Innehållsförteckning för Issue 207 från T3 Australia

PLAYPULSE ONE Exercise is a great way to boost your mood and feel healthier. But while it undoubtedly gives you a buzz afterwards, we can’t help feeling that the workouts themselves could be... a bit more fun? Enter PlayPulse One. While many fitness brands are gamifying their routines with competition and badges, PlayPulse has taken things one step further: allowing you to play actual games. Hop on the One and you can play games against friends and rivals online, while getting a HIIT workout at the same time. You can inch your character forward or race ahead using the bike’s high-precision pedal sensors, while its handlebar-integrated controls offer immersive haptic feedback to help keep your head in the game. Not in the mood for games today? Kick back with some…

PETZL SWIFT RL This premium head torch has a blindingly bright light output (900 lumens, to be precise), with good burn times, light weight and intuitive controls. It’s also reflective to remain visible at night. Truly the gold standard in the world of compact headlamps. $125, petzl.com BIOLITE HEADLAMP 800 PRO Rechargeable, simple to operate and very, very bright, the BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro does what it says on the tin and does it extremely well. One of the very top head torches you can buy, with a hugely impressive battery life. $110, bioliteenergy.com BLACK DIAMOND STORM 450 With a host of excellent all-rounder features like the big, glove-friendly button, 450 lumen max output and a nice broad head strap, this headlamp from Black Diamond is an excellent choice for…

ZENITH, DEFY EXTREME E ENERGY X PRIX Made from carbon fibre and titanium with striking purple accents to evoke streaks of lightning in a stormy sky, this is the world’s lightest and most robust 1/100th of a second chronograph. $36,100, zenith-watches.com HUBLOT, MP-09 TOURBILLON Taking the iconic rainbow design and thrusting it into the 21st century, Hublot reproduced the gemstone pattern using coloured composites inserted into the mass of a 3D carbon case. $315,000, hublot.com BREITLING, PREMIER B21 CHRONOGRAPH TOURBILLON For people who love the mechanics and magic of watchmaking, the B21 movement is on full display with oscillating weight and ultra-complex tourbillon in contrasting 18k gold. $82,000, breitling.com RESERVOIR, SONOMASTER CHRONOGRAPH BLACK THUNDER Made for rock legends, this features two half-moon-shaped areas designed to look like VU meters from…

Readers may have spotted GaGu being even more grumbly than usual this issue. He could blame any number of things, but it’s probably the relentless grind of dealing with neurodivergent children, that his excellent spouse is often absent because she has the temerity to have a well-paying job that keeps the family afloat and, mostly, the fact that the Guru Empire is basically the opposite of the old British one. The sun never seems to rise. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing: if you, too, are affected with a dose of the glums in these terrible times, you could do worse than tricking your dumb brain with a blast of fake sunshine from a big, clumsy, stupid lamp. The Lumie Vitamin L does the trick, and if Lumie can…

HELLY HANSEN ULLR RS30 BACKPACK For customisable comfort, opt for Helly Hansen’s latest backpack. The star of the show is the quick-attach system, which allows you to transition between skiing and boot-packing without removing the pack. $223, hellyhansen.com NIKE AIR ZOOM PEGASUS 39 SHIELD TRAINERS Nike’s new trainers are designed to keep you running, whatever the weather. Our favourite features include the brilliant traction and the perfect pairing of a cosy fleece-like lining teamed with a water-repellent finish. $190, nike.com STAR WARS X DC SHOES DARK SIDE SNOWBOARD Ride the slopes at the speed of a Star Destroyer with the help of DC Shoes’ gorgeous new Star Wars-themed snowboard. $699, trojanwss.com.au…

RUNNING SHOE HOKA CLIFTON 9 Hoka is renowned for producing some of the world’s top running shoes, and the Clifton 9 is no exception. Light on foot, this shoe offers up super smooth heel-to-toe transitions alongside increased protection. With a fun, modern aesthetic, the Clifton 9 is a reliable running shoe for athletes and beginners alike. $169, hoka.com EARBUDS JAYBIRD VISTA 2 The Vista 2 is a super comfortable yet rugged pair of wireless earphones, ideal for keeping the music pumping come rain or shine. What’s more, there’s built-in noise-cancellation tech to block out external sounds. If you’re serious about fuelling your outdoor runs with some top-quality tuneage, the Vista 2 buds are hard to beat. $252, jaybirdsport.com WATCH POLAR IGNITE 3 Polar’s latest smartwatch not only sports endless fitness…

