Ring Outdoor Cam Plus - One of the Best Security Cameras I'd Never Buy

The rise and rise of subscription services over the last decade or so is lamentable although predictable. Once we consumers demonstrated how willing we were to pay a monthly fee for access to music, TV and movies, it was only a matter of time before there was a subscription on offer for almost any aspect of modern life.

These days we ask, why cook when your meal can be delivered? - either as just the ingredients or the finished product, piping hot.

Be it petfood, contact lenses or coffee, if it's something we "need" regularly, let's set up a subscription so it'll arrive at our door before it runs out.

Fine. We were going to buy those things anyway.

But when you purchase a car with electric seat warmers, wouldn't you expect to be able to use them without having to fork out each month for the privilege?

Personally, I'd rather pay a higher up-front cost to keep my bum warm than an ongoing fee.

That'd be like paying someone else to store your security footage for you.

The Ring Outdoor Cam Plus is another in a long line of top-quality home security products. We'll get to all its features and benefits shortly but I'm going to get my usual Ring whinge out of the way first this time.

You can't record using the Outdoor Cam Plus unless you sign up to one of Ring's subscriptions. That annoys me. Especially when there are other cameras out there that allow you to store your recordings for free. Perhaps you can insert an SD card into the camera itself or the camera might save recordings to a storage drive of some kind attached to a central hub. In fact, some camera manufacturers let you link to the cloud storage service of your choice. Imagine that.

Not Ring.

And it's not just storing your videos. Most of the features I'm about to describe are only fully usable for a 30-day trial period and then you'll have to pay. Admittedly, from as little as NZ$49.95 a year, a Ring Home plan probably won't break the bank and maybe I should just get over it like I did when TV streaming services came along.

I guess that depends on just what a device like the Outdoor Cam Plus has to offer, and whether it really is the Netflix or Apple TV+ of the home security world.

Previously I've discussed how confusing Ring's naming policy is. I mean, can you tell me the difference between the Video Doorbell Elite and the Wired Video Doorbell Pro Plug-in off the top of your head? Me neither.

So whatever you do, don't get the Outdoor Cam Plus confused with the Stick Up Cam Elite or the Spotlight Cam Pro.

The Outdoor Cam Plus I've been sent to review is the battery version. There's a plug-in model too, which comes with an Indoor/Outdoor power adapter instead of a Quick Release Battery Pack, although you can purchase the power adapter separately and plug it into the battery version if you want. Alternatively, Ring also sells a Solar Panel which can power the Outdoor Cam Plus too.

See? Told you it's confusing.

So let's stick with what I've got. A camera, a battery and an extremely versatile mount - which can attach at the base to act as a stand or screw in at the rear for wall or even ceiling installations. As usual, Ring has included all the screws you'll need and attaching the Outdoor Cam Plus is very easy, it just slides on and off the mounting plate and can be locked into place with a screw.

The advantage of running a camera like this on battery is that you can install it anywhere within Wi-Fi range. No cable means you can position it on a fence or high on a wall, without having to worry if a power outlet is close by.

Although the rechargeable Quick Release Battery pack looks the same as all the others I've come across when reviewing Ring doorbells and cameras in the past, it's got a new model number so I'm hoping that means its charge will last longer than the couple of weeks I usually get. The base of the camera just unscrews to access the battery which is nice and easy although disappointingly, it still uses a microUSB to charge.

Hardly anything charges via microUSB anymore and sure, there's a cable in the box but it's quite short so isn't necessarily a particularly convenient option. What's really weird is you can remove a waterproof lug from the back of the camera to run it off the aforementioned power adapter or solar panel - both of which connect via the much more common USB-C. In fact, if you leave the battery in the camera you can just plug in a USB-C charger and juice it up that way. More confusion.

What's less confusing is the improvement in picture quality. The Outdoor Cam Plus is one of Ring's new range of 2K cameras which is a step up from HD, although not a full jump to 4K as we've seen from other manufacturers.

More impressively, the viewing angles have been widened out to 140° horizontal and 80° vertical and Ring has introduced a new feature called Low-Light Sight. This enables the Outdoor Cam Plus to shoot in crystal clear colour, even at night without having to rely on a built-in floodlight, as long as there's enough ambient light - perhaps from nearby streetlights. This works very well indeed and I have to say the nighttime footage I'm getting is quite impressive.

