JBL Tour Pro 3 - The Everything Earbuds

Here's how my tech addiction works.

I'm going about my life, perfectly happy and content. I have my collection of toys and gadgets. Some make my life better. Some are just for fun. And, to be perfectly honest, some are a bit of a flex, just me showing off to other nerds who care about this kind of stuff.

Then I become aware of a new tech development I don't have. Often, it will be something I didn't even know I needed. Okay, I probably (definitely) don't NEED it... but FOMO quickly takes over and suddenly I can't live without it. Whatever it is.

The new JBL earbuds are a bit like that.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 might just be the most full-featured pair of buds I've ever stuck in my ears.

This begins before you even get them out of the case, as this model is one of several JBL offers with a "smart" charging case, easily spotted by its 1.57-inch touchscreen display. This alone could be reason enough for you to consider the Tour Pro 3. Being able to control your connections, adjust EQs, noise cancellation and other settings without having to open the JBL Headphones app on your phone is damn handy - especially if it's not your phone you're currently listening to.

Thanks to the latest Bluetooth 5.3 LE connectivity, these are great buds to pair with your TV, streaming box, console or gaming handset - very little lag and a reliable connection.

I strongly advise you to start with the Headphones app though - when you have this many features to play with there's quite a lot of setting up and tweaking to be done. Thanks to what JBL calls Personi-fi 3.0, you can specifically customise the sound scheme to your individual preferences. This doesn't just mean setting an EQ, you can also tailor-make an Active Noise Cancelling setup that's unique to your surroundings and if you've got a spare 5 minutes, it's worthwhile taking the Personi-fi hearing test so the Tour Pro 3 can boost the frequencies you usually miss out on.

Then you can let the hybrid dual-drivers do their thing. This means the classic JBL bass response you'd expect and genuine Hi-Res audio courtesy of the 24-bit LDAC codec.

"Training Season" by Dua Lipa is one of those perfectly produced pop songs; great beat, catchy hook and clever use of different dynamics to keep you listening all the way through. Every element is beamed into my brain powerfully and with crystal clarity.

Kylie Minogue's "Someone For Me" is the same but different. Her voice is heavily effected throughout, even multi-tracked in the chorus to achieve a gang-vocal vibe. This time everything is electric - no acoustic vibe at all - yet despite that, the Tour Pro 3 drivers provide enough space for the bass to keep the party going while other keyboard effects drop in and out.

"Empire" by Dean Lewis is quite the contrast; all acoustic guitars and hand claps. Yet here again, the somewhat sonically empty track still manages to fill my head.

A big part of why these buds sound so "big" is thanks to the fit. JBL really gives you all the options here; five sizes of silicone ear tips and if that's not enough, there's even a set of foam tips in the box. Many people find these more comfortable and thanks to the way the foam moulds itself to your ear canals, they provide excellent passive noise cancellation too. On the downside, foam isn't quite as durable as silicone and it's a bit harder to keep clean - but it's nice to have the choice.

The ANC is outstanding, by the way - although I have to say, decent noise cancelling is fast becoming a minimum expectation from premium buds like these so I was happy to find the Tour Pro 3 didn't disappoint.

I do have to mark the Tour Pro 3 down a little for gesture customisations. The buds are controlled with single-taps, double-taps and tap-&-holds. Frustratingly, although you can assign volume, ANC or media controls to either bud, only the single and double-taps can be changed - and then only as a pair of controls for either bud.

For example, you can have volume controls on the left bud and ANC on the right, but not down volume on one side and up on the other.

And whatever you choose, the tap-&-hold is reserved for your voice assistant. On both buds. Which is dumb. It's a voice assistant. I can summon it with my voice.

The JBL Headphones app is also how you update the firmware - again, something I highly recommend, although it takes a frustratingly long time. Doubly long given the charging case will probably also require a firmware update itself.

But it's well worth it due to the FOMO features I haven't even got to yet.

You see, the Tour Pro 3 charging case also doubles as a bluetooth transmitter, which is why it comes with both 3.5mm AUX and USB-C audio cables in the box. This means you can literally plug the case into any external source with an audio-out - like a laptop or aeroplane entertainment screen - and your Tour Pro 3 buds will connect automatically, no pairing required. Think about that; high quality, personalised listening on the plane without the bulk of an over-ear headset.

