HOVERAir X1 - I'm a Drone Guy Now

I've never been all that into drones.

I mean, it seems like a whole world of its own; a lot of high-tech, high-skill and high expense.

Most of the drone enthusiasts I've come across in the past have either been wannabe pilots or obsessive photographers. The first group wants to simulate the experience of flying - in many cases as fast and as crazy as possible. The second group just wants to capture the perfect shot from the perfect angle - even more important for budding movie-makers.

I don't have the skills or the desire to fit into either of those groups, although I have to admit, there have been plenty of times I wish I had another person to be my camera operator when I'm filming my very amateur-hour review videos.

It turns out, I didn't need another person at all. I just needed a smarter camera. With wings.

The HOVERAir X1 had my full attention before I even opened its box.

I knew I was being sent a drone to review... but what sort of drone would fit in such a small package? I've made toasted sandwiches bigger than this thing. When it's folded up, it literally fits in my jacket pocket.

The HOVERAir X1 comes in white or black and has its own soft carry-bag, a spare battery and a double charger included in the box. Every part of this device has been designed for performance, ease-of-use and efficiency - including the charger. Although it holds two batteries simultaneously, it charges one and then the other. This means instead of having two half-charged cells, you're more likely to have one all ready to go while the other finishes juicing up. Each 1050mAh cell only takes about 35 minutes to reach 100% in the charging hub anyway.

And that's the boring stuff out of the way because everything else about the HOVERAir X1 is just pure, unadulterated fun.

You can update and customise the drone using the Hover X1 app - a strangely set-out yet easy-to-follow interface that has a library of useful tutorial videos for someone like me, who's never even held a drone before, let alone used one.

But the thing is, with the HOVERAir X1, that doesn't matter because all the best bits are already pre-programmed and ready to go.

Amazingly, this drone, this tiny little drone, is quite capable of flying itself. There are only two buttons to worry about; the big one turns it on and the little one toggles through the six Flight Modes; Hover, Zoom-Out, Follow, Orbit, Bird-Eye and Custom.

Choose one, rest the HOVERAir X1 on your palm, push the big button again and away it goes. Yes, you can be filming yourself from a flying drone in a matter of seconds. The first time I used it it seemed far too easy but the results spoke for themselves.

Once the HOVERAir X1 is flying in the selected mode, it starts recording - as indicated by the LED above the camera turning red. The camera is on a fully automated gimbal mechanism that always keeps you in shot and makes up half of the hybrid image stabilisation system which guarantees the smoothest footage possible - even in fairly gusty conditions.

You read right, by the way. There's a Follow mode. Don't ask me how but this little piece of engineering magic will get a fix on you then stay the same distance away from you as you move... be that walking, running, cycling, skateboarding - whatever. Again, this is another thing I just couldn't believe was actually happening when I first tried it.

Each of these preset flight modes can be adjusted through the Hover X1 app - you can change things like the distance away from you in Follow Mode, the diameter maintained in Orbit Mode and of course the height in Zoom-Out and Bird-Eye modes.

Furthermore, once you've flown the HOVERAir X1 a bit, you'll unlock several custom flight modes, including Dolly-Track, Side-Track and manual control.

I'm not enough of a video expert to have known what Dolly-Track or Side-Track meant before I started using the HOVERAir X1 - but get used to a lot more of that sort of thing in my review videos from now on. Before drones, the only way to get a smooth walking-and-talking shot was to use either an expensive steady-cam arrangement on gimbals or an even more cumbersome camera-on-actual-tracks system.

Now you can move toward the camera (or along side it) resulting in a very professional travelling shot, no extra cameras or crew required.

As for flying the HOVERAir X1 manually from your phone - although you can do it, it's challenging to adjust all the flight controls in concert with the camera controls. I certainly get much better results from the automated flight modes, although you can pair a remote control which I'm sure would do a better job than stabbing at a phone screen.

Note; this isn't one of those drones you need to worry about getting in the way of low-flying aircraft, its maximum height tops out at 15 metres.

In fact, there are a few limitations you need to be aware of. The HOVERAir X1 can't fly in high winds, a fully charged battery will only sustain about ten minutes of continuous recording and its maximum speed is about 25km/h. This means it's probably not going to be the right device to film your cycling adventures - unless they're low-speed cycling adventures.

