TECH-TESTING CORNER

Karl Puschmann tries out the latest and greatest gadgets.

Iphone 14 Pro

At first glance, changes to the iPhone 14 Pro appear minimal. But within its familiar rounded corners and premium feel, there’s a maximum amount of new features and improvements.

First, say hello to the customisable Always-On display. This dimmed screen shows handy info like time, notifications, customisable wallpaper and widgets, as well as different screens for various locations.

Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven

Ooni’s new Koda 16 is a fantastic option for those wanting to leave the world of fast-food or frozen pizza behind them forever.

You’ll start quickly as there’s practically no setup. Unbox it, unfold the three legs on the bottom, slide in the pizza stone tray, plug in your gas cylinder (I simply used the one from my BBQ) and presto – you’re done.

The Koda is marketed as a portable pizza oven and that’s accurate. Without the pizza stone inside, it’s light and easily transportable. The optional waterproof protective cover is perfect for rainy days. An option you’ll definitely need however is a pizza peel. This is the long-handled tray used to slide your pizza into and out of the oven.

To get started there’s a few recipes in the manual, including essentials like pizza dough and sauce, as well as unexpected dishes like roast pork chops and apple and cranberry crumble, which I’m excited to try out.

But the main event is pizza and, like everything about the oven, the Koda makes it easy. It only takes around 20 minutes to heat up to the recommended 400 degrees, which is blazing quick. This is thanks to its unique L-shaped fire burner which curves around two sides. In most pizza ovens only one side has flame. By doubling that it not only heats faster but also cooks more consistently and evenly and requires less turning of the cooking pizza.

That last bit is the skill I’ve found hardest to master. It’s not as easy as it looks on TV! But as authentic Italian pizzas are ready to eat in around two minutes, it’s a skill I’m prepared to master. Because it may not be BBQ weather, but pizza never goes out of season.

Widely available. Priced from $1299.

Next is the Dynamic Island, the floating pill-shaped bar at the top of the screen that acts as a new source of info and interactivity. You can control media playback without needing to be in the app, as well as show battery status and connected devices. Very handy indeed. The gorgeous new 6.1-inch OLED display is vivid, and the 48-megapixel camera is a game-changer. With four zoom options, ultrawide and an improved portrait mode, I'm taking more (and better) snaps than ever.

It also records video all the way up to 4K, making it more than suitable for content creation, if that’s your thing. Its A16 Bionic processor is super quick, and battery life also impresses.

And in an iPhone first, it also comes with a free two-year subscription to Apple’s new crash detection feature, which automatically calls emergency services if it detects you’ve been in a car accident. It's the first smartphone that could literally save your life. Widely available. Priced from $1999.

Astro A30 Wireless Headphones

These headphones may be targeted at gamers thanks to their Lightspeed lag-free connectivity to consoles and PCs, but even if you don’t know your PlayStation from your Xbox they still hold a tonne of appeal. They sound great, with a wide stereo field, clear separation and nice detail. They’re both stylish and comfy to wear for extended periods thanks to the spongy cushions on the earcups and headband. Made of matte plastic, they’re light, but don’t feel at all cheap.

It’s a disappointment they’re not noise cancelling, but as the rectangular cups fully encase the ears the thick sponge naturally blocks ambient noise.

Battery life impresses, lasting a massive 27 hours. There’s a detachable boom mic for game chat or Zoom calls, plus a built-in mic on the left side, and they come with a very swish hard case for protecting them while commuting.

The mini joystick on the right cup operates volume, track control and source mix. That last one makes the A30 unique, allowing you to connect and listen to multiple devices at once. So you could be gaming, chatting to friends and listening to a podcast all at the same time. Multi-tasking has never been easier.

Widely available. Priced from $429.

Fitbit Ace 3

The only thing harder than getting kids off screens and devices is getting them to eat their vegetables. While this fitness tracker hasn’t helped at dinnertime, it has successfully got our eight-year-old up and moving by gamifying her activity.

Designed for kids, Fitbit’s Ace 3 tracks steps and, thanks to its heart monitor, records intense activity like dancing or skipping. Badges and trophies are then awarded for hitting certain fitness milestones like, say, achieving a streak of 10,000 step days or cumulatively walking set distances. These have inspired her to join Mum on her daily walks, to “get her steps in”.

The screen may only be black and white, but I feel colour would be too distracting and encourage her to fiddle with it more. The whole point was to keep her off screens, not add another one!

The Ace 3 lasts over a week on a single charge, is waterproof and the silicon strap also protects the face, meaning you can rest assured knowing that it’s tough enough to withstand even the most hardy of playtimes. Widely available. Priced from $119.