I had high hopes for this one, but although what was there was good there wasn't much of it.
There were some really impressive animatronic dinosaur scenes, but considering the admission price not nearly enough.
As you'd expect from the Natural History Museum, the intellectual content was impressive, but nothing you couldn't find in a book and the kids tend to whizz right by it because they want, understandably enough, to get to the dinosaurs.
Worth a look if you're in the area and have money burning a hole in your pocket, otherwise I'd say go for Dinosaurs Unleashed instead as you get a lot more dino for your dollar.
Dec 31, 2010
Tronic universal battery charger
If you've bought a job lot of cheap Tronic rechargeable batteries then you need something to charge them in.
Look no further than the Tronic universal battery charger, it's cheap, sturdy, can charge up to 8 AA batteries at once and comes with a range of advanced features including automatic battery refreshing, LED charge indicators, separate charging channels and more.
It's no use if you're using Tronic batteries in it though.
Look no further than the Tronic universal battery charger, it's cheap, sturdy, can charge up to 8 AA batteries at once and comes with a range of advanced features including automatic battery refreshing, LED charge indicators, separate charging channels and more.
It's no use if you're using Tronic batteries in it though.
Tronic rechargeable batteries
Available in the full range of sizes, Tronic rechargeable batteries are available from Lidl and other sources.
They list impressive capacities for their minimal price, but unfortunately seem to lose their charge very easily and if not used soon after charging often require recharging - if it's possible to do that at all.
Rechargeable batteries are meant to be capable of being charged up to 1,000 times. This sorry range rarely seems to make it into double figures before giving up the ghost though.
It's probably more economical to buy standard alkaline batteries.
A real false economy, steer clear.
They list impressive capacities for their minimal price, but unfortunately seem to lose their charge very easily and if not used soon after charging often require recharging - if it's possible to do that at all.
Rechargeable batteries are meant to be capable of being charged up to 1,000 times. This sorry range rarely seems to make it into double figures before giving up the ghost though.
It's probably more economical to buy standard alkaline batteries.
A real false economy, steer clear.
Dec 24, 2010
Metro free newspaper
The Metro is a bit like a cut down, politically sanitised version of the Daily Mail and features much of the same content.
Perfect for the morning commute, it is filled with the previous day's news and sport, some celebrity tittle-tattle, lifestyle features, puzzles and a bit of idiotic fluff.
You certainly wouldn't want to pay for it, but there's just enough there to divert your attention long enough to get to work - as long as there aren't any delays.
Perfect for the morning commute, it is filled with the previous day's news and sport, some celebrity tittle-tattle, lifestyle features, puzzles and a bit of idiotic fluff.
You certainly wouldn't want to pay for it, but there's just enough there to divert your attention long enough to get to work - as long as there aren't any delays.
Dec 21, 2010
Sony PlayStation Portable games console
The Sony PlayStation Portable (or PSP) is a handheld gaming console that plays UMDs - miniature CD-ROMs in a special protective case, containing either games or videos.
It's a smashing bit of kit with a nice clear screen, wifi, enough buttons for every conceivable purpose and an analogue stick for everything else. You can also pick up games really cheaply.
The only gripes are battery life, noise and loading speed - all of which are due to the choice of disc rather than cartridge as the storage medium.
Whether you want to go for the PSP or the Nintendo DS probably depends on your priorities - there are more adult games, including 18 rated ones, on the PSP, not to mention films; but the DS has dual touch screens and lots of innovative software.
The choice is yours.
It's a smashing bit of kit with a nice clear screen, wifi, enough buttons for every conceivable purpose and an analogue stick for everything else. You can also pick up games really cheaply.
The only gripes are battery life, noise and loading speed - all of which are due to the choice of disc rather than cartridge as the storage medium.
Whether you want to go for the PSP or the Nintendo DS probably depends on your priorities - there are more adult games, including 18 rated ones, on the PSP, not to mention films; but the DS has dual touch screens and lots of innovative software.
The choice is yours.
Nov 24, 2010
Eikon Touch fingerprint reader
The Eikon Touch can be attached to a PC via the USB port, providing security for your computer whilst allowing you to use it without the need to remember any passwords.
You can enrol up to ten fingers and log on with any of them. Unfortunately after a few weeks it seems to lose the ability to recognise your fingerprints even after three attempts. I thought this problem was mine alone, and caused by either a faulty unit or eroded fingerprints, but this seems to be a common complaint amongst my colleagues.
Great idea, but not much use in practice.
You can enrol up to ten fingers and log on with any of them. Unfortunately after a few weeks it seems to lose the ability to recognise your fingerprints even after three attempts. I thought this problem was mine alone, and caused by either a faulty unit or eroded fingerprints, but this seems to be a common complaint amongst my colleagues.
Great idea, but not much use in practice.
Nov 22, 2010
LG Flatron TV/monitor
Available in a range of screen sizes, these dual function offerings from the Korean manufacturer represent fantastic value.
The visuals are great, but they're slightly let down by muffled audio due to the bizarre position of the speakers on the underside of the unit behind a plastic flange which channels sound backwards. Connect to your stereo though and it's a very good buy.
The visuals are great, but they're slightly let down by muffled audio due to the bizarre position of the speakers on the underside of the unit behind a plastic flange which channels sound backwards. Connect to your stereo though and it's a very good buy.
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