James Branch

I started my I.T. life back in 1987 with a Commodore 64, swiftly moving to the Amiga 500 and 1200, but got my first (What I could call 'real') PC in 1991.... a Packard Bell 486 DX running Windows 3.1 and from then on, I was hooked! I've been working in the I.T. sector in the U.K. for over 10 years now. My career started as a junior technician for Sage Software (Working in house as part of the I.T. tech teams, not developing their software as such) repairing PC's and doing the boring jobs that nobody really wanted or could be bothered to do! It was my first taste of work in the I.T. sector since leaving college (Where I studied I.T. and Business believe it or not!) so as far as I was concerned, I had the best job in the world! After a couple of years I left Sage as a Desktop Support Engineer and worked for a number of I.T. companies, with most of my concentration and dedication being aimed at PC, Server and Network support/design. I'm currently working as part of a two man I.T. support team, so tend to get my hands dirty with not only network design and support, PC & Server repair/maintenance, but I also maintain VoIP telephone systems, have mastered Sharepoint (MOSS/WSS Design, Document Library and Workflows), setup Virtual Servers using VMWare & MS Virtual Server, systems administration, Unix maintenance, and I like to dabble in SQL now and again.... just for my sins! :) I tend not to go very far without my iPod shuffle and can't live without my Blackberry 8820 - it's like an extension to my right (or even left!) hand! As you can probably gather, I'm also addicted to gadgets.... I have quite an impressive collection of toys now, which seem to take up too much space at home! I've gone through more digital cameras that I care to think of, had far too many Palms, games consoles, smart phones and an impressive of collection of PC's and laptops! Not a bad thing though, I think anyway!! My wife might think otherwise! :) When I'm not playing with gadgets or on the internet, I'm spending time with my gorgeous wife and three kids (All boys!) who'll no doubt grow up to be gadget freaks too, I hope! :) You can always find me checking e-mail, Twittering or mooching around Facebook, or indeed finding the next gadget(s) to review! James

Headphones that keep your ears warm!

Firebox Midland SubZero Headphones1

The guys over at Firebox are now selling the perfect winter gadget, that will help keep your ears warm whilst you listen to you favourite tune, or make a call. They’re called the Midland SubZero Headphones.  Aimed at the iPhone, iPod and Blackberry users, these rather cool looking wrap-around muffs are lined with warm faux fur, which help keep your […]

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Keep cool this summer with your own slushie machine

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During these balmy summer days there’s numerous way to keep cool and refreshed, but what better way to do it than with your very own slushie machine! That’s right, thanks to the guys over at SlushieMakers you can now own your very own, retro looking, table top fruity ice drink machine, the Slushie Maker. Use it on warm

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Wrapster keeps your earbuds organised!

Quirky Wrapster1

Tangled up, messy earbud cords will be banished to the history books, thanks to the product development website Quirky. Those clever guys and gals who have designed some awesome gadgets have now produced a rather neat product that will help manage your earbud cords much more effectively. It’s called the Wrapster and it’s made from a durable plastic, which is

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QDOS SoundFrame Speaker for iPhone/iPod

qdos soundframe1

QDOS, innovative designers of iPad, iPod and iPhone accessories have launched their latest product, created for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  It’s called the SoundFrame. Simply slide your iPhone or iPod Touch into the SoundFrame and you can sit back and enjoy your favourite music, which is pumped out of the two built-in 2.1W hi-fidelity speakers. The clever design

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A water bottle for the 21st Century!

swiggies

As a long distance runner, I always take a drink out with me when running, especially as I know that I should be well hydrated before, during and afterwards.  I’ve tried many different types of drinks bottles, from straight forward sports bottles, to the more specially designed running varieties.  However, regardless of which bottle I use, after a

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Diamond DP1800 Mobile Battery Review

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Last year, Julie was kind enough to send over the Artwizz Powerbat for me to review and I thought was a great piece of kit.  It was small, light, looks great and it’s a cinch to use.  And, since having done the review, I’ve used it countless times to provide power to my gear whilst traveling, without any issues whatsoever.

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SmallTalk Mini Bluetooth Headset Review

SmallTalk Mini Review1

Since Bluetooth was developed way back in 1994, its specifications have changed dramatically, and so have the devices that utilize it. However, in my opinion, the vast majority of people who use mobile phones still prefer not to use Bluetooth headsets, even though their ease is quite straight forward.  People that I’ve spoken too in the past have always

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