YOUR SIX-SIDED SMART LIGHTING SOLUTION

I first encountered Nanoleaf technology almost three years ago when I reviewed the Aurora, an array of triangular smart panels you can configure whichever way you like, lighting them whichever colour you like or even setting them to respond to sound and music.

While not the most practically useful device I've ever come across, Nanoleaf certainly managed to bring its idea of a modular smart lighting system to fruition effectively and it seemed to work very well.

But I have to admit, when they offered to send me the latest generation to review, my first question was, "How different can it really be?"...

Well for starters, they're Hexagons, not triangles.

This is the first installment of Nanoleaf's new Shapes range; the promise is there'll be other shapes to come that will be compatible with these ones. 

Installation is pretty straightforward; like the original triangles, there are small slots on each side of each Hexagon and you simply connect them together with the supplied linkers, which snap easily into place (or out of place if you change your mind about your configuration). The included power supply and controller units attach the same way and once you've decided on your overall pattern, there's a new mounting system to get it all on the wall.

This is the first big advance from those original triangles I tried back in 2017. There are separate mounting plates fixed to each panel that can be stuck to the wall via 3M mounting strips (pre-attached) or screwed on for a more permanent solution. This is, of course, kind of terrifying if you are nervous about the idea of at least nine points of contact on your nicely painted or wallpapered walls, so I'd suggest having a decent play around with your Shapes setup on the floor before committing to the final hangup. The panels can then be pushed on or pulled off the mounting plates with little fuss.

While there are just nine hexagonal panels included in this starter kit, you can run up to twenty-one from a single power source and up to five-hundred from one controller.

The controller is the second major upgrade. Not only is it now included with the starter pack as opposed to the optional extra Rhythm module of old, it offers quite a range of hands-on functionality before you even open the Nanoleaf app. You can turn the Hexagons on and off, adjust the brightness, cycle through colours and patterns or even shuffle specific Rhythm scenes (patterns that respond to music). This is a lot to play around with in itself - but we're only just getting started.

Pairing the Hexagons with the Nanoleaf app is where the fun really begins. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and the pairing process was lightning fast... at my second attempt. I use an Android phone and for some reason I initially got myself into a bit of a mess once I scanned the QR code as instructed. There are actually two other pairing methods; NFC and manually inserting a code - I think I messed things up even more by trying all three. Eventually I cleared all the data from the app and started again - to my surprise this time the Hexagons paired instantly. At that point the app opens up an infinite number of options for you to experiment with.

I'm not just talking about toggling the brightness up and down either. There are sixteen pre-loaded scenes of varying colours and interactivity. You can select any of these, shuffle all of them, or create your own playlist of favourite ones. Or, take things a step further and design your own scene; solid colours, flashing, waves, you name it. Apparently there are more than sixteen-million colours to choose from - that seems like more than you really need. There's red, so that's the main thing.

There are two other methods to control the Hexagons; via your virtual assistant or by touching the panels themselves. I use Alexa to access most of my smart devices and it communicates with the Shapes very well. I've even created a routine that turns the Hexagons on when a motion detector sees someone enter the room. Google Assistant, IFTTT and Siri are all options too and using HomeKit on your Apple devices will let you activate personalised scenes that involve any of your Homekit-enabled gadgets by touching certain panels.

There are also five programmable Touch Gestures that let you access some of the more basic settings with swipes or taps on the panels themselves. When it comes to customisations, this is certainly one of the most malleable tech toys I've ever encountered. Not only can you physically adapt it to fit your environment (even bending around corners using optional flex-linkers) but there are so many programmable options controlled in so many different ways.

My main criticism is to do with the lights themselves. Yes, you can have them bright or dim or even automatically adjusting to the light conditions in the room but they don't light up right to the corners of each panel. This makes the illuminated area more of a circle than a hexagon. Additionally, as you can see in this picture, the light is slightly shaded in certain areas too. Neither of these things are particularly obvious, especially from a distance, but it might be something Nanoleaf can perfect for future Shapes.

In the meantime, this is certainly one of the more creative ways to light up a wall, either at home or perhaps even more effectively, at your place of business. All too often we're told we're only limited by our imaginations but in the case of the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons, that really does seem to be the case. Whatever physical form you choose, in whatever colour and pattern, controlled by button, touch, app or voice. I can't wait to see what the next Shape will be...


Click here for more information on Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons.

Click here for pricing options.

SMARTER WIFI MEANS BETTER WIFI

If you're still struggling with your home WiFi setup, there are any number of steps you can take to remedy the situation.

Yes, there are extenders or mesh-router systems you can try. These will certainly help with any coverage issues you might be dealing with but if you're experiencing slow speeds, dropouts, buffering, this isn't necessarily because of a weak signal.

If you have a lot of IoT devices, smart speakers, WiFi cameras or just a lot of people in the house all trying to be online at once, things are probably getting pretty crowded at your router.

It's like expecting to get a more powerful flow from your hose if you only have the tap half-on.

WiFi-6 is one way to get things moving...

As the ultimate example of, "Looks can be deceiving," the D-Link DIR-X1560 is a pretty inconspicuous little thing - and I do mean little. Apart from the four external antennae, this router is one of the most compact I've come across in the D-Link stable, making it easy to tuck away somewhere subtle. Like other recent D-Link devices, there's also the option to turn off the status LED's once you've got it all set up, really helping make the DIR-X1560 as invisible as possible.

