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.

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.

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.

There are times when we just need extra screen space when we’re using laptop. One solution is the Duex Max which can turn any laptop into a dual-screen set-up.
Created by Mobile Pixels, the Duex Max attaches to the lid of your laptop and can slide out and provide an extra 14.1 inches of screen real estate.

The Duex Max is ideal for a busy mobile professional but it would also suit a user who has set up a home office to work remotely.

The display on the Duex Max is full high definition and offer 300 nits of maximum brightness.

This will address the issue for users on the move who need more room to move to complete their professional or creative work.

For our review, we attached the Duex Max to a 14-inch MacBook Pro. It works with both Windows and Mac laptops.

The first thing you need to do is attach the unit to your laptop.

The device comes with a template that you centre on the lid of your laptop.

It shows you where you need to position the four circular adhesive magnets that will then hold the display strongly in place.

Duex Max is about the same thickness of our MacBook Pro and weighs 600g.

This includes the mechanism that allows the actual screen to slide out and line up beside your laptop’s display.

You can also adjust the angle and have it facing towards you.

The screen connects via USB to your laptop with the included cable offering a USB-C to USB 3.0/USB-C with cable adaptor so it can fit any laptop model.

And the cable is long enough to reach any of your available USB ports so you can then decide if you prefer the screen to slide out to the left of your laptop screen or the right.

Users have to download a driver – there’s one for Mac and one for Windows – so the Duex Max will be recognised as a second display.

Once installed you just to connect the cable and slide the screen out to see it come alive and extend your desktop.

Users can move their mouse between the screens and open applications on the Duex Max’s 14.1-inch display.

Duex Max offers optimal brightness but also has eye comfort in mind and minimises blue light emissions so you can work and read for hours without eye fatigue.

In terms of screen quality – the Duex Max lacked the resolution and colour accuracy of the MacBook’s excellent Retina Display.

This might be a deal breaker for an editor who requires absolute colour accuracy and greater clarity to complete their tasks.

But for users simply requiring more space, the Duex Max does an admirable job.

When you decide you don’t need the Duex Max it can be easily removed, leaving just the four circular magnets on your lid. These little magnets can also be easily removed from your laptop without leaving any marks behind.

There are other solutions available to extend your laptop but these involve carrying a thin display separately on its own stand and connected by a single cable.

Duex Max doesn’t require a stand because it’s attached to your laptop lid.

Having the Duex Max with our 14-inch Mac Book Pro felt like we were carrying two laptops around thanks to the added thickness when attached to the lid. But it still fit inside our backpack’s laptop section.

Our review unit was grey and it matched our MacBook Pro almost perfectly. But the other option for Australian customers is navy blue.

The Duex Max 14.1-inch is available now and is priced at $599.

Available at JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Amazon, Mwave & Rosman Computers. All versions are available in Grey & Navy.

VERDICT

The Deux Max is an impressive addition to your laptop that can also double your screen real estate in impressive so you can stay productive no matter where you are.

The post Duex Max review – it turns your laptop into a dual monitor set-up appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip offers the best of both worlds – a large screen to give you more room to move with your work and entertainment while maintaining its slim and light design.

On sale from today, the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is available in four finishes – Midnight, Starlight, Space Grey and Silver. Pricing starts at $2,199.

Tech Guide has been using the Starlight 15-inch MacBook Air for a few days for this review.

On the design side, the new 15-inch MacBook Air is identical to the 13-inch model and is made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium.

And having a unibody design also means the laptop is built tough despite its thin design.

It’s just 11.5mm thick and weighs 1.51kg. it also happens to now be the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop.

There is a MagSafe charging port on the left edge beside two Thunderbolt ports which can connect external drives and monitors.

On the right edge is a headphone jack to connect headphones and/or microphones.

There is a full size keyboard and a generously sized trackpad which makes it easy for gesture control and navigating the system.

The keyboard also includes a Touch ID fingerprint reader which enables users to make secure purchases and download as well as making it easy to unlock the MacBook Air.

The 15-inch Liquid Retina Display can display more than a billion colours and is bright and sharp.

It offers a larger canvas to run multiple applications at the same time or to focus in on one on a grander scale.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is powered by Apple’s own M2 silicon which is 1.4x faster than M1 and 12x faster than the Intel-based MacBook Air.

This gives the laptop the power to be used for higher end applications like photo and video editing.

We used the 15-inch MacBook Air to edit a video using Final Cut Pro and it was fast and smooth.

Even using Photoshop for editing large photo files is easily handled.

And if you want to play games, the M2 chip aboard the 15-inch MacBook Air can also provide a fast and stable platform.

Now to be clear, the MacBook Air is aimed at the average user who has the occasional need to use processor intensive applications.

If using these high-end applications is the main part of your workflow, then the MacBook Air might not be the best solution.

The M2 on the 15-inch MacBook Air will work hard for you but there are thermal limits so when things start to heat up, the processor will pull back.

The larger 15-inch model will have better thermal capacity because it has a larger chassis but it still has the same fanless design as the 13-inch to maintain its thin and light design.

For 90 per cent of customers, the 15-inch MacBook Air is the ideal solution that can do everything you need to do.

For creative professionals, the MacBook Pro is probably a better fit.

On the audio side there are six speakers with the audio driven toward the screen and reflected directly to the user with spatial audio quality to make your movies and music even more enjoyable.

And for your FaceTime calls and video meetings the camera is 1080p full HD so you’ll look sharp and clear.

The 15-inch MacBook Air can be specced up to 24GB of Unified Memory and up to 2TB of storage.

We would have liked to have seen a memory card slot to make it easier to transfer photos and video from a camera. To do this you need to buy an external hub.

Another great benefit of the M2 chip apart from performance is efficiency.

When the software and hardware are working together as they do on an Apple product that efficiency translates into lower power usage and longer battery life.

Apple says the battery will run for up to 18 hours and in our usage we’ve easily gone close to two full workdays before connecting the MagSafe charging cable.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is available now and is priced from $2,199. The 13-inch MacBook Air also still available and is now priced from $1,799.

VERDICT

The new 15-inch MacBook Air is an ideal laptop for customers who want the power when they need it but also the ability to enjoy their content in high quality. This is one of the best all-round laptops you can buy.

The post 15-inch MacBook Air review – power when you need it and style and size all the time appeared first on Tech Guide.

The ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is not one laptop – it’s several and includes the option of enjoying the full 17.3-inch OLED display and folding it in half to look more like a laptop with either a virtual or a physical keyboard.

In fact, it’s the world’s first 17-inch foldable OLED laptop.

Running Windows 11 Pro, the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED can be used as a laptop, a tablet, a desktop computer and an e-reader.

It is powered by the 12^th Gen Intel Core i7 chip and can offer users up almost 10 hours of battery life.

The versatility of the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is the real eye-catching feature something that will get people around you asking you about it if you’re using the laptop in public.

In its unfolded form factor, the computer offers a beautiful big 17.3-inch OLED display.

And even though it’s a foldable display it still looks amazing with a 2560 x 1920 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio with a 90Hz refresh rate.

On top of the remarkable screen quality there’s also HDR (high dynamic range) onboard with compatibility with Dolby Vision for a true cinema-like experience.

That added screen real estate can be utilised for work or play.

It makes it easy to spread out your work and run multiple applications at once and to enjoy your movies, TV shows, sport and games when it’s time to wind down.

Around the screen is a bezel that’s about 1cm wide so it’s not offering the same almost edge-to-edge look of a flagship laptop.

But not all laptops can give you this much room to move.