As with other Ring devices, you can set up multiple detection zones and adjust the sensitivity so you're only monitoring the exact areas you need to and there's the option of two-way communication via the camera's mic and speaker. You'll also get preview gif notifications on your phone which can be helpful when it comes to deciding whether you need to respond or not.

The new feature I'm most excited about is the AI-Powered Smart Video Search. If you've used a home security camera like this before, you'll know how tiresome it can be sifting through recorded footage to find out exactly what time those unexpected visitors arrived or when that package was delivered. Now the Ring App has a browser-like search bar at the top of your saved videos and this is where you can type specific phrases like "red car" or "delivery man" to filter out non-related content. Every time I've used it I've been amazed by the results. This could be one of the only truly useful things I've seen AI do to date.

But...

As I said at the beginning, all this comes at a cost. An ongoing cost. At NZ$179.00, the Outdoor Cam Plus is not outrageously expensive but after the first month, unless you subscribe, the only thing this camera will do is send you motion notifications and provide a live feed.

Because subscriptions are just what we do now.

 

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus.

Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K - My Favourite Thing I Definitely Don't Need

The things I review for the Newstalk ZB website can be loosely categorised under one of two headings; Tools or Toys.

Occasionally, if I'm lucky, there's a small intersection in the Venn diagram where the tool is so fun to use, it feels like a toy. I think that's what all tech should aspire to.

On the other hand, sometimes there's a gadget that doesn't really serve any purpose at all, but once I get in the habit of using it, I can't imagine life without it.  That's all very well until a) I'm somewhere where I don't have it or b) it doesn't work properly for some reason. Then I have to do life without it.

Stop being so oblique, Glenn. Say what you really mean.

Okay.

I really like having backlighting that syncs with my TV. Is that too much to ask?

Of all the gizmos I've ever reviewed, the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box might be the most overpriced - except for one important fact; nothing else works quite as well.

In 2021 it cost around NZ$550 and for what? To make your Philips Hue lights glow the same colour as whatever's on your TV.

To be clear, the lights are not included. The Philips Hue range features various options that can be paired to the sync box - not just bulbs but bars and flexible light strips too. The latter options can be positioned behind your TV, pointing at the wall, creating a kind of borderless effect to the image on screen.

So they cost extra.

Oh, and Hue lights need a Hue Bridge to connect to by the way - this keeps the traffic down on your Wi-Fi router but yes, that's extra too.

Even after all that. After hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent, what do you get? That's right. Pretty lights on the wall.

I could never argue that it's worth it. But I love it. I really love it. And I've been surprised at how many ways it's enhanced my viewing experience - not just providing extra atmosphere for when the cinematography gets artsy - but also extra fire and explosions, bigger skies and landscapes, even extending the size of sports fields way beyond the screen itself.

The most optional of optional extras and yet now, as I said before, I wouldn't do without it.

But the 4K version of 2021 had its limitations. I mean, it's 4K and my TV is 8K. The HDMI ports are HDMI 2.0 - not 2.1. It doesn't support devices that play at 120Hz refresh rate. And for some reason, when I run my Apple TV box through it, the remote won't turn my TV on like it's supposed to.

I know. Boo-hoo sucks to be me, right?

Thank god Philips now makes an 8K sync box.

First things first. There is no 8K content. Well, virtually none, anyway. However, that doesn't mean a TV like mine doesn't do a pretty decent job of upscaling what's being fed to it. This is also where the HDMI 2.1 ports come in. Just like USB cables, not all HDMI ports and plugs are created equal. The later versions have a dramatically higher data capacity and that ability to exchange more information faster is crucial when it comes to displaying higher definition video at a higher refresh rate.

As for that last issue, as far as I can make out, I'm the only person in the world this happens to. I push the home button on my Apple TV remote. My TV turns on like it's supposed to, I get a blank screen followed by the spinning buffer wheel for a bit, then I get a message that the source isn't powered on. Even though it is.

For those of you not quite following what I mean - and I don't blame you - the other spinoff benefit of using the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K is that you can plug up to four different devices into it - for example, perhaps your Sky TV box, a gaming console, a Blu-ray player and yes, maybe even an Apple TV. All this takes up only one HDMI port on your TV (which will have to be an HDMI 2.1 port for everything to work properly).

