Hisense has made a breakthrough with its Mini LED X UXAU televisions that offer the larger screen sizes Australian customers are craving and with the audio and video quality to provide the ultimate experience.

Tech Guide looked at the 75-inch Mini LED X TV (75UXAU) and we were impressed by the brightness and accuracy of the picture and the superb punch of the audio.

The Hisense 75UXAU has a large central stand and a thin bezel around the stunning 4K screen as well as two speakers on the left and right edges.

Under the hood is the Mini-LED X technology which has introduced a whole new level of picture quality.

There are more than 20,000 Mini-LED lights which gives the TV a peak brightness of up to 2,500 nits on the 85-inch model and up to 1,500 nits on the 75-inch.

These tiny lights form more than 5,000 full array local dimming zones which provides bright whites, darkest blacks and all the resulting details at every increment in between.

The result is a remarkable level of detail whether it’s the fur of an animal, the leaves of a tree, a person’s eye lashes or the threads of material on a jumper.

One of many movies and TV shows we watched was Star Wars Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and the detail of Kylo Ren’s mask and his hair (after he destroys the mask) was quite impressive as were the feathers on the Porgs and the detail of Rey’s and Luke Skywalker’s faces and costumes.

The other obvious benefit is the contrast – lighter and darker colours can be side by side and still manage to keep their own brightness and intensity.

Black levels were quite respectable, and while not to the level of an OLED TV, it certainly wasn’t far off it.

This precision was missing from traditional LED displays with larger backlights and far fewer dimming zones.

But Mini-LED X adds razor sharp reality.

Another feature that does some of the heavy lifting is the Hi-View Engine X powered by AI to enhance the image and sound quality even further.

It is designed to act like the human brain simulating brain patterns with 16-bit computing power with 65,536 level of brightness at its disposal to provide the best possible outcome in real time.

But that’s not all the TV has up its sleeve.

The foundation of Hisense’s TV quality over the years is its proprietary quantum dot technology which is responsible for coming up with brilliant natural colour and the right skin tones and other hues.

In fact, Hisense’s quantum dot technology can recognise more than a billion shades so you can enjoy vivid and distinct colour no matter what you’re watching.

Skin tones were always consistent and accurate as were trees and oceans and animals.

Also onboard the Hisense Mini-LED X TV is HDR 10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision IQ which take the viewing conditions into account before accurately depicting how bright or dark the scene will be.

What also impressed us was the viewing angle. So even if you’re out on the wing and didn’t score the plum spot in the centre of the couch you can still enjoy the same impressive picture quality.

Australians tend to have their TV in a large bright open plan room and Hisense 75UXAU can handle it with hardly any reflection so there is nothing that will distract you from the amazing picture.

On the audio side, the Hisense TV also packs quite a punch with CineStage X 4.1.2 so it creates a brilliant surround soundscape to go with the brilliant picture and entice even more of your senses.

It can handle Dolby Atmos and DTS HD so you’ll be hearing quality audio coming from all directions.

A closer inspection of the TV showed not only the two sided speakers but also two speakers on the back of the TV as well

We were impressed by the directional and surround sound that’s usually only achievable with a soundbar – but this was all coming from the TV. Simply remarkable.

And if you’re a gamer or sports lover, the Hisense TV has got you well and truly covered.

Who wouldn’t want to play games on the best screen in the house.

The 144Hz Game Mode Pro brings to the table Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) so you can see the game in its finest form with Dolby Vision making the gameplay look its best.

And with 200 Smooth Motion Rate and AI Sports Mode, you’ll think you’re live at the game with lifelike smoothness and noise reduction thanks to a dynamic algorithm that’s designed to enhance the fast moving action.

Another strong feature of the Hisense Mini-LED X TV is the VIDAA U7 Smart TV operating system which allows you to get to your favourite streaming apps and find your content in seconds.

The easy to navigate layout puts all your viewing options front and centre.

The Hisense TV is also compatible with all the major streaming apps including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV+, Foxtel, Stan, Kayo, Binge, Prime Video as well as all the free to air catch up apps and much, much more.

The Hisense Mini-LED X is available now and is priced at $4,999 for the 75-inch and $9,999 for the 85-inch.

Retail pricing may be slightly lower than these prices – that’s up to each individual retailer.

For us the 75-inch model represents the best value – we’ve seen it as cheap as $3,880 and the 85-inch as low as $8,995.

VERDICT

The Hisense Mini-LED X is a stunning TV that offers both high quality picture and high quality audio out the box. This rare combination will offer a brilliant home entertainment experience.

The post Hisense 75-inch Mini-LED X TV review – stunning picture and audio right out of the box appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M3 processor under the hood is an absolute powerhouse that will change the working life of professional users.

I am typing this review on the Space Black 16-inch MacBook Pro which won’t go anywhere near testing the capabilities of this laptop but for creative professionals, coders, film makers and researchers who are dealing with high end applications and terabytes of data this is an absolute game changer.

The model we were loaned for review is running Apple’s M3 Max chip with 48GB unified memory (what we used to call RAM) and a 1TB SSD (solid state drive).

We received the new Space Black model which is stunning.

Apple says it was created with a new chemistry that forms an anodize seal to repel fingerprints.

In the time we’ve been using the MacBook Pro we’ve noticed there are less fingerprints and other marks, but it hasn’t eliminated them altogether.

But the good news is one easy wipe with a cloth and it’s back to looking brand new again.

To be fair, there is no way our workflow would bring the MacBook Pro with M3 Max above any sort of level that would raise a sweat.

But if your job is editing 4K and 8K videos, rendering 3D graphics, using Photoshop to edit huge images, going through mountains of data as a researcher or creating cutting edge games, then you are in the right ballpark.

We’ve been told that some tasks for professionals are so intensive they could only be performed on a desktop computer connected to power.

But what if I were to tell you the new MacBook Pro with M3 Max can allow you to perform those same tasks anywhere you want while running on battery power, that would really provide the type of freedom you wouldn’t have known before.

This flexibility alone makes the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max worth every penny.

And we’ll tell you up front, these laptops aren’t cheap but for the power, performance and flexibility they provide, to the appropriate user it is a “shut up and take my money” situation.

Our review model with the above specs is priced at $6,899.

What Apple has been able to achieve with its M3 family of silicon is groundbreaking.

The Holy Grail of computing is being able to provide high performance, tremendous capabilities and power efficiency. Apple has achieved this with M3.

The power and performance speak for themselves but it’s the power efficiency that everyone can truly appreciate.

We were already impressed by the capabilities of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max but what you get on top of that is an incredible 22 hours of battery life.

In our years of reviewing laptops we’ve never seen power and performance backed with such high power efficiency.

The M3 Max chip aboard our review unit has a 40-core GPU which means it can deliver up to 20 per cent faster graphics performance than M2 Max and 40 per cent faster than M1 Max.

It also includes a new feature called Dynamic Caching which is like a high tech traffic cop that intelligently designates what resources your applications and tasks require to maintain overall efficiency.

Also on board is hardware-accelerated rendering features Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing which not only allows film makers and game developers to create more realistic light and shadows in their projects but also makes those games on the MacBook Pro with M3 Max even more enjoyable to play.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max was able to offer noticeable performance improvements when using high end applications like Redshift, Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve Studio.

With redshift the new M3 Max MacBook Pro offered a 5.3x improvement for faster rendering when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9.

Image processing in Affinity Photo was also 3.6 times faster and noise reduction performance in Davinci Resolve Studio was 2.7 times faster.

These improvements can help improve a professional’s workflow and the sheer amount of work they’re able to get through in a single sitting.

Anything that can save you time while maintaining the same level of power and performance is well worth paying attention to – and that’s exactly what the M3 Max powered 16-inch MacBook Pro can provide.

The 16.2 inch liquid retina XDR display has a resolution of 3456 x 2234 which gives you a grand total of more than 7.7 million pixels.

The screen has up to 1600 nits of peak brightness thanks to more than 10,200 Mini LEDs which provide 2,554 local dimming zones.

So you not only get a great view of your work but when it’s time to relax and watch a movie you can enjoy the amazing picture quality which includes HDR, so you see amazing detail in the lighter and darker areas of the screen.

It also sounds great thanks to the six speaker sound system with four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters which can create a three dimensional sound stage with Spatial Audio.

You can enjoy this sound quality whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie with Dolby Atmos.

On our travels, we used the 16-inch MacBook Pro as not only our work device but also to watch movies and the experience was remarkable.

We also used the MacBook Pro to cross for our Sky News technology segments while we were overseas and took advantage of the 1080p FaceTime HD camera which automatically optimises the quality so we were looking our best.

We were also able to connect over Wi-Fi 6E which can tap into that standard’s 6Ghz band to achieve even faster wi-fi speeds.

On the connectivity side, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports – two on the left and one on the right along with the HDMI port which makes it easy to connect to TV or a HDMI display without an adapter and the SD card reader. It also has a 3.5mm headphone Jack.

The M3 Max MacBook Pro offers full native resolution on the included display and up to four external displays – up to three with 6K resolution over Thunderbolt and one external 4K display over HDMI.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is available now and starts at $5,999. The 14 inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is available for $5,599.