Now we come to the amazing part – folding the screen to make it look more like a laptop.

The hinge flexes effortlessly and has been durability tested to work perfectly for more than 30,000 folds – that equated to years of use.

When the screen is unfolded it folds flat and you can hardly notice the crease especially when there’s something on the gorgeous screen

So now you’ve gone from a 17.3-inch screen to a 12-inch screen with the lower area clear for you to activate the digital keyboard.

This way you’re typing on the lower half of the display.

If you prefer typing on a real keyboard, the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED does come with a thin and light Bluetooth keyboard.

This can be used when the screen is unfolded so it’s like using a desktop computer.

But when the screen is folded in half, the keyboard attaches magnetically to the frame and this then limits the display to the area above the keyboard, so it looks and now feels like a regular laptop.

The ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is as responsive as a regular laptop albeit a bit bulkier.

This foldable laptop is a lot thicker but it’s still easily portable.

It comes with a leather satchel which can store the Fold OLED itself and the Bluetooth keyboard.

Now the fact it is a foldable device doesn’t mean it isn’t a powerful laptop. It has Intel Iris X graphics, two Thunderbolt 4 ports to connect other monitors and other accessories and drives.

The included keyboard has 1.4mm key travel and a touchpad.

Also onboard are Harmon Kardon speakers and includes both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision so your entertainment experience is top shelf.

For video conferencing the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED has a 5-megapixel AI camera and AI noise cancellation so you not only look good but also sound good as well.

Now let’s talk price. A revolutionary folding laptop like this doesn’t come cheap.

In Australia, it’s priced at $6999.

But you must remember you’re getting a device that’s so much more than a laptop.

You can use the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED in so many ways.

It is definitely the most futuristic laptop we’ve ever seen and looks set to become the first in an exciting future range of products from ASUS.

VERDICT

ASUS has reinvented the laptop with the 17 Fold OLED and puts the future in your hands today. You’ll never look at a laptop in the same way again after using the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED.

The post ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED review – foldable laptop offers stunning versatility appeared first on Tech Guide.

I am writing this review on the new 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the new M2 Max processor which is such an under use of its capabilities it would be like using a sledgehammer do crack an egg.

Writing a document using Microsoft Word is something you can do on your phone but when it comes to more serious tasks that require some of most advanced applications ever created then you’re moving into territory that not many computers can handle.

If you’ve got the MacBook Pro with M2 Max, the response from a user faced with one of those gargantuan and sophisticated tasks would be “bring it on!”

Now I’m not ever going to suggest that my daily workflow would bring the MacBook Pro with M2 Max out of first gear but my appreciation for what it can do is next level.

Full respect to those users who are pushing their MacBook Pro to the limit with their editing, rendering and creating – these are the true professionals for which this incredible new laptop was designed.

The new MacBook Pro line-up is available in 14-inch and 16-inch models with your choice of the M2 pro or M2 Max chip.

For our review we received the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max with 64GB unified memory and 2TB of SSD storage.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max and these specs will cost $6,499.

Design-wise, the MacBook Pro is identical to the previous model.

They have three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a HDMI port, SDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack and the MagSafe 3 port for charging.

With the M2 Pro users can support up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz or one external display at 8K resolution at 60Hz.

With the M2 Max, customers can have up to four external displays including one external 8K display at 60 Hertz.

Now to help put these two chips in context – the M2 Pro has 40 billion transistors, up to 32GB of unified memory and 19-core GPU while the M2 Max has 67 billion transistors, up to 96GB of unified memory and up to 38-core GPU.

These two advanced Apple chips can revolutionise and enable your workflows anywhere and on battery power where previously it was only possible when working on a desktop workstation.

These new MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max means there is no limit to when and where pro users can do their work.

The whole idea of purchasing a MacBook Pro with these latest chips is to increase your capacity and improve your workflow.

And with the performance improvements you are also likely to save time as well.

For most of us, me included, the few seconds I’m going to save is nothing compared to what a Hollywood editor, professional photographer or special effects artist would benefit when working on projects worth millions of dollars.

So how much better are the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips?

We’ll look at three main areas of use – photo editing, 3D animation/motion graphics and video editing.

When it’s time to ingest, cull, batch edit, duplicate and store photos, this is made a little easier thanks to the SDXC card slot.

And in terms of using Photoshop to handle complex edits of high-resolution photographs and complete ML accelerated tasks like auto fill and repair it is faster than ever.

In fact, it is three times faster with M2 Max than a MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7.

If you’re a visual effects artist who needs to handle complex 3D VFX workflows, the MacBook Pro can power through these tasks.

For example, 3D artists can smash through extreme geometry and textures in scenes which some of the latest professional PC laptops can’t even touch.

Now motion graphics artists can edit and manipulate massive scenes twice as fast as they would with a MacBook with Intel Core i7.

On the video side, professionals will see an improvement at every stage of their workflow and production.

It’s now possible to playback up to 10 streams of 8K ProRes video at the same time which makes multicam video editing and postproduction a reality anywhere.

Editors can also transcode media up to 16x faster than the latest Intel-based MacBook Pro.

And film makers can work in the field in full HDR with the MacBook Pro when they are nowhere near an edit bay and working on battery.

You just may catch a glimpse of a film editor working on the latest blockbuster next to you on a flight.

That’s now completely possible with the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max.

But not only is the MacBook Pro an absolute workhorse it’s also an entertainer with its stunning Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600nits of peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

On the audio side it has a high-fidelity six speaker sound system with four force-cancelling woofers to give you tremendous bass and clear mids and highs to bring the sound experience to a new level.

It even has a studio-quality three-mic array which reduces feedback while directional beamforming eliminates background noise while recording or on a video call.

Another massive improvement for the MacBook Pro is the battery life.

And that’s all thanks to the incredible efficiency created with the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro will offer up to 18 hours of battery life while the 16-inch model takes that up to a stunning 22 hours of battery life – the longest ever offered on a MacBook laptop.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $3,199 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $3,999.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max is priced from $4,999 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max starts at $5,599.

 VERDICT

The new M2 Pro and M2 Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are absolute gamechangers for those professionals whose work and talent we all love and appreciate. With the improved capabilities of these new MacBooks their talent can now be unleashed – and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

The post 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max review – a gamechanger for creative professionals appeared first on Tech Guide.

We already know Oppo for its smartphones but the company has now released its first tablet in Australia – the Pad Air – which is a handy companion for work, play and travel.

Yes, the name of the product sounds almost exactly like a popular Apple tablet, but that’s where the similarity ends.

Priced at $379, the Oppo Pad Air is certainly affordable. And the cover is an extra $79.

On the design side, the device certainly punches above its weight and includes a two-tone metal splicing design with 3D texture on the rear panel which helps prevent those ugly fingerprints.

And the Pad Air is just 6.94mm thick and weighs just 440g.

The 10.36-inch display has a resolution of 2000 x 1200 with a screen to body ratio of 83.5 per cent.

It also has a 60Hz refresh rate and can display more than a billion colours.

The Pad Air screen has a wider aspect ratio that’s perfect for viewing movies and other video content like YouTube.

But it’s not the best shape for viewing websites or reading documents but turn it on its side to portrait mode and you have an oversized smartphone-shaped screen.

This makes viewing websites and social media apps like Instagram and TikTok even easier as well.

Our content on the Pad Air looked impressive.

It also sounded good as well through the built-in quad Dolby Atmos speakers.

Now we’ve heard better quality audio on a tablet but, given the affordable price, the Pad Air delivered a surprisingly good result.

