Kindle Scribe Colorsoft - More Power. More AI. Just More

When it comes to the next big thing in e-Readers, my first stop is always going to be Kindle. 

The funny thing is, Amazon kind of nailed it pretty early on, so it's been hard to make meaningful improvements. The development of the e-Ink display in combination with startlingly good battery life was a formula many have tried to emulate, with varying degrees of success.

Which is not to say Amazon has simply rested on its laurels. Over the years, there have been different sizes of Kindles, advances in charging and battery life. Durability has improved and we’ve even seen variations in form-factor.

The Scribe is more than just an e-Reader, it’s a note-taking tool too.

While the recent Colorsoft range of Kindles with colour screens featured a base model, a Signature edition and even a Kids option.

So the next obvious step was to bring all those things together in one device.

Consequently, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is pretty much what you’d expect; an 11-inch Kindle Scribe with a Colorsoft display.

But there’s a bit more to it than that.

Firstly, I love that it comes with the stylus in the box. Sorry – the Premium Pen, along with a set of replacement tips and a tool for replacing them with.

In my view, this is the closest to pen-on-paper writing and drawing experience I’ve had with this kind of device. Not only does the glare-free, matte display look like ink on paper, the slight friction you feel as you use the battery-free Premium Pen mimics the sensation of a pencil or ballpoint pen on a “real” notebook perfectly. It conveniently magnetises onto the side of the device and you can tilt it to shade in, just like a pencil.

Better still, you can write and draw in a choice of 10 different colours, or highlight in 5. To erase, simply turn the pen upside down and rub out, again, just like a pencil. Or choose the eraser tool from the pull-down palette on in the left margin of the screen.

And even better; the Scribe Colorsoft’s built-in AI capabilities can tidy up your handwritten scrawl, and summarise any notes you take. And obviously, you can convert those same notes into text as well.

Just imagine how much easier that makes study sessions after lectures or digesting the key points from that long business meeting you felt could have been two hours shorter.

That’s just the beginning of the AI functionality Amazon has built into this ever-so-slim box of tricks.

While reading an eBook, you’ll find a shortcut to your notepad, sitting in the right-hand margin. Any notes you make stay attached to that place in the book and are fully searchable, as is anything in the book itself, of course.

So this is a powerful note-taking tool indeed.

But it’s also just quite a cool gadget.

As I’ve said already, the Scribe Colorsoft is remarkably thin and light for such a large display.

It has excellent battery life. Even with the colours set to “Vivid” and the Wi-Fi on full-time, I’ve been using it a week and I still have a charge of 67%.

You can choose between Graphite or Fig (grey or purple) with matching Premium Pen, and you’ll also have to decide between the 32GB and 64GB version.

There’s a significant price difference; NZ$1,094.19 vs NZ$1,203.72 – so it’ll depend on what you plan on downloading to it. Books take up hardly any space at all – unless they’re audio books, which you can listen to by pairing bluetooth headphones, earbuds or speakers.

It’s worth noting, some PDF and Word documents can take up a fair amount of space too – especially those with lots of images. So if you’re planning on using the Scribe for marking docs like that, or making editing suggestions, the 64GB might be worth the investment. At least being a Colorsoft display, the pics will look pretty.

I have to stress here, if you haven’t seen or used a colour e-Ink screen before, don’t get carried away with the idea. Although this version is fairly bright and yes, there is a “Vivid” mode, it’s nothing at all like consuming content on a super-bright, glossy, AMOLED display such as the one you probably have on your smartphone.

It’s far more matte and muted – it has a comic book vibe to it. In fact, as you’ll see me demonstrate in the video below, a Colorsoft screen of this size is ideal for the consumption of graphic novels – most of which can be downloaded in e-form these days.

As for just plain old reading, I thought I’d find the Scribe Colorsoft a bit bulky and unwieldy for that, but once I changed the format to a double-column, landscape view, it soon felt more-or-less like holding any other book open with a page on each side.

It even carries an IPX8 water resistance rating, so you can drop it in the bath or a pool with no harm done whatsoever.

Personally, I don’t fully understand the use-case for a device like this. If I needed to use a tablet, I’d be inclined to go with one I can download all my apps on and watch movies and play games with.

But I get there are people out there who prefer to take handwritten notes. Who want certain benefits of AI – like tidying, summarising and converting those notes into text, without all the other flashing lights, noises and distractions that come bundled in with those other sorts of devices.

The Colorsoft display is a pleasure to view, not an assault on your senses. And the Premium Pen more than lives up to its name.

If you’ve got a mountain of marking or editing to do on a regular basis, this could well be the tool that allows you to keep it digital, but feels so much more analogue in all the right ways.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.