In terms of installation, this was undoubtedly the most hassle-free setup I've ever experienced on any router. Well, almost. I tried to do it with the D-Link WiFi app initially but when I couldn't get it to work first time I simply connected my phone to the DIR-X1560 by scanning the QR code on the base. At that point I was able to open the browser-based setup window which includes an easy-to-follow, step-by-step connection wizard. Settings like WiFi passwords were saved quickly and efficiently - I was up and running in about ninety seconds - I think that's a record for any router I've used so far. Or maybe I'm just getting better at it.

Despite its minimal footprint, this is an exciting piece of connectivity because it's one of the first WiFi-6 routers on the market. This makes it ready to handle the increasing number of smart devices you're no doubt bringing into the house, many of which require stable, fast, 24/7 WiFi connectivity. Security sensors and cameras aren't much use if they can't react instantly when triggered. Smart speakers aren't very smart unless they're always waiting to respond to your next command. WiFi-6 means a significant leap in capacity and bandwidth so it can deal with many devices simultaneously.

To facilitate this further, D-Link routers have been using MU-MIMO technology for some time now, which intelligently allocates bandwidth to multiple devices so everybody gets the most powerful connection possible. The DIR-X1560 now reduces congestion even further by using a new standard called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (thankfully abbreviated to OFDMA). Somehow this allows the signals from many devices to be transmitted all at once instead of queuing up, meaning a quadruple boost in bandwidth capacity - music to the ears of anyone with an online gamer in the house. Now your video streaming won't be left to buffer at the expense of their First-Person-Shooter.

There are a host of other techy tricks I could get into but the upshot is, this router is all about allocating enough internet access for every gadget that needs it. Interestingly, in terms of actual coverage, I've found the signal is not necessarily more powerful than other similar routers I've used in the past but I've discovered even when I connect at the weaker edges of its coverage area, the linked device still seems to perform reliably, presumably due to all these new advances built in.

The DIR-X1560 is also part of D-Link's EXO range, which means you can create a mesh WiFi network with compatible EXO extenders. A small caveat here though; when I tried doing this with the DAP-1820 extender, it worked well with most of my devices but I had major issues with my Alexa enabled multi-room speaker system. I don't know for sure, but I think this may be due to the fact the DAP-1820 is not WiFi-6 enabled and the speakers seemed to think they were split between two different networks even though the SSID was the same. I'd like to try it again with D-Link's new WiFi-6 extender, the DAP-X1870, but that doesn't seem to be available here yet. The good news is, when I unplugged my extender, there was enough coverage from the DIR-X1560 to connect all my speakers anyway and everything started working much better.

And that seems to be the beauty of the DIR-X1560; as long as you can connect to it, even a couple of rooms away, the result is still pretty good.

My only real beef with this device is the lack of a USB port. This means I can't set up a media server on my network like I'm used to - there are still four 10/100/1000Mbps gigabit ethernet ports but no USB which is a bit frustrating. Maybe I'm asking too much from such a reasonably priced router - after all, it still offers other premium features like a customisable firewall and QoS (Quality of Service) that let's you manually prioritise connected devices.

If connecting a USB drive for network storage isn't a priority for you, then the DIR-X1560 offers (and delivers) a lot of future-proofed new features for the money, in a small package.


Click here for more information and pricing on the D-Link DIR-X1560 smart WiFi-6 router.

AT LAST, SOME DECENT COMPUTER SPEAKERS

When I first bought a desktop computer, it was a very exciting experience.

Somehow, I don't remember how, but somehow I ordered it. I feel like I ordered it online but that can't be right because I didn't have a computer yet.

Maybe I went to a shop.

Yes, that must be what happened. I actually went to a shop and chose the kind of computer I wanted sent to me and waited for it to be delivered.

I vaguely remember a big box - maybe several big boxes - full of smaller boxes. Remember, this was my first PC so I needed everything; monitor, keyboard, mouse, the desktop tower itself and two speakers.

I recall being quite impressed by the speakers, that creamy beige colour all computer stuff seemed to be in those days. They were small but heavy and they sounded really good.

Not that I can remember what I was actually playing through them... this was way before Spotify or YouTube. Even before iTunes. My computer had a CD-ROM drive, so I suppose it was possible I was playing actual CD's. I know that sounds crazy but it seems right.

Or I might be wrong about all of that. I don't have a very good memory.

The point is, I'm still using those speakers today. They're the only part of that original setup to survive the craziest two decades of technological developments the world has ever known.

But now, at last, it might be time for an upgrade...

The Quantum Duo is part of JBL's new range of gaming audio devices. While headsets make up most of the range, I certainly appreciate the option of a speaker setup. I wear headphones all day at work so I'm keen to give my ears a break when I get home.

Appearance-wise, while the general aesthetic is undoubtedly gamer-centric, I don't think it's too over-the-top. There's a combination of matte and glossy panels and stripes which are actually relatively subtle, given they're all in black. There are, of course, the obligatory RGB lighting options and I'll have more on that later but what I really like is how narrow the Quantum Duo speakers are - just 89mm across - so they won't take up too much extra desk space.

The cable that connects the two speakers together is a very generous two metres long, surely enough to stretch behind even the widest of gaming monitors (or dual monitor setups). This is hardwired into the right-hand speaker and connects to the left-hand one via USB-C. That's confusing to me because the USB cable that connects to your PC is a USB-A to microUSB. Not a biggie but it's just so much easier to plug in a cable that doesn't matter which way up it goes in.

In fact, there are three ways to connect the Quantum Duo to your source device; USB, AUX cable or bluetooth. The method you choose will obviously depend a little bit on what you're playing from. In terms of sound quality I didn't notice a massive difference between each connection - even bluetooth provided a clear, powerful result although it was no use for audio editing. This is because there's a slight delay when going from no sound to playing. There'll be a technical reason for this and it's not the same as the audio lag you can experience on some devices which can make gaming and watching video frustrating - I didn't really notice much of that sort of lag at all. Instead this is more like water coming out of a hose; every time I pushed play in Adobe Audition it would take half a second for the sound to come through. No such issues while gaming though, I guess because there's always music and effects.

