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The latest news from the dooyooTeam - as long as you're logged in!
New Crowns for:
Crown of the Day
29/08/2011 - (11:14 AM)
Refrigerators are one of the most important Household Appliances that you’ll buy, therefore, it’s important to do your research before handing over your hard earned cash. Help is at hand though, as over the weekend, Revo9 penned a fantastic write up of his Fridge, the Hotpoint-Ariston RLS175P which we feel is a worthy recipient of Monday’s Crown of the Day!
The Hotpoint is energy efficient, spacious and overall decent value for money, although it is not without minor drawbacks. A few build quality issues hold it back, yet due to its low price, it is still worth checking out!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
New Feature: Sharing is Caring!
26/08/2011 - (04:00 PM)
It’s never been easier to share your reviews with friends online! Those of you eagle eyed dooyooers out there may have already noticed that we’ve added a Facebook ‘Like’ and a Google+ ‘plus one’ button towards the top of every review page.
Letting the world know about your expert evaluations on anything from Makeup to Music or Films to Fones is effortless:
While logged into either Facebook or Google+, simply click ‘Like’ or ‘+1’ and your review will appear straight away in your friend’s news feeds, giving your reviews greater exposure at the click of a button.
So go forth, spread the word and have a great weekend!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Winners: Short & Sweet Competition
26/08/2011 - (01:05 PM)
The results are in! First of all, we’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the Short & Sweet competition. We were inundated with submissions, all of which were of outstanding quality, which made choosing three winners all the more difficult!
Taking pole position and 1,500 dooyooMiles is ReviewKing05, who wrote a brilliantly concise review of the Logitech X10 Speakers. Everything a prospective buyer would need to know is covered, from sound and build quality to style and value for money.
Coming a close second was jo1976 who penned a stunning summary of why they highly recommend their Phillips LCD Television. We were impressed that they managed to condense so much info about such an important purchase into less than 500 words and have been rewarded with 1,000 dMs for their efforts!
Third place and 500 dMs deservedly went to SoadFan, whose cracking rundown of the Crest Spinning Toothbrush for Kids provided great background info and was loaded with personal opinion.
Congratulations to the winners and many thanks again for those of you who entered, we have many more competitions and promotions planned for the near future!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Short & Sweet Competition: Ends Midnight Tonight
25/08/2011 - (04:53 PM)
We’re putting dooyooers to the test to see who can write the best concise consumer review. All you need to do is write a new review in any Level 1 category between 300 and 500 words long, and tell us about it. Be sure to focus on what a consumer would want to know about the product before making a purchase, and of course include plenty of personal opinion. Sound easy? It might be trickier than you think!
We’ll choose the best three to receive bonuses of 1,500dMs, 1,000dMs and 500dMs. Please be sure to let us know via dooyooMail that you’d like to enter. The deadline for submissions is midnight tonight and we shall announce the winners tomorrow.
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
25/08/2011 - (12:32 PM)
A Pressure Washer is definitely not a daily use item, but it’s a handy thing to have kicking around the place for those times when you do need it such as cleaning Bikes and Garden Furniture, or scaring the grandkids. The Crown of the Day, written by freud, has a good look at one of these products, the Karcher High Pressure Washer. We were pleased to see they’ve included a lot of detail about their experience using the product (including some extra tips), as well as the technical basics of what you get, and how it works.
If you think you could do with one of these, the Karcher seems like a good option, but don’t take our word for it, have a read of today’s Crown winning review, phew - I'm Karchered and filthy!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
24/08/2011 - (01:47 PM)
Wednesday has rolled around once again and the time has come to bring before you the members whose reviews have become required reading over the past seven days. We have quite the selection for you to browse through today, covering everything from trusty Household Appliances to classic Video Games!
Although only a recent addition to the dooyoo Community, Littlemommabear has written some great reviews in the Baby Toy’s category, including a Crowned effort for her review of the Lamaze Balancing Bug Stacker. Definitely a profile to check out for anyone with a bundle of joy on the way! Also one to watch is Ginger84, who’s submitted some wonderfully concise and to the point reviews across the Make-Upand Hair Care categories.
Next up, we have sas87, who has posted a couple of great reviews on Computer Accessories. We also recommend checking out her smashing, slightly older write-up of the Samsung n150 Netbook. Also making waves this week is Revo9 who picked up a well deserved Crown recently for his review of the Bissell Vacuum Cleaner. Fans of nifty Gadgets would find this page well worth checking out too!
Finally, we’d like to draw your attention towards Dentolux, who’s been penning some quality retro Video Games reviews, particularly for the Game Boy Advance, recently. His profile is also worth stopping by for some excellent Film Reviews.
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Double your dooyooMiles: Lawn Mowers
24/08/2011 - (09:44 AM)
The trusty Lawn Mower often takes pride of place as one of the key tools in everyone’s inventory of Garden Machinery, whether you have green fingers or not.
From the compact faithful Flymo, to a gas guzzling ride-on Tractor Mower, we’re offering double dooyooMiles for every first review in this category until midnight on Friday. So please, let us know if your Lawn Mower is a cut above the rest, or if it should be put out to pasture!
Normal Site Rules apply as usual, and don’t forget to drop the dooyooTeam an email once you’ve posted your review so we know to check it, and award the bonus dMs.
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Short & Sweet Competition
23/08/2011 - (02:04 PM)
Want to be in with a chance of picking up an additional 1,500 dooyooMiles for a Level 1 review? Then read on...
