros pay but still get those professional looking prints with the technology today we can make that happen for you. The PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II might not be the least expensive model for photo printers available on the market today but as for its quality you can't go wrong for the value.

Another option for getting the most out of its impressive features is the imageCLASS MF4370DN Laser All-in-One Printer. This unit has built in networking capabilities as well as the ability to fax, copy and scan. You may be surprised to find that this unit is also capable of double sided functions too! You will save money on paper using this duplexing function. Even with all of its features, this printer is quite energy efficient, and is Energy Star qualified. For the price of $300 this machine is a high performance laser printer useful for any printing related needs you could have. These are only a few of the many options in Canon Printers you can find at your local retailer. As you start looking around and researching the different models you will find that there is a vast array of models available these days. Online retailers are all competing for your business, so it's often possible to find prices that are lower than the suggested manufacturer's. Take some time to know what others are saying about the model you are considering to save yourself some headaches along the way. Canon printers can be a good choice if you're seeking a brand with a solid reputation.

Saturday, 5 March 2011

So What About the Apple iPad - Is It Worth It?

New gadgets appear and some people can't resist buying them. Most of these people already own an iPad, while those who are a little more cautious are still gathering information on it. Many people who own this device, have opinions that vary on whether there is a right or wrong answer about getting one. Have you heard people praise or criticize the iPad, below we will look at some of the reasons.

You don't need headphones for the iPad unlike the iPod. However you may prefer to use headphones for privacy reasons. It's pretty convenient to be able to hear a movie in a social setting too.

You can also purchase separate speakers for improved sound quality.

One of the best features of the iPad is that it's a good device for watching videos and movies. You have access to a multitude of media types in the iTunes store and you'll enjoy the crisp images in HD. Your iPad even has an app for your Netflix subscription for movies and TV shows streamed directly to your device.

View free content from the internet on you iPad. Unlike other streamed devices the iPad's high quality images are top notch.

The lack of a camera is the biggest complaint people have about the iPad. Because so many people have complained about this oversight there is wide speculation that the next model will in fact offer a camera feature. However, this isn't really that much of a limitation when you consider that it's easy to get the Apple Camera Connection Kit for $29, which allows you to connect your iPad to your digital camera or iPhone and transfer pictures back and forth. Even if you are unable to use your iPad as a camera you can still enjoy the benefit of easy access to your photographs by connecting your camera to your iPad.

The Apple iPad is certainly one of the more interesting electronic devices that's been introduced recently. The iPad can't take pictures, but people still love it for its simple and easy interface and the high definition screen. Maybe now it is easier, after looking at the pros and cons of the iPad, to decide if you want one.

Thursday, 11 June 2009

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Want to Watch Hulu from UK ?



Well I hoped you like my little video, if you want to learn how I watch Hulu from the UK or Canada, France, Turkey and anywhere else outside the US for that matter click on the link at the end.

It's actually a security program which I use to protect my identity and web connection, but it also gives me access to a private network of secure proxies as well. I use those proxies to watch things like BBC Iplayer when I'm abroad and Hulu, ABC and Pandora outside the US.

It's an excellent product and pretty reasonable.

Saturday, 28 February 2009

So which Toshiba 37 LCD Television would I choose

Faced with huge choices, confusing specifications and varying prices you can see how people get confused about buying LCD TVs. What people often do is shorten the choice to say a Toshiba 37 LCD Television and then pick from there.

Toshiba has been slowly creeping up the ranks in the TV stakes, they've been fairly steady and reliable performers at a decent price but I think the quality is slowly improving. Nowadays the 37" model is probably one of the most popular so.....

which Toshiba 37 LCD TV would I choose?



Well I have to say it would probably be the Toshiba 37XV555DB - apart from the ultra confusing model number (why oh why do Toshiba do this and then come out with models like the 37XV556DV!)

Which for the price I think is probably the best deal around for a 37" Toshiba LCD. The Toshiba 37XV555DB is a full HD 1080p and looks quite stunning with a HD source such as Sky. It's a very slim and stylish set and has pretty decent sound for a Toshiba 37 LCD TV.
toshiba 37 LCD Television image

Plenty of connections including 3 HDMI sockets make it set up for the future and if you play games it has the essential Game mode which makes video games much clearer especially in action games with fast frame rates.

The freeview is quick and simple to set up only takes a few minutes, the SD picture quality is clear and crisp. There's loads of different picture settings and that's probably the most time consuming part of setting up this Toshiba 37" LCD - it's worth getting it set up just right for your preference though.

