Innehållsförteckning för Issue 215 från T3 Australia

ZEITGEIST GERMANY ISLAY MALT NO 1 If you find yourself at the crossroads of great music and fine malt whisky, then do we have the product for you. New from Zeitgeist Germany, the Islay Malt No 1 earphones let you combine your two passions into one unique device. They’re made from real oak whisky barrels (thankfully freshly drained of their cargo), meaning that each design is unique based on the barrel it came from – although we don’t know if they’re also imbued with a pungent oaky aroma. Zeitgeist says its product offers “a listening experience as rich and robust as the Scotch that inspired it,” and there’s a custom driver powering each in-ear monitor, giving what Zeitgeist describes as a “smooth, lush, immersive sound”. In the box is a…

TEVA HYDRATREK SANDAL With innovative traction, a grippy outsole pattern and textured topsole, the Hydratek are purpose built for peak performance when the going gets wet. The quick-dry, hook and loop webbing keeps you tootsies comfortable and locked in when on the go. Just don’t drop anything on your toe! $160, au.teva.com THE NORTH FACE X UNDERCOVER SOUKUU TRAIL RUN UTILITY SHORT TIGHTS Designed for optimal mobility and convenience on trail runs, these Short Tights offer a perfect blend of style and performance. They feature moisture-wicking fabric, multiple utility pockets and have a comfortable fit. $288, thenorthface.com.au ADIDAS TERREX AGRAVIC SPEED ULTRA The ultimate long-distance trail racer celebrated for its fine downhill performance and featherlight construction, the Agravic Speed Ultra has a wide forefoot platform for controlled descent and offers…

The pressures of life, TV sport and gosh darned never-ending stupid work have prevented GaGu from developing any fresh new obsessions this month, and while he was tempted to describe to you the contents of his pockets, it may be better to look at his family’s current loves. Mrs Guru’s thing appears to be Instagram wonderproducts. She’s gone all-in on Wild, for example, getting herself a bunch of fancy cardboard-surrounded deodorant sticks (from about $5 each) which slip into a reusable plastic case ($9). GaGu approves of some of the scents, but could do without ‘cucumber cooler’. Guru Jr is being particularly incessant about computer games at the moment, and has decided the only way to play his favourite super-hard platformers is with a fight stick. Apparently Guru owes him…

#TECH #1 SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD6 Samsung’s most interesting phone has gotten far better. It’s faster, the screen tech has been boosted, and the Fold’s frame – which has stayed pretty static through the previous iterations – has been trimmed down, squared off, and now makes this feel like a normal phone when folded in the hand. Read our verdict on p74. From $2,749, samsung.com #2 iPAD PRO (2024) It’s always a treat when Apple readies a ‘tick’ release, and the iPad Pro happens to be the company’s thinnest-ever product. For a firm as visually obsessive as Apple, that might be enough. But the Ultra Retina display, super-powered M4 chip, connectivity upgrades and more make this a tablet like no other. From $1,699, apple.com/au #3 TCL P755 Spend less and…

Dyson revealed its first-ever dedicated headphones earlier this year, surprising both established audio-makers and the public alike with its unique, customisable take on its vision of the ideal headphones. Dyson has pitched these at the premium end of the market, its $799 price tag putting them close to or on par with usual suspects like Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. The OnTrac’s big sell is the interchangeable ear cushions and earcaps, with a multitude of potential combinations for personalised customisation. While you can’t pre-specify your OnTrac’s unique look out of the box, the headphones do come in four available options: CNC Aluminium (yellow earcups, silver earcaps), CNC Copper (blue and copper), Ceramic Cinnabar (black and coral), CNC Black Nickel (black and dark silver). Additional ear cushions or…

