Articles by Mark Pickavance

Mark is an expert on 3D printers, drones and phones. He also covers storage, including SSDs, NAS drives and portable hard drives. He started writing in 1986 and has contributed to MicroMart, PC Format, 3D World, among others.

Articles by: Mark Pickavance

Netac US5 Portable SSD review

By Mark Pickavance published 5 March 24

The Netac US5 is a quick flash drive that supports both USB-A and USB-C ports

Synology BeeStation 4TB review

By Mark Pickavance published 27 February 24

The BeeStation is a self-contained NAS that aims to demystify deploying a NAS at home.

Plugable Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 docking station

Plugable Thunderbolt 4 & USB4 HDMI Docking Station review

By Mark Pickavance published 26 February 24

Recommended

The Plugable Thunderbolt 4 dock is a fully featured design that is built to handle the office environment with ease.

StarTech Thunderbolt 3 Dock review

By Mark Pickavance published 22 February 24

An inexpensive Thunderbolt and USB-C dock from StarTech that’s made of plastic and doesn’t have a downstream TB port.

Belkin Thunderbolt 4 Dock Pro review

By Mark Pickavance published 21 February 24

The Belkin is a premium brand, and its Thunderbolt 4 Dock Pro is expensive but lacks many essential features.

Best secure drive of 2024

By Collin Probst last updated 21 February 24

Buying Guide Don't risk your important data falling into the wrong hands with our pick of the best secure drives.

Hands on: Minisforum MS-01 review

By Mark Pickavance published 17 February 24

The MS-01 could be the perfect Mini PC server, a massively powerful but surprisingly flexible system.

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro NAS review

By Mark Pickavance published 15 February 24

Recommended

A powerful NAS box that isn’t as Pro as it could have been

LaCie Rugged Mini SSD review

By Mark Pickavance published 10 February 24

Recommended

The LaCie Rugged Mini SSD is a compact USB SSD designed to handle outdoor use and is capable of up to 2,000MB/s transfers.

Ulefone Armor Pad 2 review

By Mark Pickavance published 8 February 24

Recommended

A robust Android tablet with a big battery and 48MP main camera

Xinfrared One XH09 thermal camera review

By Mark Pickavance published 31 January 24

Recommended

Powerful thermal imaging capability that can be easily added to any modern Android phone

Microsoft Surface Go 4 for Business review

By Mark Pickavance published 30 January 24

A collection of unexciting exciting laptop parts fused into a branding exercise by Microsoft

Ulefone Armor 24 Rugged Phone review

By Mark Pickavance published 26 January 24

Recommended

The Ulefone Armor 24 is a massive, awkward, rugged phone designed for adventurers to drag around with them.

Azulle Ally Android PC review

By Mark Pickavance last updated 22 January 24

If you need to run Android apps in an embedded environment, the Azulle Ally Android PC might be the device for you.

Nokia XR21 Rugged Phone review

By Mark Pickavance published 18 January 24

The Nokia XR21 is a phone designed for those who want a rugged phone but lightweight.

Zotac ZBOX Pico PI430AJ with AirJet review

By Mark Pickavance published 16 January 24

Recommended

A PC the size of a pack of cards, the Zotac ZBOX Pico PI430AJ features a unique cooling system

Netac Z11 Portable SSD review

By Mark Pickavance published 11 January 24

The Netac Z11 is a hardware-encrypted external drive with a fingerprint reader inbuilt.

WD Red Pro 14TB review

By Mark Pickavance published 6 January 24

Recommended

Western Digital offers a decent 14TB capacity in a resilient package

Bambu Labs A1 3D printer review

By Alastair Jennings published 14 December 23

Editor\'s Choice

Bambu Labs A1 3D printer offers ultra-fast printing, multi-filament options, and exceptional build quality at a remarkable price, leaving little room for anything else at this price.