Of course, you need great battery life for a long flight. How does 11 hours on a full charge sound? (Not to mention another 33 in the case)

And that case, that wonderful, magical case, still has one more trick up its sleeve; Auracast.

Last year JBL introduced Auracast connectivity to its range of bluetooth speakers. This allowed any recent model JBL speaker, no matter the size, to connect and stream in sync with the source device at the push of a button. Guess what? The Tour Pro 3 can do that too.

Simply swipe that (by now indispensable) screen to scroll to the Auracast settings and you can send whatever you're listening to to any other nearby Auracast-enabled device. You don't even need to have the buds in, you can just use the case as a wireless transmitter.

Better still, it also works the other way. This means if you like to listen louder (or quieter) than someone else in the room, if it's an Auracast speaker, you can now hear what it's playing through your Tour Pro 3 buds.

See? It's a very long list of features and I didn't even get to the 6-mic array that provides noise-free phone calls and video chats. And there's probably other stuff I've forgotten. If you were wondering if you're getting value for money from a set of earbuds that costs NZ$429.95... stop wondering.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tour Pro 3.

Technics EAH-AZ100 - Is There Anything These Buds Can't Do?

When Technics suddenly appeared in the True Wireless earbuds market a couple of years ago, it hit the ground running with some of the best examples of in-ear audio available to consumers at the time.

So it stands to reason the latest generation has taken Technics' proud history of audio excellence to a whole new level.

The AZ100 look very similar to the first few Technics buds I've tried. That is to say, not like any other earbuds out there. Well, I suppose there's an unavoidable resemblance to the previous generation AZ80 as Technics has kept the unusual "concha-fit" design which corkscrews its way into your ear canals to ensure a comfortable and secure fit.

But when compared side-by-side, it's easy to see how much more compact the new model is - especially on the outer-half of the earbuds. They're still a bit of a fashion statement - especially given the trademark Technics machined disc effect on the touch pads - but they no longer feel like they're sticking out awkwardly.

Even the charging case is smaller and lighter but not to worry, it still charges wirelessly as well as via USB-C.

The comfy, snug fit is further enhanced by the choice of ear tips; there are five sizes included in the box. This is great news for someone like me who has mismatching ear holes. It took me years of reviews before I realised I needed a smaller tip for my left ear, not a bigger one. The AZ100 buds are rock solid and with their IPX4 water-resistance they're the perfect option for exercise, being pretty much sweat-proof.

The Technics team seems pretty proud of what it's achieved with the Active Noise Cancelling on the AZ100s - and deservedly so. It might just be the best ANC I've experienced from in-ear devices. They've brought a similar level of expertise to what they're calling Voice Focus AI. Not only does this remove background noise from your voice as heard by others on your phone or video call, it will also tidy up their voice for you. Nothing artificial about that intelligence. It's just plain clever.

As is the new driver setup. Treat your ears to the magic of the Magnetic Fluid Driver. They've literally filled these things up with some kind of mystical oil that pretty much eliminates any distortion or vibration. Smooth.

Like any high-end piece of audio technology, I've discovered the trick to getting the most out of the EAH-AZ100 is tweaking the settings to your personal preference. This will take you a bit of time. There are a lot of settings in the Technics Audio Connect app.

A lot.

I'm not just talking about adjusting the EQ, choosing from a list of presets or custom-making your own.

Nor am I referring to the noise-cancelling settings, which should be tuned to your unique environment before you even begin listening.

No, you've got far more important decisions to make. Like exactly which connection protocol are you going to go for? LDAC for high resolution listening? Spatial Audio to enable authentic head-tracking (pretty fun when gaming or watching movies). Or are you really going to make the most of the latest lossless streaming apps and enable the relatively new LE Audio mode, the low-energy but super-stable bluetooth connection that takes mobile listening to another level?

The downside to having all these options - apart from the time it takes to choose the one that suits you best - is that some aren't compatible with others. For example, you can't use Spatial Audio in LE Audio mode. In fact, changing certain protocols will require you to re-pair the AZ100 completely.

But trust me, the end result is definitely worth it.

