Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene - They're Back, Baby!

After being surprisingly underwhelmed by my last Dyson experience, (the Spot+Scrub Ai robot vacuum) I was a little anxious about dipping my toe back in to its latest product line.

What if there really was a robot apocalypse happening at Dyson? What if Sir James and his cohort of solution-obsessed engineers spread across the globe were starting to lose their edge?

Is Dyson still the dominant force in floor-cleaning tech innovation? Or after all this time at the top, has the empire finally started to fall, as they all inevitably do in the end?

No. Not to worry. I've had a go with the latest Dyson and it didn't let me down. Far from it.

It would be easy to suggest the Clean+Wash Hygiene is just a stripped-back version of the V16 Pistion Animal Submarine I reviewed late last year - or more specifically, the Submarine 2.0 Wet Roller head, the ultimate attachment for dealing to hard floor mess and spills.

The physics of it is essentially the same; a hyper-absorbent wet roller sops up any dirt or liquid it runs over, then that roller is intensively combed, squeegeed and rinsed with every rotation. As a result, solid waste is separated from dirty liquid - the former ending up on the debris tray, the latter in its own sealed tank.

The liquid part of the equation is absolutely true; dealing with the dirty water couldn't be more simple or fuss-free. The dirty water tank is essentially just a bottle on its side, complete with water-tight screw cap. The tank just unclips from the roller head, you unscrew the lid, empty, rinse and replace.

But before you put it back, you'll have to deal with the solids side of the formula. This gets a bit more hands-on - and therefore a bit yuckier.

In Dyson's promotional videos, you'll see a happy-go-lucky homemaker slide out the debris tray, shake a bit of nice, dry detritus into the bin, before giving everything a quick rinse and popping it all back together. The website specifically claims, "No sludge. Water and debris are separated." Well, watch my video below and you tell me what's left in the red debris tray isn't best described as, "Sludge."

The black anti-tangle comb and sprung mangle do a fine job of constantly cleaning the roller as it spins, but when you're dealing with a mess like soggy Weetbix and dog hair, not even Dyson can instantly dehydrate that mix so you're left with a nice, dry little pile of rubble that can be playfully scattered into the trash.

Don't get me wrong; the Clean+Wash Hygiene does an unbelievable job of making vast splodges of K9-Bix-Sludge disappear off the floor, it's just... you will have to get your hands dirty at some stage.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First you get to use the thing, which is pretty darn fun - definitely at least 17 times more fun than hand mopping... and about 84,000 times more effective. You see, that's roughly how many microfibre filaments make up Dyson's most absorbant roller ever. Because the roller is being constantly cleaned, you're not just smearing dirty water all over your floor like you would with a conventional mop.

What's more, because the roller is so absorbant and only the exact amount of water is being used to wash it from the easy-fill clean water tank, you're left with a streak-free finish that's dry enough to walk on within seconds.

That wonderful roller isn't just about thousands of microfibre filaments, there are also hundreds of firm nylon bristles embedded in there too, to make sure no stray strand of hair gets left behind. This is essential news if you're a dog-owner like me. As cute as he is, my mutt seems to be able to leave a fine sheen of hair across every corner of the floor which catches the setting sun just beautifully at the end of the day.

Or at least it would, if I hadn't dealt to it with the Clean+Wash Hygiene. So you end up with a lot of hair in there, which is often big trouble for any kind of roller mop or brush. But not this one - that's where the Anti-Tangle comb comes in, diverting it directly to the debris tray before it can wrap itself around the roller, wrecking its usefulness and shortening its lifespan.

That's the other cool thing about this cleaner - it's not just a mop; you don't have to vacuum first. In fact, you don't have to vacuum at all. Although it's a Dyson, it doesn't suck. In the video below you'll hear me describe it as more of a pump-action cleaner. Strictly speaking, it's "capillary action" that draws all the waste into the head unit. (No, I don't fully understand what that means either) 

What I do know is, it's super effective, in many cases requiring only a single pass to clean up every day grime, with your choice of four different modes (including a dedicated MAX mode button) to adjust how much water is used at any given time.

