The most recent Hardware Reviews from Incisive Media

Review: NetGear ReadyNAS NVX

Julian Prokaza — 2009-07-13T14:46:00.000Z

Julian Prokaza, V3.co.uk, Monday 13 July 2009 at 14:46:00

NetGear's four-bay compact network-attached storage gets a serious speed boost

The ReadyNAS NVX is the latest in NetGear's line of compact network-attached storage (NAS) devices aimed at small business users.

Although externally identical to the highly capable ReadyNAS NV+ (new charcoal paint job aside), the NVX has a faster 1GHz Intel processor, 1GB of memory (up from 256MB) and support for SATA II drives. NetGear reckons that this makes it twice as fast as the ReadyNAS NV+ and capable of transfer speeds up to 85Mbit/s.

The ReadyNAS NVX can house up to four 3.5in SATA hard disks but, while these can be hot-swapped, the drives must be screwed into a tray before slotting into one of the bays at the front of the device. The bays can be locked to prevent accidental (but not deliberate) ejection, but the only real nod to physical security is a Kensington lock slot at the rear of the device.

Although RAID 0, 1 and 5 arrays are supported, the ReadyNAS NVX works best with NetGear's custom X-RAID 2 technology. With two disks installed, this operates as a mirrored RAID 1 volume, but add a third disk and the volume is automatically expanded and converted to RAID 5, and the device stays online throughout. It's the same with a fourth disk, but X-RAID 2 also allows a volume to be expanded again by adding two larger drives, one at a time. This process can be repeated whenever larger drives become available, which means the ReadyNAS NVX need never run out of capacity.

Setting up the ReadyNAS NVX is simple. An internal power supply makes for a neat set-up and two Gigabit Ethernet ports provide flexible network connection options. The only hiccup is that, despite being described as "whisper quiet", the large rear cooling fan is actually quite noisy and this could be a distraction in an otherwise quiet home office. The ReadyNAS NVX can also serve as a hub for up to two USB printers, so it can at least consolidate the office noise-makers in one spot.

The faster processor and increased memory makes the ReadyNAS NVX's web-based user interface very snappy. Access can be controlled either by a Windows domain controller or on a per-user basis, and the latter also offers group accounts and disk quotas. Native file protocols for Windows, Mac OS and Linux are available, along with FTP and HTTP access, and both Bonjour and UPnP services allow the ReadyNAS NVX to broadcast its services over a network. Interestingly, the ReadyNAS NVX can also be configured as a network Time Machine drive for Mac OS X. Only one share can be set aside for this though, which means that backing up more than one Mac makes their archives available to all.

Barebones units aren't yet available, which means that the cheapest ReadyNAS NVX is the 2x 500GB model at around £700. The top-end 4x 1000GB model costs around £1,300. If compact, redundant networked storage is the key requirement, the ReadyNAS NV+ is a considerably cheaper option (a 4x 1000GB model costs around £850), but if performance is paramount the ReadyNAS NVX is worth the premium.

Hannspree Hannsnote SN10e1

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-07-09T09:00:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Monitor maker turns to mini-notebooks

Hannspree is a name better known in the world of monitors than notebook computers. In the past it has come up with some rather strange designs for its screens, too, including ones in the shape of elephants and footballs (designed for children’s bedrooms, naturally) and a memorable model that came with wood veneer panelling.

So it was disappointing to find that the company’s first mini-notebook computer doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary. The model we looked at used a plain white casing and didn’t distinguish itself in any way from the pack.

In fact, the Hannspree Hannsnote SN10e1 is actually an MSI Wind with different logos and labels pasted on to its case. That’s not uncommon – other computer makers such as Medion and Advent have also used the MSI Wind as a template for their own mini-notebooks, and it is a good starting point in many ways.

So the SN10e1 has an Intel Atom N270 processor at its core, with 1GB of memory and Windows XP home loaded onto the 160GB hard disk. The processor and memory were powerful enough for standard tasks such as web browsing, email and word processing, without being able to deal with video editing or big-name games.