The Pad Air is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 (CPU) and the Adreno 610@1115MHz (GPU) so performance well above an entry level tablet.

It is running Android with Oppo’s ColorOS 12.1 which gives it a clean and minimal look while still offer easy navigation of the system and the tablet’s features.

Realistically, the Pad Air won’t challenge the iPad Pro in terms speed and power, but it will give you enough grunt for basic tasks like creating and editing documents, playing games, reading eBooks and watching movies.

On the battery side, the Pad Air has 7,100mAh capacity which provides days of power with light usage of a full day of video viewing.

That’s another plus for the tablet at this price point.

It also supports fast charging as well when it’s time to power up again – but you’re not getting the legendary Oppo faster VOOC charging.

Onboard is 64GB of storage but the good news is you can expand the memory with a microSD card.

It has a front 5-megapixel camera and rear 8-megapixel camera which will do the job for basic images and full high-definition video calls.

There are a few limitations with the Pad Air including its lack of a stylus and any clear ability to write on the screen.

It doesn’t have a headphone jack, but it has Bluetooth 5.1 to easily pair earphones and headphones to listen to your music and enjoy your video content.

The Oppo Pad Air is ideal for the customer looking for an affordable tablet with a view of consuming more content than they create.

The Oppo Pad Air is available now and is priced at $379. The cover for Pad Air is available separately for $79.

VERDICT

The Oppo Pad Air is an affordable entry level tablet that delivers quality, features and performance you’d usually find on more expensive devices.

The post Oppo Pad Air review – the affordable tablet that punches above its weight appeared first on Tech Guide.

If you thought the M1 iPad Pro was powerful, then wait till you get a load of the brand new model powered by Apple’s M2 processor – it really takes things to the next level.

While the design of the new iPad Pro hasn’t changed, there are some exciting developments under the hood that will make this product even more valuable and versatile to professionals who rely on high-level performance anywhere.

Available with either 11-inch and 12.9-inch Liquid Retina displays, the iPad Pro can now deliver incredible performance and power through even the most demanding workflows thanks to that new M2 chip.

This latest generation processor from Apple is built on second generation 5-nanometer process with more than 20 billion transistors.

The chip derives its power from the 8-core CPU, which includes four high performance cores and four high efficiency cores and this makes it up to 15 per cent faster than the M1 powered iPad Pro released last year.

And remarkably, it still housed in a thin and light chassis.

On the graphics side, the iPad Pro’s 10-core GPU means up to 35 per cent faster graphics performance than the M1.

This means working with multiple layers in Adobe Photoshop, editing 4K videos and retouching photos is remarkably smooth and responsive.

Blackmagic Design’s Da Vinci Resolve video editing software has also just been released for the iPad Pro with M2.

And it’s a case of having to see it to believe it when editing videos, colour grading and managing HDR workflows – on a tablet.

This will be music to the ears of high-end video editors who can now do their work on the go.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which Tech Guide received for this review, has a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits of peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The larger iPad Pro also has native support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG to offer a mobile cinematic viewing experience.

Not much has changed on the camera side with the 12-megapixel wide camera that can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second as well as capturing HD at up to 240 frames per second for slo-mo videos.

The other 10-megapixel ultra-wide camera lets you zoom out 2x and capture images or 4K video with a much larger field of view.

With the new M2 processor, it turns the iPad Pro into a complete movie studio that accelerates ProRes encode and decode so you’re able to convert video projects to ProRes up to three times faster.

And thanks to the image signal processor in the M2 chip, the iPad Pro can now capture ProRes video.

It also has five studio-quality microphones on board as well as a four-speaker audio system with support for Dolby Atmos so you can not only record theatre quality sound but also enjoy it when it’s time to relax with a movie.

The front 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the iPad Pro not only enables Face ID but also has portrait mode and 122-degree field of view which enables Centre Stage to keep you front and centre in your video calls and on FaceTime.

Apple Pencil users will enjoy an all-new feature with the iPad Pro called Apple Pencil Hover.

This feature allows users to preview what they’re about to write or draw before actually pressing Apple Pencil to the screen.

For example, if you’re using different colours on the display, you can select the colour and visualise what that colour will look like just by keeping Apple Pencil up to 12mm away from the screen.

It’s like a try before you buy feature so you’re not using the wrong colour.

This is a feature powered by M2 so it can interpret the signals from Apple Pencil in three dimensions and approximate where the tip will touch the screen.

On the connectivity side, the iPad Pro with M2 provides 5G connectivity on the cellular models.

And it’s also the first Apple device to offer Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.

But there is a small catch with the iPad Pro Wi-Fi 6E operating only two bands – 2.4 GHz and 5GHz.

What’s missing here is its ability to operate on the 6GHz band which makes it operate even faster on Wi-Fi 6E networks.

The 11-inch iPad Pro with M2 is priced at $1,399 (128GB, wi-fi), $1,579 (256GB, wi-fi), $1,929 (512GB, wi-fi), $2,639 (1TB, wi-fi), $3,329 (2TB, wi-fi), $1,649 (128GB, wi-fi + cellular), $1,829 (256GB, wi-fi + cellular), $2,179 (512GB, wi-fi + cellular), $2,879 (1TB, wi-fi + cellular), $3,579 (2TB, wi-fi + cellular).

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with M2 is priced at $1,829 (128GB, wi-fi), $2,079 (256GB, wi-fi), $2,429 (512GB, wi-fi), $3,129 (1TB, wi-fi), $3,829 (2TB, wi-fi), $2,149 (128GB, wi-fi + cellular), $2,329 (256GB, wi-fi + cellular), $2,679 (512GB, wi-fi + cellular), $3,399 (1TB, wi-fi + cellular), $4,099 (2TB, wi-fi + cellular).

VERDICT

The iPad Pro with M2 is an absolute game changer when it comes to a tablet being able to power through your tasks and maintaining a high level of productivity with some of the most intense applications. It is in a class of its own.

The post iPad Pro with M2 review – stunning performance that’s gone to the next level appeared first on Tech Guide.

The humble iPad has taken a huge leap forward with the release of the 10th generation of the popular device which features a new look and an all-screen design.

Since the release of the iPad back in 2010, it has defined the tablet market and this latest iteration is its biggest upgrade.

Not only does it look different but is also running the A14 bionic chip which certainly upgrades its capabilities to do things like edit 4K videos, play the latest graphics-heavy games and last all day on a single charge.

On the design side, this is the iPad’s biggest change.

Gone is the home button and the large forehead and chin above and below the display and in its place is a stunning 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with a resolution of 2360 X 1640.

That’s 264PPI (pixels per inch) and with 500 nits of brightness.

And the good news is despite having a larger 10.9-inch display over the previous generation’s 10.2-inch screen, the device itself is still basically the same size.

The increased screen real estate has been gained by going edge to edge with the screen and moving the Touch ID to the top of the device.

Now the button on top is where you simply rest your finger to unlock the device with your fingerprint.

The other big change is the move to USB-C with the charging port.

There is no longer a Lightning connection to this iPad.

Apple will still offer the 9th generation iPad with its Lightning connection for sale for those customers who are invested in charging multiple Lightning iPads like schools and businesses.

But for those who purchase the new iPad, they need to embrace USB-C for the first time.

The one issue here though, is that the Apple Pencil, which customers love and will still want to use with this latest iPad has a Lightning connector and requires a Lightning port for charging.

