Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai - Dyson Does Me Dirty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    

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

Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro - Heading Towards the Earwear Singularity

 Are you tired of my earbud mantra yet?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The exact opposite is true with Buds Pro4.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    

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

ECOVACS DEEBOT T90 PRO OMNI - So Fast. So Pro

I've said it before but I still hold to it; robot vacuums are about the cleverest things ever invented.

Until cars can drive themselves, clean the roads they drive on, then charge and clean themselves automatically when they park themselves back in their garage, they don't have anything on a robot vac.

And ECOVACS has been leading the way in this most innovative section of the consumer tech market.

I've tried N, T and X series models of DEEBOT before, so I thought I knew roughly where each one sat in the ECOVACS hierarchy - but they changed the rules on the latest one.

The DEEBOT T90 PRO OMNI should be a mid-tier example of what ECOVACS has evolved into - the T-series typically inheriting features from the corresponding X-series model of the previous year. However, in 2026 the T90 has leapfrogged its way to the top in some areas, making it one of the most full-featured devices of its kind available today.

I've covered off heritage features like the YIKO virtual assistant before - although it's now known as AGENT YIKO, thanks to the ever-increasing influence of AI into the DEEBOT cleaning process. Theoretically, the "Autonomous AI Agent" is not only detecting and avoiding obstacles like power cords, toys and even pets in real time, YIKO is constantly learning and fine-tuning its routines, resulting in a more effective and efficient vacuum and mop, every time out.

I don't know why I said, "Theoretically"... because that seems to be exactly what is happening. Where previous models and other competitor machines have tangled themselves in soft furnishings, wound up charging cables and got themselves stuck on doorsills and amongst furniture legs, the T90 seems to be able to sense and avoid these hazards first time around and if not, suggests changes be made to its map so it can better deal with them in the future.

The AIVI 3D 4.0 Omni-Approach Technology is behind this, making quick work of the initial mapping process. The ECOVACS app is also much more refined than the earlier versions I first encountered, some years ago now. The map is now exponentially easier to modify - dividing or combining areas, slicing off unnecessary spaces like decks or balconies, creating virtual boundaries and no-go areas - it's all much more intuitive and user-friendly than it ever was before.

Another reason you're unlikely to have to rescue the T90 from being stuck on a bunched-up rug or a low step between rooms is the new TruPass Adaptive 4-Wheel-Drive Climbing system. This comprises two rubber "auxiliary levering wheels" that spin into action if the primary drivers come up against something unrollable - like a doorstep. This is a godsend to users like me who have loose rugs around. Even if the edges get folded back, the T90 can now just clamber over and keep going.

From the Why-Didn't-They-Think-Of-That-Sooner? department comes a dramatic level of noise reduction. Slight modifications to the fan, brush and air ducts have quietened things down by about half - you'll hear this (or maybe you won't) in the video below. That's despite increased airflow and up to 30,000Pa suction power - which seems like a very big number. ECOVACS calls this BLAST - which is allegedly short for Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology. Although I reckon they called it BLAST first, then came up with some words to fit the acronym.

We've seen extended mopping brushes before, but the TruEdge 3.0 is still worth a mention because not only does the roller extend even further to the side, to get right under cupboards and other wall recesses, it's also covered in felt on the edge that runs along the wall - so less banging and bonking and no scratched skirting boards.

That OZMO Roller 3.0 does an amazing job - especially on my dark grey bathroom tiles. Spinning at up to 200RPM, the roller is continually being sprayed with water from high-pressure jets, at up to 75° -keeping it instantly, constantly clean. The whole process only uses precisely as much water as it needs and I've been surprised at how many whole-house cleans I can get through before having to empty the dirty water tank and fill up the clean one at the OMNI Auto Empty station.

And if the T90 detects a more stubborn stain or spill, it'll go back for another pass, re-mopping to get your floor shining again.

There's a whole new design for the main brush; Zero Tangle 4.0. Any vacuum used in the Hart House is forced to deal with two kinds of long, thick human hair and one kind of constantly shedding dog hair. I don't know exactly how they've done it, but the main brush on the T90 combines with "lateral airflow channels" to make sure all that hair is sucked up - not wrapped around. I've been using this vacuum for a while now and there's still not a single hair tangled in it. Incredible.