JBL EasySing Mic Mini - More Versatile Than You Might Think

By now I think most of us recognise JBL as being a market leader when it comes to portable sound, from bluetooth speakers, to headphones and earbuds.

I've also reviewed various PartyBoxes and even PartyLights - some of the speakers come with pre-paired wireless mics and some even have inputs for external mics.

Another feature JBL has been early to adopt and master is Auracast - which allows you to pair any Auracast-enabled devices - speakers or headphones - to create a bigger, even multi-room, sonic experience.

But until recently, I'd never really rated JBL as a go-to brand for more serious musicians - until I reviewed the BandBox Solo practice speaker last week, that is.

And now there's a microphone that might just about be the most useful thing JBL has ever made.

Ostensibly, at first blush, the JBL EasySing Mic Mini appears to be a mere add-on - if you have a JBL speaker or two and you're in the mood for a bit of karaoke (and who isn't?) wouldn't it be nice to have an actual microphone so you can add your actual voice to the actual song?

And to start with, that's exactly what this wee microphone offers. It comes with its own, wireless dongle and a magnetic charging case that'll provide enough charge for about six hours' singing, which, let's be honest, is probably about four-and-a-half hours more karaoke than most parties can handle.

JBL has also utilised the magic of magnets with the included ring handle, which instantly converts the Mic Mini into a legitimate handheld.

Although the inner loop of the handle is slightly too cramped for my pudgy mitts, it's just as easy to grab it around the outside and the magnet is definitely strong enough to hold the Mic Mini in place, even during your most frenetic dance breaks. (Don't ask me how I know this, I just do)

But it's not merely a matter of plugging the dongle in to a compatible speaker and singing along. The EasySing Mic Mini has a lot more to offer than that.

As you'll see from the pictures, there's a push-button volume control at the base of the Mic Mini. Not only can this alter the volume of your voice in the mix, believe it or not, it can also alter the level of lead vocals in your chosen track as well.

Gone are the days of trying to find a library of karaoke mixes of the songs you want to perform as though they're your own. With a single push of the the EasySing Mic Mini's controller, whoever the original artist is gone, leaving you to step up to the mic and take over. And if you don't quite have the confidence to sing solo, another button press brings back the original vocals quietly, while a third push plays them slightly louder still. Tell you what, I reckon this AI thing might catch on one day.

However, we're not done yet. By pairing the EasySing Mic Mini with the JBL One app on your phone, you'll have access to AI Vocal Removal and Mic Volume at a more precise level, via virtual on-screen sliders. There are several preset EQs to choose from, or you can tweak your Treble and Bass levels yourself.

Perhaps most importantly of all, you can adjust the level of Echo - a kind of reverb/delay combo effect that most singers like to use to smooth things out a little. Or you can smooth things out a lot if you're feeling a bit rough by the end of the night.

And even if your favourite song isn't in your key, not to worry, there's a Pitch Shifter option to raise or lower the tone to something more befitting your range.

So what we've got here is perhaps the most advanced karaoke mic you've ever used.

But what if you don't have one of the compatible late-model JBL speakers with the right USB-C input for the wireless dongle?

Well, there's more than one way to sing a song about skinning a cat.

Depending on your speaker, you either just plug the dongle in, or hold the Play button down while you're plugging in until you hear a pairing chime.

But as long as your speaker has an AUX in jack, you can still use the Mic Mini because it has a 3.5mm jack too. Although no auxiliary cable is included in the box, you can connect the EasySing Mic Mini that way, even to wired headphones to keep your singing session private.

And we're still not done. There's one more component sitting back in the case I haven't mentioned yet. Guess what? It's a magnet!

Literally, a little square magnet with the iconic JBL exclamation mark on it. This enables you to stick the mic to your shirt, blouse, jacket or lapel, for a totally hands-free experience. That means this microphone is no longer just for singing.

Plug the dongle directly into your smartphone and you now have a wireless mic for your next video. That means even if you're many metres away from your phone's camera, you'll still be heard loud and clear - the quality is quite excellent, as you'll see (and hear) me demonstrate in the video below.

In fact, for the video, I plugged the dongle into one of my Mac Mini's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and it instantly appeared as an input option under my sound settings.

It seems there's nothing this mic can't do. You even get a soft carrying pouch to bundle everything into.

So, not just a karaoke party in a tiny package, but a high quality lapel mic to boot, complete with easily customised echo and EQ. Worth every cent of its NZ$249.95 - and then some.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL EasySing Mic Mini.

Avast One - Pick and Choose Your Level of Protection

I hate the subscription-based economy we've ended up with.

But you know what I hate even more? Computers, phones and other devices that are slow, out of date or even open to attack from hackers, scammers and other criminal actors.

