Technology
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts

Tech Tuesday - Xbox One S Review

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I am a Xbox owner after converting from the PS2 to the original Xbox a long time ago.  I still have PS consoles, but the Xbox has been my favourite for some time. I bought the Xbox One on initial release date in 2013 - the Day One edition. I have had no problems with it at all, other than running out of storage space. Luckily the Xbox allows external hard drives to be connected in a plug and play style to improve the capacity overall. 
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Review - Droidbox PlayOn

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Droidbox PlayOn, Handheld Console, Buttons, Screen,
I recently bought the Droidbox PlayOn handheld console.  For years I have looked for and bought a number of units with the intention of being able to play emulated games from computers and consoles long gone, in a simple format with easy to use controls. 

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Our Top Five Takeaway Apps

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*collaboration
Its nearly time to decorate our home ready for the Christmas celebrations. We have a tradition that every year on decoration day, we will tidy up, then get the decorations from the loft. After that the usual ornaments and pictures take their turn up in the loft for a month or so, and then the decorating begins. At about the time we are sorting the teddies and ornaments, we will usually order a takeaway meal to be delivered. Now I remember when we first started the tradition of decoration day we would go out for something to eat, but we would find ourselves short of time and rushed. Over the years that we have been ordering in I think that Pizza has been the most popular choice, but then is that because until recently Pizza was one of the only things you could get delivered?
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TechSavvyDad Tuesday - S+ by ResMed Review

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Sleep. Does anyone ever get enough these days? I know that being a dad to two boys, one a toddler and one a teen, there is a huge differential in the times that they sleep. Little J is often asleep by 6pm and up again ready for the next day at 5am whereas Big J will be in bed by 10pm on a school night and much later at weekends. I get to sleep in-between these times but generally I have some ‘Dad’ time that means actually I think I average around 6 hours each night. I know that's not enough, but how can we monitor and improve our sleep? I have tried a few apps from the google play store over the years, with mixed results. I have never stuck to one app to try to improve my sleep as I haven’t yet been convinced that any of them actually work. I have been trying the S+ by ResMed to try and improve my sleep.
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TechSavvyDad Tuesday - August Multiroom Wireless Airplay Speakers Review

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Recently we got the chance to review some wireless airplay speakers from August. We have purchased August products before including headphones and a TV box and they were both really good so we were very excited to test out the speakers. As I am useless with technology I asked Daddy and he has kindly reviewed them so I will hand you over to Daddy now.

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Peppa Pig's Alphaphonics Campervan Review

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Little J has loved Peppa Pig for as long as I can remember so when we were asked to try out the new Peppa Pig Alphaphonics Campervan I knew little J would love it. Little J loves learning and although he knows his letters and numbers there will be a time soon that he needs to learn his phonics.
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We Are Part Of The Netflix Stream Team

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When we were contacted by Netflix to ask us to be part of the Netflix Stream Team I was so excited. Mummy and I absolutely love watching movies and tv programmes but like most people we find everyday life takes over and it’s just impossible to sit down and watch live tv. We would rather watch movies at a time that suits us and we also love to watch tv programmes as boxsets so there is no long wait in-between episodes.
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Daddy Gets Handy In The Kitchen

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Daddy has been making himself useful in the kitchen recently making us some yummy meals and treats. He's actually really good at cooking and I know its something he really wants to start making more of an effort on. Keep an eye out for some yummy posts showing off Daddy's talents but for now I'll pass you over to Daddy who is keen to tell you about what he is up to next.

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JML Phoenix Gold Iron

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I have to admit that I don't do much ironing, Daddy does the majority of it. It's not that I don't want to its just I am so slow so it's easier and quicker if Daddy does it. When I told Daddy we were receiving a JML Phoenix Gold Iron he was quite excited as our old iron has seen better days.

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5 Reasons To Get A Dehumidifier For Your Home

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Daddy and I have been thinking about giving our home a makeover. It's in desperate need of a  Spring  Autumn clean. There are a few items we want to get too including a fan. Our home gets so warm during the evenings and I suspect we may have an Indian Summer so I am expecting it to be warm in September. Also we want a Dehumidifier. I actually didn't even know these excited until recently but after reading the benefits we want one. They are a cheap but excellent addition to your home. They come in different sizes and can stop many problems.


Here are five reasons to get a dehumidifier for your home.

