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Review of Nokia N800

by  in June 17th 2007
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Nokia N800
5/5

The Nokia N800 has a 4-inch touch screen, which enables you to do almost everything by touch. Just a few keys populate the left side of the device, including a back button and an application switching button. These are handy when you put the browser in full screen. Even when using this mode, though, text is sometimes too small, so you can press a button on top of the device to zoom in on a page. Next to that button is another one that toggles full screen mode. Another button allows you to zoom out from pages.
You will be zooming and scrolling for hours because the battery lasts a long time. You can also burn the battery up calling people, because the free Gizmo Project software, which you can download, allows calling, even to landlines and cell phones. Another useful service available on the N800 is Rhapsody, the subscription-based music streaming service. You must download and install the program to find and play music. The software is reasonably well-suited to use on a small touch screen-only device. The buttons are big enough to thumb through.
The touch screen experience is more frustrating on the browser, where it can be hard to aim your thumb well enough to land on links you want to hit. Pressing links is another issue altogether. You have to tap them quickly or they won't open. Otherwise, this device performs beautifully. Thumbs up. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 5/5 on Jun 17 2007 by Coleman Foley

Review of Route 66 GPS – Chicago 8000

by  in June 16th 2007
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Route 66 GPS – Chicago 8000
4/5

The unit itself is designed much like any other GPS that I've seen for cars but it's pretty slimline and is nicely finished. It boasts a rather nice 4.3 inch screen that is easy to see even in relatively exposed conditions. Like most TFTs it does suffer when strong, direct sunlight is aimed at it but overall it does is best. All controls are on-screen so there are no chunky buttons to detract from the devices clean look, plus it makes it pretty simple to use. Route finding happens quickly enough although my one qualm would be the initial time taken to find a satelite can be a little on the lengthy side at times (e.g. more than 25 seconds).The 8000 charges via USB which most folk will immediately will think is great until you learn that there is no way to mains charge it (or at least out of the box anyhow). It comes with a car adapter too which is pretty handy because you can use that to charge your other USB devices. :) Mains charging can be realised by purchasing a plug unit that accepts car charger connections - you'll see them from time to time in electrical stores.The 8000 came preloaded with maps for the entire of Europe with many countries claiming near 100% coverage of main routes. It's using Navtech map data from the last quarter of 2005 - don't confuse this with roads that were built before this time, it doesn't mean they were mapped at the time. One such omission is the outer ring road in Waterford that was completed mid 2005. I haven't been on any really long journeys with the 8000 yet but so far it hasn't led me astray. :) The device also has a built-in MP3 player if you really want. However, you can't use it at the same time that you are navigating and you don't have much room left on the 2GB SD card after you have loaded the maps of Europe, to store your MP3 collection. All in all though, as a GPS for the first timer, it's a good little unit. I purchased my 8000 from Komplett and received the 2GB card as standard, I have seen other sellers listing it with cards of a lesser capacity so look around before buying! .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 4/5 on Jun 16 2007 by Jonathan Brazil

Review of Wakoopa

by  in May 23rd 2007
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Wakoopa
3/5

Much like Last.fm, Wakoopa has users install a tracker to monitor the behavior of the user. Where Last.fm focuses on music, Wakoopa tracks your use of applications. I have been using the tool for a while and I think that it might be one of the most useless trackers yet for a whole bunch of reasons.1) Yes it is nice to see what others are using, but somehow there is a big difference between an application and a piece of music. Music involves passion, taste, and feeling while the most PC users use applications because they were either forced into that situation or because they have never looked beyond what was pre-installed on their PC. I have to admit that Wakoopa has the potential of solving that last issue.2) So maybe Wakoopa is nice for discovering new applications? I went to the Software page to see what others are using and what is recommended to me by Wakoopa. To summarize the statistics page the following can be concluded:The most common applications are browsers, in the following order: Firefox (?!?), Internet Explorer, Firefox (Again?!), Opera and Safari.As a Mac user I am recommended the most common other Mac applications: iLife, iWork, etc. A bit too obvious I believe.The second most interesting thing besides browsing is chatting using the MSN client.3) So, I have some friends on Wakoopa with the same (forced) taste in applications, and I can see what other applications they use, and I might want to try these out. But will this make me happy? I dont think there is any really interesting reason to go to the Wakoopa site and start trying out applications. Most of them will probably not be the most popular applications as I am already using these, which means that they are unlikely to really make me happy. Furthermore I believe that if an application can be really useful, I would probably feel sad for being so stupid before.4) My final complaint is not that much a practical problem, but more a theoretical one: what is the Wakoopa business model? As there isnt much reason to stay with Wakoopa, and as they dont offer much extra (unlike Last.fm who offer a music station with your music) I am thinking how they get any income. Are they selling the information about the software I use? Is anyone ever going to sue them for their information as they keep record of all the illegal installations of Microsoft Office and other software? I think the privacy factor, though surely anticipated by the creators, is a bigger con than there are pros.In short I think Wakoopa is fairly useless, and creates a bigger privacy issue than it offers new features. Maybe they are planning more but for now I am inclined to uninstall their tracker. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 3/5 on May 23 2007 by Cristiano Betta

