We Need to Stop Calling Things Beasts

I do it all the time; "This is an absolute beast."

Often this is my way of summarising all that is large, powerful and sometimes even overwhelming about a particular device. 

The trouble is, if I use that term too often, when something comes along that's even more beast-worthy than before, it kind of loses its power.

Microsoft has just released its annual Work Trend Index report and as you'd expect, there have been some pretty crazy shifts in the last couple of years. "The Great Reshuffle" is definitely a thing, with 51% of hybrid workers considering a move to a totally remote lifestyle and in turn, 57% of those working remotely looking at a hybrid arrangement. To make any of that work, you need the tools for the job.

Or maybe one tool. A beast of a tool...

To begin with, there's no getting around the out and out bulk of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio. It's thick, it's square, it's got a lot of corners and at first, it seems kind of heavy too.

But after carrying it around in my laptop bag, I think that last impression is just that; an impression. 1.8 kilos isn't actually the end of the world and bear in mind, this is effectively the portable version of Microsoft's quirky yet useful Surface Studio - the all-in-one PC famous for its ability to fold almost flat to your desktop to serve as the ideal workspace for tasks like sketching and other graphic arts.

That desktop Studio, now in its second generation, features a whopping 28-inch display. Not to be outshone, the Laptop Studio comes to the party with a generous 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow touch display, which seems bigger than it is because of the tall 3:2 aspect ratio common to other Surface devices. This means you have plenty of room for editing or cross-referencing between different windows and programs. Windows 11 makes this even easier with its Snap Layouts function - automatically resizing windows to take up nice, tidy halves, thirds or quarters of the desktop.

In fact, the Laptop Studio was so obviously designed with Windows 11 in mind, it seems odd to me it isn't installed by default out of the box. Instead, during setup you are given the choice between 10 Pro and 11 Pro. I get that some businesses may insist on keeping things consistently at Windows 10 level for now but it's a frustrating wait while everything installs.

Once you're up and running, it's immediately apparent what a fabulously well constructed piece of tech this is. The screen is bright, clear and responsive at up to 120Hz - although I have found reflection to be quite an issue; best not to set up with a window behind you.

As usual, thanks to that 3:2 aspect ratio, you have plenty of room below the keyboard for a massive touch-pad. This means you can be super accurate with the placement of cursors and edit points and when combined with the low-latency touch display, Microsoft has almost eliminated the need for a mouse altogether.

There's a lot going on under the hood with the Laptop Studio - heaps of RAM, a fast processor, big graphics capabilities - all this creates quite a bit of heat and fan noise. Well, not it's not so much noise as it is a significant breeze blowing out of the ventilation grilles running down each side of the base of the device. Yes, it has this unusual, dual-size base, almost like a larger chassis stacked on top of a slightly smaller one. While this odd bit of design means more edges and corners, it also provides a space underneath to magnetically store the compatible Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus - which will charge wirelessly under there too.

If you've bought this device for its artistic abilities, that Slim Pen 2 is an essential of course and that's where the transformable nature of the Laptop Studio comes into play. The screen's concealed hinge mechanism allows you to fold it down totally flat, on top of the keyboard so you can use it strictly as a tablet... Albeit a rather bulky, heavy, kind of tricky to hold tablet.

The hinge is actually firm enough to position the screen at any number of angles, whatever suits you best for sketching. However, I found it most useful in Stage Mode - magnetised strongly into place covering the keyboard but leaving the track pad free. This is a fantastic option for online meetings or even more importantly; gaming.

Hey - it's all about work-life balance these days, right?

In fact, that Work Trend Index I mentioned earlier suggested more of us are after a better balance than ever, with 71% of New Zealand workers saying it's more important to be judged by the impact of their work, rather than the sheer number of hours they put in.

So that obviously means more time for gaming and yes, this is a Microsoft Surface you can actually play proper games on. I've spent a bit of time kicking flying robot ass in Marvel's Avengers, sneaking onto super-yachts to assassinate arms dealers in Hitman 3 and randomly driving into paddocks and buildings as I miss corners in Forza Horizon. Not only do the games look fantastic on that big, bright screen, I've been really impressed with the immersive sound stage created by the Quad Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos.

My review device is outfitted with a dedicated GPU and RAM to burn, so I found gaming to be a breeze. Although it's a mystery to me why it takes so long to download a game like Marvel's Avengers from the Microsoft Store via the Xbox app. Sort your servers out, Microsoft, these things should take minutes, not hours.

But that's not the Laptop Studio's fault of course. Once you have your software installed it'll run smooth as butter, be it Adobe Premier Pro or just dozens of browser windows that all definitely need to be open at once for some reason.

There's nothing I've thrown at this computer that's caused it to so much as break a sweat - I can't even really fault the 1080p front-facing camera and dual far-field mics, so critical given the massive increase in online meeting time we've all experienced over the last two years. (Microsoft Teams users' weekly meeting time has gone up 252%. How depressing is that?)

The only real stumbling block I've encountered is poor battery life. This is obviously due to the large, power-hungry display and all that processing grunt making it go. Especially when gaming, my full charge lasted only a few hours - I certainly wouldn't be confident I'd make it through a working day without a power supply handy. On the up-side, it charges surprisingly quickly, either via the supplied Surface Connect charger or either of the two USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4 USB slots.

Yes, just the two USB-C's I'm afraid. No USB-A or SD slot in sight. Oh well. You can't have everything apparently. Not even at this price.

