If you have any kind of touch screen smart phone, chances are you will have come across or heard of a game called “Angry Birds”. It is an extremely popular laws-of-physics game based on a very simple idea but such a good one.  I’ll be looking specifically at Angry Birds on the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system since Rovio (the Angry Birds Developer) has recently released it to the marketplace.

For those of you who don’t know how Angry Birds works, basically the aim of the game is to destroy all the pigs on a given level by hurling angry birds at them with a catapult. Why? Well the pigs have stolen the birds eggs, silly! The pigs are usually defended by different types of  equipment, clothes, walls and buildings and it’s your task to break through them and destroy the pigs by knocking them off from a height or hitting them with either your bird or debris. There are many different types of birds available in the game, each having its own special attributes.

• You start out with a standard red bird which has no special powers which you just hurl at the Pigs defences to destroy them.
• The next bird you encounter is the blue bird which are smaller than the red bird so don’t pack as much punch but when you click on screen once you’ve launched it, it splits into 3 separate birds.
• Next is the pointy faced yellow bird, when clicked in mid air it instantly accelerates to a really fast speed and changes to a straight course. Really good for smashing through wood!
• The White Bird is a fat and plump bird. When tapped in mid air, an egg will come shooting out of it at high speed vertically downwards and explodes when it hits something and the white bird goes flying off into the sky! It is basically a bomber bird!
• The Black Bird is the best in my opinion! Once it touches an object it will start a timer and explode in a few seconds causing massive devastation! Alternately you can tap on the screen to decide when to detonate it. A heavyweight in the bird arsenal.
• The last bird is the Boomerang one which ones pressed will basically try and return to its original position. Good for getting in from behind!
• There are also a few other special ones such as the Big Brother bird which is essentially a bigger version of the red bird.

There are literally hundreds of levels available currently with more on their way. It is a really addictive and fun game. At the end of a level, once all the pigs have been cleared you get a star score out of 3 depending on the points you earn. It is a good feature because it allows you to have a good reason to go back to old levels and improve your technique and use less birds to gain more points. One thing you will definitely notice if you play this game is that luck plays a big part! You can be stuck on a level for ages but sheer luck usually pulls you through but the nice part is you feel as if you’ve accomplished it so it’s all good. That’s not to say that the game itself “cheats”. As I said at the start it’s based on the law of physics- velocity, kinetics and all that guff. In other words when you hit something it behaves as you would imagine in the real world.  It is also consistent, so if you find a winning way of toppling that pig in one game, then it should work again in other games with similar situations.

The game runs as smooth as it does on any other Smartphone so you know they have definitely put the work in to get it running really well. There are no signs of lag, even on some of the really big levels. The WP7 (Windows Phone 7) release currently has all the latest updates but one, the “Mine and Dine” level pack which is currently available for many other platforms. So the game is lacking in that area currently but within time an update is likely to come. There are still literally hundreds of levels anyway and it will take you a while to get through them all and by that time the update will have likely arrived.

The thing that makes Angry Birds unique on Windows Phone 7 is the addition of Xbox Live achievements within the game, from which you can earn gamerscore! So this adds new challenges to the game as you try and get all the achievements. A total of 200 G’s are available and the achievements are as follows:

• Ice Picker (10 G): 5000 Ice Blocks Destroyed
• Seeing Red (5 G): Big Brother Bird Unlocked
• Green Baron (10 G): Episode 3 Finished
• Woodpecker (10 G): 5000 Wooden Blocks Smashed
• Return To Sender (5 G): Boomerang Bird Unlocked
• The Mysterious Escape (10G): Episode 2 Finished
• Pig Popper (10 G): 1000 Pigs Smashed
• Defeat of The King (10 G): Episode 1 Finished
• Mother of All Bombs (10 G): White Bird Unlocked
• Boom Boom! (5 G): Black Bird Unlocked
• Just Getting Started (15 G): World 1 Finished
• Speed Is The Essence (5 G): Yellow Bird Unlocked
• Spit It! (5 G): Blue Bird Unlocked
• Episode 1 – Total Destruction (15 G): Episode 1: Get three stars in all levels
• Episode 2 – Total Destruction (15 G): Episode 2: Get three stars in all levels
• Episode 3 – Total Destruction (15 G): Episode 3: Get three stars in all levels
• Smash Maniac (15 G): Smash 250 000 Blocks
• StoneCutter (10 G): Smash 5000 Stone Blocks
• Block Smasher (15 G): Smash 50 000 Blocks
• Egg Hunter (10 G): Find 10 Golden Eggs

