Up until recently, Apple has had very little to deal with in terms of mainstream budget competition for their iPad. The most recent addition to the market is the Dell Streak which, at almost half the size, is more often seen as a smartphone than an iPad substitute.

When ARCHOS approached me with their ARCHOS 8 Home tablet, I was initially dubious. The gadget looks more like a digital photo frame then a touch screen tablet, however they assured me that although it does double as a showcase for your favourite images, it also boasts far more browsing and entertainment features.

Plus it retails at £129.99.

Got your attention now? Excellent, read on for my review.

The basics

The ARCHOS 8 Home Tablet gets its name from the 8-inch screen, slightly smaller than the 9.7-inch screen of the iPad. It weighs in at only 400g, which makes it a lightweight alternative to a netbook. Running on an Android system, the user has the opportunity to pick and choose from an assortment of apps for your surfing pleasure.

The tablet can be used upright on a table using the inclusive kickstand, or as a handheld gadget for checking Facebook whilst watching Doctor Who reruns. You won’t be able to create documents or do anything more complicated then check up on Twitter, but what more do you expect for £130?

Budget browsing and entertainment

I’ve tested it out for a few days and there are a few aspects I really like. Reading ebooks is a joy, connecting to wi-fi and surfing is, in general, a smooth process, and slideshows and videos are fairly high quality. However, webpages are displayed in mobile format, which can be irritating on sites like YouTube when you want to search for something specific or require more advanced options.

Pros and Cons

Wins points for:

• Being quick and easy to set up.
• Responsive touch screen.
• Ideal for casual surfing and for use as an ebook reader. The makers also suggest it’s great as an interactive cookbook (similar to the format of the Dishy iPhone app we reviewed last year)
• Price. At an RRP of £129.99, it’s a fraction of the price of an iPad.

Loses points for:

Digital photo frame appearance, slightly tacky.

Not particularly transportable (check out the ARCHOS 7 for a more portable option)

A minuscule 4 GB for the £129.99

Conclusion

Whilst it lacks many of the extensive features of the iPad, it offers a decent budget alternative for your browsing and viewing needs. It’s actually cheaper than the Kindle reader, so if you’re considering buying an eReader, this might be a suitable option with extra features.

Available from:

ARCHOS for £179.99

Amazon for £148.99

Twitter/Facebook + iTunes x music = Apple’s Ping

Another end-of-summer evening, another Apple press conference. They have become a way of marking the eternal passage of time and your own undeniable mortality, right morbid gadget fans?

Well, this conference bought the announcement of Ping, which is in no way related to Microsoft’s Bing. Obviously.

Ping is a social network for music lovers. But it’s not Spotify. Obviously. Or MySpace. Obv. This is primarily a social network for music lovers who spend their cash in iTunes.

And here’s why it won’t work.

It’s all about the music you buy. It’s not the music you add to your library or the stuff you already own that you listen to a lot. Imagine if someone tried to decipher your music taste from the stuff you bought in the past two months. Would they get a fair picture? My picture would look suspiciously origins-of-ska heavy, which I can safely safe doesn’t really fit with my folksy roots. I don’t want to know what my friends have bought — I want to know what hidden gems they’ve got that I’m missing.

Who buys from iTunes? If you’re buying your music from iTunes, stop and go and buy it from Amazon — it’s generally cheaper. Or maybe you still buy CDs. Sorry, ripping them won’t contribute to your Ping profile. Or maybe you just ‘acquire’ your music. Well, obviously your stuff’s not going to be added. Pirate.

iTunes makes you want to get in, do what you need to do, and get out. Syncing never works as smoothly as it does in an Apple press conference, and I only open it under duress when it turns out my iPhone is full. It’s not the place to go and while away the hours. Sorry Steve.

In fact, if you want the stuff Ping promises, there are two places to look.

Spotify is an obvious first – not only can you see what your Facebook friends are listening to, you can see what playlists they’ve made and subscribed to. And because they’re not being asked to part with cold hard cash for each album they add, it’s a much more interesting feed. Perhaps it’s just that I’ve managed to only make friends with tightwads.

The other thing you need is Songbird, which has been billed as an alternative iTunes for a good long while now. It’s long had the ability to scan your entire music library and then suggest local gigs you’d be interested in. Which is a step above having to subscribe to every artist you like in order to get updates, a la Ping.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of stuff that looks like fun in Ping. But in my humble Apple-loving opinion, I don’t think it delves deep enough into your music collection to offer true value, and I don’t feel warm and fuzzy enough to hang out in iTunes to find myself proved wrong. Or am I wrong?