This is turning into one of those reviews where it'll seem like I don't totally love the device just because I've thrown in a few "could do better" comments - but really, it's the opposite. It's because I love the Surface Laptop Studio so much, I feel obliged to point out those few minor blemishes just so you don't think I've been blinded by how good the overall experience is and I now believe Microsoft can do no wrong. 

While the base model Laptop Studio starts at NZ$2,699.00 - that's not the configuration I'm reviewing here. The jump from Intel Core i5 to i7 processor, 16GB to 32GB of RAM and 256GB to 1TB SSD also represents a significant jump in price, up to NZ$4,649.00. That's a lot of cash for any laptop - so it's just as well it includes the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card too. Another gig of storage will push you well over five-grand but I suppose if you're a true creator, you might need that kind of space for dealing with large image, video and audio files.

And this is the laptop that can definitely handle large media files. There's all the computing power you could ask for here and coupled with its versatile display configuration, this truly is a beast of a creative's toolbox. Just don't forget that power adapter.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.

Click here for more information on the Microsoft Work Trend Index report.

Watch Double-Team

I am so frustrated by Huawei.

Well... not actually by Huawei but by the seemingly ridiculous circumstances that have led to Huawei handsets disappearing from our phone shop shelves.

Huawei always made some of the best phones in the world - in fact, they're still making them but because of politics they no longer make it to our shores.

What's even more frustrating is we can still get our hands on other cool Huawei stuff - or get our hands in other cool Huawei stuff - like the new Huawei watches. This is frustrating because it's an obvious reminder of just how good Huawei is at manufacturing high-performance tech that matches form with function...

I know; even side by side it'd be easy to think the Huawei Watch GT 3 and Huawei Watch GT Runner are actually the same watch. Although the GT 3 also comes in a 42mm version, I've been reviewing the 46mm model, which is basically the same size as the GT Runner.

I'll probably spend most of this review highlighting the differences between these two devices but first, let's emphasise what they have in common; for starters, they both look fabulous. Huawei has been producing genuinely classy looking time-pieces for years now and even early on I was impressed with how Huawei smartwatches looked so much more like a "traditional" wristwatch than most of the other options.

Both these new models are no exception. They're not unwieldly and bulky and they're not square. In fact, although 46mm is probably as wide as you'd want your watch face to be, neither of these feel heavy or uncomfortable, even after hours of prolonged use.

That's good, because like many Huawei smartwatches and activity trackers before them, these watches do a great job of sleep tracking, providing a lot of useful details and insights - both on the watch itself and via the ubiquitous Huawei Health app, your one-stop shop for connecting any Huawei wearable to your iOS or Android device.

A problem I've often encountered wearing sleep-trackers to bed is Domestic Manager hitting me in the head. She feels compelled to do this when the laser light sensor that shines on my wrist to monitor any number of metrics beams directly into her eyes and keeps her awake. It might seem like a small thing but Huawei has completely redesigned the TruSeen 5.0+ sensors on both the GT 3 and GT Runner. Not only is there now a new AI for more accurate heart-rate detection and double the number of sensors (we now have eight) but the sensor module is now curved, settling further into your wrist which means far less chance of light escaping. Does it work? I haven't been whacked in the noggin yet.

Decent battery life is another key feature when it comes to wearing your smartwatch to bed. Huawei makes some pretty bold claims about what these watches can do on a full charge and as with any device, we all use them differently so it's hard to be super accurate. I can see how it would be possible to stretch out to the fourteen days Huawei suggests but my typical usage means I'm looking at about a week on a single charge. I'm not complaining - there aren't many other full-featured smartwatches with high definition screens like these that come anywhere close to that kind of battery life.

A magnetic charging cradle is included in the box but both watches will also charge quite happily when sitting on most standard wireless chargers - again, that kind of versatility is seldom found on other similar devices.

Back to those displays; both are exceptionally bright and clear - there's no issue reading every element and making out any complications you have running on your favourite watch-face - there are thousands to choose from and many are free.

Both watches have access to AppGallery through the Health app settings menu - this is not the full selection of apps you'd find for a phone but there are a few useful tools you might like to upload to your watch, including various puzzle games, fitness apps, a pill reminder and even a remote control for your Hue smartlights. Presumably this AppGallery will continue to expand quickly in much the same way the phone version has over the last couple of years.

Both devices also feature a rotating crown on the top button which is a very intuitive way to control things like volume, zoom and scrolling through screens, depending on which app you're using.

In terms of the user interface, both watches work pretty much the same way - you can set up a shortcut on the lower button to quick-launch your favourite app and the usual combination of swipes and presses will get you to your other apps, settings, shortcuts and notifications in seconds. Unfortunately, notifications are still a bit of a weak-spot for these Huawei watches. I'm impressed with the vastly improved consistency with which the notifications come through but they're still very limited with how much they show - often just the first few words of a subject line in an email and no rich-notifications from things like Instagram or security cameras, so no preview thumbnails like you get on some competitor devices. The quick-reply function has been vastly improved though and you can customise a list of short responses you can send to email, text and messenger contacts.

But it's the health monitoring and fitness tracking where these devices really go nuts. While both have vastly improved GPS abilities, locking onto a variety of possible satellite networks in seconds, the GT Runner takes it even further, with a unique antenna design that runs out of the body of the watch completely and through the connecting arms for the band. 

This design also doubles as a method of channelling moisture away from your wrist, making it more comfortable to wear the GT Runner for intense workouts.

Both watches track an impressive array of activities - including swimming. There's an auto-detect function that kicks in when the watch thinks you're out for a run and asks you if you want to record it. I couldn't get this to work very consistently though which probably says something about my walking speed. What definitely works well is that GPS tracking - you can even bring up your route on the watch in real time, then share it with others after. Both devices also give you the option to measure your recovery time once you finish your workout which is a feature I haven't seen before and provides useful information about where you're at on your fitness journey.