The hard disk has plenty of room for storage of documents, music and videos, though.

The Hannsnote’s keyboard stretches across the entire width of the notebook’s interior, which is good, but the keys still felt smaller when we were typing than they did on, say, the Samsung N310.

As with many such computers it’s a shallow keyboard so if you type hard it’s going to be uncomfortable after a while. The trackpad is also very small, as are the mouse buttons below it, making it hard to use.

In addition to being able to connect to wireless networks, the SN10e1 has a socket for wired networks on one side. There’s also a VGA socket for monitor connection, headphone and microphone sockets and three USB ports, as well as a memory card reader.

As is the case with all mini-notebook computers, it doesn’t have enough room for a CD or DVD drive, so you’ll need to add an external one if you want access to such discs (in this day and age that’s less of a problem, though).

One of the big gripes we and others had with the MSI Wind and almost all the computers based upon it was the computer’s battery life, which was less than three hours in most cases. That’s not quite enough for such a computer, which is after all designed for travellers, so it’s disappointing to see that Hannspree has not included a larger-capacity battery with the Hannsnote.

It’s the same one as in the original MSI Wind U100, which gave a battery life of approximately three hours, a slight but not substantial improvement.

The Hannspree Hannsnote SN10e1 is not a bad computer as mini-notebooks go – it worked well and does its job. But it’s a shame that Hannspree didn’t take the opportunity to improve upon the MSI Wind, rather than just replicating it.

At £260 it’s a decent deal at the moment, so if you’re looking for an entry-level mini-notebook the Hannsnote SN10e1 should be on the list.

Review: Motorola MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Daniel Robinson — 2009-07-08T16:18:00.000Z

Daniel Robinson, V3.co.uk, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 16:18:00

A rugged Windows Mobile device for mobile workers

Motorola's MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant is a ruggedised handheld computer designed for enterprise applications such as field service operations, warehouses and healthcare. As such it is larger and heavier than consumer-grade devices, but is designed for a longer lifecycle and ships with vertical-oriented features such as a barcode scanner.

Launched in March, the MC55 is based on version 6.1 of Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform, and has a 3.5in 240 x 320 touch-screen similar to early Pocket PC devices. It has a 520MHz XScale PXA 270 processor coupled with 128MB Ram and 256MB Flash storage.

The MC55 is split into two basic models: the 5590 with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for communications; and the 5574 which additionally features a cellular radio for wide-area networks and a GPS receiver.

Both models are available with a Qwerty or numeric keypad, and a 1D laser barcode scanner or a 2D imager. Both options are available with or without a 2-megapixel camera with flash.

We looked at the MC5590 model, which makes up for its lack of cellular capability with a more capable Wi-Fi adapter that covers 802.11a/b/g specifications. Our review unit also had the Qwerty keypad, the camera (at the rear of the case) and 2D imager (pointing out from the top of the case).

The MC55 is considerably heavier than most smartphones and PDAs at 315g, but it is designed for greater ruggedness. It exceeds the US military's MIL-STD 810F standards, which means it can survive a drop on to concrete from 1.2m. It is also sealed to IP54 environmental protection specifications.

The device has a 2400mAh lithium ion battery pack, which is roughly double the capacity you would see on a consumer device, intended to provide enough power for all-day use. Behind the battery is a combined holder for a SIM card and Micro SD Flash card, protected by a rubber cover.

For customers not so concerned with ruggedness, rival models such as the SoMo 650 from Socket Communications offer similar capabilities, but at a lower purchase price.

Despite its size and weight, we found the MC55 fairly easy to carry around thanks to a simple hand strap stretched across the rear that means you do not have to keep a constant tight grip on it.

In use, the MC55 behaves pretty much like a standard Windows Mobile device. It has the familiar Windows Mobile interface accessed via a stylus that clips into a recess on the right of the case and is attached by a tether. The touch-screen, which has a protective covering, can also be activated by fingertip, and seemed bright and clear enough to be viewed in a variety of lighting conditions.