All of this performance is well above my expectations - as I say, much more typical of an X-series than a T-series DEEBOT. But ECOVACS didn't stop there.

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the T90 PRO is its battery/charging combo. PowerBoost Technology allows for a 10% charge in just 3 minutes. That means every time the T90 returns to base to empty and change its water, it's also charging its EV-grade Pouch battery (I think I call this a "Couch" battery in the video - maybe because it means I don't have to get up off the couch). This constant charge-and-go cycle means downtime has been completely eliminated.

If you've ever used a robot vacuum before, you'll know most of them get about two-thirds of the way through, the battery goes flat, then they need to spend two or three hours charging back up again before they can finish cleaning.

Not the T90 PRO. A smarter, quieter, edge-to-edge clean, non-stop. That's what I call technology.

Click here for more information on the ECOVACS DEEBOT T90 PRO OMNI.

LG UltraGear GX870A 32 Inch Dual-Mode OLED gaming monitor - Big. Beautiful. End of Story

These days when discussing tech, we often ask ourselves the question, “Have we reached peak… (insert gadget name here)?”

Take phones, for example. For a while there, every second article about the latest handset claimed there wasn’t much more phones could do. Then they folded. So, a pretty dramatic development.

Then, when it comes to monitors – especially gaming monitors – I’d say we’re still a fair way off reaching any kind of ultimate “peak”.

This one’s gotta be close, though.

At almost 32-inches, the LG UltraGear is about as big as you want to get on your desk – anything wider or taller and you’d just be too close - like sitting in the front row at the movies.

Admittedly, my usual dual-screen setup is wider but due to the 16:9 aspect ratio of the UltraGear, if it was even bigger still, you’d literally be craning your neck to take in both top and bottom of this 4K OLED masterpiece.

Setup of the GX870A is as easy as plugging it in. There are DisplayPort, USB-C and 2 x HDMI slots to connect to with quality, corresponding cables included in the box.

While there are a couple of fiddly desktop apps you can download to fine-tune colour calibration if you really insist, they're not compulsory as most settings are easily accessible via the universal toggle controller situated behind the centre of the bottom of the screen.

Using this manual control, you can easily adjust which input you wish to use, brightness, colour temperature etc, the volume of the internal speakers and yes, there are a bunch of gamer-specific settings like the Crosshair and FPS Counter too.

I've admitted it plenty of times before; I'm no gamer. But even I can appreciate the difference between a display running at 60Hz and one at 240Hz.

Of course, the headline here is you can bump that refresh rate right up to 480Hz - although there are a couple of strings attached. Obviously your source device needs to be able to support such an insanely hight rate and the UltraGear will only run 480Hz at the lower FHD resolution - so you'll need to choose between a faster response or a better picture.

Either way, at a peak brightness of 1300nits, glorious depth of colour and incredible contrast through VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 technology, this is likely to be the best picture you've seen on a monitor yet.

There's one thing on the LG website for the UltraGear GX870A that I definitely can't endorse though; the so-called "Spatial Sound" from the two built-in 7W speakers. Somehow this sound system has been certified for DTS Virtual:X, allegedly, "simulating up to 7:1 channels." You can get these speakers to go reasonably loud but there's no, "deep sound" as such and I certainly didn't find myself being immersed in any kind of 3D acoustic illusion.

No matter; there's a 3.5mm AUX jack, if you want to hardwire a set of headphones or a proper external sound system instead. 

On the other hand, there are two things I particularly love about the UltraGear GX870A that might not be super obvious.

Firstly, the stand. It's exactly the kind of simple-but-ingenius design that appeals to me - for so many reasons. Given the size of the monitor - which, as we've established, is pretty darn huge - the stand is about as minimalist and as subtle as it can be. The heavy but flat Unity Hexagonal base is easily attached to the support column with a few simple screws of the fold-out wing nut underneath. Then the screen itself just tilts and clicks into place.