So, I've resigned myself to having to pay for solid, dependable cyber-security.

The question is; how much do I need? And how much should I pay?

Avast One is a new way of doing things.

You can download all of Avast's comprehensive protection and digital maintenance tools for free, run a scan - or to be more accurate, an entire suite of scans - see where your system is coming up short, then take further steps from there.

By "Taking Further Steps" - I mean paying. But we'll get to that.

As a package, Avast One could well be the most comprehensive collection of security, privacy, repair and cleanup tools I've ever seen brought together within a single app.

In fact, it's overwhelming.

Obviously, the best place to start - no matter which device you've installed Avast One on - is by running a Smart Scan. This starts with the usual check of your virus definitions, looks through your files for any signs of malware or viruses, then moves on to ensure any real-time protection you've activated is still activated and working as it should.

This ranges from the usual firewall and email scanners to some of Avast's more bespoke gatekeepers - like Ransomware Shield, which keeps any folder or folders you designate away from the prying fingers of would-be ransom attackers - or Real Site, which prevents you from accidentally visiting any spoofed banking, shopping or browsing pages, no matter how authentic they may seem.

Some tools are old-school - File Shield scans everything you download before you can open something you didn't expect.

While other tools are more cutting edge; If you've integrated AI into your workflow, AI Agent Protection can be your chaperone, keeping a close eye on your "helpful" robot friends to make sure they don't sneak into your system when you're not looking and do the dirty on you.

Network Inspector is seriously useful. Not only will it scan your LAN and Wi-Fi for any security vulnerabilities but it will compile a list of all the connected devices (I currently have 69, would you believe?) and then scans them too. If there's something on there I don't recognise, I can now hunt it down and find out exactly what it's up to.

Making my way down the Avast One dashboard, I quickly arrive at the Cleanup section; again a very easy way to hunt down files, apps, shortcuts and other "temporary" wastes of space and then nuke them with extreme prejudice.

The App Uninstaller can be rather revealing. You can list your apps in order of when they were last used. If that time gets too long, they're gone.

Some sections in Avast One are more like a compilation of hints and advice - do you know how to protect your identity on TikTok and Facebook? Avast One does.

Other sections are links to different apps entirely.

You won't get far without being told to install Avast Secure Browser. We've talked about this in previous reviews but just as a refresher, this is Avast's own privacy-focussed browser. You can import your bookmarks from other browsers, opt to use Avast's own search engine and even use a form of Avast VPN right from the search bar.

Sounds great... except for the shortcuts that come pre-installed for things like Amazon, AliExpress and Booking.com. These spammy links also feature on the default start page and if you scroll further past them, you get a sort of news feed which is a mix of actual stories and pure, unadulterated clickbait, such as; "Knee Arthritis: Rub This One Thing In Every Night."

Sure, you can turn a lot of that rubbish off - but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence when the whole point of Avast Secure Browser is supposed to be a safer, privacy-first online experience.

So I have mixed feelings. Which is not to say I don't have a lot of love for Avast One overall. Being able to update drivers and review and update any apps you have installed with a few mouse clicks seems like magic

And as for SecureLine VPN - it's got to be one of the most feature-packed, effective VPNs out there. It has an extensive list of locations to choose from, you can connect to the fastest location by default, the best location for peer-to-peer file sharing or - and this is one I hadn't seen before - you can DOUBLE VPN; literally connecting one VPN location through another, making yourself exponentially more difficult to track.

I'd assumed that kind of dual-layer re-routing would cripple my download speeds, but as I demonstrate in the video below, apparently not.

Oh, and yes, you can even test your Wi-Fi speeds with Avast One too.

If that level of privacy still isn't enough, just choose the IP Rotation option instead. This literally swaps out your IP address every 5 to 30 minutes. You just can't get much more invisible than that.

There's no doubt, Avast One is comprehensive. As long as you pay.

While the free version of Avast One protects against viruses, malware and ransomware and Avast Assistant can help you sniff out online scams, any of that other cool stuff I just talked about is subscription only.

That's fine - but there's something about the way Avast lets me scan for problems, presents me with a nice, friendly button to solve them, only to flash me with an app-concealing splash screen explaining if I want to fix my device, I'll need to subscribe. Then, even if you close that window, you'll get another pushy ad you'll have to click away before you can get back to the main menu.

I was gifted the Premium level of Avast One for the purposes of this review - but at only NZ$69.99 to protect up to ten devices for the first year, it's something I think I'd have seriously considered paying for anyway. 

However, it turns out Premium still isn't Ultimate (NZ$89.99) and even I found myself confronted with those same imposing splash screens when I tried to use certain tools I thought I could access from the main menu.