VERDICT

Apple has come up with a standout product in the 16 inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max. It has created the perfect mix of power, performance, software and power efficiency that will enable professional users to do so much more in less time anywhere they want. It has truly set an all-new standard.

The post Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max review – a gamechanger for professional users appeared first on Tech Guide.

When it comes to security cameras, the more area you can cover the better and the Uniden App Cam Pano can give you a 170-degree field of view – it’s actually two cameras in one.

Uniden’s App Cam Pano has two lenses so it can cover a larger area but stitches the feeds together and presents you with one widescreen video or image.

For our review we installed the Pano on our back deck overlooking our yard along with the included solar panel.

When we’re not home we like to observe our two dalmatians – Ziggy and Logan – if they are outside in the yard.

After setting up, thanks to the 170-degree viewing angle, we were able to see our backyard in 3K video resolution from the fence on the left side to the fence on the right so basically there was nothing we were going to miss.

If anything is within 30m of the camera it will be captured on video.

Typically an outdoor security camera has around 130-degree field of view so to achieve what we did with the Uniden Pano and cover the same area, we’d have to position two cameras and look at two different feeds.

Naturally, it’s possible to view live video and notifications with the Uniden Solo app on your smartphone as well as record video and capture images to share.

The onboard camera activates immediately thanks to the built-in AI which also gives it the ability to distinguish between people, animals and vehicles.

And the Uniden Thermo Sense also prevents you getting flooded with notifications because it detects both heat and movement so it will flag a person in front of the camera rather than a tree swaying in the breeze or a car passing by in the street.

It also has a bright motion-activated spotlight also provides colour night vision which is enabled through a CMOS sensor.

The onboard passive infrared sensor spotlight with 440 lumens brightness. This enables colour night vision to be captured up to 30m away.

And everything can be saved locally on a microSD card or on Uniden Cloud for later playback.

Set up was very straightforward – once it was installed.

Where I decided to install the camera and solar panel involved ladders and power drills and it was more where I placed them that made the job slightly more difficult than the actual job itself.

And this proves that if a pen pusher like us can install this – anyone can.

And with the solar panel which was attached next to the camera and connected to the unit via a USB-C cable, we won’t ever need to worry about recharging the onboard battery.

Once in place the Uniden Solo app did the rest. It was just a matter of scanning the QR code on the side of the camera, aiming a second QR code for the camera to recognise and connecting it to our wi-fi network.

The whole onboarding process took a matter of minutes.

The Uniden App Cam Pano is a larger unit thanks to its twin lens design so it’s not as discreet as other cameras – but that’s a good thing.

A visible camera is a great deterrent to anyone coming on to your property with ill intentions.

Key features

– 100 per cent wire free over Wi-Fi

– Dual Lens – Double the Coverage

– Solar power compatible (Solar Panel Included)

– rechargeable battery with 120 days standby time

– low-battery notifications

– rapid wake-up

– colour night vision

– 170-degree viewing angle with dual lens and dual view

– Thermo Sense technology

– 3K (6MP) resolution to view, record and playback video

– SD Card and seven days free cloud backup and storage

– weatherproof design

– AI intelligent alerts

– customised voice-recordable alerts

– siren alert trigger

– motion detection record

– privacy masking to black out areas within the camera’s view

– black out areas within the camera’s view that you don’t want to be recorded.

The Uniden App Cam Pano is priced at $429.

VERDICT

The Uniden App Cam Pano is an excellent product that offers even wider coverage – something that usually requires two regular cameras so you can keep an eye on things when you’re not around. And with the inclusion of the solar panel – it becomes a set and forget solution that will always provide peace of mind.

The post Uniden App Cam Pano review – the twin lens security camera that won’t miss a thing appeared first on Tech Guide.

When is a speaker also a work of art? Answer: When it’s the new Pantheon Obsidian that is a much a feast for the eyes as it impressive to the ears.

How many speakers have you heard of that are individually hand-crafted and named after a stone that’s formed when lava cools.

The minimalistic style and sculptured shape are striking – and this is even before we’ve even turned it on.

It is unlike any other speaker on the market – in looks, style and quality.

And the best thing is Pantheone is a 100 per cent award-winning Australian company flying the flag in the prestige audio market.

Available in black or white, the Pantheone Obsidian has a built-in rechargeable battery so it can be moved around the home so you can admire the design and appreciate the sound anywhere.

The build quality is obvious as soon as you lay eyes on it with top shelf materials and precise manufacturing. You will never question the quality – you will only appreciate it.

It’s not a small speaker – it’s about 36cm tall with a 25cm wide footprint. It also weighs 5kg. It’s not easily portable at this size – but its possible to move it but some may need help doing so.

On the audio side, the sound quality is stunning thanks to the DSP-controlled amplifier and high-excursion mid-bass driver.

Also under the hood is two tilted hi-fi silk dome tweeters which offers the detailed clarity to your music.

There is real authority to the sound with a decent scale that will fill a house not just the room.

And the clarity and detail are still there despite the big sound.

That’s all backed by just the right level of bass – the unit has the volume to really move some air, but the bass is not overpowering – it’s at just the right level.

This music quality fits the character of the speaker – it stands out but can be subtle as well.

The Obsidian has both wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity so you can simply stream music from your phone (Bluetooth) or play music from a music service in high quality (wi-fi).

With the wi-fi connectivity it’s also possible to create a multi-room system – if you can afford more than one.

If you have two Obsidian speakers, you can set them up as a stereo pair and really hear the left and right separation so your favourite music will sound amazing.

It’s also possible to have a line-in from your source as well.

Users can stream their music from Tidal and Spotify and other services through the Pantheone companion app as well as accessing your own music on your device.

And if you connect via Bluetooth, you can stream Apple Music and even hear your podcasts and audiobooks through the Obsidian.

It also has Apple AirPlay onboard so whatever you can play on your iPhone you can also play through the speaker.

The Pantheone Obsidian is not only beautiful and offers amazing sound quality – it is also smart.

Yes, it’s an Alexa smart speaker as well so you can ask it to play your music or your favourite radio station and include it into your smart home’s ecosystem and control your devices with your voice.

And with Alexa, the speaker can also access Amazon Music if you have an account or are an Amazon Prime customer.

The battery life is another impressive feature with up to 15 hours of playback on a single charge.

So who would buy the Pantheone Obsidian – this work of tech art?

For a start it’s someone who can afford it – the speaker costs $1,999.

If you have an appreciation for art and audio and is looking something that fits your home décor, then the Obsidian will appeal to you.

If you can fit this in your budget, you will have made an investment in beauty and quality.

The Pantheone Obsidian is priced at $1,999 and is available now from www.pantheoneaudio.com and retail stores including Len Wallis, Sight + Sound Galleria, Top3 and Audio Tailor.

VERDICT

The attraction of the stunning Pantheone Obsidian is it uniqueness. There is nothing like it on the market. Typically speakers are angular and boring. But the Pantheone Obsidian is anything but typical.

The post Pantheone Obsidian speaker review – a stunning work of art for the eyes and the ears appeared first on Tech Guide.

If you’ve seen a movie lately which included an aerial shot or a tracking shot of a person or a vehicle – there’s a good chance that shot was captured with a professional film-making drone like the DJI Inspire 3.

That shot which can capture a speeding car from behind, the side and then from the front could only be achieved with a drone.

Until the recent release of DJI Inspire 3, filmmakers were using the DJI Inspire 2 which had a camera system with interchangeable lenses and the ability for one person to control the drone and its flight path and for a second person to just control the camera.

The DJI Inspire 3 takes that even further – it is a huge improvement.

Now in terms of this review – on my own I can’t begin test the Inspire 3 to its full potential, so this is more of an appreciation of its power and capabilities.

I hold a drone licence and I actually own the Inspire 2 so I can clearly see the massive enhancements and new features.

It’s been more than six years since the release of the Inspire 2 so to say this has been a long awaited release is a massive understatement.

There are two parts to this product – the actual drone itself and the camera system.

To enable the stunning shots that are possible, the Inspire 3 is a more than capable drone that can handle even the toughest and windiest conditions.

Like the Inspire 2, the Inspire 3 has landing gear that will lift out of the way to give the camera a full 360-degree view.

And when it’s time to land, the landing gear gracefully descends to return safely.

The drone has folding detachable rotor blades and, despite its 4kg weight and larger size, it is remarkably manoeuvrable and agile for you to maximise the potential of your shot.

It can reach speeds of up to 94km/h and has an ascent/’descent speed of 8m/s and a dive speed of 10m/s.

The drone is more complex and harder to fly than DJI’s smaller drones. We found the remote to be a lot more sensitive and less forgiving than DJI’s consumer drones.

The controls are a lot more precise so wrong-sticking it with the Inspire 3 could end disastrously.

That’s one of the reasons why it really needs to be in the hands of a professional.

The Inspire 3 runs on dual TB51 batteries which offer up to 28 minutes of flying time.

Also included is the DJI RC Plus remote control which has a 7-inch display with 1200nit high brightness so it’s still really easy to view even in direct sunlight. It is also powered by a hot swappable battery as well so you’re never left short of a charge.

On the photography side, the DJI Inspire 3 really does take things to another level.

In the right hands, a creative filmmaker can really come up with some spectacular shots and break the shackles of traditional filmmaking.

This professional level aerial platform can record with cinematic-grade quality that was only previously available with large and clunky camera systems.

