The BLUETTI EOFY sale is the perfect time to score unbeatable deals on your favourite tech gadgets. From 1-30 June, BLUETTI is offering exceptional discounts of up to 37% off portable power stations, solar generator bundles, and large home batteries.
As temperatures drop, our energy demands rise. Heating systems work overtime, leading to higher electricity bills and increased stress on the power grid. Now is the ideal time to upgrade your energy system with BLUETTI’s dependable and eco-friendly solutions, ensuring you stay warm and your devices remain powered without breaking the bank.
Whether you love outdoor adventures, want to save on energy costs, or need reliable backup power, BLUETTI has you covered.
BLUETTI AC180: Aussies’ go-to for portable power
Now $1099 (was $1499)
The BLUETTI AC180 is one of the top-selling products on BLUETTI’s Australian website, and for good reason. This power station perfectly balances power and portability, delivering 1800 watts from a lightweight 16kg build. It’s perfect for camping trips or as a reliable backup during blackouts, capable of powering household items such as fridges, freezers, TVs, microwaves, induction cooktops, and even hair dryers. Pair the AC180 with BLUETTI’s folding PV200 solar panels for a max 500W solar input, and take advantage of convenivent 3-hour recharging for an almost endless supply of renewable energy wherever you go.
BLUETTI AC200L: Expandable capacity for every need
Now $2399 (was $2799)
Power shortages can ruin outdoor adventures or disrupt work at home. The BLUETTI AC200Lportable generator, with its massive 2048Wh capacity and powerful 2400W output, helps ensure you have reliable power for your home, camper, workshop, and beyond. It can run a 150W fridge for up to 11 hours on a single charge, and features 10 output ports to power all your needs.
If you demand more power for your off-grid lifestyle or outage protection, boost its capacity with expansion batteries such as the B230, B210, or B300. By connecting two B300s, you get an impressive 8192Wh of power—enough to keep your devices running for days. The classic AC200P also supports capacity expansion with B230 or B300, but at a more affordable cost.
For those preferring an all-in-one setup for home use, the EP500Pro offers 5120Wh capacity and 3000W output, with the convenience of mobility thanks to its four-wheel design.
BLUETTl EP760: CEC-certified home energy solution
Beyond portable power, BLUETTI provides comprehensive home energy solutions like the EP760. Certified by the Clean Energy Council (CEC), the EP760 meets Australia’s stringent safety and technical standards, ensuring you’re investing in a reliable product.
The EP760, paired with several B500 batteries, offers a customisable battery setup for any home. It can intake 9000W of solar power and store it for use anytime, reducing household energy costs. As electricity prices climb and extreme weather events become more frequent, having a clean energy storage system can significantly cut your bills and provide peace of mind during outages.
Seize the EOFY deals with BLUETTI
This EOFY, take advantage of BLUETTI’s incredible 37% discount and invest in top-tier clean energy products. Plus, you can get more from BLUETTI! Join BLUETTI’s lucky draw wheel, participate in social media giveaways, or simply subscribe to BLUETTI’s newsletter for generous gifts. For more information, visit the BLUETTI website.
Committed to a sustainable future, BLUETTI provides affordable green energy storage solutions for both indoor and outdoor use. Through initiatives like the LAAF (Lighting An African Family) program, BLUETTI has empowered over 100,000 African families in off-grid regions. With a dedication to innovation and addressing customer needs, BLUETTI has established itself as a trusted industry leader across more than 100 countries worldwide.
Fun fact: I have been on a quest for the perfect rice cooker and the perfect slow cooker for some time. The quests are separate, and yet somehow became combined when I discovered this extremely nice Instant Brands Rice Cooker.
It’s both a slow cooker and a rice cooker, and while it is perhaps not perfect in the classic sense, it’s so good at both things that it’s perfect for me. And maybe also you.
CarbReduce technology reduces carbs and sugar in rice up to 40% without sacrificing taste and texture
Six smart cooking pre-sets make cooking simple
Level marks in CarbReduce steam basket to easily measure water
Keep warm up to 10 hours for rice that is ready when you are
First impressions
The setup process for this rice cooker was really easy. The instructions were clear, and the menu is almost idiot-proof (I say almost, because there are some very persistent idiots). There’s a little cup, a little paddle, a steamer basket and a non-stick rice pot.
I’m not such a huge fan of non-stick stuff, given what we’ve learned about the chemicals recently, but sometimes the ease of use is worth a few chemicals (I hope this sentence does not come back to bite me later). Truly, though, the rice does not stick, and it’s easy to clean.