Welcome to our yearly conglomeration of the finest gadgets around – all 101 of them – that’ll satisfy even the most tech hungry of appetites. Highlights that you can’t live without include top travel headphones from Sonos, an infrared mask that mimics the sun’s benefits (without the downsides), and a ridiculously opulent projector that will probably bankrupt you, but deliver the finest image to a nearby surface that you’ve ever seen. And that’s just getting started. This issue of Australian T3 is chokka with the good stuff. We have home cinema audio upgrades that’ll transform your entertainment experience, plus a round up of the bluetooth speakers you’ll want to take with you on your next outing. Apple Intelligence has arrived, and we’ve put together an extremely detailed guide that explains…

PHILIPS SERIES 5500 LATTEGO BEAN TO CUP COFFEE MACHINE With the promise to make ‘the perfect brew’, this is intriguing to say the least. It has over 20 coffee options to choose from and a LatteGo milk system, which expertly heats and froths all milks. $TBA, philips.com.au NUTRIBULLET 600 SERIES STARTER KIT Adapting its popular blender design, Nutribullet has launched its 600 Series Starter Kit, a four-piece kit designed for beginner smoothie makers. It easily blitzes ingredients into delicious drinks, soups and sauces. $79, nutribullet.com.au ORDO SONIC+ TOOTHBRUSH It doesn’t have to cost a million bucks to get a top-tier clean. Boasting 40k sonic pulses per minute, four brushing modes, built-in timer and 4+ weeks battery life, the Ordo will have your teeth and gums plaque-free and healthier in no…

THIS AIN’T THE WAY YOU GO OUT Lucy Rose’s delicate, moving album feels a bit like what would happen if Portishead cheered up just a tiny bit and bought a book on jazz chords. HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS A slapstick cartoon come to life as a slightly uncanny 1930s-style black and white movie. It’s weird, but funny, and quite stupid, but also very creative. Like Guru, maybe? BARBECUE SHOWDOWN Proof positive that we have reached the very bottom of the competitive cooking barrel? Ah, whatever: this Netflix series is very much switch on, tune out, dream of a nice bit of brisket.…

While the newest and shiniest flagship smartphones will set you back a serious amount of money – the sort of money that could actually get you a spectacular TV, for example – there’s a lot to be said for setting your budget a little lower for your next phone purchase. And here, we’re setting that budget at exactly $700. To continue the comparison, you’d struggle to get a TV with a high-end panel or decent audio for that money, but on the other hand you can get a very good smartphone. As the years have gone on, budget and mid-range phones have continued to raise the bar in terms of design, performance, features and materials – it’s no longer the case that spending less means making a lot of trade-offs…

Up until now, smart rings have been the province of a few startups like Oura, Ultrahuman and Ringconn, with the possible exception of Chinese wearables brand Amazfit. All of these take the basic smartwatch sensors and squeeze them into a much smaller form factor so they can read your heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature and all the rest from your finger, rather than your wrist. Until the Samsung Galaxy Ring came along, none of the big fish in the smartwatch world thought to bother with the form factor. Samsung has knocked it out of the park on its first go here. It has taken its existing, excellent working ecosystem of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, the comprehensive Samsung Health app and the all-new Galaxy AI, then stripped the Watch down…

It’s almost five years since the original Galaxy Z Fold launched. The game’s changed since then, and as the potential of foldables evolves, is Samsung still ahead in the folding phones race with its latest Z Fold 6? To own a Z Fold 6 you’re going to have to pay a premium: it’s $2,749 for the entry 256GB model, a price increase compared to the previous generation, and it now sits at the top of the price spectrum. The newly launched Google Pixel 9 Fold Pro comes in at $53 less. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has been redesigned to be wider by 2.7mm and shorter by 1.4mm. Crucially, the depth has been trimmed down to just 5.6mm thick, and as a consequence it’s even lighter than before. Visually, the…

SAYS... “Google competing with itself? This looks like a strong shot fired”Nick Odantzis 1 GOOGLE PIXEL 9 PRO • From $1,699, google.com Google’s position in the smartphone game has always been one of setting a baseline. Nothing much has changed: the Pixel 9 Pro remains the suggestion to the market of what an Android phone should be. The question is whether Google still has control of that baseline, or if its baby has now grown up and begun to forge its own path. One clear note from Google’s engineers this time around is that size is important. You’re no longer tied to the 6.8-inch heft of the previous Pixel Pro – while that size is still available in the form of the Pixel 9 Pro XL (from $1,849), you can…