To inject a bit of fun into midweek proceedings, we’d like to introduce you to our Short & Sweet Competition. It’s often difficult to squeeze in everything that you want to say into a small amount of space, so here’s a challenge for all you dooyooers: Simply write a new review in any Level 1 category between 300 and 500 words long, making sure to be as specific as you can about the product in question, while including plenty of personal opinion.
We’ll then pick out the best three to receive bonuses of 1,500, 1,000 and 500 dMs respectively! Please be sure to let us know via dooyooMail that you wish to have your review considered for the contest. The deadline for submissions is Thursday at midnight and we shall announce the winners on Friday. Good luck everyone!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
22/08/2011 - (11:08 AM)
We’ve been delighted with the standard of reviews which came in over the weekend, on everything from Digital Cameras to Film Reviews and we’d like to share with you what we feel is a well earned Crown of the Day for Monday!
Oddbodd has been on the site for over a year now and has contributed some excellent reviews packed with useful consumer information, and their latest effort giving us the low down on their Tumble Dryer is no exception. Drying Made Easy: Bosch Exxcel contains everything you need to know to make an informed decision from price and dimensions to day-to-day practicalities – check out their profile for more great Household Appliance reviews!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
The Next Generation of Video Games: Something for Everyone, Really!
19/08/2011 - (03:28 PM)
This weekend, journalists, gamers and Gadget Fanatics in general have descended upon the picturesque German city of Cologne for the biggest event in the Video Games calendar: Gamescom.
The latest and greatest Consoles and Games from industry heavyweights like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will be on display. The sheer popularity of the event shows us that gaming is no longer a niche pastime; new and accessible platforms, like the Nintendo Wii have proven that there really is something for everyone in the world of video games these days!
Indeed it seems nowadays the biggest sector in the gaming market is no longer more traditional combat and racing style games, as bestsellers are often now sports and fitness titles like the Zumba Fitness workout game or the now classic Fit Plus With Balance Board.
For those who are still looking to their Games Console for entertainment and not fitness, the relatively new title L.A. Noire is sweeping the board across a range of platforms and has been very highly rated by our discerning dooyoo gamers. The popularity of the Lego games is showing no signs of waning with the latest addition, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean doing well on both the sales and review fronts - it's also available in 3D on the stunning Nintendo 3DS portable gaming console.
Far from the old days where parents were convinced that video games would rot their children's brains, there are now constantly new, educational games for kids to help them get ahead with everything from maths and language to problem-solving and creativity. Let's Draw is a very popular drawing game for children, and if you can't imagine how a game could possibly be better than pen and paper you need to have a read through DavyMichelle's review He Can Finally Draw Animals! There really is something out there for every niche need it seems, like if you think your precious could do with a bit of a boost with numbers, check out the Junior Brain Trainer Maths Edition for Nintendo DS.
Now no one here at dooyoo HQ would dare to suggest that video games could or should replace good old fashioned books, board games or arts and crafts but, as they say, variety is the spice of life, and we sure do appreciate the absolutely gobsmacking selection of titles currently available. Happy gaming everyone!
-Elise & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Double your dooyooMiles: Ovens
19/08/2011 - (10:45 AM)
The glowing heart of any kitchen, Ovens are a key part of our lives. Whether you’re an aspiring Michelin starred chef or a student on a budget, you’ll be calling upon one of these faithful furnaces for baking, roasting, and boiling your way towards a tasty supper.
We’ll be giving out double dooyooMiles for all first reviews written in this category until midnight on Sunday. Please don't forget to send us an email or dooyooMail with a link to your review so we can add the extra miles to your account. There’s great demand out there for genuine opinions on these Kitchen Appliances, so don’t delay if you want to earn up to 1,200 dMs for a single review!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
18/08/2011 - (06:15 PM)
In between rain showers, many of us have been longing to get stuck into a bit of work around the Garden this summer. Although it’s not always possible to predict the weather, we can make sure that we’re on top of things by having the right Garden Tools in our inventory.
Today’s Crown of the Day wings its way towards dee778 who has come up trumps with a cracking review of their Long Handled Shears, which they picked up at the local Homebase.
Earning four out of five stars, these Long Handled Shears are a classic example of how an own brand product doesn’t necessarily have to compromise on quality while being cheaper than established brands. This is an excellent review which clearly lays out all the pros and cons of the tool, while packed with personal experience and opinion. A very worthy recipient of Thursday’s Crown of the Day!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Best of Britain Competition: dooyoo Goes to the Dogs
18/08/2011 - (01:15 PM)
Taking some inspiration from a recent web article that we posted on our Best of Britain page, we thought we’d start another little summer competition this week, and this one is for all the dog owners out there! We want to discover the best dog walking spots in the country, and we’re sure that many dooyooers will have some great advice about where to go in different cities and towns around Britain.
We want to keep it simple, so ‘Like’ the Best of Britain page, and upload a photo of your dog enjoying itself (preferably!) on a walk, with a brief description of where you were and what it is like. We’ll choose our favourite and give it 1,500dMs, and like last time, we’ll choose 2 runners up to receive a dooyoo cap or t-shirt.
We’ll give you until the morning of the 29th to get in your entries, so that’s just over a week. You can enter as many times as you wish, as long as the location is different.
We look forward to seeing your entries. Woof!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
dooyooMiles Levels Changes
17/08/2011 - (05:06 PM)
A lot of consumers are travelling at the moment, so it’s a great time to give consumers your opinion on your favourite Travel Bag, and that category has moved up into Level 1. Bikes, Jewellery, and Xbox 360 Games have also moved upwards; they’ve moved into Level 2, and are joined by Outdoor Toys, Garden Tools, and Clinique. Hair Removal and House Misc have moved down for now, and are in Level 3. Which just leaves the Shredder category, which will now earn you a cool 600dMs for your efforts.