All this is clearly displayed on the bright, colour LCD display on the handle, nestled among the easy-reach controls.

The fully-charged device will comfortably run for over an hour. Then, once you're done, it's time for clean-up, which is essentially where we started.

Look, having to scrape a bit of Sludgy-Bix into the bin by hand is the very first of first world problems. I just wish it was as easy and as hands-off as washing and drying the roller is.

All self-cleaning requires from you is a full clean-water tank and a push of a button once the Clean+Wash Hygiene is back on the charging dock. Then you'll be treated to a pretty loud 145-second cleaning cycle, where the whole system is thoroughly rinsed through, followed by a slightly (but not all that much) quieter hot air drying.

I'll choose a bit of fan noise over the literal hours of drying many other hard floor cleaners take (robot or otherwise).

Perhaps the best thing about the whole process, no icky smells. I've reviewed some devices that absolutely reek after a few uses because apparently, that's just what happens when moisture gets into a filter. But guess what? With the Clean+Wash Hygiene, there is no filter. Remember? It's not a vacuum. Genius.

When it comes to keeping wood, tile, or any other hard floor spick and span, this is a pretty fun way to do it. Both solids and liquids are dealt with at the same time, and even if there's been a lot of water spilled, the Clean+Wash Hygiene will have that "capillaried" up in no time. The large size of the roller head also helps speed up the job and the whole device can be used totally flat, to reach under furniture and cabinets.

This is the kind of Dyson design we've come to expect; outside the box thinking that does an old job everyone hates in a new, much more effective way.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene.

HP Smart Tank 7605 - Easing the Biggest Printer Pain Point of All

Printer frustration. After arguments between colleagues about what temperature the office air-con should be set at, surely getting the printer to do what it's supposed to is cause for more workplace stress than any other issue.

And that doesn't just apply to the office - even those of us working from home often have to print stuff and that means you're your own IT department when, inevitably, the printer there won't do what you want it to either.

The big difference is, when the office printer runs out of ink, that's not your problem.

When your own machine comes up empty, the ink bill buck stops with you.

HP might be able to help with that.

Nobody loves replacing ink cartridges and although the HP Smart Tank 7605 does have cartridges, it's really only the ink you have to change, and you won't have to do that very often.

So many other printers come with only the bare essentials in the box - perhaps even smaller-than-usual cartridges just to get you started, before you have to lay down about the same amount of money the whole printer cost to keep stocked up in ink.

A key selling point for the HP Smart Tank line is unlike those other printers, you get four large bottles of ink as well - enough for up to 6000 black-and-white pages or 8000 colour ones. Depending on individual use cases, that's likely to be more than two years worth of printing, included in the box. 

What's more, the replacement bottles aren't that expensive and of course, plastic bottles are a lot more recyclable than whole empty cartridges.

There's nothing about the Smart Tank that doesn't make more sense.

In truth, not all that much has changed between the 7605 and the 7305 I reviewed three years ago, which is not to say there's much wrong with either device. More accurately, it's kind of a if-it-ain't-broke situation.

You still get high capacity scanning and copying, with a well-designed flip out document feeder. You can still have full-colour, double-sided printing in next to no time and as you'll see in my video below, for a home printer, the 7605 is pretty darn quick - even when printing full-colour A4 pics.

However, there are a few crucial distinctions with the 7605. For example, you can fax. Why you should want to do this, I have no idea. But somebody must and with the 7605, they can.

Apparently, faxing is still more secure than other forms of e-transmission so medical and financial institutions are still pretty into it. Who knew?

But for me, the 7605's crucial modification is the "touch interface" (screen) now embedded into the upper panel of the printer, appearing as if by magic, then vanishing completely when not in use. On other HP printers we've seen a bunch of confusingly labelled buttons, with a small LCD screen, or perhaps a more intrusive, colour touch screen on the front that you could tilt up at an angle.

This new monochromatic touch interface is much more elegant, guiding you through every step of setup, use and maintenance.