Another difference between connection methods is what the volume control knob on the right-hand speaker does. When connected via USB or bluetooth, this syncs with your PC volume so adjusting it on either device does the same thing. Because no digital information is exchanged via the AUX cable, you'll probably want to turn the volume on your PC all the way up and then make any adjustments after that on the speaker. I found the AUX connection simply didn't play as loud either.

And believe me, the Quantum Duo can definitely play loud. Although this is designed to be part of a gaming rig, there's nothing stopping you connecting it to your PC via USB and then pairing your phone via bluetooth to pump out your favourite music playlists. I've just been having a listen to the latest Black Eyed Peas album and in JBL's usual style, the bass response is pretty epic - even though the speakers really aren't that big.

Each speaker sports a 2.5" woofer with a 0.75" tweeter and the system is rated at 20W - which is definitely plenty if you're using it in a bedroom or study. It's not just all about that bass, either. In the past I've been critical of other JBL speakers for sacrificing clarity in higher frequencies, especially in the mid-range, in favour of a big, crowd-pleasing bass thump. This time though the balance is good, with vocals and acoustic instruments cutting through quite well.

Of course, the question is; can speakers provide the kind of accurate surround sound required to sense your enemies creeping up on you in your next online battle? After all, as JBL's marketing slogan for the Quantum range suggests, "Sound is Survival."

Given this is a simple, two piece speaker array, designed to be positioned on either side of your monitor, the obvious answer is, no. If you don't have rear speakers, it doesn't really matter how much auditory engineering genius has gone into the design, there's only so much that can be achieved in terms of a full, surround soundscape. And yet... there's a discernable space and roominess here, especially when you activate the surround sound mode - just one of many controls to be found on the right-hand speaker.

By roominess I don't mean boominess either. The result is much more a case of there being space for each sound effect to be heard clearly above the soundtrack, so while there's not necessarily sound coming from behind you, it's most certainly room-filling.

The only area I feel the Quantum Duo comes up short is in terms of customisation. Many of JBL's new Quantum headsets can be fine-tuned via the QuantumENGINE app. This allows you to adjust EQ's, surround sound settings and RGB lighting effects. Unfortunately, the Quantum Duo is not controlled by QuantumENGINE, even when connected with the USB cable. This means you're pretty much stuck with the default EQ JBL's audio engineers have decided on. It also means cycling through three different controls on the right-hand speaker to set the RGB lighting to your preference, adjusting pattern, colour and brightness. This still provides a lot of options although I struggled to find a bright red colour, having to settle for pink or orange instead.

Perhaps there's an even fuller-featured Quantum speaker system to come that will offer more digital controls. In the meantime, the Duo certainly delivers in terms of sound quality, clarity, accurate effects and sheer power. If you're still using the same PC speakers you bought twenty years ago, this is certainly a tasty upgrade.


Click here for more information on the JBL Quantum Duo PC gaming speakers.

SIMPLE IDEAS EXECUTED BRILLIANTLY

Nobody knows less about hair than me.

I haven't had any for decades and even when I did have it, it was a thick, greasy, out-of-control mop that tumbled past my shoulders in much the same way one of those landslides takes out a whole road after a particularly violent storm.

What I do know a bit about is gadgets and technical design.

That's why I love Dyson.

And luckily, I know some people with hair...

First off, just look at it. Even if you're like me and you don't fully understand what the Dyson Corrale is or what it's supposed to do, you can't say it isn't pretty. See that dock? Sir James Dyson actually designed it himself. Not satisfied with the prototypes and ideas his engineers had come up with, he sketched one out on a piece of paper and told them to go and make it. This is the kind of practical, purpose-driven thinking that has earned Dyson products their unrivalled reputation for innovation and usability.

Nobody had ever seen decent dock for hair-straighteners before because decent cordless ones hadn't been invented yet. That's never stopped Sir James. The simple two-piece charging dock is easy to assemble (and disassemble), requires zero fiddling about to put the Corrale in place and it shows the device off as the work of art it is. That's great design.

And cordless hair straighteners is a great idea. Even I can figure that out. Given most of us aren't ambidextrous, I'm guessing it's usually a lot easier to style one side than the other without the cord getting in the way. I've also been reliably informed by my willing test subject there's great advantage in being able to move from one room to another mid-straightening - the light is just better in there apparently. While the Corrale automatically charges every time you sit it back in its dock, if you somehow did manage to run it flat, the power cord simply unmagnetises from the base and magnets onto the straighteners themselves, powering and charging simultaneously. More simple genius.

Another bonus is the option to use the Corrale somewhere where there's no power at all - like camping? Festivals? The car? (I'm not advising you to straighten while you drive, obviously. I'm just suggesting it would be possible) If you're flying, rather than driving, you don't need to worry about having a battery-powered device in your luggage, there's an easily removed tab that renders the battery inactive and the Corrale flight-ready. Although Dyson only promises around thirty minutes use on a single charge, I've seen reports of people actually getting even longer - potentially that's enough charge for a whole weekend away.

Especially given the Corrale styles faster. It heats up to each of its three temperature settings in seconds rather than minutes but the real time-saving takes a bit of explaining. Dyson has been researching the concept of floating, flexible heating plates for quite some time and the result is a manganese copper alloy, thin enough to bend snugly around each tress of hair. This ensures an even application of heat over the entire tress, rather than the thickest part getting too hot while the edges get hardly any heat at all. This more uneven application of heat from the flat plates on conventional straighteners means you need multiple passes on each tress to get the edges as straight as the middle. Meanwhile, you've potentially overheated the middle in the process, damaging it and leeching out the colour. Even then you might still end up with pesky fly-aways.