It's been given a few best buy awards in some magazines so it's beginning to sell very quickly now. It's a cracking deal at about £460 in Amazon at time of writing I reckon it's the best value Toshiba 37 LCD Television out there at the moment.

Friday, 13 February 2009

Canon Pixma MX 850 All in One Printer Review

I have always had a seriously bad time with printers and it was with some trepidation I bought the Canon Pixma MX850 All in one printer! I don't know why something like a printer should give me so much grief - it usually comes down to one of the following areas,

  • Annoying Printer Drivers and Software
  • Reliability (or complete lack of)
  • Toner Cartridge Life
  • Replacement costs of toners/ink
  • Rubbish print quality


Hmm that's a longer list than I thought but pretty fair, I have had so many printers and something is always wrong with them. The last printer I had before I bought the Canon Pixma MX850 All in one was a fairly pricey Lexmark Color laser printer. I'd basically assumed that my problems were with buying cheap inkjet printers so I reckoned buying a decent laser would solve all these.

I was very, very wrong - it wasn't so much a laser printer but an ATM machine for the Lexmark printer Corporation. I have never in my life seen a machine eat laser toner with such speed. The replacement toners were more expensive than the printer and it requested them every other day.

In all honestly I'd have found supporting a heavy cocaine habit and keeping a selection of aging 1970s sportscars on the road to be a much cheaper proposition than running that stupid lexmark laser printer. In the end I gave it away, hiding my smirk as the poor sap walked off with the big shiny expensive looking laser printer.

Canon MX850 All in one printer review



As per usual it comes in a box that is far too big, but one little tip watch out for leaving any bits in there - the printer tray was hidden away in mine. The Canon MX 850 is a fair size but does look rather modern and sleek. It doesn't take that long to set up and everything clicks into place fairly easily.

Then you get the first nice surprise - the software actually works. Now this was a little bit of a shock for me - I've had several multifunction printers and the one thing they all had in common was awful software, HP usually managed the best with software that rarely worked and had the ability to crash or freeze your computer as well - most of the Canon stuff seemed to what it's supposed to.

Connecting it up to the network was a doddle, the software found it and set it up and it well just worked. The canon mx850 drivers seem to be very well written in my opinion.

Print quality is good - I've printed photos, documents and presentations all were very good quality. I should add that I'm no expert in photography stuff but the printouts looked good enough for me. The printer is fairly quick although when doing duplex copies it does take quite a while to print on the second side.

Scanning on the Canon MX 850 all in one works very well, I usually use the software to scan from my PC but you can do it manually from the console as well. It's fairly fast scanning and the results seem fine.

Fax on the Canon MX850 seems to work well enough although I have't actually recieved anything yet just sent them.

The other excellent point of this printer are the ink cartridges, they seem to be very economical. I bought a complete set with the printer and have been using them for about 4 months now - I don't print out thousands of pages but the family use it a lot and the first set of ink cartridges are still going strong. They are also quite cheap as they don't have a printer head built into each catridge which cuts the cost significantly a new cartridge head for the Canon MX850 All in One only costs about £15 anyway.

Well that's about it I think - it's the first printer I've had for quite a while which has not made me angry. It just does what it is supposed to do , all the functions seem to work and it seems reliable and economical.

I'd thoroughly recommend this printer if your're after a decent multifunction printer that is economical to run - Check out the Canon Pixma MX850 All in One Printer Reviews at Amazon here most of them seem also very positive apart from some rumours about networking problems - mine worked fine.

Canon PIXMA MX850 Multi Function Printer

Saturday, 10 January 2009

Toshiba 37XV505DB and the Toshiba 37XV503DB - Whats the Difference ?

Okay I'm cross - not for the first time and my dearly beloved wife has pointed out that I usually am. But nevertheless it's annoying - buying a new HDTV is a big purchase for most of us - several hundred pounds is a lot of money especially in the current economic climate. We use the internet to find out what's good and what's rubbish but it still gets confusing.

The electrical retailers both love and hate the internet. They love it because they can sell direct to their customers without the cost of premises - the downside is on the internet you simply have to be competitive in price otherwise you lose the sale.

Now I don't like to think ill of anyone but frankly I find the mere existence of these two Toshiba models - Toshiba 37XV505DB and the Toshiba 37XV503DB rather suspicious - there's no really no difference in these two Tvs. So why would you possibly want to confuse your potential customers - I suspect the problem comes from the power of certain retailers.

If I want to proclaim loudly and widely that I won't be beaten on any price - it will be rather annoying for me if another internet retailer offers the same product at a vastly reduced price. But I know - I have a great idea - why not persuade the manufacturer to put a different model number on the same TV then make them change it slightly.