Of course, the key to all this used to be the HP Smart app, although that seems to have evolved into a more streamlined app, now simply called, HP. Regardless of whether you use this from your phone or your desktop, once signed in, you get instant access to your printer from anywhere, with clear status windows showing connected devices and ink levels at a glance.

In fact, thanks to the revamped app, it's never been easier to do things like scan and print from your phone, order more ink (you know, in two years time) or yes, even send a fax!

Other than that, it's silly little basic things I like about this printer. I've already mentioned the ample flip-down flap on the 35-page document feeder, but there are similar flaps on the copy return tray and on top of the paper tray to ensure your printouts don't end up randomly shuffled on the floor.

The paper tray itself is much more generous than most other home printers - able to accommodate up to 250 sheets of normal paper, 50 of photo paper or 30 cards at a time.

There's a front-facing USB port to make it easier to print from or scan directly to a USB drive.

And there's an easily accessible off button. Why does that matter? If your printer is in the spare room like mine is, when guests come to stay, it's nice to be able to shut off any glowing lights without having to switch the thing off at the wall.

But at the end of the day, surely the only reason you need to seriously consider the Smart Tank 7605 is the smart tank system itself. It's cheaper, better for the environment and most importantly, it lasts for ages. 

Right, that's the printer sorted. Now... About the air conditioning...

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the HP Smart Tank 7605.

JBL Endurance Pace and JBL Endurance Zone - I'm Open To It

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times; when it comes to earbuds, it's all about the fit.

I want a tight seal. No movement. And above all else, no noise.

But what if I didn't?

I can't just exclude other designs because they're not my thing - especially when they might be yours.

I've had plenty of people tell me they just can't wear earbuds, for perfectly valid reasons;

They always fall out.

They hurt their ears.

They make them feel claustrophobic.

Fair enough.

But just because you can't wear buds, doesn't mean you can't have mobile music.

And I'm not talking about big, bulky headphones either.

The Endurance Zone and Endurance Peak are the answer for anyone looking for the ultimate open fit.

Both sports headsets are essentially the same except while the Endurance Pace is one single device, connected by a titanium memory metal neckband, the Zone is two separate earpieces you keep in their own charging case.

But neither can really be described as earbuds - or at least, not as I think of them.

Even other so-called "open fit" earbuds I've worn still sit in the outer part of your ear canal, just without the tight seal of a silicone ear-tip, worming its way further in.

By stark contrast, both the Zone and Pace earpieces hook over your ear instead, not even resting on the sensitive opening to your ears at all. Rather, once in place, the 11x18mm speaker drivers are suspended right over your ears, relying on JBL's OpenSound technology to provide a full, powerful soundscape from your connected device, while still allowing other ambient sounds in at the same time.

I thought I would hate it.

But if there's one thing I've learned reviewing tech, it's never make assumptions about a gadget until you've tried it for yourself.

Let's start with the obvious bit; these are probably some of the most comfortable portable listening accessories I've ever worn. In fact, once you loop them over your ears, because they're so well balanced and so light, you can hardly feel them at all.

That even applies to the Endurance Pace with its connecting neck loop. The band doesn't actually sit against your skin - unless you choose to take the earpieces down and rest the whole device on your neck, perhaps while you have a conversation with someone. The connected design of the Pace does feel slightly more secure than the two separate earpieces of the Zone - but neither came close to falling off while I was testing them, no matter what activity or exercise I was doing.

Both devices also carry an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, which is kind of reassuring given there's no tight seal to keep rain, sweat or dirt away from the more delicate bits. In fact, the whole vibe of these Endurance specimens is one of action and durability; drop them, sit on them, throw them across the room - you get the feeling they'll keep on taking a beating.

In fact, they'll keep on, full-stop. Battery life is impressive. I guess being bigger than your average buds has its advantages. The Pace charges directly via USB-C and will last about 10 hours on a single charge. Meanwhile, the Zone will only play for 8 hours straight, but there's another 24 hours charge in the case.

There are a couple of downsides to that case, however. Firstly, it's bulky - not as large as some ear-hook style earbuds cases I've used, but still too big to comfortably slip into most pockets. Secondly, it only charges via USB-C. You can't just pop it down on a more convenient wireless charger. On the plus side, there is a lanyard cavity on one corner of the case so you have the option of attaching a carabiner or some other kind of connecting strap.