And it’s not like you can move up to the second-generation Apple Pencil, this won’t work with the new iPad because there is no magnetic connection on the top edge as seen on the iPad Air and the iPad Pro to pair in charge Apple Pencil.

So you’re really stuck with the original Apple Pencil on this new iPad.

But apple has come to the rescue with a small USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter that connects the Apple Pencil at one end and the included USB C cable at the other end which can then connect to the device’s port for charging.

On the performance side, the new iPad is very impressive thanks to the A14 Bionic chip which offers a 20 per cent improvement over the previous iPad as well as improvements on the graphics side as well.

The iPad can easily perform advanced tasks like video editing, photo editing with large files an even run the most complex games and high-end applications.

In fact, we think the iPad is powerful enough for those customers looking to buy a laptop for basic use like browsing, email and running applications.

We’ve often suggested to our readers and listeners asking for advice on a new laptop to consider the iPad as their device of choice because it can easily handle the tasks and applications they want to run.

The front facing camera, a very popular feature on the iPad, has now been moved to the landscape edge of the device which makes it easier when you’re on a FaceTime call or recording yourself for a social media post.

This new position means you’ll always be looking at the camera.

The other addition is support for Centre Stage which means the camera will automatically pan and zoom and keep you in the middle of the frame even if you’re moving about.

The front camera can shoot up to 1080p at 60 frames per second while the 12-megapixel wide rear camera can capture 4K video and HD video at 240 frames per second to create some stunning slo-mo videos.

Again, the A14 Bionic chip is doing the heavy lifting here and delivers improved dynamic range, more accurate and truer colour and less noise in your images.

Both capturing and listening to audio has taken a step forward with the new iPad.

For recording, the onboard dual microphone system captures quality audio and adjusts depending on the camera that’s being used, either front or rear.

The speakers are now configured in landscape which widens the sound quality to give you an even more immersive experience when watching movies.

Customers who will opt for the wi-fi plus cellular models will be pleased to know the new iPad now features 5G connectivity to get even faster connections on the move.

Apple has also released a new Magic Keyboard Folio with a full keyboard that offers the same typing mechanism seen on its other products.

It also includes a trackpad so you can really increase your productivity and use the iPad just like a laptop.

Also available is a Smart Folio which attaches magnetically to the back and covers the screen to give your iPad maximum protection while still providing a stand for viewing, making FaceTime calls, reading or typing.

The new 10th generation iPad is available in four colours – silver, yellow, pink and blue in either 64GB or 256GB memory variants.

The iPad 10th generation is priced at $749 (64GB – wi-fi only), $999 (256GB wi-fi only), $999 (64GB wi-fi + cellular) and $1,249 (256GB wi-fi + cellular).

VERDICT

The new iPad 10^th Generation is a stunning improvement across the board not only in its sleek new design but its impressive performance and capabilities as well. The iPad has just become even more versatile and even more irresistible.

The post iPad 10th Generation review – a new look, more powerful and even more attractive appeared first on Tech Guide.

TCL already knows a thing or two about display technology and it has just released the NXTPAPER 10s colour tablet with a screen that’s designed to look like paper that’s a lot friendlier to your eyes.

The TCL NXTPAPER 10s has a 10-inch full high-definition paper-like display which has 73 per cent blue light reduction which reduces the impact of screen time on eye health for both children and adults.

The device, which is running Android 11, also has an anti-glare finish so you’re not getting any reflections.

Yet the TCL NXTPAPER 10s display still manages to deliver impressive bright and natural colours just like a tablet with a regular screen.

The difference here Is the screen is a lot easier on your eyes and is also remarkably fingerprint free.

When we were viewing websites, including our own, and using applications we could still appreciate the colours – they just didn’t have the gloss of a regular display.

Think of it like this – the TCL NXTPAPER 10s is like looking at a colourful book with regular matte pages.

A tablet with a normal screen is like looking that same book but printed on glossy paper.

You’re still getting all the same information, the same look and feel and range of colours but the TCL NXTPAPER 10s just lacks the shine and glow that comes with a regular backlit screen.

The TCL NXTPAPER 10s is TUV-certified with a 73 per cent reduction in blue light passing through.

This is a huge advantage if you spend a lot of time looking at a screen.

Looking at a backlit screen on a computer or tablet will lead to sore or tired eyes.

In fact, Optometry Australia’s 2022 Vision Index Report said 88 per cent of surveyed Australians experienced eye fatigue while 86 per cent believed their child’s eyesight was also being impacted by constant screen time.

Health fund HCF Australia says there has been a 28.8 per cent increase in school aged children who require glasses or contact lenses between 2015 and 2020.

Even the World Health Organisation has recognised the fact that short sightedness is on the increase and predicted that half the population maybe myopic by 2050.

The surface of the TCL NXTPAPER 10s display has a slightly different texture then a regular tablet which comes in handy when typing, scrolling and writing on the screen.

So it not only looks like paper it also makes it feel slightly more paper-like as well.

The other remarkable feature is the clear viewing angle.

Even if you’re looking at the tablet sideways it has the same brightness and clarity as if you were looking at it front on.

That’s something that can’t be said for regular tablets because of the nature of the backlit screen and the reflections.

Design-wise the TCL NXTPAPER 10s is thin (8.3mm) and light (490g) and the screen has a narrow aspect ratio.

The bezels around the display are quite large when compared to the current crop of regular tablets.

On the performance side, the TCL NXTPAPER 10s is powered by an octa-core chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage which can be expanded through the onboard microSD card slot.

The device could be a little more responsive, but it certainly didn’t detract from our enjoyment and use of the product.

Included with the TCL NXTPAPER 10s is it full keyboard cover If you prefer typing on a keyboard.

When you insert the tablet into the keyboard cover it asks if you want to enter PC mode – a new desktop that allows you to focus in on your files and notes while still being able to access productivity apps and a file manager.

There are also dedicated reading and writing apps so you can take full advantage of this paper like screen.

It has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera and has two speakers and two microphones if you need to take part in a video call or enjoy some content.

The TCL NXTPAPER 10s has an 8000mAh battery which will last a day or two because it doesn’t have to power a regular backlit screen.

So whether you’re using it for learning, entertainment, creativity or productivity – the TCL NXTPAPER 10s gives you plenty of time between charges.

The TCL NXTPAPER 10s is available now for $499 from Big W, Target, Mobileciti and other online retailers

VERDICT

The TCL NXTPAPER 10S Is a refreshing new device that takes your eye health into account while still providing an impressive and colourful experience whether you’re using it to work, learn or play. It is an ideal choice if you’re buying a tablet for a child and want to protect their eyes.

The post TCL NXTPAPER 10s review – a tablet with a paper-like screen that’s easy on the eyes appeared first on Tech Guide.

How do I improve my Wi-Fi? That is the question we get asked quite often and our answer is always the same – with a mesh system and Netgear’s new Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is the best you can buy right now.

Having solid wi-fi at home is so important whether it’s to work or learn from home or to enjoy your favourite streaming services and play competitively online anywhere in your home.

The real issue most Australians face is their NBN-issued modem/router is not always near their most important connected devices.

The modem part is fine, but the reach of the router part is useless unless you’re standing next to it.

A mesh wi-fi system like the new Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is the solution to this common problem.

Whether you live in a long narrow house or multi-storey home, you want your wi-fi to be consistent no matter where you happen to be.

The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E provides four bands of coverage in your home including a 6Ghz, two 5Ghz and a 2.4Ghz channel.

The Netgear Orbi also creates a dedicated 2.4Ghz band making it even easier to connect your smart devices which operate on this 2.4Ghz band.