When you’re logged in, the Site Map will always show you exactly how many dooyooMiles you’ll earn for each review, so be sure to have a gander if you want to be sure of which categories are in which Level. We look forward to reading your reviews!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
17/08/2011 - (11:59 AM)
Our Celebrated dooyooers are back with a bang this week and we have quite a varied group that specialise across a range of categories for your viewing pleasure this Wednesday morning!
First up, we have new member MarkyM81, who, despite only joining in early August, has written some great reviews across mainly tech categories including Computer Accessories and Software. If you’re into Hifi Systems, then check out their top quality Crowned effort for this Sony mini Hifi with iPod Dock.
BlackSwan’s area of expertise is without a doubt Movie Reviews and they’ve been posting some crackers in this category over the past fortnight; everything from Disney’s Cinderella to the shock horror of Saw 3D. We recommend checking out their profile if you’re looking to stick on a flick over the weekend. Next up we have another new member, CheshireJ, who’s been impressing us here with plenty of reviews of Early Learning Centre products and Toys / Games in general. They picked up a well earned Crown during the week for a riveting rundown on the Playmobil Pool with Water Slide.
If you’re in the market for a Tumble Dryer, then look no further than elysia2003’s stand out review of the Hotpoint Ultima, which earned itself full marks and a Crown for the author! Have a look at this member’s profile for more miscellaneous magnificence in the form of Hair Care and Body & Skin Care reviews. Ending our cavalcade of celebration this week is StampedingTurtes, a dooyoo regular who has been churning out reviews of consistent quality since she joined. Active across many categories, we believe that her recent run down on the Epson Stylus All-in-One Printer is one to check out!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
National Golf Month: Get Into The Swing of It
16/08/2011 - (12:36 PM)
By hook or by crook it's time to hook, slice, and swing your way into National Golf Month! Since young golf stars like Tiger Woods have made the game popular for a whole new demographic, the old stereotypes about golf being a game for retirees seem thankfully to be steadily receding. So if you've always wondered what all the fuss is about, this month is the perfect time to get out on the course and give it a go! And to help you along we have some fun facts and handy product tips to help.
Did you know, for example, that a regulation golf ball has exactly 336 dimples? It seems there's something to the pattern of the dimples (who knew?!) because the unique 333 dimple design of the Srixon Soft Feel Golf Balls has led them to be the most popular golf balls in the dooyoo catalogue! For those who are more concerned with style on the course, we recommend the Go Cool Ice Golf Balls in neon colours, or the very cool Nike One Black Golf Balls.
Of course you're going to need some clubs to hit those balls with, so you might like to take a look at the very affordable GolfGirl FWS2 Golf Clubs Package Set as a good starting point for the ladies. The male golfers may want to check out some of the specialty clubs that have been recommended, like the Ben Sayers M1 Wedge or just have a browse through the golf category in dooyoo's sport section.
Want to fit in some extra practice off the course? Practice makes perfect and it's certainly something that can keep you busy during the week. In fact, did you know that golf was banned in Scotland for several decades in the 15th Century because officials were concerned it would take too much time away from preparations for the English invasion! How about these Golfers Club Air Practice Balls to fuel your golf obsession? Whacking a few of those after a hard day at the office should help relieve some tension without breaking any neighbour's windows. To work on your swing the dooyoo golfers highly recommend the Longridge Golf Swing Trainer. An extra tip from the experts: your grip on the club is one of the most important determining factors in your game, and those with smaller hands, especially ladies, should definitely use a ladies grip. There's even such a thing as a 'jumbo' grip for extra large hands!
It's no wonder the powers that be chose August as the one month in the year to celebrate golf above all others - did you know that in hot weather your ball travels significantly further with every drive? If you're out all day on the course in the sun, be sure to stay well hydrated. The Thermos Sports Bottle Hydro Active has been given resounding rounds of approval lately from the community.
If you've never hit a golf ball in your life, we say don't knock it till you've tried it! And if you're a seasoned player, we wish you a wonderful month enjoying your favorite sport. Happy Golf Month everyone!
-Elise
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
15/08/2011 - (02:03 PM)
All in one Printers are by far the most popular type of home printer, and justifiably so; why clutter your desk with 3 or 4 devices when you can have 1 that does the job just as well? rosebud2001’s review of the Brother DCP J315W caught our eye today; it’s clearly written and she’s managed to concisely explain the features of the machine, while including plenty of the all important personal experience!
Despite a couple of niggles, rosebud2001 gives it the thumbs up, and it’s one to consider if you’re looking for a printer that doesn’t chew through the ink (aren’t we all!?). He’s My Brother is a well deserving winner of the Crown of the Day, and if you’re curious, it ain’t heavy, it weighs 6 kilos.
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Double your dooyooMiles: All-in-One Printers
12/08/2011 - (12:57 PM)
We’ve come to rely on them for not just printing, but photocopying, scanning and even in some cases faxing and emailing; the trusty All-in-One-Printer is a workhorse in both the home and office. Whether it’s a Brother, Canon, Epson or even one of the lesser known makes you have in your possession, we’d love to see your review.
Until midnight on Sunday, we’ll be giving out double dooyooMiles for all first reviews written in this category. Don't forget to send us an email or dooyooMail with a link to your review so we can credit your account. There are plenty of consumers out there waiting for genuine opinions on these machines, so don’t delay if you want to earn up to 1,200 dMs for a single review!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
12/08/2011 - (10:22 AM)
We all know that engaging in pastimes like smoking and downing copious amounts of coffee is probably not the best thing to do if you’d like to keep your teeth pearly white. We’re also aware that there are a lot of Dental Care products out there that profess to be able to get your ivories sparkling in no time, without actually delivering the goods.