And this is where the GT Runner takes things even further. After every workout, your Training Guide is updated - this is detailed, easy-to-digest analysis that shows you your fitness level, how fatigued you are and whether you've recovered enough to do your next workout. It'll dig into your VO2Max stats and can even predict your times for running 5km, 10km, half and full marathons.

Genuinely useful stuff.

Meanwhile, the GT 3 has a skin temperature sensor which could prove pretty useful these days to help keep track of any weird, unexpected fluctuations.

Honestly, if I listed off every health and fitness feature built into these two watches, I'd need a whole other review. Let's just say I've always been impressed with the accuracy, consistency and comprehensive range of Huawei wearables' health tracking abilities and these GT's have taken it up several more gears again.

These are both incredible-looking watches, with a lot of features and great battery life. It's no wonder Athletics NZ has teamed up with Huawei to use them as an important training tool. Maybe you should too.

    

Click here for more information on the Huawei Watch GT 3.

Click here for more information on the Huawei Watch GT Runner.

No-one Ever Notices the Middle Child

For the last few years Samsung has released three flagships at once with each S-Series launch, a base model, a Plus and an Ultra.

Some years the difference between the three variants is mostly just a matter of screen size. Other times there have been significant physical features available on one or two models but not others. 

So what's the story in 2022? And is the middle option the Goldilocks of the S22 range? Just right?

By now, even if you're only semi-interested in high-end Android handsets, you'll know Samsung's S22 range is quite a departure from what we've seen previously. This is because the S22 Ultra is more of a Galaxy Note by another name; built-in stylus, square-cornered display - all the things Note users used to love and can now choose again. 

That left the S22 and S22+ to be the more logical evolution from last year's S-Series phones. At first glance these devices don't look dramatically different from their S21 predecessors; similar size, shape and weight - even the camera configuration kind of looks the same.

But once I picked up the S22+ in my hand, I could immediately start to see a few enhancements. Most obviously, the S22+ has now gone back to a glass rear panel, which adds a much more premium look and feel over the plastic backed S21+. Samsung has gone with Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus front and back - which is pretty much the toughest glass you'll find on a phone right now. What's more, the back isn't a glossy fingerprint magnet like all-glass phones often are. Instead it's an attractive matte finish, which also makes the handset a little easier to hold.

Only a little easier, because the S22+ now has quite sharp corners along the edges, due in part to the display being flat, no longer curving down the sides. This makes the whole thing feel a lot more like a certain other flagship phone with a certain fruit embossed into the back. The S22+ comes in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Pink Gold and yes, because it's all the trend these days, Green.

That display is 6.6-inches of exquisite viewing pleasure, by the way. Samsung is truly leading the way right now when it comes to variable refresh rates, brightness and clarity. Whether you're streaming, browsing or gaming, inside or out, everything absolutely pops. And thanks to an amazing 240Hz touch sampling rate in Gaming Mode, the screen response is faster and more intuitive than anything else on the market.

In fact, although I'm not much of a gamer, I can't deny how immersive the experience is on this device. As I smashed my way through roadblocks and jumped over pesky police cruisers in Need for Speed, not only did the screen pick up every detail of every reflection in every puddle but the stereo speaker array did a pretty convincing job of the pursuing helicopters overhead.

This is all made possible with the oh-so-beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8-Gen-1 processor - the fastest and most powerful chip available for Android phones right now. Just like the even beefier S22 Ultra, this year the Plus gets the Snapdragon chip here in New Zealand instead of the less-favoured Exynos option we normally end up with. It's just like living in America.

That new and improved little brain combines with Samsung's latest advances in imaging tech to provide some of the best smartphone photography you could ask for, from both the forward-facing, 10MP camera with its generous 80-degree field-of-view, through to the triple-lens primary shooter. This consists of a 12MP Ultra-Wide, a 50MP Wide and a 10MP Telephoto - the latter providing first-rate, 3x optical zoom images.

Obviously this setup is a slight step down from the all-things-for-all-situations blunderbuss of a camera found on the S22 Ultra but it's still a hell of a shooter - especially in low light and from distance.

Unfortunately, because the camera module has been pushed right to the very top left-hand corner of the rear panel, I found I inadvertently ruined many of my landscape shots because my finger got in the way. In fact, it's actually very difficult to hold the phone in a way that stops this from happening - especially with my clumsy, fat fingers. Hopefully I can train myself to get this right, as the vast majority of my pics without a finger in them look amazing.

As do the vids. Obviously, you get the fabulous Samsung camera app with all its easily accessible features - like Director's View, which now lets you film from both front and rear cameras simultaneously and can instantly swap zoom between the three rear-lenses while you're shooting or streaming.

As usual for any Samsung flagship, the One UI software experience is bordering on perfect - as far as I'm concerned anyway. Why it's so hard for other manufacturers to deliver features like rotating home and lock screens is a mystery to me but kudos to Samsung for coming up with the goods here.

Further kudos for their pledge of four years of software updates - nice to know your new phone won't go obsolete until at least 2027!

Integration with Windows devices continues to develop and improve and it's now easier than ever to bring up your Galaxy's screen on your laptop or PC. This is a productive way to keep track of notifications while you're working, reply to messages on whatever platform and to share files between devices.