The thing that surprised me most about both these devices was how genuinely good they sound. This is where that "Don't make assumptions" thing really kicks in. My most incorrect assumption was that too much space between ear and driver would mean a tinny, weak performance with virtually no bottom end.

But I guess I'd kind of forgotten how headphones work.

Essentially, they're just speakers you wear next to your ears, right? And these little speakers deliver.

Whether it's the unnerving a cappella noises David Byrne makes at the beginning of the extended mix of "Lady Don't Mind" by Talking Heads, or merely Jamie Cullum's simple, soulful, rolling piano and vocals on "These Are the Days," both the Zone and the Pace do a lovely job of creating a rich, warm and full atmosphere, placing surround effects in all the right places and yes, even pumping out what JBL is pretty famous for; decent bass.

My only major niggle is the onboard controls. I'd like to be able to customise them a bit more using the JBL Headphones app - but this is rather limited, especially on the Zone where you don't have the physical buttons you do on the Pace. Instead you're restricted to taps, double taps and long taps - which all gets a bit confusing, especially if you're only trying to turn the volume up or down.

The Headphones app does give you plenty of options when it comes to adjusting the EQ though, so you can tailor things to your preference there instead.

I love being surprised by gadgets - even when they prove me wrong. I was wrong to dismiss this kind of open ear design and I'm glad I got to try it so I can let you know, there's more than one way to take your sounds with you.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Endurance Pace.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Endurance Zone.

HORL 3 - Sharpening for Dummies

So here's the scenario; It's Christmas Day. We're hosting. It's been a long morning (and early afternoon) of present opening, eating, drinking and general merriment.

Finally, it's time for - you guessed it - more drinking and eating. This year it's the Holy Trinity; ham, lamb AND turkey.

Who's carving?

(Please not me. Please not me.)

Phew, brother-in-law steps up. He can handle the pressure.

Except...

My knives are no good, apparently. Every one he tries needs sharpening. How's he supposed to work with these terrible tools? To put it bluntly, how do I get on with blades this blunt?

So embarrassing. Another Christmas ruined.

Yes, I have a steel to sharpen my knives with. Do I know how to use it? What do you think?

Surely in the age of folding phones and robot lawnmowers there must be a better way.

HORL 3 is that better way. This review is for the uninitiated. For people like me.

I really don't know much about knives. I used to flat with a trained chef who had his own set of knives. We weren't allowed to use them. Now that I think of it, I don't think I was even allowed to see them.

My set of kitchen knives was on special at Briscoes.

But presumably, even 60%-off knives can still be kept relatively sharp.

Like I say, bashing at them with a steel has had mixed results over the years, so when I crossed paths with the HORL 3 I was immediately intrigued.

Otmar and Timo Horl are the father and son combo who came up with this innovation in their basement. 10 years ago they showed off their first generation of rolling sharpeners at Freiburg's consumer fair.

It must have gone well as just a decade later, HORL HQ now occupies three different locations on the edge of the Black Forest - which is what the triple-tree logo is all about.

The HORL 3 I'm reviewing here, apart from anything else, is just a really attractive kitchen nicknack - with both the roller and magnetic angle support made from solid oak.

But first... what the heck IS a roller and a magnetic angle support and what do they have to do with sharpening knives?

Well, you know in movies about knights and dragons and sword-fights etc? Every now and then you'd see someone sharpening their weapon with a whetstone of some kind. I think that's the tradition that must've been the catalyst for the Horls' far more refined take.

First; the roller. Satisfyingly weighty in the hand, it's crafted from solid wood with the option of attaching two sharpening discs, one on each end. The HORL 3 Oak comes with a diamond disc and a ceramic disc - but I've also been sent the Premium accessory set, which includes both fine and super-fine whetstones and a leather strop - we'll get to all that shortly.