Included with the drone is the Zenmuse X9 8K Air Gimbal camera which can shoot 8K 75fps ProRes RAW and 4K 120fps ProRes RAW.

Images and videos are captured and stored on the 1TB DJI PROSSD which slots inside the middle of the drone under a small hatch.

Footage can be downloaded directly from the SSD to a computer with the included USB-C cable

But it’s not just the quality of the camera that’s impressive it’s what you can do with it.

The Inspire 3 has advanced positioning technology so cinematographers can accurately plan their shooting routes and save production time.

One new function is Waypoint Pro which allows pilots to set flight routes for shot planning.

On a film set, it’s not unusual to do take after take and the Inspire 3 can do just that with a feature called Repeatable Routes so pilots can precisely fly the same route and even remember settings like speed, altitude, gimbal angle and all the camera settings.

This means it’s possible to perform difficult single shots and fly the same location at different times of the day for long time lapses and other transitions.

Another feature is 3D Dolly which gives the Inspire 3 the ability to imitate cranes, cable cams and a dolly without the limits those traditional tools usually impose.

A pilot can also create an aerial motion path so they can move backwards and forwards along that path at different speeds and different gimbal settings.

When it comes to safety, the Inspire 3 has a number of sensors that can detect obstacles in all directions.

And even when this active avoidance is turned off, the drone will still tell you the distance from an obstacle on the navigation display.

Also onboard is a small FPV camera so the drone operator can still clearly see where the drone is going while the camera might be pointed in a completely different direction.

The DJI Inspire 3 professional filmmaking drone comes with a DJI RC Plus controller, Zenmuse X9-8K camera, DJI PROSSD 1TB, six batteries, a charging station, foldable props, a shoulder strap and other accessories. It is priced at $20,469.

VERDICT

The DJI Inspire 3 is the go-to flying camera for filmmakers to achieve shots only possible with a drone. It is a safe and steady and dynamic drone that can capture jaw-dropping cinematic-grade video that have to be seen to be believed. It’s called Inspire for a reason.

The post DJI Inspire 3 professional filmmaking drone review – it’s called Inspire for a reason appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new Arlo Video Doorbell not only provides convenience but also peace of mind as an added security device in your home right there at your front door.

The latest version of the Arlo Video Doorbell 2^nd Generation is an impressive upgrade with 2K video quality and 180-degree field of view.

Users can answer their door from anywhere whether they’re home or on the other side of the world and the person on your doorstep will be none the wiser.

When a visitor presses the button on the doorbell this initiates a video call to your smartphone.

When you answer the call, you can see a 1:1 video of the person at your door so you can see them from head to toe.

If it’s a delivery person, you’ll be able to see the package even if they placed it on the floor at their feet.

What impressed us was how quickly we were able to connect when the Arlo doorbell rang – we were talking to the person at our door in just a few seconds.

Other brands can take so long to answer and connect that the person has assumed no one is home and is already walking back up the path or the driveway by the time your video can be seen.

Even if you can’t talk to whoever is at your door, there are pre-recorded messages you can play instead.

Naturally the Arlo Video Doorbell it can handle the weather – rain, sun, cold and heat – so it’s always working for you.

The 2K quality, which is better than full high definition so you can make a lot more detail in the video than you could for the previous model.

It also has colour night vision so it can see as clearly after dark as it can during the day.

The Arlo Video Doorbell is also a security camera and can detect and record motion near your front door.

And you can track everything through the Arlo app including your other Arlo cameras as well as arm and disarm the system at the press of a button.

Customers receive a free three-month Arlo Secure trial when they but the Arlo Video Doorbell – and it’s worth hanging on to and paying from $12.99 a month to keep it.

One benefit of membership is smart notifications which can distinguish between people, packages, vehicles and animals.

Users can also access videos and event history for 30 days.

And with Smart Secure you’re also possible to customise the Smart Activity Zones so the camera is keeping an eye out for motion on those designated areas.

For us we set the activity zone closer to the door rather than including the street which could be seen from the doorbell that would send us a notification every time a car drove by or person walked past the house.

Setting up the Arlo Video Doorbell has been streamlined so you’ll be up and running in minutes.

The Arlo app gives you step by step instructions to detect and connect the doorbell to your home wi-fi.

It also comes with mounting plates so you can position the device precisely how you want it at your front door.

We replaced the previous Arlo doorbell with this new 2^nd Generation model and the mounting plate didn’t line up with the holes we had already drilled. We used one hole and had to drill another one to secure the new mount.

The onboard battery is also not removeable like the old one, so you need to pop off the entire doorbell to charge it whereas with the previous one we had a spare battery on charge to immediately swap the battery when needed.

We suggest you charge the Arlo Video Doorbell overnight when no one will be coming to your door.

Battery life runs at between six weeks to a couple of months depending on how busy your front door is and how much motion is being detected.

But if you have power available at the front door you can power the doorbell, so you never need to worry about charging the battery.

The new Arlo Video Doorbell 2^nd Generation is available now and is priced at $229.

VERDICT

The Arlo Video Doorbell 2^nd Generation offers higher quality and convenience than ever before and is an essential device to not only easily answer the door from anywhere but to act as an additional security camera as well.

The post Arlo Video Doorbell 2nd Generation review – an essential item for convenience and security appeared first on Tech Guide.

A dashcam has become an essential feature for your car but many are turned off because they are too big and obtrusive – but that’s not a problem with the Navman MiVue ALTA DC  – it can blend into your vehicle and be your eyes and ears on the road.

Having a dashcams you have a record of what happened if you’re involved in an incident on the road.

These recordings can be offered to the police or an insurance company to support your side of the story if there is any kind of dispute or offence.

The MiVue ALTA DC dashcam is the first of its kind and looks a factory-fitted accessory.

Rather than the usual square or rectangular shape, MiVue ALTA has a slim and vertical profile and can be integrated in the middle of the windscreen next to the rear-view mirror and out of sight for the driver.

We installed the Navman ALTA in a Kia Rio for our review, and it sat neatly on the left side of the rear view mirror.

The MiVue ALTA DC also has a rear camera as well and requires professional installation. There are no visible cables.

And from the driver’s seat you can’t even see it.

The front and back cameras record full HD at 30 frames per second with H.264 compression so allow more recordings to fit on the included 32GB endurance microSD card.

The MiVue ALTA DC is constantly recording and if the onboard 3-axis G-Sensors detects a sudden change in motion or impact, the video is stored in a separate folder.

Each file not only includes the video of the event but also a map and your direction of travel.

It also puts a time stamp on the video along with the current speed and longitude and latitude.

The Navman MiVue ALTA DC can also record audio from inside the car – this feature can be turned off in the settings if you’re not keen on your calls and in-car conversations being recorded.

And not only will it record your video it will also provide safety warnings about red light cameras, school zones and accident black spots.

What keeps the MiVue ALTA DC so small is the fact it doesn’t have a screen.

Your smartphone becomes the screen when you connect to the dashcam using the Navman MiVue Pro app.

Once installed users can link to the dashcam via wi-fi – it creates its own little network – with your smartphone so you can access the settings and decide on video clip length, the sensitivity of the sensors and the volume of the voice notifications.

This is also you can download videos to share if needed.

The Navman MiVue ALTA DC also has a parking mode with the addition of an optional Smartbox ($79) which can trigger the camera via the built in G-Shock and motion sensors to automatically record five seconds prior to impact and 15 seconds after.

This is ideal for capturing accidents while your car is parked and when inside shopping centre car parks.

If the other driver doesn’t leave their details after hitting your vehicle, their car’s number plate will be easily seen via the captured high definition video.

The Navman MiVue ALTA DC is available now and is priced at $499.

Tech Guide readers can enjoy a 20 per cent discount + free shipping by ordering the MiVue ALTA ($329 before discount– Single Camera) or the MiVue ALTA DC ($499 before discount Dual Camera) through the Navman website www.navman.com.au when you use the code “TECHGUIDE” at checkout. Offer will be available until November 19, 2023.

VERDICT

The Navman MiVue ALTA DC is a gamechanger for dashcams that can offer you protection on the road discreetly thanks to its breakthrough design.

The post Navman MiVue ALTA DC review – the dashcam that can blend into your car appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro are pure Google smartphones. They are taking Google’s hardware and the latest Tensor processor and running Google’s latest Android 14 operating system.

You couldn’t find a more thoroughly Google experience.

In doing this, Google has taken a move from the Apple playbook where, since 2007, the company has been offering an end-to-end experience with their own hardware and software.

Google has raised the bar even further with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro with intelligent improvements to the camera and a boost in performance.

On the design side, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have had a subtle update with more rounded edges.

There’s still the visor bar on the back that houses the camera system which gives the device a unique and unmistakable look.

The devices are powered by Google’s very own Tensor G3 chip which improves the overall performance as well as bringing AI into play so the phones can run features like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor on your pictures along with Call Screen which can answer unknown numbers through Google Assistant, for example.

The displays are stunning (6.2-inch on the Pixel 8 and 6.7-inch on the Pixel 8 Pro) and now both include 120Hz variable refresh rates – last year it was only the Pro model that included this.

The result is smooth scrolling and smoother viewing of content.