Battery life and charging speeds are nothing to write home about - if those are your primary concerns there are other devices out there making crazy fast charging claims and there are certainly phones with bigger batteries. That being said, I've had no issues getting through my long days, regardless of how I've been using the phone. It probably helps that I've populated my world with wireless charges wherever I go - it's hard for me to put my phone down without it being charged at the same time.

It's rare I pick up a Samsung flagship and don't enjoy the experience. The S22+ is certainly no exception. If I had the opportunity to make this my primary handset, I'd leap at it - the display is sublime, the processing power class-leading and the camera array one of the best available. I don't play games but if I did, this'd be a great phone to do it with. Starting at NZ$1599.00, I think the Ultra's slightly smaller brother is pretty good bang for your buck.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S22+.

The Quiet Achiever

Oddly, the premium ANC headphone category is not nearly as overpopulated as the earbud section is. Whether this is because the few truly established brands are so established, no-one else can get a look-in or whether there just isn't the same market for over-ear headsets these days, I'm not sure. All I know is, most people probably wouldn't consider EPOS as their first choice if they wanted some.

But how about Sennheiser? There's a name that probably rings a bell...

If you've worked on reception or at a call centre, you might be more familiar with the EPOS brand. This is because its Danish parent company, Demant has been developing various forms of hearing technology for over 115 years and EPOS is now a go-to name for things like hands-free phone systems and conference room audio solutions.

In fact, EPOS used to be known as Sennheiser Communications. As the brand has evolved, the result is a range of EPOS headsets that incorporates both business and personal requirements. 

The ADAPT 660 is the pinnacle - a stylish yet classy ANC headset that offers just as many features to enhance your next online meeting as it does while you're listening to your favourite play-list on the bus ride home.

There are a lot of things EPOS does slightly differently with the ADAPT 660, starting with the size and shape. Often a full featured headset like this means an oversized headset too but this doesn’t look or feel too big at all. In fact, the earcups are a sort of upside-down egg shape, not oval as is more common. This doesn’t impact the fit and yet saves size and weight. The ADAPT 660 feels very light and nicely balanced. I’ve been wearing it at work to monitor my radio show and although that means hours of nonstop use at a time, I don’t find this set of cans gets uncomfortable, heavy or sweaty.

Despite its lightweight feel, there’s no doubting the durability and build quality of this device. For example, there's just the right amount of flex in the headband while still maintaining a secure fit. The earcups extend out plenty far enough to accommodate my massive skull. And everything folds away in a conveniently flat arrangement to fit back into the supplied case.

Sticking with the theme of doing things slightly differently, the semi-circular case is not hard and bulky like other cases I've come across. Those ones tend to take up rather too much space in your briefcase, handbag or backpack - especially when travelling, which is ironically when you might want to use a decent pair of ANC headphones most. The case for the ADAPT 660 still offers plenty of protection - and storage for dongle, charging and AUX cables - yet it's softer and, well... squeeze-able. I've found it is much more easily squished into bags and seat pockets, especially when empty (when you're actually wearing the headset).

The AUX cable is a hybrid mic/headphone cable, so if you want to use these headphones solely for monitoring like I do each morning on air, you'll need to find an adapter to split the mic feed off. At least a cord like this gives you the option of full soft-phone functionality, even if the battery's flat.

It'll take about three hours to fully charge the ADAPT 660. This may seem a little slow but you should get about thirty hours playback from that charge which is pretty decent. I certainly appreciate the fact ANC still works when you're plugged in via the AUX cable - very useful to help me focus in a busy radio studio. Charging once a week sees me through five shows with no problem at all.

Now there are some bizarre anomalies here I simply can't explain. For starters, the ADAPT 660 charges via a microUSB cable - that's so old-skool it's almost retro. Just as well there's a microUSB cable included in the case because I think I threw all mine out about three years ago.

Next, you can't update the ADAPT 660's firmware via the phone app, only using the PC or MAC version. Even that isn't straightforward as you have to connect the headset via its accompanying USB dongle to update it - the EPOS Connect app won't recognise it if it's only paired through bluetooth.

But perhaps the craziest thing is for the full selection of settings, you have to go back to the phone app. You simply won't find options for Noise Cancellation, voice assistant or call enhancement on the desktop version. I'm not sure if your average user has the patience for this kind of toing and froing. I'm not sure if I do.

Just as well once you've got it all set up, the ADAPT 660 really delivers.

John Mayer's rendition of Hendrix's "Bold as Love" features cascading lead guitar and bass licks, tumbling over and around constant drum fills like a mountain rapid. Rather than offering EQ adjustments, the EPOS Connect app lets you choose from a selection of "Acoustic Modes" - creating more of an atmosphere than controlling various frequencies. In fact, Director Mode lets you adjust spatial effects, reverb and loudness - quite different to just boosting bass, mid or treble. My customised setting gives Mayer and co. all the space they need for their babbling, "Bold as Love" brook to do its thing.

“Back to Ground” by Jamie Cullum transitions from just vocal and keyboard to full band and back again. No matter how crowded the soundstage, the ADAPT 660’s ANC keeps outside noise to an absolute minimum, without having a noticeable impact on sound quality. Again, the control for this is quite unique; a dedicated three-point slider on the right-hand ear-cup for no ANC, a bit of both or full silence.

P!nk really rocks out to the guitar-based, "For Now." While this is generally a much fuller track, packed with several guitars, big drums and plenty of other tweaks in the background, there's not much muddy-ness here and you can wind it up loud and enjoy every instrument in its individual glory.

