Mighty Ape 3-In-1 Magnetic Chargers - Bend Me. Shape Me

Have you ever gone from not knowing something exists to loving it so much you can't live without it?

I kind of feel that way about MagSafe chargers.

It started out as an Apple thing; why just charge wirelessly when you can actually stick your phone to the charger with a magnet? Then you can produce a bunch of other accessories that magnetise on as well... Battery packs, wallets, car cradles - you had me at magnets.

Unfortunately, because I review a lot of different handsets, most of them aren't magnetic like iPhones are, even if they charge wirelessly.

Luckily, you can usually pick up a third-party case that is, so you can continue using that nifty MagSafe charger.

Now, with the holidays looming, and travel potentially on the cards, you might be looking for a more portable magnetic charging solution. Boy, does Mighty Ape have some options for you...

Today I've picked out three of my favourite Mighty Ape 3-In-1 magnetic travel chargers. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses but I'd be happy to find any of them wrapped up in my Christmas stocking come the end of the year.

Let's start with the Kogan 3-in-1 Qi2 Foldable Wireless Charging Stand.

This charger caught my eye because it's quite a different shape to most other options, about the size and shape of a camera lens. At 340 grams its surprisingly heavy, which may be a bit of a drawback if you're planning on stuffing it in your handbag or backpack - although its cylindrical profile makes it a good contender for sliding into your drink bottle pouch so it's always handy.

Of the three options I'm highlighting today, it's the most fun because not only does the top charging plate hinge forward to reveal a second wireless charging cradle for earbuds or AirPods, the third charger pops out of the side for you to perch your Apple Watch on.

Because this is a newer-generation Qi2 device, it promises faster charging speeds and safer, cooler operation.

It'll charge your phone at 15W, your buds at 5W and your Apple Watch at 2.5W - which isn't bad, although some of the latest iPhones and Apple Watches can juice up faster than that with the right chargers. 

The folding phone plate is where the magnetism happens, so you can choose to MagSafe your iPhone to it in landscape mode to make use of the recently added Nightstand clock iOS feature.

When I first plugged it in, I was alarmed to see a bright white ring light flash on around the base of the device. I was worried this was some kind of over-the-top status LED to let me know when the charger is charging - an absolute no-no in the otherwise pitch-black master bedroom in the Hart House.

Thankfully, this simply turned out to be a nightlight, that you can turn on, off and adjust the brightness of via a capacitive button on the side of the device. It's not really bright enough to read by or anything but it could be useful for helping you navigate an unfamiliar hotel room in the middle of the night.

The next option is Mighty Ape's own Foldable Magnetic 3-in-1 Wireless Charger.

This is probably the clumsiest-looking of the three but it's very light and folds quite flat, so it's nice and portable.

The main phone charging panel hinges up from the base where you'll find a pad for your earbuds, while the watch charging stand folds out from behind the phone charger.

This model also features a ring "Ambient" light, this time around the back of the phone charging pad. There's a physical button for this on the base that toggles through several different brightness settings, which seems like overkill for a feature you'll probably hardly ever use.

Alarmingly, right next to that button, there IS a status LED that can't be turned off once this charger is plugged in. I know it sounds silly - after all, it's just a tiny line of light a few millimetres long - but some people simply cannot sleep with glowing lights in the room, no matter how little they are. Personally, I'm not worried by them. However, I'm not the only person in the room at night and that other person matters a lot more than me. So out comes my roll of black insulation tape and away goes the little light.

This charger is actually the most powerful of the three - still 15W for phones and 5W for buds, but twice the wattage - at 5W - for Apple Watches, which is especially good news if you wear an Apple Watch Ultra - they have bigger batteries and can take longer to top up.

The third offering is my favourite; another Kogan-labelled gadget, the 3-in-1 Aluminium MagSafe Compatible Wireless Charging Stand.

Why do I like it so much? For starters, it's the most compact; it folds down to the shape of a credit card and is only 22mm thick.