The idea here - like all genius ideas - is simple. Instead of moving your blade up and down a stone, or trying to hold a stone at just the right angle while you move it up and down the blade, by rolling a circular stone back and forward, you achieve a much more efficient and consistent result.

Especially if you can hold your knife completely still, at exactly the right angle.

Which is where angle support comes in; another block of solid wood, this time with non-slip feet on the base and one end precisely cut to 20° while the other is set at 15°. Covering each end is a Grip Pad - very strong magnets covered in rubber to protect your blades.

Then it's just a matter of positioning your knife against the angled grip pad, cutting edge up, and rolling the sharpening stones back and forth for about a minute, max, until you've achieved the desired effect.

Obviously, you start with the unstoppable cutting power of block diamonds, then work your way to a smoother finish with the ceramic, fine and ultra-fine stones, finishing off with a bit of leather stropping, if you really want to get carried away.

The HORL Quick Lock system makes swapping out the various discs effortless - in fact, the whole process is effortless. I couldn't believe how quickly and easily I was able to bring my entire knife set back to its maximum cutting power - probably even sharper than when I first bought it.

Consistency is the key here - using HORL 3 means you're always sharpening at exactly the same angle, both sides, no matter the size - from the largest carving knife to the smallest pocket blade.

For those of you (like my former flatmate) with more discerning sensibilities, there's even a finer "Kagami" stone available, not to mention a more deluxe HORL 3 Pro, which features an adjustable Grip Pad that holds knives at six different angles and uses something called "Planetary Gearing" to spin your sharpening stones even faster, resulting in a 300% more efficient process.

In fact, there are quite a few fun accessories on offer, including:

- The HORL Magnifier - a kind of jeweller's loop to inspect your finely honed edge, close-up

- The HORL Dock - to stand your roller and angle support in and proudly display them on your benchtop when not in use and

- A box for all your sharpening discs called... the HORL Box

Starting from NZ$249.00 for the HORL 3 Cruise - made from ocean-bound plastic rather than solid wood - you may consider all this a bit of an extravagance in these tight economic times. On the other hand, it's unquestionably the most effective and foolproof knife sharpening system I've ever come across, and it'll probably save me another trip down to Briscoes any time soon.

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the HORL 3.

Blink Outdoor 2K+ - Small Upgrades. Big Value

If  you've ever read any of my home security camera reviews, you'll know there are two things I come across all too often that really get my goat;

1: Having to pay a subscription to store recorded video from your own camera...

And 2: Having to pay a subscription to access all the features the camera has to offer.

There is a way around those two pet peeves however. Make both the camera and the subscription really cheap.

So Amazon might have me on a technicality with the latest camera from Blink.

People often ask me to recommend a home security system and I'm always a bit reluctant to do so because it really comes down to each individual use case. Someone living up a long drive on a lifestyle block in the country is going to have vastly different requirements to someone in a row of semi-detached town houses.

But if doing it on a budget is your primary concern, it's pretty hard to go past Blink.

Blink cameras, floodlights and doorbells all come with simply-designed, easy-to-install mounting hardware, the outdoor devices carry an IP-65 weather resistance rating and most items are fairly compact, so won't ruin the aesthetic of your outdoor decor.

In fact, the Blink Outdoor 2K+ comes in either black or white, so that helps too.

The name gives away the important upgrade here; the Outdoor 2K+ provides much higher resolution footage than the previous generation, which makes identifying visitors (or indeed, uninvited guests) so much easier.

The improved sensor also allows the Outdoor 2K+ to shoot colour video in much lower light than before. Once full darkness descends, it'll switch to black and white but the colour-capture window is definitely much longer now.

The 2K boost means a zoom boost too - a 4X close-up is probably enough to give you a fair idea of which package you were expecting has just arrived.

Like other Blink cameras and doorbells, the Outdoor 2K+ gives you the option of two-way audio through the Blink app. The difference being, now there's noise-cancellation so everyone is more likely to be heard over strong wind or traffic sounds.

Apart from the nifty and versatile mounting gear included in the box, I also love that Blink has gone with two Energizer lithium AA batteries to power the Outdoor 2K+ and that they're included too. That's up to 24 months wireless use before you need to swap them out, which makes the rechargeable performance of some other wireless cameras look quite pathetic, to be frank.