Looking for one of the best MacBooks money can buy? You’ve come to the right place. Because the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro is an all-powerful beast of a laptop that will sate the appetite of those creatives in need of serious graphical processing demands. Pricing varies wildly whether you select the 14-inch or 16-inch model, with each coming in three configurations, two with M2 Pro, one with M2 Max. The 14-inch with M2 Pro starts from a ‘modest’ $3,199, but the 16-inch starts from $3,999 and its M2 Max incarnation costs a cool $5,599. Opt for the 16-inch M2 Max with 96GB unified memory and upgraded 8TB SSD and you’re looking at an absurdly expensive $10,099. Will most people need that? Absolutely not. But if you’re a high-end creative…

You can forget concepts of ‘modernity’. If it’s a pair of expensive over-ear headphones you’re after, your Grado option is going to be a throwback - visually, at least. So what exactly can you expect when you put a lot of money Grado’s way? And can it possibly be worth the way you look when you’re wearing them? The way Grado goes about designing its over-ear headphones, you’d think ‘design’ had been outlawed before the first Beatles album was released. That the GS3000x Statement are rigorously engineered, painstakingly constructed and specified without compromise is not up for question. But ‘design’? The more expensive a specific pair of Grado headphones, the more apparent their, ahem, agricultural appearance becomes. But it’s not all bad. Though the headband itself feels quite meanly padded,…

The Apollo City 2022 Pro is the big brother of the Apollo City 2022, which we tested earlier this year. That was one of the best electric scooters we’ve ever ridden, so we’ve been keen to see what this souped-up version could bring. The Pro weighs in at 29.5kg. That’s about the same as a fully grown Labrador – you can pick it up but you wouldn’t want to carry it any distance. Other than this extra weight, though, the Apollo City 2022 Pro is nearly identical to the non-Pro version. This is no bad thing, as the City 2022 is an excellently made scooter, built with aircraft-grade aluminium. When it comes to performance, the Apollo City 2022 Pro is faultless. The thing is sturdy and well-built, giving you the…

iPHONE SE (2022) From $659, apple.com/au A near-flagship iPhone for a fraction of the cost. The SE delivers cutting-edge innards, with a superb camera and a speedy A15 CPU, all wrapped in a nice small-scale design that’s easy to pocket. ONEPLUS NORD CE 2 From $495, oneplus.com Based on the Nord 2, but cheaper, OnePlus gets all the fundamentals right. Anyone on a budget who wants a small, light phone with decent battery life and a good display will be happy. MOTO G31 From $196, motorola.com.au Offering long battery life and a bright 6.4-inch display, the G31’s lower-end processor may mean less-than-perfect performance at times, but you can still casually game and take successful snaps with the cameras. SAMSUNG GALAXY A53 5G From $597, samsung.com The A53 looks like an…

AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK CHRONOGRAPH $38,500, audemarspiguet.com We love Audemars Piguet’s simple stainless steel model with a blue Grand Tapisserie pattern dial. It features a self-winding manufacture calibre 2385 movement with a 40-hour power reserve. BAMFORD LONDON MAYFAIR DATE $1,200, bamfordlondon.com The Bamford Mayfair Date is dependable and has the added benefit of being waterproof to 10ATM, making it a great accessory for outdoor activities whilst remaining cool and stylish. BAUME SMALL SECONDS $TBA, baume-et-mercier.com Baume uses sustainable and recycled materials where possible, and its elegant watches are fully customisable, with over 2,000 permutations achievable on an online configurator. BELL & ROSS BR03-92 NIGHTLUM $5,600, bellross.com No complicated bells and whistles here; the BR03-92 has its roots in aviation, a heritage the folks at B&R have clearly channelled into the…

SONOS PORT $699, sonos.com A great streamer, especially if you already own a Sonos speaker. It has an analogue input and output, as well as streaming to any Sonos speaker, so you can plug in your turntable. YAMAHA WXAD-10 $259, au.yamaha.com This Yamaha lets you stream everything from Bluetooth to hi-res audio, with support for AirPlay, most of your favourite streaming services and, of course Yamaha’s own MusicCast. IFI XDSD $589, ifi-audio.com This dinky little combined Bluetooth receiver, DAC and headphone amp supports AAC and aptX and sounds really superb. It has a battery, and can be used with earphones as well as speakers. AUDIOLAB 6000N $1,199, audiolab.co.uk Probably impractical if you don’t have a hi-fi stack, but with support for audio up to 192Khz/24-bit, its sound quality is noticeably…

NIKON Z 30 $1,199, nikon.com.au Nikon’s smallest MILC yet is aimed at videographers, with no viewfinder or built-in flash. You get 20.9MP in an APS-C sensor, 11fps shooting, 4K video at 30fps, and built-in stereo mics. CANON EOS R7 $1,939, canon.com.au One of the first APS-C EOS R cameras, the R7 packs 32.5MP and can shoot at 30fps using its electronic shutter. There’s powerful in-body stabilisation too, plus dual card slots. NIKON Z 50 $2,099, nikon.com.au All the best bits from the Z range shrunk into a more affordable package. A smaller (APS-C) 20.9MP sensor means a smaller overall body, ideal for travel and everyday shots. CANON EOS R10 $1,649, canon.com.au The R7’s smaller sibling has a 24.5MP APS-C sensor and can manage 23fps or 4K/30 video. It’s a great…