The bouncing bass-line on Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" proved to be the perfect track to demonstrate just how lusciously the AZ100 drivers handle the low end of the frequency spectrum. Somehow these bobbing, bass beats not only sound warm and cosy but everything stays accurate, right across the aural range. I'm not surprised; Technics prides itself on its studio-accurate sound reproduction. Still, this might be the best bass I've heard from a pair of earbuds.

Whether that can be directly attributed to the new magnetic fluid technology, I couldn't speculate. Maybe it's just a psychological thing but this really does feel like a warm bath for my ears - a bath set at just the right temperature; not too hot, no too cold. 

Meanwhile, the opening acoustic guitar-versus-bass-drum verse of "Missing Piece" by Vance Joy is just as precise and using my preferred combination of settings, the stereo effects are really fun, creating more space than seems possible in such a little track - a bit like Dr Who's Tardis, bigger on the inside.

And Super Bowl half-timer, Kendrick Lamar's "squabble up" is just crazy, a riotous combination of monotone bass, guest vocals drifting in and out, sci-fi sound effects and every word of Lamar's confrontational rhymes punching through loud and clear.

If I had to single out a single feature that I appreciate more than any other it would be the touch sensor customisation. I'm often frustrated with other earbuds when it comes to operations like adjusting volume or turning ANC on and off. Sometimes you can assign certain things to certain controls but rarely can you literally set it up any old way you want. That's exactly what you can do on the AZ100s. For me, long pressing the right bud to wind up the volume and long pressing the left to turn it down just seems more instinctive. Now I can have it that way.

If these earbuds aren't perfect, they're pretty damn close. Plenty of options to ensure a rock-solid, comfy fit. Great battery life. Perhaps the best ANC I've heard (or not heard) and not just super-accurate, studio-quality sound reproduction but pretty much every bluetooth and hi-res connection option available.

Too many options. Too many ways to make these buds yours. So make them yours.

    

Click here for more information on Technics AZ100.

ECOVACS DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS - When Less Is Best

Make no mistake, I've been a convert of robot vacuums for years. There's nothing like coming home from work - or even a holiday - to discover your house has been freshly vacuumed.

But if there's one thing I've learned about these technological timesavers, it's that they require more attention than you might have initially suspected.

Just because they're robots doesn't mean they can do everything themselves. Yes, some have their own self-cleaning stations, but those stations still need emptying eventually. Brushes and filters also wear out over time and will need replacing. 

The good news is, one of the latest DEEBOT robot vacuums from ECOVACS now does a much better job of looking after itself.

The DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS doesn't look dramatically different from other ECOVACS robot vacuums but the same can't be said for its auto-empty station. It's quite a compact home base and unlike previous models that contained large, disposable bags to collect the dust, dirt and other detritus, here ECOVACS introduces its PureCyclone Technology. 

Instead of emptying into a large bag that you eventually have to throw away and replace, everything is sucked directly into an easily-removable, 400ml dust chamber which just clicks out for you to empty, then clicks back in just as easily.

There are so many advantages to this new system, other than the fact you're not having to fork out for replacement dust bags every few months. Obviously, it means less waste, so it's better for the environment. It also maintains total suction right up until the chamber is full and the dust chamber on board the N20 vacuum itself stays spotlessly empty after every clean. This in turn means the vacuum also maintains full power and I can assure you, that 8000Pa of suction leaves your floors looking amazing, every time.

The N20 PRO PLUS also features a new, four-stage filter system, keeping any unwanted dust or odours to an absolute minimum - great news for you allergy-prone sneezers out there.

Another new innovation is the ZeroTangle main brush head. ECOVACS claims the combination of flat and outward-rotating angled bristles with a double set of comb teeth prevents hair getting wrapped around the roller brush. 

This is a constant issue in my house, as it is occupied by three long-haired ladies and a dog. Unfortunately, the DEEBOT's ZeroTangle system doesn't quite seem to live up to the hype and I still find myself having to cut tangled hair from the roller every few cleans. On the upside, there aren't any rubber blades on this brush head, which always seem to be the first things to wear out on other vacuums so again, it looks like I won't have to replace the roller as often.