Switching between sources happens automatically - pushing the home button on your Sky remote will put that on screen, while the Xbox button on your controller will switch over to your console.

You can also use the Philips Hue app to select a source and start syncing manually - which is what I've been doing with my Apple TV. There used to be a separate Hue Sync app to set things up with but that's all been incorporated into one now.

Anyway, given most of my issues seemed likely to be solved by upgrading to the 8K version, I reasoned my last, weird, apparently un-Google-able issue might work itself out too, so I decided to give it a try.

Boom!

Well, first I had to figure out the position of the HDMI ports was different on the new box and I'd plugged some things into the wrong place but eventually...

Boom!

Improved high-def viewing. I could ramp up the refresh rate on my Xbox. And mysteriously, my Apple TV remote made everything work again. (Who really knows why?)

All this for just NZ$799.99!

Oh... did I not mention that? The new, 8K sync box costs a bit more. But come on, it's a bit bigger, has faster HDMI ports and four more K's... whatever they are.

It also now has a manual reset button if everything goes horribly wrong and you're unable to restore the device via the app. I can't imagine what that would be though because this thing works like a charm.

And in all seriousness, that's why Philips can charge a premium. There are other similar systems around but in my experience, none are as bulletproof as what Hue has to offer.

You didn't NEED this anyway. You may as well get the best.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box 8K.

Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Ultra Elite - An Appliance Evolution

Five years ago Samsung decided to take the world of whiteware and tip it on its head.

For starters, it wouldn't necessarily be white anymore.

In fact, in many cases, consumers would be able to choose styles and colours to suit their decor, rather than put up with a featureless metal box just sitting there taking up space.

Not only did this make for some of the hippest kitchens and laundries in town, the new range also backed up their good looks with high-end performance, even introducing unique, market-leading features.

As cool as these devices are, (especially the fridges and air-con... dad joke) to call them "art" rather than appliances is perhaps going a bit far.

Mind you, after trying out the new Samsung vacuum, I did get a little emotional...

The Bespoke Jet AI Ultra Elite stick vacuum is, ironically, white. Well... Samsung calls it "Satin Greige" so I guess maybe its... off-white?

Regardless, it may just be the craziest vacuum I've used yet. And I mean that in a good way.

When I initially unboxed it, which takes some time - there are a lot of bits and pieces - I was actually slightly disappointed. At first glance it's very similar to the Samsung's original Bespoke Jet; a bagless stick vacuum that sits in a minimalist Clean Station that both empties and charges.

Don't get me wrong, my disappointment was not with the design. I loved the first one. I still use the first one nearly every day. Because it's so compact, the Clean Station and vacuum fit easily into the hall cupboard, conveniently at hand to chase the latest cloud of dog hair away.

I was disappointed because I thought Samsung may have changed things up again. Maybe this time the Clean Station would also double as a reading lamp? Or a coat stand? Or... Perhaps next time.

It wasn't long before I started noticing the upgrades though. Starting with the handle, which is more ergonomically shaped, has a grippier surface and is more accommodating to those of us with larger hands. This is also where the LCD display is but we'll come to that shortly.

The next big improvement literally is bigger. The Telescopic Pipe now extends to three different levels - again catering to taller users who now no longer have to stoop while vacuuming. Sadly, as with the original design, one still has to retract one's Telescopic Pipe when placing one's vacuum back on one's Clean Station. What an inconvenience for one.

Because this is the Elite model, there's pretty much every accessory you can imagine; Active Dual Brush, Slim LED Brush+ specifically for hard surfaces, Pet Tool+ for furniture, Combination and Long Reach Crevice Tools - both of which can be used in conjunction with the Flex Tool so you can literally vacuum around corners - and the legendary Spray Spinning sweeper. Well, if it's not legendary yet it should be. This uses the supplied disposable wet pads or reusable antibacterial pads to give your hard surfaces a professional buffing - one of the most effective and mess-free mopping solutions I've come across.

But back up the truck... Did I say Slim "LED" Brush+? Yes indeedy. Both the Active Dual Brush and the slimmer, fluffier one now have bright white LED lights to expose the full extent of your filth, whatever dark corner it may be lurking in. This was both a satisfying and disturbing new feature for my Bespoke experience.