The device has much of the software found on a Windows Mobile handset, including the Office Mobile suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) and Microsoft's email client, enabling users to hook up to corporate Exchange mail servers.

It also has specialist Motorola tools including an AirBeam client, a Mobility Services Platform agent and a Rapid Deployment Client used to provision and manage a fleet of Motorola handhelds. The Rapid Deployment Client can provision the device by scanning bar codes distributed by an administrator, or by looking for a deployment server on the network, for example.

The MC55 is also supposed to ship with Motorola's Total Enterprise Access and Mobility (Team) voice-over-Wi-Fi client, but this was missing from our review unit.

Unlike consumer devices, we found the MC55 tricky to configure. Its Wi-Fi client, for example, requires a myriad of settings, including options for certificates and 802.11d configuration for countries where other 802.11 standards are not permitted to operate. In reality this is unlikely to be a problem for most users, as these settings should be controlled by an administrator.

Our MC55 also shipped with some sample applications, including an image capture tool, barcode scanner and print tool. The barcode scanner can use either the 2D imager or the camera to scan and decode barcodes, while the image capture tool uses the 2D imager to produce a black-and-white image. The standard Windows Mobile Camera tool can be used to snap colour images using the 2-megapixel camera instead.

The MC55 model we looked at had a full Qwerty keypad, similar to those seen on smartphones such as Palm's Treo Pro. Although small, the keys have a positive action and make it fairly easy to key in text using thumbs to type. Orange and blue modifier keys provide access to numbers and other symbols, which are likewise colour-coded.

A variety of accessories are available for the MC55, including spare batteries, belt holsters and cradles that can charge the unit and a spare battery at the same time. Our review unit shipped with a USB docking cable and mains charger.

Overall, the MC5590 is well suited for applications requiring a handheld computer with image capture or barcode reading capabilities, but companies may have to invest in other Motorola products such as management tools to get the best out of the unit.

Nikon D5000

Tom Royal — 2009-07-08T09:00:00.000Z

Tom Royal, Computeractive, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Nikon’s cheapest SLR that can shoot high-definition video

We're a little surprised that Nikon's latest digital SLR wasn't called the D75, as it sits directly between the cheaper D60 and the more advanced D90. Its small body and kit lens are very similar to the cheaper model but, like the D90, it takes 12.3-megapixel images and can record high-definition videos.

As a still camera, the D5000 is easily as good as the D60 if not quite up to the standard of the D90. Although it includes the usual control modes found on any digital SLR, it's also packed full of scene modes that allow the user to select what they're photographing and leave the rest to the camera's electronics.

There are so many scene modes, in fact, that they won't all fit on the control dial, so others have to be chosen from a menu. The scenes range from the strangely technical (high-key) to the family-friendly (pet portrait).

Our test photos were perfectly exposed with pleasing colours, and an option in the camera's menus can attempt to automatically correct for perspective – this works surprisingly well and is ideal for those who don't have suitable editing software.

The optical viewfinder is significantly smaller than that of the D90, but still a better way to compose photos than on a screen, and an option allows you to overlay gridlines in order to get shots straight.

The nine-point autofocus system worked well, but we were disappointed by the autofocus on the kit lens: it's markedly slower than that on other Nikkor AF-S lenses we've tested and, unlike better models, cannot be manually overridden by simply grabbing and twisting the focus ring – a switch chooses between manual-only and autofocus-only.

Like the D60 the D5000 has no lens focus motor, so some older Nikon lenses won't autofocus at all – look for AF-S models when buying to be safe.

One notable new feature on the D5000 is its flip-and-swivel screen. This is hinged at the bottom, and can be used at various angles or folded inwards to protect the screen when in transit.

The D5000 has a live-view option, so images can be composed on the display, but in this mode the autofocus was tediously slow. It's handy when shooting at awkward angles or from a tripod, but if you want to compose snapshots using a screen we'd suggest saving some of your cash and buying a compact camera rather than a DSLR.

Once in live-view mode, pushing the OK button starts the camera recording video. Like the D90, the D5000 can record 720p high-definiton video clips and there's a built-in microphone for recording sound.