There's only one side brush on the N20 PRO PLUS whereas many other robot vacuums have two. These spinning, brushes are designed to sweep debris from corners and the base of skirting boards into the path of the main roller to be sucked up. I was worried one brush less would make this device half as effective but as far as I can tell, it's more than smart enough to compensate, spinning around in tight spaces to ensure the most thorough clean possible. Yet again, this will save me money as it's one less accessory I'll have to replace when it wears out.

Depending on your budget, robot vacuums handle mopping one of two ways; either you manually add some kind of mopping attachment or there's an automated filling and emptying feature on the base station. Having your robot fill itself with clean water, go out and mop, then return to drain the dirty water and clean itself certainly sounds very sci-fi. But guess what? Sooner or later you're going to have to fill up that clean water tank in the base station and deal with the dirty water tank too. Ick.

Unless things can progress to the point where the base station can be plumbed in, (no, I don't know how that would work either, but they did it with fridges) I now think it's easier to do things the N20 way; a separate mopping module with its own water reservoir and a replaceable pad underneath. You just fill it up, pop it in and let the automated mopping begin. I've always been impressed with the results from DEEBOT mopping and with the latest OZMO Pro 2.0 vibrating mopping system, ECOVACS has only improved the experience, leaving a spotless, quick-dry finish.

There have also been improvements to the high-traction drive wheels on the N20 PRO PLUS, now ensuring door-sills, mats and rugs up to 20mm high are literally no obstacle. This can actually cause its own issues, which I'll explain shortly - but for the most part, I've found the object detection, avoidance and general manoeuvrability to be first-rate.

The potential for trouble arises once the N20 PRO PLUS has completed its initial scan and mapping of your floor plan when you first set it up. Although the automated mapping procedure is very quick and leaves you with an accurate map you can customise, if you have floor-level windows or ranch-sliders, the DEEBOT will scan right through the glass and add whatever's outside as an extra room. Unless you then separate this "ghost room" using a virtual boundary on your map in the ECOVACS HOME app, next time the N20 vacuums when you leave the ranch-slider open, it'll probably just carry on outside, easily summiting any low doorstep, happily vacuuming or mopping your deck.

This is exactly what happened to me and of course, I was able to solve the issue with the late application of the aforementioned virtual boundary. Trouble is, while out on the deck, the DEEBOT must have sucked up some fairly large leaves. Quite impressive... until I couldn't figure out why that oh-so-powerful PureCylone auto-empty station wasn't emptying anything. Turned out, one of those leaves was blocking up the works.

Nice to know there's enough suction for an object of that size but kind of annoying I can't just delete those "ghost rooms" off my map. This has always been an issue with the DEEBOT system and I can't wait for the day a simple app update finally fixes it.

Before I conclude, battery life is definitely worth a mention. The N20 PRO PLUS claims an amazing 300-minute runtime on its fully-charged, 5200mAh battery. I haven't run it that long to check because it doesn't take anything like that long to clean my whole house. This is by far the best battery performance from any robot vacuum I've tested to date.

Better battery, efficient and effective fuss-free mopping, an improved brush system and best of all, no bag to replace. Ever. If they could just nail that Anti-Tangle thing, the N20 PRO PLUS would be close to perfect.

    

Click here for more information on the ECOVACS DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS.

Nanoleaf Sense+ - Make Your Smart Home More Accessible

If I lived alone, I'd have the smartest home imaginable.

Depending on the time of day (or night) each room would light up as I entered. Music would start playing automatically. The temperature would always be 22°. At a single command, the lights would go down, my TV would turn on and my favourite show would start playing from where I left off.

I literally already have all the gear to make that a reality.

But alas... I'm not the only one who lives here. Not only are the other cohabitants unwilling to sit down and learn exactly how all these gadgets work so they can control them themselves, I'm not sure I have the patience or communication skills to teach them.

I get it. As it stands, I use three different virtual assistants to control dozens of devices, not to mention those that actually work better with their own apps or remotes. I have to admit, it's a bit of a nightmare really and I'm not sure why my family puts up with any of it.

So when Nanoleaf came up with a simple way for everyone to control the lights, I was definitely interested.

The Nanoleaf Sense+ - to put it simply - is just a switch.

Which means the next time Domestic Manager complains, "Why can't there just be a switch?" I'll be able to point to it. In fact, I'll be able to hand it to her.

