How does it work?

Logitech Harmony 300i

Good question! Well firstly its really clever! But for those who want a more detailed response basically Logitech have developed a remote control that can learn what remote controls of all your devices do and then allow you to use just their remote control to control up to 4 devices (with the 300 model). All you do is click one of the four buttons on the remote control and it switches to another device its really simple to use and even simpler to setup up! Best of all unlike those other one remote for all devices remote controls that you have to manually teach this one teaches itself!

Ok so how do I teach it? I don’t have to teach it every button do I?

It’s far easier than that! The  harmony remote comes with some really great software and a mini USB port built on to the remote. All you need to do is plug it into your computer install the software (which is actually just drivers) and log onto http://myharmony.com You then set the remote up from the website. This is great because it means if you go to another PC for whatever reason all your settings are saved in the cloud meaning no need to re-setup the device! Great! The software is simple too. You just find your device from a list, click add and then sync and that’s it your ready to go.

What if it can’t find my device?

Sometimes manufacturers use the same remote control with a couple of variations and the Logitech software will need to determine which remote it is. To do this all you need to do is put the remote for the device and the harmony remote in front of each other and click a couple of buttons then, bam! It’s learn’t which remote it is and your away.

Can I adjust any buttons to do something else?

Yes you can tweak any of the buttons on the remote control. So if something isn’t quite right or you use an option more frequently you can move it’s location simply using the powerful software provided.

Does this only work for infra-red devices? I have a PS3. 

Logitech Harmony 300i

No, Logitech have thought of that so you can get a little adapter for the PS3 and it will work perfectly.

I do like the sound of it, can I see it in action?

Of course you can check out our video review below:

Overall 

Overall I was really impressed with the harmony remote control. I must say I thought it was going to be a chore to setup but it really isn’t the software works perfectly and made setting up 3 devices less than 10 minutes work. The harmony is fully configurable too and Logitech supports thousands of devices so it’s very likely to find yours. Now I can put away 3 remote controls that control my entertainment and just keep the one reducing clutter, hassle and cost of batteries! Overall we award the product with 4/5 clouds. It falls down only on browser compatibility (at time of using the device only Firefox would work) and it’s a shame you can’t change the name of the devices on the remote.

Thanks to Logitech for sending this to Cloud Bite to review (sorry it’s taken so long for the review)

Build Quality and Design

Logitech have clearly thought long and hard about the design of this headset. It’s clear they wanted to pack all the usual features of a headset and some more along the way, and trying to do all this and maintain a comfortable design is definitely a challenge. However Logitech have taken this challenge and clearly succeeded in providing the gamer with fantastic functionality and great comfort. The Logitech G930 is really well designed with memory foam cushions on the headband and ear pads that will form perfectly to your head to give you the best feel when gaming.  The headset is made from strong plastic, meaning they are sturdy without compromising on weight. After several hours of using this headset I felt no pains or discomfort and to my surprise my ears, even though fully enclosed, didn’t get too hot either! The microphone flicks up out of the way until the time when you need to use it, and then can be positioned perfectly to your needs.

Sound Quality

Packing 7.1 Surround sound in such a small space is difficult but again, Logitech manage to achieve this brilliantly. Not just for gaming but movies sound rich and vibrant with each sound clearly being able to be heard. I often  use headsets that are great until many sounds are all played at once, like in an action scene or a FPS, where they loose quality and sound more like garbled noise. The Logitech G930s don’t suffer from this though and every gun shot, every laser, every spell from Harry’s wand clearly heard even with all the commotion around. 5.1 or 7.1 can you tell the difference? Not always as often many games and Movies are only encoded using 5.1 but when they are encoded in full 7.1 you do feel you get an all around sound. Also with the brilliantly designed ear pads all sound around you is isolated allowing you to feel your standing right in the scene, just as the designers wanted.

