If there's a gadgety gal or guy in your life, you may be looking for some suggestions to help fill their stocking this Christmas.
I've compiled a list of the latest and greatest tech toys available. Some of these I've used and reviewed, some I'm using right now, some I'll go into more detail with in the new year.
Let's start with my absolute favourite...
1: SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH
Samsung has been making genuine smart watches longer than just about anyone, so they know what they're doing. The 2018 range of Galaxy Watches picks up from where last year's Gear S3 Frontier left off; close to perfection. Available in 3 models - a big, sporty 46mm version, or the more elegant his and hers 42mm. Unlike other smart watches, these conventional round faces are well protected by a raised bezel which also serves as the navigation controller.
In terms of functionality, the Galaxy Watch takes what was already working brilliantly even further - longer battery life, swim-proof, faster processing, more fitness tracking options, more versatile band choices... these watches work with most phones but pair it with a Samsung device and you'll never wear another watch.
Click here for more information on the Samsung Galaxy Watch.
2: 360PRO
Nothing says I love you this Christmas like, "Clean those teeth properly, you slob."
The 360PRO is not just another toothbrush.
Some toothbrushes have a couple of different speeds. The 360PRO has five. Count 'em; FIVE.
Some toothbrushes will last a few days, or maybe a week between charges. The 360Pro keeps brushing for a month.
Oh, and did I mention it's black? (Also available in white if you're boring)
Click here for more information on the 360PRO sonic toothbrush.
3: HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO
If you just want to give that special someone the best present ever, hard to go past this.
World leading tri-lens camera technology, but that's not all.
To be honest, I'm struggling to come up with something another phone does that this one doesn't. From wireless charging to unbelievable battery life to the in-screen fingerprint sensor, it really does have every feature going and here's the clincher; in the cut-throat battle for market share, Huawei has priced the Mate 20 Pro lower in New Zealand than just about anywhere in the world. At under $1500 (including bundled accessories from most retailers) it's such a good buy, it's almost an international tourist attraction.
Click here for more information on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
4: JBL JR POP BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
One for the kids. Great sound, cool colour options and built to take a few knocks.
Waterproof (so presumably, spill-your-drink-all- over-it-proof too) and what's more, it lights up when it's playing.
The Jr Pop even comes with a set of stickers for kiddie-customisation.
Click here for more information on the JBL Jr Pop bluetooth speaker
5: HARMAN KARDON ALLURE PORTABLE
On the other hand, if you need a more grown-up speaker, the HK Allure Portable is probably the best around.
I haven't tried this one yet, but I have used the original Allure and the combination of premium sound quality and Alexa voice control was unparalleled.
The Allure Portable is essentially the same, awesome speaker, but a bit smaller and now includes a convenient charging cradle, so no more plugging and unplugging.
Click here for more information on the HK Allure Portable.
6: SONY SRS-XB31 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
...or maybe you're looking for something in between.
The Sony SRS-XB31 is the everything, everywhere, every time speaker. Waterproof, dust-proof, small enough to pop into a bag, big enough for Sony's Extra Bass technology to do its thing.
It even has flashy lights. Oh, and you can hit it to make your own drum sounds. Yup, basically a whole party in one package.
Click here for more information on the Sony SRS-XB31.
7: CRUCIAL P1 NVMe PCIe SSD
Okay, this is one for complete nerds, but bear with me.
In case you weren't up with the play, modern laptops don't use hard drives anymore. In fact, most of them don't even use the traditional hard drive form factor, even as a solid state drive. No point in a box when you can just slot in a tiny circuit board, right?
If you thought your laptop was fast already, you won't believe how changing to the Crucial P1 can still improve things like start up times. Besides which, maybe you just need the extra storage.
Available in 500GB and 1TB with a massive 2TB version coming soon.
Let your geek geek-out on a superfast storage upgrade.
Click here for more information on the Crucial P1 SSD.
8: JAYBIRD RUN TRUE WIRELESS SPORT HEADPHONES
Proving Apple isn't the only one who can cut the earbud cord, Jaybird Runs look way cooler. (in my opinion)
You'll get 4 hours play on a full charge - with another 8 hours charging in the case.
Best of all, they come with an incredible range of ear tips and fins to ensure the best fit you've ever had from a pair of earbuds.
Just as well - they're not cheap. Extremely well designed though.
Click here for more information on Jaybird Run wireless sport headphones.