As I say, although the base has to be reasonably large for stability, it's only a couple of millimetres thick, so it doesn't really take up any space on your desktop because you can just put things on top of it, as if it wasn't there. Once in place, the screen is perfectly balanced so it can slide effortlessly up and down to your preferred height - despite weighing in at 5.6kg, There's also plenty of swivel and tilt to get it looking at you at just the right angle.

But the really clever bit is you can easily rotate the whole screen 90° to use in portrait mode, no unscrewing or rescrewing required. This is essential if you're developing content for a phone app or editing video for vertical consumption.

The second under-the-radar feature is the anti-glare and low reflection tech LG has applied to this panel. I don't recall ever having seen anything quite like it - even on a TV, let alone a gaming monitor. OLED displays may be renowned for their sharp, crisp, deep colours but they're also pretty well-known for being prone to bad reflection issues, especially in a home-office setup like mine, with a set of floor-level windows directly behind my desk.

I've tried OLED screens in the past that have been so shiny, I had to angle them away from my direct line of sight to see what was on them properly. That simply isn't an issue with the UltraGear GX870A. If you've been holding off investing in OLED because of reflection worries, delay no longer. This is the one you've been waiting for.

As I said earlier, I'm used to the productivity boost a dual-screen setup offers but the UltraGear GX870A is plenty big enough for me to divide the desktop up into two, three or even four windows and still maintain a meaningful and useful amount of content within each one. For example, writing this review on one side while scrolling through the LG product page on the other.

Sure, this is probably overkill for boring officey tasks like that - but it's still fun seeing your work appear on a giant, IMAX-like screen.

As for the gaming experience... well, how can it get much better? Instant response times and pristine colour, light and shading performance make the latest 3D graphics seem so much more real. All the while, that 31.5-inch display brings you right inside the game - that's how big it really is and you can't ask much more than that.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the LG UltraGear 32 Inch Dual-Mode OLED gaming monitor.

Earshots MagFit3 - Staying Put

When it comes to high-end wireless earbuds, there's not much to separate the options available.

If you're shelling out $300-plus, the least you should expect is great sound quality, excellent Active Noise Cancellation and respectable battery life.

Which leaves one more thing; how well they fit.

With every new set of buds I review - and oh boy, have there been plenty - I become more and more convinced getting the fit right is the single feature that can make one stand out from the rest.

There are two main aspects to achieving the perfect fit; comfort and security. By security, I don't mean theft-protection. I'm talking about how securely they stay in.

Remarkably, although True Wireless Earbuds as we now know them have been around for more than a decade, there aren't many I could guarantee will keep their place, no matter what.

Until now.

The Earshots story is a great one; Kiwi founder James Bell-Booth literally designing and building his own earbuds at the kitchen table during covid. Frustrated with the constant falling-outness of every bud he went mountain biking with, James turned to magnets to keep his over-ear hook design firmly in place.

Three generations later and it's easy to see how the concept has matured into something that should provide genuine competition to other "premium" heritage brands on the market.

In fact, with MagFit3, it starts with the case.

The previous version looked like some kind of miniature cargo crate - except not that miniature. It's true that all three versions of Earshots to date are of a larger form-factor than most earbuds - but that doesn't mean they need to be carried around in something that looks like what the bad guy uses to transport weapons-grade uranium in a James Bond movie.

While significantly smaller than before, the MagFit3 case is still large - but no longer unpocketable - and it's now stylishly curved with easy-grip rubberised panels top, bottom and front. But there's a massive benefit to a case this size; its battery life. While the MagFit3 buds themselves only promise around 6 hours playback on a full charge - not bad, but not record-setting either - you get another SEVENTY hours in the case. That IS a first - well, for me anyway. I've never tested anything that comes close. 70 hours means you're unlikely to need to plug into a USB-C charger on any trip away, unless you're gone for weeks.

As stupendous as that is, we're not here to talk cases.

The MagFit3 buds aren't just more compact than their predecessors, they're lighter too, with a thinner, more flexible connecting hook-strap between the bud and magnetic control unit. The bud half of the equation is a completely different shape now - similar to other in-ear options with a more extended, soft ear tip that provides a more secure seal in your ear canal. 

To that end, there are five sizes of ear tip in the box - including a unique option with a longer sleeve that means you can screw the tips even further in if that's more comfortable for you. That's the option I ended up using for my review - although, because I received a "first-look" demo unit, my ones were orange. I feel very special.

