Build Quality

As with every Logitech keyboard I have had the pleasure of using, the G105 maintains a standard of build quality a gamer expects from a gaming keyboard. Each keypress has brilliant tactile feedback and is ready for the next key press a split second later. The cool black finish with WASD and Arrow Key grey highlights provides instant recognition should you ever lose track of your hand location. The build quality is second to none and you can feel this  keyboard is not going to let you down in the heat of battle.

Features

Not only is the keyboard packed with the usual goodies of media controls and the famous Windows Lock out key, but the keyboard also features a striking green backlight ideal for midnight gamers who battle on throughout the night. This has to be the best backlight I have seen on a keyboard. Every key is perfectly lit, none are brighter than the other, none are partially lit and they are fitting with the MW3 theme, the green is rich in colour and bright enough for the darkest of nights!

Other features include Logitech’s brilliant G-key system. G-Keys allow you to record functions either through software or on the fly meaning you can fully customise 6 buttons with 3 different profiles each, meaning a total of 18 fully customisable functions. Unleash the power of the Macro editor software enabling you to assign pretty much anything you can input from the keyboard. Whether its messages regarding enemy flanking manoeuvres or warnings of bombs defusing, one click buttons save you down-time and speed up efficiency and game play.

Video Review

Want the full low-down? Check out our full video review!

Overall

Overall what a fantastic keyboard. Featuring the Call of Duty Logo you expect one of the best, if not the best experiences and teamed with Logitech that is what you get! If I had to name a fault all I would say is the lack of wrist rest is a shame. I’m not sure why Logitech failed to include this with the keyboard. So that is where it loses a cloud score for me. If you are someone who needs a wrist rest check out our review of the Logitech G110, the bigger brother of this keyboard.

Pros:

• Great Tactile feedback
• Fantastic Backlight
• 6 GKeys allowing up to 18 custom functions

Cons:

• No wrist rest

Cloud Bite awards the Logitech G105 MW3 Edition Keyboard 4 clouds out of 5 making it one of the best gaming keyboards! Check out the MW3 Mouse Review here (It’s brilliant).

G9x vs G9x MW 3 Edition

The model I have been reviewing is the MW3 edition however, other than branding and possibly a mouse mat the G9X is pretty much the same.

Build Quality and Precision

Like myself Logitech know what gamers want! They built the mouse with precision and comfort in mind. The G9x has a rather low profile but has a great spread meaning optimum comfort. Build quality is second to none and has a solid feel giving you complete control over every shot. The mouse has a smooth finish that’s comfortable to hold over long periods. “But a smooth mouse doesn’t always give precision” I hear you say. Okay , well what if you could change the grip to a textured one to give that ultimate precision? Done! Logitech lets you pick a smooth grip or a textured grip to give that precision in gaming you need, cool eh?

DPI and Profiles

Something that we have seen in many gaming mice is “DPI”. The ability to quickly slow down the mouse for sniping headshots and speeding back up for full rush spray and spray is what can give you the best edge in the game. Logitech have taken it a step further though. They have given you the ability to change the DPI from the horizontal and vertical axis separately providing you with the ultimate precision. Profiles stored directly on the mouse also mean you no longer need to install software and reconfigure every time you swap PC. So if you’re off to a Lan party, gaming at a friends or just moving from the desktop to laptop you can store 5 profiles directly on the mouse providing a true plug and play solution.  Profiles and DPI are also indicated by the built in LED on the top of the mouse so there’s no wondering what profile your on and switching between them is as simple as clicking 2 buttons.

Weighted 

Logitech have designed this mouse to be as light as possible which is great but what about those of us who want something heavier, something we can feel, something that digs down into the mouse mat? Well you can add weights to this mouse. Eight weights are provided, 4x 7g weights and 4x 4g weights. You can insert up to four of the weights into the mouse in any configuration you can think of meaning you can have anything from light to heavy it’s up to you!

Middle Mouse Button Extras

Thats not all Logitech also includes a feature I have never seen in another mouse. You know how when you scroll on your mouse it either goes in little “notches” or “clicks” or your mouse has smooth scrolling meaning no clicks at all? Well, there is a benefit for both. The clicks are great for gaming as they give you the precision you need for weapon changes, knifing etc, but the smooth scrolling is great for web surfing. If only a mouse could do both. You know what’s coming… The G9X can! A little button on the bottom of the mouse allows you to swap from smooth scrolling to “clicky” scrolling really easily allowing you to use the mouse exactly how you want to.

Anything Else?

Of course! The cord is braided to ensure it never gets tangled which is brilliant and the MW3 Edition also comes with a MW3 mouse mat! What more could you want?

Video Review

Overall

Overall this is a fantastic mouse, in fact it’s the best mouse I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. Sadly my time with it has come to an end and I must return it to Logitech, how will I ever go back to my old warn out mouse? I wont be! I snapped up this mouse on the Logitech Website! I couldn’t face going back to my old one. I therefore give this mouse a fantastic 5/5 clouds! I’m so impressed! Great work Logitech.

iBeats, from Dr Dre

Want to hear the true beat the artist intended? The unbelievable rhythm, ear popping solo, snare-focused drum beat, are all sounds you can hear with these fantastic headphones by Dr Dre.

Many of us have MP3 players or mobile phones to play our music. But too often we use the cheap set of headphones that are provided to listen back to music. Why go out get a brand new iPhone which can play your all time favourite tunes in a not so favourable way. Let’s all face facts, the headphones that Apple bundle with the the iPhone, the iPod and iPad may have once been a fashion statement, but for those among us who want to blast out the latest  from Adele,  the all time hits of Sinatra and the heavy beats of David Guetta, know that these headphones just cannot keep up. For that you need quality, meaning you need the Beats Headphones by Dr Dre.

We all have our favourite tracks, tracks that bring back great memories or those good feeling tracks to get us into the party mood and we want to play them back knowing we are hearing exactly what our favourite artist wanted us to. Well now we can! Dr Dre has a passion, he wanted us fans to hear what he could hear, what the artists wanted us to hear…

“People aren’t hearing all the music.

Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound. But people can’t really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn’t move you.

With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.”

The Monster iBeats with ControlTalk works seamlessly with the iPad, iPhone and iPod meaning you can listen to your tracks in full HD audio with the exclusive driver designed to pump out the deepest bass, soaring highs and crystal clear midrange. Plus there is no downtime. If you get a call the music cuts out and you can use the built in microphone to chat away with the music resuming once you end the call.

ControlTalk allows you to control the music how you want to allowing you to change volume, track and even pause.

Don’t worry about walking around a busy city full of roadworks, horns and people shouting either. The noise-isolation in these headphones will allow you to hear every fine detail of the music your listening to and less of the outside. Drift away into the music rather than struggling to hear it.

What do you get? The Beats by Dr Dre headphones, 5 pairs of standard Monster designed ear-tips, 2 pairs of triple layer “Airlocks”, a case and 2 years warranty!

So if you want to hear the best, listen the way the artist wanted and get the most out of your music and your device you can pick up the Monster Beats by Dr Dre now for £79 at Mobile Fun!

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!)