The instruction booklet that comes with the rice cooker will make tantalising promises of five minutes to make white rice and 10 minutes to make brown rice. These times are lies. You need to look at the extra piece of paper that comes with the cooker to learn the real times. Those shorter times are for after the water is heated, which is not as useful as knowing how long it is between putting in rice and liquid and getting out cooked rice. There is a secret to speeding up this time, though, which I’ll mention later.
I really like the simple spaceship design of this rice cooker. It’s not too big, it takes up an entirely reasonable amount of bench space and not a centimetre more than necessary.
The use of capacitive touch for the buttons is frustrating, as I have mentioned in countless other appliance reviews. Any kitchen product with buttons that cannot easily be pressed with wet, cold or gooey hands is an inconvenience. But they work well enough, and you don’t need to use them at all after you’ve selected your cooking setting and pressed start.
Image: Alice Clarke.
The button to open the cooker is well-placed and obvious. So, when you’re stressed and just want rice, it is easy to access said rice.
Cooking process
In the instruction booklet, Instant Brands makes some big promises about how long the rice takes to cook. Claims like five minutes for white rice and 10 minutes for brown rice. Unfortunately, that’s only after the basket has heated sufficiently. If you pour in cold water, you have to consult the extra sheet that was placed in the box (and is easily missed) which updates those times to 32 minutes for one cup of white rice and 51 minutes for one cup of brown rice.
The way around this is to just add boiling water (or nearly boiling water) instead of cold, which cuts out around 20-30 minutes of waiting.
Aside from that, the process of making rice is extremely straightforward, follow the instructions for the ratio of rice to water (1:1 for white rice), select which variety of rice you’re making and then press go.
You can also use it as a slow cooker and steamer, both of which yield truly excellent results. Popping some salmon fillets and veggies in the steam basket and then putting it above some rice is the laziest way to make dinner, and I fully encourage it. Delicious results, and a good time all around.
But does the rice taste good?
This Instant Rice Cooker makes the best rice I’ve ever made at home. It’s just what you imagine when you think of rice, which is a weird thing to say, but it makes sense when you try the rice. I prefer it to evaporation method rice, and I don’t want to go back to a pre-rice cooker time. I have had better rice in restaurants, but I also assume they have fancier tools/skills to make rice than this $149 home rice cooker.
Who is the Instant Rice Cooker for?
People who want to make really delicious rice easily and relatively quickly. This rice cooker is great, it’s neither too big nor too small so it fits nicely in an apartment or smaller kitchen. It serves multiple purposes so you can make the most of the space it takes up and your investment. It’s just plain good. It won’t change the world, but it will make good rice.
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Instant Rice Cooker
This Instant Rice Cooker might not be instant, but it is very good.
Finding the right pair of headphones for travel and commuting is serious business. Over-ears might be the most comfortable and effective for noise cancellation, but they also won’t work for people who are trying to travel light, or just spent a lot of time on their hair. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 headphones are a great premium option for people who have cash to splash.
At $499, they’re one of the most expensive pairs of true wireless earbuds on the market, but the audio experience firmly justifies this price, even if there are other reasons to be wary.
My first impression of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 was that I had to double-check they hadn’t sent me the True Wireless 3 model by mistake. They look so similar.
This means that you get the signature fabric-covered plastic case, but you also have the same shaped buds, which can be polarising for fit. If you’ve had a good/bad time with the fit of previous generations, then you’re likely going to have the exact same time here. I had been hoping that they would improve the fit in the new generation, but life is full of little disappointments.
Image: Alice Clarke.
Other than that, they look sleek, elegant and expensive (because they are).
Momentum True Wireless 4 specifications
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max); Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth LE Audio supported
Transmission frequency / modulation
2,402 MHz to 2,480 MHz; GFSK, π/4 DQPSK / 8DPSK
Supported Profiles
A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, TMAP, PBP
Supported codecs
SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive/Lossless, LC3
Speaker type/size
TrueResponse dynamic, 7mm diameter
Weather resistance
IP54, dust and splash-resistant (earbuds only)
Battery lifespan
Up to 7.5 hrs music playtime with earbuds (ANC off); Up to 7.0 hrs music playtime with earbuds (ANC on) Up to 30 hrs overall music playtime with charging case
This is all pretty much what you’d expect from Sennheiser buds in 2024. There’s nothing here to make you go “ooh” and nothing that’s really missing. That said, I do like the new design on the ear tips that stops the headphones from getting full of ear gunk. It’s disgusting, yet important to consider. I appreciate that Sennheiser has been thoughtful about that, because not all companies are.