Before we get to that, we have to turn the darn thing on - or at least pop it on the Clean Station and let it start to charge. It's at this point the AI part of the equation ramps up and you can pair the Bespoke Jet AI Ultra to your phone, using the Samsung SmartThings app.

This allows you to monitor a raft of data like how long and when you vacuum, how many times it's been emptied, whether the dust bag in the Clean Station needs emptying and even how much it's costing you to run! (So far, for me, about one cent apparently). You'll also be informed of any maintenance issues and obviously, the level of charge in the battery.

There's a couple of other nice little features on the app - you can turn off the LED display and the charging light on the Clean Station if you prefer the room to stay dark while it's charging and you can also set the Bespoke Jet AI Ultra to notify you of any incoming calls or messages while you're vacuuming. Which is handy, because it's easy to miss calls and messages while you're vacuuming. Because you're vacuuming.

The AI doesn't stop there. Although there are several different power modes you can select manually, if you set the vacuum to AI, it will sense the type of surface and adjust the suction accordingly. At 400W this is a very powerful beast and yet it instantly recognises if you're vacuuming a rug or mat and dials things down immediately to avoid any clogs and stoppages. This is such a brilliant feature and is one of the first times I've ever thought AI was doing something genuinely helpful.

As you'd expect, the LCD display tells you exactly how many minutes of vacuuming you have left before you need to charge. Samsung tries to claim you can clean for up to 100 minutes. The obligatory asterisk then leads you to a footnote explaining that's only on the lowest setting using a non-motorised tool. So no, you won't vacuum for 100 minutes non-stop but guess what? Nobody WANTS to vacuum for 100 minutes non-stop. However long it lasts, it's easily enough for me to do my large, two-storey, four-bedroom home. (That's not a humble brag, by the way. More of a complaint)

And what a great job it does. Let's get real. You can have all the good looks and swanky AI features you like but unless that 400W sucker-upper is doing the business, it's all a waste of time. The Bespoke Jet AI Ultra is the opposite of a waste of time. It really gets the greeblies out from deep down in the pile and on my first vacuum I had to empty the half-litre bin twice, it was so chock-a-block with a combination of woman hair, dog hair and whatever detritus falls off me.

As I said before, the Clean Station lives up to its name, sucking every last scrap out of the bin without you getting your hands dirty. Then, unlike the original Bespoke Jet, it runs a self-diagnosis to make sure everything is running properly. This closes the door on the bin automatically - something I've often forgotten to do on the more manual original, not realising till I've started vacuuming, dropping dust straight back on the floor again. So it's now idiot-proof. This idiot has proved it. 

The problem of long hair wrapping around the mechanical roller head still hasn't been solved, although at least Samsung's design let's you easily take the roller apart to clean it.

Best of all, there are very few consumables here; the bin and its multi-stage filtration system is all washable and reusable. The only thing that needs replacing is the large dust bag in the Clean Station. This is also a very easy and fuss free operation and there are a couple more bags included in the box.

Sounds great, right? Does it sound NZ$2,099.00 great? Because that's what the Bespoke Jet Ultra AI Elite costs right now. But remember, it's also a mop. And a pet-hair remover. And it can see in the dark. And it empties itself. And it can tell you when someone's on the phone. Oh... And it's a work of art. Totally worth it.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Ultra Elite.

Apple MacBook Air (M4) - Air by Name. Pro by Nature

Apple seems to be going hard-out in 2025. If the rumours are to be believed, by December Apple will have announced at least 20 devices.

From what we've seen so far this can mean anything - from the predictable (yet still pleasing) iPad Air update from M2 to M3 I reviewed last week - to creating a whole new category of iPhone, with the introduction of the more budget-friendly member of the 16-series, the iPhone 16e.

This year's shotgun launch approach seems to be partly due to the fact Apple now puts its own chips in things. What's more, those chips seem pretty amazing.

So although Apple just launched a fistful of new computers, you may not even have heard about it. For some reason, these devices don't always get the same in-person, Tim Cook-led hype the flagship handsets do.

But don't worry. Although I haven't been lucky enough to try the computer to end all computers; the new Mac Studio powered by the brain-bendingly powerful M4 Max, or even the one that runs on the M3 Ultra - which confusingly might be even MORE powerful - I have been sent something else to play with...