And the hits just keep on coming.

Even just today, a week after I signed up and signed into the Premium version of Avast One, I received an email informing me I only have a day left to save 44% on Cleanup Premium. Stop hassling me!

I get there are two markets out there; people who respond to reasonable messages about the integrity of a brand and the efficacy of its products... and people who respond to an old-fashioned hard sell.

I'm just not the kind of guy who's comfortable handing over his credit card details in exchange for a free trial. If you have faith in your product, let me try it without the hassle of having to remember to cancel the day before my trial ends. If I like it, I'll keep paying. And guess what, Avast? I reckon most people would like it.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Avast One.

JBL BandBox Solo - If Only I'd Had This 40 Years Ago

At age 17, on being branded a disruptive influence, I was kicked out of "normal" school and moved into what was then known as The Transition to Work class.

The rough idea behind "Transition" (as we called it) was you'd spend 4 days of the 6-day school timetable out in the community doing work experience for free, then the other two days would be mostly learning how to cook and balance a cheque-book.

The Transition kids were generally looked down upon by the rest of the school as being no-good losers who'd never amount to anything. Ironically, the reality was most of us got a significant head-start on the rest of the students when it came to entering real life, making our own money and becoming well-rounded, productive members of society.

School's not for everyone.

Long story short, when I was asked what I'd like to do for a job, I said, "I'd like to be a musician, please."

As a result, I ended up playing in bars and cafes at night and sleeping all day. Perhaps the best outcome for all involved. 

Then, once school really ended, I busked for 4 hours a day on the main street in Hamilton, making roughly what I would have if I'd gone on the dole.

Jump forward to today; How'd my career as a rock star turn out? Maybe i just didn't have the right gear...

The JBL BandBox Solo won't necessarily earn you instant stardom, but it'll definitely help you practice to get there.

For a while now I've noticed certain JBL speakers lean in to being used by singers, guitarists and other musos as an economical alternative to more specialised amps, head-units and P.A.s.

I've seen (and heard) buskers playing through JBLs on the street and I've been involved in a few torrid karaoke sessions, thanks to JBL devices, at various parties.Some JBL speakers even have their own built-in light shows and come paired with their own wireless mics.

But the BandBox Solo is the first JBL I've tried that's been specifically designed with bedroom musicians in mind and I have to say, from this very amateur strummer's point of view, they've nailed a lot of what they set out to do.

My first impression was confusion around how small the BandBox Solo is. Did I get the wrong idea about what this was supposed to be for? Surely you wouldn't be able to shred or wail very convincingly out of a speaker as tiny as that?

Sceptically, I plugged in my trusty (and sadly neglected) guitar and was immediately surprised to hear that live, earthy hum buzzing through from the pickups that is generally a precursor to some loud and noisy fun to come.

And I wasn't disappointed. 

By the time I'd turned my guitar pick-ups all the way up, I only really needed to set the BandBox Solo's volume to about half before I was belting out some seriously crunchy rhythm guitar riffs. Oh yeah, this review was definitely going to be a good time.

There's only one 1/4 inch input on the side of the BandBox Solo, so you have to decide if you're practicing singing or guitar as your main thing. There is also a built-in mic nestled amongst the controls on top, which will provide passable practice quality if you decide to use Singer/Guitarist mode.

You'll find a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack output on the back, along with a slightly confusing USB-C port which we'll cover off shortly. 

The control panel features buttons for Power, Bluetooth, Preset/Menu and a final, more mysterious one encircled in classic JBL orange, labelled "STEM AI." There's also a control knob at the end for adjusting volume and scrolling through options.

Above these you'll find a simple LED display that uses white dots on a black background to show you everything from volume levels to which guitar effect you've selected. Although this display style seems somewhat rudimentary at first, I soon realised it was masterfully effective - especially in potentially dim situations like being backstage before the curtain goes up.

The final piece of this comprehensive practice puzzle is the JBL One app, which enables you to do a much deeper dive into the BandBox Solo's features and settings. Obviously, the app's interface is more helpfully laid out, although the majority of functions can be accessed by both your phone and the speaker's physical controls. 

The USB-C is not just for charging but can also be used for audio in and out. It's how you update the firmware too, although I found this to be a real mission as you have to connect your phone via a cable to do the update and it wouldn't download or complete installation unless I stayed on the JBL One app and kept tapping the screen to keep it open. What a drama.

Weirdly, in stark contrast, you can stream whatever song you're working on via Bluetooth 5.4, and this is where the fun truly begins. 

A press of the STEM AI button brings up a three channel display; Guitar, Vocals and Others. You can then cut out any of these or reduce them to 50%. So... If you're trying to learn a particular solo, you could take away the vocals, bass and drums and just play along with the remaining guitar until you get it right.