Microphone Quality

This is the only area of the headset that lacked a little quality for me. It’s such a shame also as it’s the only part of the headset that stops it getting our first ever 5 Clouds Badge! I have tried many microphones over the years and this isn’t the worse just sadly it isn’t the best. The far cheaper Logitech G330 sounds a little clearer to me however I believe that this is more of a software issue than the headset. The reason I say this is the sound through the microphone sounds a little electronic, rather like it is being over processed, likely due to the noise cancellation feature of the headset. It has great noise cancellation it didn’t pick up any humming at all from the computer or other noises around at the time but maybe it is a little too good and this is causing the voice to sound somewhat processed. Is this a major problem? No, unless you want to record Vocals for your forthcoming album then the microphone is fine and very clear for instructing team-mates there is someone behind them!

Wireless

So as I stated in the introduction, wireless technology is great but there is always some compromise so what is it with the Logitech G930? Honestly, nothing! No hissing, no drop outs, no interference, great sound quality a huge range (Logitech say 12 metres my tests went further) and a 10 hour battery life! I was looking forward to trying the wireless out as I wanted to see if improvements had been made since an old pair of Sony Wireless headphones were so awful I used them once and never went back. Well it has! I couldn’t fault the Logitech Wireless Headset G930 at all. For those times you may run out of juice you can plug them in to charge using the 2.5 metre cable and still use the headset at the same time! It quickly charges to with just 30mins of charging giving you a couple of hours gaming! Great I say! So if you have had a 10 hour gaming session and you have just been called up to raid the latest boss in the new WoW patch, just plug the headphones into the charging station and carry on gaming, so you dont have to worry about not being able to show up to that raid ever again!

Any Extras? 

Of course! The Logitech G930 Wireless Headset also features 3 G-Keys on the side of the headset that you can assign to programs and macros. I used them to change, pause and play tracks in iTunes but they can be used in games as well! Use one as your push to talk key and you will look like a member of the CIA, or just assign some funny quote to spam macro to your friends, ill leave it to your imagination! Along with G-Keys are a mute microphone button which is indicated by the little red light on the end of the mic when muted, brilliant feature if your ever in Teamspeak and Mum shouts up to ask have you got clean pants on, not that that has ever happened to me of course.  Finally there is some great software that allows you to tweak lots of settings, I recommend watching my review video to see that in action, along with some odd voices!

Video Review

As always we have done a video review for you looking at all the features mentioned above!

Overall

Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant! Need I say more? I loved using this headset and it was so hard to part with it when my 2 week loan from Logitech was up. I felt like I was packing up my new best friend we had come so close, enjoyed some great moments together like a nuke on MW2, a creeper attack in Minecraft, and the arrival of Voldemort in Harry Potter. It seems mad to make such an emotional attachment to a headset, but it was just so good!

Here are some gallery pictures too!

Why Do I Need 5.1 Speakers, Oh And What Are They?

Good question, glad you asked! There’s nothing really that says you need 7.1 speakers, 5.1 speakers, or 2.1 speakers but the advantages of having a good set of speakers can really enhance your enjoyment. Lets look at gaming, if you are a fan of first person shooters 5.1 surround sound not only helps immerse you into the game giving you a frightening yet exciting experience as you creep up on enemies hearing explosions happening all around you, but you can gain a real strategic advantage as well. With a surround sound system you can hear the enemy creeping up on you, running through grass behind you or even coming up stairs to ambush you! If you have ever wondered how those really good players suddenly do a 180° turn and get you they might just be using a surround sound system! Also as more and more games are supporting surround sound gameplay will just continue to get better and better.  Don’t forget these are great if you love watching movies on your computer too, just make sure the film is 5.1 compatible as is the software you are viewing it with.

Speaker Setup Recommendation via THX

So Are  These Logitech X-530 Any Good?

Yes! I have been using these speakers for a number of years now, hooked into my old, but great, Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS and they are great! The build quality is really good too, they feel solid and produce great sound quality. The sub-woofer produces excellent base and is fully adjustable using the dial on the back. The front right speaker holds the master volume control to save you having to use the built in volume control on your computer and provides a headphone jack for you to plug your headphones in which makes it more convenient than having to struggle around the back of your computer. One issue I do have is the lack on Microphone input on the speakers. For those who don’t use a microphone this is no issue at all but if you do wish to plug in your headset you will need an extension for the mic cable. However, only you can decide if this will effect your use of the speakers.

What Do They Sound Like?

