Miscellaneous

While batteries pack in higher performance and technology improves lighting, we are taking great steps in LED efficiencies so it becomes a very changeable market in the torch world. So much so, that our new friends at the LED Torch Shop told us we could pick anything out of their huge selection to review. They had EagleTac, Fenix, Jetbeam, Led Lenser, Microfire, Nitecore, Sunwayman, and Surefire.

We selected what we thought would be the two brightest and go the furthest LED Torches - an Eagletac M3C4 @ 800 Lumens and the even more powerful Jetbeam RRT3 @ 1200 lumens.

How did they go? Read on as we evaluated them in comparison to see what came out the “best for the buck”.

About a year ago we tested the Playon!HD Mini’s bigger brother on this site. Have a look at Paul Moons’ review here. This will serve as the background article for the Mini as the functionality is essentially the same. So my review will focus mainly on the hardware side of things, including the wireless USB adaptor that BlueChipIT graciously supplied with the unit.

The PR blurb describes the Playon!HD Mini as “Sexy, compact, completely silent and feature packed” which -- they hope  -- should make the Mini the must have media streamer for your digital lifestyle...

If you have been following the DigitalReviews Network sites for many years you would know that we have a keen interest in all things aviation related.

Today we will be revisiting our friends at Qref whose main mission in life is to bring the most useful and comprehensive aviation checklists to the market. We had a good look at one of their first productions: the Garmin 430 avionics checklist which you find here. That review gives you a lot of background information on the company so today we can be brief about the checklists for the Cessna 172R and the Bendix King KLN89.

The sturdy flip-over format of these checklists will make it easy to incorporate these with your knee board and are priced at just a tad under US$25.

Which are the best RC planes? After five months in the making, it’s a world first review of this type as we have compared 21 planes:  E Flite Apprentice 15E, Hobbyzone Champ, Parkzone Trojan T28D, Hobbyzone Mini Super Cub, Art-Tech Cessna 182, Art-Tech Class 500 Cessna 182, ST Cessna 182 350 Corvalis, Hobbyking FMS Alpha Dassault Jet, Hobbyking Euro fighter Jet EF2000, Parkzone Stinson Reliant, Parkzone Corsair, Parkzone Ultra Micro Trojan, Parkzone BF109 Messesmitt, Dynam Cub, Great Planes Super Sportster, Great Planes Reactor Bipe 3D EP, Parkzone Ultra Micro P51 Mustang, ST MX 2, ST Piper J3 Cub, 2010 Hobbyzone Super Cub LP and a Parkzone Micro Sukhoi SU-26XP.

Using 21 RC planes, we have endeavoured to supply all the information that anyone wishing to buy the best Beginner’s plane, or best Intermediate/Expert plane or to just fly remote controlled planes, would wish to know. Read on to find out how all of these planes were assessed against one another over all our tests to arrive at a best RC plane selection of “Best RC Plane of the Year” for each class.

At the time of writing this article, the Parkzone Ultra Micro Trojan is the hottest contender for “best beginner plane” of the year award. We have selected and reviewed 21 planes over a five month period and by using a grid for grading the different strengths and weaknesses of each plane hope that the review due for release in ten days time will prove invaluable to people in the remote control plane business The article is the largest of it’s kind ever done and all planes have been assessed relative to each other, giving far greater accuracy than comparing planes written by different reviewers.

We have, to date, spent five months putting the article together and it is currently not on schedule but will be published on this site during the third week of November 2010. But enough on what’s coming up, let’s tell you about how fantastic this little plane is!

 (See 21 Best RC electric planes compared - this site)