Laser Smart Gaming Projector - Recapturing Old School Fun

Right, this is going to age me. Dramatically.

I still remember the first video gaming console my family ever owned.

I can't tell you the year. I can't tell you how old I was. I can't even tell you what make it was - if indeed it had a brand.

And yet I can still clearly remember the weird, boxy controllers with the chrome joysticks and the hours I spent playing the games that were hardwired in - all slightly different variations on the original "Pong".

You could move a line around the screen to hit a "ball" over the net (a long line) to another line, who would try and hit it back. That was tennis, apparently.

Or you could hit it against a wall. Squash, obviously.

Anyway, you get the idea.

I didn't just spend hours doing this. I spent days. Perhaps even months. You know; gaming.

So what if you could recreate that experience for your kids?...

I think that's kind of what the Laser Smart Gaming Projector is all about.

To start with, I was very impressed with how much stuff was in the box. Not just the projector itself but a remote control, two wireless controllers and a large fabric screen, complete with stick-up hooks and a couple of lengths of rope to allow you to hang it up pretty much anywhere.

All that for under NZ$400 - not bad.

The second thing to impress me was how simple the plug-and-play setup was. All I had to do was insert batteries into the remote and controllers, plug the projector in and switch it on. I was surprised to see the projector find the screen and automatically adjust keystone perfectly with no input from me, other than to finetune the focus using the physical ring around the lens.

Although the device does take a minute or two to boot up, once it does, you're presented with a simple - yet functional - home screen, similar to what you might find on any basic Android TV streaming device. Tiles for Netflix and YouTube take front and centre, although you can install any other streaming app from the Google Play Store, once you've connected to Wi-Fi via the settings menu.

I really wasn't expecting this to be a fully functional streaming device and while the resolution is only 720p, it's definitely sufficient for a family movie night - the fabric screen is a lot larger than your average telly.

Just like a movie theatre, you will need to turn the lights off though - this is not a high-end multimedia projector, capable of the extreme brightness and contrast required for acceptable daytime viewing. 

There's a reasonably powerful built-in speaker, which won't set the world on fire in terms of audio quality - but there are both HDMI and AUX outputs, or the option of bluetooth, so you can easily attach an external sound system if you want.

That might be a good idea because there's no escaping the fact that the fan on this thing is super loud, so whatever you're watching or playing will need to be super-er louder to drown it out.

There are 80 "Classic Retro" games pre-installed on this device, taking up next to no space on the included 64GB microSD card. These are accessed via the GAME BOX app on the home screen and then the built-in emulator takes care of the rest. Laser claims you can download your own ROM games to add to this library, being careful to save them in the right format and folder as per the instruction guide included in the box.

I haven't tried this as I've been entertained enough by the library of 80 pre-installs so far. It's honestly like being back in an amusement arcade in the 80s. Some games are two-player, some are not. Most of them look pretty pixelated - especially if you've zoomed the projection out past 100-inches. The pixelation and midi-based soundtracks are all part of the retro charm, of course - but if you want to, there is a way to smooth things out a little.

The first time I fired the Gaming Projector up and started playing Street Racer, I was having a great time getting used to how touchy the controls were but wanted to try out a few other games before dinner. Trouble was, I couldn't figure out how to exit the game. I spent ages pushing buttons on both the controllers to no avail and ended up pressing the home button on the remote - only to discover when I selected GAME BOX again, Street Racer was still running! Eventually, I resorted to turning the whole projector off.

When all else fails, read the instructions. The next day I found the crucial line, "To exit a game or the games app altogether, press the SELECT and START buttons at the same time." Sure enough, that paused the game and not only gave me the option to save it or exit it but to adjust the resolution too. On some games you can add 3x the pixels and there are others where you can improve it 4x. This makes a huge difference and changes things like cars from abstract blobs to blobs with wheels that might actually be cars.

Just like the arcades of old, some games get repetitive as you go on, while others are a bit better thought out. The pre-installed selection covers a lot of bases though - from racing, to fighting, to sport and platform games.