The back half, with the controls on, slips easily behind your ear before magnetising in place with its corresponding bud. The control box now has a much softer, grippier, rubber surface and because there are so many points of contact, you might think the MagFit3 buds feel a bit claustrophobic after a while, but quite the opposite is true. There's zero weight inside your ears and the rest is so evenly distributed ON your ear, it doesn't take long before you almost forget you're wearing them.

One thing hasn't changed - and it's the most important thing. They stay in. Remember, this is why Bell-Booth came up with the idea in the first place. In fact, the MagFit3 are unquestionably the most secure-fitting Earshots yet. Shake, rattle, roll - go upside-down, they simply won't budge. It's not just because of the precisely calculated magnets, but the revised ear tip design definitely helps too.

I'm not joking about the upside-down part either; Earshots literally calls it MagFit 360° Hold Technology.

I've worn them on a hot day's gardening, wrestling a bed of stubborn agapanthus out and into a waiting bin. I've worn them when it's cold, wet and windy, as you'll see in the video below. The MagFit3s simply don't budge. At all. And with their IP67 rating, neither a stream of sweat or a deluge of rain will cause them any harm.

These could well be the most staying-innest of any wireless earbud in the world. But it doesn't stop there.

I was surprised to discover there's no companion app. At first, I was confused by this. How can there be no app? There's always an app.

Not this time. Who needs one when the three embossed control buttons on each ear are so easy to access and so intuitive to use? I say, "On each ear," but when you press them, you're actually pushing against your hard head - not squishing into your soft ears like you are with so many other designs. This means no mistouches and definitely no discomfort.

There are three listening modes, Noise Reduction, Open Ear - which lets the outside in - and MagFit3 natural - a balance of the two that still provides a first-class listening experience while keeping you from being flattened by approaching trucks when out cycling.

Appropriately, as I write this review, I'm listening to a Cat Empire track called, "Old Dog, New Trick." It features a big, bouncy bass riff, with horns and honky-tonk piano over the top. These are joined by the Cat Empire's signature mix of talkie-singing and random scratches and samples. The MagFit3 does a fine job of pushing all these elements through - even more effectively when you enable Bass Boost with a long press of the middle button.

The soundscape is rich and full and is another area Earshots has improved on exponentially since the first two iterations.

MagFit3 feels - and sounds - like a promising experiment that's finally proved its hypothesis and has now fully come of age. The price-tag is ambitious - but after putting them through as much of a wringer as I can, they're definitely worthy of consideration against other "bigger name," even more expensive options and one thing I can guarantee you, those others won't stay in like these do.

    

Click here for information and pricing on the EarShots MagSafe3.

Also available through Spark stores and Evo Cycles nationwide.

Philips Hue Twilight sleep and wake-up light - The Bedside Lamp of Your Dreams

So after reviewing, buying and installing my fair share of smart lighting solutions over the years, I can confidently say Philips Hue deserves its position as the most well regarded of them all.

While they've recently added quite a few devices, Hue still isn't the biggest range. And it's definitely one of the most expensive. But when it comes to smart gadgetry, there's really only one thing that matters; reliability.

When you want it on, it needs to turn on. Even more importantly for lighting, when it's off, it needs to stay off. When it comes to preset routines and colour effects, you don't want to have to have a degree in quantum optics to be able to set it.

And that's what Hue seems to nail every time. Or so I thought...

I have to admit, I'd completely brushed over what the Hue Twilight truly is. I thought it was basically just a bedside lamp with a Hue smart bulb in it. But from the moment I took it out of the box, I was immediately impressed by how much more it has to offer - even before I turned it on.

Firstly, whether you go for white or black, the lamp itself is styley - in a low-key, subtle, retro sci-fi sort of a way. I like how curvy and rounded it is. I like how natural the cork-like base feels and it's helpful that the head of the lamp can rotate to different angles.

Why is that latter feature so important?

Because it turns out the back of the Twilight is essentially a second device altogether; I was pleasantly shocked to discover a Hue Play wall washer set into the rear panel. I recently reviewed the wall washer and found it to be a fine example of Philips Hue's unique ColorCasting ability, using overlapping LEDs to create that trademark gradient effect which makes them so perfect as backlights synced with your TV or computer monitor.

