I’ve always loved the 5-door hatch-back. Back in my youth, the Honda Civic was a favourite. My own car today is a Volkswagen Golf. A great combination of useable space, thrifty economics in terms of running costs, and occasionally a great drive when the moment and environment is right. As a result I was very much looking forward to my first proper experience in an all-electric car that was also a 5-door hatch. And so my week with the Nissan Leaf began.
It was quite literally a dark and stormy night recently when we attended an evening of “Arts-n-Crafts” with the team from BWS. The event was held in the bowels of the old Readers Digest building in Surry Hills which is now home to Woolworths subsidiary Endeavour Drinks Group which covers brands like Dan Murphy’s, BWS, and Cellarmasters to name a few.
If you’re the type to frequent bookstores, particularly within the mystery section, hearing the name of a detective named Spenser may ring a bell for you. Indeed, Robert B. Parker’s famed police investigator has been in the public’s eye for almost 40 years now, with his very first novel having been released back in 1973. Parker wrote a total of 40 Spenser novels up until his death in 2010, after which crime journalist and author Ace Atkins was selected to continue the Spenser saga, which is still ongoing as...
I’m writing this review the very week that Holden is farewelling Australia after 164 years of operation. From the very comfortable driver’s seat of the Kia Sorento GT-Line, I’m sorry to say that I am completely convinced that Holden’s demise was avoidable.
These days, compact cameras have become fairly popular not only among photography enthusiasts, but also with the general users. While smartphones can do a good job in most situations, a real camera’s functions and controls can give superior images your phone will never manage to capture. Canon’s PowerShot G7 X is easily one of the most attractive cameras for vlogging. Its excellent autofocus (AF) system, coupled with image stabilization, a 24-100mm f/1.8-2.8 lens, and handy flip screen are all useful features for creating digital content. Its latest member, the...
I have to admit, I was perplexed in the lead-up to driving this week’s car and writing this review. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed was the second PHEV vehicle I had driven in two weeks. Déjà vu was kicking in hard as I hopped into the very comfortable front seats of the Outlander. “Remain objective…” I kept telling myself.
How many times have you forgotten your keys when you leave the house? Once, twice, or maybe just like we have, you’ve stopped counting. You get home after a long day at work, excited to jump into your bed, when you realize — your keys aren’t in your pocket. The answer? The Yale Assure Lock SL. The Yale Assure Lock SL is the latest digital smart home security from the lock maker that has become a household name: Yale. For less than $300, you get a sleek, key-free touchscreen...
There are no two ways about it, the EV (Electric Vehicle) has arrived and is here to stay. The PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) takes the concept of a ‘battery powered car’ to another level of practicality today. Amongst a number of manufacturers in the market right now, I think Volvo is right up there – getting the blend of today’s world and tomorrow’s world almost perfect. I’ve been driving the Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered mid-sized SUV for the past week and I can’t write this with more...
We’ve finally entered the new decade of 2020, which means that the world has lived its first full decade of mass smartphone ownership. Despite their introduction into our daily lives having taken place not too long ago in the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to imagine a present timeline in which we don’t always carry tiny computers in our pockets. And with the technological boom that began years ago and continues to rapidly expand, we now have our pick of the litter when it comes to choosing what...
In 2019 the Light Commercial / Truck segment made up 114,428 units representing 21.2% of all cars sold in Australia. That’s 13 new Light Trucks / Utes being delivered every hour – 24×7 – every day of the year! When you look at what’s on offer in this segment, you can certainly see what the appeal is for literally tens of thousands of people. There is no shortage of models and options and some very good engineering. The Nissan Navara N-TREK is no exception.
You may have noticed recently that the Google Maps app on your smartphone or tablet has changed. Gone is the little snippet of a map that we had all become so used to, and in its place the new colourful “map pin” that aligns to the other Google apps such as Home, Chrome, and the main Google app. Something you may not have noticed was that on Friday February 8th 2020, Google Maps celebrated its 15th birthday.
If Ferruccio Lamborghini was alive today he would be approaching his 104th birthday and would be witness to the consistent and healthy growth of the supercar brand that features his name and the symbol of his Taurus zodiac sign – the bull. In the past 5 years Lamborghini sales globally have risen 153% and judging by the quality and variety of the range on display at their Sydney showroom, I see no reason why one of the world’s greatest supercar makers should not continue to prosper.
Whenever a company decides to take on a new challenge and raise the stakes with a tech product, we expect lots of complaints and criticism from people because they will assume it’s a gimmick. However, this ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo Laptop is so beautiful and unique its hard to say anything bad about it. It will definitely make you stop in your tracks and take a closer look, not only due to it’s visual appeal but also the way it stands out from all other laptops. As an introduction,...
I have previously reviewed the Suzuki Vitara Turbo (2WD) and came away very impressed with its capabilities and standard features. This past week I have been driving what is essentially the same car with a slightly larger engine that also lacks a small turbo-charger, as well as some bells and whistles along the way. What struck me was for the budget conscious, the base model Vitara is still a very well equipped small SUV that boasts all the important features and eschews any flimflam. With a saving of nearly...
The WhatsApp message from the boss read: “How would you like to test a Ferrari Portofino for a couple of days in January?“ He did not have to ask me twice. I was a little nervous – I have to admit. I’ve driven some quick cars in my time however, the Prancing Horse was one I hadn’t yet ‘ticked off’. Some desk research was necessary, and the best preview of the Portofino I found was thanks to Tim Burton aka Shmee150.