This is hard to show on a blog post so I recommend you check out the Cloud Bite video review below. There is a sound test just bear in mind that the audio is captured using a camcorder mic and if your sound card or current speakers aren’t great you wont be able to hear how good they are. All I can say is the bass is really good for music and sound effects in games.

Overall

Overall the speakers are great for those who want the edge in gaming, and the great immersion in movies. If you can let the lack of mic jack slide these are a great addition to any multimedia PC. The bass is punchy and the treble is rich therefore the Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers achieve 4 Clouds!

Video Review

As always Cloud Bite has made a video review of the Tabi Hard Case. For those of you who just want to sit back and have a watch here it is.

The Tabi Hard Case was tested using a Apple iPad 1st Gen.

Design

The Tabi has got to be one of the best iPad sleeve cases we have seen, in-fact its on of the best cases of them all. Firstly it’s design is something very different from what we are used to. It features small half sphere shaped “bubble” on either side which not only gives it s funky look but aids it’s impact protection too. The “bubbles” were soft but not too soft and actually helped us to get a firm grip on the case. Along with this is a rough cotton outer shell designed to give you the best sort of grip on the sleeve when walking around with your iPad. It also gives the case a much more expensive feel and look by touching the carbon fibre look.

The inside of the case is, well bright green and we loved it. It was a shock when opening this plain black case to find the inside bright green, but it was a pleasant shock. Too many manufacturers seem to only bother with the other look of their cases but Tabi had thought about the inside just as much as the out!

Protection

Previously we mentioned the outer “bubbles”, not just for looks these are there to take the impact of a drop. Remember how you loved popping bubble wrap as a kid? All right we still love it too, well the Tabi case is just like that! It has a outer set of bubbles to absorb impacts if you drop the case, just these bubbles pop right back up unlike the bubble wrap! The dual zips give you quick and easy access but also keep the case very secure with their strong metal design. Metal! What about scratching the iPad? Give me chance, Tabi has thought of that! They have added an inner rim that keeps the case away from the edge of the tablet when zipping and unzipping, clever eh?

The inside, covered in very soft cloth. Unless you put a brick inside the case with your iPad it won’t get scratched due to the ultimate softness of the inside. Also there is extra cushioning from the small padded squares that sits directly on your screen in order to take more impact from a drop and give your screen the best chance of survival! Finally the corners in which the tablet sits are made from a rubber style foam to give the corners that bit extra protection from shocks plus they are moveable so can take a tablet from 10? or lower and this includes an iPad with a case on already (see photos or video).

Overall

Overall the Tabi Hard Case for the iPad and <10″ tablets is the best sleeve case we have come across. Not only does it give fantastic protection from dust, dirt and grime but it also gives you the best possible protection from shocks and drops, short of a bullet proof briefcase!

Pros:

Great Impact Protection with shock absorbing corners and 24 bumpers (bubbles) .
Unique styling.
Very soft interior and cushioned screen protection.

Cons:

Adds some extra width over some sleeves (but worth it for protection gained)

For its protection and fantastic design Cloud Bite Rates the Tabi Hard Case at 4.5 clouds only loosing points due to the impact bubbles add a little extra width than some sleeves, but you need to decide if your prefer space or protection, we prefer protection! The case is available from Tabi.uk.com, Amazon and Tabi Ebay Store on 20th October for £24.99!

Thanks to Tabi for sending us the case to review you have earned a Cloud Badge…

AFT (Anti-Fingerprint Technology), Blue, £12.99

The AFT Case is a stunning shiney case with a grainy feel to it designed to repel your fingerprints. This is a really good feature as the iPhone itself is a fingerprint magnet and many of the hard style cases also attract fingerprints which makes the iPhone look dirty and really dull not as shiny as it should be! You can get this case in many colours the one in the Picture below is the Blue but there is also Green, Red, light Blue and Silver to choose from. The case feels pretty sturdy too. The top and bottom are uncovered so this case will not give you the best protection, but that isn’t what it was designed for, this is more of a style case designed to get you noticed and brighten up your iPhone!

Overall I am impressed with the case, it is my least favourite, but I think thats because the blue isn’t to my personal taste but if you are after something that is a bright and doesn’t attract fingerprints!