That's because although the Sense+ looks a lot like any other wall-mounted light switch, it's only the mounting plate that's fixed to the wall; either screwed on or fixed in place using the less-permanent adhesive backing. The switch itself merely magnetises in place - in fact, it can stick to any metal surface that's magnet-friendly.

Being completely wireless means the Sense+ is perhaps more a remote control than a switch and as such, it'll do a lot more than just turn your lights on and off.

Although, let's not underestimate the elegant simplicity of two nice big buttons - one with a picture of an illuminated light bulb and one obviously unlit. No doubt at all what's going on there.

Then, in the middle of the matchbox-sized pull-out module you'll find a dimmer rocker. Again, no ambiguity - a simple plus or minus for brighter or darker. No instructions required.

Things get a little more complicated with the left and right-hand buttons though. These are fully programmable via the Nanoleaf app and can be assigned three different functions each, depending on what sort of lights you're controlling.

It's worth noting here that not all Nanoleaf smart lights are compatible with the Sense+, so you'll probably want to do a bit of Googling before you purchase, just to make sure all your lights are going to play nicely together. I've found results can be a bit inconsistent when you group older generation lights with the newer, Matter-over-Thread-enabled models so you're better off upgrading anyway.

Regardless, it's important to update the firmware on any Nanoleaf devices you want to pair with the Sense+ before you start. This is, unfortunately, a torturously long process which often doesn't work first time. Even if you've set up your lights using Apple's Home app on an iOS device, you'll still be directed to the Nanoleaf app for the firmware update. And while, in theory, you can queue several several lights for updating simultaneously, I'd advise against it, because if something goes wrong halfway through, you may have to factory reset the light completely and start from scratch.

As you will have gathered, this is not the part of the process every member of the household should get involved in.

However, once everything is updated, you've paired the Sense+ and created a "Control Group" for it to link with, it's then a very easy process to assign functions for single clicks, double clicks and long presses of the left and right buttons.

For example, a single click of the right-hand button cycles all the lights in my living room through a list of different colours. Meanwhile, a double click of the left-hand button sets them to warm white.

But the real beauty of Nanoleaf smart lights is their ability to show customisable scenes - changing patterns of colours you can select from a growing list of preset templates, or you can create your own. Once you've saved any of these scenes to your list of favourites, they too can be assigned to one of the buttons on the Sense+.

This has got to be great news for any long-suffering family members of a tech geek like me. Now there's an easy-to find, physical switch to control the lights with. Just like the old days.

But wait...

The Sense+ has two other hidden features that give it its name; a motion sensor and a daylight sensor. This means you may not need to use any of the buttons at all. You can set the Sense+ to turn on the lights when it gets dark or when someone enters the room. Or more usefully, a combination of the two; automatically light up the room when someone enters... but only at night.

Both motion and light sensitivity can be adjusted to your preference using the app and both sensors do the job perfectly.

And because Sense+ uses Matter-over-Thread rather than just simple bluetooth or potentially crowded Wi-Fi, the commands from the buttons are carried out pretty much instantly, with almost no lag whatsoever.

When it comes to summing up the Sense+, the word "simple" keeps coming to mind. It's simple to install (and looks just like any other light switch when magnetised in place). And it's simple to use - meaning the rest of the family are no longer living in the dark when it comes to the smart lights in your home. 

The update process should be simple too - unfortunately, this has always been an issue with Nanoleaf products and there's still a lot of room for improvement. But don't let that one gripe put you off setting up your own Sense+ system. If I had my way, I'd have one in every room of the house.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Nanoleaf Sense+ smart wireless switch.

Norton Financial Monitoring - Yet Another String In 360's Bow

At the risk of sounding a bit grinchy, this time of year is when you're at greatest risk of online crime. Every online shopping transaction is an opportunity for bad actors to finagle their way into your cyber affairs, potentially swooping in to grab your personal details, security codes, bank logins and credit card information.

It's already a stressful time for many people and the last thing you need is discover some lowlife has snuck in and drained your account.

Or even worse, discovering someone close to you - perhaps an elderly or vulnerable relative - hasn't quite got the digital literacy to look out for suspicious activity online. In these cases, their stress can become your stress pretty quickly.