Excitingly, higher-spec models are on the way, promising not just greater speeds and increased range but also extra "pro" features like obstacle avoidance.

Meanwhile, I have to admit I should have read the instructions when it came to recording sound with my videos. I naively assumed the HOVERAir X1 was equipped with its own built-in mic and I was gobsmacked when I heard the results of the noise-cancelling on offer, cutting out the sound of the four propellors completely.

What I didn't realise is the sound recording happens on your phone, not the drone. This makes complete sense of course - how would the HOVERAir X1 be able to hear you properly from 15 metres away? I didn't discover my mistake until I recorded a bunch of videos without my phone and when I played them back, they were silent movies. Of course, the other advantage of this system is you can plug an external mic into your phone for even better sound quality.

As a first-time droner, I couldn't have asked for a better option than the HOVERAir X1. The wide range of automated flight modes accessible at the touch of a button make a potentially over-complicated device so damn easy to use. The fact you can literally take it out of your pocket and have it up and flying and filming in under a minute, makes this my favourite gadget of the year to date.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the HOVERAir X1.

Google TV Streamer - Chromecast Grows Up

The other day, a work colleague was complaining about his TV.

"There's nothing really wrong with it," he said. "It's just getting a bit out of date."

I suggested he try one of the latest streaming devices. After all, if there's nothing wrong with the TV's display, it's a lot cheaper to buy a dongle or a box than to replace the whole TV.

He didn't really know what I was talking about.

So this review is especially for him.

The Google TV Streamer is quite the departure from what preceded it, the Chromecast with Google TV.

As I've discussed at length in previous articles, right from its very first iteration, Google's Chromecast dongle worked so well, was so cheap and was so easy to use, it quickly became one of those products you use as a verb - like Rollerblading or Hoovering.

While it wasn't the only way to transmit (or cast) content from your phone, tablet or computer to your TV screen, it was certainly the most widely adopted and soon that little TV icon with the lines in the corner started appearing on all sorts of apps.

This was happening just as the viewing public began to shun conventional broadcast TV in favour of on-demand streaming - an evolution that became complete in my household years ago now.

Thanks to the Chromecast, all the TV had to do was turn on and off. The content could now be provided by another device with the Chromecast linking the two.

Google eventually streamlined this process even further. The Chromecast with Google TV pretty much eliminated the need for another source device altogether. It was still a dongle, hanging from an HDMI port at the back of your telly, but now you could install and log into Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and the rest, directly on the Chromecast itself.

As more 4K content arrived, so did a 4K Chromecast with Google TV, not to mention all the high-definition, cinema-style sound options as well.

Each Chromecast upgrade came at a very reasonable price and you could have conceivably kept using the same TV through every step in its development. (Although obviously you need a 4K panel to display 4K content)

Now Google has sacrificed some of the Chromecast's extreme portability and wirelessness in favour of a faster, more reliable connection and more powerful performance all round.

As a user interface, Google TV is everywhere, including on my TV of the year, the Sony BRAVIA 9. It's easy to navigate, it's familiar - especially for Android phone users - and it now comes in its own box. Essentially, the Google TV Streamer means you can have the very latest version of Google TV on your telly, regardless of what brand that telly is.

About twice the size of the Chromecast with Google TV dongle, the Google TV Streamer is technically a set-top box... although this small, flat slab is anything but box-like.

The rear of the device is just tall enough to accommodate a full-size HDMI socket and an ethernet port so you can connect directly to your home network via landline. This should guarantee both a faster and more stable internet connection, eliminating any pesky buffering pauses that dodgy Wi-Fi might be prone to. I have to say, given the change of form factor, I was a little disappointed to find there were no ethernet or HDMI cables in the box. Maybe that's how they keep the price down.

The Google TV Streamer has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, which apparently makes it 22% faster than Chromecast with Google TV. I've certainly been impressed with how snappy and fluid everything is. This alone might be a compelling reason to plug one into your television - especially if you're finding your apps are taking a long time to load or video takes a long time to start when you push play.

Another reason might be the remote control. The Streamer's remote is a little longer than last time, primarily to accomodate a full-sized volume rocker. Previously this was a much smaller control tucked away on the right-hand side and wasn't always the easiest to find with my fumbling digits. There's still not much else there though; it's fairly minimalist - still no play/pause button which means a double press of the control wheel for some apps.

