Norton AI Scam Protection - Putting the Genie Back In the Bottle

None of us believes we'd fall for an online scam.

I mean, what kind of idiot would send money to someone they don't know? Who'd be gullible enough to provide their login details for their bank accounts? And surely no-one would ever click a link to install unknown software on their phone or computer?

But what if?...

What if you got a message from an unknown number claiming to be your daughter who'd lost her phone? You'd at least have to send her some money to pay the fare home, right?

What if you got an actual email from your actual bank warning you of a security breach, requiring you to follow a "secure link" to a "secure site" in order to change your password?

What if you got a call from a genuine cyber-security firm to inform you your device has been infected with malware, then providing you with step-by-step instructions on how to remove it?

Can you really be sure if the baddies caught you at the wrong time on the wrong day in the wrong set of circumstances you wouldn't be vulnerable to just the right con?

That's why Norton has granted all your scam-proofing wishes.

About a year ago I reviewed a new service called Norton Genie. This allowed you to upload a picture of a suspicious message or email, or copy the text from one, to check if it was the genuine article or just a scam.

Then Norton's AI Genie would compare it with its vast database of known scams and let you know the result in a matter of seconds. While this AI was being trained and was still in beta, it was available as a free mobile app and also as a web-based service.

Well, it must be working for people because Norton has now included this AI-powered tool in its 360 suite of cyber-security services to keep its customers protected from scams automatically.

That means for no extra charge, Norton 360 subscribers can opt to have their texts, emails and even social media accounts monitored for any of those offers that aren't just too good to be true, they could literally result in your identity being traded on the dark web.

While human beings like you and me are always susceptible to certain psychological tricks and triggers, Norton Genie isn't. It analyses text, links, and subtle emotional and contextual cues within messages to identify advanced scams and is guaranteed to let you know if something seems off.

And I do mean guaranteed. Many levels of Norton 360 subscriptions include a 100% virus protection promise - if somehow you DO get infected, if the Norton support team can't help, you'll get your money back.

According to Norton's comprehensive data, since 2021 the incidence of cyberthreats originating from scams and social engineering has tripled, now making up a whopping 90% of all threats. Basically, the bad actors have cottoned onto our greatest weakness; we're human.

The beauty of Norton's Genie-based solution is once you've set it up, you can forget all about it. Norton 360 really is capable of monitoring every aspect of your online activities - from browsing to file downloads to app installations to Wi-Fi security - if anything is remotely suspect, you can be sure you'll receive a notification and whatever you're doing will be paused until you give the go-ahead.

The best aspect of all of this is being an AI, Norton Genie is still learning. Every time something suspicious is flagged, Norton's scam protection gets even stronger.

Starting at just $NZ49.99 for the first year, I'm confident you'll be impressed with the multi-faceted level of cyber protection Norton 360 offers and even if that's too much of a commitment, you can still try Norton Genie for yourself for no charge at all. The next time you receive an SMS, email or social media message that looks a bit dodgy, plug it into the Norton Genie app and check out the results. I think you'll soon see why I've come to depend on Norton 360 to keep me safe online.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on Norton 360 plans that include Genie Scam Protection.

JBL Tour Pro 3 - The Everything Earbuds

Here's how my tech addiction works.

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

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

The new JBL earbuds are a bit like that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A lot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    

Click here for more information on Technics AZ100.