However, according to littlejojo’s fantastic rundown of Crest 3D Whitestrips, there may be hope for us after all. According to littlejojo, these little strips will have you beaming with a Hollywood style smile in no time. This is a great example of what a top quality longer review looks like, as it is heavy on consumer opinion as well as providing clear instructions, and a balanced list of pros and cons.
One snag is that this product appears to be only available online in the UK, although if it lives up to this review, it’s worth it!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Double your dooyooMiles: Extension!
11/08/2011 - (11:27 AM)
For those who missed our update earlier this week, we have extended the deadline for double dooyoomiles for all first reviews of Laptopsand Netbooks until this Friday at midnight! So if your machine hasn't been reviewed yet and you'd like to tell the world all about its amazing abilities (or lack thereof as the case may be), don't delay and get writing. Please send us a dooyooMail with a link to the review so we can add the extra miles.
Hal & Eoin
-dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
08/08/2011 - (12:35 PM)
Despite the weekend downpours, it’s still technically summer, and here at dooyoo HQ we’re holding out for at least once decent sunny stretch before the leaves make their way to the ground. With this unflappable optimism guiding us forth, we couldn’t help but be impressed with stillclueless’ sweltering summary of the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
As much of a nifty Gadget as it is an Ice Cream Maker, the Zoku receives a glowing recommendation from stillclueless, who has also provided step-by-step instructions to compliment an informative, opinionated write-up. All in all 'perfect popsicles' is a stand out review, well deserving of Monday’s Crown of the Day.
Congrats!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Double Your dooyooMiles!
05/08/2011 - (11:20 AM)
Where would we be without our trusty Laptop or Netbook? Many of us rely heavily on these machines for communication, entertainment, work, even to order our groceries! While the phrase ‘Productivity Paradox’ (which refers to the discrepancy between the rate at which technology advances vs. The rate at which human productivity advances) was coined in the 90s, we probably won’t be returning to pen and paper anytime soon. So the decision about which laptop to purchase remains an important one, and consumers are looking for opinions.
So, until midnight on Sunday, we’re offering double dooyooMiles for every first review in these categories. Normal Site Rules apply of course, and please drop the dooyooTeam an email once you’ve posted your review so we know to check it, and award the bonus dMs.
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
July's Competition Winners!
04/08/2011 - (02:37 PM)
Congratulations to all the competition winners! pumfster goes home with the Review of the Month for his excellent contribution, An easy way to strim your garden. For the Monthly Competition, hareesh, Mildew82, and mjc121 take first, second and third place respectively for their reviews; the Bosch HBM13B251B Oven, the Hotpoint-Ariston FDL570G Dishwasher, and the Magimix Le Glacier 1.1L Ice Cream Maker.
You can check out the full details on the Competitions page of course. August’s competition is in the Photography category, so expect another month of fierce competition!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
03/08/2011 - (03:53 PM)
This week's Celebrated dooyooers take us on a journey across a wide spectrum of items with some interesting reviews popping up. There have been some great contributions from everyone this week, so picking stand out ones wasn’t easy!
First up we have hunts1874 who has been writing consistently concise and informative reviews for some time now. Whether you’re into Health and Fitness or handy Household Appliances, this is one profile worth checking out. Another member who caught our eye this week was Lakerfanster who has written an excellent review of his Compaq Presario desktop. That’s not all folks, for more solid info on Car Audio and Music, this is the place to go.
A well deserved Crown for the Obaby Tandem Sport Buggy recently winged it’s way to nickwock who is also a dab hand in both the Skin Care and Hair Care categories. Karlsm93 merits celebration this week for some cracking run downs across multiple categories including Make Up, Fiction and general Household Products.
Those of you with a penchant for retro Playstation Video Games will find Red-fox’s nostalgic writings engaging reading. It’s a great mix too, as plenty of Gadget and Xbox360 reviews abound as well.
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Return of the Suggestions
02/08/2011 - (11:42 AM)
dooyoo HQ would like to officially announce that suggestions are back; the lovely folk in the Content Team are up-to-date and ready to go!
We received feedback from quite a few of you, so we’ve made a slight change to the system; from today, each member can suggest a maximum of 5 products per week. This means we can keep on top of them and keep the waiting times down, which is better for everyone. Thanks for your patience over the last couple of weeks; we look forward to seeing your new reviews!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
01/08/2011 - (01:07 PM)
Star-gazing is something that humans have done since the beginning on time, it can be a humbling experience to look up and see millions upon millions of stars all around you. While just tilting the old head back can be enjoyable enough, these days it is becoming more and more affordable to actually own your very own telescope; such as the Skywatcher 130/650 EQ-2 that pumfster reviewed over the weekend! We thought his contribution, A great telescope at a very good price, contained a lot of very useful information, and would be especially helpful to someone who is looking to purchase a telescope, but that does not have a lot of technical knowledge on the subject. Excellent review and a deserving of the Crown of the Day!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
28/07/2011 - (02:14 PM)
Crown of the Day today goes to Lool_24! A statement as cool as ICE jumped out at us as a nicely written, informative review. In it she has a thorough look at the Ice-Watch Classic Solid, which is a stylish fashion watch, that comes in a huge range of colours. Congratulations!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Best of Britain Competition: What’s your summer holiday tip?