Needless to say, I've already wasted a lot of time carrying out the appropriate research to write this review. It's been a blast. If you've got a favourite Mega Drive, SEGA Genesis, N64, Game Boy or Atari game from decades ago, now's your chance to boot it up on a virtual screen as big as your wall.

And retro gaming is definitely what this device is best at. Although you can watch Netflix or Disney+, it's worth remembering the whole operation is running on Android 13, which is getting on a bit now and I've noticed some compatibility issues with some of the more modern apps. Netflix plays fine - but good luck navigating the app when there's no way to scroll down the home screen. (NB: I got around this by simply searching for the show I wanted to continue watching)

But quite honestly, if you're looking for hours and hours of simple fun in a box, this is a package that's hard to go past. There's virtually no setup required and everything you need is in the box, including two pre-paired, wireless controllers.

I think this is fantastic value, especially given the inclusion of the large, cloth screen and I reckon it'd make the perfect family gift come Christmas time.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Laser Smart Gaming Projector.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra - The Overachiever

When it comes to tablets, I'm biased.

Against them.

Personally - and this really is just me - I struggle to come up with a genuine use case for a tablet that isn't something I could do just as well, if not better, on a laptop.

Or even a phone.

Often tablets end up the poor stepchildren in any given range of tech... under-powered, aesthetically anonymous and usually running an operating system that's been half-heartedly ported across from something that was initially designed for a handset.

Well, it's safe to say, Samsung obviously doesn't feel the same way.

The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is definitely not just a giant phone with worse specs. 

For starters, it'd be a particularly giant phone, with a display that measures in at an unbelievable 14.6-inches. That's huge. When I got married (a million billion years ago) someone gave us a 14-inch TV for the bedroom. The Tab S11 Ultra is wider than that - especially given its cinematic 16:10 aspect ratio.

The display itself is a magnificent, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X with an anti-reflective surface - just like you might find on the latest flagship Samsung TVs. The toned-down reflection paired with a searing peak brightness of 1600 nits makes for fantastic viewing, whatever the lighting conditions.

There's a booming, yet accurate, quad speaker setup to match, which really does make this a genuine contender for a second TV in your house, be it in the kitchen, bedroom or study.

The study might be the most useful option because Samsung has now tweaked DEX mode, which essentially transforms the user experience of the Tab S11 Ultra into a PC-like desktop, complete with multiple windows and a taskbar along the bottom. The latest version now allows you to share your DEX mode setup to other external compatible displays to create a genuine multi-screen environment.

This means you now have the ultimate portability of this high-powered tablet complete with the option to display your big presentation in the office boardroom - no bulky laptop or messy cables required.

And I do meant "ultimate" when it comes to portability. The Tab S11 Ultra is a mere 5.1mm thick (or thin). Think about that for a minute. That's a 14.6-inch display on a tablet slimmer than any non-folding phone on the market. Talk about jaw-dropping design. What's more, it feels perfectly rigid and robust in your hands - probably due to its enhanced Armor Aluminium chassis. It's even rated IP68 against water and dust. Only weighs in at 692grams, by the way.

I've called it powerful, so let's talk a few geeky details. The chip is MediaTek's Dimensity 9400+ - a true flagship by anyone's standard, based on TSMC's 3nm process which is pretty much as nano as it gets. This also means high-end graphics for premium gaming performance and speedy rendering of video and 3D animations.

Not to mention Samsung's latest neural processing power to bring you all the cutting-edge tools and tricks from Galaxy AI and Gemini.

The Tab S11 Ultra ships with an S Pen stylus in the box but unfortunately, because I was reviewing a pre-release device, I wasn't sent an S Pen and couldn't fully test some of the cleverest AI features, like Drawing Assist, which literally cleans up your rough sketches and turns them into shareable works of art.

The S Pen makes for a more accurate Circle to Search too - simply circle anything on screen and let Google Gemini find out all about it for you.

In a short time, we've come to expect this kind of enhanced productivity from Samsung's flagship handsets, so it's only natural to find it all enlarged for our convenience on this device.