Great idea - I now can confidently claim to have the lowest price (because nobody else has this model) and all my potential customers are all utterly confused because of the existence of two LCD TVs which are practically the same but have slightly different model numbers.

Well I'm still cross and I'm not sure who is to blame but I know Toshiba could solve the problem and look after their customers by scrapping these confusing model numbers.

Toshiba 37XV503DB

Toshiba 37XV503DB

Monday, 29 December 2008

Samsung YP S2 MP3 Player YPS2


Now I'm not a great MP3 player fan I guess mainly because I don't like listening to headphones that much. But one of the little gadgets in my Christmas Stocking was this little thing the Samsung YPS2.

It doesn't look much like an MP3 player and well I don't really know what it looks like but his has a couple of wonderful features, it sounds awesome - way better than any MP3 player I've heard in the same price range. The other great thing about the Samsung YPS2 is the price - you can pick them up for under £30 and that's a serious bargain.

Remember you're buying this for the sound and the look, the controls are extremely basic stop/go and forward and back but frankly I much prefer that to these stupid touch screens which I find incredibly annoying (or maybe I'm just too dumb to work them out !)

The Samsung YP S2 is actually reviewed in full in this months What Hifi. It's in the January edition Page 86 for those people who like to pretend to browse and just check out one review (erm like me !) and they seem suitably impressed as well even to the point of recommending buying some extra headphones to do it justice.

It's a great little MP3 Player and wonderful value for money !

Welshgadgets

Saturday, 25 October 2008

Secure Anonymous Web Proxy

Well on a slight digression from my normal electronic wafflings. An exciting topic on which I have managed to scare a mate and have an argument with my missus who now thinks I'm sort of Internet crook!

Ok so it's not obvious from my Title but anyway - my friend and I were talking about how people could monitor all yoru web browsing and emails. Something that I'm not impressed about - there is even a European directive that states that all this data must be stored for two years by the ISPs - yes that's right that fact that you visited the 'Jubbly Jugs Website' every day for six months is all neatly recorded on your internet transation logs.

The UK Government is actually going to go further and store all this information on a central database plus all your phone records - presumably so Gordon Brown can find out great web sites to visit. Anyway I digress - my missus thinks this is fine and
will help catch paedohiles and terrorists etc - well I'm not bloody fine about it !
To me having the state track every single move I make is not acceptable, it's Big Brother and I don't think the UK government in particular can be trusted to
a) look after this data
b) use it responsibly

Anyway my missus thinks I'm hiding something now !

And why did I scare my friend ? Well he shares my opinions on this and has done something about it - he uses a variety of anonymous proxies so that his whereabouts cannot be tracked. Which is fine apart from the list he is using - you see it is a very old hacker trick still well used today. You hack into a server, install a web proxy on it and then slowly add it to lists for secure anonymous web proxies.

Then lots of people start using this secure anonymous proxy to protect their identities. Unfortunately the nasty guys are actually logging all your data and transactions from that server so in fact you're handing all your information over directly over to the bad guys.

Free Secure Anonymous Proxy - unless you're very certain on it's origins and who controls that server I wouldn't go near them if I was you.

I pay a few Euros a month to completely encrypt all my data so Mr Brown can't see any of my traffic haha! The tool does loads of other stuff as well check it out.

Identity Cloaker

Saturday, 18 October 2008

Panasonic TX37LZD80 37" LCD TV


All the Panasonic 37" LCDs are rated as some of the best LCD screens on the market.
A great standard of build something sadly lacking in many manufacturers offerings is combined with the award winning picture technology to produce a fantastic value 37" HDTV.



So what does this Panasonic 37" LCD TV have in the way of connectors - looking to the future the TX37LZD80 has 3 HDMI sockets which you may not need now but look a couple of years into the future and you'll be glad of these. It also has an ambient light sensor similar to Philips ambilight technology and two older scart connectors to plug in older equipment.

  • High Definition ready
  • Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 10000:1
  • Panel resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • HD Ready 1080p/24
  • Weight: 23 Kgs including stand
  • PC Compatible
  • Selectable Picture Format
  • IPS Alpha technology
  • Intelligent Scene Controller
  • Digital Noise Reduction


Probably the weakest part of this TV is the sound which is often the way with LCD TVs having said that it is a definite improvement on the last range and the 3D Sound still compares well with other premium makes. It's mroe than adequate for most people and if you're really into your sound you will almost certainly need a Home theatre system to complement this great TV.   The other option is to pick the LZD85 model which has improved speakers - so you'll get better sound without the wires!

Anyway a great 37" LCD TV from Panasonic - check out the reviews on Amazon here.

Welshgadgets