Items are marked out of 100 on four criteria: Presentation, Product Support, Ease Of Use, and Value For Money.
Presentation is fairly self-explanatory: does the product look/ sound good? For Product Support, we look at the level of after-sales service and help. Ease Of Use is measured on things like readability, navigation, and intuitiveness. Value For Money is, again, quite self-explanatory: is it worth you buying?
If you can't be bothered with all that then the Overall Mark gives you an at a glance summary. This is not simply an average of the other scores, but what we think of the item as a whole.
An item scoring 90 or above overall gets the much sought after Expert Alert award (which is a flash way of saying 'buy it').
The Expert Found crew of critics are a wild and varied bunch. But when they're not feverishly roaming the Internet in search of new and interesting items to review for us, what do they do with their spare time? We've asked them to tell us what they like to get up to. After we filtered out all the filth, this is what we got...
Sarah Hardy: Being the resident buff on educational products, Sarah Hardy likes to spend most of her
time adding IQ points to her already bulging cerebrum. "I'm up to 578 IQ points now. That's almost three times
Steven Hawking's score," she told us, "the Guinness Book Of World Records are interested. They just need to
create a new category." But don't they already have a section for the highest IQ score ever recorded? "You'd
think so," Sarah added, "but no. Still, expect the 'Indefensible Quirks' section to feature in the next book."
Aha!
Rachel Sanders: Business and money editor, Rachel Sanders, likes nothing more than to relax with her
copy of Stocks & Shares Weekly and direct line to Wall Street. "Buy buy buy! Sell sell sell!" she yelled,
in between sipping copious amount of Long Island Ice Teas. So how's the rat race holding up for you, Rachel?
"I've just amortized my assets whilst managing an arbitrage of securities across continents to spread my
securities and triple profitization." Wow, you've made a lot of money then, we asked. "Well I would have done but I
dialled the wrong number. I think we can expect some Chinese food soon though." Oh dear.
David Pelley: Normally content playing with all the latest gadgets and gizmos the world has to offer, and
then reviewing them for Expert Found, David Pelley sometimes likes to get back to nature, before the age of
technology. "Last week, I camped in the middle of a huge forest with nothing but my survival instincts for
company. I think it does me good, to get away from our modern, techno, gadgety-wadgety environment. Back to basics,
you know?" Pretty impressive. But don't you get bored out there with nothing to do? "Not at all, I've always got my
trusty Nintendo DS." Isn't that cheating?! "Nah, I only take Camping In A Big Field Simulator. Sorted."
Hmmm.
Emma Davies: Emma reviews Health, Beauty, and Fashion items for Expert Found, but does this occupy
her leisure time as well? "I only get glitzed up when I'm attending one of those posh fashion events, or industry
parties. When I'm at home, I just lounge around in scruffy casuals." Like sweat pants and tee shirts? "Pardon?"
Erm, you know, sweat.. pants..? "I'm not sure what language you're talking there, darling, but seriously... after a
hard day's reviewing, I just go home and slip into some Prada or Armani. Nothing fancy. I'm just a down-to-earth
girl at heart." Sheesh!
Rich Goldman: Computing and Internet editor, Rich Goldman, is generally left alone in his corner of EF Towers,
basking in the glow of his monitor screen. A steady stream of 'tap tap tap' from his keyboard fills the office air,
and no-one is quite sure if he has a life outside at all. Dare we ask? "I like to get involved in rebellion against major economic, political, or religious powers and struggle against an evil which threatens to overtake or destroy the world.
This usually involves elemental crystals at some point." Blimey! Er, hang on, isn't that just a computer game. "Huh?" Well,
it's not real is it? "Come again?" Just smile and walk away slowly...