I also found the wall washers made fabulous feature lights to highlight your favourite plants, sculptures or even items of furniture around the house.

The genius of building one into the back of the Twilight sleep and wake-up light is it makes the ceiling lights in your bedroom redundant - particularly at bedtime when it's widely accepted exposure to overly bright, 100W bulbs just before bed can faff about with your natural circadian rhythms and make it difficult to drift off.

Conversely, the light emitted from the back of the Twilight is much more subtle and soothing, indirectly reflecting off the wall in whatever colour and brightness you set it to.

This is so brilliant, because often, just one or two bedside lights alone aren't enough to see your way around the rest of the room while you're carrying out your bedtime routine - be that tying your hair up, letting it down, choosing the right socks for tomorrow - whatever.

Now, thanks to the Hue Twilight, the soft light projected onto the walls behind and beside my bed provides all the ambient illumination I need.

Of course, being Philips Hue, there are infinite combinations of colours and animated themes you can set either the bedside spot, the rear wall washer, or both to - including cosy, flickering candle light.

All this can be controlled through the Hue app, or via the virtual home assistant of your choice. Samsung's much maligned Bixby has recently benefitted from a major overhaul and I've found it now works pretty well controlling Hue devices via SmartThings.

Helpfully, there are two actual physical buttons on top of the Twilight - the "Dot" and "Hue" buttons, which can be assigned to a variety of different functions, not just on and off - although in the middle of the night, that can be pretty helpful too.

Not sure why these buttons had to be made of that certain kind of rubber that seems to attract dust and debris more than any other surface known to man, but at least they're there.

Specifically tied to the name of the device, you can also use it to wake yourself up or actively help slip yourself into a slumber. There's a preset "Wake-Up" routine that mimics the natural sunrise, in an effort to prise your eyes open gently as the light slowly intensifies, supposedly a more calming visual alternative to the sound of a blaring alarm.

At the other end of the day there's "Go-To-Sleep" automation that can be fired off with the press of a button. This immediately dims and softens both lights and continues to do so over a duration of your choosing (the default 10 minutes seems to work for me). At the end of that time, complete darkness descends and I find myself quite naturally finishing with my book and drifting off.

If you prefer a slight nightlight - or perhaps you're thinking of using this in a child's room - Philips Hue is definitely the way to go; not only is it capable of bright, bright whites but it can dim down to the softest of comforting glows.

Ironically though, I quickly ran into a problem which did the exact opposite. Night after night - in the middle of the night - the Hue Twilight would flick on for a few seconds, blasting the room with searing bright light, costing me, and far more importantly, the Domestic Manager, precious sleep and causing serious nocturnal consternation.

After several similar rude awakenings I was about ready to yank the thing out of the wall and chuck it in the bin. Meanwhile, Domestic Manager appeared to be considering the same fate for the guy who'd installed the thing in the first place. Gulp.

Then, after a lot of Googling and some intensive AI consultation, I figured it out. It wasn't the Twilight's fault at all - or indeed anything to do with Philips Hue. Evil Alexa was to blame.

Because I'd linked the Hue Twilight with my Amazon Alexa account, it was now subject to a "feature" of Alexa's called "Hunches". Unbeknownst to me, I'd enabled Hunches which gave Alexa the power to do things like turn off all the lights if it thinks everyone's asleep.

Trouble is, what happens when you send an on/off command to a light that's already off?

You got it.

Apparently, there's also another helpful setting called, "Away Lighting" which will turn lights on and off at random if Alexa thinks there's nobody home. This has also been causing issues with other smart light users.

So just to clear that up; All Alexa's fault, not Hue's. And nothing that couldn't be solved with a deep dive into the settings menu of the Alexa app.

That colab confusion aside, I love this lamp. Again, like every other Hue product I've tried (and usually, ultimately owned) the Twilight does what its told, when it's told and even better, helps me get a good night's rest. And what wouldn't you pay for a decent sleep?

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Philips Hue Twilight sleep and wake-up light.