Secondly, it looks classy - a combination of brushed aluminium and matching grey charging pads.

And thirdly, it's the only one of the three that will charge both an Apple Watch and a Samsung Galaxy Watch. This is especially convenient for me because I'm often swapping between Samsung's and Apple's ecosystems, so it's nice not to have to change chargers every time.

I note there's at least one other non-folding charger on Mighty Ape's site that has a reversible watch pad but I've never come across one that'll just accept both types of smartwatch before.

As you can see from the photos, this aluminium beauty simply folds up in a Z-shape, with that bi-charging watch pad popping up in the middle.

The pads for phone and buds are rubber-coated, so they won't scratch the devices you're charging and the hinges are reassuringly stiff and stable, so the stand will stay at whatever angle you prefer.

It's not all good news - although its webpage assures me this charger has been designed with Overcharge Protection, Overvoltage Protection, Overcurrent Protection and Temperature Protection, this stand is the only one of the three that does get a little warm when in use - perhaps something to do with its aluminium casing?

It also only promises a meagre 2W charge from its otherwise uniquely versatile watch stand. In saying that, I just popped my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra on while writing this and went from 51% to 61% in fifteen minutes, so it's not exactly the end of the world.

Lights-wise, it's the worst of both worlds. No "Ambient" light at all and a tiny - but inexplicably bright - status LED right on the front of the base, that had me reaching for my roll of tape again.

So there you have it, the pros and cons of just a few of the chargers Mighty Ape has to offer. Each one pledges not to overcharge or overheat and all seem to be well designed and manufactured.

They all come with a USB power cable in the box but no wall charger. This is a potential trap because you're unlikely to achieve maximum charging speeds if you don't plug into the right power brick. Luckily, Mighty Ape sells plenty of those too. Maybe that'll be a topic for another review, another day.

Meanwhile, priced between just NZ$50 and NZ$62, I'm sure any of these three chargers would make a welcome addition to someone's Santa Sack this Christmas. Or maybe give one to yourself if you're planning on going away and you want to keep things magnetic.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Kogan 3-in-1 Qi2 Foldable Wireless Charging Stand.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Mighty Ape Foldable Magnetic 3-in-1 Wireless Charger.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Kogan 3-in-1 Aluminium MagSafe Compatible Wireless Charging Stand.

JBL Grip - Get Hands-On

The world of tech is funny.

Sometimes the big brands invent products and spend a lot of time and energy trying to convince us how much we need them... even though we never asked for them in the first place.

Virtual headset, anyone?

Luckily, the opposite scenario also happens occasionally too. Customer demand and popular trends can prompt manufacturers to, you know, actually give people what they want.

For example; if people are going to keep dropping their phones in the toilet, I guess we'll have to make them waterproof.

Likewise, JBL has seen what you've been doing with its speakers and has decided to make it easier for you.

The JBL Grip is about the size and shape of a can of soft drink. That can't be a coincidence. 

My guess is someone noticed how many people were shoving their speakers into the bottle-holders on their bikes, into cupholders in their cars and into the drink-bottle pouches on their backpacks.

I reckon that same someone thought to themselves, "Hang on, the Flip is really the only speaker we have that sort of fits that scenario. What if we came up with one especially for it?"

And the Grip is the result. A fairly powerful bluetooth speaker with good battery life that fits easily in one hand.

Like JBL's other portables, the Grip is ruggedly put together, with durable rubber bumpers on each end to keep it drop-proof and an IP68 rating to keep it beach-proof.

There's no lanyard or handle attached to the speaker but there is a small loop around the back you can clip or tie something onto - like a carabiner perhaps?

It has a 16 watt output and that's enhanced by JBL's AI Sound Boost algorithm to create a "bigger" sound without any distortion or unwanted vibrations. As usual, no matter what size the JBL speaker is, it still manages to magically create a decent amount of bass punch.

