We check out the latest gadgets, gizmos and
geek toys
Projector – Pico Genie A100
We’ll admit that we were pretty dismissive
of the Pico Genie when we first heard of it – a projector built into an iPhone
case, that has to be crap right? Imagine our shock, then, when it turned out to
be really rather excellent. Granted, you need the lights turned down, as the
lamp doesn’t have oodles of punch, but the picture is crisp, clear and easily
focused up to a size of around 50in using the focusing ring. The 2W speaker
built into the case is sufficient too, making it ideal for travelling or
impromptu business meetings. It’s expensive, of course, but if money is no
object (or you can get one through work) then you won’t be disappointed.
Media centre keyboard – Keysonic KSK-3205
Interacting with media PCs can be a clunky
experience, where you often have to switch between your keyboard, mouse and
remote, depending on what you’re doing. This is why Keysonic has developed the
3205. It’s around the size of a Blackberry, so it’s hardly an obtrusive piece
of kit, but it manages to pack in media controls, a touchpad and a keyboard
without ever feeling cramped. The Range is good too, and although typing on the
keyboard is fiddly, you shouldn’t have to do this too often. Our only gripe is
the build quality – it feels extremely lightweight and insubstantial, and we
expect better for $60
USB sound card – Enermax Dream Bass AP001
The Dream Bass is an affordable USB sound
card, styled to look like a valve from an old school amplifier. Both headphone
and microphone mini-jacks are provided. Enermax claims that it will provide
improved playback and recording quality thanks to the on-board VIA VT1620A
chip, which supports 24-bit/192KHz sampling and has two high-quality DACs.
However, the output of the Dream Bass AP001 is disappointingly bass-heavy,
making almost all types of musing sound unbalanced – as though you’re hearing
it through a wall. It isn’t adjustable either – there isn’t even a Tone tab in
the Windows Sound Control Panel, although there is the bizarre option for an
extra bass boost in the Enhancements tab. On the plus side, the extra bass was
more welcome in games, which tend to emphasise bass in sound effects, but its
unbalanced performance in everything else means that you’d be better off
sticking with on-board sound.
Cleaning spray – Antec Advance Natural Spray 60ml
Antec’s Advance Natural Spray is made from
100 per cent natural ingredients, and has no chemical additives. After all,
everything natural is good for you, except deadly nightshade, snake venom,
poisonous toadstools and, unlike the other cleaning products on test, it’s
scentless, so at least it won’t make your room stink. It does its job well,
although its low viscosity means that you’ll have to be quick when cleaning
vertically-orientated devices such as monitor or TVs. It also smeared easier
than the 3x Strength spray, meaning that it’s only really worth considering if
you object to the usual smell of cleaning products.
Cleaning gel – Antec Advance Deep Clean Gel
The second of our trio of cleaning products
is the Deep Cleaning Gel, which includes a carry pouch. It also has a posher
cloth than the two sprays. As you’d expect, it’s thicker than the liquid
sprays, so it’s not going to run away or evaporate before you can use it. The
gel cleaned our smartphone to a standard that hasn’t been seen since it was
new, and it was good at warding off our dirty fingerprints too. The only
downside is that it’s more expensive than the 3s spray and only suited to
cleaning small gadgets, thanks to its thickness and lack of a spray applicator.
Cleaning spray – Antec Advance 3x Strength Spray 60ml
If you really want to cleaner that will do
the job, we advise opting for the 3x Strength Spray, which has been developed
by Antec to be a ruthless bacteria killer. As well as its antibacterial
properties, it’s also thicker than the Natural Spray, so it sticks to surfaces
better, and we found it to be less smeary too. The result is a reasonably
priced product that goes a great job of cleaning your kit, even if you aren’t
paranoid about germs. Costing only $5 more than the Natural Cleaner, there
seems little excuse not to have one of these in your desk drawer.