Even the camera setup out-performs almost any other tablet. The rear shooter is a dual-lens affair comprising a 13MP main lens backed up with a 10MP ultra-wide. Need to capture some UHD 4K footage for your next project? No problem. I don't fully understand why the 12MP selfie-cam is also ultra-wide, although it does tend to mitigate the trap many users often fall into when joining online meetings via a portable device; exposing the other attendees to an extreme closeup of your nostrils. The ultra-wide selfie shot immediately drops you back into context.

So, despite my protests in the introduction, it's starting to sound like the Tab S11 Ultra has won me over, right? 

And here's what unexpectedly, really brought it home. Fitness. Or my lack of.

I've recently been forced to acknowledge I'm overweight, out of shape and have lost almost all my flexibility. So I've been using the Samsung Health app as a catalyst to make some changes. Apart from all the other things it excels at, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the most comprehensive health tracker I've used to date and I've already made improvements to my sleep routine and found a way to deal with my snoring (much to Domestic Manager's relief).

So what's that got to do with the Tab S11 Ultra? Well, the Samsung Health app can link you to a comprehensive selection of guided workouts, specifically tailored to your unique fitness goals. I've never really paid much attention to this feature before because I've usually come across them on my watch or phone and couldn't quite see the point.

But with the Tab S11 Ultra mounted in a stand, suddenly I was back at the gym, working out with a professional instructor. The 14.6-inch screen is plenty big enough for me to see exactly how to perform each exercise correctly and the quad-speaker sound system pumps out the beats plenty loud enough to push me through those last few sets. At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I've already lost 2kg in two weeks. Still a way to go though. Wish me luck.

So there you have it; the device that converted me from tablet agnostic to relying on one for my general health and wellbeing. It's flagship fast and the screen is huge while the rest of it is super slim. Even the battery life is great. There's simply no way to mark this tablet down.

    

Click here for more information on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

HP OmniBook X Flip 14" - Maximum Versatility. Minimum Compromise

People often ask me how much they should expect to pay for a decent laptop.

Obviously, no two users are the same so there's no right or wrong answer. I usually get them to qualify what they'll be doing most often... Browsing, answering emails and creating presentations? That's a very different set of requirements to someone who likes to edit a lot of video and plays games all night long.

Or maybe it's just another screen you're after? Albeit a portable one that connects to Wi-Fi so you can watch the latest episode of your favourite show.

Generally, if you have between $2.5K and $3,000.00 to spend, you should end up with a decent machine that'll be relatively future-proof too - as much as any piece of tech ever can be.

But right now there's an option in that price range worth considering that caters to almost every situation...

The HP OmniBook X Flip 14" is at least three devices in one. Primarily, it's a 14-inch Copilot+ laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage.

However, fold the very impressive touch display right over (or the keyboard right under) and you now have an extremely powerful - and quite large - tablet. Or that's the idea, anyway. I'd love to know how many X Flippers out there ever use the device in tablet mode. Technically, there's nothing but up sides - all that storage and processing power; you'd never get close to that kind of performance on a tablet-only device. In practice though, while 1.3kgs is light for a laptop, it's reasonably substantial for a tablet. Also, with the keyboard folded away, it's a pretty bulky tablet - feels weird to hold too, with all those keys underneath. I mean, I guess you could read your eBook this way but at 14-inches, that's a damn big book to take to bed.

No, the other configuration I prefer is "Tent Mode" - where you perch the partially unfolded device on its edges, effectively using it as a standalone smart screen. This is the position most suited to watching YouTube recipes on the kitchen bench or a bit of late-night Prime Video from the bedside table.

What they never tell you though, is there's a fourth way to use the OmniBook X Flip - very useful when standing at your desk or collaborating with others... Just lie it down flat. Or close to. For me, that's the true bonus of this form-factor; if you've ever wanted to open your laptop lid just that much further, with this one, you can.

But it's not all about the 360° folding lid - the OmniBook Flip X 14" has got a lot else going for it too.

