Every Gadget You Need In 2021
We have a ridiculous amount of tech for you this issue, covering everything from stock trackers to earbuds.
Rock Solid Storage
Finally a portable SSD with WIFI for manly men. You can be digging your 4×4 out of a ditch and never be more than a few swipes away from accessing 8TB of data. The LAMBOGO is designed for the times you need to access data on the go where the internet may not be readily accessible.
Perfect for National Geographic photographers, the LAMBOGO is shock and water resistant and has a max wired read/write speed of 2400mb/s. It comes with an SD card slot in the side for backing up data off the card quickly and painlessly at 320mb/s. Wirelessly, it transfers at 900mb/s and allows connecting multiple devices to the LAMBOGO at the same time.
It has 8 hours of continuous battery life and the integrated 5000 mAh power bank can also be used as a backup power supply for recharging your phone. It has different sizes for all budgets, from $159 for 1tb to $879 for 8tb.
Sounds Good Looks Good
Logitech brought out a new set of G335 Wired Gaming Headsets in a range of new colours and a new lightweight slim 240 gram design for increased comfort. Did you know that headsets can be “Discord Certified”? Well The G335’s are so they’re guaranteed for crystal clear audio and communication clarity. Available in Black, White and Mint, with matching reversible headbands, the G335 also has built-in controls, a volume roller located directly on the ear cup and a flip-to-mute mic in case that communication clarity is also leaking in screaming partners in the background.
The Logitech G335 has a recommended NZ retail price of $149.90.
To The Moon
If you’re obsessed with stocks or Crypto, and check how your numbers are doing every ten minutes then the Tickrmeter is your next must buy.
Tickrmeter is a physical block that sits on your desk displaying the latest up to date numbers of how your favourite stocks are doing. It uses an E-Paper screen that means it has 180 degree viewing angle and ultra low battery usage. Refresh times can be customised from your phone, and a status bar on the right can be tweaked to reflect candle colour, RSI or custom alert.
Via WiFi, it pulls financial data from Polygon.io giving it a latency of just 20ms. This is undermined somewhat by the e-paper refresh times, which is 0.3 seconds when it’s refreshing the entire screen. You can buy multiple displays to stack on your desk, or you can keep things compact by having one display cycle through 10 different stocks each.
In the box, it comes with a daisy chain cable to connect multiple Tickrmeters together as well as a 3.5 metre power cable.
Know When To Fold ‘Em
As an artist, the Samsung Galaxy S Pen has been a life changer for on-the-go digital drawing. Now that functionality is being brought to the Galaxy Z Fold3, giving users even more real estate to play with. Foldables are finally hitting the mainstream in a big way, giving mobile natives a legitimate amount of screenspace to actually multitask.
The Z Fold3 5G comes in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Green, while it’s more fashionable counterpart, the Z Flip3 5G, comes in Lavender, Green, Cream and Phantom Black.
It comes with IPX8 water resistance, Armor Aluminium and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. At this sort of pricepoint, you want all the protection you can get on your investment.
The real event is the foldable 7.6-inch Infinity Flex Display, which can withstand 200,000 folds, or about 2 days use if you check your phone as much as I do. It has eco display tech which makes it 29% brighter while consuming less energy than usual. When it’s closed up, you can rely on its narrow 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED cover screen, which faces outwards.
It’s also equipped with the latest powerful 5nm AP and 5G band compatibility so you can take full advantage of all the Bill Gates-certified nanobots in the air.
The downsides to the phone are that there’s nowhere to pack the S Pen after you’re done with it, without buying a special case for it. The centre crease can also be a little sensitive and can be damaged if you aren’t careful about it.
But personally, I believe in either going big or going home, and this phone is in a class of its own making.
Bose Sleepbuds 2
The Bose Sleepbuds 2 are one of the more fascinating pieces of tech I’ve had the opportunity of trying out recently. They’re a pair of earphones with exactly one mission statement, and that is to give you a great sleep. You can see it in every part of its design. Zero hard edges, a low form factor that makes it practically disappear inside your ear (just a quarter inch deep!), and a beautifully snug fit.
Paired with the Bose Sleep app, the earphones pipe relaxing white noise of your choice. They can also be programmed to set an alarm for you, so when you absolutely have to wake up, they can help you with that as well. Personally I just became a dad and I just got off paternity leave. Waking up to an alarm felt like an absolute crime.