Fit
The trend of ‘tiny bit that goes in your ear, big bulb that hangs off your ear’ is not great for most people to get an easy fit. It’s why a lot of brands are moving away from this style of true wireless shape. The way the bigger bit is weighted means that I find I’m always trying to adjust them (and thus triggering the touch controls) if I wear them while walking. Using them while seated I get a slightly better seal, but sometimes you want to wear headphones while walking or, god forbid, running.
Image: Alice Clarke.
Other brands have found ways to do this better. I hope Sennheiser soon learns from them.
Noise cancellation
If you’re paying $500 for headphones, you want good noise cancelling. Or, at least, you should, because it is available on many pairs of headphones. I wore these headphones on several flights, both international and domestic, and I’m somewhat surprised that Sennheiser has put mid-range noise cancelling in a high-end product.
I could still hear conversations happening around me, albeit muted, but I found the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation noise cancelling to be better and they’re not perfect either. Given there’s already so much passive noise isolation in this style of true wireless headphones, it shouldn’t have been too difficult to get better noise cancelling than this.
That said, I did not get a perfect fit on these headphones because of the design. If you get a better fit than I did, you will probably have a better time. Also, I was impressed with the anti-wind settings.
Audio quality
Here, Sennheiser has moved to favour lower and richer tones, and I really enjoy it. They’re not going to be ideal for all genres of music (few headphones are), for example, I wouldn’t be listening to delicate classical music. But deeper vocals, acoustic guitars, brass bands, metal, rock, and everything in between sounds excellent.
I found myself getting particularly lost in Sleater-Kinney’s latest album Hell. The raw emotion of “Say It Like You Mean It” always punches me in the guts, but it comes across particularly well on the Momentum True Wireless 4s. It’s such a rich song with so much depth, and it’s conveyed so well here.
Image: Alice Clarke.
A more delicate song like “Your Hands Are Cold” by Dario Marianelli is missing some of the magic in the higher registers, confirming my suspicions that these aren’t for classical music.
Still, a more electronic song like “To Be Yours” by Odesza comes across so beautifully. The yearning, and the spine of the song dance in the way I think it was intended.
I only complain about the other aspects of these headphones because they sound so good, and I want the rest of the package to live up to its potential.
Who is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 for?
These are for Sennheiser fans with cash to splash. I could point you in the direction of better headphones – Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra buds are a bit cheaper and have better noise cancelling. Apple’s 2nd-gen AirPods Pro have a better transparency mode.
But the tuning and drivers on the Momentum True Wireless 4s sound different to other headphones on the market, not necessarily better than other headphones in this bracket (though certainly no worse), just different. I absolutely love their audio quality, they suit what I want to listen to.
For people who already enjoy their older Sennheiser headphones, these would be a great buy to upgrade. If the previous generations fit you and you liked what they were doing, then you’ll love these.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4s are a bit of a mixed bag, but you can’t argue with this excellent audio quality.
The Deco BE65-5G from TP-Link has an impressive spec list and ticks all the boxes you want to see ticked when choosing the backbone of your home (or small business) network. Not only is it future-proofed for next-generation fibre thanks to 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, it has a 5G module too, for when hardline connections are unavailable.
This compatibility with every kind of ISP – from copper, to FTTH, to direct fibre links, and mobile too – is what makes the BE65-5G such a compelling choice for Australia’s fragmented broadband market.
1Gbps backed by mobile data
More and more Aussies are getting access to proper fibre connections, which means they can choose speeds up to 1Gbps. But these plans require fibre installations – actual NBN employees digging trenches across your front yard – and can take weeks (or longer) to get up and running.
The BE65-5G is specifically aimed at people who need to be online no matter the internet infrastructure around them.
The idea with this router seems to be to achieve the best of all possible worlds: Wi-Fi 7 so the router isn’t the bottleneck on a 1Gbps connection, backed up by a mobile data connection for instant access. Even the ongoing issues with mobile reception in Australia are catered for: the BE65-5G has two antenna ports so you can run a mast up out of the gully, should your suburb happen to be in one.
Design cues hint at the Wi-Fi 7 capabilities of the Deco BE65-5G
Wi-Fi 7 mesh
TP-Link calls the BE65-5G a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system, rather than a router, because like some others we’ve seen recently, the multi-unit packs (two or four) consist of identical devices. Gone are the “satellites” that were typical of Wi-Fi 5 and some Wi-Fi 7 products. The BE65-5G that is connected to your ISP’s device (such as your NBN Network Terminal Device) becomes the router. There isn’t even a distinction between Ethernet ports – you can use any of the 3.5Gbps ports on the back as the WAN port, with the others mapping to the LAN.