JBL claims the Grip will play for about 12 hours on a full charge and my testing so far seems to match up with that. By activating Playtime Boost through the JBL Portable app, you should squeeze out an extra couple of hours before having to recharge - although that feature in turn deactivates some others, like the customisable EQs.

The JBL Portable app is also required to control the light. Yes, this portable comes with its own light show.

If you've ever read any of my other reviews, you'll know I'm no fan of having flashing lights just for the sake of it. When I first tried the new LEDs out on my review units I was pretty underwhelmed. It's a fairly small panel on the back of the speaker and while it glowed brightly and I could change the pattern slightly, that was about it. In fact, initially, I thought it was only white.

Then I updated the JBL Portable app. Suddenly, I had a choice of colours - not a big choice, and weirdly, there's an extra option on the iOS app than on the Android one, but still, by the time you choose a theme and a colour, you've really personalised the look of the thing.

Then I realised why the light panel is on the back - not behind the front grille like the party lights are on JBL's much bigger PartyBoxes - it's called an Ambient Light, so I figure it's supposed to wash against the wall, rather than be viewed directly. Once I started using it this way it was actually pretty cool - you can even control the brightness or thankfully, turn it off completely.

But my favourite feature by far is the same feature I love on every JBL speaker I've reviewed lately; Auracast - the ability to connect and stream to any other Auracast device, regardless of what make or model it is. Yes, you can create a stereo pair with two identical Grips (and at the time of writing, they're on special for just NZ$99,95 each, so why wouldn't you?) but with speakers this compact, I like to hide a few around the house to create an invisible Auracast ambience - not necessarily loud, just music everywhere.

Of course, if you leave their lights on, they probably won't be that invisible. Especially since when you connect via Auracast, the light theme syncs too.

The great thing about Auracast is, if you're not satisfied with the bass boom of the Grip on its own (although as I've said, it's quite respectable, given its size) you can team it up with a much bigger option - perhaps the Boombox 4 or Xtreme 4. Bass frequencies are pretty much non-directional, so with the Grip on one side of the room and a bigger speaker on the other, things will still sound fairly balanced.

I'd wrongly assumed the Grip would be just another speaker, but between its more than adequate power and frequency range, its durability, its impressive battery life and the all-new light effects, I have no problem recommending it as a "handy" stocking-filler this Christmas.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Grip.

eero Max 7 - Push Your Home Network to its Limits

If you're anything like me, you've found yourself on a never-ending quest for better Wi-Fi.

It's not just about speed - although speedy downloads and uploads are great. More and more, it's about creating a home network to which everything stays connected, reliably. 

I currently have 59 devices connected to my Wi-Fi, with another 29 that are either switched off or are away from home right now.

Not all of those gadgets need the fastest, most powerful connection. They just need a router that recognises them and can help them access the net if and when required, every time.

Not too much to ask.

And yet... even in 2025, all too often our smart speakers ignore us, we can't seem to turn that one smart light on or off and the movie is still buffering before it starts. WHY???

Well, as I've discussed before, there are many reasons your Wi-Fi may be under-performing; What type of plan are you on? How many devices are connecting to your router? Where have you placed your router or routers? You might even be using the wrong kind of cables - after all, they have maximum speeds too.

So when I unpacked eero's top-of-the line mesh Wi-Fi system, I decided to give it every advantage...

On paper, it's easy to understand why the eero Max 7 system blows its other stablemates out of the water. The more entry-level eero 7 devices are great - but they're only dual-band which means when used as a mesh system, some of their bandwidth is taken up with the routers talking to each other. Meanwhile, the eero Pro 7 units are tri-band, so they have dedicated backhaul. But even the Pro 7s are no match for the still larger eero Max 7 devices.

Each eero Max 7 has twice the number of auto-sensing ethernet ports; 2 x 2.5GbE and 2 x 10GbE - that means an incredible potential for wired connectivity if you're on a HyperFibre plan like I am. Not only that, but the larger, more powerful units can cover a massive area - up to 700 square metres, so pretty much my whole section, not just my house.