Of the three cases this was my least favourite but it is still a beautiful case. You can get this case from CaseFun.co.uk for £12.99

Explorer Case (Yellow), £9.99

The Explorer case is designed to give you the ultimate protection. Whether you are out and about exploring the world or just drop your phone alot! This case will give you the best possible protection short of dragging your phone around in a padded briefcase. The case gives all round protection even for all the the ports and buttons. There are small flaps that cover the the silence switch, the headphone jack and the dock connector. The inside of the case is form fitting but the case also extrudes a lot in order to keep the phone as far away from the impact point as possible should you drop the phone.

The hard inside part of the case gives strong protection and the rubber coating absorbs shocks. You also get a plastic screen shield that fits securely in the case along with a plastic disk that protects the Apple logo on the back. Why the back? Well the case has been cleverly designed with a small hole that shows the Apple logo so everyone will still know you have a iPhone!

Overall this case really opened my eyes. It showed me what sort of protection you can get for your iPhone. I was confident to bang the iPhone around and even drop it knowing the case was safe. (Check out the Review Video). The fact the case comes in lots of colours too like Bright Red, Hot Pink, Lime Green, Blue, Purple and of course Yellow ads to this great range.

You can pick this case along with all the colours mentioned from Case Fun for a Brilliant Price of £9.99

Jeans Series Case (Purple), £8.99

Finally we have the Jeans Series case. It is the cheapest of the bunch and my favourite of the bunch too. The Jeans Series Case is for those of us who want that unique look. I have never seen a case like this before and the name really doesn’t do it justice. Yes the pattern on the back is just of Jeans but when actually seeing the case in the palm of your hand the design jumps out and looks almost 3D. The texture of the case matches the jeans look and not only aids the look of the case but feels great too. So often I have nearly dropped my phone due to shiny cases that slip out of my hand. This case allows you to get a good grip on the case without having to be made of a rubber material!

The pictures really don’t do the case justice and for £8.99 you really can’t go wrong. No the case doesn’t give you the ultimate protection unlike the Explorer but if you want something different something that will get people talking it is this case. I really recommend you take a look at the video Review below to get a close up look on this case.

I had a look around the web and saw the case selling for £16.99 so Case Fun really are selling it at a bargain price. This is the case I have decided to keep and im tempted to get the other colours, Black, Green and Brown too just to see what they are like. Finally just like the AFT case above this case isn’t affected by fingerprints either so it constantly looks great!

Overall this case is fantastic, it gets 4.5 clouds and is definitely my pick of all the cases here. You can pick this up from CaseFun for just £8.99

Unboxing

Here is the unboxing of the Cases, if you want to see the review that is the next video down

Video Review

Here is the Video Review of all the cases:

Finally I want to say thank you to CaseFun.co.uk for letting me review these iPhone cases. If you have any questions feel free to comment below!

The Connector which retails around £25 (attow) gives you the ability to transfer images straight from your digital camera (via USB) or via an SD Card, onto the iPad skipping the hassle of syncing with a computer! If your a photography enthusiast or a wanna-be enthusiast (like me) and you got an iPad why not marry the two together by getting this piece of kit?

Why not just save £25 and sync it? I don’t get the point?

Right ok no problem let me give you some suggestions and see what you think. Firstly lets say your out and about and you taken your 3 favourite gadgets, usually your phone, your iPad and your camera! Your busy, snapping away taking some fantastic pictures, be it of your kids, of friends an exhibition you have always wanted to see or just one of them once in a lifetime moments. Oh no! you have only gone and completely filled up your SD card. Now you have a couple of options get another SD card out, quickly scroll through on that mini screen on the back of your camera and try and delete some pics, or connect the camera to the iPad back up your photos straight onto it and hey presto your ready to start taking photos again! During my test I transferred 8GB of Raw and JPEG files mixed onto the iPad within 20-25min.

Ok so that was scenario one! What about if your on a longer trip, like my recent trip to London. I took about 32GB worth of SD cards so was covered there but when I got back to the hotel I decided to have a look at my pics and had to use the back of the camera as I hadn’t brought this kit then. I had a look as best I could and they looked ok, some a bit dodgy but some ok. I got home transferred the pics to the PC and noticed some really nice images were ruined as I had whacked the ISO too high which made them all grainy. If I had been able to see the photos earlier i.e. on my iPad I would of noticed this Newbie mistake on day 1 and adjusted what I was doing!