However, you can access Google Assistant via the mic button, there are shortcuts for YouTube and Netflix and there's a programmable shortcut button too. This can be customised to launch your favourite app, switch inputs or even access IoT devices through Google Home. Yep, because the TV Streamer also acts as a Thread border router, you can set up and control other smart home devices like Nest security cameras and video doorbells.

As remotes go, it's still fairly wee. However, if you happen to lose it down the couch cushions or under a magazine, you can push a little button at the back of the set-top box to sound a find-me alarm. Or just ask Google.

Most importantly, you have access to the biggest TV app store around. Every app I wanted was available; from Plex to TVNZ Plus. You might need to have a little play with the settings to get the exact video and audio performance you want though. I found because of the TV and sound system I was using, choosing options like "Match content frame rate" and "Match content Dynamic Range" could prove problematic, affecting the brightness on some apps and even causing sound dropouts. After a bit of trial and error, I sorted these minor bugs out.

Oh, and I guess it goes without saying you can still cast to the TV Streamer from phone, tablet or computer, just like before. Except now you can use the remote to control the content when you do.

As you can see, if your TV just doesn't seem to be as smart as it used to be, for around NZ$175.00 you can now give it a brain transplant. And if previous devices are anything to go by, the Google TV Streamer will receive security and performance updates a lot more regularly and for a lot longer than any television I've ever used.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Google TV Streamer.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra - Deservedly Resting on Its Laurels

I didn't have to spend much time with this device to realise this was going to be one of those reviews where I have to pretend I'm not a tech geek who gets sent every cool gadget to try, the moment it's launched (and sometimes a bit before).

There aren't many "normal" people out there who upgrade devices like this every generation.

In fact, there are probably lots of people out there who would benefit greatly from an Android tablet like this but have never even used one before.

So I told myself I was going to come at this one like a newbie.

The truth is, no matter how much Samsung would have you believe otherwise, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is not so different from the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra... or even the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra I reviewed back in April 2022.

Even then, this was the king of all Android tablets - with a sublime screen clocking in at a whopping 14.6-inches. The size of the screen hasn't changed but the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is now even more immersive, with Samsung's latest anti-reflective technology keeping the majority of distracting glares and flares away.

Despite the huge screen, the device itself is just 5.4mm thick, which makes you feel like all you're holding is a screen and nothing else. Thankfully, I was sent Samsung's extremely rugged Outdoor Cover to help keep this NZ$2,449.00 sandwich of glass and metal safe. That's not to say the Tab S10 Ultra isn't reasonably robust on its own - it's one of the few tablets out there to carry an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. I just feel better having it tucked safely into such a nice, sturdy case.

Ironically, the case is last year's - specifically for the Tab S9 Ultra - so obviously there have been no dimensional changes here - at least not on the outside. It's a fantastic cover, by the way. A very firm and stable fold-out stand and a super secure slot for the S-Pen to stay magnetically charging on the back panel.

Inside it's a different story. We have a larger vapour chamber cooling system to keep the Tab 10 Ultra running at peak performance for longer. But the big news is Samsung has swapped out last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm and gone with the Mediatek MT6989 instead. Now, you may well be saying, "Who cares?" (other than the people at Snapdragon, obviously) but in real terms what this means is faster, smoother, more reliable performance. And more efficiency too - who doesn't want a bit more battery life?

Without being able to compare the Tab S10 Ultra with the previous device directly, all I can do is assure you everything works faultlessly. It doesn't seem to matter how many apps are open at once, I can be answering an email while pausing a game and everything just keeps going. Well... except for Netflix. I can watch everything else, Disney+ and the like - but although I can log into Netflix and select something from my Continue Watching list, when I hit play, it doesn't. Yes, I've uninstalled and reinstalled. Yes, I've turned everything off and back on again.

Given this giant, portable screen with an amazing speaker system is the perfect option for a bit of bedtime viewing, I hope either Samsung or Netflix can sort this issue out soon. This isn't the first time I've run into issues with Netflix working on some devices and not others. No idea why it is so fussy when every other streaming app always seems to work fine.