27/07/2011 - (04:28 PM)
The start of the school summer holidays is a sign that summer has well and truly arrived - even if the weather doesn’t agree with that sentiment! But whether the sun is out or not, it’s a great time to get out and about exploring and spending time with family and friends. With that in mind, today we’re starting a new competition on our Best of Britain Facebook page.
For those who haven’t seen it already, the Best of Britain page is a place where dooyooers and members of the public can swap information and ideas about holiday destinations and things to do in Britain. Whether it’s a great weekend picnic spot, a secluded camping ground, your favourite café, or a must-see museum, this is the place to come and share your tips.
Over the next two weeks, simply 'Like' the Best of Britain page and upload a photo onto the wall of you or your family/friends on an excursion in Britain, with the dooyoo logo visible in the picture. And then you’re in with a chance to win! Be sure to include a couple of short sentences about where you were and what you were doing – and of course whether you enjoyed it or not!
We’ll ask everyone at dooyoo HQ to vote for their favourite picture, and the winner will take home 3,000dMs. We'll also choose a couple of runners up to receive either a dooyoo t-shirt or cap. The more creative your photo, the more chance you have of winning!
Now for the technical stuff: You’ll find the dooyoo logo in the photos section of the Best of Britain Facebook page. You can print it out and hold it, or you can add it in digitally. It doesn’t have to be in colour but it does have to be clearly visible in the photo. We’d love to be able to accept an unlimited amount of entries, but to keep it fair for everyone, we can allow one entry per week, per Facebook fan – but of course you should feel free to post as many tips on the page as you wish!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week!
27/07/2011 - (01:21 PM)
newby2 is first on the Celebrated dooyooers list this week; she grabbed our attention by posting some outstanding reviews over the last week. She seems to be onto a candle theme recently, so if you’re looking for recommendations, visit her profile! JJJJ is a very consistent reviewer, who is known for his concise yet informative reviewing style. He managed to pick a up a Crown for his Household Appliances review, A Poor Pourer? and there’s a lot of great stuff from him in the Sports Equipment, Smartphones and Computer categories.
anonymili also makes the list this week. She picked up a Crown for her contribution in the Health Therapy / Health Treatment category, and her latest two reviews, Anjaana Anjaani - Unknown Strangers? and 7 Khoon Maaf – Forgiveness for 7 Murders? Really?, are fab too. linzeelou has clearly made a recent trip to Helsinki, Finland, and produced some great reviews inspired by her experiences there. A lovely hotel just outside the city centre! is a good one to look at in regards to accommodation, and Your average bar meal? is getting excellent feedback from the dooyooCommunity. Wrapping it up this week is mummy2harry, who has been on the site for a while now and is always producing great reviews. Fiction, Junior Book and Film are her speciality categories, so if you’re interested in finding some new summer reading material, hers is a good profile to visit.
Thanks for all your contributions around the site everyone!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
dooyooMiles Levels Changes
26/07/2011 - (02:44 PM)
This round of level changes sees Garden Tools and Outdoor Toys move up into the top spot of Level 1. Sports Shoes and Sport / Fitness DVD are also on the way up, they’ve moved from Level 3 up into Level 2, along with Comic Books. Junior Books have gone the other direction, and they’ve now moved down into Level 3 with Arts / Crafts. The other changes are Fragrance, Sports Equipment, and Fitness, which are all sitting pretty in Level 2.
Don’t forget that when you’re logged in, you can always check the Site Map to see exactly how many dooyooMiles you’ll earn in each category.
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
25/07/2011 - (12:07 PM)
andyoz submitted a great little review over the weekend, and he’s managed to earn himself the Crown of the Day for his troubles. His contribution, Shine On!, cleverly walks us through his experience using a handy piece of Sports Equipment, the Petzl Myo XP Hands-free Lighting Head Torch. He gives us the low-down, all of which is very positive; the only thing letting it down is the cost, but apparently you get a lot of bang for your buck, so it’s still been given the maximum 5 star rating. To appropriate some of his own words: if you’re a caver, walker, camper, a hobbit, or anything else lurking in the dark, then this head torch is highly recommended.
He’s got a lot of other great Sports reviews in his profile too, so be sure to check out those while you’re there. Congratulations!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
22/07/2011 - (11:10 AM)
Happy Friday everybody! To mark the occasion, we thought we’d better award a Crown of the Day to one lucky dooyooer...
New arrival peckinpigeon has only recently entered the dooyoo fold and has gotten off to a flying start with some excellent reviews which focus on a broad range of both Video Game Consoles and Video Games.
We were particularly interested in their extremely informative and engaging run down of one of the most popular handheld games consoles on the market at the moment, the Nintendo DS Lite Onyx. If you’re a fan of releases for the current generation of games consoles, then this is one member to check out.
Congrats peckinpigeon and keep up the great work!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
20/07/2011 - (05:54 PM)
Time again for our mid-week celebration of those amongst the dooyooCommunity who’ve been turning out some riveting reviews over the course of the last seven days!
First up we have longtime site member Drewster_Rooster, who has written some excellent reviews of late on solid everyday Household Products, from Candles to Air Fresheners which we all need from time to time. Another member making waves recently is bilbobaginz who has written some cracking reviews on anything from trusty Household Appliances to Sleeping Bags, which you’ll find in our Camping category if you’re interested in the great outdoors.
Alyson29 has provided some great write ups over the last week in the Body & Skin Care section. Aficionados of The Body Shop in particular would find checking out her profile quite worthwhile! Also featured this week is AbsintheFairy whose reviews have spanned everything from Fragrances to feet over the last week, including a crowned effort for her low-down on the Champneys Electronic Pedicure System which is definitely worth checking out.
