REVIEW: SOL Republic Tracks HD V10 Headphones

Back on tracks.

Here at The Test Pit we can certainly admit to being rather clumsy with our treasured tech. One of the first ever touchscreen phones, the LG Viewty, fell victim to our butter fingers, as have countless other gadgets and accessories. How about you?

So here's a question: how many pairs of headphones have you owned? If, like us, you've been plugged into a music player of some kind since childhood, you've probably worked your way through several dozen sets; each pair falling by the wayside, broken and ruined. What you need is a pair of Tracks HD from SOL Republic.

REVIEW: STM Tracer Deluxe Stylus Pen

The pen is mightier...

There was once a time when the most sophisticated and technological thing one could do to make the humble Biro interesting was to put a digital clock in it. Of course we've all seen that episode of Friends when Joey gets a clock pen for his girlfriend's birthday, but girlfriends these days are far more demanding. They want more from a pen. And so do we, God damn it!

Fortunately STM have been listening and have taken into account what we, modern consumers, actually need from a pen these days. Enter the Tracer Deluxe Stylus Pen.

REVIEW: Nerf Vortex Diatron

Disk jockey.

As you read the following paragraph please imagine a brass band playing in the background:

Eee it was hard in our youth. All we had to play with was a battered old Commodore Amiga 500 and a pirated copy of Lemmings. With no internet we were forced to 'telephone' our friends, hoping they were in to get the call, and arrange to meet up and go out to play. And when we were out in the open air, cold wind blowing our exposed knees, all we had to play with was a Nerf football. You threw it and it whistled. Eee, it was hard back then...

REVIEW: Jawbone Jambox Hex

Jaw jaw, not war war.

We were going to begin this review by asking how your summer was going and if you were looking for a mobile speaker to add tuneful exuberance to outdoor evening shindigs. But what's the point? If like us at The Test Pit you call the British Isles your home, we might just as well ask how you're enjoying the rain.

And so this review - of a portable bluetooth speaker - will pay no heed to the outside world of sun and grass and barbecues and bikinis. We are realists. And very pale.

Happy (You're not my) Fathers' Day

REVIEW: Otterbox Defender

Tough case to crack.

Ask anyone what their most treasured possession is - the thing they would least want to be damaged or destroyed - and the chances are they would say their smart phone. Lets face it, mobile devices have overtaken computers as our most prized gizmos. All the photos, videos, emails and texts make them little repositories of memories and significance and therefore not the kind of thing we can afford to be careless with.

And so we wrap our precious slabs of glass and silicon in cases and wallets, skins and covers in the hope that should the worse happen (your toddler gets your phone and decides to post through the letter box) it will be protected. So if you're searching for the case that will provide your phone with unparalleled protection, you should head to the riverbank and find an otter.

REVIEW: LEGO Technic Pull Back Cars

Get your coat, you've pulled.

As sprightly young pups we never played all that much with Technic, LEGO's construction product, and for that we blame our mums. Although we longed to get to grips with the technical looking sets and build some truly awesome mechanical monsters, our mothers decided it all seemed far too complicated for our little fingers and instead filled our Christmas stockings with what was then called 'LEGO Basic'. A blessing and a curse.

However, now we are all growed up big boys and don't have to listen to our mums (except when we're ill) so leapt at the chance to test two Technic sets, #42010 and #42011.

REVIEW: Toy Round-up

Throwing, flicking and fighting

As summer draws in and actually promises not to be disappointing this year, we thought we'd look at some cool toys to get you out into the great outdoors. Then we realised that the summer sun is fickle and likely to be traitorous and sod off behind clouds for three months. So we looked at other things to play with inside as well.

Its a tough job, but some unemployable lout has to do it.

REVIEW: Withings Smart Body Analyzer

For smart bodies

Are your mornings as depressing as ours? You slump into the bathroom and the weighing scales sit there taunting you with what they know; that you're a fatty. Or rather that’s what you think as the numbers on the scales get higher and higher each day. Damn scales. They do it on purpose. They're broken, they must be!

Wouldn't it be nice to have a set of scales that is actively helping you to lose weight? No, not a set strategically placed on the top of Mount Everest which you have to climb to reach - ones like the Withings Smart Body Analyzer.