That small hiccup aside, the Tab S10 Ultra is a pleasure to use. I've added accessories like a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to turn it into a mobile workstation. In combination with the previously mentioned Outdoor Cover, this quickly becomes as close to a desktop experience as an Android tablet can get - especially when you toggle into DeX Mode. If you haven't seen this variation of Samsung's UI before, it essentially transforms your home screen from a giant version of your phone into a more computer-like environment, including a taskbar with open or frequently used apps across the bottom.

I also paired a Play Station controller for gaming (the graphics performance has been boosted as well) and was even able to play Xbox games via Cloud Gaming on my browser. All of this worked brilliantly, a realisation of the way different platforms and tech brands are finally making themselves more accessible to each other.

But the thing Samsung really wants you to focus on with the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is AI. It is 2024 after all and Samsung has been pushing Galaxy AI big-time since it launched its S24-series handsets right at the beginning of the year.

All the Galaxy AI tools and tricks we've seen rolled out across devices like the S24 Ultra and Z Fold6 a just as effective on this tablet too - if not more so.

For example, the ability to review and summarise large documents is a legitimate time-saver. Translating both text and audio is essential for many people. And for students, Galaxy AI must be an absolute godsend; from advanced notetaking to using complex maths formulae, you can now get Galaxy AI to perform many of these tasks for you, even when you're inputting the information using the S-Pen.

Again, we've seen how advanced the S-Pen has become on the flagship handsets this year but it really comes into its own on a big, bright, beautiful screen like this. Actions like Circle-to-Search and Sketch-to-Image now seem like the most natural things in the world. Want to add a birthday hat onto that one stick-in-the-mud family member who refused to join the fun at the party? No problem. The Tab S10 Ultra is the perfect device for photo editing.

In fact, it's the perfect device for a lot of things - gaming, browsing, streaming (other than Netflix) or studying... I challenge you to find a more versatile and powerful device with a display this size, in such a slim, mobile form factor. Have there been dramatic upgrades since 2022? Maybe not. But that doesn't mean this isn't still the undisputed world champion of Android tablets.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.

 

Apple Watch Series 10 - Almost Ultra

When the Apple Watch Ultra was launched back in 2022, it seemed to solve a lot of the minor niggles people had had with Apple Watches up until that point.

It had a comparatively large display, its titanium casing made it ruggedly indestructible, it was waterproof enough to dive with and it set new standards for battery life and GPS accuracy.

Oh - and it even had an extra button to fire off a programmed shortcut of your choice.

A year later, a 2nd-generation Ultra emerged, with a brighter display and a faster chip.

This year though... no new Ultra... althoug you can now get it in black.

However, there might be another option. It's cheaper. And it's also an Apple Watch.

The September 2024 Apple launch was perhaps most notable for the way base model devices were upgraded to a level that made them serious contenders with their Pro or Ultra counterparts.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come with the same, new Camera Control button and the same next generation chip as the Pro and Pro Max.

The new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation also have a new chip, a host of new features and yes, they even have Active Noise Cancellation. Just like the AirPods Pro 2.

In a similar fashion, even the base-model Series 10 Apple Watch is a serious piece of tech wizardry.

Firstly, yes, it also comes in black. Jet Black, in fact. There have been other black Apple Watches before but here they've used a new polishing-followed-by-anodisation process to produce a high-gloss finish with the colour literally baked-in to the aluminium. There are also more matte Rose Gold and Silver aluminium finishes, or you can upgrade to the polished titanium options of Natural, Gold or Slate.

The titanium version is almost 20% lighter than the stainless steel variant in last year's Series 9 watches and it's aerospace-grade titanium so it's very strong and durable.

Whichever material you go for, this year the metal finish carries on around to the back casing, which not only looks nice but Apple has also managed to embed the antennae into the casing which has improved connectivity.

The Watch 10 is also the thinnest ever; a millimetre thinner than the last three Apple Watches. Now, I know a single millimetre doesn't sound like much but when the previous model was only 10.7mm to begin with, it's no surprise you can feel the difference as soon as you put it on. You really do notice how much lighter and thinner it is, which is great news if you plan on wearing it to bed for sleep tracking - and I have a compelling reason to do that for you shortly.