9: SONY WH-1000XM3 WIRELESS NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES
These aren't cheap either, but that's fine because they may well be the best headphones I've ever worn.
A love-at-first-listen affair from the second I put them on - the cushions are the softest yet, which doesn't just mean sublime comfort, but a tighter seal - the first part of Sony's masterful noise cancelling solution.
They've developed a whole new chip dedicated solely to keeping noise out and it's pretty astounding. So is the battery life - days, not hours.
This is a great gift for any business traveler in your life.
Click here for more information on Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones.
10: REDMI NOTE 5
Now for something inexpensive...
If you or someone you know is a recidivist phone dropper, dunker or loser - paying close to two grand for a replacement might seem a bit O.T.T.
So don't.
At just $398.99, the Redmi Note 5 is priced at the lower end of the mid-range market, but it has the features and performance of a handset at the upper end of that same market. I think that makes it a very good buy.
Decent camera, very fast processor and amazing battery life.
What more do you (or they) really need?
Click here for more information on the Redmi Note 5.
11: LOGITECH CRAFT KEYBOARD
Another slightly geeky one, but not really.
Not all keyboards are created equal and using cheap, nasty, little ones is frustrating and counter-productive.
The Craft keyboard features programmable function keys, a useful crown/dial you can also customise and it can be paired with up to three different devices simultaneously.
It's so much more than just another bluetooth input device; it's a powerful tool that I'm finding thoroughly indispensable the more I use it.
At $369.90, you're paying an absolute premium for a mere keyboard... but there's nothing "mere" about this keyboard. It's feature-packed, precision engineered and solid as a rock. If you're a premium user, you won't regret paying that premium price
Click here for more information on the Logitech Craft Keyboard.
12: DYSON CYCLONE V10 ABSOLUTE+
Yup, I saved the best for last.
Some would argue a vacuum cleaner should never be given as a present. Those people have obviously never used a Dyson.
I vacuum my whole house with this. No cord. Maximum power. A huge selection of heads and attachments.
Functional design really doesn't get any better than this.
My cars, stairs, ceilings and floors have never looked so spotless and I no longer dread my Friday morning chore. Is it going too far to say I now look forward to it?...
Click here for more information on the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+
Recently, Xiaomi opened its first Mi Store in the Oceania region, right here in New Zealand.
There was a lot of publicity around the Mi Home electric scooter - which does look pretty amazing - and as a result they sold out almost straight away.
But the other big impact of Mi opening its bright orange doors at Sylvia Park is now we have access to a whole new range of phones...
The Redmi Note 5 is full of surprises, even for a phone junkie like me.
At first it's hard to know what to expect from the Note 5, especially since I haven't reviewed a Xiaomi-manufactured device before. Also available in a powder blue, the black version I have takes minimalist design almost to an extreme. From the matte-finish metal back cover to the reinforced shock-absorbing corners of the device, this phone is really black. Even the transparent case included in the box is tinted black. The Redmi Note 5 is almost the complete opposite of some of the gaudy, multicoloured devices we've seen on show throughout the year.
It's a solid piece of kit, quite weighty in the hand. Unusually, the seams, joins and edges are all slightly raised - almost as if to create a tactile experience that suggests industrial usability rather than something that'll slip out of your hand onto the floor.
The large, 5.99inch display seems even bigger than it is, due to sizable bezels top and bottom. The top bezel holds a speaker, the selfie camera and a selfie-light - the bottom one doesn't hold anything so I guess it's just for aesthetic balance.
The bottom edge of the Note 5 is the main physical clue about which part of the phone market it slots into; just the single downward-firing speaker, a real live, physical earphone jack (soon to be extinct I think) and most telling of all, a microUSB port - very old-fashioned at this end of 2018.
So it might not scream style and elegance, but once you fire the Note 5 up, functionality rules supreme. The Snapdragon 636 octacore processor, combined with a respectable 4GB of RAM really keeps this phone flying along with very few pauses, jumps or stutters.
As this was my first experience with the MIUI 9 operating system, I decided to jump in head first, get rid of the buttons off the display and learn the Redmi range of gestures. I actually found this to be very intuitive on the whole, my only real frustration coming when scrolling through photos; the go-back gesture is a swipe from the side of the screen - easily confused with a swipe to the next picture. It's a muscle memory thing, I guess.