Like all the HP laptops I've reviewed in the last year or so, the keyboard is excellent - nicely spaced out, clicky, decent travel and yes, it has a dedicated Copilot key so you can summon the ever-present AI from any window with a single click.

Also, like other HP devices, there's a fair amount of pre-installed software - although I wouldn't go so far as to write it all off as "bloatware" because some of the utilities are pretty useful. The pick of these might be Poly Camera Pro - a genuine video editing suite that can even connect to external cameras so you create multi-view content, right from the laptop.

Some things are less useful. A Windows search for "HP" under Apps brings up a choice of no fewer than nine different apps and tools, some of which do almost the same thing and one, mysteriously just called, "HP" doesn't seem to do anything at all, other than show you how much battery life you have left over the top of an animated background. Yes, I wasted about three minutes of my precious time logging into that one so you wouldn't have to.

The the IPS touchscreen is bright, clear and although it's quite shiny, I haven't found it overly reflective in most situations.

Battery life is sufficient without setting any records - although it's almost getting to the stage now where all-day battery life should just be a minimum expectation. I think I'm going to stop mentioning it unless it's exceptionally good or woefully disappointing.

I'm not sure the OmniBook X Flip 14" is exactly a gamer's go-to. Generally, I've found using it to be a real pleasure - it's reliable, Windows 11 does all the things it's supposed to, Copilot seems to work quietly and efficiently - but when I tried streaming games from Xbox Cloud Gaming, things took a long time to load and I experienced a few freezes that required restarts. Hard to say if that's a connectivity issue, a processor issue or a graphics issue - but it was an issue that happened more than once.

In fact, overall I've found many apps to be quite slow to launch - although most things seem to work fine once they're up and running - and changing aspects when using the screen in portrait as a tablet or even upside-down in tent-mode, all rotated into place slickly enough.

The deep "Atmospheric Blue" casing looks classy and feels premium. In fact, given its literal flexibility, the device seems super solid and durable.

I'm also impressed by the selection of ports; two USB-A slots, two USB-C and a full-sized HDMI connection which makes linking to an external display so easy. Unfortunately, the two USB-C ports are both on the left-hand side which can be a bit limiting when it comes to plugging in your power cable - but I'm quibbling here.

Another wee feature I wanted to highlight isn't really specific to the OmniBook X Flip as such, although its Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity certainly helps. Microsoft Phone Link has suddenly got really good. This is the pre-installed app that essentially mirrors your connected phone with your laptop. I haven't seriously attempted to use it for a while because it always used to be so limited and unreliable but I've given it another go while testing this device and whaddya know? It started sending me notifications from all my apps in a timely fashion and in a way I could deal with usefully. Productivity upgrade? Tick.

If the OmniBook X Flip 14" was just a "normal" laptop, I'd say its performance doesn't quite live up to its current NZ$2,848.00 asking price. But it isn't normal. It's so much more adaptable and although it may not be as lightning fast as some similarly-priced machines, those can't transform into a tablet or a free-standing smart screen. Besides which, I saw it on special much cheaper earlier in the week so keep your eyes peeled for a hot deal.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the HP OmniBook X Flip 14".

Trend Micro Security Suite Pro Plus - Almost TOO Secure

If there's one thing I've learned the hard way, it's that you can't take cyber security for granted.

As someone who's seen my entire PC encrypt itself and shut itself down before my very eyes, I can assure you, there's nothing more stressful than discovering all your data - from photos and documents right through to logins, passwords and financial information is now in the hands of someone else.

Whether or not something like that has happened to you or a family member, if you've been putting off securing your devices, I'm imploring you to act immediately.

Somebody once told me alarm systems and security cameras won't necessarily prevent your home being broken into, but if your house is more secure than the one next door, guess which one will be targeted first?

At the very least, we should all be locking our front doors.

Well, I think I've found a product that doesn't just secure the doors, it bars the windows and locks your place down under 24/7 surveillance as well.

Security Suite Pro Plus is Trend Micro's top-of-the-line consumer product and as such, I don't think I've ever come across a set of cyber-safety features this comprehensive.

