Although I had previously bought and have used for some years earlier Samsung portable drives, this is the first of theirs to be bought as a USB 3.0 drive.

On board is the usual selection of Samsung-branded software, none of which I have ever found useful or necessary and it can be deleted or copied elsewhere in the event that it may be of later use, possibly if you should hand-on the drive to another user.

Encased in plastic and with a short 45cm (18-inch) data/power lead, some may prefer to purchase one of the semi-rigid cases that will better protect the drive and provide space for the cable and, if needed, a short USB extension lead. Some reviewers have complained about the lead length but it is very typical for most portable drives.

In terms of weight and size it is quite typical of most others of the size and capacity although some are considerably thicker and heavier. Formatted with NTFS, which is now universal to all Windows PCs, should it be needed for Macs it will need to be reformatted. The drive is not the fastest of those currently available but it is no slower than other drives of this form factor.

Used most often to transfer and exchange many GB of data between a number of users and PCs on a daily basis in order to best use its higher access speeds and capacity. Adding and deleting data at the beginning and end of each cycle, or at interim points when relevant, have proven completely problem-free. The increased capacity offered by this drive over its predecessor, and its much improved access speed, make the process simpler and faster. Although not as fast as a 3.5-inch mains-powered drive, a similar drive has been used for some back-up tasks outside of my normal regime and to back-up other end-users' PC when no personal back-up has previously been employed. Once persuaded of the benefits and suitable provison made, the data is then saved to their own hardware.

To date, it has been used on three different Windows 8 PCs and it has a peculiarity not previously seen. Every other hard drive, disk drive and memory stick announces its connection by a 'bong' within a short time. This does not! Whether it would with Windows 7, I don't know - I have a Windows 7 laptop but I have yet to try it with that. It is a minor observation and does not affect its use or functionality.

The price is excellent and it therefore offers a good balance of size/performance/price.

RECOMMENDED

I have several USB 3.0 hubs in use with different PCs and locations and this is the most recently acquired. In appearance they all seem identical but use different PSUs, input voltages and wattages despite using a common power socket fitting.

The design of the hub requires that it balances on the central 'hump' which continues around the length of the product and partly beneath and it will therefore probably need to be stabilised to the desktop in some way; double-sided foam pads or BlueTack will work as will adhesive Velcro-type pads although they will allow a small amount of movement.

When connected to the mains and to a PC's USB 3.0 port, there are no immediately apparent power or connection LEDs visible but connect a device to a port and a bright blue LED will light after a second or two. The hub is Plug 'n' Play so needs no drivers, other than those that are probably currently installed. I am currently using Windows 8 which now uses its own internal drivers - Win7 needed third-party drivers for USB 3.0 and benefits are claimed from the new driver.

It had worked well and reliably provided that a mix of power-using and self-powered accessories are used, is only barely warm in use and utilises a plug-type adapter with UK power plug fittings. If every connected device relies upon the hub for power, there may be insufficient available but that is true of every competing product regardless of design or brand. You may be able to buy this at a lower price than alternate brands of visually identical products.

Although similar in styling and features to other such devices which continue to work as intended, this appeared no longer reliable and was therefore returned. A few weeks after its purchase most or all of the drives and peripherals connected via the hub repeatedly failed to be recognised. As most of the drives and other peripherals had been in repeated use over several months or longer and with different PCs and set-ups, the blame was attributed to the hub which was the most recent addition. However, following discussions with other suppliers' Technical Support personnel, the blame can be laid onto Windows 8 and specifically the known-to-be-faulty Microsoft drivers now used. There are postings on their site and on Intel's that spell out the issues. If Windows 7 drivers from Renesas, NEC and others are used (they can be forced to replace the Microsoft version) the hub should perform correctly with both Windows 7 and 8.

A relative who is disabled with arthritis has needed to use one of these for several years but the one currently used has recently broken, probably due to aging of the plastic material used. I am buying on her behalf.

The seat is reasonably stable in use but does occasionally need to be repositioned and retightened. It is quite comfortable in use and can be easily cleaned with warm water if needed but it may benefit from occasional use of an anti-bacterial spray cleaner or a steam gun set on Low. Use of strong bleach is best avoided. This one is relatively level front-to-back but there are versions with a more pronounced slope.

There is a similar product with lid, should that be needed and it also has a taller 4-inch version. Unless your toilet bowl is lower than average or the user is taller than average, the 2-inch version will probably best suit most intended users.

Microsoft's Surface is a tablet-style portable computer which is designed to run a dedicated edition of Windows 8 and whose features can be broadly compared with those of a typical Android-based tablet or Apple's iPad series although dissimilar to both in various aspects.

The purpose of this book is twofold; to introduce the machine itself and then to also explain its dedicated operating system. The book's format is slightly different than most others of the series and utilises the modern longer and narrower format which is fast becoming the publishers' choice. The machine is new and was introduced and released at around the same times as was Windows 8. The version of Windows 8 used, RT, is only available on this and a few other devices and is slightly different than the standard PC versions as it optimised for use on this style of computer. You cannot buy the RT version as a separate, retail product and it is available only as an installed system on dedicated devices.

In addition to the normal Windows applications, although several are not included in the RT version, there is also included a special RT edition of Microsoft's Office 2013 package. As with Windows RT, this is not available as a separate package and is considered part of the complete RT system.

The book is a very recent and totally new addition to the extensive, reliable and respected 'For Dummies' series of titles. This book shares its author with several others within the same series and which relate to the more extensive PC/Laptop Windows 8 editions and shares much of the same look, some of the same or very similar illustrations, and some of its main content with one or more of these other books. Even several of the Chapter titles are shared with other books within the series. However, this book is exclusively about the Surface tablets and is intended for those who may already own one or are considering the purchase of one.

As a portable device, without a separate keyboard and mouse that may be otherwise needed for data input, it relies upon its touch screen both for display and for input. It uses many of the same 'touch gestures' that are recognised on some laptops and some desktops with their own touch screens to navigate around the screen and through its two user interfaces, one of which is much the same as the 'traditional' Windows desktop and the other is the so-called 'Metro' interface with its many objects that are reminiscent of those to be seen on most smart phones and tablet devices.

Although you may be able to obtain some answers to Surface-specific questions from one or several alternate and more general Windows 8 titles, despite some intrinsic hardware differences between the Surface on the one hand and other PCs and the different versions of Windows 8 they may use, there are very few alternative titles that are specific to either the Surface or Windows RT. The book is therefore an excellent introduction to the device and its software and is strongly recommended. It has been said that this is the manual that Microsoft should have included with the Surface but did not, and that is also true of some of its companion titles and in relation to the Windows 8 laptops and desktops that were sold without one or other.

An easy and obvious choice at a hard-to-refuse price!

Those wishing to learn a little more about how their bodies and the systems within it actually work, or what can happen when things go awry, may be a little disappointed with this book. It is less about the body itself and more about the history of science, art and discovery as applied to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the structure and workings of the human body. The version reviewed is an uncorrected proof and incomplete (its illustrations and a listing of them were omitted) and it is therefore difficult to assess the final rendition.

Historically, the workings of the body were little known or understood even in a small way until the 15th Century and much is owed to the anatomical drawings made by Leonardo da Vinci. He broke many taboos by either participating in but certainly by illustrating the body and its internal structures far more precisely than was previously allowed - the Church did not support the concept in general and was especially aghast at his anatomical studies of the pregnant woman and her developing foetus. So detailed and accurate were his drawings that many continue to be used to this day in modern books on medicine and anatomy.

Much is owed to him and it could be said that upon the backbone of his scientific-artistic studies followed many others determined to answer previously unanswered questions. Da Vinci was less concerned with function than structure or form and limited his works to that which was immediately apparent. Little further was achieved until the 17-18th Centuries, until when little was understood and much based upon quackery and unfounded theories - hence the frequent use of leeches and blood-letting as cures for many ills, and after which the pace fastened until almost every last historical question had been answered. The science continues with work based upon genetics, which was a subject not even contemplated until Mendel and Darwin in the 19th Century, but there are some areas of the body, the brain being one, that are less fully understood even today although work continues.

This book provides that history, investigating it from the viewpoints of primarily the science, and then via art, literature and history. The book covers its subject as a complex of several aspects of investigation and does not therefore restrict itself to any one to the exclusion of others. It is not purely a book about medicine, anatomy, art, science in general, or history but includes something of all.

A book that could be of value to many, regardless of the discipline of greatest individual interest. There is little or nothing in this book that could not be found in several others, nothing innovatory and no new skeletons (if you pardon the anatomical pun) are exposed. What is fresh is its cross-discipline approach and the absence of too much scientific or other less widely-understood terminology.

When in charge of ordering office supplies, I would always choose Xerox paper for our photocopiers and mono laser printers for use when headed paper was not appropriate. The product worked well for both tasks and was also sometimes used for supplementary pages for longer documents.

I also chose Xerox materials for my personal use at home, whenever possible, and found the surfaces usually slightly smoother and whiter than many apparently similar materials, including those considerably more expensive.

As my local newsagent charges more than £6 per ream for an anonymous product which is off-white, with a defined curl and poor surface texture, one pack purchased as a last resort in an emergency was enough to cause me to seek a familiar product. As the stationery supplier I always used in the past does not now stock the brand but many others that I do not know, I was pleased to find Xerox being sold on Amazon. At a price for 5 packs not too far beyond that often charged locally for one, it was an easy task to place the order.

Packed in the usual nylon-strapped cardboard sleeves, the paper is suited for use in the office or for personal use at home. It will work with colour lasers and inkjet printers for non-critical work but is not intended for photo printing with any type of printer.

Although described as 'Coat Hangers' these are straight and thin in profile and may leave evidence of their use in the shoulders of some jackets, etc. The trouser bars are pinned onto the main body with machine-inserted staples and do not appear to be strengthened by use of glue. These bars are not non-slip and some fabrics will slide from them and fall to the bottom of the wardrobe. I had bought these primarily for use with casual and not formal wear.

There are notches cut into each arm to allow for some womens' clothing to be suspended more securely; skirts would be an obvious type of clothing as would some types of slacks and shorts but these notches will be unused with menswear. The hooks are not chromed, as claimed, and appear to be just iron and several were rusted to varying degrees when received. As the hooks are not likely to be in direct contact with any garment, the rust is not a major issue for me although I would sometimes find its presence unacceptable and might otherwise return the item.

The price is reasonable and actually less than some plastic alternatives but the quality is only middling. You could probably find better amongst the discards from some clothing retailers.

Several months ago, I purchased a more expensive, larger and considerably heavier cleaner which I was forced to return; its abilities fell far short of expectations as it was quite unable to remove even light grime build-up from ceramic tiles (a better result was obtained with a warm, soapy cloth), yet alone clean a slightly greasy oven or cooker top.

This is much smaller and considerably lighter than the previous machine and of a wholly different design, essentially based on the pad mop, the other being an all-in-one with a heavy and inconvenient hose needed for most tasks. This allows the steamer to be detached from the handle and body assembly so that it allows cleaning into small crevices. The steamer is itself small and light and can be broadly compared on size with other basic gun-style steamers. With a 1600W heating element, steam is produced and usable very quickly after switching on, within about 15 seconds. Even reassembled, a simple task in itself, it is light enough to easily carry from room to room or level to level although it may need to be disconnected from the mains and reconnected elsewhere. The power lead is generous but not excessively long as to be a nuisance.

Black and Decker is a respected brand best known in the UK for its DIY and professional tools although they have made the occasional foray into electrical cleaning products. In the US, the company is a major manufacturer of smaller domestic appliances and its range and variety is very extensive, offering many more products than in the UK and covering numerous product types, not just cleaning devices. This model is the more advanced of the current UK product range and is potentially the most adaptable.

The kit includes several colour-coded tools which can be separately ascribed to use in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet etc and to preserve hygiene from one area to another. Although only two cleaning pads are included, that is one more than was provided with the more expensive kit initially referred to and spares are fairly readily available including many high street stores and online. The pads are washable but should be replaced should they become thin and holed. A filler tank is provided and it can be stored on the appliance, which is better than having a separate module that needs to be stored when not used.

The cleaning head includes a swivel joint that allows it to move easily from left to right through about 45 degrees either side of vertical which should allow it to more easily reach behind furniture, lavatory bowls etc.

Packaged as several pieces, handle, head, steamer etc, and with the majority of its smaller tools and attachments contained within a mesh bag which can be usefully retained to minimise loss of parts, assembly is simple if you follow the instructions. Warm-up time, once assembled and operational, is quite minimal and the cleaner offers several levels of steam to suit different surfaces and amounts of grime, plus an 'Auto' setting and a 'Steam Boost' setting which increases the steam output by a stated 50%. A boost in temperature would also have been useful for the most stubborn grime and instances where its normal temperature is just too low and a higher capacity tank would allow a longer operational time between refills. However, additional features would mean a greater cost but the tank provides about 20 minutes of usable time with any of its normal settings, which is quite typical and acceptable, but less if the 'Steam Boost' is used extensively. As the applicance is intended for domestic rather than commercial use, its current features are more than reasonable.

Although products of this type are described as 'cleaners', they also have the ability to disinfect surfaces as the super-heated steam will kill most bacteria immediately even if in close proximity and does so without use or need of any chemicals. If there are babies or young children in your household, this may be preferable, and it may be of help for those who have pets such as cats and dogs that may leave the occasional 'nasty' within the home. The 1621 is far more useful than the simpler steam 'guns' and as it incorporates a mop, the ability to clean and disinfect, to de-odorise carpets, curtains and drapes and to refresh them and clothing too, it provides good value for the price paid. Some similar appliances can also be used to defrost fridges and freezers; I have seen it done but have yet to try that for myself on our smaller freezer which is not self-defrosting or ice-free.

It is worth noting that the steam produced by this machine and others is VERY HOT and can cause extensive burns if allowed to contact the skin and may damage some fabrics and hard materials. Several of its parts should be allowed to cool before removing or replacing them.

I have purchased at least three of an older version of these for storing different 2.5-inch hard drives, mostly for my personal use, but I have also recommended this case to several others. For most traditionally-sized units, this case will enclose the drive and its lead(s) and have a little space to spare. I have even found space in one to include a short 60cm USB extension lead which I needed for one laptop which is stored within the pocket on one side. However, having just bought a WD 2TB My Passport drive which is somewhat thicker than average, the accommodation is only just sufficient to house the drive and its lead. The design of the case with transverse elasticated strapping allows the drive to be used without needing to remove it completely; the lead can be connected for use and returned to the pocket subsequently and the case zipped tight.

The case outer is quite firm and there is sufficient protection between the skin and the soft interior to help protect the drive. The padded exterior patterning adds a little extra protection to one side only. In one instance, one case with the drive inside was twice accidentally dropped about 45-50cm onto a carpeted stone floor and the drive suffered no damage and continues to work. It now includes a metal clip which will allow the case to be clipped to a belt or to a suitable part of a larger laptop case in the event that it may not be possible to store it within. A riveted attachment point is provided on the back and adjacent to the wrist loop. The case will protect the drive from light rain but should not be considered waterproof.

Although there are slightly larger cases, I have yet to find one that is any deeper but with similar major dimensions. Although listed as suited for several specified drives, it will accept many others and of several brands including many of the 3rd-party enclosures (but not quite all) into which bare drives can be installed.

Possibly the best available universal option, unless someone knows of one better.

Having previously bought two different models of an earlier generation of Sony Blu-ray players, the current models offer several differences, the most obvious of which is a deviation from the long, flat box-designs that were common throughout and to many other brands. This series seems to have been largely influenced by US 'Stealth' weapons and employs irregular angles for the upper surfaces. The whole unit is much smaller than the immediately prior series and the angles employed are far more gentle than the illustrations appear to indicate.

The series currently includes this model, the BDP-S1100, and the S3100, S4100 and S5100 but strangely skips the S2100 designation. The lower two models share one design and the upper two a slightly different one. Whether the designs are required to accommodate some internals or are purely cosmetic is difficult to assess without disassembly. The reduction is size and different, unusually-shaped upper surface may offer minor problems with stacking and location, although the actual height is only very slightly more than the older series.

One common feature throughout this range is the 'Smart Network' connectivity although the S1100 includes an Ethernet port, but no internal WiFi or the ability to connect an adapter. This may limit location options, but to eliminate the possibility of extremely long Ethernet cables, an adapter that provides Ethernet over the power circuit (TP-Link among others offer such devices in pairs, one to transmit and another as receiver), will allow much shorter cables.

HDMI connectivity is common to all models although there is different functionality across the series. Digital co-axial output is another common feature which should support many TVs and home cinema audio. This is the most basic and least-heavily featured model of the range and does not include any 3D functionality. It will play all other forms of disk-based media but not necessarily all media files although it will supports music, movies and images in some formats. Playback of all supported media types via an external device, hard drive or memory stick, is available via the included USB socket and that is a feature common to all models. Some older models featured a front-mounted USB port plus another at the rear but that it is not repeated here.

All models are finished in piano black and there is no known silver option.

The design of this model (and the S3100) is bi-laterally identical, pleasing and sufficiently different from the usual and traditional boxy design to attract some buyers. However, it may also deter others not necessarily for any practical reason, but on aesthetics.

The remote control appears to be identical in form and function to those of the older series and operates from 2 AA batteries, which are provided. The on-screen menu system is similar for many Sony products and, once familiarised, becomes very logical and easy to use. Other than the fixed mains cable, you will need to provide your own Ethernet and HDMI cables to suit. HDMI cables were often provided in the past.

Output up to full HD (1920 x 1080) is supported and it will be up-rated if and where necessary. The series also supports Triluminos colour which, on supported TVs, provides an improved viewing experience. Currently, that feature is available on some Sony TVs. As previously stated, higher models support additional features and may include additional options for those that are common.

If experience with using other Sony Blu-ray players is a fair indicator, the on-screen image should be highly stable and of a very high quality from the outset and then improve slightly as it conditions. It should suit many users who do not need the 3D options and require a simpler to use, more basic Blu-ray/DVD player at a price to match.