A few years ago, I tried out that Seek Thermal Compact Infrared Camera which is a USB addon for phones. It was a good gadget, but had a number of compromises to get it into such a small form-factor. I've just been sent the TopDon TC004 handheld thermal camera to review. It's a chunky beast of a device. About the same size as a large barcode scanner - and pretty weighty. It promises superb thermal imaging, video recording, and a host of useful features. But how does it do? And, more…
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The headstrap which ships with the Meta Quest 2 is shit. It is a cheap piece of fabric, held together with velcro. It's fiddly to adust and uncomfortable to use for longer than a few minutes. Zuckerberg likes causing you pain. So I purchased the cheapest upgrade strap I could find - £15 on special offer. It has a forehead cushion, which reduces pressure on the face. The tightness is adjustable with a dial - much easier to use and more precise than the tension straps on the original. The …
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Winter has come! And with it the risk of power-cuts. Thankfully, we already have a Uninteruptable Power Supply for vital things like WiFi and security. But what about lights? Hurrah for candles! They're not just for birthday cakes, you know. But how do you light candles? I vaguely remember something about rubbing two stones together? But who can be bothered with that! "What about matches?" I hear you cry. Look. This blog deals with high-tech stuff. I'm not reviewing a splinter of wood…
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I thoroughly enjoyed the first Red Matter VR game, so I leapt at the sequel when it was on offer. What's it like? Exactly the same as the first. Lots of creepy corridors, a range of puzzles, and a sedate-ish journey. You're exploring an abandoned space-station, looking for clues and trying to figure out what happened. It's a completely linear journey, and consists of a series of locked-room puzzles. The developers have made sure not to repeat the same puzzles over and over. The story, such…
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I don't know when social media influencers started banging on about Air Fryers. All I know is that they're the new hip thing and that I am easily influenced. Anyway, I saw this on sale and thought I'd take a punt on it. What's the worst that could happen? The technology is pretty basic. Point an over-powered hair-dryer into an enclosed space, have a motor gently stir the bowl, wait. Done. Although there are a variety of programmes, there's no "smarts" here. It isn't like the YumAsia Mini…
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It is an undisputed fact that Mark Lewisohn knows more about The Beatles than anyone else - including The Beatles! This is a cosy and intimate show - well, a PowerPoint presentation really - which see Mark take us through 62 events in the year 1962. Why '62? Well, that's the year everything changed. Mark makes a convincing case that 1962 is when pop culture changed forever. Not just with the formation of the band (and them legally splitting up) but the entire culture of era being ready for…
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This is the first paid-for game that I've played on the Oculus Quest 2. I've mostly stuck to demos - because I get bored easily. Or free games - because I'm a cheapskate. But Meta gave me £30 in credit for helping people fix their broken Quests. So I bought this much hyped puzzle game. And… It's excellent! Much better than I expected. As puzzler, it works really well. Lots of different types of puzzles, some of which make effective use of the VR environment. Items which need careful ma…
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The Meta Quest 2 is almost amazing. It is a tantalising glimpse of a future which isn't quite here yet. I dislike Facebook's Meta's vision of the Metaverse - but the tech is undoubtedly fun when it works. I remember using VR way back in the 1990s. When on holiday, games arcades often had a VR helmet. I wasted all my pocket money on virtual tanks, creeping through virtual dungeons, and generally feeling virtually claustrophobic. A few years ago I tinkered around with Google Cardboard.…
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The philosopher Thomas Nagel wrote "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" and attempted to show that we can never really understand another living creature's consciousness. I had hoped that Stray would answer the question "What is it like to be a cat?" But it doesn't. Frankly, it doesn't even try. It feels like the developers lost the courage of their convictions. Cats can see in the dark - but your avatar has to use a torch! Cats can follow scents - yet that's left unexplored. Cats are expert…
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A few days ago, I posted about my quest to find a decent HDMI cable for my original XBox. The good folks at Kaico Labs were kind enough to send me a demo unit of their new Xbox to HDMI + Optical cable. I agreed to give them feedback - and they were happy to let me blog about it. It is important to note that this is a demo unit. I don't know how much, if anything, will change before it gets released. Nor do I know the cost. Adjust your expectations accordingly! Video Firstly, I'm pleased…
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After reviewing the X-Sense Home Security Kit, I decided to also review their wireless smoke alarms. As I said at the time, the interlinked alarms were great - but didn't connect to the hub. That means you have to be physically present in the home in order to hear the alarm. Well, X-Sense were listening! They've sent me the X-Sense Mini - it's a WiFi smoke alarm which integrates with the X-Sense app. That means that your phone receives a push notification when it is triggered. It connects…
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I'd seen the movie. I'd seen a student production. But nothing could have prepared me for the visceral reality of seeing Cabaret live on stage. It seems that theatre producers have finally realised that audiences want an immersive experience which simply can't be replicated sat at home with NetFlix on. The entrance to the theatre is via a door tucked away from the main theatre foyer. Down down down you descend, grabbing a complimentary beer or schnapps - until you enter a seedy little bar.…
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