Then there are two 5GHz bands, one for the main traffic of the house and the other acting as a dedicated backhaul.

This dedicated 5Ghz channel allows data to flow from the satellites back to the modem so it’s not going to impose on the other channels and cost you any bandwidth or speed.

And the all-new 6Ghz band is reserved for the fastest devices in your home, those that are compatible with the Wi-Fi 6E standard including some of the latest smartphones and laptops.

On this band users will find noticeably faster speeds between the modem and the device to ensure smooth streaming and fast gaming on your network.

In fact, the 6Ghz band has more than twice the bandwidth of 5Ghz and eliminates any interference and congestion so you’re getting impressive speeds for your connected Wi-Fi 6E devices.

Setting up the device is quite simple.

Using the Netgear Orbi app, you connect the main router to your existing modem and the two other Orbi satellites are then positioned around your home.

The units themselves have a slick design but nothing too flashy that won’t fit your home’s decor.

Netgear says you should unplug your modem from the power point before connecting the Orbi main router and plugging in the satellites.

Once everything is connected and powered up, the name of the network and its password, displayed on a sticker on the main router will be seen on your list of networks on your mobile device.

Once connected, the app does the rest including locating your satellites and allowing you to rename the network and set a different password.

Our install took about 20 minutes and that included walking around the house plugging in the new Orbi products and downloading a firmware update for the system.

The router and the satellites also have multi gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections to nearby devices like smart TVs and gaming consoles.

The Orbi Wi-Fi 6E system can support 16 simultaneous Wi-Fi streams – that’s good to know especially when you have people in your household streaming on their own devices and different smart TVs.

The Orbi main router has support for up to 10Gbps internet speeds so it can future proof your home network.

At the time of writing our review, we were hoping that our NBN fibre upgrade would be complete and offer up to 1Gbps speeds through our Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection.

And that’s the speed you would get throughout your entire home thanks to the mesh network created by the Orbi system.

Currently our NBN plan is 100Mbps down and 40Mbps up and our speed tests showed we were getting every bit of that speed we were already paying for.

Actually, we were getting more than 100Mbps speeds when we did three separate tests literally in the three furthest corners of our home.

The other great benefit of a system like the Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is the capacity to connect more than 70 devices – many of us are already there with the popularity of smart home and security products.

The movement of data within your home – separate to the sheer speed of the internet coming into your home – is what makes the Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E a great choice to be able to view simultaneous 4K and eventually 8K streams in our homes smoothly and without buffering.

The system can provide wall-to-wall coverage for homes up to 840 square metres in size and you can increase that coverage with the addition of more satellites.

The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is not cheap at $2,799 but customers need to remember there are three Wi-Fi 6E routers in the pack.

The cost of a single Wi-Fi 6E router is about $1,100 so there is actually some value with three at less than $3,000.

VERDICT

The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E is the best mesh system you can buy right now. If who want a better and more reliable wi-fi experience to enjoy your entertainment, remain connected and to be able work and learn effectively – the Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E should be considered as an investment to ensure that quality today and into the future.

The post Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E review – ultimate solution for fast and consistent wi-fi at home appeared first on Tech Guide.

Video meetings are here to stay and the good news is you can achieve a high-quality connection with the AnkerWork B600 Video Conferencing Bar that combines a 2K camera, a four-mic array, dual speakers and a smart LED light bar.

It has everything you need to achieve a high-quality video meeting for those users working from home or in a hybrid arrangement.

The product is an all-in-one solution which can provide impressive video quality, good audio and even eliminate background sounds so you can focus on your meeting.

Also onboard is the smart LED light bar with brightness and colour temperature adjustment so you can be clearly seen.

The camera has autofocus as well as a field of view adjustment which gives users the choice between 65 degrees, 78 degrees, 95 degrees or the Solo Frame which can centre the user in the image even if they move around.

The AnkerWork companion software puts all these settings at your fingertips including image settings like brightness, sharpness, saturation and contrast ratio.

The MagicSight intelligent lighting technology aboard the B600 can also optimise the lighting conditions in your home office.

The unit can analyse facial lighting through the camera and calculate what’s needed to achieve a perfect image.

The lighting panel can also be used on its own to illuminate your workspace and be used as a reading light.

And the integrated light panel offers extra privacy because when it’s closed, the panel acts as a privacy shield by covering the camera.

On the audio side, the device features VoiceRadar which is an intelligent technology using four microphones to detect and isolate the user’s voice from different directions.

It also incorporates directional beamforming technology which means you can be heard quite clearly even when in a noisy environment.

It also has 2 x 2W audio output so you can hear your meeting quite clearly.

The device itself rests securely on top of your monitor with a stand that can easily be adjusted to provide the right angle.

The unit connects via USB-C to your computer – PC or Mac – and, of course, can be used with other video conferencing apps including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Webex and many more.

The AnkerWork B600 Video Conferencing Bar is an excellent all-in-one solution for users who want to be able to conduct high quality video conferences from anywhere.

The device is available now and is priced at $499.95.

The post Enjoy high-quality meetings with AnkerWork’s all-in-one B600 Video Conferencing Bar appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new MacBook Air not only has a brand-new design but also a brand-new engine – the latest Apple M2 chip – which offers an improvement across the board in speed, performance and battery life.

It’s has undergone one of its biggest design changes since the original MacBook Air was introduced back in 2008.

The M2 MacBook Air has lost its tapered design and now the same thickness from back to front – and that figure is a svelte 11.3mm.

It also has 20 per cent less volume than the previous model and tips the scales at a mere 1.24kg.

It also comes in four finishes – Silver, Starlight (which is what we received for our review), Space Grey and Midnight.

The best way I can describe Starlight is as a mix of silver, rose gold and grey.

The other new colour Midnight has a blueish hue.

During our review, we carried the M2 MacBook Air with us in our backpack and it was so light we forgot it was even there.

And MagSafe is back so the charging cord attaches magnetically and detaches harmlessly is anyone trips over the cord instead of dragging the MacBook Air across the room.

Users can still charge through one of the two Thunderbolt/USB ports.

It also supports fast charging. It comes with a 35W charger with two USB-C ports so it can allocate power based on the connected devices.

There’s a 67W USB-C charger that’s also available that can get you to 50 per cent charge in around 30 minutes.

The M2 MacBook Air has a stunning 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display which now has a notch at the top of the screen so users can get slightly more screen real estate.

Inside that notch is the new 1080p FaceTime HD camera – that’s twice the resolution and better low light performance.

And with so many of us still connecting virtually, users can rest assured they’ll be seen and heard clearer than ever.

It also sounds better as well with a new four-speaker sound system that supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

We watched a few movies on the M2 MacBook Air and we were pleasantly surprised by the audio quality.

It’s the same deal if you’re playing a game so when it’s time to relax you’ll know the quality is there.

The M2 MacBook Air also includes the full Magic Keyboard which now includes a full height row of functions keys and a Touch ID sensor to log into sites and authorise purchases and app downloads in an instant.

Now we could talk all-day about the design and features of the M2 MacBook Air but it also has been improved under the hood with the Apple’s M2 chip.

This is an 8-core, up to 10-core GPU with a 16-core Neural Engine with faster unified memory (formerly known as RAM) with up to 100GB/s bandwidth.

Now all that might not mean a whole lot to you but suffice it to say it’s noticeably faster than the M1 MacBook Air, offers greater performance and manages to offer even better battery life.

The M2 is a slight improvement over the M1 but a huge jump for anyone coming from an Intel-based MacBook Air.