Once you've mastered it, you can swap everything around, muting the original guitar track and playing along with rest of the band, effectively replacing their guitarist. Or lead singer, if you've chosen to plug in a mic instead. Instant karaoke.

Sounds simple and it truly is.

What really blew me away was the choice of built-in effects to choose from - dozens of options ranging from simple, bluesy reverb to full-on stadium metal distortion. In fact, the options are infinite, as you can customise each preset effect using the on-screen display of virtual pedals, creating and saving your own as you wish.

Teenage me would have paid thousands for a range of effect pedals like this.

Instead, the BandBox Solo costs just NZ$449.95.

So it's a surprisingly powerful practice amp. It features an infinite selection of virtual effects pedals. And it gives you the ability to remove guitar, vocals or rhythm section from any track you play through it.

But wait...

None of this'll sound any good if you're out of tune. Yes, there's a digital tuner built in.

But it can be hard to stay in time when you practice by yourself. Yes, there's a metronome built in.

It'd be good to just play with drums and nothing else. Yes, there's a drum machine built in.

Looper? Yes, yes, yes. With infinite overdubs. Built in.

So not only is this an essential practice tool, it's potentially a supremely versatile pre-amp for your live performances as well. Remember, you can output to other devices via USB-C or stereo AUX cable. That means straight into a P.A. system on stage or a sound desk or P.C. for recording.

Or just into a pair of headphones so you don't bother anyone else in the house.

Like I say; little box. Big, big fun.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL BandBox Solo.

ECOVACS DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone - Living Up to Great Expectations

There can't be too many categories in consumer tech that have evolved as quickly as the robot vacuum.

So it's easy to forget the many vacuuming pain-points that have been overcome in just a few years.

The ability to map your home automatically, swap between mopping and vacuuming seamlessly, return to a charging station where the robot can also self empty, fill itself with water, clean and dry itself - all these things are nothing short of miraculous when you really think about it.

So what's left? How much better can a robot vacuum get, before it's bringing you breakfast in bed and getting the kids dressed, fed and off to school as well?

ECOVACS is one name currently pushing the boundaries, with its DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone leading the way.

If you've been following the DEEBOT story as closely as I have over the last few years, some of the features I'm about to describe might sound a bit like history repeating itself. It's true we've seen earlier iterations of most of what the X11 has to offer on previous DEEBOTS, but we've never seen it all brought together in one complete, elegant package, quite like this.

And I do mean elegant. One of my only reservations about setting up the X11 OmniCyclone at my place was to do with how the OMNI station would look with its bagless dustbin on full display, front and centre. I needn't have worried, however, as the bin has been tinted dark black to blend in with the very classy, metallic-look finish of the rest of the OmniCyclone station. So you're not confronted with a clear container full of all your dirty little secrets every time you walk past.

That's probably something I would have been prepared to put up with anyway, given the obvious benefit of a bagless bin, that simply unclips when it needs emptying. Because of all the convenience of owning a robot vacuum, one of the things I wasn't prepared for when I had one of my own was the ongoing cost of consumables.

Other vacuums with bag-based emptying stations might require as many as five replacement bags a year - or more, depending on usage. And that's before you get to other things that will need replacing along the way - most commonly side brushes, filters and main roller brushes, in roughly that order.

Here the latest and greatest DEEBOT goes some way to mitigating those costs too. The side brush is now only a single side brush, as the X11 is smart enough to always vacuum with its side brush against the wall - and because the brush extends out into corners and has an improved ARClean Anti-Tangle design, it's more effective that ever.

We'll talk more extendible technology shortly but first, let's take a moment to marvel at the ZeroTangle 3.0 main vacuum roller. I've seen a real turning point in recent vacuum innovation when it comes to roller brushes that manage to keep themselves free from endless spools of long hair (either canine or human) thereby avoiding jams and experiencing far less wear and tear in the process. So I now have no time for any vacuum that lets its mechanical cleaning head get clogged up that way. 

The roller on the X11 actually combats this issue three ways; 1) With a 45° bristle angle, that diverts strands of hair straight up the pipe. 2) By using a combination of soft nylon bristles and hard rubber blades, ensuring every kind of dust, hair and debris is dealt with accordingly and 3) With an integrated spiral comb that literally untangles any stray strands as the X11 goes about its business. I LOVE this feature.

A powerful fan and high-capacity battery ensure almost nothing is left behind - and that's before you get to the hard floors.

