Home → Types → Review

Type: Review

Articles on this site in the 'Review' taxonomy, ordered by date (descending).

M1 MacBook Air 13 inch (16GB) review, compared to a 2013 MacBook Pro

Gordon Ansell 6th December 2020, 08:00 Tech, Apple, Review 1665 words.

A review of the M1-powered MacBook Air (13 inch) and a comparison with a high-spec MacBook Pro from 2013.
Star Trek: Discovery review — old meets new in a pleasing balance

Gordon Ansell 1st December 2020, 08:30 Entertainment, TV, Review 608 words.

A review of Star Trek: Discovery, which is the most recent addition to the Star Trek universe.
NetNewsWire review — you'd be mad not to try it

Gordon Ansell 27th September 2020, 06:50 Tech, Software, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Review 1011 words.

NetNewsWire 5.1 for macOS brought in Feedly support and therefore became the feed reader of choice for me. Here's my review of NetNewsWire.
Agenda app review — the golden goose?

Gordon Ansell 18th June 2020, 18:30 Tech, Agenda, Software, Apple, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, GTD, Review 1840 words.

A review of Agenda version 10 for macOS, iPadOS and iOS. A date-based notes app with to-do and light project management capabilities.
Birds of Prey (2020) movie review — I could live without it

Gordon Ansell 27th April 2020, 06:00 Entertainment, Films, Review 378 words.

A review of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), a 2020 offering from the DC Studios.
HP OfficeJet 6950 printer review

Gordon Ansell 22nd March 2020, 12:15 Tech, Products, Review 596 words.

A review of the HP OfficeJet 6950 All-In-One colour inkjet printer/scanner/fax.
Wescot Credit Services — spammers (01482 590502)

Gordon Ansell 25th February 2020, 06:50 Misc, Companies, Review 432 words.

My experiences of Wescot Credit Services Ltd and I don’t owe them or anyone they represent a penny.
iA Writer review and changing my workflow

Gordon Ansell 27th January 2020, 08:10 Tech, iA Writer, Software, Apple, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, GTD, Review 1546 words.

A review of iA Writer version 5 for macOS, iPadOS and iOS, which is a file-based Markdown editor.
Make quantum decisions with the Universe Splitter app

Gordon Ansell 23rd January 2020, 11:55 Science, Software, Apple, iOS, Review 484 words.

I simply had to have an app that allows me to create new universes and base all my decisions on quantum mechanics.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood review — hard to rate

Gordon Ansell 19th January 2020, 08:30 Entertainment, Films, Review 575 words.

A review of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the latest film from Quentin Tarantino.
Hearing Direct HD500 hearing aid review

Gordon Ansell 30th December 2019, 09:34 Misc, Products, Review 1837 words.

A review of the Hearing Direct HD500 hearing aid, which is a discreet, in-ear device.
Stranger Things — you either love it or hate it, it seems

Gordon Ansell 17th October 2019, 05:55 Entertainment, TV, Review 675 words.

A review of seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things, the fantasy-horror thriller from Netflix.
Chepstow Real Ale and Cider Festival, October 2019

Gordon Ansell 14th October 2019, 10:30 Misc, Local, Event, Review 542 words.

A review of the Chepstow Real Ale and Cider festival, which I attended on Saturday 12th October 2019. A selection of over 40 beers was on offer.
Apple Reminders on iOS 13, iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina — much improved

Gordon Ansell 8th October 2019, 06:45 Tech, Software, Apple, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, GTD, Review 1056 words.

A review of Apple’s Reminders app under macOS Catalina, iPadOS 13 and iOS 13. It’s now a genuinely useful GTD app.
In The Tall Grass (2019) movie review — it fails to deliver

Gordon Ansell 7th October 2019, 08:30 Entertainment, Films, Review 497 words.

A review of In The Tall Grass, a 2019 horror drama based on a novella by Stephen King.
iPhone 11 review by someone who hates phones

Gordon Ansell 29th September 2019, 12:05 Tech, iPhone, Apple, Review 2465 words.

Yet another iPhone 11 review, this time by someone who typically dislikes any and all phones but was persuaded to purchase Apple's latest offering.
Avengers: Endgame review — a bit disappointing

Gordon Ansell 2nd September 2019, 09:00 Entertainment, Films, Review 644 words.

My own take on Avengers: Endgame, the finale of Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Blondie’s Parallel Lines — top class album

Gordon Ansell 29th August 2019, 16:10 Entertainment, Music, Review 217 words.

