Protecting your eyes is very important if you are a runner,
cyclist, swimmer or skier. Making sure you have constant clear vision is key to
success and staying safe, so a good pair of sunnies will always be handy. But
what if you wear glasses and can't take them off to sport a pair of sunglasses,
swimming goggles or a ski mask? Do you resign yourself to a life of just
watching sport? No, you get a pair of Sportviz XTS Sunglasses.
30 September 2014
29 September 2014
FEATURE: Home Security
Safe as houses.
Gone are the days when a simple motion-activated burglar alarm
was the height of security. The old-fashioned, neighbour-annoying, screaming
alarms are pretty antiquated when compared to today's modern wireless systems.
To get a feel for what security options are out there for the security-conscious,
gadget-loving masses, we gathered a whole host of WiFi home monitors to test,
to help us sleep better at night.
26 September 2014
NEWS: Pompidoo bags to get XRD protection
Causing an impact.
Since
reviewing an iPhone case with XRD protective foam built in, we've been pretty
curious about this stuff. XRD is essentially a soft foam which, upon impact,
hardens and therefore absorbs up to 90% of the energy. A darn useful thing to
wrap your £400 phone in, so imagine having some to protect your £4000 camera.
REVIEW: Braun WaterFlex Shaver
Smooth.
Beardy-weirdies, fuzzy-freaks, scruffy sods... all these
hurtful terms have in the past been used to describe the male writers of this
dear website. Until we discovered Braun. We recently reviewed the company's
CoolTec Shaver and since then many of our number have enjoyed faces that are as
smooth as the bonnet of a Porsche. Keeping our mugs hairless can be a bit of a
chore however, which is why we were keen to explore Braun's range of
fuzz-removers further. And so... the Braun WaterFlex!
25 September 2014
FEATURE: Autumn Apparel
This is our favourite time of year. Sure, the cold weather
and icy mornings might make it harder for us to flight test remote control
helicopters, but here at The Test Pit we've always loved wrapping up in autumn
clothing. To prepare you for the worst the transitioning season can throw at
you, we've tested a collection of awesome apparel to keep warm while still looking
cool. From jackets and hoodies, to boots and base layers, we've found the best
of the best to wear this autumn.
24 September 2014
REVIEW: CAT B100 Rugged Phone
More than nine lives.
Last year we got a bit giddy over the news that CAT, makers
of tough diggers and even tougher boots, were bringing out a range similarly
rugged mobile phones. Our review of the CAT B15 Rugged Smartphone involved a
paddling pool and lots of bravery - and we weren't disappointed. Now CAT
have... well, not gone one better, but actually taken several steps back to
produce a lo-tech phone (note the lack of 'smart') designed to survive the
roughest of environments. So we took it to the toilet.
22 September 2014
REVIEW: View Quest Retro DAB Radio
Switch off Netflix and log out of YouTube; there's still
some great content out there in radio land. But if you're worried that the only
radio device you own these days is the rubbish app that came with your phone
("Please connect headphones to act as aerial") and that it won't cut
it, get this. The View Quest Retro DAB Radio both plucks the tunes from the air
and from your iOS device thanks to a handy lightning dock.
REVIEW: Lightwave RF Automated Home Heating
Battle winter with
your phone.
It's great to return to a product line we've reviewed in the past, especially one we loved so much the first time round that we still use it today in Test Pit Towers. As our first review of the Lightwave RF Home Automation System shows, this is an incredible line of products that weigh in at very attractive prices. The good news is that Lightwave has also branched out into controlling our home's heating systems; a welcome addition considering how cold it is around here.
It's great to return to a product line we've reviewed in the past, especially one we loved so much the first time round that we still use it today in Test Pit Towers. As our first review of the Lightwave RF Home Automation System shows, this is an incredible line of products that weigh in at very attractive prices. The good news is that Lightwave has also branched out into controlling our home's heating systems; a welcome addition considering how cold it is around here.
19 September 2014
REVIEW: Hexbug Aquabot Shark Tank
We're big fans of the robotic toy range from Hexbug, and in
the past we've tested both the microbot Hexbugs themselves and also recently
the amazing Strandbeast. But Hexbug's domain stretches further than dry land
and down into the darkest depths of the oceans (well, a five inch plastic fish
tank). We got to grips with the Aquabot Shark Tank.
17 September 2014
REVIEW: Snuggle Sac
Wrapping up.
With summer officially consigned to the past, and with the
nights drawing longer and the temperatures dropping, we could all do with a bit
more warmth at night. If you've got kids you'll know that no matter how many
blankets you pile on top of them, come the morning (usually 3am) the covers
will be on the floor and your child will be complaining they are cold. The
answer? Get them a Snuggle Sac.
15 September 2014
NEWS: LEGO Star Wars to host first 'Golden Brickies' Awards
I'd like to thank the
Empire...
The people from LEGO who provide us die-hard Star Wars fans
with our regular interstellar brick hit, are holding a brand new
Oscar-style competition just for fans. The Golden Brickies is an award ceremony
which will take place at LEGOLAND Windsor in which budding
builders-cum-film-makers will be honoured.
COMPETITION: iPhone 6 Rugged Life Case from Caseit
Get on the case.
The brand new iPhone 6 might have only just been announced, but already case and cover companies are producing products for the phone that you don't yet own. Ever ones to ensure our most precious (and, if the iPhone 6 price predictions are right, expensive) tech is safe from damage, we've teamed up with Caseit to offer five lucky readers the chance to own the new iPhone 6 Rugged Life Case.