And let’s face it – there won’t be to many customers who will upgrade from the M1 MacBook Air but there will be plenty coming from an Intel-based MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

For our review we did notice the improvements especially when editing video and photos.

In Final Cut Pro there is a small 1.4x improvement over the M1 but a huge 15x improvement over the Intel-based MacBook Air.

Same deal when using Adobe Photoshop applying filters and effects. It’s instant and that 1.2x faster than M1 and 5x faster than Intel Macs.

So if you’re doing things like video editing, photo processing, coding or editing audio, the M2 MacBook Air has got your back.

Not it won’t be the same performance as the M2 MacBook Pro.

Yes, it is technically the same processor as the M2 MacBook Air but the difference is the MacBook Air has a fanless design.

This means it will back off heavy processor runs if you’re performing long renders and other intensive tasks.

If you’re doing that with the M2 MacBook Pro, then fan kicks in to cool things down and you’ll get the same performance.

But that doesn’t mean the M2 MacBook Air can’t handle what you throw at it – it will just do it in shorter bursts.

The other big improvement here is the battery life which is slightly better than the M1 MacBook Air but a lot better than the Intel-based MacBook Air.

Customers coming from an Intel-based MacBook Air will see the battery life almost double with up 18 hours of use.

For our review, we used the M2 MacBook Air as our daily driver and we got through two full work days and still had battery left.

This is thanks to the M2 chip power efficiency. The Holy Grail for chip manufacturers is to offer better performance and use less power.

The M2 is getting closer to this goal thanks to the chip’s architecture and its improved unified memory.

The M2 MacBook Air is available now and is priced from $1,899 for 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD (solid state drive) storage.

VERDICT

The new M2 MacBook Air has been transformed inside and out and offers an attractive solution that looks great and delivers stunning performance.

The post M2 MacBook Air review – a fresh new design backed by excellent performance appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple announced its new M2 processor at the recent Worldwide Developer’s Conference and one of first products it was used with was the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Tech Guide has been test driving the machine for the past week.

Design-wise the 13-inch MacBook Pro has not changed a bit – it’s what’s under the hood that counts.

It retains its slick design and relatively thin (1.56cm) and light (1.4kg) proportions.

It also has the same full keyboard, two Thunderbolt/ USB 4 ports and a headphone jack.

Those ports can be used for charging, to connect an external display and to transfer data at up to 40Gbps.

The new M2 chip allows for up to 24GB of unified memory (what we used to call RAM) and has a faster 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine.

On top of all that there’s 50 per cent more memory bandwidth than M1.

You can do things like edit multiple streams of 8K and 4K video, instantly edit numerous complex images and play the latest cutting-edge graphics intensive games.

When editing video in Final Cut Pro, the M2 13-inch MacBook Pro is 1.4x faster than the M1 and up to six times faster than a quad core Intel Core i7-based MacBook Pro.

In terms of image processing, the M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch is 1.4x faster than the M12 MacBook Pro and 3.4x faster than a quad-core Intel Core i7 MacBook.

We’ve had the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro for a week and it’s one sleek unit.

While we put it through its paces with some video and image editing – we didn’t get near its potential.

Pro users can rest assured it can deliver the performance that need when they are in the move, on location or on the set.

Also onboard is an active cooling system so users can enjoy peak performance for longer whether you’re editing or rendering.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is going to stay in the game even longer because it can cool things down when it needs to.

That’s the biggest difference between the M2 MacBook Air and the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro.

They are priced $100 apart (the MacBook Air will be available in late July) but the M2 MacBook Air doesn’t have the active cooling and can’t handle the longer streaks of performance like the MacBook Pro – that’s why it’s called Pro and this is the machine that creative professionals will choose.

Onboard is a stunning Retina Display which give you hyper accurate colour when working with your content and editing images and video.

It has 500 nits brightness and P3 wide colour gamut which offers 25 per cent more colours than sRGB.

Other improvements with the M2 chip are a HD FaceTime camera with better image signal processing so you’ll always look your best – and sound your best through the built-in studio mic which has improved signal to noise ratio like a professional-grade microphone.

The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro also has the Touch Bar instead of a row of function keys which can change to suit the application you’re using.

And it’s all secured with Touch ID which can instantly unlock the MacBook Pro, authorise Apple Pay payments and open password protected files.

With the M2 processor the result is a new level of power efficiency.

It manages to deliver maximised performance while offering miserly power consumption.

This higher performance per watt means the M2 can run fast, run cool and play at the top of its game for a really long time.

The battery life is up to 20 hours of run time on a single charge.

That’s where this power efficiency comes into play. We noticed battery life with Apple’s M1 chip almost doubled – we’d never seen an improvement like that before.

And the now with the M2, that gets even better.

But while the M2 offers about a 20 per cent improvement on the M1 it can’t outperform the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that were offered with the Mac Studio and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.

They are two chips fused into one and have set a benchmark that’s higher than the M2 chip.

The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 – that has an 8-core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 8GB unified memory and 256GB SSD storage.

It goes on sale from tomorrow.

VERDICT

The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro offer a noticeable improvement from the M1 and offers peace of mind to professional users who need to have power and performance at their fingertips.

The post 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro review – same design but a performance and battery boost appeared first on Tech Guide.

That’s not a tablet – now that’s a tablet! The Crocodile Dundee reference shows that what you think is big for a tablet is nothing compared to the massive Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with its 14.6-inch display.

Samsung is not backward in coming forward with its products – it has boldly released superb TVs, powerful and folding smartphones and a projector you can take anywhere.

This time out the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is also swinging for the fences with its remarkable size which includes that stunning 14.6-inch Super AMOLED 120Hz display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 and a colour depth of 16 million colours.

The first thing you need to get used to is the sheer size of the device.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is 32.6cm wide, 20.9cm tall and 5.5mm thick so it’s in the same ballpark as a laptop computer – only a lot thinner and lighter.

And with the addition of the keyboard cover (which is how we reviewed it) it really does become a viable laptop alternative.

The screen has thin bezels so you’re mostly looking at the display which has a 16:10 aspect ratio so it’s OK for work and play.

When watching video content, the picture has excellent black levels and warn natural colours.

Another really impressive feature is how thin the tablet is at just 5.5mm.

But there were no concerns about the strength of the Tab S8 Ultra – the build quality was excellent and, despite the supermodel thin dimensions, it didn’t ever feel flimsy.

The Book Cover Keyboard (available to purchase separately) doesn’t add much bulk to the already thin tablet and makes it possible to use the Tab S8 Ultra more like laptop while still offering the touchscreen and an S Pen (which comes in the box) as additional ways of interacting with the system and your content.

The Book Cover Keyboard has a panel for the back of the tablet which allows you to store the S Pen and had a kick stand to position the tablet at a comfortable angle.

The keyboard attached magnetically to the bottom edge of the Tab S8 Ultra and it has nicely spaced keys and a trackpad to make even more laptop-like.

It’s certainly worth paying for the Book Cover Keyboard to really get the most out of even though the tablet is still quite functional.

Under the hood, the Samsung Tab S8 Ultra has 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot to expand that even further.

On the camera side there’s a 13-megapixel and 6-megapixel rear cameras and two front 12-megapixel cameras which can be used for video calls and video meetings.

There’s an in-screen fingerprint display which worked well most of the time. There were times when it didn’t recognise our registered fingerprint and we had to type in the passcode.

The tablet is running Android, which is designed mainly for mobile use, but you can still access Google applications like Gmail and Docs as well as Microsoft’s suite of applications.