Nearly two months after Doctor Who disappeared from TV until Christmas, a new Adventure Game appears! With no other Who product of late, at least until Sarah Jane Adventures starts back up in autumn, this prospect excited me a little. The last two were decent, after all, and it’s always pleasant to hear Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in character.

Unfortunately, this one simply isn’t very good. Sorry. I try to focus on the good points, I’ll mention a few later, but TARDIS was small, boring and, the cardinal sin for a Doctor Who story, lacked any real imagination.

The Doctor should not kill time

It feels a tad wrong to apply these terms to video games, but it felt like a time-killing exercise, or one of those episodes of the TV series which uses the bare minimum of sets and thespians to save money. But I thought the point of the video games was the limitless budget? I suppose creating all those pesky virtual environments still takes some coins.

But the adventure-within-the-TARDIS idea could still have worked, if the gameplay wasn’t so empty. There are two rooms in this whole episode. Most of the “puzzles” can only be solved by strolling around hopefully, until a blue glow signifies you can click now. The mini-games are all re-used from previous episodes.

There is a “new alien”, but it’s a floating blob with a voiceover. The final challenge is difficult, but not because it’s complex; rather, because the controls are too imprecise to make the necessary moves in the time limit, even when you know exactly what to do. This leads not to a sense of challenge, but desk-pounding frustration.

The familiar up-side

It’s not entirely without merit, I suppose I should say. The presentation is quite nice, especially considering its free, there are some nice moments of dialogue and having Smith and Gillan as Amy and the Doctor does give a nice ring of authenticity.

But ultimately, those things were also true of the previous two Adventure Game episodes, and they were much better. TARDIS is one for the completists, or those with Doctor Who withdrawal so bad that the shakes have started.

More Doctor Who on Dork Adore | Doctor Who Adventure Games: Blood of the Cybermen review

The Edinburgh TV Festival this weekend has brought forth some interesting announcements about the 2011 returns of Sherlock and Doctor Who from the BBC. Holmes confirmed for another coat-tastic year? The Doctor to regenerate in two separate halves? Clearly Steven Moffat’s Cardiff-based TV factory is hard at work.

First up, Sherlock, the Mark Gatiss-co-produced revisitation of the legendary detective, is to return for a second series. Considering the scale of the cliffhanger they visited upon us in the first finale, I’d have been quite appalled if it hadn’t, but it’s still good to have it confirmed.

It appears the new series will be another three 90 minute episodes, and I suppose there’s no point messing with the winning formula. Hopefully they will avoid the slightly weak middle episode this time and give us a perfect run.

The big daddy, Doctor Who, gets a more dramatic change, as its 2011 series will be split into two shorter runs, the first block in the normal spring slot and the second in autumn. According to the BBC Press folk, we can expect a gigantic plot twist at the midway break point.

Questionable motives?

When such alterations happen, our nature as nerds is to look for an ulterior motive. Did they feel viewers’ attention was drifting over the course of a thirteen-week run? Is this to avoid showing new episodes in the June/July spell, when people might inexplicably go outside instead? Or do they simply want to give ratings a boost by having two “premieres” and two “finales”?

I suspect the answer might be all of the above, myself. But what do you think of this news? Is it the way forward, or a victory for commerce over art? And on a scale of one to ten, how happy are you about Sherlock’s renewal?

Read the announcements on the BBC

More Sherlock on Dork Adore | More Doctor Who on Dork Adore

Where else can you get a show to hook you up with both time-wasting and time-saving apps? Scott Pilgrim and Stephen Fry-related apps? A review of possibly the best Android phone available right now? Nowhere. We don’t think. Watch on for a bumper omnibus edition of Frackulous.

You know what Dork Adore needs now we’re up for a Cosmo Blog award (vote for us!)? A theme tune.

This will do nicely.

The spoof of Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ hit song Empire State of Mind (renamed Entrepreneur State of Mind) comes from the Pantless Knights team and features a bearded gangsta spittin’ lyrics about Twitter and Steve Jobs. It’s a cheeky look at the reinvented dork and their new ‘cool’ status.

Reckon you’re a New Dork?