Not every phone handles split screen functionality well, if it offers it at all. The Redmi Note 5 makes it easy. It's stable and the screen is certainly big enough to handle it. In fact, the screen is great for all kinds of content - browsing, video whatever.
The cameras were the other big surprise for me. A 15MP + 5MP dual camera on the back combined with a 13MP selfie-cam. No, theses won't win any photography awards up against the big brand flagships, but the low light performance was actually not too shabby - especially from the front-facing camera due to its own built-in selfie light. There are a good selection of beauty settings too, quite customisable compared to many other phones I've tried. I'm still not actually beautiful at the end of it, but a bit closer than usual.
Battery life is the hero feature of this phone. There aren't too many others around with a massive 4000mAh battery like this. Yes the charging cable is old-fashioned, but you'll get a couple of days use out of this phone easy.
At just $398.99, the Redmi Note 5 is priced at the lower end of the mid-range market, but it has the features and performance of a handset at the upper end of that same market. I think that makes it a very good buy.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Redmi Note 5.
There are some things I guess I always assumed were pretty much the same.
Electric toothbrushes.
Different from normal toothbrushes, sure. But how different from each other could they really be?...
Well for a start, it's black. I mean; come on.
The 360PRO is not just another toothbrush.
Some toothbrushes have a couple of different speeds. The 360PRO has five. Count 'em; FIVE.
Some toothbrushes will last a few days, or maybe a week between charges. The 360Pro keeps brushing for a month.
Oh, and did I mention it's black?
What would you expect from a tooth brush designed right here in New Zealand?
If you're some kind of crazy person who doesn't think black is just the coolest colour ever for a toothbrush to be, you can still get it in white. But seriously, why would you?
Remember, there's a big difference between conventional electric brushes and sonic devices like the 360PRO - about 10 times the difference. While an electric brush might vibrate anywhere between 2,500 and 8,000 strokes per minute, the 360PRO can get up to 40,000! There's really no comparison.
So about those five modes; Clean, White, Polish, Soft and Sensitive... how great is it to have those last two modes to cater for people with sensitive teeth and gums? Before the 360PRO, options were pretty limited for those seeking a more gentle clean.
I'm at other end of the scale, of course. When I brush, I want to know I've brushed. White mode is a more pronounced, slightly pulsating sensation - almost violent, but in a good way. This is recommended for dealing with coffee and other similar stains. I just like it because after my 2 minute cycle, I can physically feel my teeth shining... even with my eyes closed.
The handle is reasonably thick and because it's more square than round, its very easy to hold which is obviously important in wet, slippery environments like bathrooms. The 360PRo comes with two heads in their own case with a lid. These are straightforward to attach and remove but at first I was surprised to see a slight gap between the base of the head and the handle. Then I realised this is to ensure clearance for the 360PRO's powerful brush strokes. The other advantage is it allows space to rinse between the head and handle. I've seen gunge build up under other toothbrush heads and it ain't pretty, let me tell you.
Like other brushes, the 360PRO runs for two minutes at a time, pausing every thirty seconds to remind you to move on to the next bit of your mouth. As I mentioned though, unlike other brushes the battery life on this thing is pretty astounding. The wireless inductive charging base (also black) is very compact, so it won't take up much space on your bathroom vanity but to be honest, I use the charger so rarely I keep it in the drawer. In fact, I've been brushing with the 360PRO for a couple of weeks now and I've only charged it once, when I first got it. This makes it a viable option to take with you if you're going away for weeks, not just days.
Ideally you'll want to take it with you if you're going to be staying in some kind of communal bathroom situation, because you'll have the coolest toothbrush of anybody there, hands down.
Did I mention it's black?
Oh yeah... and the button is silver.
Come on.
Click here for more information and pricing on the 360PRO sonic toothbrush.
It's hard not to love Dyson.
It's all about design. You only have to listen to a Dyson engineer describe one of their products to realise these men and women are truly passionate problem solvers.
But when it comes to the air quality in Kiwi homes, is there even a problem to solve?...
Like every other Dyson product I've ever used, the Dyson Pure Cool purifying tower fan exudes design excellence. This ain't no ordinary fan and it certainly isn't a dehumidifier.
It's so far beyond any of that.
Turns out, there's a lot wrong with what we're breathing, even inside - perhaps especially inside. Odours, moisture, pollen, dust - that's just the beginning. If you have an internal garage you're wafting a fair dose of Nitrogen Dioxide through your humble abode every time you drive in or out.