But first, it's important to note, despite being the thinnest and lightest Apple Watch ever, it actually has the largest display (assuming you choose the 46mm version over the 43mm model). That's even bigger than the screen on on the Apple Watch Ultra. What's more, it curves away sensually at the edges with hardly any bezel at all, unlike the flat, slightly inelegant display on the Ultra.

The wide-angle OLED display is also new. Apple claims it's up to 40% brighter when viewed from an angle. Sure enough, when I have the Watch 10 in Always On Display mode, I can surreptitiously note any incoming notifications without having to raise my wrist at all. It's almost enough to make a boring meeting bearable.

In terms of other hardware upgrades, Series 10 now detects sleep apnea. Once activated, you'll be notified if there's any dangerously irregular breathing going on during your slumber. This is a potential lifesaver. I, like many others, have come to rely on my Apple Watch for reassurance around things like atrial fibrillation. When I first contracted covid, I had a very rough night when I experienced stabbing chest pains. A clear ECG was enough to reassure me I wasn't about to die.

I'm not proposing your Apple Watch should ever replace your doctor but if it suggests I might be suffering from sleep apnea, I'll definitely be making a call.

Another major modification - and this will be of special interest if you're considering the Apple Watch Ultra instead - is water detection, both depth and temperature. So now, just like the Ultra, there's a Depth app which can measure down to six metres, which should be more than enough for most snorkellers. I've also found the water temperature sensor to be very useful when it comes to deciding if I'm going to jump in a pool or not.

Then of course, Watch OS brings some interesting tricks to the table in its eleventh iteration.

Tides is an immensely useful app, especially for those of us here in New Zealand, where most of us live within an hour of the coast. I love the Translate app - real time, on-device translation, both in text and read aloud. So useful.

You can now measure your training load, in order to gauge how your workouts are affecting your body over time. You can pause your Activity rings when you're unwell, travelling or otherwise unable to carry out your usual fitness routines, thereby saving yourself a workout guilt-trip from your wrist. There's even a new Vitals app which takes a more holistic view of your well-being, monitoring health metrics day and night over time so you can figure out what's gone wrong (or right) if something unusual happens with your trends.

There's so much going on with this new Apple Watch - and that's before we even get to the fact your phone calls will now sound better thanks to a dramatic improvement in noise cancellation on the built-in mic array.

One thing that hasn't really changed is battery life. Even Apple admits you should only expect to get up to 18 hours use on a full charge. This is frustrating, especially given the emphasis on sleep tracking this year. There is a low power mode but nobody really wants to reduce the functionality of a device this functional to save battery. What's more, you just know in a year or two the battery is likely to drain even faster.

Luckily, and this actually blows my mind, the Series 10 charges much faster than before. Don't worry; that doesn't mean you need a new charging puck. Once again, it's all thanks to that new metal back casing. They've integrated a larger, more efficient charging coil so just 8 minutes on the charger while you're brushing your teeth and getting your jim-jams on should get you a full 8-hours sleep tracking. Nice.

So the Watch 10 is smaller and lighter but the display is bigger. The battery's the same but it charges quicker. It senses and monitors more than ever, including depth, water temperature and sleep apnea. And yes, you can get it in glossy Jet Black.

You sure you still need that Ultra?

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple Watch Series 10.

Dyson Airstrait - The Best Straightener I Never Used

Hair and I have always had a strained relationship.

In my teen years I was determined to let it be free to explore its own boundaries. As a result, my hair was thick, long and a complete mess.

But as time passed and I was encouraged to take my personal appearance more seriously, I tried to achieve some kind of... you know... a style.

This involved a lot of experimentation with different products and numerous trips to barbers and hairdressers to try and get things under control.

Unfortunately, while a triple-crown is highly sought after in horse racing, it turns out it's a complete nightmare when it comes to making your hair do anything useful - especially with hair as dense and as wavy as mine.

Eventually, I tried the most expensive hairdresser in town. "I just need a style that looks half decent that I can easily maintain myself," I pleaded.

He took one look at my three whorls, each rotating in an opposite direction to another and said, "I think you'd be best to shave it all off."

So I did. And never looked back. Especially given my hairline was already on a quick march back - even in my early 20s.

None of this was great news for my future daughters, however. They inherited thick waves like mine and yet have seemed reluctant to shave their heads, despite my repeated recommendation over the years.