Not content with making us more efficient at work and giving us the best tools for getting things done at home Darika Ahrens,  high chieftain of social media, has gathered together all the best tools for broadcasting yourself all over the web.

We’ve come a long way since lonelygirl15 took to her webcam and broadcast herself to the world. Now, there are even more tools available to (borrowing a phrase from YouTube) broadcast yourself.

Here are some great tools that are out there and free right now.

ipadio

AudioBoo brought us phone-to-audio blogging (aka phlogging) and ipadio takes it one step further, live casting audio from your phone and via your blog, Facebook or Twitter.

This is one to watch.

Tip: Don’t get stung by freephone charges when calling from your mobile phone. This is one part of ipadio which should be improved by recognising most people will be blogging/phlogging from their smartphone device.

Slidecasting with Slideshare

By far the easiest way to create an online video if you don’t have a lot of technical knowledge and/or can’t be bothered with video editing software.

Once you’ve got a Slideshare account you just upload your slide presentation (PowerPoint, OpenOffice, and Apple Keynote are all supported) then, once loaded, click “Make Slidecast” and upload any MP3 audio file (most laptops have built in microphones these days).

A super simple editing window appears where you just drag audio markers to match individual slides. This seems quite business-focused but you could play around with uploading holiday photos or even making your own video stories for children like one of my clever friends does.

Slidecast widgets share your creations to Facebook & LinkedIn.

Tip: Traditional video rules still apply here, keeping it short and sweet is the key to keeping viewers watching. Also, once you’ve uploaded the audio file there is no facility to edit audio so you either have to record it in one take OR edit the audio in some audio software first.

Jing for Screencasting

Camtasia is by far one of the most recommended screencasting software around but here’s a sneaky trick – creators TechSmith also have free service Jing for all your screencasting needs.

Some cool features include the useful screencast.com URL allowing you to capture a screenshot, edit it down, and quickly post the link into an IM conversation or email (“No mum click on THIS tab!”)

Those who upgrade to the Pro version can also capture video from webcams so you can include video of yourself, or others, talking to camera.

Tip: If you run a software- or technology-based company this is a must-have for the now commonplace video demos most sites have on their homepage and as part of their Help resources.

SoundCloud

For wannabe musicians or even established music pros SoundCloud is for storing and distributing music and I think/hope will drive a nail in the coffin of those hideous band promo pages on MySpace which, let’s face it, were mainly used for their music player more than any real fan engagement.

Why? The whole look and feel of SoundCloud is polished and functional. It gives you one centralised point to host your music and then allows it to be streamed across the web. There’s also a customisable widget you can embed pretty much anywhere.

Analytics help you track where it’s being played and provide interactive stats and comments. If you make or download music this is definitely something you should check it out.

Tip: Don’t just think music, SoundCloud is excellent for the budding podcaster too.

The internet is a pretty wonderful place to shop for the objects of your desire. Filled with every kind of retailer you can imagine, you’ve got a pretty unlimited array of options for clothing, food, transport and well, anything really.

The greatest advantage of shopping online has to be customisation. Worried about turning up at a big family event in the same dress as your Aunt Glenda? Design your own online. Need the perfect present that shows someone how much you love them? Get clicking.

So, fancy pimpin’ up your life a little? Here are a few of the best customisation sites.

StyleShake

Fancy playing fashion designer for the day? StyleShake allows you to design your own dress, choosing the fabric, trimmings and style. You can either browse the current galleries, or start your own from scratch. They’ll even offer free alterations if it doesn’t quite fit you.

Prices depend on the design, but they vary from around £49 to just under a £100. Check out the gallery for some examples.

Upper Street

At the higher end of the price scale, Upper Street offers you the chance to create your own pair of designer shoes. You can choose from an assortment of materials and colours, and cover it in as many embellishments as you desire.

Like StyleShake, there’s an inspiration area if you fancy tweaking someone else’s design.

Prices are around £200 for a style like the red one above, so they’re not cheap, but they’re useful if you need matching shoes for a wedding or event.

Eyes Lips and Face

A much more budgetable way of pimping your life is by introducing a customised make-up palette into your collection. ELF Cosmetics lets you create your own compact from a selection of custom eye, lip and face colours for on the go makeovers.

The compacts are £1.50 and each custom colour is £1.50, so you’ll get the whole customised compact for £7.50.