Just like most Amazon devices, setting up a Blink is child's play - although here's the first important catch; unless you have one already, you will need a Sync Module Core as well. This is the little wireless connection box that talks to all your Blink devices and links to your Wi-Fi network on their behalf. I definitely prefer this kind of setup over multiple cameras all connecting directly to your router, fighting each other and all your other IoT devices for network space. But a Sync Module Core is still an extra expense.

The other main caveat when going with Blink is that subscription thing I mentioned at the top.

To put it bluntly, the Blink Outdoor 2K+ is one of the least functional cameras out there... unless you have a subscription - which is free for you to try for the first 30 days.

Without a Blink Subscription Plan (starting from NZ$4.95 a month or NZ$49.95 for a whole year) all the Outdoor 2K+ will do is detect movement, notify you about it and give you the option to stream live footage from the camera for a maximum of 5 minutes at a time.

It won't record. It won't save the recordings it hasn't made in the cloud. And it won't tell you if it's looking at a car as opposed to a person either. Oh, you can't share those recordings that didn't get made or stored either.

A plan unlocks all those features - storing videos both locally and in the cloud for up to 60 days. There's a straight-forward choice between the Basic and Plus plan - Basic covers just one device, Plus - unlimited. And signing up to either plan gets you 10% off any Blink device and here's the important thing - they often seem to be on special anyway.

As much as it goes against everything I believe in to pay a subscription to use the basic functions of a thing you've just bought, even the Plus plan is only NZ$150 for an annual sub. Over a year, that's hardly anything and features like cloud storage and person/vehicle detection are pretty cool.

If you want something that's easy to set up (and add to), will run wirelessly for up to two years on one set of batteries and most importantly, will come in well under most budgets, Blink is a very difficult option to ignore.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Blink Outdoor 2K+.

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai - Dyson Does Me Dirty

Robot vacuums seem to be the "it" appliance right now - and it's hardly surprising.

We are all time-poor these days and the last thing we feel like doing with our weekends or evenings is cleaning the floors.

So it stands to reason people have been looking to Dyson for the ultimate solution; after all, it's generally agreed Dyson has been setting the standard for home vacuuming for decades.

How hard would it be to add a robot into the mix?

Turns out, it's pretty hard. Spoilers; I don't love the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai, even though it pains me to admit it.

Problem one; this thing is huge. You're going to have to really love Dyson's functionality-over-form design approach if you're prepared to set the Spot+Scrub Ai up anywhere it can be seen in mixed company. The robot itself is not just taller and wider than most, its water tank sticks out even further, like some kind of stuck-on afterthought.

But the hygienic cyclonic dock is even worse. It's an extremely wide charging and emptying station housing a bagless dustbin and the clean and dirty water tanks. Rather than covering these three cylinders up, they stand out proudly, in a very industrial way - especially the cyclonic bin which makes the visuals worse by being transparent - because who doesn't want to see up to a 100 days worth of dirt, dust, hair and fluff on full display every time you walk past?

At least it's easy to empty and not having to buy replacement dust bags is always a plus. The water tanks are also easy to pull out and reattach, although, because the dirty tank is tinted a very dark grey, it's impossible to know if you've managed to rinse it clean or not.

Another issue is the noise. Whether the Spot+Scrub Ai is cleaning, emptying or washing itself, it all seems to happen at full volume. The first time I used it, I left the voice notifications on. Big mistake. This essentially meant twice the noise, with a running commentary of every stage of the cleaning process - unnecessary because I could already follow that process via the My Dyson app on my phone. Little did I know, that commentary would continue into the night, as the tireless robot finished cleaning and charging itself, letting us know about every step along the way.

Domestic Manager unplugged it in exasperation. A few hours later, the robot complained it had gone flat and would be turning itself off.

The app is quite stripped-back compared to the companion apps of other robot vacuums I've trialled - not necessarily a bad thing as some can be quite overwhelming with the customisations, settings and routine programming they offer.