Unlike other Smartphone platforms, unfortunately there is no free, ad based version of Angry Birds available which so if you want the full version you’ll have to pay for it but at £2.29 it’s a small price to pay. Angry Birds is Rovio’s first game to be released on the WP7 marketplace and we look forward to new additions to the Angry Birds family in the future such as “Angry Birds Seasons” but Windows Phone 7 is a fairly new OS though so the developers are having to catch up a bit!

Conclusion:

At £2.29  how can you turn this game down? You are guaranteed to get hours of playtime out of it. There is a reason it is one of the most popular mobile phone games out there to date so if you’ve just bought a Windows Phone then definitely get it! Although it is lacking some content, the addition of Xbox-Live achievements definitely makes up for it and adds new life into the game once all the levels are completed. If you’re still sceptical about the game then a trial is available once you try that out you’ll see how addictive and fun this game really is.

Bioshock 2 is the latest edition to the Bioshock franchise by games publisher 2K. It takes place eight years after the events of the original Bioshock game in the underwater city known as “Rapture”. The new game includes a bunch of new and exciting features which really expand the game superbly such as new enemies, weapons, plasmids and gene tonics!

The original Bioshock was the most atmospheric game that I have ever played. The idea of a city underwater was always going to be creepy from the start but the fact that the whole city of Rapture has fallen into anarchy over a special drug called ADAM which allows for gene manipulation just adds to this unique city’s style. Both games are set around the 1960’s and the whole city of Rapture reflects the date it’ set at; the dated theme is really apparent throughout.  The game’s lighting effects and graphics do wonders for this decaying underwater Utopia.

Due to the anarchy the whole city has become almost deserted, populated mainly by drug addicts which are known as “Splicers”. The Splicers are as weird and drugged up as they always were, dressed still in their ripped up suits and masquerade style masks.  Watch out for them, they are complete freaks!

Leaks from the ocean outside are all over the place and really makes the whole world more realistic since it was inevitable that an underwater city was going to have a few leaks here and there but the disruption in Rapture has made it a whole lot worse.

It is hard to express in words how amazing the whole world is and the amount of atmosphere that surrounds it. You really do have to play it to realise what an awesome environment the developers of the game have created.  Truly believable.  The new game setting is  exactly the same as the original so the atmosphere is just as peculiar. This is by no means a game designed to scare you though, it’s not a scary game. It’s just the whole world that has been created and the atmosphere that goes with it make it really creepy but at the same time absolutely amazing. It really is like no other game.

Like the first game, through the use of ADAM and EVE, special abilities called plasmids are available to the player to approach combat in some truly unique and exciting ways. Plasmids are now upgradeable to offer extra special features and abilities.

In Bioshock 2 you play as one of the “Big Daddies” and you are on a quest to resolve the story behind your daughter and take care of the evil woman called Sofia Lamb who is trying to control and keep you from her. You spend lots of time receiving flashbacks about you and your daughter’s past while you carry out tasks for the few sane people left in Rapture to get you ever closer to Lamb. The original Bioshock involved a story line that was absolutely amazing, it had you so gripped and it was so exciting, it was always going to be hard to beat such an awesome story. So it’s not surprising that Bioshock 2’s story is fairly weak in comparison to the original. Along with the compelling storyline, the original game also had loads of memorable moments, unexpected and stimulating events throughout the game but it seems that in Bioshock 2, they don’t  occur as often which is a shame since it was a really enjoyable asset as it complimented the game’s unusual environment really well.

What else is new?
The most useful difference in the new game is the ability to equip your Plasmids and your weapons at the same time so you can use them in rapid succession or even simultaneously so as to prevent tedious switching between weapons during combat. It makes the whole game experience much easier.

You now have the option to adopt Little Sisters once you kill the Big Daddy protecting them. This allows you to use them to harvest ADAM from various dead bodies around Rapture. While harvesting ADAM you will be attacked by a swarm of Splicers, wanting in on the action. Each Little Sister can gather ADAM twice in total before you have the choice to either harvest them for further ADAM or rescue them.