(Listen to me pretending I know what fly-aways are. I know my daughter really hates them though)

Because the flexing plates of the Corrale apply heat much more evenly, not only will you probably only need a single pass for each tress but you won't need as much heat, so you can opt for a lower temperature setting and vastly reduce the risk of damage. This also means much shinier hair too. Yay for that, right? Right?

(Work with me, I've seen this thing in action, even though I haven't actually used it.)

This is great news but it's not all good. The first thing Domestic Manager commented on when she picked up the Corrale was its weight. Because there's a hefty four-cell lithium-ion battery built in, these are significantly heavier than conventional, corded straighteners. But when I asked professional hair designer, Michael Beel about this, he assured me the extra weight is very evenly balanced and actually helps with the dropping motion required when straightening hair.

Of course, and this was major news to me, straighteners aren't just for straightening. You can curl with them too. Well, that's the theory but until the Corrale came along, Domestic Manager claims she'd never been able to do it before. She now tells me achieving curls and waves with the Dyson is quick and easy. I've seen the results - she looks fantastic.

In fact, at a party the other night, someone made the mistake of complimenting her new hairstyle at which point they were subjected to a long lecture about the many benefits of "her new Dyson" - as was anyone else within earshot for the rest of the evening. Funny how a few days later I haven't heard much complaining about how heavy it is!

Unfortunately, we'll have to give it back at some stage, if I can prise it from Domestic Manager's grasp. This is a problem because, like most Dyson products, the Corrale carries a premium price tag; $749. That's about twice as much as a really good set of conventional straighteners - so can you justify the expense?

I actually think you can. How much does it cost to colour your hair? What if you didn't have to do it as often because you were damaging it less? But more importantly, what's your time worth? Especially getting-ready-in-the-morning time, perhaps the most stressful time of the day? If you're saving five, ten or even fifteen minutes every time you do your hair, it's going to add up pretty quickly. 

From what I've seen and been told, the Corrale does everything it promises, which is so much more than any other set of straighteners. If only I had hair so I could try it myself.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Dyson Corrale hair straightener.

ONE DEVICE THAT DOES IT ALL

There are a lot of goofy gadgets out there.

Laptops that open flat, or even all the way around so you can kind of use them as a tablet... if you want to use a tablet that has a keyboard underneath it.

Tablets that come with a case with a keyboard on it, which may or may not sit comfortably on your lap. And the keyboard may or may not be much good either. Let's be honest; it probably won't be.

For some reason, tech companies keep wanting to come up with the perfect transformable; a device that can be a laptop and a tablet at the same time. Unfortunately, to make this work too many compromises have to be made. Battery life is often a problem, especially if the keyboard connects via bluetooth. A lack of processing power is also common - you might have enough oomph to run the tablet but not enough to operate as a decent laptop.

At the end of the day, instead of compromising most people end up choosing one or the other... or a laptop and a tablet.

But at the top of the Surface range, there is no compromise. Only excellence...

The Surface Book 3 is basically Microsoft saying, "Here is an awesome laptop. Oh, and by the way... you can also use it as an awesome tablet."

To begin with, the Surface Book 3 is a very substantial piece of hardware. I've been reviewing the 13.5" version but there's a 15" model as well. I can only imagine what that larger version must be like to carry around because even the one I have is kind of... hefty. That's not to say it isn't beautiful in its own way but it's not especially light or particularly slim.

If you've used an earlier Surface Book, you'll understand why but if, like me, you haven't tried one before, it's a bit of an eye-opener. The most striking feature is the multi-segmented hinge mechanism which literally caused me to do a double-take when I first saw it. It curves shut rather than flipping shut and as a result, the two halves of the device don't close flush. It's been suggested this whacky design is how the Book got its name but at first I thought it was just weird and unnecessarily bulky. Then I realised one benefit is it keeps the glass of the display away from the keys or more specifically, away from the grease left on those keys by my disgusting digits. I later discovered there's also a cooling vent at the top of the keyboard which is left free to do its thing, even when the Book 3 is closed. This means no vents underneath the device, as is usually the case on other laptops - a stupid idea because it blows warm air onto your lap and your lap blocks half of them making things hotter still. By comparison, the Surface Book 3 stays delightfully cool. But I'd completely missed the whole point of this laptop; the screen comes off, just like the ordinary Surface.

I know it's terribly ignorant of me to have to admit I really had no idea what I was reviewing. It wasn't until I stumbled across the Detach button on the keyboard that I realised the Surface Book 3 is two incredibly powerful devices combined. What's more, because the tablet half of the device can be reattached the opposite way round, you can fold it completely flat, hiding the physical keyboard away while still reaping the benefits of both halves simultaneously - which are considerable.

Firstly, battery life. There are large cells in both the tablet and keyboard portions of the Surface Book 3 and this means superior battery performance over many other Windows laptops on the market today. The Surface Connect cable will power up both halves when connected, or it can just plug directly into the tablet instead. Either way, it charges quite quickly thanks to the 102W power supply.

The second big bonus of two halves becoming one is graphics ability, often the first feature to fall by the wayside with any mobile device. When connected to the base, the Surface Book 3's impressive 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and ample 32GB of RAM combine with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card to provide more than enough grunt for most applications and games. No, this isn't a high-end gaming rig or video production powerhouse but in terms of a capable all-rounder business tool, it's pretty hard to beat this kind of performance.