The main limitation of this mode is that the camera cannot autofocus while shooting, so you'll have to either fix the focus beforehand or focus manually.

This is more of a problem than on the more expensive model, though, as the D5000's kit lens was obviously not designed for manual focus use: to focus you must grip the very end of the lens, and the gearing means that a small adjustments are tricky. Add on a lens with a proper focus ring, however, and things become far, far easier.

We've placed some example video online so you can see for yourself – note that this was shot with a 50mm lens that could be easily focused rather than the kit one.

All things considered we are sure the D5000 is a good camera, but we’re less sure it’s a good buy. With the dozens of scene modes Nikon is clearly marketing it at families and less technical users, but the manual focus limitation of the video mode means that anyone who wants to take snapshots and video their kids would be better off with a proper camcorder and a cheaper camera.

Anyone who wants to take creative photos or videos, on the other hand, will probably want to trade the D5000's scene modes and folding screen for the advanced options and better lens support of the D90. This is a decent, sturdy-feeling camera that'll take great photos, but we're just not sure who should buy it.

Viewsonic VX2433wm widescreen monitor

Paul Monkton — 2009-07-07T09:00:00.000Z

Paul Monkton, Personal Computer World, Tuesday 7 July 2009 at 09:00:00

24in widescreen monitor with HDMI

The VX2433wm is a smart-looking display. Its 1,080p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio matches the shape of a widescreen TV and is ideal for displaying HD content. Finished in a glossy piano black, it has a single silver power button at the front. The remaining controls are tucked out of sight on the right-hand side, keeping the appearance neat and tidy and retaining minimalistic good looks.

Viewsonic’s menu system is not the easiest to navigate. This is partly because the design precludes the use of unsightly button legends.

The menu contains some useful functions, including control over aspect ratio and the ability to turn the dynamic contrast system on or off we prefer to leave it disabled. While this boosts the specified contrast ratio from 1,000:1 to 20,000:1, it’s unhelpful for most applications other than watching video. It also lacks any one-button display presets, such as text, movie or photo modes. This means you’ll have to tweak the individual functions manually.

If you do want to watch video, the display will cope admirably with a variety of sources, thanks to its built-in HDMI connector, which will allow you to hook up a Blu-ray player or games console with a single cable and enjoy 1,080p HD video and sound through a pair of built-in 2W speakers.

You also get DVI and analogue VGA ports, so you can connect up to three devices at once and switch between them from the front panel.

In use, the VX2433wm delivers a bold, sharp picture, thanks to its excellent contrast. However, colour reproduction was less vivid than some of the competition as revealed by our test results.

Overall this is a smart, good-looking display with excellent connectivity and better-than-average performance. Look online for discounted prices of around £200 inc Vat.

Gyration Air Mouse Go Plus

Paul Lester — 2009-07-07T09:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Computeractive, Tuesday 7 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Control a PC remotely using this motion-sensing mouse

The Air Mouse Go Plus is the latest in the line of portable wireless mice from Gyration, using motion sensing to manipulate a mouse pointer on screen, rather than moving a mouse on a desktop.

It was originally designed for presentations, but the versatile software, which allows users to allocate specific actions to any of the five controls, eight swiping movements and eight areas of a desktop display, means it is useful for lots of other tasks.

Despite the device being able to respond from 100 feet away from the USB receiver (which plugs into the PC), it’s not much use unless you’re close enough to see the screen.

This does limit the mouse’s use but, in addition to presentations, it has distinct appeal for photo slideshows, media control and other situations where a mouse and keyboard aren’t practical.

The device was responsive, easy to configure and use and, provided its limitations are taken into account, is an effective way to control a PC if you’re not sitting with it at a desk.

Medion Akoya E1312

Anthony Dhanendran — 2009-07-06T09:00:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeractive, Monday 6 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Twelve inches of notebook

The distinction between full-size notebook computers and mini-notebooks is a fine one, and Medion’s Akoya E1312, available exclusively from Aldi shops from 12 July, is more confusing than most.