The Big Sisters are a new addition to the game. Surprise surprise, they are the Little sisters when they are grown up and are armoured like that of one of the Big Daddies from the original. There is a chance you will get attacked by the Big Sisters when you use your Little Sister to harvest ADAM from dead bodies around rapture. They are really tough opponents so be prepared for them!

A multiplayer mode is also present in the new Bioshock, something which the original lacked. It includes some really good and unique game modes which can be fun. A ranking system is included too so it keeps you coming back for more. However it’s not the best online experience you can have with a game but since the Bioshock game always was about the single player campaign we’ll let it slide since we see it as just an extra feature to keep us busy till the next Bioshock instalment comes along!

In conclusion, Bioshock 2 is a really good game and if you played the original game you should definitely purchase it because it again offers a really good campaign and loads of new features which take the game to a new level. It’s just a disappointment the story of the game isn’t on par with the first Bioshock but the new features, weapons and enemies of the game make up for the story since they are enough to keep you satisfied throughout the game! If you haven’t played Bioshock ever before though then definitely purchase the original before the new one since its storyline is just amazing and is a great introduction into this incredible world.

The new Blockbuster Storm is a new, fully aluminium PC case from Aplus. It is a lightweight and compact case, ready to save users space and add the portability factor to their computer systems! Useful features include a huge 22cm fan on the top of the case, an integrated temperature gauge and a removable motherboard tray.

List of features:

• High-value black coated full aluminium case
• Useful flip-out handle in front to carry it easily
• Perfect and silent cooling system by a 22 cm sized blue illuminated adjustable fan on top
• Removable main board carrier and hard disk cage for easy installation
• Blue illuminated temperature display
• Total of  5 drive bays
• Integrated 120 mm fan on the back side, optional 80 mm in front
• Two transparent windows for a perfect look inside
• For Micro ATX main boards (4 PCI slots)
• XL length: Standard PS/2 power supplies as Tagan or Seasonic fit inside
• 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x audio an IEEE 1394 Firewire connectors in front
• RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) compliant.

The CS-Blockbuster Storm is a really compact and stylish case and will easily fit all the hardware from your large tower into its cleverly designed system. Despite its small looks it feels like a Dr Who Tardis on the inside! It is big enough for today’s large graphics cards, even if you have a SLI or Crossfire configuration thanks  to its 4 PCI slots. The case comes equipped with a gentle, blue glow about it and see-through sides so you can admire all your lovely hardware! The two front USB,audio and firewire jacks are great and definitely come in handy, although this is what you’d expect from a case these days. However the Blockbuster Storm pushes the boat out with their integrated temperature gauge on the front the case! This is great so you always have an idea of how your computer is doing rather than having to check your software all the time, OK it is only good  for just an overview,but still a good feature to have.

Unique to the Blockbuster Storm is the integrated handle into the case at the front so you can easily transport your PC if you need to. It is a nice feature to have but the handle feels like it has been made from very brittle plastic and I would not definitely entrust the handle to hold the weight of my whole PC. Even though it probably could, if you have a particularly heavy case then it just doesn’t give you much confidence because of how cheap it feels! That said though, the rest of the case has a stylish and sleek black finish which is always “a plus” point.

As with all PC cases, dust is always going to be a problem and there is no exception for the Blockbuster Storm so you may need to clean the case out pretty regularly. However  this is not really a down point at all as it’s very hard to keep dust out of any PC case!

It is important to keep in mind that large aftermarket CPU coolers may not fit too well into the case due to the layer type system in the case. Standard CPU coolers will fit no problem but you need to keep in mind that if you do purchase the case, you may have to switch your aftermarket cooler due to space restrictions.

Overall the Blockbuster Storm is a brilliant case for users who want to downsize their rig into something small and fashionable. The cooling systems work great thanks to the massive 22cm fan which produces nearly no audible noise due to its massive size!  It is only suitable for people with motherboard sizes of Micro ATX or smaller, so make sure you check this before your purchase. Apart from the moderately small motherboard size, the case should be able to fit all of your hardware in it and is highly recommended!