And finally, Amazon claims you can connect at least 250 devices simultaneously. Which should be plenty. Well, until the robots take over completely, I guess.

Just because the Max 7 is faster and more powerful, it doesn't mean setup is any more complicated. Quite the opposite in fact. Because I was upgrading an existing eero system, the eero app gives you the opportunity to simply swap devices out, maintaining your network SSID (password) and even the location in your home. You can then choose to use the old eero device as another mesh extender.

The eero app might just be the most user-friendly of its kind. You can see every connected device at a glance, including their connection strength and which router they're connected to. You can rename them, pause them, even block them in seconds.

But here's where I was really impressed. The problem with my fibre connection - and I bet this is true for many of you out there - is it comes into my house at about the worst place possible, through the garage wall. This was conveniently close to the road for the installers, but that corner of the house couldn't be further away from where I need the internet most; upstairs and diagonally opposite, in the living room.

Luckily, I do have limited data cabling installed so in the past I've always just plugged in my ISP's default router, down in the garage, then run my actual home network via a hardline from there, feeding into my primary router upstairs.

This time I decided to eliminate any potential chokepoints by using one of my three eero Max 7s at the point of origin, plugged directly into the ONT box. I know in theory, it's virtually impossible to push decent Wi-Fi from a lower storey up to a higher one but I crossed my fingers and hoped I had a way around that.

Following the step by step instructions in the eero app, I fired up the first unit in the garage and... it didn't work. No internet at all. There was a brief moment of panic, then I realised there was probably some unique protocol required for the primary router to connect with my ISP. As it happened, that's exactly what the eero app then asked me for. A very quick Google search provided me with the correct VLAN tag, which I entered and I was away and laughing.

I've never experienced blazingly fast Wi-Fi in the garage like this - as you'll see in the video below, I could now connect at well over 2 Gbps. I could also plug in cables for other rooms in the house via the three remaining LAN ports. Time to take it to the rest of the house. Next stop, downstairs family room.

Here, I set up my next eero Max 7 unit as a Wi-Fi only mesh extender, replacing an older model. This took all of about 60 seconds, again resulting in very satisfying speeds.

Now for the real test. One last Max 7 device, in the upstairs living room.

I knew connecting over Wi-Fi through the floor and several walls was a bad plan so I plugged into my hard-wired access point instead, just to see what would happen. Amazingly, the upstairs Max7 talked to the garage one with no issues and no input required from me. This was a relief because I needed to run a lot of gear off that upstairs unit - a television, an Apple TV streaming box, an Xbox, a bunch of smart lights and just everybody's phones, tablets and computers.

Because my house is wired with Cat5e ethernet cable, I was hoping I could get close to the 1 Gbps it's rated for. When I tested the speed and got the result you'll see in the video below, I was gobsmacked. It was definitely safe to uncross my fingers.

If you're upgrading from Wi-Fi 6e, 6 or even 5, I really recommend you go whole hog and give the eero Max 7 a try - especially if you're coming from an older eero system, because you can probably use your existing units to strengthen your mesh network even further. Remember, many late-model Amazon Echo smart speakers now have built-in mesh Wi-Fi too, so you might be closer than you think to the bullet-proof, no dark-spot network you've always dreamed of.

Although the eero Max 7 units are bigger, they're still fairly blank and featureless, so should fit in with your decor without too much difficulty and yes, best of all, (for me anyway) you can turn off the status LED using the app.

I've decided I'm no longer cutting corners when it comes to my Wi-Fi. I even bought a whole new set of Cat7 ethernet cables to connect my other devices to the eero Max 7 units, just to be sure. I now have the most reliable, wide-ranging and above all, fastest home network I've ever had. An exciting new benchmark has been set.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon eero Max 7 tri-band Wi-Fi mesh system.

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine - Re-Setting the Standard

I'm no vacuuming expert - although I have been reviewing all kinds of vacuums for a while now.

