Review Archive

Results 1 to 25 of 47.

Google Chrome OS - First Look
What does Google's new OS offer? 21 November 2009 8:45 GMT

The Good
Fast boot times, free

The Bad
Not much in it yet

Verdict
Chrome OS has a lot of potential, but it isn't yet delivering on it
Creative Zen X-Fi 2 MP3 player
Can Creative crack the touchscreen market? 20 November 2009 16:49 GMT

The Good
Excellent audio quality, decent set of ‘bud earphones supplied, bright and colourful display, good value for money

The Bad
Touchscreen operation isn’t overly responsive, no dedicated volume controls

Verdict
X-Fi fans who are willing to put up with a temperamental touchscreen will be pleased with the quality and versatility on offer here, but we were expecting a little more from Creative’s debut in this market
Terminator Salvation - DVD
Can Bale save mankind? 20 November 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Sam Worthington comes out of this in credit, plus there’s a neat kinda-cameo

The Bad
The single-disc package is inexcusably free of extras, while Christian Bale’s career arc is fast becoming very tiresome

Verdict
For all its flaws, Terminator Salvation is still a totally watchable actioner that clocks in under a comfortable 2 hours. But sadly, given the heritage, that’s not quite enough
TomTom Car Kit for iPhone
Will this drive you down the convergence path? 20 November 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Boosts GPS reception, built-in speaker, holds phone secure

The Bad
Price

Verdict
For those that must follow through with convergence, this does its part to overcome the GPS reception and small speaker problems that you encounter without it. But once you've parted with the cash, we'd have rather bought an independent TomTom unit with greater functionality
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone - First Look
Will this be the Android handset to get? 19 November 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
3.5mm headphone jack, very PS3-like interface

The Bad
Android 1.6, TimeScape looks like Vista Aero

Verdict
So, is this going to be the one Android handset that you wish you waited for? At the moment it's too hard to say
HP Envy 15 1060ea notebook review
HP goes MacBook crazy 19 November 2009 9:56 GMT

The Good
Plenty of power, sensational design, excellent finish, great keyboard

The Bad
Battery life, spec doesn't match US versions, some fan noise

Verdict
We love what HP have done from a design perspective and the time and effort they have put into creating a great looking notebook will appeal to some users, who will be happy to pay the premium price this notebook commands. For some though, the asking price might just be too high
GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger
Chirpy chirpy charging 19 November 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Charges iPhone at same rate as mains charging, pad looks good

The Bad
Noisy, added bulk from case, price

Verdict
If you can stand the noise and accept the added bulk of the case, then the PowerPad is an effective wireless charging solution for your iPhone
Lavazza A Modo Mio coffee machine
Looking for a decent coffee? 18 November 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Fantastic espresso, milk steamer, cute compact design, extremely easy to use, pods available in supermarkets

The Bad
Verging on the plasticy and a touch slow

Verdict
Finally a worthy rival to the Nespresso coffee pod system; the A Modo Mio is a great little machine that’ll knock out quality coffee without breaking the bank
Flo TV portable television
TV to go? 18 November 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
12 channels constantly streaming, easy to use, switching channels is a doddle

The Bad
Can't save programmes to watch later, channel selection isn't that great, resolution could be better

Verdict
A bigger screen, better resolution and more channels are all on our wish list for version 2, however, for now, take this as a first attempt that could easily become better
Sky Player on Xbox 360
Thinking outside the Xbox 18 November 2009 10:16 GMT

The Good
Attractive interface, 400+ on-demand films, easy navigation and streaming

The Bad
Occasional buffering delays, expense to non-Sky subscribers, no Freeview channels or iPlayer

Verdict
For non-Sky converts, you get what you pay for; an expensive though an excellent IPTV solution that fits seamlessly into the Xbox experience. For existing Sky subscribers, it’s a must-have no-brainer; grab yourself Sky in the bedroom, or even in another property, for the cost of Xbox LIVE Gold
Dyson Air Multiplier fan review
Will this keep you cool? 18 November 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Clever, efficient, design, safe

The Bad
Massive, unjustified, price tag

Verdict
Impressive redesign of the fan, but far out of most people's budgets
Navigon 8410 satnav review
Does this satnav impress? 17 November 2009 15:08 GMT

The Good
Bluetooth integration, rich POIs, excellent visuals, great design

The Bad
Media player functions don't work, price

Verdict
Expensive, but excellent design and navigation and comprehensive mobile phone integration
BlackBerry Bold 9700 mobile phone
The best BlackBerry yet? 17 November 2009 12:22 GMT