Important Technical Specifications:

• Name: CS-BLOCKBUSTER STORM
• Artikel Nr. (De): 12455
• Brand: APlus
• Mark (EAR registration): EAR888-62976468
• Board type: Micro ATX
• Quantity of expansion bays/ slots: 2 x 5.25″ external, 1 x 3.5″ external, 2 x 3.5″ internal // 4 x PCI slots
• Fans: 1 x 220 mm on top, 1 x 120 mm rear, optional 1 x 80 mm in front
• Dimensions: 285 mm x 385 mm x 260 mm
• Case size: HTPC

The award winning X-mini II Capsule Speaker is a portable, battery powered speaker that you can plug into your phone or multimedia devices which have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The X-mini’s volume and bass response are its forte; it is unbelievably loud for a device which can fit in the palm of your hand and it boasts the following awards: “Good Design Award”, “Universal Design Award” and the “Design for Asia Award”

Along with the loud and superb sound quality the X-mini produces, it’s built in Lithium-ion battery allows for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. Considering the volume that the small device produces, such a long battery life is a big plus. The battery can be charged though the included USB cable. The time to fully recharge the battery is around 2.5 hours. It took me a good month of regular use before I had to charge mine again so it really does last.

The X-mini is integrated with a “Bass Xpansion System™” which allows the device to produce noticeable bass, amazing for such a small device.  The device does this by expanding from its original ball size when unlocked to reveal a sort of spring based system which produces the fantastic bass. This is achieved by twisting the X-mini apart to reveal the expanded system and you know it’s producing awesome bass when the whole device is vibrating on the table at full volume!

You can use the X-mini almost anywhere! Not just out at the park or events but even at home. It really is loud enough to fill the whole room. It’s a good alternative and quick way of blasting your music out in a room without spending ages setting up your full Hi-Fi system. The X-mini doesn’t stop at mobile phones or music players though; you can even plug it into your laptop since it trumps the quality of most integrated laptop speakers. Basically anywhere you can find a 3.5mm jack, stick it in!

Extra features of the X-mini include the ability to link multiple X-minis together… This means you can improve sound quality and volume even further if you wish and turn it from a mono device into a stereo. If all of your friends have one then you can connect them all together in a chain. There is no limit to how many you can connect together but it has been reported that the more you connect together the more sound distortion becomes obvious, so keep this in mind. You could be creative though and connect it between your standard PC speakers or something similar to get that extra kick of sound. The potential of the X-mini really is high.

Ergonomic design and portability are at the heart of the X-mini; the 3.5mm cable tucks away nicely underneath the device and when the “Bass Xpansion System”™” is closed it is a very compact speaker so you can easily pop it in your pocket. The integrated volume control is also useful so you can adjust the volume of your audio without turning on your audio player; it just makes everything much easier. Not to mention the weight of just 83 grams!

Overall the X-mini is an amazing device and I recommend it for anyone with a phone or music player, or even a laptop because it will definitely come in handy. It really lets you bring your music with you anywhere. Obviously the X-mini is not a suitable replacement for a complete Hi-Fi system at home but it’s good for playing music casually at home or anywhere outside. The price is also a real treat; the X-mini is currently selling for £12.91 on Amazon.co.uk which is a brilliant price, considering how much the product has to offer. It’s such a good price; you may want to order two!

Technical Specifications:

Team Fortress 2 is a fun, first person shooter, online multiplayer game for the PC & MAC that is like no other which has recently become “Free-To-Play” meaning you can download it and play absolutely free. The game offers a character for everyone, whatever mood you may be in and finely balanced game play and game types that will keep you entertained for hours on end and keep you coming back for more.

Team Fortress is unique in every way from your standard everyday common first person shooters. Its graphics are like that of a Pixar movie; they have a cartoon feel to them yet at the same time, still look stunning. The visuals are shown off by some of the stunning maps, characters and weapons. The wide variety of games types will suit any person’s kind of playing, each one always as fun as the last! The main idea of the game is the BLU team verses the RED team, below is a list of the game types currently available:

• Payload: BLU pushes the cart down the track. RED needs to stop them.
• King of The Hill: One team must control a single point until time runs out.
• Attack / Defence: BLU wins by capturing all points. RED wins by stopping them.
• Payload Race: Two teams. Two carts. Two tracks.
• Control Points: Capture all points to win.
• Capture the Flag: Two teams. Take the enemy’s intelligence briefcase back to yours to score!

Each one is fun in its own way and requires a different tactical approach to win; the idea (subtly hidden in the title) is to work as a team to achieve your objective.