The brand new iPhone 6 might have only just been announced, but already case and cover companies are producing products for the phone that you don't yet own. Ever ones to ensure our most precious (and, if the iPhone 6 price predictions are right, expensive) tech is safe from damage, we've teamed up with Caseit to offer five lucky readers the chance to own the new iPhone 6 Rugged Life Case.
12 September 2014
REVIEW: Britax Dualfix Rear-facing Car seat
As part of our ongoing look at parenting gadgets that help
keep children safe during car journeys, we were keen to test a rear-facing
child seat. Legislation regarding the direction in which children travel in the
car is one area that the UK is tragically lagging behind the rest of Europe,
with the majority of British parents still using forward-facing seats, even for
children under one.
With that in mind we contacted car seat maker Britax to test
one of their latest rear-facing seats, the Dualfix.
11 September 2014
REVIEW: Elliot Brown Bloxworth 929-007 Watch
One to watch
Following the recent news story about an Elliot Brown watch
that survived unscathed after being submerged for six months beneath the sea,
we were keen to learn more about this rugged timepiece and the company that
built it. After being sent one of the watches from Ian Elliot himself, we
started testing the gorgeous Bloxworth 929-007.
10 September 2014
REVIEW: SunnyCam
A shade better.
Action cams are all the rage today whenever you need to get
close to the action and then immediately upload to the internet in the hope of
being included in a Fails of the Week compilation. However, as great as these
new strain of tiny rugged cameras are, they usually require some form of
complicated mount, either for your helmet, bike, jet ski, drone or dog.
Wouldn't it be better if there was a camera you could just pop on your face and
go? Now there is... the SunnyCam.
8 September 2014
NEWS: LEGO to release Boba Fett's Slave 1 Ultimate Collectors Series Set
Mind your head.
Following on from the recent UCS Batman Tumbler set, LEGO have just announced that not only are they now confirmed as the world's biggest toy company, but their next complex large-scale set will be Boba Fett's personal ride from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
Following on from the recent UCS Batman Tumbler set, LEGO have just announced that not only are they now confirmed as the world's biggest toy company, but their next complex large-scale set will be Boba Fett's personal ride from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
COMPETITION: KitSound Audio Bobble Hat & Earmuffs
Toasty sounds.
As the temperatures drops and winter starts to get it's
chilly tendrils into us, it can be tough going for us techheads. As we require
near-constant connection to a pair of headphones, be it for listening to the
latest tunes or that recording you made of your dog farting, it can leave our
delicate heads somewhat exposed. Fortunately KitSound have the answer to cold
head music listening in their range of hats and earmuffs with built-in
speakers... and we have two to give away!
6 September 2014
VIDEO REVIEW: Revell Argus Camera Helicopter
Revel in this.
Another RC helicopter from Revell, and another early morning flight test in a Yorkshire field. This time we test the Argus Camera Helicopter and hope not to step in any cow pats while we're at it. Also, parts of the review were filmed on the SunnyCam HD Video Glasses, the review of which will follow soon.
Another RC helicopter from Revell, and another early morning flight test in a Yorkshire field. This time we test the Argus Camera Helicopter and hope not to step in any cow pats while we're at it. Also, parts of the review were filmed on the SunnyCam HD Video Glasses, the review of which will follow soon.
5 September 2014
VIDEO REVIEW: LEGO Technic Pull-back racers
Continuing our look at the new Technic sets from LEGO, we check out two sets that feature a unique pull-back-and-go action, the Desert & Black Champion Racers.
Once again we've broken the old camcorder, cleared the desk of the usual crap, and filmed this helpful review for you, dear reader.
Hit that play button.
REVEIW: Thane H20 X5 Steam Cleaner
Steam dreams.
We've featured a few cleaning devices in the past (including
the unique Karcher Window Vac), but lately Test Pit Towers has been looking a
tad... well, stale. All those stinky reviewers sweating over keyboards has
certainly added to the general mess, and we decided that enough was enough - we
need something more than just the dust sucking prowess of a vacuum cleaner, we
need the big guns. And so we tested the Thane H20 X5 Steam Cleaner.
4 September 2014
REVIEW: Blue Mo-Fi Headphones
You've probably heard the name Blue before associated only with
listening to sound as part of their digital microphone range (such as the Tiki
USB microphone, reviewed here). But now the sound experts have reversed their priorities
and ventured into the realm of making noise, namely via the new Mo-Fi
headphones. We popped a pair on and sat back.
2 September 2014
COMMENT: Be a hoarder, save the planet
My first computer was a
Commodore Amiga 500. The year was 1991 and Christmas Day would be forever remembered
as one of the best ever. My parents got me the pack that contained The Simpsons
game where Bart battles aliens, and also the Captain Planet game which allowed
kids to literally kick CO2's arse. I miss it all; the groan of the loading
floppy drive, the starkness of those 32 glorious colours, and the speckled
sheen of the sun-faded beige plastic casing. I threw it away in 2008.
1 September 2014
REVIEW: Sparkup Book Reader
So you've had a visit from the in-laws and while they were
staying with you they read to the kids every night. Not only did the kiddies
love to hear their favourite stories read aloud by nan and granddad, but it
gave you and your partner some bonus 'special time'. Score.
But now that the grandparents have gone home the kids still
want to hear their voices reading The Gruffalo, and no matter how hard you try
to impersonate your mother in-law, the kids aren't happy. Fortunately you had
Sparkup to hand while they were here, meaning story time is still just as easy.
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