Opinion What’s the next big thing in tech? It’s a subject that’s been concerning me quite a bit recently. I often get asked to predict upcoming developments and, for the last few years, I’ve been able to answer ‘AI’, and pose the supplementary question of whether it delivers on its promised potential. But the saturation coverage given to AI of late has made that answer seem groan-worthily predictable. AI now feels part of the present rather than the future. What’s the alternative answer? I haven’t had much luck trawling the usual suspects. Quantum Computing for example, which utilises the mind-boggling principles of quantum physics to create ultrafast computers that can crack even the most secure passwords. It’s not only worrying but hard to explain and the computers are a long…

Are you suffering from inadequate TV audio? If your TV rattles when you up the volume and dialogue sounds like cats having a scrap, it’s time to upgrade your sonics. Thankfully, there’s never been more choice when it comes to great home cinema sound. From advanced AV receivers and luxury Hi-Fi to Plug & Play soundbars and personal audio, the choice is wide and varied. Whether you’re watching the latest blockbuster, binge-watching a box set, getting swept up in a summer of sport, or simply relaxing to music, any of the above can make your home entertainment more dynamic and immersive. Of course, Dolby Atmos is the big enabler for better home cinema audio, and it comes in many guises. Typically, we think of this cinematic sound system as fully…

HOW WE TEST In T3, we feature only the finest gadgets out there, and we believe that you – our loyal reader – deserve only the best tech in your life. We don’t want you to waste time, and money, on inferior products, and that’s exactly why our Tested section exists. In here you’ll find only the latest and hottest tech. Each product has been handpicked and tested by T3’s experts. We only choose people with specialist knowledge for each test, so you know you’re going to get an outcome based on many years of experience in their respective field. As well as our traditional five-star rating system (right), we also give out awards to particularly exceptional gadgets, using the line-up below - so when you spot one of these,…

Years in the making, and surrounded by so much hype, the Sonos Ace headphones are finally here. They’re the audio brand’s first-ever pair of headphones, but does this long-awaited debut truly deliver on that hype? The first thing to mention is the Sonos Ace’s not inconsiderable asking price: at $699, these headphones make a clear statement of intent, lining up Sonos’ entry against similar high-end rivals, such as the Bose QC Ultra Headphones, or Apple’s AirPods Max; the Sonos offering may actually seem like a relative bargain by comparison. Given that the Ace has been built from the ground up, making everything about Sonos over-ears brand new to the brand’s product catalogue, a more pertinent question would perhaps be ‘what’s unique?’ That’s where the new Sonos TrueCinema and TV Audio…

Since reviving the Razr in 2019, there have been progressive steps to improve the brand’s flip phone, cumulating in this: the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra. It’s the flip phone with the largest cover display and arguably the largest attitude thanks to its colourful fashion-forward design. There’s no doubt that Motorola has elevated its latest Razr to new heights – stepping above and beyond Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 in the process. But as with any flip phone, there are compromises. Can Motorola negate those better than any rival? This latest flip phone is better in almost every way to the outgoing Motorola Razr 40 Ultra – if you’re okay with the absence of an ultra-wide camera anyway. That’s because the Razr 50 Ultra has upgraded its cameras, upping the resolution…

One of the good things about releasing products as rarely as Beats does is that the difference between the predecessor and the current product is quite significant. Today’s Beats Pill is very different from 2013’s Beats by Dr Dre Pill. The company redesigned the speaker from the ground up, keeping only the shape of the Pill intact. The new Pill is lighter than the Pill+, the speaker’s closest predecessor, by 10%. Surprisingly, it’s ever so slightly larger. One of the big physical upgrades is the Beats Pill’s dust and water rating, its IP67-rating allowing it to cope with some rough handling, including exposure to dust and water. The Pill’s styling is subtle, with a smaller logo on the grill. The cover is made of soft silicone, which is smooth to…