The MyDyson app isn't just for the Spot+Scrub Ai, of course - you can pair any number of other Dysons with it, from fans and air purifiers to desk lamps. So it's not surprising to find it doesn't offer quite the number of tweaks some others do. 

The initial automatic mapping process left a little to be desired and I had to change quite a few walls around afterwards to make the room layout more accurate. Also, it thought the garden outside one window was another room, so I walled that off too - only to finI wasn't able to delete it, so it's still on the map, like some unvacuumable amorphous blob.

Oh, and it fell down the stairs the first time it came across them. Whoops.

As you would expect from a Dyson, there's a lot of impressive tech under the hood. 

The roller is sprayed with 60° heated water when mopping, which indisputably results in a fantastic clean. It also extends out when mopping along walls as many other high-end robotic vacuums now do. This is all part of the Spot&Scrub Ai's 24 separate sensors and LiDAR navigation, telling it where to go and what to avoid, which for the most part seems pretty effective - other than stairs and the corners of rugs.

Mystifyingly, after just a few cleans, the main brush head was soon clogged up and tangled with long hair and dog fur - the very stuff I'm trying to get rid of. This is just so weird as the last few generations of Dyson stick vacuums have been all about a tangle-free experience. I guess the robot design team didn't get the memo.

Battery life is surprisingly disappointing, given the advances Dyson has made in its constantly evolving line of stick vacuums. As I write this, we're about 2/3rds of the way though a clean of the upper storey of my house - still more than three rooms to go and we're down to 15% battery. Yes, the robot will just return to charge when it needs to, then carry on once it's juiced itself up, but that takes ages.

I haven't managed to complete a whole clean in less than six hours so far. I've either got a very filthy house or a very slow robot.

This is a real heartbreaker for me. Nobody loves Dyson more than I do (except possibly one M. Hosking of Matakana) but I just haven't enjoyed the experience of using the Spot+Scrub Ai at all.

Compared to other robot vacuums I've used, it's oversized - as is the hygienic cyclonic dock - which not only makes it difficult to find somewhere to put it, it's just plain ugly.

And because the battery life is so bad, and it returns to base to charge and clean itself so often, it takes forever to clean a whole house.

It's loud, it's clunky and it broke the cardinal rule of robot vacs and fell down the stairs.

Despite all that, I grudgingly admit, in terms of getting the floor clean, it's perhaps the most thorough and effective robot I've ever used. It fairly whizzes around hard floors, leaving only the smallest amount of moisture behind and is smart enough to recognise stubborn stains, remopping the same area up to 15 times if necessary.

Meanwhile, although much slower travelling across carpet, because it will use up to quadruple the amount of suction, like any other Dyson, no stray hair is left behind. Carpets are not only cleaner afterwards, they look it too.

Mats and rugs are a different story. From what I've seen, the Spot+Scrub Ai has a lot of work to do when it comes to recognising and traversing loose floor coverings without bunching them up and turning them into impassable barriers in the process.

I don't quite know what's gone wrong here. Dyson's design philosophy is legendary and yet there are so many areas where the Spot+Scrub just doesn't deliver. If you're a hardline Dyson fan and all you care about is really clean floors, you might be prepared to put up with its deficiencies. I fear for most users though, they'll find a quieter, quicker and more aesthetically-pleasing way to spend their two-thousand bucks.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson Spot&Scrub Ai.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro - Heading Towards the Earwear Singularity

 Are you tired of my earbud mantra yet?

"It's all about the fit. It's all about the fit. It's all about the fit."

Yes, I keep repeating myself - but the more earbuds I review, the more true it becomes, especially at the premium end of the price range.

You can promise all the battery life, noise cancellation and lossless audio you want; it all comes to nothing if one of your buds bobbles out, bounces across the pavement and disappears down a drain. (My worst fear)

So it's just as well Samsung has got the most important thing right with its latest.

Like the Buds3 Pro and the more recent (and more budget-friendly) Buds3 FE, this year's Galaxy Buds4 Pro have stuck to what I call the hybrid form-factor of sealed, in-ear combined with a stem, or what Samsung calls, "The Blade."