Instead, they've struggled on. As has their mother. Both with me and keeping their hair under control.

If only Dyson had come along sooner.

Yes, although I have no hair of my own, may I present to you the Dyson Airstrait? - yet another one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas from the genius engineers who brought you the bladeless fan and of course, a succession of the world's greatest vacuum cleaners.

Upon receiving my Prussian Blue/Rich Copper review unit, (it also comes in Bright Nickel/Rich Copper) I immediately called for volunteers to trial the Airstrait on my behalf. Let's just say the three other people who actually have hair in my house weren't backward in coming forward.

While, for obvious reasons, I'm no expert, I've come to appreciate the golden rule of hair-styling; people with curly hair want it to be straight while people with straight hair want it to be curly.

As I've already mentioned, my three live-in test subjects fall into the first category and as such, over the years, have all spent thousands of dollars on various straightening tools and even extravagant chemical processes that take hours, performed by professional hairdressers.

So what if you could achieve the same result in a matter of minutes?

This is what the Dyson Airstrait promises; regardless of whether your hair is wet or dry, two or three passes should be all you need for a shiny, healthy, salon-straight result.

As excited as my willing lab-rats were to try the Airstrait out, I think it's safe to say they were pretty skeptical about Dyson's claims. After all, even I know hair takes time. I know this because I'm usually spending that time waiting in the car when we're supposed to be going out.

But it didn't take many turns with the Airstrait to convert that skepticism into evangelism.

At first I was hearing comments like, "It just doesn't seem to get hot like my other straighteners."

I couldn't argue. It doesn't. In fact, the Airstrait doesn't have any hotplates at all. As usual, the Dyson team looked at the problem from scratch, quickly realising that a controlled, high-pressure flow of air can achieve the same straightening effect as sandwiching your precious tresses between two scorching pieces of metal.

In fact, it turns out you might not need much heat at all.

This means no heat damage and certainly no risk of scorching your precious locks.

And of course, because it's using air, you can literally dry while you straighten - all the while trusting Dyson's intelligent heat control - the same tech wizardry found in the Airwrap and the Supersonic - to measure the temperature 16 times per second. This prevents your hair becoming brittle over time and actually achieves the opposite; a healthy shine.

I'm not just saying that, I've been told it by my test crew and I've seen it for myself.

In fact, the same hair-owner who initially complained the Airstrait doesn't get hot enough quickly changed her tune when she saw the results and started getting spontaneous compliments about how shiny her now totally frizz-free hair was looking. 

She also had to admit once she got used to the new straightening technique, it was a massive time-saver.

The other spinoff (excuse the pun) is because Dyson's Hyperdymium motor is creating a carefully directed yet powerful, high pressure airflow to do the straightening, there's no requirement to squeeze the two arms of the Airstrait together, so the using it is much less tiring on your hands.

Whether you're using it in wet or dry mode, the Airstrait also runs surprisingly quietly and take it from me, if you're up early and trying to disturb your partner as little as possible as you get ready for work, less noise is always welcome.

As usual for Dyson, you'll pay a premium for the Airstrait; NZ$799.00. But also as usual for Dyson, this device has been rigorously tested for durability and is likely to outlast cheaper alternatives. And of course, once you add up the time you've saved drying and styling your hair - not to mention less of a need to visit the salon for pricey chemical treatments - this is one Christmas present suggestion that will pay for itself pretty quickly.

It almost makes me wish I had hair.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson Airstrait.

Samsung Music Frame - Milking a Great Idea

These days it's rare to witness a truly original idea in tech.

Or at least, sometimes it seems the moment somebody has one, everybody else is doing it too.

That's why I was so surprised to see Samsung's Frame TVs go virtually unchallenged in the marketplace until just this year.

By recognising the fact that not everyone thinks having a huge telly as the centrepiece of their living room is the height of interior decor, Samsung cornered the market in TVs that don't look like TVs.

The key here, of course, was that while it was a simple idea, it was also expertly executed.

The Frame TV has been popular, especially in New Zealand, not just because it can look like a piece of art when you're not using it but also because it's a really great, full-featured TV when you are.

But this is not a TV review.

The Music Frame also looks like a picture in a frame. But in this case, that's because it is.

