Gadget Review: Plugable USB-C Voltage & Amperage Meter (240W)


All USB-C cables are equal. But some, as the saying goes, are more equal than others. This little gadget from Plugable is a fantastic bit of kit. Plug your USB-C power supply into one end of the gadget, plug the gadget in to your laptop, phone, or any other USB-C device. Watch the screen to […]

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Review: Runner Diver2 Bone Conduction Swimming Headphones


Product shot of some headphones being immersed in water.

The good folk at Nank (Naenka) have sent me their latest waterproof Bluetooth headphones to review. Wear 'em while you're in the shower, swimming, jogging, or just on an endless sea of Zoom calls about quarterly budgets. Unboxing Bone Conducting??! Yup! Rather than sticking speakers in your ears, these literally rattle the bones in your […]

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Adventures in home automation - Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi 2


Screenshot of a website with loads of toggle switches.

They say that The Best Camera Is The One That's With You - the same is true of Raspberries Pi. As much as I'd love a 4B, they seem permanently sold out. So I dug through my scrapheap of old tech and resurrected an ancient Pi2. It's old, outdated, slow, with limited RAM, and has […]

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Review: Meta Quest 2 - first impressions


A VR headset.

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 […]

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Review - Clevo N151CU / Lafité IV / System76 Darter Pro / Entroware Proteus


A laptop showing off its ports.

Sorry for the title gore. But it's the only way to let people know that all four of these laptops are identical. Taiwanese manufacturer Clevo makes the N151CU laptop. They sell it directly to resellers, who in turn sell it on to consumers. It has excellent Linux support. Both Entroware (in the UK) and System76 […]

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Gadget Review - Nooie 360 Security Camera


Nooie camera sat on a table.

The good folk at Nooie have sent me their 360 WiFi camera to review. Cost is usually £50 - but check the bottom of this post for a discount code. The design is gorgeous - and award winning. It's a sleek unit and, surprisingly, feels nice in the hand. It can store videos on an […]

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Vertical Monitor Review - Iiyama ProLite B2482HS-B1 24"


Vertical Screen showing YouTube.

We're all working from home now, right? I got this specific monitor for two reasons only: It rotates to vertical mode It was within my employer's home working budget There are no integrated USB hubs, no TV tuners, no gaming mode, no 4K, no HDR, no smarts. It is just a screen. That happens to […]

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My WFH Set Up


A corner desk, laptop, chair, vertical monitor and assorted junk.

Inspired by my friend Meri's WFH Setup Tips, I thought I'd share my home-working setup. We've moved house recently, so I'm still finding my feet - but as I work from home fairly often, and have a bit of RSI, I thought I'd show you what I've got and how I use it. The desk […]

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Gadget Review: DophiGo DV-200 WiFi Doorbell


Unboxed content.

In my ongoing quest to open my house to hackers create the ultimate smarthome, I've added a new toy. A video doorbell! Why? I've got a tall house and can't be bothered walking down several flights of stairs just to tell a peddler to piss off. And, when I'm away, it's nice to know where […]

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How to run a tech swap shop at a conference


A bearded geek holding a mysterious cube. A sign in the background says "Swap Shop".

At the recent BarCampLondon Ⅺ I decided to run a little experiment. Anyone coming to @barcamplondon fancy doing a Tech Swap Table with me?Bring bits of (working) kit and old gadgets that you don't want in the hope they find a loving home.Let me know if you want to take part 😁#bclxi — Terence Eden […]

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