The Good
Hardware, keyboard, screen, email

The Bad
OS lacking integration of existing online or social networking services

Verdict
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best BlackBerry yet: a very comfortable device to use, delivering its core functions with aplomb
Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera
How much fun can you pack into a compact? 17 November 2009 9:48 GMT

The Good
Creative control options, Control Ring, size, image quality, useful ISO range

The Bad
Video offering a little disappointing, price

Verdict
In the hand the S90 is an absolute delight, the Control Ring flirting with the playful side of photography, putting controls literally at your fingertips
Sony PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition ebook
300 books in your pocket 17 November 2009 8:42 GMT

The Good
Build quality, easy to use, does exactly what it is supposed to

The Bad
Price, some difficulty with Word documents

Verdict
The PRS-300 isn't cheap, but it looks and feels like a quality device and does what it is supposed to do, which is let you comfortably read your books, without having to lug around a bag of paper copies
Dropbox
Will this kill the USB thumb drive? 16 November 2009 14:37 GMT

The Good
Allows you to sync files to multiple computers, for day-to-day storage 2GB free is more than enough, easy to use, iPhone app

The Bad
You need internet connectivity to sync the files, limited to 2GB for free

Verdict
Storage and sharing files might be boring, but this makes it incredibly easy
CoPilot Live 8 for iPhone
It's cheap, but is it as good as the rest? 16 November 2009 14:21 GMT

The Good
Cheap, fully featured, 7-digit postcode support, Quick Stop feature

The Bad
Routing a bit random at times, usual iPhone GPS issues

Verdict
If you need a satnav, but only on occasion, then at £26 you can't really go wrong
Sony PSP Go console
Better or worse than before? 16 November 2009 13:21 GMT

The Good
Great hardware, more compact than previously

The Bad
Loss of UMD drive makes old games useless, no background downloading of games, price

Verdict
For those who were just about to put a PSP on their Christmas list then overall they get a better looking device, with expanded memory, but for us we'll be sticking to the old hardware and our old games
Sonos S5 ZonePlayer speaker system
Will this mean you can finally get a Sonos? 16 November 2009 9:27 GMT

The Good
Setup takes about 5 minutes, sounds good, 25,000 internet radio stations, Music services support, the ability to add another 41 zones

The Bad
You'll need to sit it next to a router unless you buy the ZoneBridge, you'll need to buy the controller or have an iPod touch/iPhone to get the most out of it

Verdict
Where the Sonos S5 succeeds is in its simplicity
Griffin iTrip FM transmitter with iPhone app
iPod to radio in one easy accessory? 13 November 2009 16:08 GMT

The Good
Accompanying free app, SmartScan

The Bad
iTrip itself is fiddly, Doesn't work that well in major metropolitan areas, no charging cable in the box

Verdict
If you really must get your music off your iPhone or iPod on your car stereo then this is the way to do it, just don't expect it to be a perfect experience every time
Moon - DVD
Out of this world? 13 November 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Plenty – great from top to bottom, from script to set design to soundtrack

The Bad
Maybe sci-fi fans weaned on an diet of CGI bangs and crashes may find it a tad ponderous, but they’re fools if they think that

Verdict
For a debut picture, and one made on such a relatively small budget, it’s effortlessly grandiose and expertly executed – its design is flawless, from the classic 70s space station chic to the perfectly pitched atmospheric soundtrack
TwitterPeek
What happened to convergence? 13 November 2009 8:58 GMT

The Good
Lets you check Twitter on the go, no monthly data plan, good keyboard

The Bad
Software element slow, Menu and UI at times drawn out

Verdict
While the TwitterPeek isn't for us (we currently have 12 devices on the desk capable of checking twitter) we can see why people might want it
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360
A worthy successor to the original? 12 November 2009 18:24 GMT

The Good
Brilliant multiplayer, Spec Ops mode

The Bad
Single player still too short and a little unfair

Verdict
A brilliant overall package, only slightly let down by the slightly less than amazing single player story
Roxio Popcorn 4 - Mac
A tasty solution to your video authoring needs? 12 November 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Interface, ease of use, format flexibility, price

The Bad
Only works with unprotected sources (though we can’t encourage you to breach copyright, of course!), Intel-based Mac compatibility only

Verdict
Fast, easy to use and with great format flexibility, this, the latest version of Popcorn, is certainly the best yet
Eye-Fi Share Video wireless SD card
Wi-Fi your digital camera 12 November 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Simple, works with PC and Mac out of the box, instant sharing options, easy setup

The Bad
Price, some photos never arrived

Verdict
We love the technology offered by Eye-Fi and despite a few quirks in the system, we found it cut out lots of connections we'd normally have to make. It may be expensive, but it's impressive none the less