And it's not just about the music. EPOS always has a keen eye (and ear) on the business case for any of its devices and that's just as true for the ADAPT 660. The Active Noise Cancellation comes to the fore when on a call or video chat too - benefitting both you and whoever you're talking with. I just took a call at the library - always a tricky moment, so important to keep your voice down lest you suffer the ire of a passing, shooshing librarian. Thankfully, the EPOS Connect app lets you adjust your side-tone (the level of your own voice you hear in your conversations). This meant I barely had to speak much above a whisper and my caller was still able to hear me loud and clear.

The point is, in-ear audio is not for everyone. Many people find earbuds invasive, isolating, uncomfortable or just can't get the right fit. That's where the EPOS/Sennheiser ADAPT 660 really comes into its own. Decent battery life, very good noise cancellation and excellent sound reproduction - but above all else, a light, comfortable fit you can easily wear for hours on end every day. And I do.

Just don't ask about the price. It's kind of eye-watering. Best to make a really good business case to your finance department and let them take care of it. Phrases like, "Enhanced focus," "Improved productivity" and "More effective connectivity" might come in useful. If you can get the purchase order across the line, you certainly won't regret it. This is the headset you've never heard of that truly ticks all the boxes.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the EPOS/Sennheiser ADAPT 660.

A Good Mix of Power and Tech

I always thought a blender was a blender was a blender. If it was really flash it might have two speeds. But basically if you wanted to turn something from a solid to a liquid, bung it in the blender and push go.

As far as smoothies went, this seemed to work most of the time - as long as you got the mix of solids and liquids about right, blended them for the right amount of time, there usually weren't too many chunks left in the bottom, unable to be sucked up a straw. Want an icy cocktail? Sure... although getting the ice all smooth and slushy like they do at the "real" bars could be a bit of a challenge.

And that was about the extent of my blender experience and skill-base.

Little did I know how much all of that was about to change...

At the risk of racial profiling, there's something reassuringly German about the Braun PowerBlend 9. The Braun website claims they win people over with "aesthetics, functionality and quality." I've been reliably informed by another person in the house they haven't exactly nailed the "aesthetics" part of the equation with the PowerBlend 9. Admittedly, it's kind of huge and boxy and the triangular jug seems to stick out in all directions. You're going to need some bench space.

But Braun has gone with function over form here - there's a reason for the big box at the base, just like there's a reason for the jug being a triangle instead of round.

Let's start at the base; this is not just about on/off, fast or slow. Plug in the PowerBlend 9, switch it on and you'll be presented with an impressive range of blending modes, along with a central dial to choose between Coarse, Medium or Smooth. Yes, rather than leave anything to chance, you can blend smoothies, crush ice, create frozen desserts, design your own spread or just chop stuff - all at the push of a single button. You don't have to stand there monitoring the situation, wondering if you should be pulsing instead of going hard-out. Oh, you can do that too but believe me, after using this thing for it bit, it generally knows best.

I love a cocktail. Who doesn't? In the past, I've found most blenders don't really nail the icy margarita the way a smaller, smoothie machine does - they just don't seem to be able to crush the ice and whip it into that smooth, drinkable consistency. This is a pain if you're mixing drinks for more than a couple of people at once as it means you have to do multiple mixes for every round.

Not with the PowerBlend 9. It has an automatic ice-crushing program that alternates between the full force of the 1600 watt motor, capable of spinning the PrecisionEdge blade at up to 45,000rpm, and a pulsing action that lets the unblended ice settle down to the bottom of the jug to be smashed to smithereens. The jug is also an unusual triangular shape which supposedly means faster and finer blending. It's big too - a two-litre capacity and it's made of something called Tritan, a shatter-proof, BPA-free plastic. Which is just as well because if it was glass, it'd be one heavy jug.

The point is, it's plenty big enough for a full round of margaritas for everyone - pummelling the ice into a smooth slush in next to no time.

I've also whipped up frozen desserts using a combination of frozen fruit, berries, chocolate and milk. Even using the "Frozen Dessert" function, I still ran into that common issue of a lot of icy stuff jammed up at the top of the jug, leaving a bit of liquid whooshing around at the bottom. Luckily, there's a tamper included in the box, just the right size and shape to poke in the top and push down anything that gets stuck.

This is possible because of the removable measuring cup in the centre of the lid - complete with oil drip function. That lid clips into place by the way, totally secure. Yes, they seem to have thought of everything. Including a thirty-second cleaning routine to make maintenance easy.

Here's the surprise ending though - this is more than just a blender. The PowerBlend 9 comes with two Smoothie2Go bottles, complete with smaller blade attachment and adapter skirt making this a very versatile machine indeed. The smoothie bottles fit into place the same way the jug does, just upside down. Too easy.

Oh, and there's an added extra surprise ending. You can make soup. I don't mean just blending up ingredients to put in a pot. I mean actual, finished, steaming hot soup, poured straight out of the jug. Somehow the PowerBlend 9's soup function uses the friction of the blades to heat up your soup as it's blending it. I've done it. It works. The program told me it would only take 5 minutes 45 seconds. In fact, it was ready in about three, piping hot and delicious - even if I say so myself.

My biggest criticism? It's loud. Like, jet engine loud. Like, set it going, leave the room and shut the door loud. If you're making a smoothie for breakfast, better make sure everyone else in the house is already awake, otherwise they definitely will be by the time you're done. 

NZ$419.99 might seem a lot for a blender but as you can tell, this is no ordinary blender. If you've ever been frustrated by chunky ice in your cocktails, inconsistent bits stuck to the side of your jug or even if you've wanted to make a quick soup without a pot - not to mention easy smoothies on the go - this is a very full-featured appliance, designed for maximum power and lasting durability.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Braun PowerBlend 9.