The classes: Team Fortress 2 is made up of 9 different classes, each fun and important in its own way I’ll give you a brief overview of each one:

As you can see there are a wide variety of classes to play and you can try each one to see which ones you like best but there are some basic rules and things you need to know though on how Team Fortress works and how things get done…

• Heavy’s and Medics usually work together because of the powers of the Heavy’s weapon and large health and ability to keep pouring out the damage without reloading!
• Pyro’s need to be aware that there could be a spy right next to them at any point, so keep the flame thrower going in order to make sure!
• Engineers, get those Teleporters up and make sure you upgrade them so they recharge faster! Getting your team to the front line is crucial. Dispensers and sentries also should be placed in inconspicuous areas where they will catch the enemy off guard.
• Demomen are good at destroying buildings and guarding defensive points with their sticky bombs since as soon as the enemy reaches the objective… BOOM!
• Critical Hits are another unique type of game play to Team Fortress 2, critical hits are when your gun or weapon does twice as much damage as normal, this can happen at random intervals or when you meet other requirements for the weapon, or are being charged by the Kritzkreig medi gun.
• Medics currently have two main weapons available to them: The Medi Gun and the Kritskreig. The Medi Gun is the slowest to charge from healing but once your charge is full you can make the current character you are healing invulnerable for about 10 seconds or so, this is perfect for offensive operations and attacking large groups of enemies or buildings without dying. The Kritzkreig charges quicker and gives your target a 100% chance of achieving critical hits for a short period, this really is very good for attacking large groups of enemies since you’ll be doing so much damage!
• Kill an enemy three times without them killing you and then they become dominated by you!
• Be killed by an enemy three times without killing them and they become your nemesis!
• The main thing to remember though is your objective and in order to win, that needs to be fulfilled so make sure it is always a priority! Assist your team however you can!

Other aspects of the game come with experience of playing and observing what other players do. For new players it’s probably best to stick to the crowd and work as a team in order to know what you should be doing.

What happens first?

When you first open Team Fortress 2 you’ll be presented with the home screen, from here press the “Start Playing” button and select the game type you want to play, the recommended type for new players is payload since its fairly easy to understand (The more people you have round the cart the faster it moves to its objective)
It’ll then search for a game server and start loading, when you then can choose your team (RED = Defending, BLU = Attacking) but teams alternate throughout rounds. After that you can choose your class… give each one a go and test them out to find one that you like using! Easy ones to start off with are the Soldier and the Pyro.

The way the game round starts is BLU is in their base and are unable to exit until the round starts, which lasts 50 seconds, while red has access to the whole map in order to build defences and get ready for the BLU invasion. RED’s usually gather around the BLU’s base to try and stop them as early as possible. An important note: During the setup phase of the game, a medic will be able to FULLY charge their Uber gun meaning when the round starts you can unleash fury and there is a massive clash of teams, resulting in much fun!

A setup part does not occur in some game types such as capture the flag and payload race since its not required.

Achievements, Weapons & Hats:

Team Fortress initially launched with each class and their basic weapons but over the years it has been expanded into a whole new world of items. Hats can be used to customise your players look, there are hundreds of hats available that can be used some hilarious and some a little bit scary! But it makes you different from other people in the game and adds an element to keep you playing in order to find more and more hats! Hats range from simply removing the standard head gear of your player to “Cadaver’s Craniums” and pirate hats! It shows the fun and casual side to the game where you can just have a laugh! The customisable appearance ranges from all types of head gear and eye wear.

You obtain hats randomly throughout the game or if you have been playing during certain Team Fortress events such as last Halloween where all players were awarded a Halloween themed hat. These cannot be gained through achievements. Just keep playing really and if you’re lucky, you’ll get one! Maybe even one of the rare or unusual ones.
Specific achievements are available for each class, with three Milestones for each class. Once you reach a milestone for a class you will be awarded with a new weapon for that class! You get to the milestones by completing a certain amount of achievements. Currently there are 379 unique achievements, but it’s not required (nor recommended) to attempt to get them all!

Weapons are obtained at random intervals while playing much like hats except they are much more common to come by! There are many different weapon combinations for all classes that in some cases completely change the way you play them, adding new ways to approach the battlefield etc. You can customise your player’s equipped items during and before a game in order to tweak to your liking! All weapons clearly identify what they do in relation to the original standard weapon for that class so they aren’t too confusing to get your head round.

