Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.
Whatever your feeling towards the rather aggressive and inelegant name JBL have given their new party box, it’s hard to deny the brand’s impeccable timing. At the tail-end of 2020, where people are looking for different ways to recreate some nightlife at home, the JBL Party Box On The Go is heaven-sent. The pricey, chunky…
Read More
By 2024, its predicted that more than 7 million smart video cameras will be totalled across Australian households. Does that sound accurate? It just might. Interest in smart security picked up dramatically in 2020, even though most people were staying at home. And as 2021 continues to unfold, it’s highly likely that interest will keep…
Read More
It’s no secret now that Tokyo Lamington is one of the best new dessert shops in the country. After all, they are taking the most beloved spongy treat the country has ever known and layering on a dazzling amount of creativity, with everything from Davidson Plum to Pandan & Coconut sprucing up the classic. Now…
Read More
Nintendo loves getting experimental with their flagship franchises, and Mario has by far benefitted most from this penchant. From make-your-own Mario games packed full of features to redefine creation-based gaming, to legendary kart-racing and unique RPGs, there is honestly very few words as exciting as “Mario” for Nintendo players. But overkill is easy. Exhaustion can…
Read More
It has been 13 years since Black Star Pastry opened un unassuming shopfront in Newtown, slightly veered off the main strip of King Street with a diminutive space popping with vibrant cakes and fresh pastries. Now, the internationally renowned bakery and sweets shop has firmed their grip on Newtown’s culinary scene by making the big…
Read More
Forget cards, jewellery, chocolates or flowers this Valentine’s Day. In 2021, a romantic staycation is quite possibly the best way to mark the occasion. Better still, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so there’s an ideal excuse to enjoy a weekend escape. If you’re feeling like a tiny house escape this weekend, you’re…
Read More
Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is not just about romantic gestures that go heavy on the cheese and cliché (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It also happens to be the first established gift-giving occasion on the calendar year, and given 2020 was an absolute shitshow, that means a lot. Brightening up your signature…
Read More
The new COVR-X1873 from D-Link is a powerful triple node system of AX1800 Dual Band Seamless Mesh Wi-Fi 6 towers – the latest in the company’s award-winning COVR series and absolutely one of the most impressive. I’d go so far as to say this is one of the best mesh Wi-Fi 6 systems you can…
Read More
Built to work seamlessly across both 4G and 5G networks is the new moto g 5G plus from Motorola. And given how strong their smartphone offerings have been lately, it’s safe to expect big things from such a feature-rich set. Bolstering those blazingly fast speeds you’ve got a quad-camera set-up, led by a 48MP sensor…
Read More
Domestic travel is on the cusp of a resurgence with states across Australia beginning to relax lockdown measures. International travel? That’s a different story. With many countries around the world struggling in the fight against COVID-19, we’ve been given conflicting information on when international travel will resume to a sense of normalcy anytime soon. Some…
Read More
More than 8,000 love stories and break up mementos have been sourced by the eternally playful folk behind QT Hotels & Resorts for a temporary museum dedicated to relationship relics of the past. Twisting the idea of Valentine’s Day, QT Gold Coast will turn into “Heartbreak Hotel” from 1st to 21st February, showcasing a pop-up…
Read More
What defines Port Macquarie? In the scope of New South Wales, a state with some of the beautiful coastal towns in the country, Port Macquarie may not seem all that distinctive. Until you get there. Make the four-or-so hour drive from Sydney (5.3hrs from Brisbane), like many do throughout the year, and you’re rewarded with…
Read More
Since opening a Sydney flagship store late last year, Tokyo Lamington has opened up to various interpretations of the namesake treat held so dearly in the hearts and minds of Aussies nationwide. The humble lamington has seen some head-turning interpretations from the speciality dessert store, which has been introduced a “Melbourne Bushfood” series, introducing a…
Read More
Withings have always made the more beautiful watches when it comes to fitness trackers, sticking closer to a more conventional design that doesn’t look like you’re wearing anything too high-tech on the wrist. Withings watches are simple, elegant, and feature-rich, and the ScanWatch is undoubtedly their best offering yet. And that’s no surprise, hype has…
Read More
This coffee machine is smart. And there is perhaps no smarter created to date, reimagining the do-it-all semi-automatic machine to make it more accessible for a great variety of coffee drinkers, whether they have barista experience or not. And while it is quite pricey, that’s a valuable thing to have for the office or the…
Read More
How we take care of the air in our homes has shot up in terms of priority this year. We’re used to sucking up all the dirt and potentially hazardous particles from our surfaces with a high-powered vacuum cleaner, but prior to 2020, it wasn’t as widespread to consider how we go about maintaining the…
Read More
A camera just over 5-inches long has no business being this good, and yet the DJI Pocket 2 is perhaps the best pro-quality camera made with such a small, flexible profile. It’s part of DJI’s renewed focus on becoming the highest quality provider of action cameras, and they nail just about everything they could while…
Read More
After the masterstroke that was the Find X2 series, Oppo is in a very good spot within the smartphone market. Chinese peer Huawei is still battling away with its advanced hardware but Google shut-out, which definitely helps, plus the brand has now expanded their ecosystem in Australia, which includes Oppo Watch and Oppo Enco Earphones….