I'm also in charge of vacuuming at our house, so if I'm not an official expert, I am at least experienced.

Anyway, for what it's worth, in my view, there's nothing quite like a Dyson.

Because of Dyson's driving philosophy of innovation, I think you'd be hard-pushed to come up with another brand that consistently manages to reinvent itself in such revolutionary ways, others struggle to keep up.

And wouldn't you just know it? They've gone and done it again.

As you might be able to deduce from its somewhat multi-barrelled name, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine has a lot going on. In fact, unboxing this thing is a bit like spending Christmas with your slightly crazy uncle who thinks it's funny to wrap every present in 17 different layers of wrapping paper to maximise the enjoymnent.

Except in this case, every compartment of every box-within-the-box holds a new and exciting present that you really weren't expecting.

Even the accessories are painstakingly designed for ultimate performance. The Combi Tool has long been my favourite car-cleaning aid, with its retractable brush allowing me to quickly swap between two heads depending on whether I'm vacuuming hard or soft surfaces. 

When Dyson first introduced the Hair Screw Tool, I thought its ability to dispose of even the longest of hair was so groundbreaking, I dedicated a whole review to it. Version 2.0 has been modified to remove even longer hair still and there are now "rug strips" to keep soft furnishings like covers of duvets and cushions from being sucked in and causing the tool to stop spinning.

They've even made the Crevice Tool longer, because who doesn't want the longest Crevice Tool possible?

But the main "head"-lines are the titular Submarine 2.0 Wet Roller head and the All Floors Cones Sense cleaner head.

Both of these are classic examples of Dyson's engineers being told to go out and start again from the beginning; design a wet mopping head and an all-purpose one from scratch, paying special attention to the pain points current users experience.

With the Submarine 2.0 Wet Roller, they certainly nailed the cleaning part. I never trialled the original version of this head, so I'm not sure exactly how it's been improved, other than it now offers two levels of hydration - so you can up the amount of water being applied to the roller to help remove more stubborn messes from your hard floors

It's a breeze to use and even though it's quite a large head, it's well balanced and the connecting joint folds down almost flat to allow you access under furniture. It cleans throughly with every pass, and unlike other similar devices I've used with rotating, disc-shaped mop heads - or even manual mopping for that matter - the Submarine 2.0 leaves a streak-free finish and the precisely measured water flow means floors are dry in minutes. For me, it worked particularly well on the bathroom tiles and was easy to manoeuvre under vanities and into other tight spaces.

There is a downside; the cleanup afterwards.

The Submarine 2.0 is not a vacuum head as such - unlike a robot vacuum, for example, which might vacuum at the front then mop at the back on the same pass, Dyson's method forces any hard debris up into the head where it is trapped in a thin, removable collection tray, which requires rinsing off after ever clean. As does the roller and the head itself. This is all a bit of hands-on and gross - and bear in mind, I'm a father of two so I've seen plenty of hands-on and gross in my time. The roller and head then need to dry out - which takes days, not hours.

There's a base/cover just for the Submarine 2.0 head, to keep everything tidy. I'd prefer this to be some kind of auto-cleaning and drying station, in a similar vein to the various robot vacuums I've reviewed lately. As great a job as this cleaning head does, I'm not sure it justifies the inconvenience of the cleanup afterwards.

On the other hand, the All Floors Cones Sense head couldn't be more user-friendly - and effective.

Dyson has obviously gone all in on cones. I've already mentioned the cone-based Hair Screw Tool 2.0. I reviewed the PencilVac Fluffy Cones cleaner a few weeks back. The All Floors Cones Sense head takes that philosophy to new heights.

The duo of conical brush bars are each wrapped in a twin spiral of sturdy, nylon bristles to help loosen any bits and pieces from carpet and a softer, wider brush that polishes hard floors without scratching them. The head automatically detects what surface it's on and can adjust the suction power accordingly. And best of all, this is the most tangle-free full-sized vacuum head I've ever used.