There are stacks of other features that set the Surface Book 3 apart from other similar devices - not that there are many similar devices, the Surface Pro perhaps being the closest. Obviously both of these have great touch screens and are compatible with the Surface Pen, probably the most versatile and full-functioned stylus on the market. The Surface Pen will magnetise onto either half of the Book 3 for convenient storage. In fact, Microsoft's use of magnets is just plain cool; the way the tablet locks and unlocks onto the keyboard base ever gets tired and it is one-hundred percent solid and secure.

The keyboard is simply a pleasure to use. The whole thing slopes ergonomically upward and the keys have great travel for a laptop. There are four levels of backlighting brightness and a full selection of function keys. The touchpad is not the biggest I've used but it's accurate, responsive and nicely clicky. Probably the most useful thing about the keyboard is it serves as a dock of sorts for the tablet. There's a USB-C port, the Surface Connect port (obviously), two full-sized USB-A ports and a full-size SDXC card reader. This means more connectivity options than most other modern laptops and way more options than any other tablet.

The cameras are also something to write home about. There's a 5MP front facing camera and and an 8MP rear shooter, both capable of 1080p HD video. These are getting close to smartphone specs, rather than the low-priority, add-on camera arrays often found on other laptops and tablets. The results are a massive step up from the usual grainy footage from built-in webcams. Now, more than ever, high-def video conferencing is a must. The Surface Book 3's cameras combined with its dual far-field studio mics mean you'll look and sound fantastic on your next TeamViewer chat.

One of my only quibbles is the front facing stereo speaker setup. The Dolby Atmos speakers are clear enough and because they're situated at the very top of the left and right edges of the screen there's good stereo separation. I'd just like them to be louder and bassier. There's one other little issue of course; because it's only a dual array, if you're in tablet mode watching content in portrait, you can forget the stereo effects making any sense as the speakers are now at the top and bottom. This is no different to the setup on many phones but other tablets have a quad-speaker configuration that automatically adjusts. At least there's an AUX port you can plug external speakers or headphones into if you don't want to use bluetooth.

The 13.5" PixelSense display offers superb viewing, although I have found it slightly reflective in bright conditions. The bezels are quite wide and intrusive for a high-end laptop - but not for a tablet. This is a challenge for a Surface-style device; you actually need some bezels so you can hold the screen in tablet mode. Perhaps the useable display should shrink away from the edges when the screen is detached from the keyboard - just an idea for the next generation, Microsoft? I'm definitely a fan of the 3:2 ratio though, it makes it feel like there's a lot more useable space for multiple windows to be open while you work.

And what a workhorse the Surface Book 3 is. While I've been reviewing it, I've been finding more and more excuses to use it instead of my usual work laptop or even my phone. Everything is easier; there's more processing power, better graphics, excellent battery life - just typing feels so much more comfortable. No matter the task - audio and photo editing, gaming, streaming, video conferencing - this machine never misses a beat. Which is as it should be; the configuration I've been using retails for $4,549.00 which makes it a pretty pricey laptop. By opting for a less powerful processor, less RAM and less storage, you can knock that price tag down below three grand but remember, this isn't just a laptop. It's a great laptop and a great tablet. It really is the best of both worlds.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Microsoft Surface Book 3.

SO WHAT DOES THAT PLUS GET YOU?

I've never conducted a scientific survey on what people what people want most from their earbuds.

But if I did, I'm pretty sure fit would be the number one concern. There's nothing worse than having to constantly readjust one or both of your buds during a run or workout. If they're true-wireless buds that issue is even more of a concern; no-one wants to feel like half the set of earbuds they've just spent hundreds of dollars on is about to wiggle out of their ear and bounce off down the street.

Everyone is different though - we all come in different shapes and sizes. If you're like me, even your own ears come in different shapes and sizes - so the challenge of providing the perfect fit is a curly one indeed.

Then again, I've used buds that are secure enough but aren't actually all that comfy. It's a fine line between a design that's light and well balanced and that tight seal to keep background noise out and the earbuds in.

That's why Samsung took what it already had and improved it...

When the original Samsung Galaxy Buds came out, they immediately became one of my favourite accessories. The fit was excellent, they were comfortable enough to wear for long periods, battery life was good and they sounded great. Of course it wasn't long before other earbuds came along that did some of those things even better - although not many beat the Samsung version in every area, so they still hold up pretty well, all things considered.

Now Samsung brings us the Galaxy Buds+ with a host of little tweaks, some more obvious than others. If you just gave them a quick glance you could be forgiven for thinking not much has changed at all; for example, the case is almost exactly the same shape and size although it now has a glossy finish rather than the matte exterior of its predecessor. I've always found this giant pill shape slips easily in and out of my pocket and like the first one, you can charge via USB-C cable or plonk it down on any Qi wireless charger (including Samsung handsets with reverse-charging capability). There's fast charging now, via USB-C of course - you can get about another hour's listening from just three minutes' charging. Although running the Buds+ flat could be a bit of a challenge given you'll get approximately eleven hours on a full charge. That has to be one of the longest battery lives out there for a device like this and there's another full charge (eleven more hours) stored in the case.

The LED indicators work the same way as before - a tiny LED inside the case to let you know how charged the buds are and an equally tiny LED on the outside to show you how charged the case is. I'm a fan of tiny LED's - the tinier the better. For a more accurate indication of bud battery level, just open Galaxy Wearable. This is the app to access a wide variety of options and customisations, from preset EQ's to which apps to allow notifications from. These notifications can be read aloud as a quick summary, or in full if you prefer. The app also lets you choose some functions to assign to the touchpads on each bud, although single, double and triple taps are already spoken for. These are not physical buttons as you'll find on some buds, which can be uncomfortable to use because you're pushing on something already pushed into your ear. They require only the lightest touch to operate. This has its own drawbacks of course, as I often accidentally start, stop or skip when taking the buds out and putting them back in the case. There's even an experimental feature that let's you adjust the volume with a double tap on the edge of each bud but my fingers are far too fumbly to make this work with any reliability so I've toggled it off.