Finally have you ever been out taken some pictures and would love to be able to show, family and friends when you took them home but they haven’t got a TV that can read a memory card, or a PC to view them on? Well the iPad is great for this! you can pass it round showing each other the pics or even get the TV connector and link it straight with there red and yellow av plugs!

Arh yeh never really thought of them, so how does it work?

Glad you asked check out this unboxing/review video I did, should give you a good idea!

Yeh, well I hope you get the idea at least now why this is a good accessory to get. Would you get it if you weren’t much of a photographer you just take pics on your phone or now and again? No, don’t bother but if you like taking a lot of pics and want to make life a little easier then why not? After all, you have spent at least, what, £420 on the pad what’s another £25 eh?

Overall I’m pretty impressed with it, is it worth £25, no not for what you get really but it’s Apple so nothing is cheap but your paying really for what it does!
Pros:

• Can use iPad as Storage for images on the go.
• Quick and simple to use, just plug and play.
• Supports RAW and JPEG formats.
• Small convenient.
• Faster transfers than the old iPod Camera Connector

Cons:

• Limited to SD or USB from camera which uses cameras power.
• Can’t preview images at full size without importing the photo first (pain if you need to be quick)
• Old iPod version not compatible.
• Connectors don’t work with anything other than the iPad (very silly Apple come on!)

iPad / Laptop Desktop Stand

If your a iPad owner, or you have had a go of one in the store, I bet your first impression was “ooo it looks nice” and secondly “ooo its pretty weighty”. That was what I thought anyway. The iPad was a lot heavier than I first thought it would be. With that gorgeous aluminium back, massive screen and packing all that power it will be a rather heavy device. When using the iPad I found myself resting it flat down on the table when typing or trying to prop it up when watching video over a extensive amount of time. Well until Mobile Fun sent me the Portable Desktop Stand!

The Portable Desktop Stand is an ideal solution to the problems I have previously mentioned. With the ability to hold the iPad or a Laptop at so many different angles its perfect for assisting when typing, watching a movie, sketching, gaming the list goes on! Holding the iPad can be cumbersome for some games, and espically when writing out that email or trying to watch the, what is it 7 hour trilogy of Lord of the Rings! Why bother when you can get a stand to do the hard work for you! And don’t think you need one for the office and one at home, because the stand folds up really small and even comes with it’s own little pouch to put it in! The stand can accommodate pretty much any iPad Case as-well so you don’t have to use a bare iPad with it! I didn’t have a laptop on hand to try with it but the stand is very strong so anything up to 15″ possibly 17″ should be fine!

Not sure how it folds up, or how it really looks? Check out my Video Review below then!

Overall I am really impressed with this stand. When I asked to review it I thought it would probably be a cheap plastic stand but it really isn’t. It is really well built and holds the iPad perfectly. Why bother with the Apple dock when you can get this which you can use on multiple devices and take it anywhere?

Pros:

• Really Well Built. This thing is strong!
• Really Portable.
• Comes with nice little pouch.
• Great look and feel
• Not expensive.
• Accommodates portrait and landscape iPad plus laptops.

Cons:

• I really did try, but couldn’t find any.

Price: £14.95, From: MobileFun.co.uk

Thanks to Mobile Fun for sending Cloud Bite this to review. Mobile Fun have a great range of mobile accessories and for all those of you who are lucky enough to get a iPhone 4 you need to protect it with a iPhone 4 Case and they have hundreds, so check them out!

Dagi iPad Stylus

When anouncing the original iPhone 2G way back in 2007, wow how times have changed since then, he said one of the problems with the latest smartphones is they have stylus’ that are a faf to use you break them, loose them have to get them out put them away and why use a stylus when we are all born with one, the finger!