Trading & Shopping

Trading has also been added to the game recently so you can trade with any player items that you may want to swap. If you don’t like a certain item or find it useless then trade it with another player for something better! Trading can be started from the Items menu on the home screen.

The main recent upgrade to Team Fortress 2 is the buying element in the game. This was added when the game became Free-To-Play. The idea behind it is for the developers to make money from micro-transactions in the form of buying items that you want rather than paying for the actual game its self. Buying items is completely optional, but if you really want a specific weapon or hat, it may just lure you in… Most weapons and hats in the game can be purchased from the store. New items are to say the least, extremely expensive but the majority of items are below £1.

Theoretically you could obtain all the items you want as they are found randomly throughout the game, but there are so many it is unlikely you’ll get them all any time soon and you will find many duplicate items. Perhaps new players of the game may want to buy a few items to get introduced into the team fortress world but it is up to you whether you see if beneficial!

Crafting:

When you start to earn lots of items you’re bound to eventually find some of the items you already have again, which are useless to you unless you can find someone who wants to trade for them! This is where the crafting element is introduced. It is a fairly advanced concept to the game and took me a while to figure it out since there was not much explanation of how to use it, I don’t recommend the whole crafting scene for new players as it will just seem overwhelming.

You can craft two unwanted weapons from a class into a piece of scrap metal.

You can craft three pieces of scrap metal into reclaimed metal.

You can craft three pieces of reclaimed metal into a piece of refined metal.

Certain metal can then be used with existing items to form new items, from the crafting screen blueprints are available of what you can smelt. There are many websites too which list all which you can make. But it really is a tricky concept so unless you’re an advanced user I’d steer clear of this area!

All this item buying and crafting malarkey is optional though and you don’t need it to have an awesome and fun time in Team Fortress 2. It’s about the game play at the end of the day which is always superb no matter what items or weapons you use since the standard ones are more than capable!

So how do I get Team Fortress 2?

Team Fortress 2 can be obtained by the digital distribution software Steam. Steam is a free piece of software that is the future of PC gaming, it allows you to buy thousands of games over the internet and have them downloaded directly to your PC. Of course certain games like Team Fortress 2 are free so you won’t have to pay a penny! If you visit their website here: http://store.steampowered.com/ you can download the steam software for your PC or MAC, once installed you simple create an account to keep track of all your possible purchases, friends and games etc! Steam also allows you to never lose a game due to a scratched disc since everything is saved online.

In order to play Team Fortress 2 on PC you must meet these minimum system specifications: “1.7 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX® 8.1 level Graphics Card (Requires support for SSE), Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection”

The recomended system specifications are: “Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX® 9 level Graphics Card, Windows® 7 (32/64-bit)/Vista/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection”

These are all fairly low and any modern computer will likely trump the recomended requirements. Below are the minimum system requirements for the MAC also: “OS X version Leopard 10.5.8, Snow Leopard 10.6.3, 1GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8 or higher, ATI X1600 or higher, or Intel HD 3000 or higher Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection”

Once steam is installed and you have created an account, simply search for Team Fortress 2 and being downloading! It’ll take a good few hours to complete but once done, you’re all set! A complete game, with a massive community and hours of fun, absoloutley free! What could be better?

Overall the whole feel of the game is fun and excitement! For new players, aspects may seem daunting at first since there is a fair bit to learn but experience will come with time. You choose how you want to play the game, thats why its suitable for everyone with a PC or MAC, the maps and game types are all different and the classes differ in many ways. All I can say, seeing as it’s free is: give it a go! If it doesnt work out for some reason then you’ve lost nothing but chances are you wont be foregetting this game anytime soon.

ScanGauge2

ScanGuage2 is a compact vehicle monitoring system that gathers data from your vehicle’s ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and interprets it in a way that is useful to you giving access to much more data than your vehicle ordinarily displays.