Last but by no means least we have lyndsey1989 who has been providing the Community with some excellent appraisals of Places to Visit in Britain over the last few days. If you’re interested in getting out and about around the UK this summer, why not check out dooyoo’s dedicated Facebook page: Best of Britain, which is full of places to visit, events and exhibitions to check out!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Suggestion Congestion...
20/07/2011 - (04:28 PM)
dooyooers have been busy suggesting many new products for the dooyoo catalogue over the last few weeks, and the volume has increased to a point where the Content Team is unable to keep up with the demand. In light of this, we’ve made the decision to take a little break from accepting any new suggestions, until we’ve managed to clear the backlog.
Never fear though, suggestions will return!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Facebook Giveaway Results: And the Winner Is...
19/07/2011 - (06:48 PM)
Drum roll please ...... Today we reached the magical number of 600 ‘likes’ on our Facebook page and as promised, here are the winners of our random Facebook prize draw:
1st Prize: 20,000 dMs goes to Caroline Wake
2nd Prize: 10,000 dMs goes to Matthew Binns
3rd Prize: 5,000 goes to Julie Herbert
and the dooyoo Prize Pack goes to Raisa Allgar!
Congratulations to everyone! Could the winners please contact us via dooyooMail so that we can verify your dooyoo aliases and transfer the prizes.
Don’t worry those of you who missed out, we have many more giveaways and promotions planned for the near future!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Monday's Most Wanted Promotion!
18/07/2011 - (01:09 PM)
It’s a new week, so why not start out with a brand new Most Wanted promotion!
The list this week contains quite a few Laptops, as well as Printers, a Sat Nav system and Digital Camcorder plus many, many more items.
So, if you own any of these products, why not let the world know about it. For every first review from the list, we’ll add a bonus 500dMs on top of the regular amount! This promotion is running from today until Monday, 25th of July.
Normal Site Rules still apply of course, so remember to only review products you actually own, and keep ‘em above the minimum Premium Review requirements. We look forward to reading your reviews!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Double Your dooyooMiles!
15/07/2011 - (10:07 AM)
Welcome back dooyooers! Thanks for your patience over the last week, we’re pleased to be back and look forward to seeing you all around the site – which will now be more stable, and faster. Our Tech Team have been very good and ironing out the crinkles, but if you notice anything funny going on, please drop us an email at dooyooteam@dooyoo.co.uk.
In the meantime, we’re getting straight back into things with double dooyooMiles for any first review in any Level 1 category. Post a review before Sunday at midnight, send us an email or dooyooMail to let us know about it and we’ll add the dMs to your account. Simple as that!
P.S. All outstanding submissions from last weekend’s promotion before the downtime will still have the extra miles credited.
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Weekend Bonus!
07/07/2011 - (02:11 PM)
We’re offering double the dooyooMiles for every FIRST Premium Review written in ANY Level 1 category. This is just over the weekend, so come midnight Sunday, it will be back to normal – get ‘em while you can!
Normal Site Rules apply of course, so make sure you include plenty of personal opinion, and please drop us a short dooyooMail to let us know you’ve taken part.
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week
06/07/2011 - (12:45 PM)
This week we thought that we would bring to your attention the great work being done by some of our newer members across a range of different categories. Some of them have only been here a few weeks but have been turning out some quality reviews which deserve serious attention!
First up we have dawnmarywhite whose expertise lies primarily in Pet Care products. She picked up a well deserved Crown for her review of the Elite Stingray Aquarium Filter, which despite its snappy name, apparently fails to deliver what it promises. Also making waves this week is Connor- another new face around these parts who has already uploaded quite a few informative Video Game reviews. His Call of Duty Black Ops review for the PS3 stands out from the competition in particular.
If Gadgets are your thing, the next two members’ reviews will be of interest to you. Edwardjmarsh has penned some solid appraisals of Hard Drives and Electric Razors. Keep an eye out for his Crowned review on the Yamaha Clavinova – it’s not quite a piano but it comes very close! For a little counterpoint, why not check out some of kayzschick’s fantastic Audio Accessories reviews, including her Crowned effort on the Bose Triport headphones.
We can’t leave out BitterFusion who has been consistently writing some fab pieces over the last few weeks. Why not check out her opinion on the Hi-Gear Camper Sleeping Mat if you’re thinking of spending a few nights under the stars this summer. Nintendo DS games also seem to be her forte as well!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
June's Competition Winners!
06/07/2011 - (10:46 AM)
June’s competition was in the Sports category, and it was great to see such varied, high quality reviews! It was kiwiii85 however that we thought produced the review that stood out the most. Even though Luxury in a Field? was her first ever tent review, it was a stunner, and a really good example of a no-nonsense review. Even with a few niggles, the Coleman Coastline Deluxe, got very high praise from kiwiii85, so if you’re heading into the great outdoors this summer, it looks like one to investigate.
l500589 came in at second place with his Ab Circle Pro review Circles for the Abs grabbing our attention. He was not quite so convinced about the product and has given it an average rating, but he does a very good job of explaining its positives and pitfalls, so if you do decide to buy, you know what you’re getting yourself in for. Close behind in third place is zoe_page_1; she looked at the Sissel Exercise Ball, one of those things that looks like a giant kids toy! It’s not a toy though, and according to the review, I've Got Balls....Have You?, it’s a rather effective and versatile piece of Fitness equipment.
Review of the Month went to savvyshopper6476 for her contribution, Oven Pride. Both the dooyooCommunity and dooyoo HQ could see the quality of this review and so we just couldn’t look past it. It is quite a long review, but with an item like this, it’s understandable, and any additional info provides great insight into how well the product works. If you’re looking for a basic but reliable Oven, check out the review and the Indesit FI 31 K.