It has an 11.6in widescreen display, uses an AMD Sempron processor, but runs Windows XP Home. That puts it in-between the two camps: it’s a touch more powerful than other 10in mini-notebook computers, but it’s still fairly light and portable and, like those computers, it can’t handle video-editing or big-name games.

It’s a thin unit with a glossy black case and a rounded hinge at the rear which gives it a stylish look. There is an Expresscard slot for expansion, along with three USB ports, headphone and microphone sockets, a memory card reader and both VGA and HDMI ports for connecting to either a computer monitor or a flat-panel TV.

It can connect to both wired and wireless networks (even the newest 802.11n networks) as well as Bluetooth devices such as phones.

The screen was clear and very bright – it was turned down by default but there are buttons on the keyboard to turn it up.

At 11.6in it was easy to read text on the screen and the keyboard stretches across the full width of the case so it’s easy to type on without making errors. It was a bit shallow, though, so keyboard-bashers might be in for some pain, and the trackpad below was a little smaller than we’d have liked.

As with all Aldi’s Medion computers, this one is likely to be highly sought-after once it goes on sale on Sunday 12 July, so if you’re after one it’s worth getting down to your local shop early. The battery lasted for a little over three hours.

Comparing the E1312 with the similarly priced Acer Aspire One D250 it’s not much bigger, and offers a larger, more useful screen along with a larger and more comfortable keyboard.

Performance-wise there’s not much in it between this and Intel Atom-powered mini-notebooks, but the E1312 is otherwise impressive.

Dell 1235cn colour laser printer

Will Stapley — 2009-07-04T07:00:00.000Z

Will Stapley, V3.co.uk, Saturday 4 July 2009 at 07:00:00

A decent multi-function printer with plenty of features, but best suited to small workgroups

As far as laser printers go, the Dell 1235cn is certainly one of the more attractive, with an all-black chassis and smooth, curved edges. It's a colour multi-function laser, and is therefore able to print, scan, copy and send faxes.

USB is joined by built-in Ethernet, so the 1235cn will have no problem hooking up to a corporate network. But with a 150-sheet input tray and woefully small 80-sheet output tray, it's certainly not a printer that would suit large or even medium-sized workgroups.

In our tests, mono prints arrived at a rate of 16ppm, with the first page appearing in around 11 seconds. Since it's a multi-pass model, colour prints are much slower at just over 3ppm.

An automatic document feeder sits on top of the scanner unit, but it's only able to take 15 pages at a time so will be no good for large photocopying tasks. It is, however, fairly nippy, and copying a six-sheet document took 38 seconds.

In terms of print quality, the 1235cn performs adequately. We've certainly no problem with its mono output, but some lighter colours struggled in terms of vibrancy. That said, for printing presentations and the like it's fine.

Although reasonably quiet, we noticed the 1235cn kicks out a fair bit of heat during use. Each page arriving in the output tray is joined by a waft of hot air, and if you print a large document in a small, poorly ventilated room, temperatures will soon start to rise.

Compared to other lasers, the 1235cn is expensive to run. All replacement toner cartridges cost £41 (ex VAT), with the black lasting 1,500 pages and each of the three colour cartridges good for 1,000 pages. This means colour prints cost a hefty 15p each, while mono prints are 2.7p. To make matters worse, Dell doesn't offer high-capacity toner cartridges, so there's no opportunity to reduce these costs.

We've no complaints regarding the features offered by Dell's 1235cn, but its high running costs and slow colour printing makes it best suited as a single-user printer or for small workgroups where large print jobs are very infrequent.

Hauppauge WinTV Ministick HD

Paul Lester — 2009-07-03T09:00:00.000Z

Paul Lester, Personal Computer World, Friday 3 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Watch free-to-view TV but a rooftop aerial is a must

Hauppauge has expanded its range of portable TV tuners to include the WinTV-Ministick HD, a portable USB-based tuner capable of picking up local free-to-view TV channels, including those in HD.

