Software and hardware reviews

• Yaber K2s 1080p native smart projector 800 ANSI lumens
  Yaber 1080p native 800 ANSI lumens projector I needed a projector for work, but also wanted to make use of it at home. It needed to be reasonably bright, have good connectivity and not break the bank. Coming in at a discounted price of just over £300, the Yaber seemed to fit the bill. I'd never heard of Yaber, but as the reviews on Amazon seemed largely positive and it was heavily discounted…

• Anker 3-in-1 Cube charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and Airpods
  Anker 3-in-1 Cube charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and Airpods Recently, I had the chance to try out the Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe, and I couldn't be more impressed with this handy little device. It's a fantastic wireless charging solution that's compatible with various Apple devices, including iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Plus, it's designed with MagSafe, making it an excellent fit for…

• Replacing a Ring Pro wired doorbell with Eufy 2K wired doorbell
  I have been using the Ring doorbell for about four years. I was generally happy with its performance and features, however their price increase in 2023 and then in February 2024, doubling the subscription price over a two-year period, felt like price gauging of a captive audience. So, I switched to the Eufy 2K in just 20 minutes. The main reason why I switched to the Eufy 2k wired doorbell is th…

• IPad Pro 12.9” 5th Gen (2021) Review
  At £999 the iPad Pro 12.9” is not an impulse buy, but is the new M1-powered tablet worth it? Coming from an original 2015 iPad Pro 12.9” I was eager to see what difference six years and five generations would make, and what tasks that I would usually do on a laptop that could now comfortably be done on the iPad Pro, coupled with the new Magic Keyboard.

• Review: AfterShokz OpenComm bone conducting headphones
  AfterShokz have long championed bone conduction technology. Can their new OpenComm headset with built-in noise cancelling microphone solve the new world problem of poor audio quality on video calls? With more people than ever working from home and relying on video conferencing the need for good quality audio input and output has grown exponentially. Most people 'make do' with the microphone o…

• Review: OYO Nova Gym
  Review: OYO Nova Gym The OYO Nova Gym is a portable gym that provides total body strength training across over 100 exercises in a folding device weighing only 1.12kg. As the most funded fitness product in Kickstarter history, amassing over $4m, and generating a further $6m on Indiegogo, does it live up to its claims?

• Review: Roku Streambar
  Review: Roku Streambar 4K sound bar, Bluetooth speaker and TV streaming A sound bar can deliver a drastic improvement over a TV;s built-in audio experience. Throw in Bluetooth and you can stream audio from your phone. Roku have added in a third feature by combining sound bar and Bluetooth speaker functionality with their renowned 4K streaming system, turning any old TV into a smart one - but…

• How to work from home
  With many people now facing the prospect of working from home to protect themselves against coronavirus what can you do to ease the transition? As someone that has worked from home (and therefore ‘self-isolated’) for 21 years there are a number of considerations along with a few tips and tricks to make the most of it. In June 1999 I made the transition from being office-based in one company t…

• Sony KD-43XG8396 43” 4K Android TV versus Samsung QE43Q60R 43” 4K Tizen TV
  I was in the market for a 43” mid-range smart TV. The Samsung Q60R and Sony XG8396 stood out as both were advertised as smart, but Android appeared to be more flexible and with more apps than Samsung’sTizen OS. After much deliberation I opted for the Sony, whose picture quality didn’t disappoint. So why did I return it within 24 hours and why is the Samsung so much better? The main objectives…

• Review: Fitbit Versa smartwatch (versus Pebble Time Steel)
  In 2015 Pebble released what was to be their last smartwatch. Three years later, and after acquiring the Pebble IP and key staff in 2016, Fitbit have released the closest thing to a worthy successor. With Apple Watch decimating all others in the smart wearables sector, is there room for a new smartwatch, and is the Fitbit Versa actually any good? The Pebble watch was one of crowd-funding webs…