Now Norton has come up with a way to take some of that holiday stress away.

Financial Monitoring is a new feature under the Identity Protection section of any Norton 360 Platinum or Norton 360 Advanced subscription.

Once you're subscribed, you'll find the Financial Monitoring tab in the Identity Protection section. Here you can link to your bank accounts, credit cards, investments and loans.

Ironically, I found the setup process kind of scary. Although I knew (and double-checked) I had logged in to my account via the official Norton website, these days I'm always pretty reluctant to input sensitive information like bank logins. You can bet I was keeping a close eye on my accounts on another screen just to make sure this wasn't some kind of extremely elaborate scam.

I'm not sure how Norton could get around this nervousness - how the process of linking to your most critical financial details could feel safer.

However, in the interests of exploring the experience on your behalf, Dear Reader, I took the plunge and carried on.

All major New Zealand banks and lending institutions seemed to be represented and I had no issue completing the process.

Once I had, I could then access a summary of my account activity from any device I had installed Norton 360 Advanced onto. Although this part of proceedings isn't that different from logging onto a specific banking app, if you have multiple dealings with a collection of different financial institutions, this is certainly a great way to see all the comings and goings at a glance.

But the real peace of mind comes from the notifications Norton sends out if it detects any unusual activity. 

I'm no big-noter so it's not every day I go out and make multi-hundred dollar purchases. While you can set the threshold for an "unusual transaction" wherever you want, I decided to go for the lowest possible option, $100 for cash withdrawals, purchases and transfers.

Sure enough, when I spent an eye-watering amount at the supermarket yesterday, doing a pre-Christmas shop, I was notified shortly after about my suspicious purchase. At this point you can choose to ignore it or follow up if you don't recognise the transaction.

And just like that I suddenly had the confidence to shop online without being quite so paranoid. Given the angry, shouting woman at the self-service checkout next to me at the supermarket, it might be time to give online grocery shopping a go.

The downside is there's a bit of a delay between the transaction and the notification - but I assume that's actually the delay between me making the purchase and the digital funds literally changing hands. We've all seen how that process can sometimes take days for no explicable reason.

So taking that into account (excuse the pun) I'm now pretty optimistic Norton's Financial Monitoring service will be able to alert me to anything weird before I wake up one morning to discover I'm now a another penniless victim of online fraud. That certainly wouldn't be ideal Christmas morning - or any other morning for that matter.

It's also potentially a fantastic way to prevent the people close to you - be they elderly or just starting out - making a naïve mistake that could cost hundreds, if not thousands.

I've trusted Norton to protect my devices and my identity for years and it hasn't let me down yet. Now it's nice to know Norton is standing outside my virtual bank vault for extra security as well.

    

Click here for more information on Norton 360 Advanced.

JBL PartyLight Beam and JBL PartyLight Stick - Pair Some Sight with Your Sound

When it comes to heritage brands in tech, JBL is right up there.

Decade after decade, professionals and consumers alike have turned to JBL for fantastic sound solutions and in the age of portable and Bluetooth speakers, JBL has come to the party every time. Literally.

While the resulting sound performance has always exceeded expectations, I don't think anyone ever bought a JBL PartyBox specifically for its dazzling light show. 

Now, recognising it's fun to add a bit of light and colour to proceedings, JBL has taken things in a new direction.

This is the first time I've reviewed any JBL device that doesn't play music.

If the PartyLight Beam and PartyLight Stick are anything to go by, it certainly won't be the last.

The first thing I love about these two devices is there's nothing particularly fiddly about them. The Stick couldn't be easier to assemble; you literally just twist and click the LED light tube into place on its stand, while the Beam requires no assembly at all.

The Stick comes with a USB-C charging cable in the box but no wall charger, so it's assumed you'll already have one of those lying around. It'll take up to 3 hours to fully charge the 9.0Wh lithium-ion battery which should then give you about 8 hours of continuous use.

Both lights are easy to pair, using the JBL PartyBox app. Although you don't actually need the app to use them, it is recommended you check for any firmware updates before you do. These updates take an annoyingly long time to download and install, presumably because you're only connected to your phone or tablet via bluetooth. Take my advice, don't try and install an update 5 minutes before your guests are due to arrive.