On the security side we have the in screen fingerprint reader, but face recognition has been significantly bolstered to the point where it unlocks the phone in an instant and now at a standard to be used for wider and higher level security like banking apps and other accounts.

By far the most attractive feature of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the camera.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a triple camera system – 50-megapixel wide-camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with auto focus and 48-megapixel telephoto camera while the Pixel 8 has two cameras – a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide.

Quality is superb on both imagine and video – we knew that going in.

But the features Google is hanging its hat on are the image editing features – an improved Magic Eraser, a new Magic Editor and Best Take.

Best Take works well to ensure everyone in a group shot is smiling. It uses a series of photos taken as you are capturing your images and blends the images to give you the option of choosing everyone’s best expression.

Magic Eraser is an excellent tool to remove unwanted objects in your images. And it’s even better this time out with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

We put it to the test in a few different ways including removing a pole that ran through the centre of an image taken at Maroubra Beach.

We circled the pole and not was the pole removed but everything else that was supposed to be there was filled in precisely. This is the one of the best examples of the onboard AI.

Magic Editor takes things a step further and lets you define and move objects around to improve the composition.

You circle the object and press and hold and then you can move it to a more favourable location.

There’s also a Magic Audio Eraser which lets users single out and remove background sounds from your videos.

These features are a great gimmick – and they work well but they play to the users who want to perfect their images for share on social media.

The quality of the changes is remarkable – our complaint was it took a little while for the phone to process the changes.

Photography purists – like the enthusiasts who buy an iPhone would be rolling their eyes at these features – that’s just their opinion and probably why they opted for an iPhone over a Pixel.

Google approach to photography is a lot different to Apple.

Apple has always been loyal to the principals of photography and the camera on the iPhone as more like a regular camera than those found on most other smartphones.

Google has included some impressive hardware to produce quality images and videos with the Pixel smartphones, but they do provide an option for you to correct your mistakes – or alter the truth.

One big bonus for customers who buy the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the decision by Google to provide seven years of OS and security updates.

This is a big deal especially for those users who might be doing it a bit tough and who want to hang on to their device for a few years.

Apple has had this type of support for the iPhone with six year old iPhones able to run the latest updates.

This gives the iPhone even greater longevity which is exactly what Google is trying to tap into and create this sort of loyalty.

The Google Pixel 8 ($1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro ($1,699) are available now.

VERDICT

The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro are solid updates over the previous models with improvements in performance and camera and display quality with AI features like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor that will appeal to loyal Android users.

The post Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphone review – the total Android experience appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Denon PerL Pro true wireless earphones are unique in a couple of ways – first they look a little different than regular earphones and second, they can create a personalised audio profile so it sounds better for you.

Denon is a brand we’ve known in the audio space but it has now turned its attention to personal audio with the PerL Pro earphones.

The most obvious thing you’ll notice is the slightly unusual design.

The buds have a flat circular panel that are quite noticeable. It’s about the size of a 10 cent coin.

But the section that goes in your ear is much smaller and fits securely and comfortably in your ear.

There is also a small fin that locks the PerL Pro earphones in once you twist them into place.

Part of the connection process when you pair the Denon PerL Pro earphones to your smartphone is to download the Denon app and optimise the audio based on how you hear music.

We’re all hear differently so a one-size fits all approach doesn’t always cut it.

Within the Denon app you can create a hearing profile so the audio output is personalised to suit the way you hear audio.

It does this by measuring your faint otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) which your inner produces (yes, your ears make noises!) when it hears various tones.

The earphones play a range of sounds to assess your OAEs and from this information it creates a profile to provide optimum output.

We created our own profile for our review and were able to hear our music with and without it.

The improvement in audio quality with the optimised profile was incredible.

These earphones already had an impressive sound but creating and using that optimised profile added so much space and character to the sound.

Bass was enhanced along with the clarity and depth of the music.

The difference between the regular sound and our personalised profile was like night and day.

Audio quality is higher thanks to a Bluetooth connection that offers less compression and offers a streaming experience like listening to a CD, so you’ll enjoy higher fidelity.

On the active noise cancelation side, the Denon PerL Pro earphones do a good job tuning out the ambient noise. Transparency mode – or Social Mode as it is called here – could be a little better.

The large button-shaped panel on the outside of the earphones come in handy for the touch controls to control your music and make and receive calls.

These can be adjusted with the Denon app as well.

Battery life is also excellent at up to eight hours with the buds themselves and another 24 hours from the full charged case.

One thing note about the Denon PerL Pro earphones is the price.

They are priced at $549. There are cheaper earphones on the market, but Denon is seen as an audiophile brand and truly offer a unique audio experience for every user.

VERDICT

The Denon PerL Pro true wireless earphones are a unique offering in both design and audio quality that can be tuned to suit your ears rather just taking what your given with other brands.

The post Denon PerL Pro earphones review – stunning sound that’s tuned to how you hear music appeared first on Tech Guide.

For many, mowing their lawn is a chore that’s right up there with vacuuming their carpets and mopping their floors. And it’s no coincidence then that ECOVACS ROBOTICS has extended its expertise from inside the house to the yard with the new GOAT G1 robot lawn mower.

The robot can do for your lawn what the other ECOVACS products can do for your carpets and hard floors inside your house.

Tech Guide has taken a hands-on look at the GOAT G1 from ECOVACS which was surprisingly easy to set up.

The idea of the GOAT G1 is to go out and keep your lawn trimmed and looking good rather than cutting long grass every couple of weeks like you would with a regular lawn mower.

In fact, ECOVACS says if your grass is 6cm or higher you will need to do a regular mow before putting the GOAT G1.

And that’s exactly what we had to do for our review.

Cutting the grass to the level you want is what you need to do so the GOAT G1 will keep it at this length without you having to lift a finger.

And for the record, ECOVACS named it the GOAT G1 – not to mean Greatest of All Time – but after the animal which happens like eating grass.

It was a straightforward setup which began with placing the charging station in an area of your yard which had plenty of space around it but near a power source.

The ECOVACS app steered us easily through the process which included linking to our wi-fi and even performing a firmware upgrade.

Next, we had to connect the two beacons which serve as boundary guides for the GOAT G1 in the yard.

Unlike other robot mowers, there was no need to run a boundary wire around the circumference of the lawn.

This often requires you to dig shallow trenches and hammer in the wiring with stakes.

The app presents various yard shapes and sizes and, if you can match your yard to one of these, it does make setup even faster.

Part of the process was to drive the GOAT G1 using the app like a remote control car around the edge of your lawn to map the mowing area.

You can see within the app as the map of your yard is being built – in much the same way that any Ecovacs Deebot would map your floor plan.

It also does this for the same reason, to establish the most efficient mowing path.

ECOVACS has taken a lot of the technology from its robot vacuums and brought it to the GOAT G1.

One of those technologies is obstacle avoidance with its AIVI 3D technology and a 150-degree fisheye camera which can not only detect objects in its path but navigate around them.

It can see objects as small as three centimetres which could include hoses pets, rocks and toys.

If you have dogs, we can’t tell you whether the GOAT G1 will be able to detect their poo as an obstacle so it might be an idea to clean up after them before you deploy the GOAT G1.

We tested the obstacle avoidance for our review by putting a rolled up hose in the G1’s path. It stopped short and went around it.

But a word of warning if the hose isn’t coiled high enough, there’s a chance the GOAT G1 will run right over it and damage it.

During setup, the app took note of the size of our yard after it was mapped and came up with a suggested schedule for the GOAT G1 which we gladly accepted.

It goes out three times a week and maintains the lawn as if we’ve employed a professional gardener.

And there are no trimmings to dispose of. The GOAT mulches the clippings as it cuts and puts it back into the grass.

And if it gets low on power halfway through your mow, it will simply return to the charging station to top up the battery and return at precisely the spot where it left off.

The app gives you plenty of control as well as giving you the ability to provide a view of the location of the lawnmower through the built in cameras.

The mower can also capture and mark the location of a person on the map and send it to you as a notification. So not only is it mowing your lawn it’s also a security camera on wheels.

Speaking of wheels, the goat G1 can easily get around your lawn and even go over paths and short dividers that separate some yard into different levels.

The GOAT G1 isn’t cheap – it’s priced at $2999.

But if your time is valuable, it will soon pay itself off.

And if you normally hire a gardener to keep your lawn looking good it might work out as a good investment.

VERDICT

The ECOVACS ROBOTICS GOAT G1 can keep your lawn manicured without you lifting a finger – it is easy to set up and run and will save you time and the cost of hiring a gardener to do the work for you.

The post ECOVACS GOAT G1 robot mower review – keep your lawn manicured without lifting a finger appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new JBL Live Free 2 TWS earphones offer some of the best value for customers who want to enjoy excellent audio quality and adaptive active noise cancellation and all for less than $200.

The JBL Live Free 2 TWS have a neat, compact design that fit comfortably in your ears for hours.

They have an oval pill shape which makes them easily fit in ears of all sizes and remain comfortably in place for hours at a time.

Under the hood, JBL has done it again with its Signature Sound which is an impressive mixture of clarity and bass.

On the noise cancelling side, the JBL Live Free 2 TWS are adaptive which means they can adjust to your surroundings and adjust the level of noise cancellation on the fly.