Taking this flexibility even further, the BE65-5G allows users to connect two units via Ethernet for additional backhaul capacity. This makes the BE65-5G a great choice for older properties where you just can’t seem to get a good signal in those further rooms or upstairs – running cable might be a fiddle, but it gives you rock-solid bandwidth.
Instant, convenient 5G
To use the 5G connection (which is also compatible with 4G and 3G), insert a nano-SIM into the slot on the bottom of the device and it will connect automatically. Obviously, the SIM needs to be set up with a mobile data account first, but the real convenience here is the ability to get online instantly – or at least within a few minutes. TP-Link has a vision of the BE65-5G as the go-to choice for pop-up venues, farms, basically anywhere you want the accessibility of mobile data, on a network that can support up to 200 devices.
There are plenty of Wi-Fi configuration options on the BE65-5G, with the usual plethora of security modes, and built-in VPN too. TP-Link also provides a service called HomeShield that lets you put all your Internet of Things (IoT) devices on their own Wi-Fi network. That means your doorbell and robovacuum are sandboxed off from your computer and mobile phone.
Priced at $999 (RRP), the Deco BE65-5G is part of TP-link’s new Wi-Fi 7 range, which includes the Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 router reviewed recently on GadgetGuy.
Solid performers without the hefty price tag, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds aim for the sweet spot on price and sound quality.
Like many areas of tech, personal audio gear can get expensive if you’ve got golden ears and deep pockets. While Sennheiser produces some top-shelf personal audio gear like its Momentum range, it also recognises that not everyone can justify paying momentous top-shelf pricing.
Sennheiser’s mid-range Accentum line-up aims to strike a balance between price, performance and features to win over audio fans who appreciate quality but still need to shop on a budget. Below the Accentum range, you’ll find Sennheiser’s even more affordable CX range.
The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds are the first wireless earbuds in the Accentum range. At $349.95 they’re certainly not cheap compared to the likes of Sennheiser’s $199 CX True Wireless. But at the same time, the Accentum earbuds are still $150 cheaper than Sennheiser’s flagship $499.95 Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds.
So the question is, where has Sennheiser made compromises in an effort to ensure the Accentum True Wireless earbuds hit the sweet spot?
Like the Momentum range, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds rely on a clamshell-style charge case which is about the size of a ring box. Unlike the Momentum carry case’s premium soft fabric cover, the Accentum opts for a matte plastic finish in the first sign that you’re sacrificing some elegance.
Thankfully the Accentum case supports both USB-C and Qi wireless charging, but you’ll need to charge them more often than the Momentum True Wireless 4. In return for slightly smaller earbuds you get smaller batteries in both the earbuds and the carry case. That said, the Accentum’s six hours of ANC playtime (21 hours with the charge case) is still enough to keep most people rocking.
Sennheiser includes a short USB-A to USB-C charge cable in the box but no AC adaptor. It’s worth noting that the charge case’s USB-C port lacks a rubber cover – such as that on the Sennheiser Momentum Sport – so it doesn’t get an IP rating, even though the earbuds themselves are IP54 splash-resistant.
The design tweak ensures the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds are comfortable to wear. Image: Adam Turner.
As earbuds go, the Accentum True Wireless earbuds aren’t too bulky and balance nicely in your ears, thanks to a slight design tweak. They lack the stems that you find on some earbuds like Apple’s AirPods, and it takes a minute to get them sitting securely in your ears. After this, they sit firmly enough to stay put while running, and even stay in place when you jump up and down on the spot.
To help get a perfect fit in terms of sound quality and noise cancelling, Sennheiser supplies a choice of four ear tips. It’s worth experimenting with the different sizes, although frustratingly the Sennheiser app doesn’t offer the Fit Test feature available to the Momentum earbuds.
The Sennheiser app does offer a range of other advanced features, including the ability to update the earbuds to the latest firmware (for example, upgrading from the shipped 4.21.17 to 5.7.6 reportedly offers bass improvements).
Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless specifications
Ear coupling
Ear canal
Speaker
TrueResponse dynamic, 7mm diameter
Microphone
2 mics per earbud, beamforming for noise reduction
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max) Bluetooth Classic and LE Audio supported
Supported profiles
A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, TMAP, PBP
Supported codecs
SBC, AAC, aptX, LC3
Noise cancellation
Hybrid Adaptive ANC
Battery
Built-in Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries Left/right earbud: 55 mAh Charging case: 400-420 mAh
Up to 8 hours of playtime with ANC off (6 hours on). Up to 28 hours with charging case
Charging
USB-C approx. 1.5 hrs for fully charged; After 10 min charging 1 hrs music playtime
Qi wireless charging
Weather resistance
IP54 splash resistant (earbuds only)
Dimensions
49.45 x 51.72 x 28.95 mm (earbuds and charging case)
Weight
52 g (both earbuds and charging case)
5.5 g (single earbud)
41 g (charging case)
Looking down the spec sheet, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds have a lot in common with the Momentum True Wireless 4. Boding well for sound quality, they both feature TrueResponse dynamic 7mm drivers with the same speaker frequency range, sensitivity and total harmonic distortion.