But it’s not Windows and has its limitations with some apps not optimised to the larger display.

What you can do is with a screen of this size is split the screen and work on two apps at once.

What you also have in the advanced features of the settings is Samsung DeX which offers a Windows-esque environment.

We used this quiet a bit because it felt more like a computer workspace not a mobile phone.

For our review, we found battery life to be above average when we were using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as our daily driver.

Samsung lists battery life as up to eight hours when connected to the internet or 5G and up to 14 hours watching videos.

For us we easily got through our workday with plenty of battery left and an overnight charge has us ready for the next day.

If you’re already in the Samsung ecosystem there are several advantages like being able to connect your Samsung smartphone to mirror the screen and swap files.

Now let’s talk price, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Ultra is not cheap – it starts at $1,799 (wi-fi only, 128GB). Adding 256GB memory and 5G takes the bill up to $2,199.

And that’s not including the Book Cover Keyboard which is an additional $499.

For that price you can certainly buy a decent laptop computer – but that’s all you get.

One thing the Samsung tablet offers is versatility – you can remove the keyboard and just use the kickstand when watching a movie – or you can have the tablet in your hands and take it wherever you want.

VERDICT

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra certainly demonstrates that bigger can mean better and it offers a lot of space for work and play and offer a quality experience for whatever you choose to do.

The post Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra review – the biggest tablet with giant potential appeared first on Tech Guide.

You might know DJI mainly for its excellent drones and it has a range of products designed to help you capture video – but now it can help you capture crisp audio with the new DJI Mic.

While the focus for most has been on video quality, the DJI Mic wireless microphone system can now offer same high quality.

DJI Mic consists of two wireless transmitter/microphones for dual channel recording and a receiver that connects directly to your camera.

And it’s all housed in a handy charging case like your wireless earphones.

This is helpful because they are easy to store, and you know at a glance the charge level of the transmitters and receiver.

DJI says the microphones and receiver can run for up to 5 hours and 5.5 hours respectively with the case providing a further 10 hours of power.

Content creators can clip the microphone – which weighs just 30g – to their clothing and keep it out of site using the included magnet to secure it under clothes or inside your jacket.

Each transmitter also has a 3.5mm jack to connect a lapel microphone (which is not included).

In this instance, the transmitter can be clipped to your belt or stored in a pocket.

And the transmitter has a range of up to 250m and still be able to record quality audio.

The system connects through the stable 2.4Ghz frequency band so you’ll always have a strong signal when you’re shooting.

The DJI Mic also provides an interference free wireless transmission so even in busy areas you’ll enjoy a clear signal.

The DJI Mic also comes with two windscreens to reduce wind noise.

On the receiver side, it attaches securely to the hot shoe of the camera and can be positioned so the touchscreen can face the camera operator or to the presenter.

When we reviewed the DJI Mic – we had the receiver facing us so we could see the battery level, our audio levels and which microphones.

We connected the DJI Mic to our Sony A6600 and Sony ZV-1.

The microphones did well to pick up our voice even when there were external noises. Our voice was always still the main focus of the audio.

With the windscreens, we recorded some audio near the beach, the wind was almost inaudible.

From the receiver’s touchscreen, users can choose mono or stereo recording, adjust the receiver gain and the volume if you’ve connected headphones.

The DJI Mic also comes with a safety track so it can record all your audio in case there is a loss of audio or distortion. Each transmitter has 8GB of built-in storage.

One word of caution – on the microphone the record button is right next to the link button so make sure you press the right button.

And DJI Mic is not just limited to your camera – it can also be used with your smartphone and your laptop.

DJI Mic comes with a Lightning plug so you can connect the receiver to your iPhone and USB-C plug which can be used to connect to an Android smartphone or a laptop.

The DJI Mic is a versatile device that can cover all your audio needs when creating content either with a camera or a smartphone.

The other option on the market right now is the Rode GO Wireless II which is cheaper at $349, and it also comes with a lavalier wearable mic.

The DJI Mic does not include a lapel microphone so it would have to be purchased separately.

The DJI Mic is available now and is priced at $509.

VERDICT

The DJI Mic is a versatile device that can cover all your audio needs when creating content either with a camera or a smartphone. It creates quality audio to complement the quality of your videos.

The post DJI Mic review – a versatile audio recording system for content creators appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple’s new Mac Studio is a stunningly powerful desktop computer that delivers never-before-seen performance to the most demanding users who are pushing the envelope to produce their projects.

We’re talking about video editors, animators, 3D artists, game developers and photographers who are producing, editing and creating usually with massive files and vast amounts of data.

The biggest news about the product is the fact it’s powered by Apple’s brand new M1 ultra processor.

This is a 20 core CPU, up to 64 GPU up to 128GB unified memory (that’s what they used to call RAM) and 800GB/s memory bandwidth.

The M1 Ultra is actually made up of two M1 Max chips which have been fused together to take speed and performance to the next level.

And the 27-inch 5K Retina Apple Studio Display provides an incredibly clear, bright and accurate view of what you’re working.

The fact the word “studio” is included in the name of the new computer and display indicates exactly who the target audience is for these products.

It is those users who have a studio setup producing music, movies, animation and games.

For our review of the Mac Studio – we couldn’t come close to testing the limits of Apple’s new desktop computer with our pretty basic workflow.

The Mac Studio we were sent for review was powered by the M1 Max processor with 64GB unified memory along with the regular tiltable Apple Studio with standard glass.

To be frank, using the Mac studio for our day-to-day tasks would be like using a sledgehammer to crack an egg. It’s way more computer than we need.

But I’m putting myself in the shoes of a developer or a video editor who’s dealing with multiple video tracks or huge 3D files and the amount of time it would take to not only ingest that content into the system but then edit and manipulate it to produce the final product.

We’ve heard from some high-end developers and editors and they are justifiably excited to get their hands on this computer and put it through its paces.

To them this is a game changer.

One developer, who spoke during Apple’s launch event, said they didn’t even have time to stir their coffee buy the time the Mac studio had already rendered their file – a task that usually takes a lot longer.

That speed and efficiency is what these users are looking for because it’s this same speed and efficiency that can save them money with their production or their project.

On the design side, the Mac Studio looks like three Mac minis stacked one on top of the other.

It’s quite compact and is small enough to rest perfectly below the Studio Display.

On the front are two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an SD card reader.

Meanwhile, on the rear panel, you’ll find four more Thunderbolt 4 ports, an Ethernet port two USB Type A ports, a HDMI port, a headphone jack and the power port.

Above the ports on the rear panel is a grill that takes up about 2/3 of that surface to ensure the M1 processor under the hood has plenty of ventilation.

We used Photoshop and Final Cut Pro and it was immediately obvious the system was quite capable to fly through our tasks of editing photos and videos.

Editing videos, we noticed that scrubbing through clips was effortless and instant as was applying different effects, transitions and titles.

We can only imagine how much easier the Mac Studio makes the job of editing multiple 8K video streams and far more sophisticated projects.

A music producer could literally have hundreds of tracks in one project and the Mac Studio would easily be able to handle that kind of load.

And, of course you, can connect Mac Studio to Apple’s Studio Display through one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Users can also choose to connect another monitor.

The Apple Studio Display – priced at $2,499 – has its own A13 Bionic chip, 600nits brightness, a 12-megapixel camera and a six-speaker system that supports Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

The display has three Thunderbolt 4 ports to connect up to two other Apple Studio Displays or other monitors and peripherals.

Users can also connect and charge a MacBook Pro.