Review of Samsung SyncMaster 930BF 19³ LCD Monitor

by  in March 15th 2007
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Samsung SyncMaster 930BF 19³ LCD Monitor
4/5

Ive been very happy with this monitor since I purchased it last year from dabs.com. Great picture quality, both analog and digital connectors and takes up very little space.I also thought it was a bargain particularly considering its fast refresh rate and native res of 1280×1024. Keep an eye out for the replacement models. Id recommend this to anyone thinking of chucking their old CRT.There are cheaper models in the range but they only have VGA input and much slower refresh for a few quid less. Id stick with the 930BF. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 4/5 on Mar 15 2007 by Mr C

Review of Sage Quickpay 10

by  in March 15th 2007
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Sage Quickpay 10
1/5

A truly awful piece of software that they have been milking for years. Shockingly bad UI. And if you want integration with Instant Accounts, you have to pay for it. Whats even scarier is that most of the competition is even worse. Software developed by accountants perhaps? I hate this product with a passion but will probably stick with it as its easier than building my own. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 1/5 on Mar 15 2007 by Mr C

Review of Nokia N70 Mobile Phone

by  in March 15th 2007
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Nokia N70 Mobile Phone
3/5

Ive had my N70 for nearly a year now and overall Im a very happy purchaser. Originally it was dog slow but now that users can update the fireware themselves, it is a lot more sprightly with the new code. It integrates perfectly with Outlook and the Opera browser really is a revelation.The camera isnt bad apart from the awful delay in taking the picture . The music player is a joke but works ok for podcasts.It takes RSMMC memory cards and only Nokia style headphones (or normal headphones with an adapter from eBay).I recommend the phone but as there are much better ones in the pipeline, if you are in no rush, it might be worth waiting for the N73.Since Nokia changed the binary file format in version 3 of Symbian S60, it looks like we wont be getting any of the newer software on the N70. This is going to annoy a lot of users who may start looking at Windows mobile powered Smartphones instead. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 3/5 on Mar 15 2007 by Mr C

Review of Elara online shop

by  in March 15th 2007
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Elara online shop
4/5

This online store sells Laptops, Printers, LCD Monitors, Notebooks, Hard Disks, Memory, Cameras, Motherboards, Routers and other similar equipment.They have a reasonable selection of technology items, usually in stock, the prices are good and delivery via courier is not that expensive.On the downside I dont find them good for consumables and low cost items either in range or value. They also dont carry many niche items and in some categories you have little or no choice.However, they are now my first port of call to purchase computer equipment instead of DABS in the UK.Dabs recent launch of dabs4work.ie is strong competition due to Euro pricing, VAT reclaimability and low delivery charges. They also have economies of scale. .... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 4/5 on Mar 15 2007 by Mr C

Review of Roam4Free

by  in January 26th 2007
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Roam4Free
5/5

I ordered my Roam4Free SIM card yesterday and got it this morning! Pat and the boys obviously understand customer service.

Just popped it in the phone and it connected to Meteor. Interesting that I wasn't asked for a PIN (on my unlocked Nokia N70). I rang the new number that I was given (+37253166646 if you want to ring me when I'm abroad) from the landline and after a small delay I was connected to my mobile.

Very very slick!

Calling out is a little less seamless but works fine as long as you ignore what the phone tells you. I rang the landline from the mobile (including +353) and got an error message from the phone. But a few seconds later my mobile started ringing with the incoming number being it's own (if you know what I mean). I answered it, got an instructional message and then the landline started ringing and the connection made.

Sweet.

On a slightly related note, I tried Jajah yet again on the N70 and it makes the phone almost unusable by interfering with the normal operation of standard keys like "hang-up".

You receive free calls in 65 countries with your caller paying standard rates to roaming mobiles (or much lower rates using something like SkypeOut). You can use it in 115 countries. Making a call whilst roaming costs e.g. 50c in the UK, France, Spain. The rates for the US are high (EUR2+) in both directions but I believe they are working on that.

It's EUR20 for the SIM including EUR5 call credit.

With savings like the ones they are offering, I really think Roam4Free is going to be a huge success.
.... Read Original Full Review.


Rated 5/5 on Jan 26 2007 by Argolon Solutions Team

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