Review Intel has updated the firmware for its four models of mainstream solid-state drives, the 80GB and 160GB 1.8in X18-M and 2.5in X25-M.
Intel’s X-25M and X-18M: upgraded
You may recall that during our review of the 80GB X25-M we were faced with the task of updating the firmware from version 8510 to 8610 and it was bloody hard work. For one thing, our Intel Skulltrail motherboard detected the new firmware as malware and tried to protect the system from the drive. For another, the process was horribly similar to the old school method of updating the Bios on a motherboard. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Some manufacturers, like Dell, believe laptop users, even supposedly non-frivolous business folk, prefer svelte, stylish notebooks. Not so Toshiba, at least if the the Tecra M10 is anything to go by.
Carry one around, and anyone who sees it will think you’ve been nursing the machine since the 1990s. This block of a box is more than an inch and a half thick – the lid alone accounts for 11mm of the machine’s thickness – and kitted out in a retro-style matte black and metallic dark grey colour scheme. Read the rest of this entry »
Review So, you’re off on your travels and you’re wondering what type of Camera to pack along with the suntan lotion and the insect repellent. A digital SLR takes great photos, but it’s a bit on the bulky side. A compact is highly pocketable but there are compromises when it comes to performance, while a hybrid doesn’t save you a great deal of space. Well, why not try a travel-cam?
Canon’s PowerShot SX200 IS: not a compact, not a hybrid – something in between
That’s the idea behind Canon’s PowerShot SX200 IS. It’s pocket-sized, practical, packed with features and promises much in terms of performance. On paper at least, it looks like the ideal Camera for the budding Michael or Michaela Palin, but is it? Read the rest of this entry »
Reviews The lines between multimedia audio kit – the sort of equipment designed for use with computers, iPods and the like – and ‘proper’ audio equipment seem to be getting increasingly blurred. Edifier’s new Luna 2 speakers are a fine example of the blur, looking like run-of-the-mill Desktop PC speakers but, at £250 for a pair, costing a darn site more than this kind of kit usually does and having some pretty serious amplification built in.
Edifier’s Luna 2: beefy
Out of the box, the Luna 2 speakers certainly look and feel the part. As we’ve come to expect from Edifier, the build quality is excellent. Each unit feels like it has been carved out of stone, and looks rather smart in its black and sliver colour scheme with a brushed aluminium base. Physically, each speaker takes the form of a 118mm deep, 194mm diameter circular unit with a bite taken out of the top and mounted on a sculpted plastic base. Each weighs a beefy 2kg. Read the rest of this entry »
Review OCZ has been rattling out new SSD drives with gay abandon. The 120GB Apex scored 70 per cent in our recent review and now it’s time for the 120GB Vertex to take its place on the test bench.
OCZ’s Vertex: standard 2.5in form-factor
Cast your eye down the specifications of the Apex and the Vertex and you’ll struggle to find much difference between the two models. They look identical because they both come in the 2.5in notebook Sata form-factor. The Vertex is available in the same capacities as the Apex – 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB – at prices that are very similar. But, inside the casing, there are changes afoot. Read the rest of this entry »