If you’re on public transport or in any other loud busy area the level of noise cancellation will increase.

When you’re in a quieter area it will be reduced so you’re getting a consistent sound level for whatever you’re listening to.

JBL Live Free 2 TWS has six onboard beamforming microphones which can also pinpoint your voice and reduce background noise and wind, so your calls are loud and clear.

We used the earphones on a couple of radio interviews while walking along a busy street and there was no telling the difference in the sound quality.

There’s also an Ambient Aware mode for those times you need to hear exactly what’s going on around you.

TalkThru is another mode that switches on all the microphones so you can hear yourself and the person you’re speaking to even clearer without the need to take the earbuds out of your ears.

The JBL Live Free 2 TWS also have another feature called VoiceAware which lets you control how much of your own voice you can hear during a call.

This is another way of monitoring how you sound to the person you’re speaking to.

The outside of the earphones has touch controls to navigate your music, answer and end calls and to switch between listening modes.

Users can also have the earphones linked to two devices with a multipoint connection called Dual Connect & Sync.

This lets you switch quickly between your phone and computer or tablet.

For example, you might by on your way to work and watching the latest episode of TV show or watching a movie on your tablet or laptop and you receive a phone call.

In this scenario you can switch the connection to your phone and answer the call before switching back to what you’re watching on your other device.

The JBL Headphones app also offers controls over the modes and can ensure you have the latest version of the software onboard.

There’s also an EQ within the app that offers optimisation for bass, jazz, vocal, club and studio and the ability to create your own.

We didn’t hear much difference in the sound – and we tried all of them.

The JBL Live Free 2 TWS earphones have an IPX5 rating which means they are water resistant so ideal for the gym or a run or walk. And there are no worries if you happen to get caught in the rain.

The earbuds can run for up to seven hours on a single charge and there are another 28 hours of power in the charging case.

The charging case is also Qi-compatible so they can charge while resting on the same charging mate you use to wirelessly charge your phone.

The JBL Live Free 2 TWS earphones are available now and are priced at $199. They are available in black, blue and pink.

VERDICT

The JBL Live Free 2 TWS earphones punch above their weight when delivering impressive audio quality and adaptive active noise cancellation – they are probably the best value ANC earphones you can buy right now.

The post JBL Live Free 2 TWS earphones review – excellent audio quality and amazing value appeared first on Tech Guide.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have taken a significant step forward in terms of power, performance, features and design.

Apple has intelligently upgraded the most popular parts of the iPhone including the camera, the display and added several convenient new features to make using the device faster, easier and more enjoyable to use.

iPhone 15 an iPhone 15 Pro have the same screen sizes 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch and start at $1499 and $1849 respectively. They go on sale on September 22.

DESIGN

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have had subtle re-designs.

The iPhone 15 is made from durable colour infused rear glass which is finished with a colour-matched aluminium band.

The display now has a rounded top edge so it gives it a softer look than the iPhone 14’s more angular look.

Available in yellow, pink, green, blue and black, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 plus have subtle muted colours which don’t look to garish or bright.

Even the pink iPhone 15 Plus, which we received for review, is impressively understated.

The blue iPhone 15 is so light it’s almost white.

The rear panel of the iPhone 15 has more of a matte finish which prevents ugly fingerprints and makes it easier to grip.

The iPhone 15 Pro has undergone the biggest transformation with a new titanium finish.

Apple says it uses Grade 5 titanium which offers strength and durability but is noticeably more lightweight than the surgical grade stainless steel used with the iPhone 14 Pro.

In fact, the iPhone 15 Pro is 19g lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro – it might not sound like much but for a device you carry with you everywhere every day it’s a big deal.

The iPhone 15 Pro is available in natural titanium, black titanium, white titanium and blue titanium.

Gone is the shiny surface that’s a magnet for fingerprints and in its place is an impressive, brushed metal look with a matte finish.

For our review we received the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Blue Titanium iPhone 15 Pro.

The Natural Titanium has more of a grey tinge but it’s a colour we haven’t seen before with the pro model iPhones – and we’re expecting it to be the most popular.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have the same size screens as the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max yet have dimensions that are a couple of millimetres smaller.

This is because of the display on the latest iPhone have noticeably thinner bezels which means it can fit the same size screen in a smaller space.

DISPLAY

The iPhone 15 Super Retina XDR display now includes the dynamic island first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro last year.

Those new to the dynamic island will find it provides an interesting way of displaying your notifications and providing updates.

For example, if you booked an Uber ride, the time before the driver arrives and other information is displayed within the Dynamic Island.

Other airlines like united also use dynamic island to give passengers a countdown two boarding time add a reminder of your gate and seat number.

And that’s all provided on the main display without you even having to open the app.

The iPhone 15 Pro display includes 120Hz ProMotion technology, so your content is smooth and clear.

And there are also those thinner bezels we’ve already mentioned which gives the screen a more edge to edge look.

PERFORMANCE

The iPhone 15 is powered by the A16 bionic chip – the same silicon that was first seen with last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and this powers onboard features like computational photography, voice isolation for phone calls and power efficiency for even better battery life.

The iPhone 15 Pro introduces the new A17 Pro processor which does the heavy lifting for providing improved graphics performance that’s 20 per cent faster now thanks to its six cores.

The A17 pro incorporates 3Nm processor with 19 billion transistors on board.

It has a 2x faster neural engine with 16 cores that can perform 35 trillion operations per second.

It is powerful enough to offer hardware accelerated rate racing for the very first time so graphics and gameplay on the latest games a more fluid and lifelike than ever with lighting effects that matched the real world and immerse you even further into the game.

CAMERA

On the camera side, Apple has truly excelled itself.

The iPhone 15 camera has been upgraded to 48 megapixel main camera so you can shoot in a higher resolution than ever before and capture stunning detail.

A cool new feature on the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro is the ability to turn any photograph into a portrait image.

If you’re shooting a person, dog or cat, the iPhone 15 will go about capturing depth information so you can see your photo as a portrait which includes a tasteful blur effect and the ability to switch focus between two subjects in the same image.

But if you’re really into your photography then the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max should be at the top of your list.

The onboard 48-megepixel camera has a quad pixel sensor that can optimise whatever you’re shooting in real time including in low light situations while still capturing remarkable detail.

The iPhone 15 Pro camera is designed to appeal two real photographers whether they enthusiasts or professionals.

These customers would know the main focal lengths including 24mm, 28mm or 35mm because that would be lugging around these lenses with their main camera.

Now they can go into the camera settings on the iPhone 15 Pro and choose their default main camera focal length – 24mm, 28mm or 35mm thanks to the power of computational photography.

The Photonic Engine also does a fair amount of the heavy lifting to bring out the detail in your subject including in darker environments by increasing dynamic range.

The photos the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro produce a truly remarkable and it takes little effort by the user. All you need to do is aim and shoot.

It really nails skin tones and colour and is easily the best camera you’ll find on a smartphone.

What sets the iPhone camera apart from other smartphone cameras is Apple’s insistence of staying faithful to the traditional principles of photography rather than using smoke and mirrors and gimmicks to produce an exaggerated shot.

But Apple didn’t stop there.

On the iPhone 15 Pro Max they have included a Tetra Prism lens system that can bounce the light four times before hitting the sensor to achieve a 5x optical zoom to get you even closer to your subject.

Would have liked to have seen even higher zoom but in typical style, Apple kept this feature to a level where it can maintain the quality and accuracy without going overboard.

For professional photographers the new iPhone 15 Pro an iPhone 15 Pro Max now includes log encoding to make shooting in ProRes even more powerful and flexible for colour grading in post and even adding visual effects.

The iPhone 15 Pro models are the first to support ACES (Academy Colour Encoding System) which is a global colour standard used in major movie productions.

Users of the iPhone 15 Pro could also capture Spatial Video which will be able to be enjoyed on the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset which can put you right in the middle of that moment and make those special moments even more memorable.

ACTION BUTTON

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have ditched the silent switch on the side left edge and replaced it with an Action Button which can be programmed to do things like turn on the camera, activate silent mode, open your favourite app, open the voice recorder to record your thoughts or trigger a series of shortcuts.

When pressed, the Action Button provides haptic feedback to let you know the interaction has been successful.

Users can dive into the settings to easily set the function of the Action Key.

We would have liked to have seen even more Action Button options perhaps with long presses and double presses expanding the possibilities.

USB-C CHARGING PORT

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro now have USB-C charging ports.

It’s the first time in 11 years Apple has moved away from Lightning which was introduced with the iPhone 5.

A braided USB-C to USB-C cable is provided in the box.

This move brings the iPhone into line with each other products which have already transitioned to USB-C including the iPad and iPad pro and the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

In fact, Apple made a point of saying you could now charge the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro with the same cable you would use with the iPad and the Mac.

The iPhone 15 Pro models will enjoy faster data transfers add up to 10Gbps thanks to a USB-C controller on the device’s new A17 Pro chip.

On the charging side, we found it to be slightly faster than Lightning.

The new USB-C connection can now be used for faster transfer of ProRes video and ProRaw images.

With the new port it is also possible to shoot and transfer to Mac with a cable and shoot ProRes video directly to a connected external storage drive in 4K at up to 60fps.