Confusingly, Trend Micro's entry level package is called Maximum Security and while it certainly has a lot of the same tools included, it's nowhere near as "Maximum" as Security Suite Pro Plus.

There are so many settings, tools and extensions I'm not going to do a deep dive on every single one - but rest assured, when it comes to the latest antivirus, malware, ransomware, spyware and any other-ware protection, Trend Micro has you well and truly covered. As you would expect.

What I also need to point out straight off the bat is an old piece of advice but a good one; don't try and run two different security regimes on the same device simultaneously. Trend Micro does not seem to play well with others and I discovered one or two options wouldn't work at all until I'd fully uninstalled my previous security apps.

This isn't surprising; for me, one of the most important things about running a cyber defence as all-encompassing as this one is how much processing power it's using up in the background. If you've got two opposing apps fighting against each other to carry out the same task, chances are things are going to crash (or at least slow down) pretty quickly.

That bit of prep out of the way and I was able to carry on with my installation and setup - at this point I've installed Security Suite Pro Plus on an iPhone 16, a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and a Windows 11 PC. Although there are indeed too many features to list, setup is surprisingly user-friendly. The default settings for most options seemed to work for me without any tweaking at all.

The Android and iOS user interfaces are pretty similar, while the desktop version is laid out slightly differently, dividing the many features into categories and hiding them behind the appropriate, clickable icons. However, all versions of the home screen present you with a big, friendly "Scan" button to press. Not only does a scan filter through all your files for anything suspicious, it also looks for any opportunities to optimise your device - perhaps listing obsolete or duplicate files that can be deleted, right through to OS updates you may have missed.

At any time you can consult your latest security report which lists... well, everything really. Wanna know how many text messages and emails have been scanned for phishing attempts and other security risks? No problem. Security Suite Pro Plus even monitors notifications from your apps, before you actually open them. Shopping online? Trend Micro is keeping an eye on things to make sure you're paying someone real, not a scambot.

You can set up browsing protection, although not for every browser - I use Arc on most of my devices and being a more minor player, it's not covered.

You can also monitor the Wi-Fi network you're connected to in real time - you'll soon be notified if there are any security flaws, things like default passwords being used for example.

And of course, you get access to Trend Micro's excellent VPN, which can be set to activate automatically if you join an unknown network - or perhaps even a regular one you're not feeling totally safe with.

But here's where things get a bit clunky. Although the VPN is included as part of the Security Suite Pro Plus package, you have to download it as a separate app; it integrates with the main program but must be set up independently. This is different to other security suites I've used where the VPN is just another option to click on or off.

I've also found it to be very bossy as VPNs go - especially the Windows version. The PC I've installed it on is the one I use for my Plex media server. This means I want other devices on the same network to be able to access it in order to play my stored files. I'm sure there must be a way to make this work but I haven't figured it out yet.

Scam Check is another Trend Micro app that's included but must be installed separately. What a good app it is though. Like other, similar services, you can copy links, images and screenshots into the app to check if they're legit but (as with everything else) Trend Micro seems to go several steps further. You can set Scam Check as your default SMS app to filter out scam texts in real time. Perhaps most impressively, you can check video calls for deep fakes.

Yup, what a sad indictment on society that technology has now progressed to the point the person we're talking to on a video chat might not be that person at all. Never mind, just let Trend Micro check that for you.

This just goes to show Trend Micro is right on top of all the latest trends in cyber trickery.

I'm definitely in favour of a belt-and-suspenders approach when it comes to cyber-security, and if you've ever been scammed, had your ID stolen or data compromised, I'm sure you feel the same way. With Security Suite Pro Plus, you're not just getting a belt and suspenders, Trend Micro throws in handcuffs, a straightjacket, a padded room and seals it all inside a Faraday cage for good measure.

As stifling as that sounds - and yes, as my experience with the VPN goes, the combination of all these tools may be a little over-the-top - interestingly I haven't found any significant drain on the resources of any of the devices I've been testing this suite with. In fact, thanks to the optimisation options available, one or two of them are now running even better.