A brief assessment of Parallel Lines by Blondie, which I think is an excellent album.
Zen Internet review after 9 years

Gordon Ansell 22nd August 2019, 10:15 Tech, Products, Review 782 words.

A review of Zen Internet's broadband packages, which I've now been using for nine years.
OmniFocus 3 for macOS - tags make everything better

Gordon Ansell 6th June 2019, 05:55 Tech, OmniFocus, GTD, Software, Apple, macOS, Review 641 words.

An update to my earlier review to take account of the new features in OmniFocus 3 for macOS.
Bird Box (2018) film review - worth watching

Gordon Ansell 1st May 2019, 17:40 Entertainment, Films, Review 463 words.

A review of Bird Box, a 2018 horror drama starring Sandra Bullock and directed by Susanne Bier.
Serpent (2017) film review — I only liked the snake

Gordon Ansell 22nd April 2019, 12:40 Entertainment, Films, Review 285 words.

A review of Serpent, a 2017 South African film starring Tom Ainsley and Sarah Dumont, directed by Amanda Evans.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web film (2018) review

Gordon Ansell 8th April 2019, 10:33 Entertainment, Films, Review 588 words.

A review of The Girl in the Spider's web, another Millennium sequel starring Claire Foy as Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander.
Equalizer 2 (2018) film review

Gordon Ansell 26th March 2019, 08:19 Entertainment, Films, Review 450 words.

A review of Equalizer 2 in which Denzel Washington reprises his roll as action hero Robert McCall.
Mandy (2018) film review - psychotic psychedelia

Gordon Ansell 22nd March 2019, 10:20 Entertainment, Films, Review 447 words.

A review of 'Mandy', a psychedelic horror movie starring Nicholas Cage and Andrea Riseborough.
Hunter Killer review - tense but otherwise average

Gordon Ansell 14th March 2019, 06:30 Entertainment, Films, Review 268 words.

A review of 'Hunter Killer', a submarine-based moview starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. Distinctly average is my verdict.
Suunto Core All Black review

Gordon Ansell 23rd February 2019, 09:50 Misc, Watches, Products, Review 796 words.

A review of the Suunto Core All-Black watch, which I like a lot despite one or two minor faults. This is now my main watch.
Smarter iKettle 3 review

Gordon Ansell 14th February 2019, 15:15 Misc, Household, Products, Review 803 words.

A review of Smarter's iKettle 3, an app-driven kettle you can boil either ad-hoc or on a schedule via your phone.
Casio G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-1000 review

Gordon Ansell 9th February 2019, 21:30 Misc, Watches, Products, Review 1503 words.

A review of the Casio G-Shock Mudmaster GWG-1000 watch. One of Casio's premium range watches.
Supremely Washable 4.5 Tog Printed Duvet review

Gordon Ansell 13th January 2019, 08:45 Misc, Household, Products, Review 461 words.

A review of the Supremely Washable 4.5 Tog Printed Duvet from Marks and Spencer.
Tenda Nova Mesh WiFi review

Gordon Ansell 3rd December 2018, 08:45 Tech, Products, Review 881 words.

A review of the Tenda Nova Mesh WiFi system, specifically the MW6 version which is the one I used to penetrate the thick walls where I live.
Apple's Reminders app needs two features

Gordon Ansell 25th October 2018, 06:20 Tech, Software, Apple, iOS, macOS, OmniFocus, Review 482 words.

A very brief review of Apple's Reminders app which lacks two key features as far as I am concerned. The addition of these features would make it truly useful.
Wilkins Cider Farm, Mudgley, Somerset

Gordon Ansell 14th October 2018, 15:45 Misc, Local, Companies, Review 193 words.

Wilkins Cider Farm in Mudgley, Somerset is well worth a visit, not least for the ambience of the place.
Coda review - nearly the perfect code editor

Gordon Ansell 13th October 2018, 08:45 Tech, Software, Apple, iOS, Web Development, Review 871 words.

A review of Panic's Coda, which is a code editor, FTP and terminal app for macOS and iOS. It's basically very good but suffers from one or two drawbacks.
Dark Sky Weather review

Gordon Ansell 1st September 2018, 08:00 Tech, Software, Apple, iOS, Review 976 words.

A review of the Dark Sky Weather app, which I tested for seven days. It's quite accurate although it had one or two interface problems.
Ironmaster Super Bench Leg Attachment review

Gordon Ansell 25th August 2018, 12:05 Weight Training, Ironmaster, Products, Review 538 words.

