Review Archive

Results 1 to 15 of 15.

Pogoplug
Will this let you share your files anywhere? 9 February 2010 13:13 GMT

The Good
Unlimited storage options, easy to set-up, easy to manage

The Bad
For the casual user it's an expensive option, you still have to buy the hard drives

Verdict
The pogoplug is excellent, however it is only for those who share lots of content

Price
£99
Nikon Coolpix S570 compact camera
Does this sub-£200 camera impress? 9 February 2010 8:00 GMT

The Good
Good image quality at low sensitivities, good design and simple to use, menu system

The Bad
Sluggish performance overall, particularly focusing, intrusive high ISO image noise

Verdict
Nikon's Coolpix S570 looks very nice and is simple to use but it lacks that "certain something" when it comes to focusing and overall performance. The S570 is a camera best used for static subjects such as landscapes, subjects that will allow you to get the most from this new Nikon

Price
£199
Dante's Inferno - Xbox 360
Poetic justice? 8 February 2010 15:04 GMT

The Good
Plenty of T&A, if you like that sort of thing, great graphics, solid combat system

The Bad
Can be repetitive, might be a little too purile for some tastes

Verdict
With Bayonetta and Darksiders just behind us and God of War III on its way, there's not much reason to settle for a second-rate replica. You won't hate Dante's Inferno, but you could do so much better

Price
£49.99
Acer Aspire One 532h notebook
All-day mobile computing? 8 February 2010 9:07 GMT

The Good
Long battery life, good keyboard, newly designed lightweight powerpack

The Bad
Design not very exciting, 1GB RAM could be improved on

Verdict
An impressive battery life and nice keyboard make this a netbook to consider, but it doesn't bring much excitement to the party

Price
£299
Sharp DK-AP8P iPod dock
Fix up look sharp 5 February 2010 12:08 GMT

The Good
Looks great, sounds great, remote has a touch of class about it, battery or mains power

The Bad
Remote needs two hands to operate, navigation could be more intuitive and can be a little slow

Verdict
The sound quality is good, the design is good and the detachable remote front has a touch of class to it that is often missing on a sub-£100 unit, so we like it

Price
£99
Adventureland - DVD
Just another teen flick? 5 February 2010 12:00 GMT

The Good
Good script, great cast, well shot, sweet one-liners

The Bad
I'm really struggling to think what beef I could have with this. Maybe the subtlety and nuance that make it so great also prevents it from being astounding. There'll be plenty of folk who'll want some bigger belly laughs. Maybe park managers Bobby and Paulette could have been given more screen time

Verdict
It's a genuinely smart bit of cinema - funny and truthful, without dumbing down, with great characters whose stories are all perfectly told

Price
£14.99
Forza Motorsport 3 - Xbox 360
Perfect for a wet winter weekend 5 February 2010 9:00 GMT

The Good
Variety, looks fantastic, custom difficulty levels, career mode

The Bad
Some long loading times, online play is disappointing

Verdict
If you've never enjoyed the precision of F1 racing sims, then Forza has plenty to offer you, before you get to those more demanding requirements

Price
£49.99
Creative Sound Blaster Wireless Headphones
Wireless headphones with too many ties? 4 February 2010 10:03 GMT

The Good
Impressive performance, comfortable fit, responsive controls, good range

The Bad
Requires an additional compatible accessory, sharp head movements make them slip around, will bake your ears after a short time, expensive

Verdict
Creative’s wireless headphones perform well, but compatibility requirements and a handful of minor issues make the high price very hard to justify

Price
£119.99
Olympus Pen E-P2 digital camera
Is the Pen mightier than the Lumix sword? 4 February 2010 8:30 GMT

The Good
Design, accessories port, great imaging quality, excellent video controls, so much fun to use, EVF

The Bad
No onboard flash, focusing can be a little unreliable, price

Verdict
The range of options is impressive, whether you are a novice attracted to the design, or an enthusiast looking for a more compact camera with plenty of creative control. Whichever you are, the E-P2 is immense fun to use, if a little pricey

Price
£899
Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth headset
Will this take your music wire-free? 3 February 2010 10:45 GMT

The Good
Great sound quality, decent battery life

The Bad
Full functionality only works with Sony Ericsson phones

Verdict
Keeps your phone safe while you listen to music

Price
£
Mass Effect 2 - Xbox 360
The best RPG of this generation? 3 February 2010 9:00 GMT

The Good
Evolving plot, rich characters, doesn't penalise newcomers

The Bad
You won't be getting much sleep, some long loading times

Verdict
RPG purists might snort at the more action-friendly bias, but anyone with sense will realise that this is a magnificent effort that sees Bioware back at its best

Price
£49.99
OneForAll SV9380 Full HD Indoor Aerial
Receiving you loud and clear? 2 February 2010 9:00 GMT

The Good
Design, powered, interference filtering

The Bad
Didn't provide sufficient signal strength even within the recommended distance

Verdict
For those that live within close proximity to their local TV transmitter and have freedom of where they put the aerial, then perhaps it will suit, however, the best results will come from a properly installed roof aerial

Price
£59.99
Pentax Optio I-10 digital camera - First Look
Can retro go modern? 2 February 2010 9:00 GMT

The Good
Big widescreen display, design, 24 scene modes, Auto button

The Bad
Widescreen only maximised at 9MP, retro look might mean capabilities are confused with Panasonic or Olympus Micro Four Thirds models

Verdict
This is, and Pentax makes no claims otherwise, a standard compact digital camera in a retro body. The hard sell will be convincing customers that it's just that and nothing more

Price
£199.99
Lacie LaCinema Mini HD media streamer
Mini form, maxi function 1 February 2010 11:30 GMT

The Good
Sleek, portable design, built-in wireless and internal storage, excellent format support, impressive performance

The Bad
Restricted access to online content, issues with file management, rather expensive

Verdict
Lacie ticks a lot of boxes with the LaCinema Mini, but a relatively high price and lack of some key features means there’s still room for improvement

Price
£249.99
Samsung PS50B550 television
Black is back 1 February 2010 9:00 GMT

The Good
Deep blacks, well-saturated colours, glossy and smooth pictures

The Bad
Few exciting features, some onscreen menus can be slow

Verdict
Some of the latest LED TVs are awesome and represent a massive step forward for LCD TV tech, but it’s largely a catch-up exercise. The benchmark is plasma picture quality, and while LED TVs still mean a premium price, plasmas like Samsung’s PS50B550 are still the best value big screen TVs around for home cinema, gaming, and anyone interested in top quality pictures from all sources

Price
£750