A Stylish Step Back In Time

Of all the devices I've tested out over the years, few exude sheer class and performance like those from Harman/Kardon. HK has always mastered the knack of creating something that looks like a work of art, yet still works - often better than anything else on the market.

In saying that, until now my Harman/Kardon experiences have been exclusively about speakers - not headphones or earbuds. Now, with the introduction of its new FLY range, that's all changed.

The moment I unboxed the Harman/Kardon FLY BT, I experienced an acute sense of deja vu. Many years ago, back in the mists of time, I used to run more regularly and a lot further than I do now. Decent earbuds were essential in order to distract myself from the fact I was exercising. But this was before bluetooth was really a thing and so you used to have to connect your earbuds to your phone via a cable. I know kids, pretty crazy. To make this work while running involved a very specific tucking of that cable into a combination of my hat, my shirt and my arm-band. If I got all that just right, I could just about do 10kms without one or both of my buds falling out.

Then a real revolution happened; "wireless" earbuds made possible via bluetooth connectivity. These were actually only semi-wireless - no cable from buds to phone anymore but they were still lashed together with a wire - usually to be worn behind the neck.

This was a massive improvement, although nothing like the freedom about to be offered by the "True Wireless" buds to come.

Yet here, in 2022, I was again looking at a pair of bluetooth earbuds connected to each other by a wire. How quaint.

It must be said, on the FLY BT, that wire is not particularly wire-like - its woven fabric and thinness making it seem more like a piece of black string. HK claims the cable is anti-tangle and that certainly seems to be so, which is just as well given it all squashes into a very small, flat, square, soft case that will easily slip into your pocket, leaving narry a visible bulge.

Like other earphones I've tried in a similar form factor, the mic, charging port and on-board controls are to be found in a small plastic box dangling just below the left earbud. This obviously leads to certain issues with unbalanced fit but we'll come to that shortly. The real shock here was when I discovered the FLY BT charges via microUSB - not USB-C like pretty much every other device in the world these days.

This is a real pain because it means you need an extra charging cable wherever you go.

Yes, the FLY BT will play for up to eight hours on a full charge but you'll still have to plug it in eventually. I do like the little warning beeps that play occasionally when the battery gets low though - not too intrusive - more like a polite reminder.

Let's get back to how these earbuds fit - not only is there a little bit of extra weight on the lefthand side because of the control unit but the buds simply don't stay in - not in my ears, anyway. There are three sizes of soft tips included and when you choose the right size, they offer a reasonable level of passive noise cancellation which is usually crucial for decent bass response.

But despite the IPX5 water/sweat resistance rating, there's no way I'm going to be wearing these running ever again. They were perhaps the least secure earbuds I've ever worn - certainly in the last five years anyway.

Which might explain why the people pictured on the HK website aren't in exercise gear, they're in business wear.

Ironically, the two buds on the FLY BT can magnetise together when not in use, keeping them secure around your neck - just not in your ears.

So they look good but fit badly. I guess I might be able to forgive them if they sound absolutely amazing.

They sound absolutely amazing. 

"Must've Been Something" by Lake Street Dive is a bravely stripped-down track, leaving Rachael Price's raspy lead vocals totally exposed for all the world to hear. The FLY BT makes it sound like she's singing directly into your brain. It doesn't get more intimate than that.

John Mayer's "Relief" is a much busier track, with his furious lead guitar riffs duelling with Pino Palladino's equally complex bass work - both of which punch through loud and clear.

And if it's sheer bass boom you're after, "Therefore I Am" by Billie Eilish clearly demonstrates just how good the Harman/Kardon sound engineers are at their job. It's a song that is basically all bass and yet there's no muffling or distortion, only one accurate and powerful deep, driving, note after another. It's really pretty impressive.

Unlike the over-ear and true-wireless options in the Harman/Kardon FLY range, there's no companion app for the FLY BT. That means no customisation options for controls or EQ. Just as well that default EQ has been tuned in a way I love - from acoustic guitar though to rock anthems, I've been consistently impressed with the accurate reproduction.

Phone call quality seems fine too. It passed my real-life testing; I never had to repeat myself to my callers, even when out walking the dog in the wind.

The FLY BT has me rather perplexed... I don't really know who it's for. The terribly insecure fit means it's definitely not for me but I can imagine business commuters would appreciate its reasonably long battery life, tiny pocket footprint, wonderful sound engineering and that oh-so-classy Harman/Kardon logo clearly visible in reflective silver on the control unit hanging from the left ear.

I just hope they don't have to run for the bus.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Harman/Kardon FLY BT.

The New Cans In Town

It's a bold brand that tries to break into the premium bluetooth headphone market. There are some seriously well established names there - and for good reason. For years they've been honing the art of combining the best bluetooth codecs available, with excellent Active Noise Cancelling, better and better battery life and stylish design that looks good but is still comfortable and durable.

These things don't happen by accident - consumer success on a large scale is rarely achieved on a first attempt; rather it tends to be an evolutionary process, developing brand loyalty over years.

Of course, Technics has a slight advantage; the brand itself has been around a very long time. It's just the headphones that are new.

For whatever reason, Technics has suddenly decided to give this bluetooth ear-wear thing a really good bash. We've already seen the new range of true wireless buds, including the AZ40's which looked a bit odd but actually fit brilliantly and sounded awesome. So now we have some over-ears; the EAH-A800 headset and it's time to see if Technics can hit it out of the park on its first attempt... again.