This is where the OZMO ROLLER 2.0 comes into play, continually rinsing itself and spinning at 200rpm to leave both tile and wooden floors streak-free and gleaming. This is an area where X11 truly comes into its own, using AI Stain Detection to go back and perform automatic re-mops on areas where there might be a more stubborn mess to contend with. Only the X11 OmniCyclone has two separate reservoirs for two different types of cleaning solution. That's right; just like a human being would - if the X11 decides even more of an intensive scrub is required, it'll go into Deep Re-mop mode, making two more criss-cross passes and applying ECOVACS' own heavy-duty cleaning formula to deal with stubborn stains once and for all. I believe, in the professional cleaning industry, the technical term for this is, "Elbow grease."

Oh, and the OZMO ROLLER extends too, obviously. You'll see this in action in the video below as the X11 reaches out to clean right up against base boards and under cabinets. Practically no area is left unmopped.

But perhaps the greatest innovation ECOVACS has come up with yet is PowerBoost - which literally charges the X11 as it empties and cleans itself, topping up the battery by as much as 6% in just three minutes. That means this particular DEEBOT can clean up to 1000m² in a single session. That's at least five of my whole houses so... awesome. Ultimately, you should never have to come home to discover your trusty robot still labouring away through its automated, scheduled clean. It will have finished it hours ago.

The ECOVACS app continues to evolve, streamlining its look and generally becoming more user-friendly, even though, as we've clearly outlined, there are more features to tweak and play with than ever before.

I've been especially pleased to see the X11 no longer thinks areas on the other side of floor-level windows, like decks and balconies, are rooms it needs to try and map in case you want to vacuum them at some stage. Editing maps is easier and quicker and adding extra maps for multiple storey homes is now an absolute doddle.

I could go on and on. I could talk about YIKO, the ECOVACS virtual assistant, but we've met her in previous reviews and I'm sure she'll rate further mention in the future. We could discuss the TruePass adaptive 4 wheel climbing system - but the ability to clamber over door sills and bunched up rugs isn't quite the same as marching up and down actual stairs just yet. Perhaps the next generation?

I do like the way the X11 is smart enough to navigate its way around even the flimsiest items of clothing, power cords and dog toys - even turning on its own headlight to make sure nothing goes awry in dark spaces - but shouldn't that be a minimum expectation from any robot vacuum by now?

And that's just an indication of how far we've come; our minimum expectation now essentially exceeds that of an assembly-line robot or a self-driving car. While some options out there may still fail to live up to such expectations, the X11 OmniCyclone raises the bar for the rest.

    

Click here for more information on the ECOVAC DEEBOT X11 OmniCyclone.

Google Home Speaker - Slightly Smarter

There can't be many New Zealand households without a smart speaker these days.

Yet I can't help thinking, despite their growing omnipresence, I'd be very surprised if many owners are really using their speakers to their full potential.

There's no arguing the convenience of being able to stream your favourite song, artist, playlist or radio station, just by asking for it.

And perhaps some people find it convenient to ask their smart speaker to set a timer when they have both hands submerged in the sink.

For the most advanced users, I'm sure they're turning lights on and off and have no doubt connected their video doorbell so they won't miss their visitors arriving just because the aforementioned playlist is blasting away.

But is anybody having actual conversations with their smart speakers?  Are they using them to streamline and automate their other IoT devices?

And would they be prepared to pay extra in order to do that?

In a world where there seems to be a major tech launch every other week, I find it incredible Google hasn't really put out a speaker since the Nest Mini way back in 2020. Although this packed a reasonable audio punch for its tiny size, the Nest Mini was more of a way to talk TO Google, rather than listen to it.

A lot's changed in the last 6 years, particularly the rise and rise of AI, resulting in Google Assistant slowly morphing into Gemini.

So it's probably well past time Google updated its primary human/robot interface and it has done so in the form of the Google Home Speaker.

Talk about call it what it is.

Design-wise, there are very few surprises here. Yes, it's quite a bit bigger and more spherical than 2020's Nest Mini - but not so big you'll struggle to find space for it on any shelf or side-table. My review unit is Porcelain (Off-white) but it also comes in Hazel (Dark grey). If only we lived in America - they get to choose from Jade and Berry as well. Lucky them.

Some people have commented on the power cable being permanently attached at the speaker end (connects to a 30W wall charger via USB-C at the other). I think the concern here is if the 1.5-metre cable isn't long enough, you might be restricted as to where you can set it up. I think that's why they invented extension cords.

What I did notice, the moment I lifted the Home Speaker from its box, was how loose-fitting the woven fabric covering is. I don't think this really matters, unless you're planning on manhandling the device repeatedly over time.

In fact, there are physical controls - all hidden beneath that slightly saggy mesh. Volume down on the left, volume up on the right and a tap in the middle will pause and play. Trouble is, the volume controls are so well hidden and the speaker is so uniformly spherical, it often takes me several attempts to tap in the right place.