PRICING

The new iPhone 15 will be priced at $1,499 (128GB), $1,699 (256GB) and $2,049 (512GB).

iPhone 15 Plus is priced at $1,649 (128GB), $1,849 (256GB0 and $2,199 (512GB).

iPhone 15 Pro is priced at $1,849 (128GB), $2,049 (256GB) and $2,399 (512GB) and $2,749 (1TB).

iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at $2,199 (256GB) and $2,549 (512GB) and $2,899 (1TB).

These prices are slightly higher than last year but that won’t stop customers flocking to it and hanging on to it for years.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro go on sale on September 22.

VERDICT

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are impressive upgrades that set a new standard with a stunning design, unrivalled performance and a camera that raises the bar for what we can expect from a smartphone. If there is a better phone on the market – we haven’t seen it yet.

The post iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro review – Apple has set a new standard for flagship smartphones appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple’s AirPods Pro (second generation) just got even better with the introduction of a range of new features that have been enabled by iOS 17.

These new features include Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalised Volume.

Since the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro announcement about the inclusion of USB-C, Apple has also released an updated AirPods Pro (second generation) earphones with a MagSafe Charging Case with USB-C.

Tech Guide has been using these new AirPods Pro (second generation) for a few days paired with an iPhone running the iOS 17 beta.

We understand the official version of iOS 17 will be out this week so users can enjoy these new AirPods Pro (second generation) features whether they own the current model or the brand new AirPods Pro that come with the new MagSafe charging case with USB-C.

If you already own the AirPods Pro (second generation) which came with the Lightning charging case, you can still enjoy these new features that come with iOS 17.

The earphones included with the USB-C charging case themselves are identical to the earphones included with the previous lightning case.

That means this review is as much about the AirPods Pro (second generation) with the MagSafe charging case with USB-C as it is about the new features which iOS 17 has made possible.

Adaptive Audio is a combination between active noise cancellation and transparency mode which can adjust the level of noise cancellation based on the noise around you.

This feature is powered by the H2 Apple silicon aboard the AirPods Pro (second generation) which can adjust the listening experiences as your environment changes.

The good thing about it is that is intelligent enough to be able to tell what sound to suppress and which to enhance.

For example, if you are cooking and using all your appliances, the adaptive audio feature will suppress the annoying blender sound while still letting you still hear when the doorbell rings.

It’s this same intelligence that’s applied throughout your day whether you are alone in a park, in the centre of a large busy restaurant or on your commute.

Another new feature is Conversation Awareness which basically means the AirPods Pro (second generation) with lower your media’s volume as soon as it hears you speaking.

And not only that, it will enhance the voices of the people in front of you and reduce background noise at the same time.

During our review we ran into a friend while listening to your AirPods Pro (second generation).

When we said hello the music lowered and our friend’s voice was enhanced so we could hear extremely clearly even without taking the AirPods Pro (second generation) out of our ears.

We also noticed the background noise had been turned down a few notches to make the conversation even clearer and easier to hear.

And then when we said goodbye, our media automatically returned to its original listening mode and volume.

Personalised Volume can take control of fine tuning your media experience by learning your listening preferences overtime and matching that with the conditions of your environment.

All of these new features or in addition to the outstanding active noise cancellation, remarkable transparency mode and the personalised spatial audio which changes the way you listen to your music.

The AirPods Pro (second generation) H2 chip also enables another feature – lossless audio with ultra-low latency.

And it can be used as a wireless audio solution with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset.

The H2 chip in Apple’s Vision Pro will unlock 20-bit 48kHz lossless audio with a huge reduction in wireless audio latency.

This means AirPods Pro (second generation) will be a perfect companion for the Apple Vision Pro when it’s released next year.

Battery life listening with ANC is up to six hours and up 30 hours of listening with the case.

VERDICT

The already excellent AirPods Pro (second generation) just got even better with a number of new enhancements that will not only deliver stunning audio but also make the earphones to fit in with your life.

The post We take a look at the new features unlocked for AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with iOS 17 appeared first on Tech Guide.

This is the “go big or go home” tablet. The 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a tablet on steroids and it has the power and features to back it up as well.

Tablets have become a lot more powerful in recent years – so powerful they can take the place of your laptop or step in as an alternative.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is one of those tablets.

It is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 3.36Ghz octa-core processor and 12GB RAM which makes it quite a capable device.

On the design side, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is remarkable with a thickness of just 5.5mm.

This makes it thin enough to slide under a door.

And it weighs in at 732g.

It is made of aluminium with flat edges and a matte finish on the back so you can get a better grip when you’re holding it.

Another key feature is the durability. The tablet has an IP68 dust and water rating so it’s as tough as your smartphone. That will give potential users peace of mind.

It is available in graphite or beige – that’s it. We would have liked to see some other strong colours.

We had the beige model for our review. Not a colour we would have chosen but it grew on us.

The first thing you notice about the tablet is the stunning 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display which makes whatever you’re watching or playing or whatever app you’re using just pop.

Samsung has always excelled with their displays and the 14.6-inch screen on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is gorgeous.

It also has 120Hz adaptive refresh rate so the colours and brightness that already knocks your socks off is also backed by a smoothness that tops everything off when watching movies, playing games and scrolling around.

Throw in HDR10+ and the already excellent viewing experience gets even better when watching 4K content on streaming services.

Having a screen of this size can supersize things like apps and games you would normally play in portrait mode on your smartphone.

On the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra it’s on a much grander scale.

The screen real estate also lends itself to easy multitasking so you can spread out your work. It’s possible to run three apps at the same time.

The tablet also comes with the S Pen so you’re able to write and draw on the screen or jot down some notes.

The responsiveness is excellent and not far off using a real pencil on paper.

It can attach magnetically on the back of the Tab S9 Ultra when you’re not using it, but it will come loose if you put the tablet in a backpack.

We would have preferred a top magnet to hold the S Pen on the edge but that would have it made it just like the iPad Pro and the second generation Apple Pencil.

Users can purchase a keyboard case and cover ($359) to really transform the tablet to a laptop. We didn’t receive this accessory to use with the tablet for our review.

And not only does the Tab S9 Ultra look amazing it also sounds amazing as well with Dolby Atmos and the AKG Harman tuned quad speakers. Turn it up to full volume at night and you’ll wake people up in your house.

There are two rear cameras – a 13-megapixel wide and 8-megapixel ultrawide and two on the front – both 12-megapixel – one primary and one ultrawide so you can easily snap a quality selfie.

Being a larger tablet means Samsung can also fit in a larger battery – and that’s exactly what it did.

The battery aboard the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 is a colossal 11,200mAh which lasted us more than two days with steady use.

The smaller tablets in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 range have 10,090mAh (12.4-inch) and 8,400mAh (11-inch) and the battery is consistently relevant with the screen size it is powering.

In other words, the larger screens have larger batteries and deliver similar battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra tablet isn’t cheap – it starts at $1,999 for the wi-fi model with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM.

Move up to 512GB storage and 12GB RAM and the price goes up to $2,199.

And this moves up to $2,449 when you opt for the 5G model.

The smaller tablets start at $1,299 (11-inch Galaxy Tab S9) and $1,699 (12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S9+).

VERDICT

Samsung has produced a winner with the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. The huge 14.6-inch device is both a huge and fun playground and a productive workspace with the power and features to deliver a memorable experience.

The post Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review – a huge tablet that’s big on power and performance appeared first on Tech Guide.

The ECOVACS ROBOTICS DEEBOT NEO robot vacuum will be available for $399 this week from Aldi as part of its Special Buys – that’s half price. And before you make the purchase you can read our complete review.

The DEEBOT NEO, usually priced at $799, will be available from September 9 in Aldi’s Special Buys while stocks last.

While the DEEBOT NEO might be new to you, we know the robot vacuum very well after using is for several weeks so we could write our review.

So if you’re wondering about what you’re going to get with the DEEBOT NEO – we’ve already done a thorough test drive and we’re republishing our complete review ahead of September 9 so you can appreciate the value you’re getting.

Here is our original review of the ECOVACS ROBOTICS DEEBOT NEO which will be tremendous value at $399 at Aldi on Saturday, September 9.

TECH GUIDE REVIEW OF THE ECOVACS ROBOTICS DEEBOT NEO

The DEEBOT NEO is both a vacuum and a mop and can take over the cleaning duties without you lifting a finger.

It has TrueMapping laser-based navigation technology so it can map your home and create an efficient path when vacuuming and mopping.

The unit is really easy to unpack and set up.

You need to find a clear space near a power point for the charging station and download the ECOVACS Home app to take you through the steps for set up.

From the app, once you’ve created an account, you can simply scan the QR code inside the lid to link the robot and give it a name.

The maiden voyage of the DEEBOT NEO is mainly a mapping mission (yes, it is still vacuuming and/or mopping) so it gets to know your home’s layout.

You’ll see the map forming on the app as it makes its way around your home.

And it can also create maps for different levels of your home.

The first thing we noticed with the DEEBOT NEO was that it was louder.

And that’s a good thing because the motor is providing more suction – twice as much as a matter of fact.

It was easy to see where it had been with the marks on our carpet.

We’re always amazed by how smart the DEEBOT NEO is and how it can gently find its way around your home without damaging your furniture or rolling over the top of a cable or a sock and getting tangled up.

