Accessories

It is no big secret that I am a fan of the thinkTankPhoto Retrospective bags. I have a Retro 20 which I use as an all-round camera bag and a Retro 50 for when I need to carry all the camera gear that I own. For a while the Retro 50 was repurposed as a laptop bag for work. Under the threat of a fate worse than death for non-disclosure - (such as permanent deprivation from coffee), I was given a Retrospective Laptop Case 15L to road test weeks before the official launch.

For a few years now I have been hoping that wireless charging will become commonplace. Certainly the technology has been available, I remember reviewing such a system back in 2010. But it seems we are still on the cusp of the technology going truly mainstream with more devices starting to support wireless charging natively. Wireless chargers too, are becoming increasingly available at a reasonable cost. DigitalReviews has the pleasure of reviewing the Qi Universal Wireless Charging Plate courtesy of MobileZap.

It's not quite like my dress watch but rather chunky, cumbersome and connected.
Oh wait! Being connected is actually quite good as the COOKOO , just like its "real life" counterpart in some European clocks, is an announcer of sorts. For the times when your smart phone is just out of reach - but still within Bluetooth range - it will announce any missed calls, messages and emails. And when you can't find your phone. Yes, complete with the famous cuckoo sound, which I haven't heard for a long time in these parts.
Should you buy one?

Sometimes a headphone is not the best solution for listening to audio. For instance when you want to share some music from your phone with others. Or when you're doing some manual work where headphone wires will get in the way. I'm often in that last category when I like to listen to an audio book whilst doing some menial task that doesn't require much brainpower.

A Bluetooth speaker that easily connects with your phone is a pretty proposition for me.
The Arctic Sound S113BT is a handsome looking device but can it deliver?

Just shy of 12 months ago, DigitalReviews previewed the Xume Quick Release Adapters and wished we thought of the concept.  Thanks to the team at Xume who kindly provided a set of these adapters for review.