The device is no bigger than a thumb drive, with an RF port at one end to connect to an aerial. A portable mini-aerial is supplied as is the latest version of WinTV for accessing and recording channels.

Setup is straightforward, provided you have access to a strong signal. During our tests we found the supplied aerial to be all but useless, very occasionally picking up a few channels only to lose them after reconnecting, so we’d strongly advise anyone considering a purchase to use a rooftop aerial.

This restricts its versatility somewhat, but isn’t the only factor that can affect playback.

After successfully scanning for and detecting a range of channels using the setup wizard, we discovered our test notebook was severely under-powered and had to resort to carting a desktop machine to a location close enough to an aerial wall socket.

Reception and picture quality improved dramatically, but the listed system requirements are only a bare minimum, and might not be enough for consistently smooth playback.

WinTV is a basic application that provides all you might need from a TV tuner, such as the ability to pause, time-shift and record programmes. It includes a seven-day electronic programme guide (EPG) and the ability to set up and schedule recordings, show subtitles and Teletext.

Generally we were impressed by the image quality, portability and operation of the Ministick HD, but only in an optimum environment. The potential signal issues are a problem, but this is also true of many other TV tuners. If you have a powerful PC, this is an effective way to access digital television and HD.

Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH wireless router

Will Stapley — 2009-07-03T09:00:00.000Z

Will Stapley, Personal Computer World, Friday 3 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Fast speeds when channel bonding, but no 5GHz mode

Buffalo’s latest router is a sleek-looking device, aimed at cable broadband users, since it has no built-in ADSL modem.

It is surprising that the WZR-HP-G300NH doesn’t feature a 5GHz 802.11n mode, relying on the more congested 2.4GHz spectrum only. But we still experienced some decent speeds during testing.

When using the router with Buffalo’s Wireless-N USB adapter, we transferred a 349MB file in 63 seconds, giving a throughput of 44Mbits/sec.

Switching the channel bonding mode on, the same file transferred in just 33 seconds (an impressive 85Mbits/sec), however your neighbours won’t thank you for hogging two wireless channels. These speeds were achieved at close range, and when we moved to around 30m away speeds dropped to under 15Mbits/sec, which is still respectable.

Buffalo has furnished the WZR-HP-G300NH with a few useful extras, including a Bittorrent client that allows for peer-to-peer downloads requiring a PC to be switched on. To use this feature, you will need to attach some form of storage to the USB port at the rear of the router. Once attached, the router will also function as a basic network-attached server (Nas) device.

A switch on the front of the router lets you turn the Movie Engine mode on. Essentially a quality of service (QoS) feature, this prioritises media traffic to reduce the likelihood of video stuttering. However, we had no trouble streaming HD video through the router, whether the setting was enabled or not.

There’s plenty to like about Buffalo’s latest router, but it’s rather disappointing it can’t manage 802.11n on the less-cluttered 5GHz spectrum.

Asus Eee Box B204

Simon Williams — 2009-07-03T09:00:00.000Z

Simon Williams, Computeractive, Friday 3 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Can this small PC be a useful home entertainment computer?

Having created the mini-notebook with its Eee PC Asus followed up with the Eee Box, a tiny desktop version.

Surprisingly successful as a general-purpose home PC, the original Eee Box format was also the ideal candidate for a sitting-room media centre computer, except that it wasn’t powerful enough to handle High Definition (HD) video.

Now Asus claims its B204 and B206 computers (the B206 has a built-in battery backup) – have been improved enough to enable them to handle HD video. To achieve this there have been two major component changes: the main processor and the graphics processor. The models still use Windows XP Home.

The central processor is now a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 and the graphics chip is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD3450, which should in theory work together to provide HD video support.

We were disappointed to find that the B204 still can’t really handle HD video. Even using the lower resolution 720p format, playback was jerky with dropped frames in standard media software.

This is mainly because the ATI chip offers its hardware boost only under Microsoft’s DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) and some video player programs don’t support this.

The freeware player MPC-HC does support it, however, and when we loaded this, 720p videos played without problem. With the higher-resolution 1080p material, though, there were more playback problems.