FoodAdo

There’s plenty of sites around that allow you to put together your own food package or hamper, but FoodAdo is particularly great as it allows you to order and have it delivered by mail order Parcel Force. It also offers an extensive range of products from small artisan food producers, so it’s more about special purchases and treats rather than your usual weekly shop. It’s a bit like browsing a quaint little food market from the comfort of your sofa.

MyVelo

Finally, you can pimp your ride (without inviting the soul-destroying Tim Westwood to your home). MyVelo lets you personalise a bike with your choice of frame, colour and components, and delivers to you in three weeks.

Prices for a bike with all the trimmings, like the pimpin’ Dork Adore bike above, come in at around £375. You’ll get all the eco-friendly benefits too (and time saving benefits for anyone relying on public transport). If you have a generous employer, you might want to talk to them about the Cycle To Work Scheme.

So, there’s a few ways to customise your life. Any other additions?

I have a long-term hatred for cleaning the house. As much as I envy those people with pristine, pet hair-free homes, I’d rather spend my Sunday afternoons on the sofa watching a boxset then fluttering around the place with Mr Sheen. Sadly, cleaning is a vital chore for those that don’t yearn to be a case study for How Clean Is Your House?

We’ve already looked at a few cleaning gadgets on Dork Adore (check out Katie’s reviews of the Dyson City Wool + Wood DC26 and the Black & Decker Flexi Hand Vac). So, um, here’s another one!

The Rowenta Air Force is a cordless, bagless vacuum cleaner with a pointed front to get into all those nooks and crannies. A cleaner I can potentially use without getting up from the sofa? Definitely worth a try.

Aesthetics

The Rowenta Air Force looks more like a sweeper than a vaccum cleaner, with its lightweight frame and handle. The fact that it comes in a number of colours appeals to my slightly OCD approach to co-ordinating products but, other than that, it’s nothing mindblowing. The triangle-shaped head does help it stand out, but I’m still dubious as to whether it’s a gimmick or a genuine improvement.

A clean start

Handheld cleaners have a (fair) reputation for lacking the suction of their plug-in alternatives. And whilst the Rowenta Air Force doesn’t dispel this reputation, it does exceed my expectations somewhat. Running it around the carpet picks up about 75% of the debris, and it’s surprisingly successful in those tricky corners. The flat head means it’s also great for whizzing around the kitchen floor before giving it a mop.

The removable bagless compartment is really easy to detach, without the usual dust cloud, although it wouldn’t hurt to have a larger section. Charging is fairly straight forward too — similar to charging a mobile phone — and each charge lasts around 40 minutes.

Wins points for

• Flexibility. The stick bends every way, meaning you can easily get under the sofa without any unnecessary effort.
• Triangle head. The suction goes all the way to the edges, which is great for those corners a more substantial hoover misses.
• Lightweight. Having a lightweight vacuum certainly makes cleaning less of a chore.
• Storage. It’s tall and slim, so it’s great for storing away in the broom cupboard or under the stairs.

Loses point for

• Suction. It’s good for a cordless option, but it can’t compare to the heavy duty corded options.
• Recharging. A little annoying to have to stop every 40 minutes to recharge. Saying that, I seem to get the hoovering done a lot quicker anyway, so I only need to recharge between sessions.

Conclusion

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed using this. Because it’s so lightweight, it’s easy to use as a top up each day, or for spot cleaning. If you’ve moved into a small flat, this is perfect for all surfaces (even the sofa!). For a home that requires a little more suction, or for anyone that owns a pet that malts, it’s worth sticking to something like the Dyson City Wool + Wood DC26.

You can buy the Rowenta Air Force from:

Amazon for £121.13

PixMania for £137.43

IdealWorld for £129.99 (with free steam brush)

We’ve got touchscreen tablets, touchscreen phones, touchscreen TVs (for a lucky few), so it was only a matter of time before touchscreen watches hit the market too.

The man behind this new collection of watches is Kenneth Cole, a man better known for producing sought-after shoes than high-tech time wear. Having already been seen on the delicate wrist of Halle Berry, it probably won’t be long before other celebrities are tapping away at their own KC-Touch watches.

The watches are actually fairly basic, offering a 32-city world time function, an alarm, stopwatch and luminescent back lighting. So no checking your Facebook or whizzing an email off to someone quite yet then.

Prices start at £83, and you can get them from Amazon.

What do you think about touchscreen watches? Would you get one?