We watched a movie on the display and it offered the same quality of a smart TV.

The screen can be tilted to suit your viewing angle, but you’d need to invest another $600 to purchase the tilt and height adjustable Studio Display ($3,099).

There’s also the option of standard glass and nano texture glass which costs an extra $500 and further minimises glare and reflection.

The Mac Studio – once configured before purchase – cannot be upgraded or charged. You’re locked in.

You can’t tinker with it and add memory – like you could with the older iMacs.

It’s also not cheap. The Mac Studio starts at $3,099 for the M1 Max version and from $6,099 for the M1 Ultra.

And adding things like more unified memory (up to 128GB) and storage (up to 8TB) – can really add up as well.

You also don’t get a keyboard or mouse or trackpad so if you don’t already have one – so that’s another expense.

But you need to keep in mind the type of user who will buy this product.

It could be a film editor working on a multimillion dollar motion picture or a music producer working on an album.

To them this is an investment not a cost.

Sure it might be out of our league – our 14-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac are more than enough for us.

But for those creators who are pushing the envelope with their imagination and ambition needs a computer like the Mac Studio to push the envelope with them and provide the headroom to turn their ideas into reality.

VERDICT

The Mac Studio is an absolute powerhouse and offers unmatched performance for the user who doesn’t want to be limited by their computer’s capabilities.

The post Mac Studio and Studio Display review – stunningly powerful for the high end user appeared first on Tech Guide.

Microsoft is enjoying a great run with its Surface laptops, and it has taken a step up with the new Surface Laptop Studio which has an adjustable display to suit what you’re doing or what you’re watching or playing.

It looks like a regular laptop, in fact, it looks a bit like a MacBook Pro when its open in laptop mode. But that’s where the similarities end.

The Surface Laptop Studio is running Windows 11 and has a display that can swing forward to cover the keyboard and even rest flat to become a tablet.

But if you want a more comfortable workspace, you can tilt the display out and bring it forward so that it covers the keyboard.

If you have the Microsoft Slim Pen 2, you are now in the ideal position to write, draw and on the screen – so not having a keyboard doesn’t really matter in this case.

This is also a great mode for watching movies or playing games.

It’s at an angle like a drafting table to make it comfortable to work and create.

But if you do need to get some work done, work on a document and answer a few emails, then the screen can snap back into place flush with the lid and now the Surface Laptop Studio is back to laptop mode.

The Slim Pen can be stored on the front edge of the laptop where it attaches magnetically and charges as well.

The pen is impressively responsive and can be used not just for writing and drawing but also interacting with applications and making changes with a few pen strokes.

We think a better name would have been Origami because it folds any which way.

You’re working with a 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen display which has a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2400 x 1600 – not quite 4K but higher resolution than full HD.

And the screen is excellent – sharp and bright with a 3:2 aspect ratio which suits looking at documents, looking at content and browsing webpages.

The 120Hz refresh rate makes even smoother so great for games and watching movies.

The 6-row keyboard has well-spaced keys with plenty of travel and a good-sized trackpad.

For our review we had the Surface Laptop Studio with 32GB RAM (it’s also available with 16GB) and with the 11^th Gen Intel Core i7 processor (it’s also available with i5).

Our unit also had 1TB of SSD (solid state drive) storage – you can also configure it with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

On the graphics side, you’ve also got the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 laptop GPU with 4GB GDDR6 GPU memory.

The laptop is a litter thicker than other devices but even at 18.94mm it’s still pretty impressive considering what you get and the many ways it can be configured.

It’s also a little heavier than other laptops at 1.82kg but that’s not a deal breaker – it was still easy to slip it into a backpack.

Now let’s talk about performance.

With the i7 chip onboard the Surface Laptop Studio is quite a capable device and can handle things like video and photo editing, rendering and animation.

And you’ve also got the CPU and GPU power to be able to play the latest games.

The computer has a full HD front facing camera, so you’ll look your best on your video calls.

That same camera is also used for the Windows Hello face authentication, so you just need to open the lid to unlock it.

On the connectivity side there are two USB-C ports with USB 4.0 Thunderbolt 4 so you can connect devices like external hard drives and a monitor.

You’ll also find a headphone jack – and that’s it.

We would have loved to see a USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot.

One area that really impressed was the battery life which gave us a day and half before we had to recharge.

The Surface Laptop Studio is available now and is priced from $2,399 which isn’t cheap. Our review laptop is priced at $4,049.

The Microsoft Slim Pen is priced at $189 and the Surface Mobile Mouse which we also used is $54.95.

VERDICT

The Surface Laptop Studio is an impressive machine and is ideal for a creator with a versatility that gives the user plenty of options for their workflow, play time and content consumption.

The post Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review – a powerful and flexible solution for creators appeared first on Tech Guide.

When Australian company Espresso launched their amazing thin, portable displays it allowed us to increase our screen real estate and improve our workflow and productivity quickly and easily. Espresso has just launched Version 2 – and it’s even better.

Espresso entered the market at the start of the pandemic, at a time when we were reassessing how and where we worked.

Their thin displays (just 5.3mm thick) offered a solution for those who wanted to break free of their small laptop screens and have more room to move and to get their work done.

Version 2 of the Espresso display – available again in 13-inch and 15-inch – are now even more versatile.

They still connect with a single USB-C cable to your laptop or desktop computer and require no power – they draw power from the computer they are connected to so there is no need to carry around a second charger or power supply.

And the screen can also be used in any orientation – landscape and portrait – to suit what you’re working on or viewing.

And they are touchscreens, which, for Mac users, can completely revolutionise the way they work and use their computer.

The touchscreen displays have full HD resolution with 300nits brightness and include features like palm rejection when using the touchscreen and have built-in speakers.

For our review, we had our 15-inch Espresso display connected to our 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro and we were able to spread out our work.

We had our email on the Espresso display with other applications running on the laptop.

And with gestures we were able to navigate the Espresso display including scrolling our emails and browsers with two fingers.

We would have liked to see higher brightness, but we suspect that would mean drawing even more power from your laptop which could impact your battery life if you’re on the move.

We’re also expecting a 4K Espresso display in the near future.

Espresso has also released the EspressoPen – a precision stylus with pressure sensitivity and excellent responsiveness.

This now opens up your options to write and draw and the built-in button offers left and right mouse click functionality.

EspressoPen really frees users up to be even more creative and productive when working with applications like Sketchbook and the whole line-up of Adobe apps like Illustrator, Photoshop and many more.

The pen also works seamlessly with collaborative whiteboard tools like Miro, Figma and Conceptboard.

Espresso has also released EspressoFlow – new software for Macs and Windows PC that makes it easier to navigate content, add functionality for EspressoPen and just make the screen work even better with your computer.

There are also a range of accessories to help position the display including a case that acts both as a cover to protect the screen when not on use and as a way position the screen.

There’s also magnetic stand so you can elevate and tilt the screen so it’s at the right height and the right angle.

The Espresso displays are a great addition to your workflow. They make things a lot easier and pave the way to help you become a lot more productive no matter where you are.

And being so thin and light – and the fact they don’t need their own power source – you can take them anywhere.

The Espresso Displays are priced at $669 (13-inch) and $749 (15-inch). EspressoPen is priced at $119, Espresso Stand is $99 and EspressoCase is $69.

VERDICT

The Espresso Display V2 is a huge improvement over the already brilliant original display and provide even more ways to easily expand your workspace and dramatically improve your workflow and productivity.

The post Espresso Display V2 review – a better way to improve your workflow and productivity appeared first on Tech Guide.