The Apple MacBook Air (M4) looks exactly like its predecessor from last year. Except it's now available in a new colour, Sky Blue, replacing boring old Space Grey. This is in addition to Silver, Starlight and Midnight.

Sky Blue is nice but let me be perfectly clear; it's not as blue as the sky. In fact, when I ask most people what colour the device is, they tell me it's silver. So... silvery-blue then, I guess.

Other than that, physically the M4 MacBook Air looks the same as the last two.

But it isn't.

There are three important tweaks that make this one of the most desirable MacBooks now available and as such, one of the best portable computing devices on the market today.

The first and most significant upgrade is of course, the M4 chip. I've used several devices running Apple's in-house M4 now and I can confidently attest to its speed and reliability. On paper, there are technical improvements in things like the number of cores, graphics performance and the various AI abilities of the 16-core Neural Engine.

A list of specs is one thing. Real world performance is another. The M4 MacBook Air runs so faultlessly it's hard to imagine how much better it could get before it starts carving chunks from the market share of its more full-featured sibling, the MacBook Pro.

Another physical change is, although there are still only two external ports - not counting the MagSafe charging socket of course - these are now both Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slots. This means much higher data transfer speeds and coupled with the M4 chip you can now connect to two external monitors while still using the built-in Liquid Retina display. Like everything else I tried with the MacBook Air, it ran three screens effortlessly.

The last improvement Apple has made is adding Desk View to the built-in, 12MP Centre Stage camera. This is a new feature some Mac users have been trying in conjunction with Continuity Camera - the option to use your iPhone's camera as a wireless webcam. Now the MacBook Air can also show viewers a live feed of your physical desktop via your Zoom, Facetime, Webex or other video call. This means you can demonstrate using something in your hands without running a second camera feed. The quality is not as good as the usual Centre Stage video (which is truly excellent) but it's useful to have it as an option.

If you're in any doubt how good that camera is, check out my video below. I think this is the best built-in camera/mic/speaker setup I've seen on any laptop I've ever reviewed.

Never have I been more relieved to be reviewing a MacBook than last Friday morning. Due to an unfortunate series of unforeseeable events, I didn't have my security card with me when I arrived at work on Friday. That in itself is not an unsurmountable obstacle, even at 3:40AM. (I work in breakfast radio. Sounds fun, right?)

Even in the middle of the night, there's a security guard on duty who can be persuaded to let an idiot like me in. (I've got form. He recognises me now)

Unfortunately, the key to my personal locker is also attached to my security card. Really unfortunately, I'd locked my work laptop away the day before. Not something I'd normally do. But, like I say; an unfortunate series of unforeseeable events.

Luckily, I had figured all this out the night before and even more luckily, I was reviewing this M4 MacBook Air.

In just a few minutes I was able to load my work Wi-Fi profile and set up Adobe Audition (my preferred audio editor) so I could hit the ground running the moment I got into the studio the next morning.

Thanks to macOS 15 (just upgraded to macOS 15.4 this week, in fact) connecting to the studio printer and even connecting to the network drives at work was simple and fast. Just like everything else about this device.

I was able to run my radio show exactly as usual, without a hitch. In fact, the MacBook Air did such a good job I'm thinking of leaving my work laptop permanently locked away. It seems so clunky by comparison.

I've covered off most of the latest Apple Intelligence features in other, recent Apple reviews but it's worth pointing out the latest update to macOS 15.4 introduces the option to let AI sort and summarise your emails for you. I've been using this on my iPhone for a while now and it's great to be able to see if there's anything that needs urgent action with a single glance at your inbox.

I could spend all afternoon waxing lyrical about the myriad ways this year's MacBook Air has blown my socks off - but that would make for a very long read. I will just make a quick mention of its gaming abilities. Slowly but surely more and more AAA game releases are being ported across to macOS, if not being released on Mac day one. Even if they're not, the powerful M4 chip seems to have no trouble running emulators to play titles from other platforms and the Wi-Fi 6e connectivity has impressed me when streaming games as well.

With a screen that looks this good and spatial audio that sounds this convincing, the MacBook Air is a superb multimedia entertainment device, in either the 13.6 or 15.3-inch display options.

Intellectually, technically, I know the MacBook Pro is the superior device. And yet, while I type this, edit this and upload this using the MacBook Air, I can't quite remember why.

        

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple MacBook Air (M4).