When I first heard him say this I agreed. I had been using a phone with a stylus since 2003 and yeh I agree I found them a pain to use so the movement away from these seemed a great idea. However with the introduction of the iPad I felt that a Stylus would aid the functionality of the device, let me tell you how!

iPad Dagi Stylus

One of the great things about the iPad is its big screen! Which means the iPad is great for sketching, drawing diagrams or even taking notes in Lectures and meetings! I personally can’t wait to take my iPad into a lecture instead of a bag full of random sheets of paper! One of the problems though with the iPad is that limiting yourself to just using your finger makes it difficult to make hand written notes with any sort of precision. Also drawing is a little hard too. Your finger covers a large surface area, and so your covering up some of the screen which is annoying if you want to do something accurate! The DAGI iPad Stylus solves this issue!

The tip on the DAGI is transparent apart from a tiny red dot that shows you the centre of where it is touching and designed to aid the accuracy. The tip is plastic so you dont have to worry about using it on either the bare screen or with a screen protector. I will say, that I tried it with a Zagg invisible shield and a clear plastic film screen protector, and it did work better on the latter. This is because the Zagg has a rubber feeling to it and the stylus couldn’t glide as well on it but did work fine.

Also the stylus does take some getting used to. In order for it to work correctly you must use the flat tip directly on the pad. So you have to constantly hold it at a certain angle. This can take some getting used to and on the first couple of tries you may think “this is rubbish” but stick with it do some practising and you will soon be writing essays on your iPad and if you use an iPad Case, especially the iPad Flip Case the pen attaches onto it so you dont have to go searching for it!

If you want to see how it works in practise check out the review video below:

Overall I am pretty impressed with the Dagi it’s the best stylus I have come across so far, I recommend you stay clear of the cheap ones on eBay, I tried them and they arent very good at all, this is far better!

Pros:

• Gives greater accuracy over your finger.
• Ideal for writing notes and drawing sketches
• Not too expensive.
• Great look and feel

Cons:

• Takes some getting used to.
• Doesn’t work as well on an Invisible Shield.

Price: £14.95, From: MobileFun.co.uk

Thanks to Mobile Fun for sending Cloud Bite this to review. Mobile Fun have a great range of mobile accessories and for all those of you who are lucky enough to get a iPhone 4 you need to protect it with a iPhone 4 Case and they have hundreds, so check them out!

iPad Flip Case Review

The iPad is one of those products that looks so good you are torn between covering it up and leaving it as is. However with that aluminium back and large glass screen it will be prone to getting scratched or even broken. So the best option is to get a useful case that doesn’t interfere with the use of the device but fully protects it. The iPad Leather Flip Case from GearZap not only fully protects your iPad, has small useful extras without adding extra bulk but also doesn’t interfere with the use of iPad at all.

Unboxing

A few days ago I uploaded the Unboxing of the device to YouTube and this Blog and you can see that below:

Review

The iPad Flip Case comes in a range of colours including, Black, White, Red, Purple, Pink and Blue and GearZap were kind enough to let me select a nice bright red one! My first impressions of the case were positive the case feels very padded but firm enough to protect your iPad from any drops and scratches it may gain from all your colleagues who are desperate to try out your new device!

iPad Vertical Position

The iPad Case has a magnetic strap for easy access but also helps to keep it secure. The inside of the case has a soft velvet feel to it which fully protects your iPad from any scratches. Along with this the inside flap contains a 3 small holders for business cards or credit cards, I will probably put my student ID in here for Uni! This holder section is on elastic which means you can tuck some papers and documents behind here or even put your hand through it and hold your iPad that way!

iPad Horizontal Position

One little extra with the case is it will allow the iPad to stand portrait or landscape on a table or desk which is ideal for viewing emails, watching a video or using as a digital photoframe!

You can have a look at the iPad Case if you check out the full iPad Flip Case Video Review I filmed below:

Overall I am really pleased with the case, I am completely happy to keep my iPad inside it and feel that it will remain safe and secure inside it.

Pros:

• Secure Magnetic Fasten
• Stylish leather feel.
• Soft interior to prevent scratches
• Full access to the iPad, there is not interference with the control of the iPad
• Verticle and Horizontal Position
• Card and document holder

Cons:

• Corners are exposed but the case extrudes further than the iPad.

Where to get it:

GearZap.com £14.95 – There are also lots of other iPad cases and accessories so make sure you check them out!