Once that's over and done with though, the rest is easy.

AFter you've plugged it in, the Beam is powered on by tilting it up to face your preferred direction. The Stick has a power button, which causes a section of colour to rise up its tube like a light-sabre, before briefly showing you how much charge is left with a white-on-black indication.

Both Stick and Beam have built-in mics and using JBL's algorithm, they listen to whatever music's playing and react accordingly.

The Stick creates all kinds of mesmerising effects, sending shafts of different colours up and down the tube at various speeds, while the Beam combines two different, extremely bright, rotating LED spotlights to project an infinite combination of colours and patterns onto your wall or ceiling.

That's fun but it's a bit random - especially if you're using both devices together like I am for this review.

Using the PartyBox app, you can customise the colours and patterns exactly the way you want but the real fireworks start when you add a JBL PartyBox into the equation.

One caveat here; it'll need to be a relatively up-to-date PartyBox - because we're about to make use of the Auracast function.

I've talked about Auracast in my recent JBL speaker reviews. It's the latest protocol JBL has adopted to link multiple speakers together so they can create a louder, more powerful sound system.

The reason the new PartyLights also have an Auracast button is to connect and sync with a speaker like the PartyBox Stage 320 I reviewed back in May. These JBL speakers put on quite a cool light show of their own, although as I said in my introduction, it's kind of limited.

Now, with a press of the Auracast button, not only will any PartyLight devices be in sync with each other, they'll also match what's happening behind the grille of the speaker (or speakers).

This instantly makes your light show look far more professional, matching the tone and beat of the music with similar colours and effects. The Beam casts very bright patterns indeed, rated to light up a 40sq/m room with ease, while the Stick is uniquely designed to cast its effects in a full 360° array.

And unlike the Beam, the Stick also has the advantage of being completely portable, so there's nothing stopping you taking the party outside - especially if you've paired it with a rechargeable speaker like the PartyBox Club 120 I used for this review.

I've often talked about my disdain for pointless flashing lights on gadgets in the past - including perhaps the token light displays manufacturers like JBL insist on building into their speakers.

However...

By adding one or more devices from the new PartyLight range and syncing them up through Auracast, suddenly it all starts to make a lot more sense. The colours and patterns being projected by either the Beam or the Stick (or in my case, Beam combined with a pair of Sticks) now mimic the PartyBox speaker's display exactly.

Unfortunately, despite how universally all JBL's Auracast speakers connect together, no matter what size or model, only the PartyBox speakers with Auracast will sync with the PartyLights and sadly, if you have an older, non-Auracast PartyBox, you'll just have to rely on the PartyLights' built-in microphones to put on the show for you.

Either way these are a quick and easy way to bring a professional standard of lighting to your party - or perhaps even your gig if you're using a PartyBox or two as a P.A. What's more, they're durable, easy to move about and are pretty reasonably priced too. Why hire lights for your next function when JBL has come up with a fun, affordable solution you can own yourself?

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyLight Bean.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL PartyLight Stick.

blink mini 2 and blink outdoor 4 - Don't Pay Too Much for Home Security

When it comes to installing a security camera or two at your place, it's easy to get carried away.

A high-quality, weather-proof camera can set you back hundreds. Then, once installed, all too often you'll be stung a second time with a subscription to keep accessing the more advanced features.

Once you've spent all that money, maybe it would have been cheaper to let the burglars in and just take their pick.

The good news is - especially at this time of year - you don't have to shell out top dollar for a reasonable home monitoring solution.

From October this year, Amazon-owned Blink arrived in New Zealand in force with its latest devices, the Mini 2 and Outdoor 4. The Mini 4 offers the versatility of working either indoors or outside while the wireless Outdoor 4 promises up to two years use on a single pair of AA batteries.

Both cameras are available in white or black and both are extremely compact, although obviously the Mini 2 is particularly tiny. This makes them a good solution for those of us who prefer a more subtle approach to home security in terms of aesthetics. If you want a big, bold, in-your-face camera that shouts, "Take your chances, crims! Can't you see you're being recorded?" these Bink cams might not be the answer. On the other hand, if you'd rather not have cameras detracting from the look of your lovely home, these little beauties can be easily tucked away somewhere less obtrusive.