The B204 offers other improvements such as 1GB of memory and a 160GB hard disk. The only video output is an HDMI socket for connection to the flat screen, but there are still four USB sockets and an analogue audio socket, which comes with a converter for digital audio output.

As with the other Eee products there is no CD or DVD drive so any video you play will have to be downloaded or taken from an external hard disk, or you will have to buy and plug in an external disc reader.

The Eee Box itself looks much the same as it did before: a box about the same size as a large broadband router, which can be laid flat on the desk, mounted vertically on its slightly shaky stand or fixed directly to a flat-screen TV using a standard Vesa mounting bracket.

The stand and mount are supplied, as are a wireless network aerial and a remote control, complete with an infra-red adapter.

So, this Eee Box is better on the video side than earlier models, but is still not the ideal vehicle for a small-format media centre.

Power Traveller Solargorilla

Tom Royal — 2009-07-02T15:55:00.000Z

Tom Royal, Computeractive, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 15:55:00

Charge your laptop or phone anywhere with this solar panel

Packing for holidays isn’t as easy as it used to be. As well as a passport, sun cream and clothes, many of us want to take a mobile phone – and that means taking a charger, and probably a foreign plug adapter to make it work. If you have an MP3 player, that’ll need a charger too. Oh, and if you’re travelling for work you’ll need a laptop and its charger. Pretty soon the bottom of your suitcase can end up filled with a spaghetti-like mess of power adapters and wires.

One neat solution is the Solargorilla: a foldable solar panel that can be used to charge all kinds of electronic products. Its two panels are fitted into a plastic case that measures around 27x20x2cm when folded shut, and feels impressively rugged – we would have no concerns about chucking it into a rucksack.

The Solargorilla has two sockets. One is designed to charge laptops, and there’s a USB socket for charging smaller devices. A selection of power adapters is supplied in the box, and others can be ordered from the company for a few pounds each.

The only problem we found with the Solargorilla was finding enough sunlight in the UK. Small devices such as a Nokia mobile phone and Nintendo DS games console charged easily, but even on a brilliantly sunny day we couldn’t quite get enough power to properly charge our Medion laptop. If you’re heading somewhere really sunny, of course, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Alternatively the company sells a rechargeable power pack, the Powergorilla, that can be charged from the solar panels and then used itself to deliver a steady charge to a laptop.

All in all, the Solargorilla won’t be ideal for everyone: it’s fairly expensive, and to charge a laptop directly you’ll need very bright sunlight. If you’re travelling somewhere hot and off the beaten track, though, it could prove invaluable.

Powertraveller Solar Gorilla portable power charger

Orestis Bastounis — 2009-07-02T10:41:00.000Z

Orestis Bastounis, Personal Computer World, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 10:41:00

An eco-friendly way to charge mobile devices

The Solar Gorilla is a portable solar panel that can charge an MP3 player, mobile phone, or even a laptop.

It’s quite a bulky unit that comprises two photovoltaic panels that open like a clamshell to capture energy from direct sunlight.

You plug a device into either the 5V USB or 20V laptop power using one of the supplied adapters. There are plenty of these for all the shapes and sizes of power connector used by different manufacturers, so you can charge most notebooks, including those from Asus, Acer, Compaq, Gateway, Epson, Samsung, Sony, E-machines, Viewsonic, Dell, Panasonic, but an Apple Macbook needs an adapter.

It doesn’t store any energy, so you can’t rely on the Solar Gorilla as an alternative battery. Instead, to charge a device, you have to leave it plugged in while the Solar Gorilla is in direct sunlight, which restricts when it can be used.

Powertraveller sells another product, the Power Gorilla, a portable battery that can be charged by the Solar Gorilla, although this costs another £130.

If you spend time camping or hiking, the Solar Gorilla could be exactly what you need if you have to be certain your laptop or mobile phone will work away from a power source.

The surface of the Solar Gorilla is covered in rubber, so it can survive a few knocks and scratches if you’re on the move. It’s quite thin, so will easily slip into a laptop bag or a rucksack, but be aware it weighs 700g.