This is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it protection I feel like I can trust, absolutely. If you like the sound of it too, I'd act quickly. Trend Micro is now offering customers the opportunity to subscribe to Security Suite Pro Plus for two years for only NZ$238.00 - that works out at less than $10 a month. Not much to pay to keep yourself safe, no matter how sophisticated the scammers become.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Trend Micro Security Suite Pro Plus.

OPPO Pad SE Matte Display Edition - Easy on the Eye

I've said it before; I've never been much of a tablet guy. It's not because I don't like them, it's more because I own other devices that do what a tablet does.

Why would I read on a tablet when I have an eReader?

Why would I stream my shows on a tablet when I have a 65" TV?

Why would I answer my messages on a tablet when I have a smart phone?

And why would I surf the web and game on a tablet when I have a laptop?

But then, perhaps I'm asking the wrong questions.

Perhaps I should be asking, what if one tablet could do all those things, almost as well?

The OPPO Pad SE is a great looking piece of tech, straight out of the box. The two-tone Twilight Blue rear panel highlights the 5MP rear camera while there's another 5MP selfie-cam around the front. I'll talk about photo and video quality shortly but first I wanted to point out both these cameras are in the right place; in the middle of the top edge.

And by "top" edge, I mean one of the long edges, not one of the short ones. For too long, too many tablets have been designed as though they were merely giant phones, tall and skinny - not wide like any normal person would use them for most tasks, in landscape.

Which brings me to what I think is the OPPO Pad SE's finest feature; its screen. Now, this isn't some shiny, fancy-pancy 144Hz OLED display like you might find on some high-end gaming monitors but it's still got a lot going for it. For starters, it's not shiny at all. Quite the opposite. In fact, OPPO claims this extremely matte screen "cuts up to 97% of light interference" (whatever that could possibly mean) and I love it. If you've ever tried to use a laptop or tablet outdoors or under bright lights, you'll know the more shiny the screen, the harder it is to see.

With the Pad SE, OPPO has done something remarkable and given us about the least-reflective display possible. This means it's actually pleasant to read my eBooks on. It's an interesting aspect ratio too - 19:10 - so not as stubby as a 3:2 screen but more versatile than 19:6.

Actually, at over 11-inches, you get a lot of screen real estate in a fairly compact format.

Combine all that with decent brightness and good, immersive sound from the quad-speaker array, and not only is this a great device for reading books, magazines and papers with, it's an excellent way to stream your favourite shows or to pass the time with a game or two.

I was also impressed to discover the Pad SE is equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5.4 codec - that means excellent range and an almost lag-free connection with compatible earbuds or headphones - again, leading to a more immersive viewing experience.

I can't stress enough how refreshing it is to be able to watch xenomorphs hunt down their human prey in the latest episode of Alien: Earth, even though the action happens in the dark while I'm sitting in glaring daylight.

One of the Pad SE's weaker areas is sheer power. Although ColorOS is up there with my favourite Android-based user interfaces, my ability to use it to its full effect is hampered slightly with just 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You're not likely to be editing any blockbuster 3D features with this device, although I found the MediaTek Helio G100 chip to be reliable enough, if a little sluggish when launching certain apps.

You might think at just 5MP, neither camera is going to win any photography awards either. But over the years I've learned not to underestimate OPPO's ability to punch above its weight in the camera department. I found the forward-facing shooter to be more than adequate for online meetings and video uploads while pics from the rear sensor don't look half bad either. Like this one of my accomodating dog model...

Battery life is another standout feature for the Pad SE. The 9,340mAh battery is a large cell by anyone's standard. I've found a full charge lasts all day easily, whatever I'm doing. What's more, you get 33W SuperVOOC fast charging for quick top-ups, although there's no brick in the box - only a cable.

At just NZ$499.00, I think the Pad SE represents excellent value. It performs reliably, if not at breakneck speeds, it goes above and beyond with its battery life and the no-glare screen is one of my new favourite things in tech. If you're the kind of person who likes to curl up in a sunny spot with a book, now you can do that with a tablet too.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the OPPO Pad SE Matte Display Edition.