And you don't want to know what microscopic civilisations are flourishing inside your pillows, bedding and furniture cushions. I've been told and I really wish I hadn't been.
Stands to reason then, removing all that invisible - yet potentially harmful - gunk out of the air could have a lot of benefits.
For starters, not having to wake up to a house that smells like last night's curry has definitely got to be a bonus. Yes, the Pure Cool helps eliminate cooking smells - but not just because they're smells. Turns out when I make my famous pumpkin and potato vegetable soup, I'm actually gassing the whole house.
The Pure Cool is equipped with both particle and gas filters, which clip easily into place on the base of the unit. Not only does Dyson's clever tech detect levels of particle and gas pollution in your home, it can adjust its fan settings automatically to clean the air as efficiently as possible. This resulted in the Pure Cool really ramping things up once my soup started bubbling.
Of course, Dyson's blade-free fan design is now almost as iconic as its bagless vacuum technology, and the top three-quarters of the device is one of those very fans. It runs very quietly on the lower settings, but once you get above level 4 out of 10, you'll definitely know it's in the room with you. The fan isn't just for distributing fresh, filtered air around the room - it obviously works just like a... well, just like a fan. You know, to cool you down when it gets hot.
There will, however, be times when you'd rather not have a fan blowing air around. Dyson's thought of that too. With a push of a button the airflow is diffused more subtly over the back of the tower instead - still purifying the air but now you can't feel it.
Another thing the Pure Cool is constantly tracking; temperature. Humidity too. There's a small display on the base you can scroll through using the remote. This will show you the current air quality and specifically which bits of the air need work. Obviously the tiny screen also displays fan speed and your oscillation setting - from 45 to an impressive 350 degrees. Although the display is small, its bright - luckily night mode will dim it for use in the bedroom and it's easy enough to set a timer to turn the whole thing off after you're asleep.
The remote is simply laid out and even magnetically fixes itself to the top of the tower if that's the easiest place for you to find it.
But you might prefer to use the Dyson Link app instead. Not only are all those same controls available, you can also set up schedules for different times of the day (like soup cooking time) and control multiple devices in different rooms.
Even more impressive is the data available to you - the app is a much easier way of seeing what's happening with your air quality right now and you can also look back over historical information to identify trends or see if you've managed to make any improvements. This is being collected constantly - the Pure Cool stays connected and keeps monitoring even when it's off, as long as it's still switched on at the wall.
Yes, there's a lot of clever stuff going on inside the Pure Cool - which is what justifies its relatively steep price tag.
This is not a miracle cure for hayfever or asthma of course, but every particle removed from the air surely must help. That's the funny thing - it's really hard to say if the Pure Cool has a dramatic effect because you don't tend to notice smells, irritants and pollutants that aren't there.
If the Dyson Link app is to believed, any of those things that do get into your home are all but eliminated, in pretty short time too.
Makes you wonder what I'm putting in that soup...
Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson Pure Cool purifying tower fan.
I can't wait to tell you about these.
When you come across something that does everything you ever wanted it to, you have to shout it from the rooftops.
Here goes...
The WH-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones from Sony were a love-at-first-listen affair from the second I put them on.
Never before have I worn headphones that feel this good, straight out of the box. The padding, the balance, the weight (or lack of it) all combine perfectly to achieve a fit so comfortable I honestly didn't want to take them off. I'm not making this up. I experienced waves of pleasure simply because I could hardly feel these things against my ears or head.
The headband has been subtly but significantly redesigned since previous models. It seems more robust but more padded and has a more elliptical shape which leads to a much more secure, snug fit. As for the ear cups themselves - it's like pouring warm butter over your ears... except not gross. Terrible, terrible metaphor. The cushions are the softest yet, which doesn't just mean sublime comfort, but a tighter seal - the first part of Sony's masterful noise cancelling solution.
They've developed a whole new chip dedicated solely to keeping noise out and it's pretty astounding. Whether it's office hustle and bustle, traffic or a crying baby on a plane, these things are all but eliminated as soon as you turn the WH-1000XM3's on. If you find this a little too isolating, you can switch to ambient mode, either by pressing the dedicated button on the left cup, or by merely placing your hand over the right cup.
