Aug 21 2015

TabletTV Portable Tuner Review

Posted on August 21, 2015 by admin

Watch and record digital broadcast network and local channels anytime, anywhere on your tablet. No cable. No Internet. And no monthly fees! Welcome to TabletTV.

Hell yes!

We seem to be tech mad in this house with no fewer than 3 TVs that Craig seems to be constantly upgrading, selling, then upgrading again. The kids obviously don’t have TVs, nor access to one unsupervised, but Dex does have his own Google Nexus that we use for car journeys, and as the occasional treat at home. On this he has NOW TV, Netflix and Flixster apps so he can stream kids movies, or those we’ve downloaded for him. Annoyingly however, he mostly plumps for toy unboxing vids (in Russian, Chinese and more) on YouTube.

What is TabletTV?

Put simply, it’s a portable tuner around the size of an old school mobile battery, with an RRP of £69.99 (get it on Amazon for less than half that at £34.99) that allows you to watch and record hundreds of free-to-air TV channels on your tablet without a monthly subscription.

Sounds great. This would allow us to deplete the apps from his tablet, and simply unlock live TV. As you can also record Freeview TV programmes, we could create a library of his favourites and restrict him to the programmes we know and trust.

Moreover, as TabletTV uses its own built-in Wi-Fi to connect to your tablet via an app and doesn’t need internet access to work, it sounded great for in-car use. We could even take him offline altogether, ensuring he isn’t running up 3G bills or left free to browse on YouTube… or access sites his daddy might have left open the evening before.

On the face of it, it promises so much, but would TabletTV really deliver…?

Set-up

You simply get it out of the box and stick it on USB charge on your laptop. Whilst charging, you can get ahead by downloading the TabletTV app onto the device you want to pair it with. Not wanting a lawsuit on their hands, TabletTV will ask you to confirm you have a TV license, then you’ll be granted access to the start-up wizard.

When your tuner is fully charged, switch it on, extend the antenna and place it up high near a window for best results. A step by step guide will then take you through the intricacies, then the app will search for all free TV and radio stations in your region. In my case, some 93 channels.

Watching TV

First up, like any external aerial, there’s a fair bit of fiddling to get the best signal (on this note, its glossy shell makes it tricky to prop up whilst away from home - an integrated stand would have helped), but when conditions are ripe, the picture quality is as crisp as your TV.

Operationally, it’s pretty self-explanatory; the tuner has LEDs on the front to indicate it is switched on, its battery life and connectivity status, and the app’s interface is similar to that of Freeview with a TV guide grid displaying now & next. It’s also quick and easy to access different features of the app.

During set-up, as guided by the wizard, TabletTV will disconnect you from your own Wi-Fi connection so it can pair itself with your tablet. Don’t worry though, TabletTV have enabled the option to reconnect to your own Wi-Fi from within the TabletTV app - allowing you access to in-app features such as full tv guide and social media sharing.

Recording live TV & watching it back

Not so impressive.

It’s biggest limitation, and one you’d hope to see addressed in future gens, is that there is no series link capability. In fact, you have to manually set each programme to record as and when it’s playing. This mars its functionality somewhat as you might as well just watch the programme there and then. Failing that, you’d have to set yourself a timer then setup both tuner and tablet to record your programme when it begins - not ideal if you’re busy out and about.

Due to the fact that you’re broadcasting to the same device you’re recording to, you’re also unable to watch another channel whilst recording something (somewhat obvious, but still worth pointing out).

Irritatingly, you also need the tuner to be charged and on in order to playback recorded programmes. I had assumed these would be available offline on the app and found this mildly annoying.

Finally, it would take the product into Ivy League if you had the option to rewind and fast forward recordings and avoid adverts.

Final thoughts?

I love the concept. If the conditions are right and the signal strong, you’ll get all the big networks (including sister channels such as +1s). The video feed is crisp and HD quality, and once locked, remains so whilst on the move.

It plays neatly into the trend of Freeview which has been increasingly on the up as the cost of paid subscription services continue to soar. In fact, as we become truly mobile consumers, some viewers have gone so far as to swerve a TV license altogether, abandon live TV and head for the likes of Netflix & YouTube. For me, this acts as a neat middle ground, slotting into the lives of the mobile generation.

There’s still some way to go before this product becomes the must-have portable accessory for your mobile device. The recording function needs some major tweaking to be useful at all, and there are some minor design elements that have been criticised by the press. But for watching live tv, as a first draft, at under £40 on Amazon, it ain’t half bad.