GARMIN FORERUNNER 255S $699, garmin.com With its new triathlon mode, this is now a full-fledged triathlon watch. And the smallest of those, too, enabling those with small wrists to access pro workout features and heart-rate variability tracking. COROS PACE 2 $330, coros.com The Pace 2 gets the basics right, but also has a couple of tricks up its sleeve. It might provide fewer casual features than some Garmins, but the running features on offer here are pretty much spot on. GARMIN FORERUNNER 945 $929, garmin.com The Forerunner 945 has retained the look and feel of the 935, but inside it has been completely revamped. There are new GPS chips and heart-rate sensors, plus onboard maps. GARMIN FORERUNNER 55 $249, garmin.com Most runners aren’t top athletes; they just need an accurate…

SONY WH-1000XM5 $548, sony.com.au These headphones boast an unbeaten suite of features and audio quality. The sound is dynamic and full, offering rich bass and bright, clear treble. The active noise cancellation is impressive too. BOSE NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES 700 $399, bose.com.au These cans deliver great, well-balanced sound. They’re especially good if you want a pair of top-tier noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones for calls and using voice assistants. JBL TUNE 660NC $129, jbl.com If you’re looking for a comfortable pair of Bluetooth headphones that offer great detail, these are ideal. They’re relatively heavy on the bass, which is fine for lots of music genres. SONY WH-1000XM4 $399, sony.com.au These were once the best wireless noise cancelling headphones money could buy. Now they look like a bargain. They fold better than the…

MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO $350, mezeaudio.com With a single-driver design capable of excellent dynamic range, these can pull from a deep well of bass as well as shimmering treble. A well-priced, unfussy and great-sounding pair of headphones. FLARE AUDIO FLARES JET 3 $190, flareaudio.com Maintaining the quality of the Flares Pro (see Bluetooth headphones), removing the DAC element and thereby slashing the price, these audiophile in-ear headphones are a tremendous option. SOUNDMAGIC E11C $89, soundmagicheadphones.com Can we really be recommending a pair of headphones for under £55? Yes we can! The grown-up sound quality and exemplary comfort of the 11c make them the sonic bargain of the year. KLIPSCH T5M WIRED $139, klipsch.com The fitting is unusual, but nonetheless immediately felt comfortable and solid. The audio is boosted, primped and…

PHILIPS HUE From $29, philips-hue.com Hue dominates the smart lighting sector for good reason: it’s a superb system with the widest range of bulbs and a simple, useful app. Rivals may be cheaper but they can’t compete with Hue’s variety. LIFX From $29, lifx.com If you fancy a Hue system but don’t want to spend so much, LIFX has a strong product range and integrates with your favourite personal digital assistant. Philips still wins, but only just. NANOLEAF ESSENTIALS From $39, nanoleaf.me A line of bargain-priced bulbs and light strips that support Thread, an upcoming protocol a bit like Zigbee. We love the faceted look, but they’re only available in E27 or B22 fittings. IKEA TRÅDFRI From $12, ikea.com Ikea’s Zigbeecompatible system doesn’t have the range of Hue, but if…

PHILIPS SONICARE 9900 PRESTIGE $389, philips.com.au Philips’ most advanced electric toothbrush yet, it features SenseIQ technology. It senses pressure, motion and coverage up to 100 times per second, adapting the intensity if you brush too hard. ORAL-B PRO 2 2500 $89, oralb.com.au This only has two cleaning modes and no ‘smart’ functionality to speak of, but ask yourself… do you really care? It has a timer, pressure sensor, and excellent rotary cleaning. PHILIPS SONICARE 6100 PROTECTIVECLEAN $239, philips.com.au Offering the current best blend of features and price in the Sonicare range, this brush doesn’t pile on too many pointless cleaning modes – just the self-explanatory ‘clean’ and ‘white’ plus a ‘gum care’ mode. ORAL-B IO9 $375, oralb.com.au The RRP for the iO Series 9 is ridiculous, but you can get…

ASUS ROG DELTA S $279, asus.com This is an impressive piece of kit, delivering an excellent audio experience for PS4 and PS5. A USB-C dongle makes it quick to set up and means it will also work with a PC, Nintendo Switch or Android phone. SONY PULSE 3D WIRELESS $139, sony.com.au Not only sensibly priced, but delivers truly all-encompassing 3D audio that’s out of this world. It feels super-lightweight and comfortable to wear, and it’s a cinch to use with PS5. ASTRO A50 GEN 4 $399, astrogaming.com Flexible enough to work with computers and consoles, you get a rock-solid wireless connection, and of course the audio quality is brilliant. It’s a piece of kit that’s really going to draw people’s attention. TRUST THIAN $88, trust.com This headset gives you great…