I've been told by my 15 year-old monster Sony isn't a cool brand like it used to be, but I think these headphones look pretty cool - either in black or silver. Weirdly, the silver isn't silver at all - I'd describe it as "nude" - kind of a neutral, natural colour that seems to match pretty much everything. They fold flat into their own compact carry case and come with an audio cable for hardwired listening, an aeroplane adapter and a very welcome USB Type-C charging cable, making these much more compatible with late model phone chargers.
The battery life, which was already astounding on the previous generation, has been significantly improved again. I wore the WH-1000XM3's on a recent trip to Sydney - that means hours of airport time as well as flight time - and got there and back without coming even slightly close to running them flat. House of Cards Season 6 sounded amazing by the way. Using Sony's Headphones Connect app, you can customise your sound preference in all kinds of ways, not just the EQ. For example, because I was watching video on my phone, I was able to move the focus to the front. The surround effects were truly surreal.
As far as music appreciation goes, I'd previously accused Sony of being a bit bass-obsessed, to the detriment of a more full-frequencied soundscape. Even at the default settings, they seem to have addressed this with most tracks sounding far less hollow and boomy. If you're still not satisfied, the app really does have heaps of options for tweaking things the way you want them. You can even use it to activate Google Assistant so you can ask your headphones for a weather forecast or to call your mum.
I found phone quality to be just as clear, by the way. As you would expect, the WH-1000XM3's are packed with the very latest in bluetooth connectivity tech.
The only flaw to be found on these otherwise flawless bits of ear gear is Sony's insistence on gesture controls rather than physical buttons. Swiping up or down on the right cup controls volume, forward or back skips tracks, double taps play and pause. Theoretically nifty, but in practice, it takes quite a while to train yourself to get your swipes in exactly the right places. What's wrong with a couple of extra buttons?
That aside, the WH-1000XM3's are simply the best. In my job, I have to wear headphones for hours on end and these make that a pleasure, not a chore.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones.
Tech.
I love it. The innovation. The advances. The new features. Just when you think there's a gadget for everything, another one appears to do a job you didn't even realise needed doing.
Either that, or something you're already using is made obsolete because the new version has a whole lot of flash, extra things your one doesn't.
Phones for instance.
Add a camera. Add the internet. Add GPS. Add just about everything you can think of.
On the other hand, some things work better the less complicated they are. When you're presenting, you just want everything to work... preferably without thinking about it so you can concentrate on presenting...
The Logitech R500 wireless laser presentation remote is just about the most straight-forward thing I've ever reviewed... and that's great.
When it comes to presentation tools, the less setup and fuss involved the better - so what could be easier than plugging in the R500's wireless USB receiver and you're ready to go? That receiver fits snugly into the end of the remote when you're not using it. Best of all, given many devices don't actually have full-sized USB ports anymore, you can also connect the R500 via bluetooth. This too is quick and easy, just hold down the Back and Laser Pointer buttons simultaneously to put it into pairing mode.
I found both connections totally reliable - even in environments with a lot of competing wireless and bluetooth activity. Surely that's the most important element of any presentation - a remote you can depend on.
The R500 fits very comfortably in the hand, with its rubber-feel surface keeping it extremely secure. The central Next button is larger and concave, so your thumb naturally returns to it without you having to look at the device. This also makes the Laser Pointer and Back buttons just as easy to find of course and the whole thing small enough to be practically invisible to your audience. Each button responds with a reassuring click to leave you in no doubt you've pressed it.
The laser pointer works like any laser pointer does - however, as more and more presenting takes place on LED TV's rather than projected screens, there is a visibility problem for laser pointers; shining a light on something that's shining light back at you is not very effective and I've found the laser dot doesn't show up at all on some screens. Inventors, get onto this please! We need a new kind of laser.
Once you download the Logitech Presentation software, the R500 stops being about merely "Forward" and "Back." This is a very stripped-back but powerful app that lets you customise the buttons on the remote so long presses can do things like blank the screen or begin your presentation in the first place. The Presentation utility even features a customisable timer which will appear on your device (but not on your projected screen) so you can keep track of how long you've been talking. Again, simple but brilliant.
The app also keeps track of the remote's battery life, so there's no risk of everything grinding to a halt mid PowerPoint.
I've been using it with a number of devices in several different environments and it hasn't let me down yet. Making your presentation do what it's supposed to when it's supposed to is really all that matters.
And that's pretty much all there is to say, because the R500 does its job, end of story.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Logitech R500 wireless laser presentation remote.