Find out more at tablet-tv.com, or find more user reviews on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Aug 14 2015

Understand How Dental X-Rays Work

Posted on August 14, 2015 by admin

Dental x-rays are an elusive practice that no one ever really understands. As patients, we simply go in for our dental check-up, agree to a routine x-ray if need be, then let our dentists tell us the results. We have little knowledge of the mechanics behind the process.

Image by Ben Dalton via Flickr

However, sometimes it is helpful to know how the x-rays work to give us a clearer explanation of exactly what’s going on inside the mouth. Knowing the ins and outs also makes dental visits a lot less daunting.

Why do we need them?

When we go for a check-up, we will usually escape the x-ray unless it is our annual x-ray again or if we have an issue that the dentists are concerned about and wants to monitor.

An x-ray might be done more often though; it all depends on a number of factors such as:

How old a person is
The state of one’s oral health
Signs of possible oral symptoms
Monitoring a history of gum disease or cavities

When going to a trustworthy Perth dentist who can perform a routine x-ray, you will get an overall picture of your oral health. It’s a good idea to get one done if you have never had any with your current dentist before. Children might need to be x-rayed a little more often due to the growth of their teeth. This is just to keep an eye making sure everything is developing normally as well as pinpoint any possible hiccups so preventative measures can be taken.

How does it work?

Now for the part you have all been waiting for, let’s go inside the dental x-ray machine to reveal exactly how it works.

When you are all set-up and the dentist presses the button and steps outside the room, the x-ray takes place. As the x-ray passes through the mouth, the harder elements such as the teeth and bones soak up more rays then the softer tissues such as the gums. This makes the teeth look lighter in the image. The darker parts of the tooth are signs of cavities or decay as these parts do not absorb the same level of rays as the rest.

Using the information recorded, the dentist will be able to pinpoint a number of issues from abscesses to cysts and infections. Therefore, you will have a reliable picture of exactly what’s going on in the mouth. If there’s an impacting wisdom tooth, the x-ray can also pick this up so you can resolve the issue promptly. Furthermore, the dentist uses the x-ray as a blueprint for the treatment and to pinpoint areas of one’s oral health that need attention.

There are many different types of x-rays that dentists offer. Some are used to display a certain type of issue in the mouth.

Different types of x-rays

To get a different perspective of the mouth, sometimes a different type of x-ray is needed. Here are some of the ones available which one might get as part of the treatment:

The most common is Bitewing which requires a person to bite down on a paper-like square so the dentist gets a view of how the crowns match and also get a glimpse of any tooth decay.
If the dentist wants to get a snapshot of all the teeth in one go, they will use the Palatal x-ray.
Panoramic x-rays are taken when the wisdom teeth need to be checked or if there are jaw issues which need taking care of. This type of x-ray is in the form of a machine which rotates around the head.

Before undergoing any x-ray, make sure to talk to the dentist so you know exactly what to expect when it’s time to discuss the results. If your children are the ones who will undergo the procedure, it’s really helpful to have prior knowledge as to what you can or cannot do after it’s done.

May 5 2015

The BT 7500 Lightshow Baby Monitor Review

Posted on May 5, 2015 by admin

Since having Heidi, Craig has had to hook up no fewer than 5 baby monitors. When Dex was weeny we lived in a flat with his room nestled neatly between lounge and master bedroom (he couldn’t even fart without us noticing) so we didn’t bother with one, now Heidi’s here and we’ve moved to a larger house, it’s become an essential bit of kit. Aside from the fact it’s a potentially lifesaving device given the scary stats on cot death, it also allows us the freedom to roam about the home and simply get on with things whilst keeping a beady eye on Mini Madam.

Yet although we agree we can’t live without one, when my latest gadget arrived, Craig rolled his eyes - “Another one!? What’s wrong with our current one? They’re all more or less the same, right?“.

Well no. After just five minutes play with the BT 7500 Lightshow Baby Monitor we’ve definitely discovered that not all baby monitors are created equal. This one really is the nuts.

Top Features BT 7500 Lightshow Baby Monitor:

Easy set-up

It’s a conventional two piece setup - the camera/microphone/lightshow unit, and the parent unit (a.k.a remote viewing station). For the initial set up, it’s a case of plugging the cables into both the camera unit (requires mains) and the control unit (which has approx 6.5 hours battery life per charge), switching them on and letting them connect to each other automatically.

The parent unit requires 5 hours charge initially if you plan on using it hands-free, if not, you can pop it in the docking station and get started straight away. The display will show, “Linking up…” and simply do it’s thing. As Craig is used to faffing around with instruction manuals this suited him just fine. A set-up wizard then asks you to set the time and whizzes you through you all your baby monitor’s features. You can skip through the set up wizard by simply tapping exit, and watch again by tapping the menu and then “BT Help”.