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Minion Lab Review

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During the Summer months we spends lots of time travelling around in the car visiting different attractions and days out. Although we do try and be out and about as much as possible there are days when we just stay at home and chill. Especially on rainy days the boys can become bored quite quickly so I am very organised when it comes to making sure that the boys will be entertained.


Although both boys love playing with toys and games together there are moments when they both  listen to music on big J's phone whilst playing games on the iPad. Big J loves games such as Football Manager and Stickmen but he does like to take advantage of free Minion games too.
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Google Chromecast Giveaway

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 As you may already know Daddy loves his technology and is always tinkering with gadgets and gizmos. His latest project is the Google Chromecast. If I am honest I had no idea what a Chromecast was but Daddy did his best to explain it to me.

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Daddy keeps up with the new Panasonic TV technology

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It wasn't long ago that Daddy had set his alarm on his phone to remind him about the XBOX One Convention. It was streaming live across the world to show off the new console that was eagerly awaited by millions. I remember how exited he was when it started to stream from the xbox 360 on to our TV. If I remember rightly there was a man showing off all what this new console could do. I'm not up on technology but I do remember thinking "wow! A console can do all that?"
Daddy on the other hand is very in to technology he loves it, he needs it and he is always wanting to upgrade. Consoles, phones, computers, TV's, everything that can be upgraded really. You may remember he went to Play Expo last year. He took big J and they had an amazing time. Everything was retro and mainly arcade machines so I couldn't think of anything that he would see there that he would want...I was wrong.
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Steam Cleaning with Karcher

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I have to be honest now and say that I don't do any of the hoovering or mopping here its all done by Daddy. Its always been done by Daddy and if I do whizz the hoover round it normally gets done again as I'm not very good at it. I miss out parts of the floor when I do mop so its just best leaving it to Daddy. I think he actually enjoys doing this part of the housework and when I told him we were receiving a lovely new Kärcher SC2.500C Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner With Continuous Steam Function, he seemed very happy. 

We already use a steam mop for our wooden floors downstairs so Daddy is used to cleaning using steam but he still read the manual first to make sure he knew everything there was to know about our new cleaner.

The Karcher was pretty much ready to use when he took it out the box. He just attached the wheels and adjusted the connections. It was really easy.

The water tank is shown above. Its really simple to unclip and fill. There is a maximum line so you don't overfill.

The hand tools were easy to slot together and shortly after opening he was ready to go.

Before you start I must stress that you have to hoover. This is a steam cleaner and does not vacuum so if you do not hoover you will find clumps of wet dust all over your floor. 

The Karcher comes with Terry cloths. These are attached to the end of the cleaner by using the clip fasteners. I have since washed these after use and they washed fine. I haven't yet looked if you can buy these separately but I am sure they will and even if they don't you could purchase something very similar - making sure its the right size. 

The Karcher needs to reach a certain heat before it begins to steam. There is a light that flashes to tell you that it has reached the correct temperature. This wasn't a problem when Daddy was steaming the floors as it heated quite quickly .

There is an adjustable steam control which can be used depending on the surface you are wanting to steam.


Daddy made his way through our living room and kitchen using the Karcher and he noticed straight away how powerful it was compared to our regular steam mop. If you haven't used a steam mop or cleaner before its important to remember that you clean from front to back not back to front like you would with a hoover. The main reasons for doing it this way is a) stopping you from standing in the wet and b) if it does pick up clumps of wet dust it is easier to wipe away.

Another point to remember is this is a steam cleaner so it will make things wet. If you are using this on tiles, mirrors or glass you will need to wipe them dry.

Last week Daddy decided to clean the oven which was a job long overdue. He got out the Karcher to see if it the steam would help make the job a little easier. He used a different tool that then did for the floor. This was more of a hand held tool so was easier to use on the oven. 

He fitted the cloth around and begin to steam to hopefully loosen the grease.

He still had to use a normal oven cleaner and give it a good scrub but the steam definitely helped as the grease (yuk) was just melting away from the oven.

After he finished cleaning the inside he decided to take off the cloth and steam the glass on the oven door. I am actually ashamed at just how dirty it looks in this photo. I honestly thought there would be no chance of removing this.

 After a couple of minutes Daddy shouted me over to have a look. I didn't want to because I knew that if the grime hadn't of come off I would have had to buy an new oven as I wouldn't cook in that. I honestly was shocked at just how clean it looked. He had purposely done half so I could see the difference. It only took him minutes because the steam was just eating through the grease and Daddy just had to wipe clean.