Part of the TrueMapping technology is object detection so the unit knows to go around something it sees in its path.

In terms of the quality of the clean, we were pleasantly surprised.

We have two dalmatians at our place and chocolate coloured carpet, so the little white hairs Ziggy and Logan shed are easy to see.

The DEEBOT NEO did so well in one room we had to empty the dust bin before it could move to the next.

What will happen over the course of time is the robot vacuum maintaining the clean with a daily journey around the house.

The device is also pretty slim so it can fit under furniture and under tables and around chairs so there’s no need to stack chairs and move items for the DEEBOT NEO to do its thing.

And on the mopping side, the DEEBOT NEO also excelled.

It a small water reservoir and can be fitted with mopping pads. It comes with a washable mop pad and 10 disposable pads.

We have large tiles in our living area and kitchen that are a light colour and can easily show up the dirt.

On its first run, the unit did offer a respectable clean but there were some stubborn spots that needed a manual wipe.

But if it does this everyday – it can easily maintain the level of cleanliness.

The water distribution was impressive thanks to its electronically controlled water pump.

It left a little snail trail where it had been, but this quickly dried.

The unit never once left any excess water or puddles.

The DEEBOT NEO is smart enough to detect the floor type so when in mopping mode and it encounters carpet it will stop instantly.

If it’s in vacuum mode it will increase suction power when it moves from hard floors to carpet.

For those new to robot vacuums, and we imagine a lot of people who buy the DEEBOT NEO will be, the unit will automatically return to the charging station and recharge the battery when needed before heading out and completing the cleaning run.

The app does put all the control in your hand with the ability to set schedules and send the robot vacuum out manually.

Even when you’re not home you can log into the app and take control.

You might find out someone is popping around later, and your place needs a spruce up – you can activate it manually from the app even before you get home.

It’s also possible to link theDEEBOT NEO to Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control.

The DEEBOT NEO is also compatible with the ECOVACS Auto Empty Station so it can automatically transfer the dust and hair collected by the robot vacuum into the larger dustbin which can be emptied every 30 days.

The ECOVACS ROBOTICS DEEBOT NEO goes on sale on September 9 through Aldi for $399.

Following that special offer, the unit will be available at its regular price of $799.

VERDICT

The DEEBOT NEO will surprise you with its cleaning quality and efficiency – it has packed in a lot of flagship features into an affordable and attractive unit that would make an excellent choice as your first robot vacuum.

The post DEEBOT NEO goes on sale for half price at $399 at Aldi this week – read our complete review appeared first on Tech Guide.

When it comes to shavers the more blades you have the better they are and Panasonic has just released its first electric shaver with six blades to provide an even closer shave.

Panasonic’s new ES-LS9A has six Japanese surgical-grade blades created using Samurai sword traditions so it can handle all beard types and maintain their sharpness even after years of use while causing minimal skin irritation.

There are two new thick stubble blades that are coated with Titanium along with two finish blades and two lift blades which can cut more hair in a single pass.

The height of the beard capture area is increased thanks to the tapered blade tips which makes sure those long, flat and difficult hairs are easily captured.

The inner blades of the ES-LS9A are nano-sharpened at a 30-degree angle so hairs are cut as close to the root as possible whether you’re shaving wet or dry.

The shaver also has a flexible shaver head so it can adjust to the contours of your face and still maintain contact between the blades and your skin.

The six blades can move in 22 independent directions vertically and horizontally so it covers a greater area with each stroke.

The Panasonic ES-LS9A delivers more than 84,000 cross-cutting actions per minute to manage to get through facial hair of all thicknesses.

I decided to give the shaver a try for myself.

I’ve got a decent beard if I don’t shave for a few days. When I tried the ES-LS9A I hadn’t shaved for three days so there was a bit hair to trim.

I charged the shaver to 100 per cent before I got started and found it provided a surprisingly close shave.

Usually I use a blade with shaving oil and I can get a nice close shave in just a few minutes.

Using the ES-LS9A took a little longer as I tried to manoeuvre the shaver around the contours of my face and chin.

I don’t have much electric shaver experience, but I learned pretty quickly I needed to attack my beard from certain directions to give the six blades their best chance.

This was probably the closest shave I’d ever had with the many electric shavers I’ve tried over the years.

But it took me almost three times as long as I would shave with a razor. And that’s probably more a fault of mine than the shaver.

Once I got the direction of attack right it powered through and left smooth skin in its place.

I also used the handy pop up trimmer on the rear panel to tidy up my sideburns as well.

The good news is the Panasonic ES-LS9A also comes with a cleaning and charging dock which automatically removes beard trimmings from the blades while recharging it at the same time.

Also includes is a small zip up travel pouch and the plug which can be taken from the dock and plugged directly to the shaver to charge.

The Panasonic ES-LS9A electric shaver is priced at $899 and available at the Shaver Shop.

The post Panasonic’s six-blade electric shaver uses the same Japanese blades as a Samurai sword appeared first on Tech Guide.

Samsung’s new fifth generation foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 – go on sale this week and there will be many inspired to take their first bold step into the world of foldables.

Samsung, of course, has been leading the way in this growing category and these latest models represent years of development and improvement.

Tech Guide was lucky enough to go into Samsung’s design studio after the launch in Seoul and heard about the design philosophy behind the products.

These units had gone through countless versions before deciding on the versions we see today.

The design team said they wanted a product that was inspirational, functional and that solved a problem for customers. And they’ve achieved that.

And it’s not just about the design but also the materials and colours that turn the product into a thing of beauty.

The Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 are both foldable smartphones but they are aimed at totally different customers.

What they do have in common is the same design language, eye-catching colours and surprising durability.

For a folding device – that’s quite an achievement.

The other huge improvement for the Flip5 and Fold5 is with the hinge.

This has been a work in progress since the first device was introduced back in 2019.

This time out, the hinge mechanism is even smaller and more compact and, for the first time, the devices now fold completely flat.

Previously there was a slight gap close to the hinge which was there to reduce the strain on the screen.

A new waterdrop design can both now reduce that strain while still offering no gap when it’s folded.

This improvement has reduced the thickness of the devices by 2.4mm which is massive in the smartphone world.

There is no doubting the Flip5 and Fold 5’s credentials when it comes to performance – they’re both power houses thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip built just for Galaxy devices.

And being made from armour aluminium you know that despite being foldable devices, they can still take the usual knocks and scrapes from being used every single day.

SAMSUNG Z FLIP5

The product that’s going to steal the Samsung foldable limelight this year is the Flip5 which has seen the most improvement year on year in the line-up.

The biggest change is the new Flex Window which is 3.78 times larger than last year’s front screen.

It nearly takes up the entire front folded face of the phone and offers so much functionality that you can get a lot of things done, receive notifications, while taking control of your media then you can use it in the folder position for extended periods.

Users will also be able to use the Samsung wallet, scan QR codes and take selfies and videos without the need to open the device.

There is no doubting the build quality of the Flip5 – it has that solid feel in your hands and a reassuring thunk when you fold the device shut.

The Flip5 solves the biggest problem smartphones face today where customers are after a large screen but not a large phone.

Typically having a large screen means you’re lugging a large device in your pocket or your bag.

But with the Flip5 you have a glorious 6.2-inch internal display which allows you to use the phone as you would any other regular device but when it’s time to pack up you can literally fold it in half and put a much smaller product in your pocket.

The main screen is clear and bright and you’ll think you’re looking at a regular smartphone display.

The crease could be less prominent, but you’ll soon forget about it when using your apps or watching content on the screen.

The Flex hinge also adds to the product’s versatility because it allows you to position the device so you can easily and more comfortably watch your content or set up your selfies and videos.

One of our favourite features is the ability to activate the shutter for a selfie simply by raising your palm towards the lens. This sets off a three second timer so your selfies will be flawless.

The onboard cameras – a 12 megapixel wide angle and 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera – won’t match the quality of the Galaxy S23 or the Z Fold5, but they still take respectable images and videos that you can share instantly on social media platforms.

Even in low light situations Samsung ‘s Nightography sensors offer excellent results when shooting images and videos without much light.

The onboard 3700mAh battery easily got us to the end of the day when we were using this as a daily driver.

Even though we were doing everything on the device including checking emails, using apps and social media, web browsing and consuming content – there was still enough charge to take us well into the night.

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 has the same slimmer hinge technology as the Flip5 but it’s a completely different beast to its foldable sibling.

The Fold5 has a 6.2-inch front screen that unfolds to reveal a beautiful 7.6-inch main display.

Design-wise, apart from the slimmer hinge, there really isn’t much difference to last year’s model.

But the 2.4mm saving in thickness is significant enough to attract people to the device who had previously been holding back thinking it was too bulky.

It is now noticeably thinner thanks to the trimmed down hinge and can fit in your pocket even easier.

The Fold5 customer is a high-end user who wants to create and consume content and multitask on the move.

The front screen is useful for most of your needs including calls, messaging and responding to notifications.

The Fold5 has a narrow and tall display, but we would have loved to have seen a slightly wider screen.

For us, the screen wasn’t wide enough to comfortably type and we found ourselves opening the device to complete tasks that we would have preferred to do on the front screen.

Our suggestion to the Samsung design team was adding 5mm of width to the front screen to get us to that tipping point where it was a lot easier to operate.