As long as I've been vacuuming, I've been untangling hair wrapped around the cleaning brush. For years. I've actually become pretty good at it. I've even collected up a few useful tools to help me do it along the way.

Told you I'd seen "hands-on and gross."

Ah, the stories I could tell.

The problem with the All Floors Cones Sense head is I don't get to use those skills anymore. At all. Since I've been using the V16, I haven't had to remove a single hair, not one. In fact, the conical brushes are so effective, when I'm vacuuming particularly hairy spaces -  like where the hair drying and straightening happens - the first pass leaves a tidy little hairball behind which is then easily sucked up on the next pass. It's a miracle.

The newest incarnation of Dyson's Hyperdymium motor never misses a beat, of course. The 900w motor drives up to 315AW of suction. Don't worry if you don't know that AW stands for Air Watt - just trust me; there's all the power you need and more.

The battery behind it all should last around 70 minutes on a full charge and if that's not enough, you can purchase a second one as they swap out easily. Even now, so few of Dyson's competitors offer anything like the detailed, colour LCD display on the top of the device. Never underestimate how useful it is to know what your remaining battery life is in minutes - it can be very motivational. The screen also shows a breakdown of the particles being sucked up by size, so you know when you've got the surface completely clean.

As you'll see in the video below, when you have a vacuum as effective as this one, you may worry about how quickly the 1.35-litre bin fills up. That's where Dyson's next big upgrade comes in; Bin compression. They call it CleanCompaktor technology but it just means you can now squash all the yucky stuff down to the bottom of the bin and keep on vacuuming, drastically reducing the number of times you have to empty the V16.

Even the emptying process is better because that same CleanCompaktor mechanism now ejects all the dust and debris out of the bin without you having to stick anything in there - like your fingers - to work any stubborn clumps of ick out. Essentially, it's the totally hands-off experience I was hoping for with the Submarine head.

By now, it goes without saying Dyson totally aces the filtration system, the durability (yes, I dropped the whole shebang on my hard floor first time I used it) and the app experience; I just updated the firmware this afternoon.

There are so many new and exciting features here, I almost forgot to mention the great ones that have carried over from previous models - like the dust-seeking green light on the brush head and the hidden tools - I mean, how come nobody's talking about the "Easy-Access Wand Tool?" Now you can just push down on the red ring at the top of the main tube to eject the cleaner head without having to bend down. I hate bending down. I love this vacuum.

For the most thorough, tangle-free cleaning experience I've ever encountered from a stick vacuum, the V16 Piston Animal Submarine is the new champ. Now, if we can just get that mop head to clean up after itself, I'd be in vacuum heaven.

        

Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine.

Avast Ultimate Business Security - Set Your Cyber Security to God Mode

The trouble with being the go-to person when it comes to tech stuff - whether that's in your home or at your small business - is getting other people to take some responsibility for protecting their gear.

I don't mean carrying it around in a case or not leaving it on the passenger seat of their car. I'm talking cyber security. Boring. But essential. Especially as day after day we hear more and more nightmare tales of people - and businesses - being scammed, hacked or compromised in some way.

Unless software is kept update and all patches are installed in a timely manner, you, your family, or your business may be exposed. It's a risk that can cost you money, not to mention your valuable files and sensitive information,

But what can you do? Other than nag them to take this stuff seriously.

Now Avast offers you overall control. And it's easy too.

Avast Ultimate Business Security takes all the responsibility of keeping your network secure and puts it back on you because, let's face it, who else can be trusted? Am I right?

But unlike other attempts I've made to keep an eye on the PCs and laptops of those close to me, the installation and setting up of this ingenious tool is so simple, it's almost automatic. Once you've signed up and logged into the Avast Business Hub via your web browser, you'll be guided through the initial checks and tweaks to create your new security network.

You can then scan your network for any unmanaged devices and add them to your dashboard by sending the owner a download link, or, assuming you know the user name and password, you can install the necessary software on the target device remotely.