In terms of functions available, I can't think of any I need the Buds+ don't have. There's even an ambient sound slider so you can choose just how much outside world to let into your personal mix. This is thanks to a combination of one internal and two external mics, which also creates vastly improved phone-call performance. Most people I've been talking to have had no idea I was on a headset.

The AKG-tuned speaker setup is another invisible feature that's been dramatically upgraded. The first song I happened to cue up was Walk Across the Water by the Black Keys, a slow rock jam, expertly mixed to show off every element of the band; from bass, to lead guitar to those signature, over-reverbed vocals. I was instantly blown away by how clearly and distinctly each of these elements were brought through. Samsung has introduced a new, two-way dynamic speaker system and boosted the driver, all in the effort to improve clarity and produce a more natural listening experience. It works. When sounds from all frequency ranges are given their own space, you can fully immerse yourself in the music at a lower volume. That's not to suggest the Buds+ can't blast your brains out if you really want them to (yes, that's an exaggeration for comic effect) but I've found I simply don't need to wind them all the way up to enjoy my playlists to the fullest.

But the ultimate test for any set of earbuds brings us full-circle to my introduction; how well do they fit? The original Galaxy Buds are still in the top two or three I've tried when it comes to a secure, comfortable fit so the Buds+ had a lot to live up to.

I'm very pleased indeed.

My basic trial is to wear the buds for my usual 7km run. It's hilly, there's varied terrain and I'm generally stumbling along like a blind man. Although the Buds+ look quite similar to their predecessors, there is now a selection interchangeable of wing tips as well as ear tips so you can customise each bud to fit as perfectly as possible. As it happens, the default medium size they came with out of the box felt pretty good, so off I set. 7kms later and I never touched them once. Comfy, secure, tight seal, sublime. They feel so good, I can't stop wearing them and I often sneak one in when I'm doing jobs around the house so I can keep listening to my podcasts. Because they have such a small, streamlined form factor, they're not super noticeable when you're wearing them anyway. They're IPX2 rated, making them sweatproof and because they never fall out, they are my new workout earbuds of choice, end of story.

The Galaxy Buds+ have better battery life, they sound better and they are the best fitting buds I have worn to date. When I tried the original version, I honestly didn't think there was much room for improvement. I've never been so glad to be proven wrong.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Buds+.

A STRONG CASE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

I'm no greenie.

At the risk of bringing you down, I actually think we're screwed and there's not much we can do about it. I'm pretty sure the planet will survive okay, it's just us who are in trouble. Humans. The ultimate parasites.

We've been using up resources much faster than they can be replaced. Then we've used those resources to make the planet harder to live in than when we started. And not just for us either. Animals, plants... we've really messed it up for them too.

None of this is news of course and like I say, I'm basically resigned to it. I'd like to think I'm not going out of my way to make things worse but that's the trouble, you don't have to go out of your way. I'm sitting here looking at a bunch of plastic containers on my kitchen bench while I type on a device literally constructed from some of the rarest materials you can find on Earth. That's without even getting off the couch.

In saying all that, when there's something little I can do, I do it. Why not? Couldn't hurt and it might help.

What if your phone case could actually benefit the environment?...

As a firmly established brand of high quality cases, LifeProof has now gone a step further... into the ocean. According to CEO, Jim Parke, "LifeProof's existence has centred around two things: a love of the water and an innate need to give back." This was news to me - I just thought they made cool phone cases and the WAKE case is no exception.

Straight off the bat the WAKE is obviously durable and engineered to LifeProof's usual exacting standards, ensuring a perfect fit for late model Samsung and Apple flagship handsets. There's a choice of three colour schemes; black, Neptune(blue with green buttons) or Down Under(green with orange buttons). Those buttons - be they contrasting or not - are perfect; nice and clicky, not mushy at all. The reinforced edges help provide the two-metre drop-proof rating and I can tell you from first-hand experience, the WAKE definitely delivers.

I am utterly paranoid when it comes to protecting my phone. I think this is because I'm often reviewing devices that don't belong to me and I don't want to have explain any mysterious accidents. I always use a case and take basic precautions like making sure my phone is the only thing in my hand when getting in and out of the car - that sort of thing. However, my current device is a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and this thing is doomed. The Ultra is just so big; it's long so it doesn't nestle securely in pants pockets and it's heavy, so I often fumble it when trying to pick it up. The point is, despite all my best efforts, since I've wrapped it up in the WAKE case, I've actually dropped it onto hardwood floors three times. If you've encountered the Ultra, you'll know it's all glass and sticky-out cameras. Despite that, it's survived each drop with no discernable damage whatsoever.

Well... not to the phone, anyway. Somewhere along the way, presumably as a result of one of my fat-fingered fumbles. the WAKE case picked up a slight scratch in one corner - but better the case than the phone, right? In fact, the case seems incredibly hardy, with a wonderfully tactile, raised wave pattern on the back and elevated edges to protect both screen and rear camera module. Strangely, that camera cutout is not particularly flush with the Ultra's over-the-top, protruding module and this certainly collects dust and pocket fluff over time. I assume this slight gap is a deliberate design to avoid any direct drop force to the edge of the lenses so I can live with that.

