PNY Wireless Media Reader

Michael experiments with wireless streaming to Android devices

The PNY Wireless Media Reader is a playing cardsized device that allows you to share media content to various mobile devices. This functionality is achieved by the PNY product creating its own wi-fi network. Mobile devices joining this network will first need to have downloaded the PNY Wireless Media Reader app in order to access the data.

Ace Utilities 5.8

If your PC is bogged down with file clutter and registry problems, clean it up and optimise it with this toolkit

Windows runs fine for a time, but sooner or later it begins to slow down because of the build up of junk files, unnecessary registry entries and errors, log files, invalid shortcuts, startup programs and software. It is inevitable and frustrating, but fortunately there is no shortage of clean-up and tune-up tools to remove the junk and optimise the system. Ace Utilities does exactly that.

HP Officejet 5740

Mark assesses HP's new multifunction office friendly inkjet

Multifunction office printers usually have all the styling of a breeze-block, so I was pleasantly surprised when the well-rounded HP Officejet 5740 turned up. Having been an IT Manager once, I have a very ingrained aversion to inkjet printers in the workplace, but HP has managed to back plenty of functionality into what is a relatively inexpensive device.

Seagate NAS Pro 4-Bay

Seagate goes fishing in the small business server pond

Having recently reviewed the new Seagate 2-Bay NAS, I was curious to see how its 4-Bay Pro model compared. I'd found the basic NAS to be a little underpowered, and Seagate had suggested that the Pro might be more to my liking.

The storage options available on this equipment 4TB (2x 2TB), 8TB (4x 2TB), 16TB (4x 4TB) and 20TB (4x 5TB). The review model came with 16TB installed, and with that capacity, using Seagate's own 4TB NAS HD drives. For those interested, Seagate also makes a two and six bay variants of this design so you can have as little as 2TB or as much as 30TB being distributed.

Belkin Wemo LED Lighting Starter Kit

Belkin's world of Wemo plants some spring bulbs early

Belkin has been slowing building it Wemo range, and this is kit pretty much defines what people expect when you talk about 'home automation'. It provides a couple of Wemo LED 60 watt equivalent bayonet cap bulbs, and the critical Wemo Link box to enable them to be controlled.

The Link provides a bridge to connect the blubs to your local wi-fi, reducing the technology needed in the actual bulbs dramatically. Technically, I think it uses a form of Xbee to facilitate communication with the Link, which in turn uses wi-fi to connect to the rest of the universe.