From that point on they'll have access to Avast's Antivirus, Web Control and USB Protection - and if it's a Windows device, Patch Management and VPN as well.

In return, you can set up specific security policies for each device, or assign them to a group. You can choose to have updates installed across your network automatically, or do it manually on a per-device basis - probably more practicable if you're using this tool for your family than if you're trying to keep everyone at your business safe and secure.

And unlike so many other security tools, Avast Ultimate Business Security doesn't seem to mind too much if there's already another security product installed - although you'll get the option to remove that remotely too, if you want.

What surprised me the most is how thoroughly and effectively Avast Ultimate Business Security was able to detect any required patches and updates. Let me be clear; I'm not just talking about updates to the Avast suite of apps you have installed. Your new, Sauron-like, all-seeing eye will pick up any pending OS updates and third-party patches too.

As hard as it may be to believe, you may never have to nag your recalcitrant teenager or long-suffering Domestic Manager to update their computers ever again - because you can now do it for them!

Just a warning; your new powers as Network Overlord are not to be underestimated - or abused. Believe it or not, you can even restart your underlings' devices remotely if that's required after the installation of any updates.

Mwah hah hah hah ha! Is there anything that can stop you now?

Actually, there is. They'll see a little window pop-up to let them know you've activated a restart so they can delay it if they're in the middle of some important work... Or some important gaming.

Both Avast's Firewall and VPN are comprehensive and effective - and yet, I haven't noticed any dramatic slowdowns when they're in effect - although I did have to customise my security policies to get Plex to work. My Plex media server resides on the Windows tablet you see highlighted in some of these pictures but after I first installed Ultimate Business Security, I couldn't seem to stream from other devices around the house. Luckily, it didn't take much prompting for Google Gemini to offer up the solution. Not only was I able to allow Plex full access through my firewall for locally connected devices, I now have it set up so I can stream from that tablet, even when the VPN is activated - which I've never figured out how to do before.

This really is the most watertight security suite I've ever used on my home network. Depending on how you set it up, nothing gets in or out without being scanned and vetted first. Even unrecognised USB devices will be flagged for approval, in case they have something nasty lurking inside - or perhaps even more importantly, to prevent anyone nicking off with your company's valuable IP.

Unsafe and fake sites can be blocked, emails with suspicious attachments intercepted and Ransomware Shield helps you easily protect your most precious files and folders from any outside attacks.

Best of all, it really isn't that expensive. In fact, the more devices you protect, the cheaper it works out. What's more, you can trial Avast Ultimate Business Security on up to 100 devices for 30 days. Give it a crack - I'm pretty sure you'll be impressed with how easy it is to set up and monitor.

In this day and age, maintaining an effective cyber security regime - both at home and at work - is just as important as insuring your business, house and contents. But I can't stress this enough; that security regime is only as strong as its last updated security patch. The bad guys aren't going away and they get more sophisticated all the time, so it's vital to stay up to date on every device you can. Thanks to Ultimate Business Security, Avast really does make it easy.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Avast Ultimate Business Security.

JBL PartyBox Encore 2 and JBL PartyBox 520 - Create Your Own Light and Sound Extravaganza

The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means... Party time. House party. Deck party. Pool party. Street party. Beach party.

Whatever kind of party you're planning, you're going to need music and you're going to need lights.

Oh, and karaoke. There might be karaoke.

And somebody might also bring a guitar.

Basically, you need to be prepared for any eventuality.

Don't worry, JBL has got you covered. Take one PartyBox Encore 2, then upsize it with the PartyBox 520. Party success, guaranteed.

I know I've reviewed a few of these sorts of JBL speakers before, but I don't think I've ever specifically tried an Encore and I've certainly never brought home anything as large as the 520.

Even the Encore 2 is a hefty wee beastie - weighing in over 6kgs. Its size and shape kind of remind me of the 14-inch CRT TV a friend gave us for a wedding present nearly 30 years ago.