Bose knows how to make a sexy premium feeling product. Its anodized aluminium case slips open to display the earbuds laid out ready for use. Charging the case is done via USB-C and can provide up to 30 hours of additional battery life. The buds themselves last about 10 hours. If you sleep for more than 10 hours at a time, I’m pretty sure that’s considered a light coma. The buds themselves are coated in an anti-friction coating which prevents rubbing or squeaking sounds that would normally occur with regular earphones sliding against pillows. I’m honestly impressed with how elegantly designed they are.
It should be noted that these earphones can’t be used for anything outside of what they’re designed for. That means you won’t be able to blast Spotify or Soundcloud through them. That’s maybe for the best, as everything about the audio quality and streaming has been designed with sleep and battery longevity in mind, rather than crystal clear thumping bass etc.
If you’re someone who needs sleeping aids, or have rowdy neighbours and snoring partners, this could be just the device to save your relationship.
Prices start from $419.95 and are available now.
Lense Itself to VR
While some of us might scoff at the idea of filming for VR, some of the biggest names in the industry are putting some serious money and product design into catering to the growing market. Canon’s new RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens is bonkers. It offers an optical solution to capturing a field of view of 190 degrees, perfect for stereoscopic 3D experiences. It features dual 5.2mm fisheye lenses positioned with 60mm of spacing between Left and Right Lens centres to achieve this. Both lens have seperate aperture mechanisms, but work in concert with each other to streamline the process, also allowing for coordinated manual focusing. That’s not the only thing that got streamlined either, Canon’s EOS VR Utility software can convert footage from dual fisheye to an equirectangular file that can be exported into whatever format or resolution you require.
Honestly I can’t wait to start boring my family to death with VR vacation videos.
Questionable Kickstarter: AER TYP
Let’s take a quick break to see what the fringes of the tech world has to offer.
Ever wanted great aerial footage but don’t have the cash for a drone and a GoPro? Why not hollow out your kid’s old mega-howler and stick your phone in it instead? That seems to be the idea behind “AER TYP” (Throw Your Phone). It’s a foam case with a porthole for your phone to stick out of. Simply set your phone to record and then biff it as hard as you can over the action you want to capture. It’s as ingenious as much as it is ludicrous.
kickstarter.com/projects/aervideo/
Forming the Best Sound
Belkin is normally my go-to for quality chargers and cables, but they’re now returning to their roots with a new range of wireless earbuds, built for whatever lifestyle you might enjoy. There is the SOUNDFORM Freedom, Rise, and Move Plus True Wireless Earbuds. Personally I opted for the SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds, which are tackling the big boys head on with integration of the Apple Find My network. This means you can use your Apple device to track these things down if they ever go missing. Capacitive controls on the stems can be used to, well, control your audio. It also boasts resonant bass and a crystal-clear finish thanks to Belkin’s proprietary drive design that boosts low frequency response. Battery life stretches to eight hours with the buds and 28 in the case. The case supports wireless charging, which is so bad ass if you’ve never experienced being able to just drop it on a pd before. It also has an IPX5 rating for sweat and splash resistance.
The SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds are the most luxe offerings of the family and RRP at $229.95.
Apple’s Most Backordered Product
Of all the latest releases Apple announced recently, perhaps the most exciting was the announcement they would be giving faithful Apple users the opportunity to buy an overpriced microfibre cloth. The cloth is retailing at NZ$35 and is fully backwards compatible with all of Apple’s products. That’s pure magic right there.
We’re assured that the “Polishing Cloth cleans any Apple display, including nano-texture glass, safely and effectively”.
If you order it now, you should get it early 2022
The Go Pro Walked So The DJI Action 2 Could Run
The Go Pro revolutionised filming the action. It set the scene and it set the standard. Rugged, waterproof, and compact are the buzzwords. The DJI Action 2 takes that concept and goes the extra mile by adding “flexible” to that list. Its modular design allows you to snap it to one of a thousand accessories, or even to itself. Magnetically snap a front touchscreen module onto it and you have added battery life, a 4-mic matrix stereo, and everything you need to start vlogging. Need more space? Magnetically snap on a Power Module for an extra boost of power and an added microSD slot for filming up to 180 minutes. They’re even hot-swappable so you don’t miss anything at all. There are also a plethora of joints and gimballs depending on your needs.
It can produce 4k/120fps and super wide 155 degree FOV shots. With the help of AI, it is also horizon steady, making your footage auto stabilised and removes camera shake. It has waterproofing up to 10m and is cast in a lightweight aluminum alloy body and has a touch screen made of Gorilla Glass.
If you’ve always wanted to buy a camera that gives you an excuse to buy a ton of peripherals, then the DJI Action 2 is for you.