For July, we’ve selected the Household Appliances category for the Monthly Competition. There’s a lot of scope for this one, so be sure to put your best foot forward, we expect to see some great reviews!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Introducing dooyoo Dedicated Facebook Pages!
05/07/2011 - (10:21 AM)
Here at dooyoo HQ, we’re always on the look out for new ways to bring helpful advice and unbiased opinions to the dooyooCommunity and consumers at large. This week, we will be taking this one step further with launch of our brand new dooyoo dedicated Facebook pages! We’re introducing three individual pages where you can interact with other people, share your knowledge and make new discoveries yourself.
We’ve selected topics that reflect some of the most liked categories amongst the dooyooCommunity, so we think you’ll find them a very useful resource. On top of that, the direction of the pages will be shaped by you and other consumers, so while we will be contributing to the discussion, largely, you can decide where these pages go and what you see on them. So, what topics do we have then!?
First up is Best of Britain. This page will provide up to date information, suggestions and peer advice on the most popular travel destinations, engaging events, as well as some of the lesser known getaway spots across the United Kingdom. So, if you’ve been to a great weekend holiday spot, or seen a great art exhibition at your local gallery, drop past and let others know about it.
Gadget Fanatic is a one-stop-shop for anyone with an interest in new fangled high tech gadgets. That means, smartphones, mobile phones, hi-tech toys or mod-cons, basically anything so long as it’s about the latest and greatest (or quirkiest) technological innovations hitting the marketplace. We think there’s going to be a lot of interesting, fun things brought to attention on this page!
The third page is a home for all Film Lovers; this page focuses on anything and everything of note in the world of film, including new releases and old classics. You’ll find reviews, suggestions, and news, as well as being able to post your own thoughts and recommendations, and discuss them with other people.
We’ll be sure to keep all three pages updated regularly with fresh content, but remember, essentially this is a place for you to use and contribute to, so if it fits in one of the above categories and you think others should like to know about it, stop by and tell them. We have competitions and give-aways planned as well, so those who want to take part should be sure to “Like” our pages, to stay updated and be in with a chance of winning.
You can get to the pages by using the above links, or you can visit our regular dooyoo Facebook page and you will see the links to the left hand side. We look forward to seeing you there!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
01/07/2011 - (11:36 AM)
It would appear to be a relatively simple device to purchase – a box that burns bread to your required taste. Yet, there are so many Toasters out there on the market that making your mind up can be difficult. Price can be an issue too. Unless you like your breakfast with a slice of charred masonry on the side, you may need to walk past the bargain basement offers which often promise more than they can deliver.
Thanks to jennikitten however, making the call on which Toaster to pick up should be that bit easier now. She earns Friday’s Crown of the Day for her excellent rundown on what makes the Prestige 51048 Dakota worthy of a place amongst your Kitchen Accessories, scoring well for being compact, stylish and affordable. Congrats!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day
30/06/2011 - (12:29 PM)
Ovens are the heart of the kitchen; warm, comforting and romantic (and often a source of high cholesterol!) They’re an important purchase because there’s nothing better than sitting down at the end of the day to a nice dinner and good conversation, and nothing more disappointing than sitting down to a burnt mess. While a good oven can’t guarantee a good meal, it certainly can help!
We were really impressed with FairyG’s most recent contribution, My smokin' new oven! in which she takes a good look at the Hotpoint UY46 Style Line. She’s very happy with this product, and she runs us through all the functions in plenty of detail (without going overboard) and also includes the all important personal experience – which is what consumers really want to read about. All in all a very good review of what sounds like a very good product!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Celebrated dooyooers of the Week!
29/06/2011 - (01:05 PM)
It’s Wednesday, so that means we’re taking a look at five dooyooers who’ve been doing good stuff around the site over the last week or so. They all write very well, so if you fancy reading some great reviews, you should drop by their profile!
Kicking off this week’s list is wigglylittleworm, she picked up a Crown for her review, Lenny's War, which looked at the book, Mavis's Shoe - Sue Reid Sexton. She’s also been dabbling in the Computer and Camping categories; her Trust Slimline Design Tablet TB-6300 review is concise and comprehensive, as is An Ideal Festival Tent, which looks at the Argos 2 Person Dome Tent.
frangliz also won a Crown for a book review, hers was in the Junior Book section and for The Trouble with Dragons - Debi Gliori. We also found Carry your camera without it getting in the way, very useful, so anyone looking for a compact camera case should check it out. Dryad on the other hand has been focusing on Fashion & Beauty, Health, and Cosmetics. Hands up for silky mitts and Hair today gone tomorrow have both earned Crowns recently, and anyone interested in those categories will find them well worth reading.
DavyMichelle has been busy. He’s got lots of recommendations for kids; such as Arts & Craft supplies, Movie DVDs, and Lego. His review, A Step Back in Time, also won a Crown, although by the sound of his experience, the uDraw Tablet including uDraw Studio (Wii) could be one to give a miss! That just leaves Apple_Review, a newcomer to the site, they may have written only seven reviews, but they have managed to pick up two Crowns already - nice work and welcome to dooyoo!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Monthly Competition Reminder!
29/06/2011 - (10:58 AM)
Don’t forget Thursday’s deadline for our Monthly Competition is fast approaching! Now is the time to get your reviews in for the Sports category. The three best reviews from the month of June on anything sport related will receive 5,000 dM, 3,000 dM and 1,000 dM respectively. Not a bad little earner on top of your regular bonus we think! So get scribbling and tell us all about your Racquets, Runners and Rides!