Both cameras come with equally petite mounts, which can be adapted for wall or ceiling installation. While these mounts are certainly versatile, they're pretty much entirely plastic and I wonder about durability over time - not that I've had any issues yet. My other concern is how the cameras simply snap onto the mount with a click. This makes for easy installation but presumably it would also make for easy theft if a baddie wanted to make off with your camera. Luckily, no video footage is stored on the devices themselves so at least the last image you got would be a closeup of the thief!

Let's talk storage, while we're here. Just like most other brands, Blink makes you subscribe to a monthly plan if you want to use their cloud storage option. Videos are saved for 60 days and it's easy to watch and share them. However, unlike some of Blink's competitors, there's another option.

The Outdoor 4 camera is boxed up with the Sync Module 2. As with many other smart home devices, instead of connecting directly to your Wi-Fi network, you use the Blink app to set up the Sync Module 2 first. This is very quick and easy and it then benefits you in three ways. Firstly, by locating the Sync Module 2 in your house, somewhere close to your outdoor cameras, you'll get improved connectivity, as Wi-Fi routers are often situated a long way away from outside, let alone where you want your cameras to be.

Secondly, connecting several cameras through a module like this means less traffic on your home network overall, which should always be your goal.

Thirdly - and this is the clincher - the Sync Module 2 has a USB-A slot to plug in an external storage drive. This means you can store your vids locally for free, even after the 30 day trial of the Blink subscription plan runs out.

The crazy thing is, the module is absolutely tiny - so it's easily stashed away behind or under furniture.

The Blink Mini 2 isn't bundled with a Sync Module and as such can just work as a standalone Wi-Fi camera - but if you're planning on using several or you want to take advantage of that local storage option, the Sync Module is the way to go and of course, you can buy them separately.

Another optional extra you may want to consider is the Weather Resistant Power Adaptor - a four-metre cord (complete with cable tidies and installation screws) that's compatible with both the Mini 2 and the Outdoor 4, if you prefer to run it off the mains, rather than on battery. This is certainly a sturdy cable and the USB-C connection to the camera is impressively rubberised to keep any moisture out. However, because the USB-C slot on the camera is extra deep in order to accomodate the weather-proof plug, I found it very fiddly to push it in at just the right angle to ensure the USB-C part of the plug actually slid in. It took me several attempts and caused quite a bit of frustration when I kept checking the app only to discover the Mini 2 still wasn't powered up and ready for pairing.

However, I got there in the end. In terms of operation, I found the cameras work in much the same way as most others I have tried. The app provides clear, wide angled footage from both cameras and the sound quality to be excellent. You also have the option to speak out of the cameras from your phone - scaring off undesirables or welcoming visitors perhaps.

The Mini 2 features a surprisingly powerful LED floodlight. This can be triggered automatically or manually via the app and it means you'll get a clear, colour HD feed, even at night. Conversely, the Outdoor 4 reverts to black-and-white infrared after dark - still perfectly clear though.

As you would expect, you can set up motion notifications to appear on your phone and being an Amazon-integrated product, you can view feeds from Blink cameras on Echo Show and Fire TV devices or set up other Alexa smart home routines to be fired off when either camera is activated. You can customise Motion Zones quite accurately or alternatively, set up Privacy Zones where the camera won't look.

There are other features, apart from cloud storage, you can only utilise through a subscription plan. These include person detection, extended live viewing and what Blink calls "Moments" - which is a compilation of videos saved into one longer clip.

Starting from NZ$5 a month, the Blink subs are similar to others out there but there are definitely savings to be made with the purchase price on the cameras themselves and their associated accessories.

The Mini 2 and Outdoor 4 are easy to set up and generally speaking, they do the same job any other camera does, yet they're probably cheaper - especially when Amazon is having one of its frequent sales. I'm not 100% convinced of their durability long-term, although really the only thing I'm basing that on is the plasticky feel of the mounting hardware. I certainly haven't experienced any issues and thanks to the Sync Module 2, connectivity is first rate.

If indeed the Outdoor 4 runs for two years on a single set of batteries, that alone has gotta be worth a try.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the blink mini 2.

Click here for more information and priocing on the blink outdoor 4.