Read More
Christmas themed hip hop songs have been a part of hip hop culture since the early 80’s, and from The Treacherous Three and Kurtis Blow to Kanye West and Run the Jewels, there are actually some really good ones out there. To soundtrack your Christmas family get together we’ve gone through and counted down what…
Read More
Not a fan of stuffing turkeys and layering trifles on Christmas day? Not many people are. Christmas is always an exciting time of the year, but it’s also just damn busy. And ‘busy’ is where online meal delivery services like to play the hardest. Not all of them are made equal though, and it seems…
Read More
Given that, years later, the Sony WF-1000XM3 truly wireless earbuds are still the best out. Yes, still. It’s an interesting prospect to get a pair of budget buds from the company. Can they be as successful on the other end of the price range? That’s a loud and clear yes, although there are obviously cost-cutting…
Read More
A chunky 9,600mAh battery, a built-in power bank, and a punch 30-watts of power with an optional Bass Boost feature – what’s not to love about the BlueAnt X3? Well, it’s design doesn’t help the portable boombox stand out on a crowded market, although it offers enough to muscle around with the likes of JBL’s…
Read More
There’s a lot to love about the Google Pixel 5. Quite a lot actually. In the face of the relentless trend of high-end phone brands splitting their newest flagship into multiple iterations to appeal to different budgets, the indelible company has decided to be different. Yet again. For their new flagship, Google have bowed out…
Read More
Aman is a name that often – okay, always – sends shivers down the spines of hotel enthusiasts. I’m one of those, and if it wasn’t for COVID-19 I would this year have had a big, green, proud, enthusiastic tick next to the “stay at Aman Tokyo, finally” underlined a million times on my mental…
Read More
The Playbar and Playbase are no longer the top-of-the-line offers for Sonos’ multi-room prowess. The pinnacle of transforming your TVs sound with Dolby Atmos and high-fidelity audio is now the Sonos Arc. And what a soundbar it is. Sonos took their time getting into the Dolby Atmos game while competitors would breeze past time. It’s…
Read More
With the popularity of their home delivery service during the more intense moments of this year’s ongoing pandemic, Din Tai Fung continue to look beyond their many Australian venues with two limited edition frozen hampers available for online orders and delivery. Designing many of their menu highlights so that they can be prepared and served…
Read More
When we talk about spontaneous travel, we’re usually referring to sojourns taking place in far-flung destinations – falling asleep in Berlin and waking up in Amsterdam; booking a literal-last-minute flight to Osaka after reading about some super specific yakisoba served at a hidden hole-in-the-wall in Dotonburi…that kind of thing. What we’re not often referring to…
Read More
In an unprecedented move for two of the country’s biggest travel operators, Qantas Frequent Flyers are now able to earn, and use, points on premium train trips with Journey Beyond Rail Expeditions. That means interstate trips on historic trains The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and the Great Southern are now more accessible than ever before. This…
Read More
Anyone familiar with Italian manufacturer Smeg should already recognise the distinctive, eye-catching design of the new Lavazza Australia capsule coffee machine. Specifically, that’s the Modo Mio, a collaboration between the two brands, bringing Smeg’s popular minimalist design to a kitchen essential. And given a coffee machine is often the first thing we reach for in…
Read More
To celebrate new immersive art exhibition Rain Room re-opening in St Kilda, the infinite creativity on display at Black Star Pastry has produced what is easily one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous cakes to date. And that is saying a lot, seeing as this is the spot famous for the delightful Strawberry Watermelon Cake. The…
Read More