I certainly can't fault the physical appearance. There's nothing particularly flashy here - although perhaps the silver model stands out a bit more than the black alternative I was sent - but everything looks and feels as premium as the NZ$499.00 price-tag suggests. The outer covers on the earcups have been machined in a circular way, reminiscent of the fine grooves on a record. There's just the right amount of flex in the headband without any nervous creaking. The earcups extend from that headband to the length required with satisfyingly chunky clicks. 

There appears to be no particular compromise in the name of foldable portability - yes they fold into a luxurious soft-touch hard case but it's not especially compact - or even symmetrical - more of an unusual upside-down egg shape that's just as big as it needs to be, with plenty of room to store the included charging cable, aeroplane adapter and AUX cable. That AUX cable is really my only disappointment in terms of build quality - nice gold plugs but too thin, too flimsy and at only one metre, far, far too short.

Technics isn't the only manufacturer guilty of assuming we'll only use that AUX cable on planes or if we run out of battery. In fact, these days many premium headsets don't even have an AUX option at all which means I can't use them at work, monitoring the network radio show I operate. I simply can't plug into my sound desk via bluetooth - not without crippling lag anyway - a pair of hardwired cans is my only option.

So I found a longer, compatible lead and used that instead. Because as it happens my radio show is a great place to try out headphones, especially to test comfort and noise cancellation.

At almost 300grams, the A800 is not the lightest headset around but I can't complain about the fit. The balance, cushioning and softness of both the headband and earcups is up there with any other headphones I've worn - and I have to wear them for hours on end, every single day. They're a pleasure.

The ANC is also top class. The ultimate test of this is if I can hear my Executive Producer talking to me while I have the live radio show in one ear and different audio previewed in the other. The answer is, I can't hear him at all. Perfect.

Connection to bluetooth devices used to be a bit of a process. Then for a while it got really easy. Now it seems to have become somewhat complicated again. Back in the day, connections all had to be established manually and often with a special code to ensure you were connecting the right devices. Even then, it wasn't uncommon for those pairings to become lost, forgotten or just drop out.

Then, as more manufacturers turned to their purpose-built apps for customisation and pairing, and new bluetooth codecs evolved, setting up devices became a lot more streamlined - some gadgets will even provide an on-screen prompt to connect just by turning them on, although that still depends heavily on which brand of device you're trying to team together - some manufacturers play well with others, some prefer to keep to themselves.

And of course, some devices can even create a bluetooth pairing with an NFC tap, just like PayWave.

But now multi-point pairing is a thing, it's all got a bit confusing again. Although technically you can pair the A800's with up to 10 different source devices, I've found the setup process to be rather temperamental. If you're already actively connected to one device, you can't seem to pair with another until you disconnect from the original source. Confused? I was.

You'll get there in the end, especially if you follow the prompts in the app precisely but I would have thought in 2022, things shouldn't be quite so tricky.

Oh - and don't be misled; just because the A800 can be paired with 10 different sources, it can only actually connect to two of them simultaneously. Ow, my head hurts.

I'm not in love with the on-board controls either. This is another criticism that's definitely not exclusive to these Technics headphones - I don't know if any manufacturer has got this right yet and I honestly can't understand why it's so difficult.

To be fair, there aren't a lot of controls on the A800's - a power button, a three-point rocker for play/pause, volume and skipping along with a programmable capacitive tap on the righthand earcup. In fact, for some reason, all the controls are on the righthand earcup, meaning the physical buttons are all jammed in together above the AUX jack. This makes it virtually impossible to press the right one on your first attempt - at least while you're developing the muscle memory to control these things more effortlessly.

I honestly don't get why so many headphone makers get this wrong - you've got two earcups, why not spread things out a bit? I also don't understand why there's a touch control at all. Here it's set for ANC/Ambient Sound by default. A double tap can be designated to toggle any or all of these noise cancelling settings on or off but a double tap on the earcup is also way more annoying than a button press. Just put a button on the lefthand earcup or something. Why does it have to be so fancy?

Customisations like that are made using the obligatory app of course. The Technics one is called Audio Connect and you can do far more than just program controls and perform firmware updates. The Ambient Sound setting can let all sound through or just voices - your choice. The level of ANC applied is up to you too. There are all kinds of little tweaks - even a voice test so you can check all the built-in beamforming mics are doing their job on your voice calls.

Let's be honest though; it's all about the sound, right?

The retro R&B groove, "Alright" by L.A.B. is all about the bass line and this punched through powerfully yet warmly as did the lead vocals. Meanwhile, the more complex Pink Floyd number, "Wearing the Inside Out" seemed a little flatter - everything was there but there was a dryness to the default EQ that left some of the legendary Pink Floyd production effort out of the mix somehow. There's a preset EQ labelled "Dynamic" in the sound settings section of the app which made a big difference, bringing a lot more mids and highs through - suddenly the snare drum and BV's were more distinct.

Technics claims to have spent a long time coming up with a pure default EQ, one that honestly represents the mix each artist and engineer intended. I guess everyone has a personal preference, so it's good you can dig into the EQ and tweak it to your liking - choosing from the presets or adjusting it manually. By the time Stephen Day's jazzy, funky, Hammond organ-filled, "Sour Inside" appeared in my playlist, I really had things popping, making the most of the track's fun dynamic contrasts.

I can't resist slipping in one more reference track here; "Alive" by Rüfüs Du Sol, a fairly sparse electronic number right up till the inevitable beat drop. Inevitable maybe but on these headphones, it sounded so warm and full it gave me goosebumps.