Thank goodness for voice commands. More on that shortly.

Given the upsized form-factor, you'd expect a more powerful, fuller sound and yes, it gets louder than its demure predecessor and there's undeniably more bass response. However, I've found some of the more rocky tracks I've trialled start distorting and things get muddy if you push the volume much past 80% or so.

Like most similar speakers these days, the emphasis is on creating a room-filling, 360° soundscape, which makes it a good option for concealing in a corner somewhere to create a more ambient, dinner-party, polite conversation kind of a vibe.

You can also pair two together for a stereo array, in turn teaming them up with the Google TV Streamer - one of the most capable video streaming devices currently on the market. This is probably a good option for those on a budget; The Google TV Streamer 4K costs less than one Google Home Speaker - so the whole entertainment system would come in under NZ$620 - less than most half-decent soundbars.

I'm not convinced you'd get enough bass out of a pair of Google Home Speakers for a genuine home cinema experience - but it'd beat the built-in speakers on your telly.

So the sound is good - but not great.

Not a major, remember - being a Google device you can team it up with other compatible speakers, if you prefer.

So let's move onto the smart home hub of it all; is the Google Home Speaker any better at it than any other?

Well, I will say it seems to understand what I want it to do the vast majority of the time and it definitely delivers on the promise of listening out for users changing their instructions or correcting themselves halfway through.

Also, even at full volume, the three far-field microphones never had any problem listening out for my "Hey, Google" wake command.

The downside of that is it seems to keep listening for quite a few seconds after you've finished speaking, just in case you start speaking again. This means it can take a fair while for music to start playing or lights to change.

And about that, "Hey, Google," thing. Does anybody else find it weird we're still saying, "Hey, Google," when we're now supposedly summoning Gemini? Or are we only talking to Gemini if we pay for a Google Home Premium Subscription?

No wait... that can't be right. Shouldn't it be a GEMINI Home Premium subscription? Ow, my head's starting to hurt.

Without a subscription, you can still play music, podcasts and audiobooks from your preferred services. And you can "Tackle everyday tasks seamlessly." That seems to mean I can control my lights, my air-con and any other paired Matter-enabled device.

I can also ask for weather forecasts, sports results, create lists, add calendar entries... all the stuff we've pretty much been able to do since smart speakers were a thing.

So what does the Standard Google Home Premium sub get you? Well, Gemini Live, obviously. Supposedly this means a whole other level of expert AI assistance - even the ability to create intuitive, smart home automations.

The idea is you can say to the Google Home Speaker something like, "Make it so every day when I get home, the kitchen lights turn on and some relaxing, contemporary soul music plays."

Yes, you can already do this yourself, depending on which devices and apps you use but I guess it's easier to get Google - sorry, GEMINI to do it for you.

Is that kind of convenience worth NZ$150 a year?

Then there's an even more premium level again - for another 150 bucks Gemini can sift through your security camera footage, provide you with daily summaries of activity around your home and respond to questions like, "Do you know what time my son got home from the party last night?"

I find that kind of weird, given you can just open your security app on your phone and look up the video yourself but I guess if Gemini can do that for you, why not?

Well, except, the Google Home Speaker doesn't have a screen, of course. So you'd just be taking Gemini's word for it because it can't actually show you the footage. Are we ready for that level of trust just yet?

I'm sure there are plenty of early-adopting tech-heads out there who are eagerly awaiting this next level of more responsive, more intuitive AI, packed into a small speaker that sits neatly on the bedside table. But the rest of us just want the song we want, when we want it. Call us old-fashioned.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Google Home Speaker.

OPPO Watch X3 - As Tough As it Is Classy

If you're new to the smartwatch game, you may not realise that just as with more conventional watches, some are built for extreme conditions while others are designed for fashion.

Many people have been put off in the past because they'd rather not wear a small computer on their wrist that screams, "Tech nerd!"

Over recent years there's been a move to more aesthetically pleasing designs, including different shapes and a wider selection of bands but even now, if you want a smartwatch with all the best features built in, it's probably still going to be pretty bulky.

High-end performance like that also chews through battery life, so you can expect to have to charge your watch every day - not something analogue watch-wearers ever have to contend with.

Well, get ready for a breakthrough.

The OPPO Watch X3 represents a significant leap forward - especially for Android connected devices.

Just from an aesthetic standpoint, OPPO was already onto something with the general look of the first two generations of the Watch X; the large round face and metal casing offering a more classic style than many other smartwatches around at the time.