Apart from the battery life, one of the key hardware differences is that the Accentum sacrifices one tiny microphone per earbud, relying on only two mics per earbud with beamforming for noise reduction when on a voice call.
Opting for Bluetooth 5.3 rather than Bluetooth 5.4, you get the benefit of the SBC, AAC, aptX and LC3 codecs but miss out on the aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio codecs supported by the Momentum True Wireless 4. That’s not an unreasonable compromise for mid-range earbuds considering that these high-end Qualcomm aptX codes don’t tend to be supported by mid-range Android smartphones.
You do however get support for Bluetooth Low Energy’s new Auracast broadcast standard. Allowing one source to transmit audio to an unlimited number of devices, it will become more common in public spaces in the coming years. You also get multipoint Bluetooth support so you can easily switch between two devices.
Image: Sennheiser.
When it comes to blocking out the outside world, you’ve got the advantage of hybrid adaptive noise cancellation, which automatically dials up and down according to the current environment. There’s also transparency mode, disabling noise cancellation so you can listen to music but still hear the world around you.
To make life easier, you can control these and other features by tapping on the earbuds. These tap commands are fully customisable, including accessing Siri or Google Assistant on your smartphone, but you can’t adjust the touch sensitivity of the earbuds.
As for customising the sound quality, there is a five-band graphic equaliser, with a range of presets and the ability to create your own. There’s also Bass Boost, podcast voice optimisation and Sound Check for personalising the presets.
Rather than manually switching between presets, you can create “sound zones” with your preferred noise cancellation and equaliser settings based on your location. Taking advantage of GPS, this can automatically switch between presets as you move around during the day, such as between home, the office and the gym.
Quality
When listening to music, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds offer a great full-bodied yet balanced sound. This includes juicy but not overpowering bass, helping bring music to life.
As you’d expect, those with an ear for detail will notice that the performance isn’t quite up there with the Momentum range, but the Accentum can still hold their own.
When it comes to active noise cancellation, the Accentum True Wireless earbuds are a bigger step down from Sennheiser’s top-shelf Momentum earbuds. Perhaps it’s due to relying on two microphones per ear instead of three.
Who is the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless for?
If you have expensive taste but perhaps not the deepest of pockets, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds might be a good fit.
The sacrifice in sound quality and features compared to Sennheiser’s top-shelf Momentum earbuds is an acceptable compromise, unless active noise cancellation is your highest priority.
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Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless
Delivering on sound quality while curbing the price tag, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds aim to hit the sweet spot.
LG is getting in early with its end-of-financial-year sale, taking up to $700 off its flagship TV and soundbar bundles, including the top-of-the-line G4 OLED model.
TV brands are making a big push this year ahead of the Paris Olympics in July – they want you to have the biggest and best ready for all the sporting action. Not to mention all the movies and TV shows we’re all obsessed with.
For LG, the EOFY promotion is also a membership-building exercise. To get the discounts, you need to sign up as a MyLG Member. Although loyalty programs aren’t anything new, it does seem like more big brands are doubling down on them. Samsung launched an app last year, offering exclusive discounts, similar to the MyLG program.
So, what’s on offer? From now until 12 June 2024, you can save hundreds of dollars on selected LG TVs and soundbars when bundled together. It includes some of this year’s OLED and QNED TVs, many of which are already cheaper than their 2023 equivalents.
More specifically, you get $700 off when pairing an LG G4 OLED TV with an SG10TY soundbar. Next on the list is a $500 discount on an LG C4 OLED TV paired with an SC9S. And bundling a 2024 LG QNED TV with an S70TY soundbar saves you $300.
Or if a projector is more your style, the LG CineBeam Q is $500 off, even for non-members. It only recently launched in April, at a $2,499 retail price point.
LG OLED and QNED TV + soundbar EOFY 2024 sale
Each bundle is valid on TVs sized at 55 inches and above. Depending on which model you get, it means you could get a TV and soundbar together for less than $2,000. Mind you, the 55-inch C4 OLED is $3,299 and the G4 costs $4,199, so you’re still looking at upwards of $4-5K for the most premium models once you add the corresponding soundbar.
If you’re in the market, though, any discount is welcome. You can check out the eligible models below via LG’s website:
, aptX