The piece of art on display is not a screen... it's an actual piece of art. Each music Frame comes with a couple of choices in the box but of course there's nothing stopping you using your own. The front panel simply pulls off revealing a high quality, reusable matte with a sturdy backing that allows you to slide different pictures in and out. There are also corner mounts included in the box that can be affixed to a larger "Art Panel" - this displays artworks 13-inches by 13-inches without a matte around the edges - although I don't seem to be able to find a local supplier for this option.

But let's not get distracted, because, just like the Frame TV, the Music Frame is not really about the art - whatever you decide that to be. This is also a bloody good speaker.

It comes with both a substantial stand and an equally robust wall-mount in the box. That's because it's quite heavy - 4.6kg to be exact. Now I don't know about you but in my experience, a heavy speaker often means a quality speaker. A solid build is more likely to accomodate a big, rich, powerful sound with less chance of distortion or rattle. That certainly seems to be the case here.

Setup is through the Samsung SmartThings app, where you can connect it to your Wi-Fi network, update the firmware and link with your Amazon Alexa and Spotify accounts. Oddly, you don't seem to be able to link any other streaming services directly - not even Amazon Music, which seems strange given you can use Alexa to control the device.

That being said, you can connect a source device any number of ways; bluetooth, Apple Airplay or even as a Google Chromecast.

It's all a bit overwhelming actually - as are the settings available on the SmartThings app. You can adjust the EQ to your preference but then there's a Sound Mode option, with the choices of Standard, Music or Adaptive Sound+. Oh, and there's also a SpaceFit toggle. How could I forget that?

The problem - and I guess it's a nice problem to have - is there's just so many ways to use this speaker. 
Including pairing it with your TV.

Believe it or not, because the Music Frame is so powerful and has excellent bass response, it's actually not a half bad soundbar - although with no HDMI port you only have the option to connect wirelessly or via optical cable. But if you want real magic, grab yourself a late model Samsung TV with the Q-Symphony feature.

I talked a bit about this in last week's Samsung S95D OLED review; Q-Symphony lets you add any combination of Samsung speakers, soundbars and subwoofers to the TV's own, built-in speaker system to create the ultimate, surround-sound home theatre listening experience. This isn't just room-filling audio, it'll reach absolutely every corner.

That's where the aforementioned features like Adaptive Sound+ and SpaceFit really come into their own, intelligently analysing the content being played and matching it to the room it's being played in.

And you don't need to be watching a Marvel blockbuster to appreciate it. Right now I've grouped two Music Frames together and I'm listening to the live version of John Mayer's "Why, Georgia." The effect of this expertly performed and recorded track played through these speakers instantly transports me to the Nokia Theatre, L.A. in 2007. The space, the crowd, the live feel - all reproduced exquisitely.

Oddly, grouping two Music Frames together like this doesn't create a stereo pair, yet when you add them to a Samsung TV's Q-Symphony setup, you can designate them left and right or even use them as rear surrounds.

At their initial NZ$750 asking price, that would have added up to a fairly extravagant home stereo but the Music Frame is currently available on the Samsung website for just NZ$479 - which I consider a bargain considering what it's capable of.

See? So many ways to enjoy this speaker. And it doesn't even look like a speaker.

If you love your Frame TV because of its ability to morph into a beautiful piece of art, pairing it with a couple of Music Frames seems like a bit of a no-brainer.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Music Frame (HW-LS60D).

JBL Soundgear Frames - Surprisingly Not Terrible

The whole point of new technology is to push the barriers. To have crazy ideas and see if you can make them work.

Not that long ago, the idea of a folding phone screen seemed fanciful - an intriguing concept but not physically practical or even possible. Yet now they're everywhere.

We've seen a lot of this sort of tech daydreaming around eyeglasses. With a form factor already established to be comfortable, portable and unobtrusive, could we add a camera, perhaps? Recording what we see as we see it. Or let's go a step further. Augmented Reality. Surely it'll catch on eventually? Aren't a pair of glasses the perfect AR displays, just waiting for content?

Well, it turns out to date, most consumers thought both those ideas were terrible.

Hidden cameras? No thanks. A virtual world getting in the way of the real one? Nup, not ready for that just yet.

Then JBL came along with a third suggestion...