For the X3, OPPO took that template and really accentuated the positives, upgrading the casing dramatically with a high-quality titanium alloy, featuring twelve precisely engineered, eye-catching bevels surrounding the face. The Obsidian Black version still comes with a light, comfortable and durable fluororubber strap but the Misty Titanium option features an all-new, segmented hybrid design, introducing stainless steel highlights to match the buckle.

This new band is so light and so comfortable I'm happy to claim it's the comfiest watch strap I've ever worn. And thanks to that titanium casing and the introduction of fibreglass into the bottom panel, this is the lightest Watch X yet - which all adds up to a device that is a genuine pleasure to wear.

That's important because I use the Watch X3 for sleep tracking - something I've been hesitant to do with larger smartwatches like these in the past because I simply found them too bulky and uncomfortable to wear to bed.

In stark contrast, the elegance and lightness of the X3 totally mitigates the size of the watch itself and I happily drift off to sleep each night, barely aware I even have it on.

The other factor that prevents many smartwatch users from using their sleep monitoring functionality is battery life. Many watches barely make it through a whole day without having to be charged, so a lot of people forgo collecting useful sleep data and keep their watches on their chargers overnight instead.

The Watch X3 is extremely power efficient - due partly to spreading its operation over its double-chip configuration. Using it at full capacity, including tracking an hour's exercise every day via dual band GPS, I've found I can coast through at least three days on a single charge, if not four. There's also a power-saving mode that'll stretch battery life out as long as 16 days if you're really going off-grid.

However, I still choose to charge mine every day. That's because OPPO's Watch VOOC Flash Charge tops things up so fast, I can put the X3 on its cradle while I get ready for bed and it's usually back to 100% by the time I hit the sheets, just a few minutes later.

The operating system is ColorOS Watch 8.0 over the top of WearOS 6.0 - that last part is important because it means you have access to a much wider selection of apps than many other watches that are locked into their own ecosystems. For instance, I'm not really interested in wearing a watch I can't make contactless payments with using Google Wallet. WearOS makes that easy.

There are also many tiles (or widgets) you can add and scroll through, depending on what apps you have installed. One I now can't live without is Google Home Favourites, which enables me to control my smart bedside light directly from my watch.

I feel like operation of the Watch X3 is smoother and more responsive than ever. Both the digital crown and quick access button are customisable - so you can assign your own shortcuts to double and long presses. What's more, the rotating digital crown is now more prominent and offers excellent haptic feed back when you use it to scroll through various options on screen.

The ample 1.5-inch, LTPO AMOLED display is also brighter than ever - it'll ramp up to an impressive 3,000nits in strong sunlight, which is more than enough nits for you to be able to clearly keep an eye on your metrics while you're out walking, running, cycling, ski-ing, surfing, mountain-climbing... whatever. 

And the thing I love about the fitness tracking on the Watch X3 is the way you can customise those metrics for every kind of workout. If duration is the thing you care about most when you walk, you can position that timer front and centre. But if you're concentrating more on cadence during your runs, you can swap that into top place on screen instead.

It goes without saying you'll receive all your calls, notifications and messages pretty much instantly and you can answer back via voice, preset quick replies or onscreen keyboard.

So what we have here is a watch that looks and feels absolutely fabulous, works like a charm and - it turns out - is very nearly indestructible.

Name a durability rating and the Watch X3 probably has it. IP68 and IP69? Of course. 

Waterproof to 5ATM? You bet.

Tested to MIL-STD-810 military standard for altitude and extreme temperatures? What do you think?

 ...so effectively the Watch X3 has about every water, dust, heat and pressure proofing there is to have. All of which is great, but I've always found it frustrating you can have a watch that works underwater but you can't actually work it underwater because touch screens don't work underwater.

Except...

Thanks to technology OPPO calls "Splash Touch" the Watch X3 allows wet finger tracking. Now, that's not quite operating the screen while fully submerged but it does mean I can deactivate the alarm I snoozed when it goes off again in the shower. 

It also has the welcome spin-off effect that the screen controls won't be activated accidentally by contact with water. Why is that important? Well, if I can take you back into the shower with me for a moment, there have been the odd times in the past when I've started playing my podcasts from my phone at full volume, just because I had my watch under the falling water. Not ideal for the rest of the house at 3AM.

I've also had weird things happen while exercising out in the weather - media controls activated, even workouts paused or ended, just because of a bit of rain. The Watch X3 seems to be immune to all this.

You better believe this is the complete package and because you can install its O-Health app on any Android device, you're not locked into an OPPO phone just because you want to own this very cool OPPO watch. Not that there's anything wrong with owning an OPPO phone as well - as my previous reviews clearly demonstrate.

The Watch X3 combines timeless style with comfort, usability and durability that'll also last a very long time. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the OPPO Watch X3.