So glad at just how clean this looks. 

What We Liked.

The power of the steam cleaner. We noticed a massive difference to our regular steam mop. 

Our floor seemed to look cleaner for longer.

Easy to set up.

Easy to use. 

The variety of tools for different surfaces. 

Multi Purpose.

Compact.

What Could Improve 

More supply of cloths included.

The length of the cable from plug to cleaner. We had to change plug holes to clean our living room and kitchen.

Daddy is really looking forward to steam cleaning our bathroom over the next few weeks and I cannot wait to share our results. 

To find out more about The Karcher Steam Cleaner 2.500c you can visit the website HERE




*we were sent the Karcher Steam Cleaner 2.500c for review. All thoughts, opinions and photos above are our own*
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Daddy and Big J go to Play Expo

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Last weekend daddy and big J had a great time at their first games convention. We had been invited to review Play Expo at Event City, Manchester. 

I would class Big J and Daddy as 'gamers', big J loves FIFA and daddy likes lots of different games and has been playing since he had his first zx spectrum - a long time ago!  Although they both love games, they had never been to an event, and both where looking forward to it. 

Daddy's post

When we arrived, the queues looked huge! Luckily we had press passes and manger to squeeze through to the front of the queue to get in.  When we first walked in bumblebee and barricade - the actual cars from the transformers films, where on show protected by some guards with guns, that anyone could handle - hopefully replicas!    


The cars are very impressive, whether you like the films or not, and everyone was talking a photo or two. 

We had a look at the size of the event as we walked in. The place was enormous. It really was difficult to know where to go first as there really was so much on show.


The first thing little J saw that he wanted to look at was a stall full of all types of t-shirts, collectibles, toys and all kinds relating to games. He liked the look of some of the minecraft bits, but decided to wait before parting with his money. 

Next was a section with approximately 100 ps4 consoles showing new and older games for anyone to play. Driveclub is a new ps4 exclusive racing game and we enjoyed a few goes on this.  Big J is definitely a FIFA fan, whereas I grew up with PES being the only football game to play, back when FIFA was a game that allowed you to score easily from the halfway line! A match was due and PES 2015 was on show. After 3 games, I was the 2-1 victor overall. 


After this is was time for some pinball.  I have honestly never seen so many machines in one place, and all free to play.  We both had a good few games of some classic machines, the Addams family, lord of the rings and nba basketball to name a few.  







Next to the pinball was a large arcade with, again,  more machines than I have ever seen in one place.  All free to play, and we played the classics, outrun, afterburner, hard drivin' even virtual striker ( which little J comprehensively battered me on with a 3-1 score line).  SCI was next - for those who remember chase hq, this was chase hq2. I loved this game when I was younger but never managed to get past level 5. Now that I had lots of free credits, I managed to get to the end - and got the high score,



There was a large retro console area, which didn't really excite little J too much, although I was impressed and so many stalls selling all manner of gaming goodies.


The best parts of the show for me have to be getting my picture taken in the delorean from back to the future 


and on the iron throne from game of thrones. 

Although these needing paying for, well worth a fiver each in my opinion. 





We finished by visiting the same stall as we looked at when we first went in, little J sticking by his initial thoughts of minecraft stuff. One foam sword and cardboard box later - and he looks like he is from the game!

Then it was another look at barricade and bumblebee, and home, after a really good day.  We will definitely be attending another gaming convention!

To find out more about Play Expo you can visit the website HERE

*we were invited to review Play Expo all thought are our own*
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#Win Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset

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Daddy has been trying out the Gioteck EX3-R and you can read all about it HERE
If you would like to win one then all you need to do is answer the question and leave the answer as a blog comment.
Q: If you won, who would you give the headset to?
Good luck
Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset
To view more Gioteck Products please visit the website HERE
Terms and Conditions
Competition closes on Sunday 26th  October 2014 at 12AM
Entrants must have a valid UK address
Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified
All entrants and entries are checked and verified.
All entrants must follow the mandatory step and answer the question as a blog comment.
1 lucky winner will be chosen at random by the Gleam application.
Mummy2Monkeys will contact the lucky winner within 1 day of the competition closing
The winner must respond within 28 days. If no response a new winner will be chosen.
The prize is a Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset
There is no cash alternative.
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Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset

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You may have already read that Daddy and big J love their console games. 