The best thing about the JBL Soundgear Frames is they pretty much just look like a cool pair of sunglasses. Well, I think they look cool anyway.

Available in both a round or a square style, in a choice of Amber, Pearl or Onyx, the only hint most onlookers would have that these aren't just another pair of sunnies is the small JBL logo halfway along each arm.

But a really close inspection (and I mean, you'd have to get quite rudely into the wearer's personal space) reveals the arms of these styley shades are jam-packed with tiny electronic audio wizardry, turning the Soundgear Frames into the most open of all, open-fit earphones.

The idea here is you'll never need to wear earbuds as well as sunglasses ever again. This will literally be music to the ears of many people who don't like wearing earbuds or who can't get them to fit. Now those people can join the rest of us, accompanying their walks, runs or cycles with their favourite playlist or podcast, no buds required.

Too good to be true? That's certainly what I assumed when I heard about them, so I was obliged to try the Soundgear Frames for myself.

I was immediately impressed with these sunglasses straight out of the box. They come with an attractive, charcoal-coloured soft case and the glasses themselves are not at all heavy or unwieldy. I was expecting an aesthetic assault of wires and exposed circuitry, especially given I'd gone with Pearl, the most transparent colour option. But in actuality, JBL has done a deft job of keeping most of that stuff out of sight, or at least on the inside of the arms where most other people won't notice it. There's nothing out of the ordinary about the front of the Frames at all - just a couple of UV A/B blocking lenses surrounded by a translucent frame (I went for square, not round) set off with a very durable-looking, yet stylishly brushed metal hinge in each corner.

I really like the look, although the Domestic Manager informs me they're way too small for my face. Unfortunately, it's true; I do have a Big Giant Head and I usually struggle to find hats that fit, let alone glasses. Hopefully, JBL might come out with an XL option in the future if this little experiment pays off for them.

I also usually wear prescription sunglasses as I'm quite shortsighted. Luckily, JBL says you can take the Soundgear Frames to your optometrist and get corrective lenses fitted. I haven't attempted this, so I'm unsure of the cost - but the Frames themselves retail for only NZ$199.95 - cheaper than many of the fashion options on display at most optometrists anyway.

You'll also find an unusual charging cable in the box - a Y-shaped cord with a USB-A plug at one end and two USB-Cs at the other. This is because the two arms need to be charged independently - there's a USB-C port subtly tucked underneath each one. You'll get approximately 8 hours playback on a full charge, which compares pretty favourably with most other wireless earbuds out there.

Pairing works pretty much the same way - the Frames turn on automatically when you unfold the arms and put them on, powering down as soon as you fold them up again. The JBL logo on each arm also doubles as your touch controls and these can be customised to a certain extent using the JBL Headphones app. The app also offers a selection of preset EQs or you can customise your own. This is worth having a play with because as although the sound produced from these sunglasses is surprisingly good... it's unusual.

"Claude Monet" by Aussie pop-rockers Thirsty Merc is usually a great example of dynamic contrast and while the voice-over guitar breakdown in the middle is clear and intense when playing on the Frames, you never really achieve the powerful highs of each chorus when the rest of the band comes crashing in.

Likewise, on a track like ELO's "Standing In the Rain," there's a lot going on - including a full orchestra. The Soundgear Frames do a nice job of creating stereo separation and accurately picking out different components of the track but again, there's just nowhere near enough raw power to really appreciate the scale of the production.

More acoustic artists like Ed Sheeran and Mitch James fare much better - not too much drum and bass required but despite JBL's claims of "grooving to R & B" or "upbeat EDM" - I don't think the bass drops would get anyone dancing with their hands in the air here.

While none of this would satisfy any hardcore hi-fi enthusiasts out there, funnily enough for me, it's not so important because I usually listen to podcasts, not music. For talk-based audio, the slightly underpowered soundscape the Frames produces is perfectly adequate.

The upshot of all this is yes, the Soundgear Frames are a great option for anyone who wants to listen to music at the beach, on the run, on the bike - wherever - without any risk of buds falling out, or any of the discomfort many people complain of when wearing earbuds. The sound quality is far from perfect but it's even further away from bad and that's probably good enough for a large chunk of the market. 

By the way, I just checked with both my daughters and I can confirm my face is definitely too fat for these glasses. Oh well.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Soundgear Frames.