Of course, those are all just boring features you might find on any other good quality case. The real reason to purchase the WAKE is a sustainable one. It's made from salvaged fishing gear; 85% ocean-based recycled plastic. Even better, if I continue to drop my phone all over the place, on an almost daily basis, I suppose there's a possibility I may eventually wear the case out. If that were to happen, thanks to LifeProof's LifeCycle program, you can send it back and they'll repurpose the materials for the next round of products. This is certainly the most sustainable approach to something as disposable as a phone case I've ever come across.

LifeProof has teamed up with several leading water-preservation charities too. This means a dollar from every WAKE case goes to help their causes.

Sure, there are plenty of cheap phone cases out there but I think there's a pretty good argument to go with a WAKE if you can - in fact it's a double argument; firstly, this is another premium quality, expertly engineered case I've personally proved will protect my very expensive phone and keep it safe from my clumsy clutches. Secondly, given the choice between a normal case and one that actually helps the environment, why wouldn't you go with the latter? You get a great case and there's a little less plastic in the sea. Everybody wins.


Click here for more information and pricing on the LifeProof WAKE phone case.

ALEXA IS YOUR NEW BACKSEAT DRIVER

You're either an Alexa person or you're not.

If you are, you'll know how useful it can be to create lists, set timers, make calendar appointments and send messages just by asking Alexa to do it for you.

Oh, and most importantly of all, play your favourite song, artist or playlist.

There are few technical toys more satisfying to use, wandering from room to room of your house, getting a weather forecast just by asking for it or staying up to date with the very latest news headlines.

But what happens to your virtual assistant once you get in your car? Is she trapped inside your smart speaker or can you take her with you?...

With the Amazon Echo Auto, Alexa never has to leave your side.

I'm a fan of this device, partly because I'm a fan of the Amazon/Alexa ecosystem but mostly because I love a simple idea, well executed.

The Amazon Echo Auto provides the missing link between your phone and your car, bringing all Alexa's powerful voice recognition skills into play, making online interactions safer and more effective while you're driving.

If the Echo range of smart speakers are subtle in their appearance, then the Echo Auto is positively nondescript - a tiny black box not much bigger than a business card and about as thick as your average phone. Just the Amazon logo and two buttons on top - a mic mute button and a manual activation button, neither of which you'll probably end up using at all. Even when attached to the included air-vent mount, this is no dashboard eyesore - choose the right vent and you should barely notice it's there.

Which is as it should be; the whole idea behind a virtual assistant is it shouldn't have a noticeable physical presence at all - it should just be waiting at your beck and call, ready to answer your requests audibly but invisibly.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Echo Auto is your car doesn't have to be bluetooth enabled for it to work. It will connect by bluetooth if that's your preference but you can use your car stereo's AUX input instead. This is great news for me because while my car's bluetooth usually connects to my phone, about one time in ten it suddenly decides not to, usually when I really want it to. The Echo Auto makes all this inconvenient vaguery a thing of a past because the connection between my phone and the device itself has been rock solid every time I've fired it up.

As far as setup is concerned, it couldn't be much easier. The Echo Auto comes with its own car charger, with a second USB slot for any other devices you might already be running. So it's just a matter of plugging in the USB-C lead and the AUX cable if you're connecting that way, turn the car on and the Echo Auto will light up to indicate it's ready for pairing in a matter of seconds. This is as easy as opening the Alexa app on your phone and adding the Echo Auto as a new device. Done.

The true elegance of the Echo Auto is how fast it boots up every time you turn on the ignition - most times it's working and connected with it's signature blue light and subtle audio tone before I've even thought about it. From that point you're ready to play music or podcasts from your favourite streaming service, check the weather, ask for driving directions... all that cool stuff.

Some reviewers have been critical of this device on the grounds it doesn't really do anything your phone can't already do by itself. I'd suggest those reviewers aren't using Alexa all day, every day like I do. I'd also suggest their car bluetooth works a bit more consistently than mine does. Because the Echo Auto responds exactly the same way as any other Echo device, the experience between my house and my car is completely seamless - down to the point I can turn smart lights and other appliances on and off before I even get home.

The biggest benefit is one of safety. Because I'm talking to Alexa I'm not thinking about my handset at all while I'm driving. Even though it's my phone providing the data connection, I'm not looking at it and certainly not touching it. This means I can keep my hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road, even while replying to text messages. In saying that, there's one weird feature I didn't ask for and don't seem to be able to switch off; Alexa not only transcribes any SMS messages you want to send, it also attaches an audio file of you dictating the message to avoid any confusion. Unfortunately, confusion is generally the direct result, because the recording is saved to the cloud and appears as a hyperlink in your message. I get what they're trying to do. I'd just like to be able to switch it off.

Other than that, I couldn't be happier with how well the Echo Auto performs. It has an eight, count 'em eight far-field mic array to guarantee Alexa will pick up your instructions over road noise, air-con and even loud music. As usual, Alexa's voice recognition is usually pretty spot-on and works just as well, if not more consistently than with my speakers at home. And best of all, I now have a bluetooth connection in my car I can rely on every time, not just most of the time. All this for under $90. If you were already considering some kind of bluetooth adapter for your car anyway, you may as well add the convenience and safety of a reliable virtual assistant into the mix as well.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Amazon Echo Auto.

OF COURSE, HUAWEI ALSO DOES LAPTOPS

I'm a Huawei fan. Over the last few years, Huawei smart phones have consistently out-performed other brands in many areas; photography, battery life, processor speed... Even price.

Yep, they definitely know what they're doing.

But just because you're awesome at manufacturing handsets, it doesn't necessarily mean you know how to make laptops.