Daddy has wrote a post for me based on a review of the Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset

Gioteck recently sent us the EX3-R inline messenger headset to try, as a quality alternative to the usual range of headsets on offer for ps4.

The headset arrived in a well packaged and typically blue and black box, with some of the headsets key features shown.

Inside, the headset is of good sturdy quality, simple and easy to set up with your ps4 controller - it really is plug and play (or plug and talk I should say!)


The set fits nicely around your ear to keep it in place and the earphone fits into your ear like any other in ear headphone would. You can adjust the set to get the right fit for you. The voice piece is nice and short and doesn't get in your way at all, but picks up very clearly what you are saying.

You can hear clearly what your friends (or enemies depending on the game) are saying and the quality does rival some of the more expensive sets outs there. 

If I was to sum up the EX3-R inline messenger headset, I would say simple, inexpensive, and good quality headset. If you are looking for a cheaper chat headset, but don't want to lose the quality then I would recommend the set. 

As an added bonus, I have also discovered that this set works on Xbox one too, when used with the controller and adapter.

Thanks Gioteck, I am now looking at buying my next gaming chair from your site. 

*****************
To view the Gioteck range you can visit the website HERE
If you would like to own a Gioteck EX3-R Inline Messenger Headset make sure you check out my competition HERE


*we were sent the gioteck headset in return for a full honest review - thought and any opinions as always are our own*
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#win a Loop Journal Download Code

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Every year for Christmas I always get a new diary and I always get excited and start filling it out but by the middle of January I get bored and give up.

I have recently started using Loop Journal and I love it. It's an online app that I have on my iPad and every day a question pops up that I answer. It's a quick way to complete a diary and you can look back at what you have wrote in previous months.

I have 5 codes to give away to 5 winners so you can download the app for FREE.

All you need to do is complete the entry form below. good Luck




Competition closes on Monday 13th October 2014 at 12AM
Entrants must have a valid UK address
Bulk, third party or any other entries using automated software will be disqualified
All entrants and entries are checked and verified.
All entrants must follow the mandatory step and answer the question as a blog comment.
5 lucky winners will be chosen at random by the Gleam application.
Mummy2Monkeys will contact the lucky winners within 1 day of the competition closing
The winner must respond within 28 days. If no response a new winner will be chosen.
The prize is a Code which is redeemable on the App Store against the purchase of Loop Journal
There is no cash alternative.
It will be the responsibility of the representative of the company representing the  above to issue the prize. 
The winner must consent to their name and details being passed on to the representative so their prize can be distributed.
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iPhone 5 Case from Case App

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Daddy has previously reviewed 2 iPhone 5s cases, and was offered the chance to review a further case from caseapp. You may think that 2 cases would already be enough, but cases that are personalised are a great gift and means you can swap your case from time to time.  
 
The process for ordering was very simple with a simple click and drag process used to add the picture to the virtual case, and the chance to make the picture bigger, smaller, or select certain parts of a picture of you wanted to.  You can then preview your case to get an idea what it will look like. Then it's onto options followed by a simple checkout process and all done.
 
The phone was swiftly delivered securely packaged, and fitted through the letter box which is good as no need to pick up from neighbours if you are out.
 
The first thing I noticed about the case, which differs from others is that the picture I selected 'wraps around' the phone, ensuring that all sides are also part of the picture.  
 
The case feels secure and sturdy, and fits really snugly onto the phone. As expected there are spaces for the volume controls which takes the form of one large spaces rather than 3 smaller ones - this means a potentially better fit and very little chance of damage to the buttons, which can be a concern when fitting a new case to your phone, especially if like me you like to change it from time to time.
 
I chose a glossy finish for the picture, having had standard finish in the past, and for the picture I chose this was perfect. With a number of different colours in the picture it really makes certain parts stand out, for example you can clearly see the different colours on big j's World Cup loom bands!!
 
Overall I would recommend the service provided by caseapp and the quality of the iphone case is really good. You can order yours here. Enjoy!!

 
*we were provided with the iphone case for the purpose of the review - thoughts are our own*
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Club Penguin is taken over by Frozen

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If you didn't know already we love everything Disney and always have. This week Big J got to play on his favourite online game Club Penguin while it was taken over by Frozen.
 
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