APPLE MACBOOK AIR (M2, 2022) From $1,899, apple.com/au Apple’s cheapest laptop is a revolution. Think thin and light laptops have to sacrifice power? Not any more. This is the best of all worlds, with an M2 CPU as powerful as those in gaming PCs. DELL XPS 13 OLED $2,748, dell.com Powerful, with an 12th-gen Intel CPU and up to 16GB of RAM, well built, and compact thanks to a 13.4-inch 4K display. It’s just about everything you could want in your search for the best laptop.. ACER SWIFT 3 From $749, acer.com An affordable machine, but with plenty of oomph, the Swift 3 packs 12th-gen Intel CPUs, HD screens, and up to 1TB of SSD storage, with a spare slot for upgrades. It’s a lot for your money. LG GRAM…

APPLE iPAD AIR (2022) From $999, apple.com/au A seriously powerful piece of kit, the iPad Air (2022) features Apple’s M1 chipset, and the upgrade really shows. You can pretty much do anything and everything on this incredible tablet. It’s just right. APPLE iPAD 10.2 (2021) From $497, apple.com/au The cheapest full-size Apple tablet has evolved in some really useful ways. The storage options have been increased to 64GB or 256GB, while the processor has been boosted to the zippy A13 Bionic. SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S6 LITE $548, samsung.com Though not quite as powerful as others in the range, this is a strong yet affordable offering. It comes with an S Pen, which makes it great for sketching in addition to watching your favourite content. APPLE iPAD MINI (2021) From $829,…

Tech journalists don’t have their own personal Woodstock. Socially awkward nerds that need their every relationship to be mediated through a Sahara’s worth of silicon tend not to be ones for grooving around in the mud. But if we did, it’s safe to say that it would be Las Vegas’s Consumer Electronics Show, the biggest global launch event for the tech that will be arriving in the coming year. Once you’ve been following CES for a few years, you start to recognise some of the recurring trends. There’s the boundary-transgressing bathroom trackers – I don’t even want my partner to witness my *ahem* ablutions but, sure, I’m perfectly happy to share them with Withings. Or there’s the cuddly toys that let us outsource all the social obligations we find too…

As comfy as they are, we are sorry to inform that sometimes a rucksack just won’t cut the sartorial mustard. For those occasions when a bag is required but you can’t let your style credentials slip, then a belt bag can raise the fashion stakes. This black textured leather bag comes from the luxury fashion house Loewe who now come under the umbrella of conglomerate LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton). Loewe was founded in 1846 when a group of Spanish leather craftsmen from Madrid were joined by a tradesman named Enrique Loewe. By the early 20th century, the brand had got the royal seal of approval from Alfonso XIII with a wave Hollywood celebrities, including Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner following suit. Loewe is now under the direction…

THE NORTHERN BOYS Imagine Goldie Lookin Chain but as a duo of sweary 70-year-old retired teachers and a mate called Kevin as a Bez-style dancing mascot. They’re a confusingly good combo. INTO THE ETHER Franc Moody’s syrupy, almost sleepy disco funk draws influences from the ’70s onwards. This’ll stick with you for its understated brilliance, and for the overt brilliance too. ANDOR Guru still isn’t a big Star Wars guy, but he was drawn in by all the nerds proclaiming Andor’s brilliance, and he’ll submit just this once. It’s worth a month’s sub to Disney+ on its own.…

Opinion Back in 2014, I was among the first people to review Amazon’s Alexa speaker. I said it was a clever piece of technology that nobody really needed, and gave it three stars. I should add that I don’t think three stars is a bad score – it basically means, “it’s fine, you might like it”. Amazon perhaps didn’t share my view that three stars is a perfectly adequate score, since their PR people got in touch a few times to ask me to give it four stars instead, but that’s all water under the bridge now. My review has long since been replaced online with reviews of Echo versions 2 through 57, or whatever they are up to now. However, while the words themselves may have proved transient, the…

The dream is to get great big home cinema sound from the smallest, most discreet speaker cabinet possible. Many have tried… and with a very few notable (and subsequently wildly successful) exceptions, the failure rate is through the roof. Of course, these portents aren’t enough to put off a company as serious and successful as Bose. And so here’s the Smart Soundbar 600 – it’s physically small and discreet, it’s configured to serve up spatial audio, and it’s priced to meet its very few realistic best soundbar competitors head-on. So is Bose living the dream? The Bose wants to combine plug-and-play simplicity with a true impression of Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and so its feature set is strictly focused. Which, for those of us who like to be enjoying our…

The Instinct franchise has always been a sandbox for Garmin, but the Crossover Solar’s hybrid smartwatch approach is really pushing the boat out. For starters, it’s a rugged multisport watch with analogue hands!? Even with so many Garmin watches out there, it won’t be hard to remember this one, so if it’s the uniqueness you’re after, this is your watch. From a features point of view, the Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar is identical to the Instinct 2 Solar. The main – or, more like, only – differences are the luminescent analogue hands and chapter ring. The analogue hands are overlaid on the Instinct Crossover’s digital display and automatically move out of the way when you interact with the watch via the navigation buttons. Built to MIL-STD-810 standards, this is a…

If you’re looking for the very best tech available today, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Best of the Best is the most useful gadget-buying guide you will ever encounter. To create it, we’ve extensively tested the best tech the world has to offer, to bring you rock-solid recommendations for your home life, daily commute and the tech you use all the time. In many different categories, we’ve chosen the top four products, so you can choose one that’s just the right mix of features and budget for what you need. These rankings come from real testing by our team of experts – they’re the products we’d choose for ourselves, and we can’t recommend any higher than that. Look for the links above each category that take you to…

APPLE WATCH SERIES 8 From $627, apple.com/au The best smartwatch and also the stylish option, with a focus on health and fitness. A temperature sensor is new, as is a low-power mode that stretches battery life while retaining core watch functions. GOOGLE PIXEL WATCH From $447, store.google.com A beautiful piece of technology and probably the closest we’ve seen to a rival to the Apple Watch. Is there anything more convenient than having Google Assistant on your wrist? APPLE WATCH ULTRA From $1,299, apple.com/au A true flagship product, with advanced features aimed at adventure and extreme sports, including a depth gauge and a siren, though the chunky design might not be for everyone. SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 5 From $375, samsung.com A great option for Android users, especially if you own a…

CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 SAPPHIRE From $1,400, christopherward.com Striking, bold designs really set this British brand apart from its more conventional Swiss rivals. The best example of this is the C60 Sapphire, which features a see-through dial made from sapphire crystal. VICTORINOX I.N.O.X From $897, victorinox.com Having undergone 130 durability tests, this watch will stand up to anything you throw at it. The paracord strap hints at its adventurous heritage, and it’s great for all wrist sizes. HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD From $827, hamiltonwatch.com This is a faithful recreation of its original 1960s forebear and is true to Hamilton’s military heritage. The 38mm stainless steel case is paired with a durable NATO strap. TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 QUARTZ MENS WATCH From $2,000, tagheuer.com This F1 timepiece features a steel case with sapphire…

BOWERS & WILKINS ZEPPELIN $1,199, bowerswilkins.com Streams pretty much everything, and borrows some technology from the kind of hi-fi gear where if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it. By audiophile standards, this is cheap. NAIM MU-SO 2ND GEN $2,900, naimaudio.com Mu-So 2 crushes its competition. An awesome, thumping wall of sound and reliable, versatile software platform and streaming support make for the perfect 21st-century music experience. SONOS ONE SL $260, sonos.com In terms of the sound quality, this really impresses with detail and clarity across the whole range, and how well balanced it is for treble and mid-range especially. You can get two for stereo, but one works fine. SONOS FIVE $799, sonos.coom Multi-room compatibility, a wide range of audio sources and, of course, great sound.…

SONY RX100 VII $1,599, sony.com.au For the best image quality in a pocket-friendly body, look here. The RX100 VII continues to build on Sony’s reputation for high-quality premium compacts, and does so without breaking the bank. FUJIFILM X100V $1,999, fujifilm-x.com A beautifully retro design mixed with a host of advanced features, this, like its predecessors, sports a DSLR-sized (APS-C) sensor, which is paired with a 23mm f/2 fixed length lens. SONY ZV-E10 $1,099, sony.com.au Quite possibly the ideal vlogging camera, with 4K video recording, a vari-angle 3-inch touchscreen and the ability to use an external microphone. It can also shoot the occasional still image. PANASONIC TZ200 $999, panasonic.com This might be the ideal travel companion, with a versatile zoom lens up to 15x, and a fantastic one-inch sensor that captures…

JABRA ELITE 7 ACTIVE $169, jabra.com.au The Elite 7 Active buds are a significant update over the Jabra Elite Active 75t and offer more personalised sound, better fit and even improved calling thanks to the three-mics-per-bud setup. JAYBIRD VISTA 2 $TBC, jaybirdsport.com Real class, with an excellent fit and advanced water and muck proofing. Sound quality is great, and there is both effective noise cancelling and a ‘SurroundSense’ mode to hear what’s going on around you. BEATS FIT PRO $299, beatsbydre.com These combine easy and intuitive pairing and controls, excellent sound quality and phenomenal active noise cancellation. The Fit Pro also have a sublime build quality and fit: no losing these at the gym. SHOKZ OPENRUN $219, shokz.com Bone-conducting earphones that leave your ears uncovered, these let you listen to…

SONY WF-1000XM4 $389, sony.com.au Sony’s latest high-end buds have slimmed down in size and weight considerably, but improved on battery life, boosted audio quality, and polished their noise cancellation even further. PHILIPS FIDELIO T1 $387, philips.com Powerful and crisp with a great level of detail, you won’t find many wireless buds that sound better. With effective noise cancelling and battery life of up to 48 hours with the case, the T1s are a winner. CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1+ $130, cambridgeaudio.com Cambridge Audio offers high-end sound for a lower-mid-range price. With support for AAC, apt-X and SBC and drivers made of miracle substance graphene, the Melomania 1+ are uniformly excellent. BOSE QUIETCOMFORT BUDS $429, bose.com.au The first set of ANC earbuds the company has put out – these buds’ noise cancelling…

BEYERDYNAMIC DT 900 PRO X $299, beyerdynamic.com.au These studio headphones deliver incredibly precise sound for either listening to music or making, mixing or mastering. When listening to well-produced music, they absolutely sing. FOCAL CLEAR MG $2,199, focal.com Simply sumptuous, with soft microfibre on the earpads and a headband that you can sink into; then comes the rich, warm sound to totally lose yourself inside. They’re just fantastic in that regard. RØDE NTH-100 $239, rode.com Many headphones delivering this kind of impressive sonic signature would set you back five or 10 times the asking price. These are probably the best affordable wired headphones you can buy. GRADO SR325X $419, gradolabs.com When you factor just how good these sound, they’re a bargain. In a quiet room, they sound as good as headphones…

NEST THERMOSTAT E $345, store.google.com This cheaper Nest model doesn’t fit as much information on its screen and doesn’t feel as premium, but that’s it. Same algorithm, same Alexa and Google Home compatibility. TADO SMART THERMOSTAT $162, tado.com Tado is very sociable: it works with 95% of the systems out there. It’s flexible, clever and supports a wide range of accessories too. Price cuts have made it even more enticing. NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT $499, store.google.com This smart-looking third-gen Learning Thermostat is able to monitor your habits and control the heating accordingly. There’s also an activity sensor which adjusts the heating if it someone’s home. HIVE ACTIVE HEATING 2 $484, johnlewis Hive is developed by British Gas but you don’t have to be a British Gas customer to use it. The…

PHILIPS BT9000 PRESTIGE $199, philips.com.au The classiest looking beard trimmer we’ve ever clapped eyes on, it offers an equally classy shave. Designed primarily for neater beardscaping, it whips away whiskers without any snags or pulls. PHILIPS ONEBLADE PRO $99, philips.com.au The best trimmer for those with sensitive skin, this uses innovative OneBlade technology. It’s good for both your face and your downstairs, although you may wish to change heads in between. BRAUN BEARD TRIMMER 7 $79, braun.com This trimmer feels like good value for money, earning it a place on this list. Small, light and easy to use, its tough blades shave cleanly. Battery life is solid, and the unit is waterproof enough for easy rinsing. REMINGTON B5 $50, remington-products.com.au The Remington B5 borrows the rotary dial set-up of rivals,…

LG 27GP950-B $1,295, lg.com This 27-inch 4K monitor comes with a stunning list of top-end specs, such as HDMI 2.1 and 144Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for gamers. It all adds up to a screen experience that’s one of the best available. DELL U2723QE $789, dell.com This ‘Ultrasharp’ monitor is a great do-it-all option. It combines a 27-inch panel with the features of a USB-C hub, so is ideal to use as a laptop screen whilst simultaneously powering it. ACER CB282K $TBC, acer.com This monitor offers great picture quality at an affordable price. There’s no USB-C but there’s HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2. The 28-inch screen hits the sweet spot in terms of size for gaming and video. SAMSUNG M8 SMART MONITOR $1,199, samsung.com The M8 comes with a…

ASUS ZENBOOK FLIP 13 $1,895, asus.com The Zenbook Flip 13 might be the best laptop Asus has ever released. Tooled up with an 11th-gen Intel Core processor, the tablet mode feels great to use, thanks to a responsive touchscreen. DELL XPS 13 2-IN-1 From $2,698, dell.com Very appealing looks, superb specs... what’s not to like? As usual with Dell devices, a variety of configurations is available. All of them are very capable, very versatile, and very well designed. MICROSOFT SURFACE GO 2 From $1,199, microsoft.com Microsoft’s 2-in-1s have been a huge success, and this new model adds a premium-feeling design and a small specs bump, plus a bigger screen, into the same size as the original Surface Go. HP ELITE DRAGONFLY G2 $1,999, hp.com A seriously impressive laptop – it’s…

1 SAMSUNG GALAXY S23 ULTRA From $1,949, samsung.com It’s funny. We’d normally be in the mood to excoriate a company that isn’t pushing the boundaries of its hardware hard, but in the case of the new generation Ultra we’re just not that mad. Much of Samsung’s latest feels eerily similar to the S22, and that’s no bad thing: the S22 Ultra remains an excellent phone. The S23 Ultra is class-leading. To throw the baby out with the bathwater wouldn’t be a sensible thing to do. Besides, it’s hard to focus on what’s similar given the big headline change: Samsung has offered the S23 Ultra a ludicrous Adaptive Pixel 200MP sensor. This isn’t the first time Samsung has produced such a camera, nor is it the first time one has hit…

The already excellent Summit Series base layers from The North Face have gotten a serious performance boost for the ‘23 season. At 160g, the Pro 120 Crew is ultralight, features thumb holes on the cuffs, raglan sleeves and underarm gussets for mobility. While down below, the Pro 120 Tights feature an encased-elastic waistband and front-access for ... additional performance. Both pieces boast Double-knit DotKnit fabric -basically tiny engineerd holes - for optimised moisture management as well as merrow stitching for super strength and comfort. thenorthface.com.au…

HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION ORIGINAL This year, Hublot has brought back the watch that shook up conventions in 1980. A precious gold case strapped on a simple rubber strap, unthinkable at the time, it sent huge shock waves through the world of fine watchmaking. The new Classic Fusion Original celebrates this timeless simplicity: available in yellow gold, titanium and ceramic, the cases come in 33mm, 38mm and 42mm. Its six famous screws place their hallmark on the bezels, while the sapphire case backs reveal the mechanical parts. Hublot’s iconic details bring the original watch up-to-date, making it a new, timeless classic. From ~$7,200, hublot.com ZENITH DEFY EXTREME GLACIER Following 2021’s DEFY Extreme Desert, Zenith is going to the opposite kind of landscape for the second edition: meet the DEFY Extreme Glacier,…

APPLE iPHONE 14 PRO MAX $1,899, apple.com/au The iPhone 14 Pro removes the notch in favour of a ‘dynamic island’, adds an always-on display and top-notch features such as upgraded cameras. The 6.7-inch Max has better battery life too. SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 ULTRA From $1,799, samsung.com Combining everything we loved about the Galaxy Note series with the specs from the Galaxy S series, the S22 Ultra has an S Pen, a 6.8-inch screen, a top-tier camera, and storage options up to 1TB. GOOGLE PIXEL 7 PRO From $1,299, store.google.com Google’s 2022 flagship features astounding cameras that deliver great results. Google’s second-gen Tensor processor is also super fast, and crunches through tasks with ease. ONEPLUS 10 PRO From $930, oneplus.com It’s OnePlus’ stunning 6.7-inch screen that we found to be the…

WITHINGS STEEL HR SPORT $566, withings.com Featuring a heart-rate monitor and the ability to track 30 different exercises, this is ideal for fitness fanatics. It’s water resistant to 50 metres, and the battery lasts around 25 days. GARMIN VIVOMOVE HR PREMIUM $499, garmin.com One of the most comprehensive hybrid watches you can buy, with a wide range of fitness- and health-tracking features, a subtle touchscreen digital display, and several different colours to pick from. FOSSIL HYBRID SMARTWATCH HR From $399, fossil.com This timepiece features activity and sleep tracking, plus app and call alerts, time zones, and buttons to control smartphone music. Yet it mostly looks like a regular watch, aside from the e-ink display. WITHINGS MOVE ECG $230, withings.com Think a pricey Apple Watch is needed to take an ECG…

PRO-JECT ESSENTIAL III $593, project-audio.com Really sounds great for the money, with an expansive and enjoyable sound across a range of genres and volume levels. It also looks very pleasing, in a variety of high gloss finishes. TECHNICS SL-1200GR $2,474, technics.com With rock solid build quality, easy set-up, immense bass, and a hugely exciting and involving sound, this is much more than just a DJ deck. There are few turntables that are more enjoyable to own. PRO-JECT PRIMARY E $395, project-audio.com Pro-ject’s entry-level player is the record player stripped down to its most basic form. Everything comes pre-adjusted and pre-installed, so it’s ready to go right out of the box with the perfect tracking force. ELIPSON CHROMA CARBON RIAA BT $TBC, elipson.com Elipson’s top-line turntable pulls down a lot of…

NIKON D780 $3,199, nikon.com The D780 is, in many ways, a Nikon Z6 (mirrorless) camera inside a larger DSLR body. Thanks to this, we’ve got room for dual memory card slots and a lot more direct control dials and buttons. NIKON D850 $4,199, nikon.com.au With a high-resolution 45.4 megapixel sensor, 4K video capture, a 153-point AF system, and a sturdy body, you’ll never be disappointed with what the D850 can create for you. CANON EOS 90D $1,730, canon.com.au A mid-range model that packs a lot of power for its price. You get a 32.5 megapixel sensor, uncropped 4K video recording, and an optical viewfinder that offers a 100% view of the scene. NIKON D500 $2,999, nikon.com.au This solidly built camera is the perfect choice for those who like to shoot…

WHOOP 4.0 From $44 a month, whoop.com An excellent fitness tracker for those who train hard and want to know when to slow down. Although the membership costs can stack up, it can help you hit the optimal balance between rest and workouts. FITBIT CHARGE 5 $269, fitbit.com A decent update over the Charge 4, and the AMOLED screen is very handsome. It’s comfortable to wear, and the overall user experience is also great, but it’s as expensive as some running watches. HUAWEI BAND 7 $159, huawei.com Worth your attention for its huge screen and long battery life, the Band 7 shows small refinements over the Band 6. It’s accurate, attractive, functional, and jam-packed with useful features. GARMIN VENU 2 $679, garmin.com The AMOLED screen of the Garmin Venu 2…

BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND A1 V2 $375, bang-olufsen.com If you want a full, punchy sound that’s fairly expansive, and that doesn’t crush when going loud, then this is the place to start. It’s also an object of desire, and is available in a great range of colours. ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM 2 $129, ultimateears.com The Wonderboom 2 doesn’t really try to straddle home and outdoors: it’s clearly meant to be taken to wherever the party is. It’s waterproof, and well protected against grit, dust and beachside sand. BOSE PORTABLE SMART SPEAKER $467, bose.com.au One of the best portable speakers money can buy. Connect it to Wi-Fi for Alexa or Google Assistant functionality, or use it over Bluetooth, for powerful, accurate, 360-degree sound. JBL FLIP 6 $143, jbl.com.au This speaker is small…

SONY WH-1000XM5 $469, sony.com.au These wireless headphones with multiple microphone noise cancelling keep out high and mid frequency noises, while the Auto NC Optimizer adjusts to wearing conditions and the environment. BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 45 $495, bose.com.au Comfortable, and great sounding, these feature some of the best noise cancelling we’ve (not) heard. Elsewhere, there’s no manual EQ, and you can’t turn noise cancelling off, but this is rarely a problem. SONY WF-1000XM4 $349, sony.com.au These offer one of the best, most dynamic and detailed audio experiences we’ve had from in-ear earbuds, thanks at least in part to the DSEE Extreme audio processor with Edge-AI. The ANC is exceptional. JBL TUNE 660NC $129, jbl.com.au The Tune 660NC combine excellent noise-cancelling capabilities with a weighty, punchy sound, so there’s no chance of the…

AMAZON ECHO SHOW 10 $399, amazon.com.au The most comprehensive Alexa smart speaker to date, capable of doing lots, and with a unique trick: its large screen rotates to follow you around the room, so that you can always see it clearly. AMAZON ECHO SHOW 15 $399, amazon.com.au Amazon’s biggest smart display can be mounted on the wall or on a stand. The 15-inch HD screen looks fantastic, and the brand new Alexa widgets, make this the most useful smart display yet. AMAZON ECHO 4TH GEN $149, amazon.com.au Bigger than the previous model, it has beefed up speakers and features, while the Zigbee smart home functionality that used to be part of the Echo Plus only has been moved into the standard Echo. GOOGLE NEST HUB MAX $349, store.google.com Winner of…

BRAUN SERIES 9 9390CC $499, braun.com Given that the trend is to shave less nowadays, we recommend the Braun Series 9 foil shaver over Philips’ almost equally impressive efforts. It is slightly better on longer stubble. PHILIPS SERIES 9000 PRESTIGE $549, philips.com.au The second best shaver has a silly RRP but is available for cheaper if you hunt around. It’s good for sensitive skin, mows long stubble and is really close to the shave you get from traditional razors. BRAUN SERIES 7 70-N7200CC $310, braun.com This new offering from Braun, with three foil heads, is an absolute cracker in every respect. It shaves as close as a wet razor, only in half the time. And that’s no exaggeration. PHILIPS SERIES 9000 S9211/31 $389, philips.com.au A rotary shaver that requires a…

ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14 From $2,899, asus.com A game-changer that delivers buckets of performance despite being compact and light. It does this thanks to its use of AMD’s hot new Ryzen CPUs and Nvidia’s RTX 2060 GPU. RAZER BLADE 15 ADVANCED $4,399, razer.com The sort of system that PC gamers dream of owning, so the fact that it also looks like something you could take into a Fortune 500 company boardroom at the same time is just heavenly. ACER NITRO 5 $1,297, acer.com A lower spec is reflected in the lower price. With a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 128GB NVME SSD, plus a 1TB hard drive and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, it’s still a potent performer. MSI GS66 STEALTH $4,199, msi.com An astonishingly powerful gaming laptop…