Reviews: March 2007 Archives

Timberland has announced the new rugged looking HT2 chronograph watch and because we asked very nicely they let us take a sneak peak at it….

What strikes me first about the timepiece is its enormity, certainly one for today's urban warrior. Measuring 57mm across the casing is composed entirely of stainless steel and has a black mock croc leather strap but I have to say I prefer the chunky black rubber strap that is also available (even if I do have to dig a little deeper into the pockets).

The watch has a deceptively lightweight when worn and has a great fit to it, neither of which I had expected (certainly shows looks can be deceiving).

The MP70D and MP80D portable DVD players from Mustek to me are a welcome sight on the portable scene. Simple but effective controls allow both players to be figured out easily, no messing around with the instruction manual to figure out how get these working - A definite plus in my books.

Both players come from the same series and really are simply a step up of each other, the MP80D being the next model up. As far as I can tell the main difference in the models is the screen size. The 70D has a 7' widescreen while the 80D is sporting an 8' widescreen. This seems a small difference in numerical terms but physically it makes a big difference. Personally I am fine with ether screen, but the difference is noticeable. The 70D is good for single person use, maybe passing time on a journey whereas the 80D would be better for a group viewing. I'm not saying you could fit a crowd of people around it, that's not the intention, but the 80D is defiantly more suited than the 70D for several people to watch at once, maybe 2 or 3 at a time...

The Optio T20 a fairly recent addition to Pentax's ultra-compact range, launched towards the back end of last year. This 7.0 megapixel model features a 3x optical zoom (4x digital) and a larger than life 3.0-inch touch-screen.

Its the screen that stands out immediately for me, both sharp and colourful the display is big enough to give you a good idea of what your prints actually look like before you get them home.

The build quality we have come to expect from Pentax is apparent throughout. The outer shell is composed entirely of aluminum giving you a reassuringly solid feel to it. It even withstood the girlfriend test, who accidentally dropped it whilst admiring it (even after I said don’t touch).

The Tissot brand name is one that accompanies watches of a certain class. The T-Touch is the outdoor member of the 'Tactile' Tissot family. With one press of the side button, you can touch anywhere on the face to activate different features, which are a compass, alarm, case thermometer, barometer (atmospheric pressure), altimeter (altitude) and chronometer (stopwatch).

The touch feature is the main attention-grabber of this watch, however it seems a bit pointless. It gains no extra functionality, just replaces buttons that would be around the side either for each feature or to scroll through them. That's no extra work, and to be honest it is harder to press the screen accurately than a button. I do agree that two presses is easier than seven, but I'm not that desperate. Having to press the button before touching the face is a good step to prevent accidental activation. The alternate features (and the touchscreen) deactivate themselves after 30 seconds...