The blade lit up last year, which everyone thought was a bit silly, given you can't see it when you're wearing them. So the blades don't do that anymore. Instead, they are an all-metal, brushed aluminium finish, to match the White, Black or online-only Pink Gold of the rest of the Buds and their charging case.

The case itself has a certain flair to it, sporting a transparent lid, also tinted to match. The most important thing about it though - well, to me, anyway - is wireless charging. Of course. If the Galaxy Buds4 have a weak point, it's the battery life. 6 hours with ANC activated, with another 20 in the case is good - but not top of the class. However, when you can just bung the case down on a wireless charging pad and be back to 100% in next to no time, that battery life equation becomes much less of a hassle.

So let's get my mantra out of the way; yes, the Buds4 Pro fit - very well, in fact.  There are four sizes of eartip to choose from and the stems - sorry, "Blades" - add extra points of contact for stability. These puppies ain't bobbling out anywhere.

The eartips are a more ergonomic, ovoid shape, rather than completely round, which is a design choice we've been seeing several manufacturers moving towards lately. The stem/blade design is something that seems to be gaining dominance too - as are the pinch-and-slide method of controls. Could we be seeing a convergence here? Different brands ending up in the same place after a decade or so of True Wireless earbud evolution? Certainly, Samsung Galaxy Buds have varied wildly in size, shape and functionality over that time.

This actually applies inside as well. There are two separate drivers within each bud, the woofer now larger than ever, thanks to its edge-to-edge design. Somehow, each of the dual-drivers has its own amp in there somewhere and the result is satisfyingly full, rich and powerful.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band has a rocky, punchy, made-to-boogie-to new album out and I've been enjoying listening to it with the Buds4 Pro - particularly tracks like, "Under the Knife" which feature a massive, multi-tracked guitar ensemble, full horn section and a squelchy bass-line that bops its way under your skin in no time. When a busy number is squeezed through speakers as tiny as the ones in a pair of earbuds, the result can often be somewhat muddy and flat.

The exact opposite is true with Buds Pro4.

"Devil Be Gone" starts out in a much more low-key way, Susan Tudeschi's oh-so-soulful voice pouring itself over the keys and bass like molasses. Later, we're treated to duelling guitar solos, mixed left and right, making full use of the Buds4 Pro's ability to place 360 audio in just the right spot.

This can be enabled with head-tracking or not - a feature perhaps more suited to gaming or watching video, when the main action is happening in front of you but you can turn to either side to take in the peripheral sounds head-on.

With Spotify now joining the so-called "lossless streaming" club, high-fidelity listening is more widely on offer than ever, assuming you have the gear to reproduce it. Buds4 Pro utilises the Samsung Seamless Codec (UHQ) in tandem with Bluetooth 6.1 to achieve 24-bit/96kHz audio quality - which is actually a bit better than Spotify currently offers, so there's some future-proofing there.

Although I mentioned pinching and swiping earlier, there are some alternative methods to control the Buds4 Pro - and they're pretty cool. 

To achieve that head-tracking, 360° thing, earbuds like these need certain gyroscopic sensors - which can then be used for interactions with your virtual assistant. If you're paired with a Samsung handset running the latest version of One U.I., you can enable head gestures to accept calls with a nod  - or tell Samsung's digital servant, Bixby "No" by shaking your head.

My Samsung phone hasn't received this update yet, but I've used this feature on a competitor product to good effect.

What was new to me was the Buds4 Pro's ability to understand my spoken commands directly - without Gemini or even Bixby getting in the way.

Want to stop the music? Just say, "Stop the music." Want to turn the volume down? Just say, "Volume down." No wake word required. Now that's genuinely smart. And this adds to my overall impression of the Galaxy Buds4 Pro; there are new features - but many of these are features we've seen on other earbuds. That's not a criticism. It's Samsung being smart enough to adopt certain aspects of earbud design people obviously like and want more of. Maybe one day, all earbuds will be pretty much the same - they'll have great battery life, they'll sound amazing and above all, they'll fit perfectly.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro.