Innehållsförteckning för Issue 213 från T3 Australia

70TH ANNIVERSARY FENDER STRATOCASTERS When it comes to musical icons, there is arguably none bigger than the Fender Stratocaster guitar. This iconic instrument has been played by some of the greatest guitarists known to man, from Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly to John Mayer and Kurt Cobain. First on sale in 1954, the Strat is celebrating 70 years in the business, and to mark the occasion Fender is releasing seven new special edition models you won’t want to miss. These include two classic models (the Player and American Professional II) along with five special editions that celebrate the history of Leo Fender’s masterpiece. The 70th Anniversary Stratocaster Player Stratocaster features Pure Vintage ’59 Single-Coil Strat pickups, a maple Modern C neck and an Alder body, finished in Nebula Noir (black…

A furtive scour of the dark web indicates that eagle-eyed Guru superfans are absolutely foaming about the fact that GaGu has not actually talked about magic in his so-called ‘magic box’ for, like, forever. Let us change that. First, the magical kind, with a recommendation from Guru’s finest professional sorcerer friend Ricardo Shazam. He says that were GaGu to have the patience to turn his gigantic sausage hands to the fine art of prestidigitation, he should use Card Shark’s Phoenix playing cards. They’re manufactured by USPC (also makers of Bee and the iconic Bicycle deck) but specifically formulated for the sticky fingers of those inclined towards the dark arts. You are also allowed to play snap with them, if that’s your thing – just don’t tell the Magic Circle. Next,…

#100 PROJECT ASCENSIO The concept art for this space elevator, designed by 30-year-old Jordan-William Hughes, might look like it belongs on a Magic: The Gathering card, but the concept of switching out rockets for wires connected to a seafaring spaceport might just transcend the world of fantasy. The future isn’t burning fuel – it’s about sustainable transport. jordanhughes.artstation.com #99 RAZER BLACKSHARK V2 HYPERSPEED Razer’s Hyperspeed wireless connectivity is the perfect partner for a capable headset like this. Not only do you get full freedom of movement – doubly so since, despite its chunky looks, the Blackshark V2 weighs just 280g – but also sound that’s as lag free as possible without wires. Oh, also superb sound and an excellent mic, but that goes without saying. $229, razer.com #98 LINKFACE MOISTPOD…

ONEPLUS WATCH 2 The first major smartwatch launch of the year is from OnePlus, a follow-up to the original OnePlus Watch we saw in 2021. The OnePlus Watch 2 brings with it an impressive 100-hour maximum battery life, as well as a faster processor than the original, and a stainless steel chassis (in two colours) with a sapphire crystal watch face. The software duties are handled by Google’s reliable and ever-improving Wear OS, and you can use the watch to track a host of activities right from your wrist. With waterproofing, water resistance and military grade strength, it can go anywhere too. $459, oneplus.com SAMSUNG GALAXY RING There’s been a lot of buzz around Samsung’s smart ring in the short time we’ve known about it: it’s a new product category…

The earth spins, the seasons turn and Dell updates its best laptops. The powerhouse model for 2024 is the XPS 16, a glass and aluminium-clad device that will be well-suited for those who want a powerful, portable laptop. You buy a big laptop because you want a big screen, and the XPS 16 has exactly that. The 16.3-inch, 3840 x 2400 pixel 4K OLED is gorgeous, with very bright whites and dark shadows existing side by side. It’s a Dolby-Vision-certified screen with a maximum brightness of 500 nits, making it easy to read even in bright daylight. We measured the brightness below that at a (still very bright) 430 nits, but Dell points out that the maximum they quote is for a sudden burst of white on a dark screen.…

Ever since the 2016 launch of its LS50 Wireless stereo speaker system, KEF has been knocking it out of the park. And now there’s this, the LSX II LT. It’s a pared-back, more affordable variation on the LSX theme. But has the company managed to move downmarket without, you know… moving downmarket? The LSX II LT utilises the same 11th-gen speaker driver as fitted to the LSX II. A 19mm aluminium dome tweeter is positioned at the acoustic centre of a 115mm magnesium/aluminium mid/bass cone – the idea is to precisely position the acoustic centre of each unit in order to optimise time-alignment. Each speaker gets 100 watts of Class D power and frequency response is a claimed 54Hz - 28kHz. At a neat 240 x 155 x 180mm per…

When it comes to the best folding phones, the OnePlus Open is a different story to its rivals. It’s a much more ‘normal phone size’ when folded, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, making it immediately more usable. Indeed, it’s so commendable in its folded position that we’ve often not made full use of the main display hidden within. Which raises the question: has OnePlus made the best foldable phone but removed the need for its existence in the same breath? With a folded thickness of 11.7mm, it’s not a million miles away from the 8.6mm of the Galaxy S24 Ultra – we’ve never felt as though it’s too big, like some older foldables. The recent Honor Magic V2 is even skinnier though. Not only that, at 6.31 inches,…

CASE STUDY When Sennheiser launched the excellent Accentum headphones in late 2023, it offered a more wallet-friendly way to get some great sound and active noise cancelling (ANC) compared to the flagship Momentum 4 Wireless, but with smaller drivers and fewer extras. Plugging the gap between the two, the Accentum Plus is an upgrade for those who want a little more, and lands just as impressively at its price. The Accentum Plus comes in a carrying case for travel, something that was missing from the original model. But, case aside, you’d only really be able to tell the difference between an Accentum and an Accentum Plus by looking at the Sennheiser logo on the headband – it’s black on the standard model, and metallic on the Plus. That’s fine, though,…

Sometimes the world gives you a signal it’s time for some new tech. That might be getting a bumper pay cheque or the kicking off of a new sale. For me, the real clue was my Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con sticks starting to drift like a butterfly in a wind tunnel and my MacBook screen going blacker than the abyssal ocean. Admittedly, I’ve found some good fixes for both issues – taking advantage of Nintendo’s free repair programme for the former; swearing profusely and repeatedly resetting the SMC for the latter. But it has gotten me planning for the inevitable upgrades I’ll need when both items go to the great CEX in the sky. The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is the natural next step in terms of laptops, while I’m hoping…

ARC’TERYX NORVAN 14 VEST The Norvan 14 backpack is designed for mountain running and technical hikes. It features breathable stretch mesh material, multiple adjustment points and ample storage for hydration, essentials and gear, including two 500ml hydration flasks. $300, arcteryx.com MAMMUT AENERGY TR 5 MEN The Aenergy TR 5 lightweight vest offers a perfect balance of comfort and practicality for trail running. With wide shoulder straps, adjustable chest and side options, and ample storage, like a zippered back pocket and soft flask holders, it’s ideal for adventures. $179, mammut.com RAB TENSOR 10L LIGHTWEIGHT PACK The Tensor 10 is a versatile day pack suitable for hiking, cycling and running. Its AirContour back system provides a close fit and natural movement, while features like a zipped top pocket, light loop and reflective…

Opinion It seems that Apple has finally pulled the plug on its plans to create an electric car. The project has been rumoured to have been in the making for years, though not even a prototype has ever been officially released. Building cars is hard, even when you’re the biggest tech company in the world. Apple knew that if it was going to come out with an electric car it had to be the best. The best looking, the most advanced specifications and the best performance. Which, in all, is an impossible task. Anything less than amazing would have seen the product panned by car enthusiasts and Apple fans alike. It would have been compared against a market that already has some pretty special cars in it. Would it offer…

NO MORE JOCKEYS Alex Horne, Tim Key and Mark Watson do a regular Zoom call playing a name game that Guru himself has now forced his wife to play in the car. Mrs Guru is less funny than them. SPACEMAN More Netflix Adam Sandler. A reviewer says “a movie about a space spider trying to get a man to understand why his wife is leaving him shouldn’t be this good,” so let’s go with that. ’TIL DEATH DO US BLART The Brothers McElroy join New Zealand comedians Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery for an eternal podcast: once yearly, they must watch Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and discuss it. Oof.…

Portable projection technology is on the move. Thanks to innovative designs and advances in brightness and battery tech, the latest generation of bijou beamers have liberated the big screen experience. Whether you’re planning a long overdue road trip, prepping for a big sports weekend, or simply want to treat the kids to a marathon movie sleep-over, portable projectors are changing how and where we can watch. More brands than ever are pioneering portable projectors, and there’s more content choice that can be easily played by them. You no longer need to run aerial cables, or drag Blu-ray players outdoors to enjoy a movie. Just like TVs, the majority of projectors are built around familiar smart TV platforms, like Samsung’s Tizen or Android TV. Just download the apps of your choice…

When it comes to MacBooks, it’s the MacBook Air that’s long been the favourite for most people thanks to its balance of power and portability. Since Apple ditched Intel inside for its own silicon, the first of those pillars has only increased (as has battery life). And now with the 2024 MacBook Air, we get the latest M3 processor in a fanless and therefore silent design. While the 2024 MacBook Air with M3 is the same design as the previous Air from 2022 – that model being the first to bring significant design changes to the series – it’s the internal boost to SSD speed and computing power that really appeals here. Predictably the M3 crushes older M1 & M2 Airs, and while you won’t get MacBook Pro levels of…

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is Microsoft’s latest laptop for designers and content creators. What makes it so designer-y? Like the original, the sequel has a hinge that folds forwards, letting you position it like a drawing board, or a 16-inch graphics tablet. At first glance the Surface Laptop Studio 2 appears a dead ringer for a MacBook Pro. There are endless fields of anodised aluminium, a pleasantly minimal look when you sit back with the laptop out in front of you. But start playing around and you realise the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is nothing like a MacBook. A light prod at the top of the screen lets you tilt the lower part forwards to rest with its bottom sitting just above the touchpad. Or you can go further…

We knew exactly what we were going to get from the Nothing Phone (2a): an affordable, quirky-designed mid-range Android handset. What we didn’t get to know in advance, of course, was just how successful Nothing’s attempt at winning the mid-range section of the Android market would be. One of Nothing’s calling card features is the inclusion of Glyphs, a series of rear-positioned lights that can alert you in various ways – in a flashing sequence, for example – and while these do appear on Phone (2a), the arrangement is pared down. That means a trio of Glyph lights, all positioned towards the top of the device, and no charging Glyph to the lower portion of the phone. But the real jump-out feature of the Phone (2a)’s visual aesthetic regards its…

SMARTPHONES Find the lowest prices at: t3.com/au/bestphone APPLE iPHONE 15 PRO MAX From $1,849, apple.com/au The iPhone 15 Pro Max continues to push what is possible from a smartphone. It’s lighter and stronger than ever, boasts a better camera array, and has USB-C charging for the first time. SAMSUNG GALAXY S24 ULTRA From $2,199, samsung.com Samsung’s biggest and best flagship now has a flat-panel display that is also finished in a more rugged titanium. Plus there are a host of new AI features to take on Apple and Google. 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. NOTHING PHONE (2) From $959, nothing.tech The Nothing Phone (2)…

1 LEICA SL3 $11,690, leica-camera.com When the market for premium full-frame mirrorless cameras exploded at the turn of the decade, there was one name notably absent. Leica released the flagship SL in 2017, and the SL2 in 2019; while the latter (and its 2020 sort-of-sequel, the SL2-S) was enough to sate die-hard fans of the German brand, the SL3 is its first new full-frame flagship in almost five years. And it shows, without doubt, that Leica still means business. Marginally smaller than its predecessor, the SL3 naturally jams in a lot more in the way of power, pulling in the Leica Q3’s Maestro IV processor and pairing it with an 8Gb buffer. That doesn’t necessarily translate to super-fast stills shooting, with an average of around 5fps if you need autofocus…

Opinion A recent New York Times article shocked many, me included, by showing how easily a stolen passcode can ruin your digital and financial life. It centred on iPhones but Android users are no safer. A criminal would observe someone entering their passcode, trick them into giving it away, or worse still make them reveal it at knifepoint. Then they’d steal the phone and change the passcode, change the face in FaceID, the password in AppleID, turn off Find My iPhone, and render the passwords in a keychain unusable, all within a minute or two. My own enthusiasm for financial apps dates back to interviewing an ex-hacker, many years ago. He strongly advised doing online banking through a phone rather than a browser because it was way more secure. Since…

If you’re a professional drone pilot with a raft of real estate and TV commissions under your belt, you’ll likely want to buy the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. But if you’re an ordinary person who takes high-quality 4K aerial videos and high-res still images so you can share the results with family and friends, the DJI Mini 4 Pro’s amazing camera is more than good enough for your needs. The newish DJI Mini 4 Pro is stockier in stature than its stablemate the Mini 3 Pro but most of this is to do with the Mini 4’s new omnidirectional sensors, which give the drone a comical bug-eyed appearance. Both drones weigh in at a featherlight 249 grams. Although not very noticeable to the naked eye, the Mini 4 Pro is…

Soundbars like the Samsung HW-Q600C, which uses physical speaker drivers to create sonic ‘height’ rather than sound processing algorithms, should be high on the list when choosing a spatial audio system. But does the HW-Q600C have what it takes to deliver convincing spatial audio goodness? There’s not much room for manoeuvre where the design of a soundbar is concerned – or, at least, there isn’t if you want to keep costs to a realistic level. The HW- Q600C’s soundbar, you won’t be staggered to learn, is built almost entirely from plastic. This being Samsung, though, it’s robust and distinctly superior plastic, and the perforated top and front panels combined with the angled ends mean it’s actually not bad-looking. The subwoofer is equally prosaic in its materials – vinyl-wrapped MDF, mostly…

The fight to be crowned the best Android phone on the market is always fiercely competitive. We’re now seeing more evidence of that. The Samsung Galaxy S24 range launched a few months back. Now, we have the OnePlus 12, and this looks set to take the fight straight to the Korean brand. This is an anniversary year for OnePlus, so we were expecting some big things. They’ve delivered, too. Inside, you’ll find the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset as many of the other top picks for this year. However, the brand has also given that a boost with something called the Trinity Engine. That is a multi-faceted approach that looks to get the most horsepower out of the hardware. One more headline feature to speak of here is the…

OPEN QUESTION The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are earbuds that don’t actually go into one’s ears at all. They’re also earbuds that don’t isolate – quite the opposite, in fact, as environmental sound is purposefully allowed to pass through at all times. But are they the best all-time earbuds for those of a niche audio persuasion? The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds aren’t exactly awash with features that you’ll often find in pricey competitor headphones. But that’s because many features, such as ANC, would simply unravel the whole point of a product such as this. For us it’s the Ultra Open Earbuds’ design that truly sells them. If you dislike earbuds probing your ear canals, the way Bose has designed these ’buds is a true accomplishment. There’s no aggressive hook or…