The ScanGuage2 is suitable for all vehicles with an OBDII connector. This is a port which interacts directly with the car’s Electronic Control Unit which is used by the ScanGuage2 to gather data. Before considering the ScanGuage2 it is advised that you check to see if you car has an OBDII connector, either check physically beneath the dashboard or consult the owner’s manual for your car. OBDII has been a requirement for all new for diesel vehicles  in Europe since 2003 and since 2001 for petrol vehicles. Condequently  if your car was manufactured after these dates then it will be likely to have the OBDIIIt is usually located somewhere in  the passenger or driver side foot well. The OBDII standard states that the connecting port must be within 2 feet of the steering wheel or under the dashboard, within reach of the driver.

ScanGauge2 does more than just gather data from the vehicle’s ECU; it includes other features that allow you to interpret and store this data for later review. It allows you to do all of the following:

• Monitor various vehicle parameters
• Monitor performance
• See real-time fuel consumption & cost
• Troubleshoot with an engine diagnostic
• Trip Computer

This is only a brief overview of what the ScanGuage2 can accomplish. We’ll start with the Monitoring of vehicle parameters since this is what you’ll be likely to be viewing on the device most often. You are allowed up to 4 different Gauges at once on display. Below is a list of the different Gauges to choose from:

• Fuel System Loop Status
• Manifold Absolute Pressure
• Boost
• Miles Per Gallon
• Kilomteres Per Gallon
• Miles Per Liter
• Liters Per 100Km
• Kilomteres Per Liter
• Miles Per Hour
• Kilometers Per Hour
• Revolutions Per Minute
• Throttle Position Sensor
• Water Temperature
• Average Fuel Economy
• Trip Fuel Cost
• Cost Per Mile
• Battery Voltage
• Intake Air Temperature
• Fuel Pressure
• Gallons Per Hour
• Liters Per Hour
• Ignition Timing
• Engine Loading
• Horsepower
• Transmission Fluid Temperature

As you can see there are a LOT of things to choose from. What you choose to display depends on what you are trying to accomplish from the ScanGauge. If you have recently fitted a new part to your vehicle to improve performance then the temperature gauges would be a good to display to make sure your vehicle is running properly, or perhaps the HoresPower reading. If you are out for achieving better fuel economy then I recommend the Average Fuel Economy, Cost Per Mile, Miles Per Gallon and Trip Fuel Cost gauges since these will help you see what kind of fuel economy you are getting in real time. From this you can learn what areas of your driving are decreasing your fuel economy and how much certain journeys cost.

The performance tool

For those who are always after the maximum performance and power from your car then the Performance Monitor may be appealing. The Performance Monitor gives you the ability to monitor your vehicles performance over a small area of time, distance and acceleration. You can use the Performance monitor to:

• Get your ¼-Mile time
• Get your 0-60 MPH time
• Get braking performance – 60-0 MPH and braking distance

The Scan Tool

The ScanGauge has a built in feature that allows you to view and clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). This allows your engine is having problems and allows you to see problems before they turn into something serious. If an error code is found then you will need to find the definitions of the code for your vehicle which are usually available in your owner’s manual. A|lternatively visit http://www.troublecodes.net. This tool only reports the error codes, it will not fix them.

The Trip Computer:

As you’d expect this allows you to record data for specific trips or your day to day data. A really useful feature is the ability to tell the ScanGauge how much petrol you have put into the car, which then can be used to calculate how far you can travel on your tank and will be updated in real time as you use fuel. The trip computer stores the following information:

Overall the ScanGauge2 is a really useful tool for any vehicle driver even if you’re not that technical or vehicle savvy. It does give you very useful information but there are certain aspects to it that can be confusing especially when you enter some of the advanced areas of it such as the sending of custom commands to the ECU. I haven’t gone over this area in any detail since you could cause damage to your vehicle if it doesn’t go to plan. However if you do invest in the ScanGauge2 then it definitely will improve your fuel economy and help you out with any vehicle problems you may have because that aspect of  it works really well! Some tweaking to the settings may be required to get it as accurate as possible. As I have said before, you must first  check to see  you have the OBDII port before considering buying ScanGauge2.  If you do purchase one then read the manual thoroughly since it goes over every aspect in a lot of detail and will help you get it set up and get the most out of it..

The current price of the ScanGauge2 is around £125 including VAT. This is a fair price for the features that it offers and is competitive in terms of similar products but ScanGauge2 offers more than the competition. Available from the following site: http://www.ukobd.co.uk/vmchk/Hand-held-Tools/ScanGauge2.html?gclid=CMiL-9qKyqoCFU4LtAodeVeOhQ