Or does it?...

Even before you open it, the Huawei Matebook X Pro is an incredible looking device. It's slim. It's light. The sandblast finish helps keep it free of fingerprints and other marks, while the diamond-cut Huawei logo on the lid is the finishing touch that makes this laptop both elegant and business-like.

Then, when you do open it up, you're met with a breathtaking 13.9-inch, 3K FullView display. The first thing you'll notice is what isn't there; the bezels are tiny - we're talking a 91% screen-to-body ratio. That'd be impressive on a phone, almost unheard of  on a laptop. This "borderless experience" as Huawei calls it, is only emphasised further by the tall 3:2 aspect ratio, providing a huge amount of screen real estate to work with. Whether you're browsing, emailing, working your social media or keeping half an eye on your favourite Netflix show in the corner, there's more than enough room to do all these things at once.

If you are watching Netflix, or any video, or just reviewing and editing photos, the sRGB 100% colour gamut adds a vividness, lustre and depth that almost seems like you can reach right into the screen. You can certainly touch it, anyway - it's a ten-point touch display that combines nicely with a massive trackpad to give you all the accurate control you need over your cursor, almost rendering the use of a mouse unnecessary. That touch screen is coated with the same kind of anti-fingerprint technology used on all decent phone displays, another great example of small mobile technology effectively being applied to a larger device. A tall screen like the one on the Matebook X Pro doesn't just mean plenty of room opposite for a large trackpad but also ample space to rest your palms on. The keys are full-sized, well set out and have good travel for a laptop but I was disappointed to find some are just not there, like dedicated Home and End keys. Seems strange when there's more than enough room for them.

What you will find in the middle of the top row of keys is a camera button. This is where the selfie-cam is hiding (another way to keep that top bezel so skinny). Push it and the camera pops up from underneath. The video/picture quality is not too bad but unfortunately, while the idea of protecting your privacy with a configuration like this is appealing, the lower shooting angle from a camera positioned in the keyboard isn't the most flattering. I also found it isn't angled up quite far enough when using the Matebook X Pro on my lap - I really need to be sitting at a desk for a well-framed video conference.

On the bright side, the audio hardware is excellent. The quad-speaker array can be pumped up loud and clear, whether you're watching a movie or just listening to music. It's not overly powerful at the bass end of the scale but there's a nice, spacious feel to the soundscape generally. There's a quad mic setup too and this is really next level. Combined with some clever background noise reduction software, voice recordings are probably the clearest and most true-to-life I've heard from a laptop without plugging in an external mic. This should give you all the cut-through you need on your next Zoom call.

The Matebook X Pro is packed with unique features that make it really stand out from the competition. Fingerprint login isn't super unusual but here the sensor is under the power button, so you can turn the computer on and log in all at once. The sensor is as fast and as reliable as any I've used on a phone. Other phone-like options include the three-finger swipe to capture a screen-shot. This lets you capture the whole screen, just one window or even a selection you choose by drawing with your finger. If there's any text on the image you grab, it's extracted automatically for you to copy and paste into any document, email or message.

But perhaps the most useful feature of all is Huawei Share. Simply tapping your compatible Huawei phone on the right-hand palm rest pairs it with the Matebook X Pro, instantly mirroring the phone's display as a new window on the laptop's screen. This allows you to manage anything on the phone - storage, messages, images, files etc, dragging and dropping them onto the Matebook X Pro or vice versa. Even cleverer still, any image or file you select on your phone can be instantly transferred to the Matebook X Pro with another single tap. There's a fun graphic when this happens that makes it look like the photo is literally sucked out of your phone before appearing on that big, beautiful screen in all its glory. Not only is this a cool trick, it's actually really useful, saving you looking for a lead to connect the two devices. Because Huawei Share uses NFC, you don't even need an active internet connection to make it happen.

These sorts of functions require plenty of processing firepower to work seamlessly and luckily the Matebook X Pro definitely steps up in the engine-room department. The device I reviewed was running a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and an impressive 1TB of fast SSD storage. Throw the powerful NVIDIA GeForce MX250 discrete graphics card into the mix and you have a PC that isn't just a business workhorse but is capable of some pretty high-level gaming between meetings too.

I was surprised to find how warm the Matebook X Pro felt on my lap after a few hours solid use and there's also some reasonably loud fan action going on as well. This is pretty unusual for a high-end SSD device and I'd suggest Huawei might need to spend some time on the cooling system in the next version.

Battery life was another minor letdown for me. Although the website claims "up to" thirteen hours of continuous video playback on a full charge, I certainly never got anywhere near that with my standard, everyday use. Luckily, the 65W pocket charger works quickly and is very small, so is easy enough to carry with you. Additionally, because the Matebook X Pro uses a standard USB-C connector to charge with, you can juice up your phone and other devices with the same charger which is nicely convenient. In fact there are two USB-C ports, along with a headphone jack and a standard-sized USB-A port on the other side. I'm pleased to see there's still one laptop maker out there who acknowledges people like to be able to plug things in sometimes.

Other than average battery life, a slightly warmer than usual lap and a couple of options missing off the keyboard (which can be replaced by function key shortcuts, by the way) I couldn't be more impressed with the Matebook X Pro. It's slim. It's light. It looks classy. The pop-up camera and fingerprint sensor provide good peace-of-mind privacy-wise. It runs like a rocketship and the screen is huge and is pretty to watch.

Oh, and that one-tap Huawei Share isn't just a fun trick, it's actually pretty useful.

This is a serious amount of laptop for $3199RRP and is definitely worth considering if you're due for an upgrade.


Click here for more information on the Huawei Matebook X Pro.