Unlike that TV though, the Encore 2 has a convenient retractable carry handle on top, so it's easy enough to move from place to place.

Meanwhile, at 26kgs, the 520 is one of the heaviest non-car devices I've ever reviewed. Luckily, it has a suitcase-style, telescopic handle and two hard-wearing, easy-rolling wheels at the base, so it too is reasonably portable.

This is good news because there's no reason not to take your party on the road - both these PartyBoxes boast an (up to) 15 hour battery life and both have easily accessible battery compartments, so if you really want to go bush, you can purchase spare battery packs and swap them out as required.

Functionally, in many ways, these speakers have similar features. A play/pause button in the middle of a volume knob on one side, a lights on/off button in a lighting theme selector knob on the other. You'll also find JBL's obligatory Bass Boost button, a bluetooth pairing button and a set of silly sound effect buttons nobody has ever used on any speaker at any party ever.

What is of much more use is the Auracast button. As we've seen on pretty much every other recent JBL speaker, Auracast lets you link any enabled speakers you have, regardless of model or size. Not only does this mean you can combine the Encore 2's decent output with the 520's MIGHTY blast, it's also a clever hack that means you can use the 2 digital mics that come with the Encore 2 through its much more powerful, bigger brother.

Those wireless mics are pre-paired with the Encore 2 by the way - all you have to do is charge them up via USB-C, switch them on and you're good to go. There are separate mic controls for volume and echo and they also come with convenient stretchy holders that clip into the back of the speaker. Now you have karaoke and can travel.

Apart from the 400W vs 100W sheer power differential, the other major difference between these speakers is the number of I/O ports around the back. Both let you plug in a guitar or an external music source via 3.5mm AUX jack or USB-C. But the 520 reveals itself to be a genuine P.A. system with two hybrid standard/XLR (canon) inputs so you can plug in mics, instruments or perhaps even a turntable deck. There's even a pair of In and Out ports if you choose to daisy chain via hardline with other speakers - although, as we've established, Auracast essentially makes that unsightly cable business obsolete.

Right, let's talk lights. Personally, I've never really got the whole "lights built into your speaker" thing. I've always considered it a bit of a token add-on. And with JBL, I find it even more confusing because the built-in lights don't really seem to have changed that much over the years. I mean, if you want lights, get some lights. Even JBL has its own range of PartyLights. They're really good.

In saying that, yes, there are lights built into both the Encore 2 and the 520. It seems to be a three-way combination of the traditional RGB LED shape, top and bottom RGB bars and very bright, white strobe-like lights dotted throughout. As usual, these can play various different preset themes at random, or there might be one you particularly like. The JBL PartyBox app also lets you customise your own lighting design, which could be handy if your party was themed around a specific colour.

Despite my "meh" feelings towards them, other people seem to like the lights and there's a fairly new aspect to them that does actually make me happy. Again, it's that Auracast thing. Just like the JBL PartyLights I have reviewed before, when speakers are connected via Auracast, their light shows will eventually sync up too. You can watch this happen in the video below. Don't ask me why it doesn't happen straight away but the fact it happens at all is pretty cool - even I have to admit it.

There's a world of speakers - of all shapes and sizes - out there. But thanks to Auracast, I keep coming back to JBL. Some makes of smart speaker allow you to play from multiple units simultaneously but it usually requires a drawn-out setup process in an app - which you then have to alter if you want to use a different mix of speakers. It can get pretty complicated pretty fast. With Auracast, it's as easy as a press of a button, no Wi-Fi required. Tell your friends to bring their JBLs and add them to the party. Why not? Get the special features of one speaker (like the wireless digital mics paired with the Encore 2) on all your speakers.

That's the kind of user-friendly connectivity that means your party can carry on everywhere - inside or out - even beside the pool. After all, both the Encore 2 and 520 are IPX4 splash-proof. The 15-hour battery life means the party never stops and synced-up lighting from every speaker is bound to please the crowds... and maybe even me.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyBox 520.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyBox Encore 2.