A review of the Ironmaster Super Bench Leg Attachment, which fits into the Ironmaster Super Bench. It’s fine, although a little below par for Ironmaster kit in my opinion.
BodyRip Cast Iron Fractional Weight Plates review

Gordon Ansell 16th August 2018, 07:10 Weight Training, Products, Review 613 words.

A review of BodyRip Cast Iron Fractional Weight Plates, specifically the 0.5kg and 0.25kg plates. Fractional weight plates are useful when trying to overcome sticking points.
OmniFocus review

Gordon Ansell 5th August 2018, 07:00 Tech, Software, OmniFocus, Apple, macOS, iOS, iPad, GTD, Review 1472 words.

A review of OmniFocus 2 for macOS and 3 for iPad, the popular list taking, project management and GTD app. In particular, version 3 of OmniFocus for iOS finally brings genuine iPad support.
What happened to John Lewis?

Gordon Ansell 26th July 2018, 18:15 Misc, Companies, Rant, Review 586 words.

John Lewis used to be a shop that truly put the customer first, an icon of respectability in the shopping world. No so now if my recent experience with them is anything to go by.
Bodypower Rubber-Encased Tri-Grip Olympic Weight Plates review

Gordon Ansell 24th July 2018, 11:00 Weight Training, Products, Review 763 words.

A review of Bodypower Rubber-Encased Tri-Grip Olympic Weight Plates, of which I've been using 285kg worth for about two and a half years at the time of writing. All-in-all they're fairly good plates.
Yohann iPad Stand review

Gordon Ansell 30th April 2018, 11:18 Tech, iPad, Products, Review 697 words.

A review of the Yohann iPad stand for a 12.9 inch iPad Pro. It's an attractive-looking wooden stand that serves both form and function very well.
Ulysses review - the best writing app for macOS and iOS?

Gordon Ansell 17th April 2018, 07:05 Tech, Software, Ulysses, Apple, GTD, Review 1442 words.

A Ulysses review. I think this is currently the best writing app available for MacOS and iOS and I present my justifications in this review.
MoneyWiz review - macOS/iOS personal accounting software

Gordon Ansell 12th April 2018, 06:00 Tech, Software, Apple, Review 845 words.

A review of MoneyWiz personal accounting software, which is a cross-platform app compatible with MacOS, iOS, Windows and Android. Over all, it's a pretty good package backed with good support.
Ironmaster IM2000 review — awesome, essentially

Gordon Ansell 11th April 2018, 06:24 Weight Training, Ironmaster, Products, Review 2102 words.

A review of the Ironmaster IM2000 Self-Spotting Machine, which I think is awesome. It's expensive but one of the best bits of weight-training kit I've ever owned.
Rebel Rebel - a fantastic recording by Bowie

Gordon Ansell 19th March 2018, 07:45 Entertainment, Music, Review 640 words.

A fantastic live version of David Bowie's 'Rebel Rebel' and an overview of my music tastes, which are quite wide and varied these days.
Ironmaster Super Bench review

Gordon Ansell 17th March 2018, 06:15 Weight Training, Ironmaster, Products, Review 990 words.

A review of the Ironmaster Superbench, which is an excellent, high-quality FID bench that also takes attachments such as a leg machine, preacher curl and dipping bars.
Powertec Workbench LeverGym review

Gordon Ansell 11th March 2018, 06:30 Weight Training, Products, Review 1807 words.

A review of the Powertec Workbench LeverGym, which is capable bit of workout kit that has a relatively small footprint, making it ideal for a home gym.
Body-Solid Series 7 Smith Master System review

Gordon Ansell 9th March 2018, 16:20 Weight Training, Products, Review 1294 words.

A review of the Body-Solid Series 7 Smith Master System, which includes a Smith machine, high/low pulley, pec deck, bench and free weight gun-rack.
The Fast and The Furious 8 (The Fate of The Furious) review - complete tosh

Gordon Ansell 8th March 2018, 07:50 Entertainment, Films, Review 502 words.

A review of the Fast and The Furious 8 (The Fate of The Furious), which in my opinion is a film without any redeeming features.
Bear Writer review — a gorgeous notes app

Gordon Ansell 7th March 2018, 06:10 Tech, Software, Bear, GTD, macOS, iOS, Review 1061 words.

A review of Bear Writer, a markdown-based note-taking application from Shiny Frog. It supports tags and has multiple import and export options.