A top notch camera with both infrared and comprehensive pan and tilt

A live video feed will then show baby resting or sleeping with perhaps the best clarity I’ve come across. The picture quality is first rate and the night vision (infrared) is also very clear with no bright lights on the camera unit to disturb baby as she sleeps. It can be strange to wake up bleary-eyed and see Heidi with possessed beaming eyes, but it definitely gets your arse-in-gear to see to her needs.

The camera also features pan and tilt which allows for almost 360 degree rotation horizontally and vertically. This can be controlled remotely and is completely silent so doesn’t wake Madam. Heidi is a very light sleeper yet will wriggle around her cot like no ones business, so this is the most comprehensive coverage we can get of her without physically standing over her as she sleeps. Better still, you can connect up to 4 cameras to the monitor (can be purchased separately) meaning you won’t have to purchase a whole new baby monitor if you have other small children.

3.5” colour touchscreen LCD display

I think I’m right in saying this is the largest monitor we’ve had. With a 480×320 resolution, it’s definitely the clearest. All the apps are easy to use with clear (and obvious) thumbnail images for you to navigate the settings. The parent unit also has a range of 50m indoors and 300m outdoors making it an ideal choice for those of you with rambling homes. If you’re a technophobe this has been my favourite monitor in terms of ease of use.

Lullabies, white noise and lightshow

I’m used to lullabies on baby monitors but most sound tinny and one dimensional. The BT 7500 Lightshow Baby Monitor has crystal clear HD sound and no fewer than 19 lullabies (including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Brahms Lullabies and Three Blind Mice). You can choose to put a tune on repeat or play them in a sequence according to your child’s preferences (for a set length of time or indefinitely). Cleverly, these can be switched off and adjusted for volume remotely allowing parents the ultimate in flexibility. They’re great for disguising background noise whilst Heidi drifts off and we can listen to the tv downstairs at a comfortable volume without her kicking off in protest.

There’s also a comprehensive white noise portfolio including whale, womb and vacuum cleaner sounds - all the tried and tested noises that are clinically proven to soothe baby. Poor old Ewan the Dream Sheep has been relegated to a nearby drawer as a result.

My favourite bit is most definitely the lightshow (also remote controlled) displaying an array of moving and colourful planets and stars. We’ve wanted one of these for ages so it’s a major plus to see it integrated within the baby monitor. My only criticism is that this projects vertically upwards, so if the camera is on the opposite side of the room baby won’t see it. Whilst there is an option to screw the camera unit into the wall, ours is a privately rented home and we don’t feel comfortable tearing into the walls. A screw clip (similar to a cot mobile), would have been useful.

Micro USB Charging

First up, I’m pleased to see long USB leads which is an often overlooked design element on baby monitoring devices. Charging via USB is also fab for when you’re away from home as it’s compatible with other chargers should you forget yours. The parent unit also comes with a docking station for easy charging when you’re not lugging it about (this also acts as a perfect stand for your bedside table so your view of baby is never impeded).

Extras & Alerts

The unit has various timers to assist with nightfeeding (I personally wouldn’t have used this as I fed Heidi on demand rather than waking her with a boob in her face) and also a room temperature monitor that warns you if the room is too cold or hot. The recommended room temperature for a nursery is between 16⁰C–20⁰C which can feel a little on the cool side for us parents, so this is useful if you don’t have a standalone thermometer in the room. There’s also a ‘Cry’ alarm which will sound an alarm or vibrate the parent unit if the volume has been set to mute.

Like most monitors nowadays there’s also a talkback function for soothing baby whilst you climb the stairs to her room. I’ve never used this for the use in which it’s intended but I can instruct Craig to pause the telly if I think I’ll be awhile seeing to Heidi.

There’s also a nightlight built into the camera unit which omits a dull glow for you to check on baby without switching on the main light. This can be adjusted at three different brightness levels remotely on the control unit if you want to slowly limit babies field of vision as she drifts off.

There’s also a mute function, and low battery & out of range alert.

Any negatives?

Other than the slight grumble re the lightshow (as mentioned above) my only other niggle is the loss of picture quality when you use the 3x zoom (it goes slightly grainy). A micro SD slot would also have been cool for uploading our own music - Heidi’s a big fan of Pachelbel.

The BT 7500 Lightshow Baby Monitor is top of the range and weighs in at a hefty £180 (RRP) - good news though as it’s currently on sale at £149.98. This might seem expensive but it does the job of many singular devices we all end up buying throughout our pregnancies (think Gro Eggs, nightlights, cot mobiles etc) - as an all-in-one device BT have done a superb job of addressing all the key functions you need, as well as some extras to keep gadget fiends happy. It’s a new baby must-have and we’d recommend it without hesitation.