It’s a free source of energy, but it might take a while before the savings to your electricity bill match the initial cost of the device.

The Solar Gorilla is an excellent solar-powered charger, but aside from giving you a warm feeling that your laptop is being powered from a source of eco-friendly energy, it’s only useful in limited situations, most of them travel-related.

Genius G-Shot HD520 HD camcorder

Orestis Bastounis — 2009-07-02T10:25:00.000Z

Orestis Bastounis, Personal Computer World, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 10:25:00

A portable HD camcorder for less than £100

Like the Flip Mino HD, the G-Shot HD520 is a pocket-sized camcorder that can record 720p resolution video. However, the G-Shot can also capture still images, function as a webcam, MP3 player and ebook reader, has a 2.5in rotatable flip-out LCD and its internal storage can be expanded with SD cards. And, incredibly, it’s much cheaper than the Flip Mino HD.

When recording video the G-Shot is meant to be held with your arm outstretched, pointed like a gun. It isn’t as light or portable as the Flip, measuring 4cm deep at its widest point.

On the right-hand side is a control for 5x digital zoom, along with a button to manually turn the flash on or off when taking still images.

Four buttons sit under your thumb for going through menus, selecting options and deleting files. A switch on the top lets you switch focus settings between normal and macro recording.

Regardless of which macro setting you use, the G-Shot won’t produce brilliant-quality video, thanks to its low-quality lens.

We spent time recording indoors and outside, and both times the results were mediocre. Video was either grainy or blurry, with artefacts obscuring small details, which negates the benefit of recording in high definition. It isn’t terrible though and is perfectly suitable for recording video for the web.

The G-Shot’s other features range from good to useless. The MP3 player works well as expected, but the small 2.5in screen isn’t suited for reading ebooks. Its still images are reasonable, although most dedicated compact cameras produce far better quality.

Still, you’d be hard pressed to find another HD camcorder less than £100. The G-Shot isn’t nearly in the same league as the Everio, and falls short of the Flip Mino HD. However, it’s perfectly suited for recording while on holiday, or for anyone who likes to share online video.

Nokia E75

David Phelan — 2009-07-02T10:00:00.000Z

David Phelan, Computeractive, Thursday 2 July 2009 at 10:00:00

This ‘business phone’ is neat enough to appeal to everyone

Nokia’s range of E-series phones are aimed at business users, which means they’re great for things such as email.

This new model is the first E-series one with a proper keyboard - it harks back to the company’s Communicator phones, which were always great for typing on but were very hefty.

However, on the E75 a spacious keyboard slides out sideways from behind the screen. The design of this phone was clearly important, and it’s elegant enough to stop it looking like a business phone at all.

It’s reasonably slim like a regular phone, and the gleaming metallic back looks very stylish. Overall, it feels like a classic Nokia that happens to hide a keyboard.

A motion detector means that when you slide out the keypad the screen spins around automatically and quickly so that its orientation matches the keys below.

The benefit of the keypad is obvious – why send text messages using annoying predictive text input when you have a full keyboard available to type on?

It worked very well, although there’s no room for separate number keys which instead occupy the top row of the keyboard - it is odd to have to press a Function key to select them.

Even though it’s sleek and cute, this is a phone that will attract more business-minded users who don’t want to go down the Blackberry route.

The E75 includes a subscription to Nokia Mail – a mail delivery service, free apart from data costs. Setting up a Googlemail account on the phone took just a couple of minutes and was simple and effective.

Like the earlier E71, this phone is designed to work in different ways according to your needs – it can be up for business and personal use with separate, customisable home screens.You can set it so business emails pop up only in the work scenario, for instance.

Internet access is good, with wireless network access built in so you can find a signal in a hotspot, but although the PC software is good for backing up and more, the absence of Apple Mac compatibility is a shame.

There’s a decent 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, mirror and light, and a standard headphone jack. Battery life was decent rather than exceptional but this is a great phone with nice styling and strong features, including the very useful slide-out keyboard.