That added space would also allow the device to accommodate the S Pen to fit inside the chassis rather than having to carry it separately.

We understand that having a wider display would also mean a wider rear panel but it would also give us an even larger internal screen.

This would no doubt add to the cost of the device but if you’re already willing to spend more than $2500 you’d be willing to invest a little more if it offers a huge improvement and easier use.

One impressive improvement with the displays is the increased brightness of up to 1750 nits.

The difference is noticeable and really makes what you’re viewing on the display pop.

This also helps when viewing the device outdoors in direct sunlight, you’ll still able to see quite clearly on both the front and inside screens.

For multitaskers, the inside screen offers plenty of space to run up to three apps at the same time.

Another new feature we liked was the taskbar which allowed us to access the apps we use the most.

We were able to drag the apps onto the main screen and use up to three at the same time.

You don’t miss out on camera quality with the Fold5 thanks to the 50-megapixel wide angle, 10-megapixel telephoto with 3X optical zoom and 12-megapixel ultra-wide cameras on the rear panel.

These join the 10-megapixel front camera and the 4-megapixel under display camera on the main screen.

A favourite feature was the dual preview which allows the subject of your photo to see themselves on your front screen while you are framing them up from the main screen.

And if you have other Galaxy devices, Multi-control lets you use a keyboard and mouse to move across all of them.

For example, you may have the fold five and the Galaxy Tab S9 and able to link a keyboard and mouse to both devices to easily move between them and drag content to and from each device as well.

PRICING

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is priced from $1,649 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 starts at $2,599.

These prices are higher than last year’s starting prices, but the base models now offer 256GB of storage which was actually the price of that variation last year.

VERDICT

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 bring you the future of smartphones today with stunning features, remarkable design and functionality that will suit a variety of users and offer them a completely new way of using a smartphone.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 review – the time to move to foldables is now appeared first on Tech Guide.

Drones are going down the same path as smartphones when it comes to cameras – having just one is no longer enough. The new DJI Air 3 has two dual primary cameras.

It is the first dual camera model of the Air Series and it adds even more choices and functionality for aerial photographers.

Onboard is a wide-angle camera and a medium telephoto with up to 3x zoom that can produce stunning 48-megapixel images and 4K HDR videos at 60 frames per second.

The DJI Air 3 has a foldable design so when you’re done the props tuck away to make the drone a compact size – its about the size of a 1L water bottle.

And it weighs in at 720g which means you can only fly the DJI Air 3 a minimum of 5.5km away from a controlled airspace.

What really appeals with the DJI Air 3 is that it packed with features to capture stunning videos and images, it’s really easy to fly and has an incredible 46 minutes of flying time.

This is the first Air model to incorporate omnidirectional obstacle sensing so it can detect and avoid objects in its path and prevent crashes.

First time pilots will appreciate the safety net this provides so they don’t accidentally back into a tree or clip a building.

The sensors can be seen on the front, back and bottom of the drone and has added a little more size to the body – but being slightly larger is a small price to pay for added safety.

This increased size in no way affects the aerodynamics of the DJI Air 3.

It’s still steady as a rock even in high winds and the gimbal keeps your footage smooth as silk.

We flew the DJI Air 3 off Lurline Bay and we saw a couple of high wind warnings on the remote’s screen but it just stuck there and it’s course wasn’t affected when it was moving.

The two cameras offer excellent options for aerial photographers.

One is a wide angle camera which allows users to capture sweeping landscapes and wide shots. It is the equivalent of a 24mm format.

The other 3x medium tele camera is a 70mm equivalent and allows your subject to pop against the background with a nice depth of field.

The 3x zoom is also remarkable and does get you significantly closer to your subject.

And the quality of images and videos is also superb – 48-megapixel stills and 4K video at up to 60fps.

There’s support dual native ISO for direct output of 4K/60fps HDR video through the onboard 1/1.3-inch sensors.

And each camera also supports 10-bit D-log M, for more light and shadow detail, and 10-bit HLG colour modes, for higher dynamic range without the need for colour grading.

Our review unit included the DJI RC 2 remote with the built-in 5.5-inch display.

It was bright enough to see clearly even in direct sunlight and saved us having to connect our phone. The package that includes the RC 2 is definitely worth the extra money.

The drone also has an excellent RTH (return to home) feature which means the DJI Air 3 will land from exactly where it took off from.

This engages automatically if the drone loses contact with the remote or when it senses the battery power required to get back to the take-off spot is approaching a critical level.

This is another safety feature first time fliers will really appreciate.

Of course you have all the intelligent features at your fingertips like vertical shooting, night mode and Quickshots which gives you stunning creative movements at the press of a button.

But one of the biggest improvements with the DJI Air 3 is the flying time of 46 minutes. That’s a 48 per cent improvement.

It wasn’t that long ago when you’d be happy with 20 minutes flight time.

But the battery technology, aerodynamics and efficiency have improved so much you get a lot more time in the air.

There is also a new battery charging hub which can transfer power from other batteries to the battery with the highest charge so you can continue flying without having to go back and charge.

The drone has only 8GB of internal storage but, of course, can expand the storage with a microSD card.

The DJI Air 3 is available now and is priced at:

DJI Air 3 (DJI RC-N2) – $1,699

DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC-N2) – $2,049

DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2) – $2,349

VERDICT

The DJI Air 3 is one of the best and most versatile drones the company has produced with amazing cameras, excellent battery life and outstanding safety features.

The post DJI Air 3 review – excellent dual camera drone with amazing flight time appeared first on Tech Guide.

Do you need to tidy up your desktop, get yourself organised and charge your smartphone and earbuds at the same time? Then what you need is the ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat from Journey.

The desk mat (which is 68cm long and 37cm wide) has a magnetic edge on the left side so the charging pad (10cm x 37cm) can neatly attach itself.

The mat itself is made of felt and vegan leather and users can choose which material they prefer being on top by simply flipping it over.

It is a very generous size so it will cover most of a regular-sized desk.

The charging pad connects to power via a USB-C cable and can charge your iPhone if it has wireless charging or MagSafe, and any Android phone with wireless charging capabilities.

We tried it on our iPhone 14 Pro Max and the ALTI charging pad magnetically held it in place to ensure it was charging.

Other smartphones just need to be positioned correctly to receive a charge.

You can also charge AirPods Pro and AirPods with wireless charging cases – there’s a spot marked out so you know exactly where to put it.

Users can also charge the Galaxy Buds and other earphones that have wireless charging cases.

Having the charging pad only requires you to have a single included USB-C cable connected to a port on a wall charger.

This means no more multiple cables cluttering your workspace.

What also reduced the clutter is being able store papers and documents between the felt and vegan leather layers so they are out of sight but still literally at your fingertips.

It’s also an excellent work surface so you can still use your computer mouse accurately and it will also quieten your keyboard because it is on a softer surface rather than resting on wood.

And with the charging pad right beside you, you’re never going to miss any calls or messages.

If you would prefer your phone and earphones to be charging on your right side then you just have to turn the ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat upside down and attach the charging pad on the right.

The Journey ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat is available now in black or grey and is priced at $149.

www.journeyofficial.com.au

The post Keep your desk organised and your devices charged with the ALTI Wireless Charging Mat appeared first on Tech Guide.

The Sennheiser Profile USB Microphone is an out of the box solution for anyone who wants to get into the world of streaming or creating audio content like a podcast.

It is a cardioid condenser microphone that’s available on its own with a tabletop stand ($239) or with a three-point boom arm ($349) so you can mount it on the edge of a desk and position it comfortably in front of you.

For our review we received the version with the boom arm.

The microphone connects via USB-C to a Mac, iPad, Windows PC and Android devices.

Under the hood is a cardioid condenser capsule which can pick up your voice clearly and reject background noises.

It also has an all-metal construction so it its durable to use anywhere every day.

The Sennheiser Profile USB Microphone has a built in hinge that allows it to be tilted at precisely the right angle.

And the boom arm also offers plenty of flexibility so you can adjust the microphone so it’s sitting at the right angle.

The controls are right in front of you as well and these include a soft mute button with an LED ring so you can tell at glance when it’s been activated.

There’s also a gain control, a headphones volume knob and a mix control to balance levels on both the microphone and the device.

There is a 3.5mm jack to plug your headphones directly into the microphone.

But it’s all still pretty simple to use.

Just connect the mic to your device with a USB-C cable.

And there’s no need for power – it gets that from your device when it’s connected.

Whatever application you’re using, whether it’s audio software, Zoom or Skype, you then simply look for Sennheiser Profile USB microphone and select it as your input and output device.

Users can choose to use the microphone in any orientation – when it’s mounted upside down on the stand or right way up – the quality and sensitivity will be the same.

The boom arm has an integrated cable management slot to help conceal the included 3m USB-C cable.

And when you’re done, there’s also a small pouch to store the microphone safely.

The tabletop version includes a small stand and a 1.2m USB-C cable.

The best thing about the Sennheiser Profile USB Microphone is that you don’t need to be an audio engineer to get a good result.

The mic produces impressive audio quality for podcasters, gamers, live streamers and one else who wants to come through loud and clear on their next video call.

The Sennheiser Profile USB Microphone is available now and is priced at $239 (table-top) and $349 (boom arm).

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