Meanwhile on Facebook… We are inching closer and closer to our target of 600 ‘likes’ at which point we will be pulling names out of the hat for a massive bonus dM giveaway! All you need to do to enter is check us out on Facebook and hit the ‘like’ button.
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
What Camera dooyoo Use?
28/06/2011 - (02:13 PM)
We couldn’t help but notice the large amount of great Photography reviews that had been written as we awarded this week’s Crowns, and in the spirit of preparing for a (hopefully) summer in the sun, we’re highlighting a selection of the cameras that dooyoo members are using to record their memories.
Cutecandy’s been snapping away on the Nikon Coolpix P100 recently. It sits between a DSLR and a compact Digital Camera; it’s ‘not one to pop in your bag as a just-in-case, but solid enough to be a serious instrument.’ The dooyooCommunity response to this Nikon has been very positive, and at around £300, it’s not cheap but it’s also not overpriced, and it sounds like you get a lot of bang for your buck.
On the lower priced point and shoot front, jillycat has been using the reliable Samsung Digimax A400. It’s an older model but is still available for purchase at a very reasonable price – and if you factor in that this little beauty could potentially last you for over 6 years, the savings are even bigger! MalibuMands has been focusing on her pretty pink number, the Fuji Finepix Z37. It’s also very reasonably priced and has been given a substantial 5 stars from her.
newby2 on the other hand has been going back to basics and has tried both the Kodak Fun Flash and Kodak Sport single use cameras; she’s been rather pleased with the photos taken with both of them. They’re great for when you’re not willing to risk sacrificing your expensive camera, and the sport version is water proof so it’s a good one for taking to the beach.
You may also want to consider teaming any of these cameras with the Hama Star 62 tripod that pmcds reviewed last week. It’s light-weight, so is naturally not going to be as stable as some others on the market, but it’s received good reviews and you’ll always trade off weight for stability when it comes to tripods.
There are more photography reviews where those came from, so if you’re looking to purchase something to use during the summer, it will pay to start your research now. If you haven’t reviewed your own camera yet, let’s see the reviews - consumers are looking for your input!
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Crown of the Day!
27/06/2011 - (05:39 PM)
What a great start to our latest Washing Machine bonus category promotion which will be running until the end of this week! cha97mw has earned herself a well deserved Crown of the Day for her rundown on the Hotpoint WMD947 Ultima. The Hotpoint earns top marks for being easy to use and coming with a greater choice of cycles than your average bike shop. Worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new machine.
Don’t forget, there are still bonus dMs up for grabs for every first Washing Machine review we receive until Friday, so get writing folks!
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
Most Wanted dMs Bonus Continues...
27/06/2011 - (11:16 AM)
It’s a new week, a new dooyoo Most Wanted list, and a new round of bonus dooyooMiles. Write any first review about one of our Most Wanted products and get a cool 500dM bonus on top of the regular writing bonus!
This week we’re on the look out for reviews on lots of different items, such as Laptops, LCD TVs, Watches and Smartphones. We’ve also got some Fashion & Beauty, and Household Appliances scattered throughout there too. Consumers are hunting high and low for reviews of these products, so drop by and see if you can help them out.
-Hal
dooyooTeam
Double your dooyooMiles: 1,200dMs for One Review!
24/06/2011 - (11:55 AM)
Following on from the excellent response to our Refrigerator promotion at the beginning of the month, until Friday next week we’re dishing out more bonus dooyooMiles for Premium Reviews.
We’re staying with the white goods, but this time around we’re taking a crack at the household workhorse, the Washing Machine. Do your clothes come out fresh and clean? What’s the noise level like while it’s running? Does it jump around like a teenager at a Justin Bieber gig? Whatever it does, or doesn’t do, we want to hear your opinion!
To be eligible for the bonus, you must write a first review of any Washing Machine in the dooyoo catalogue, and we’ll then add the extra 600dMs to your account. The bonus on top of the bonus this time around, is that because this is a first review that you'll be writing, coincidently you'll also go into the Monthly Competition to randomly win one of 20 prizes of 2,500dMs - that adds up to a lot of green!
-Hal & Eoin
dooyooTeam
Mud, Sweat and Beers: Glastonbury 2011
23/06/2011 - (05:12 PM)
Today the (flood)gates open for the number one event in the Music Calendar. Despite our simmering jealousy here at dooyooHQ that we won’t be in attendance, we’d like to offer a few tips to any dooyooers out there lucky enough to be making the journey to that infamous field in Somerset. We even have a few ideas for those of you in the same boat as ourselves who will have to wait for another day to get into the Festival spirit.
First and foremost, why not check out our Camping category for everything from tents to torches and stoves to stools. It’s now been bumped up to Level 1, so all you enthusiasts of the great outdoors can earn more for your opinions on a lot of your festival gear.
For those of you obsessed with nifty gadgets, take a look at this festival essential: The Powertraveller Powermonkey uses solar power to recharge Mp3 Players and Phones, which can make all the difference towards the end of the weekend when it’s time for the homeward trek.
If you're more of the ‘indoorsy’ type, we’ve been reliably informed that festival highlights will be broadcast over the coming days. Could be worth breaking out the Loudspeakers, or even splashing out on a full scale Surround Sound System for that authentic front row experience.
At the end of the day, if the dulcet tones of Bono and the lads manage to stir your creative spirit, you could always try and emulate your favourite musicians by picking up a Guitar or even the Drums, which have also just been kicked up a notch in our most recent level changes.
-Eoin
dooyooTeam