There's no arguing the A800's sound a bit better when connected to devices via the more high-res LDAC bluetooth codec, which is bad news for iPhone users because their handsets don't support it. Even on my Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, I had to dig into the phone's bluetooth settings to turn LDAC on. It's not the end of the world but when I listened to the same tracks back-to-back on both the Note 20 and iPhone 13, I could definitely pick up more detail on the Android device. And obviously, if you subscribe to a high-res service like Deezer, Tidal or Qobuz, you'll reap even more benefits.

At NZ$499.00, the A800's are certainly at the upper end of the price range - perhaps ambitiously so given the Technics brand hasn't really been seen on a high-end pair of bluetooth headphones before. However, as far as I'm concerned they've checked all the boxes. They sound fantastic - especially if you take a minute or two to tweak the EQ in the app. That app is comprehensive - you can even turn off the utterly pointless flashing bluetooth LED, yay! They look good, feel even better and you'll get about fifty hours playback from a single charge - and that's with ANC on. The controls aren't perfect but then, I've yet to find any headphones with all the buttons in the right place.

There's no arguing with the pedigree of the Technics brand and these headphones definitely live up to that name.

    

Click here for more information on the Technics EAH-A800.

Keep To Yourself But Stay Connected

By now we're all familiar with the advantages of running a decent VPN right?

I don't have to waste space explaining it? Surely we all know if we don't want to be tracked, would prefer to keep our browsing habits private, would like to access region-specific services only available in other countries - the most important tool we can employ is a reliable VPN.

This isn't about hiding dodgy dealings from the proper authorities, it's about your right to keep your online presence yours - you shouldn't have to share your preferences, habits and searches with anyone you don't know. In fact, it's not just a privacy thing, it's also a security concern. If cybercriminals can't see you, they can't attack you.

This has never been more important as the lines between our business and personal lives online blur more and more every day. Nobody wants to put the whole company's cyber-security at risk just because they had the urge to do a status update on the free coffee-shop Wi-Fi.

But ideally we'd like all the benefits of a VPN without really being aware it's there at all. Norton has updated its Secure VPN app in an effort to achieve just that - attempting to make itself invisible on your phone or desktop while keeping you invisible online.

Some of the features I'll outline here are new, some were already in place but they're all worth highlighting if you're considering Norton as your VPN of choice.

The Norton Secure VPN interface is about as stripped down and straight-forward as can be - without digging into the settings menu you really only have to worry about turning the VPN on or off and which region you'd like to appear in.

Interestingly, on the list of countries and regions you can choose to virtually locate yourself in, at the top there's one labelled, "Torrent-Optimised Region." There's no need to be alarmed by the word, "Torrent." While it's true online pirates often make use of torrenting as a reliable, fairly anonymous method of sharing video and software files illegally and without permission, not all files people share are illegal downloads and it might just be the most cost-efficient way to transfer large chunks of data without having to pay to maintain some kind of cloud storage.

Unfortunately, because of its darker links, torrenting has been pretty much outlawed in many countries - but not all. So I thought it was pretty cool to see Norton optimising its VPN specifically for this.

Click the settings wheel and you'll access a fairly brief, yet useful list. To begin with, you can choose to open the VPN automatically when you start up your device, or if the app detects you've connected to a Wi-Fi network it doesn't know and trust. 

There's now a Kill Switch function. This means if for some reason your VPN drops out, your whole Wi-Fi connection will be deactivated until you decide what to do next. Very good piece of mind.

Another new feature is something Norton has labelled, "Split Tunelling." This is really just a fancy name for excluded apps, which is has been offered by many other VPN services for ages. Some apps are quite region specific - especially if they involve a subscription membership, like Netflix, or location-based security settings - perhaps your work office suite. In the past, this would have meant turning your VPN on and off to access these apps but now, thanks to Split Tunelling, you can exempt them from your virtual identity and give those apps direct access to the network. Useful.

There's an Ad Tracker toggle too - personally, I prefer my ads to be targeted to my interests but if you'd like that kind of info to be kept confidential, slide this slider.

And that's about all there is to it, operationally speaking. Even if you haven't enabled the auto-start function, toggling Norton Secure VPN on and off only takes a few seconds so it definitely ticks the ease-of-use box.

However, when it comes to the effect on your download speeds, you'll probably notice the difference. Weirdly though, that depends on which region you decide to connect though. The picture below shows three Ookla speed tests I ran on my iPhone 13. The first result was with the VPN off. The second was when I let the app auto-select (it always chooses New Zealand when I do this). The third was connecting through the Netherlands. 

As you can see, while there was only a slight drop when routed through Holland, the local connection was a bit of a disaster. That's in terms of download speeds, anyway. With uploading there was even more of a choke. The lesson here; probably worth experimenting a bit to find the region that works best - and most consistently - for you. I also ran these same tests on a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and a Windows 11 laptop - the contrasts were even more stark.

However, when it comes to cyber security, there's no getting around the reassurance a truly established and global brand like Norton offers. I've read a few horror stories over the last year or so about data breaches involving other, less renowned VPN services. You just don't seem to hear of that kind of thing happening to Norton and besides, they claim they don't even track, log or save your browsing activities themselves, so they don't really have much of your info to lose.

Unfortunately, some of those newer features like Kill Switch and Split Tunelling are currently only available for Android or Windows devices but you can still install Norton Secure VPN on Apple gear too - presumably those extra settings will be incorporated into a future update.

Depending on how many devices you want to protect, an annual subscription starts at NZ$69.99 - which doesn't seem too bad to keep yourself anonymous online, with the proven reliability of the Norton name. Just remember, you might be better off working virtually from Scandinavia than here.

  

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Norton Secure VPN.