JBL Tune 780NC - Pretty Damn Premium

You've seen them. Those cool people with their cool headphones. Whatever they're listening to, it doesn't matter, because they're flexing so hard, having spent many hundreds of dollars on a set of cans they could easily leave on the bus by mistake.

Who has that kind of cash?

Luckily, thanks to JBL, you don't even need to spend TWO hundreds to wear something that sounds almost that good.

The Tune 780NC wireless over-ear headset is one of JBL's latest offerings and is available right now for just NZ$179.95.

To get it down to that price, JBL has definitely cut a few corners - but maybe not any particularly important corners - so you won't be making too many compromises to get premium sound quality in your head and the JBL logo on your ears.

The first concession is the size. Technically, these are over-ear headphones - but only just. There's also a Tune 680NC that's even smaller and is described as ON-ear. To be fair, the 780's do fit over my wildly asymmetrical ears but I have to say after a few hours non-stop use monitoring the breakfast show on Newstalk ZB, I do start to feel ever so slightly claustrophobic.

That's not only due to the smallish size of the ear-cups, the headband is also very narrow and perhaps not as padded as some other headsets. In fact, there's no denying there's a slightly plasticky feeling to the whole design. I haven't had any breakages or other issues but I'm not sure I'd trust them to survive a fall onto hard steps or being accidentally sat on.

This is exacerbated by the lack of any carry case, hard or soft, included in the box. On the other hand, the Tune 780NC does fold quite flat so you can slide it fairly easily into  a bag or backpack when not in use.

Unlike just about any other JBL product I've ever reviewed, there's no charging cable in the box either. This doesn't concern me at all - after all, I have approximately 7,463 USB-C cables lying around that'll do the job - but it's certainly more evidence JBL is making a concerted effort to keep these cans affordable.

Despite that, I was relieved to discover an AUX-to-USB-C audio cable IS included. Interestingly, although JBL has moved away from a 3.5mm audio jack on the headphones themselves, they've realised many of their users still like to plug into more analogue devices. I wish the cable was a bit longer but at least it's one of those tangle-resistant flat ribbons.

If you prefer to connect via hardwire to reduce lag - using the Tune 780NC to game with, for instance - that may no longer be an issue, as they're Bluetooth 6.0-enabled with LE Audio - some of the lowest-latency wireless tech around - as long as whatever you're pairing with is compatible of course.  Regardless, you can use Fast Pair (with Google/Android devices), Swift Pair (by Microsoft) or just do it through your plain old bluetooth settings menu - connect to two devices at once and switch between them easily.

The JBL Headphones app does all the stuff you expect it to; firmware updates, preset and customisable EQs, onboard control tweaks - the latter including the Adaptive Noise Cancelling toggle that lets you adjust how much of the outside world you let in.

The ANC is excellent and works for both wired and wireless connections. This is great for me at work because it means I can tune out my boss and my producer yelling at each other so I can focus on editing audio for the show.

However, it was the most essential requirement of a pair of headphones that really impressed me with these; plain old sound quality.

JBL lists both Hi-Res Pure Bass and Spatial Sound as headline features and from my testing, it's hard to argue. "xanny" by Billie Eilish is a classic example. As usual for her (and her brother), the production standard is exquisite. The extra-low and deliberately distorted synth bass punches through like a slow-motion sledgehammer. Meanwhile, the lead vocal and solo piano are both stripped bare, left hanging on their own in crystal clarity at various points throughout the song.

The Lawrence track, "Freckles" is another bouncy, bassy tune that makes the most of the Tune 780NC's ability to create a sonic space inside your head plenty big enough for every quirky sample, sound and instrument in the mix.

Same with "Avengers - LOCK IN" by Fat Freddy's Drop. One of their many perfect tracks; a lot of instruments, each not-playing at just the right times. It really does sound like you're right there with them as they recorded it.

If you're considering laying down four or five-hundred dollars on a really decent headset, maybe have a listen to a pair of these before you do. From the speed-charging, to the 76 hour battery life (50 with ANC on) to the very full and clear vocal quality produced by the dual beam-forming mics, this is a set of headphones - okay, OVER-ear headphones - that brings a lot to the table at a very reasonable price.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tune 780NC.