The Stinger has been available in Australia for a number of years now and recently received a mid-life upgrade for the 2020 range. I have to admit I was very much looking forward to getting behind the wheel as Kia has endured quite the renaissance in recent years with wholesale styling and engineering changes across the entire range that now spans 10 product lines. It was a very damp day in Sydney when I collected the Stinger 200S finished in Silky Silver and black leather interior. The 200S is...
While many beloved sci-fi properties feature comedic elements in them, it’s a bit more rare to see one emerge as a full-fledged comedy television show. They can exist, but most of them do so in the form of adult animated shows or, arguably, some of the Marvel movies. On the other hand, you have your popular sitcoms like Brooklyn 99 or The Office, which set the bar for the genre in that they’re hilariously funny, but never usually venture into odd settings, preferring to take place in regular workplaces....
The original Suzuki Vitara was launched in Australia in the late 1980s joining the very successful Suzuki Sierra (sold today as the Jimny). The Vitara was a more well equipped, sporty, and urban focussed version of the Sierra – which for over a decade was the cheap-and-cheerful go to for a small, reliable 4×4 for those that couldn’t afford or didn’t need something as robust as a Toyota LandCruiser or as utilitarian as the Subaru Brumby. In the 1990s the Vitara buyer was very likely characterised by words like...
It seems like everyone has a drone these days. Years ago, flying a drone was as complicated as flying a small aircraft. Controls were complicated, took a whole lot of getting used to, and acquiring your personal drone was nearly impossible. But now? Drone fever is raging harder than ever before. Drones have entered the general consumer market, with aspiring ‘vloggers’ flying their drones everywhere in an attempt to create content. In 2016, DJI released the game-changing Mavic Pro, which was marketed as a portable drone that was easy...
Whether you prefer listening to music, podcasts, phone calls, YouTube, or anything else that can be accessed through our various personal devices, one thing is certain: quality headphones are a priority. Sure, you could buy some $20 flimsy headset at the mall and enjoy tinny audio that sounds like it’s passing through an empty sewer tunnel to get to you, but that can quickly lose its charm once you pass age 8 or so. For my real audio enthusiasts, true sound quality through top-of-the-line headphones is not simply enhancement,...
Here at SonnyDickson.com we review hundreds of products throughout the year. As we approach Christmas here are our picks...
It was a very smoky and hazy afternoon in early December when we attended the Amazon Prime Video Australia end of year party. Held on the edge of Sydney Harbor this was a glimpse into what Amazon has achieved in the past two years since launching Amazon.com.au and more recently Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Video. At the entrance to the event sat the Amazon Tiny Holiday House – that has spent much of the week in the center of Sydney with no views – and now had arguably...
Frozen (2013) was a cultural phenomenon, there’s no doubt about that. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that hasn’t at least heard a great deal about it, especially anyone with kids. Frozen can be easily argued as one of the Walt Disney Company’s biggest films of all time, making $1.2 billion at the box office and selling over $107 billion worth of merchandise. Given these monstrously gigantic figures, it doesn’t take a financial strategist to understand why Disney would want to make Frozen into a full franchise. And that...
For years, the novels of Philip Pullman have been dazzling readers young and old alike, and the series His Dark Materials was perhaps the most famed of all. Previously, it’s been adapted into both a theater production and a film which was met with mixed reviews. Pullman’s readers have been vying for a way to bring their beloved series and all of its magic to life in a new way, and with the release of HBO’s His Dark Materials television adaptation of 2019, it seems that they may get...
Sound is one of five tenets of our sensory experience on this planet, so it makes sense to want to experience it luxuriously at times. This is understood especially when it comes to entertainment that you personally enjoy and wish to upgrade. Whether it be movies, music, sports, or other immersive media, we can find a new level of enjoyment when the presentation is enhanced, such as by improving the auditory experience. If you have any friends that are self-proclaimed audiophiles, it’s highly possible that you’ve heard talk...
This review will contain mild spoilers for Joker. The Joker is one of the most famous villains of all time, both in comic circles and entertainment as a whole. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of distinct portrayals of the character that have all left a significant mark on his general perception. From Heath Ledger’s sinister unpredictable crime lord in 2008 to Mark Hamill’s insane larger-than-life cartoon villain in 1992 to Jared Leto’s unfortunate misstep in 2016, the Joker has become one of the most interesting characters in comics...
That iPhone is a is a thing of beauty, it would be a shame if something happened to it!...
In a recent video, YouTube producer David Lee theorizes and speculates on how Apple is likely to market the...
If you’ve ever purchased an iPhone, you’re probably familiar with the satisfaction that you get from unboxing your new device for the first time. The lid just slips off the box so smoothly and everything is perfectly covered in pristine plastic. You peel back these layers, pick up the phone and admire it’s sleek, minimalistic design. You want to keep your phone exactly like this forever… …but the practical side of you comes to terms with the fact that you’ll probably need a case to protect it. The problem...
We’ve obtained a final design mockup of Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro hardware from a source that has repeatedly been reliable about previous iPad hardware, showing Apple’s new camera hardware as featured on the iPhone 11 Pro gracing their upcoming refreshed lineup of iPads. The hardware is extremely similar to what is featured on the iPhone 11 Pro, and is expected to offer the same benefits to creative video professionals. The design is a nod to Apple’s intent to offer pro users of the iPad a device on which they...
Since the dawn of wearable technology, we have seen a variety of smart wearable devices but none of them have been extraordinary. Sure, we have seen things like the Bose Soundwear Companion Speaker, but that doesn’t qualify as a wearable as the consensus for a wearable device is something that you carry anywhere without getting a weird look from people around you. With the Bose Frames, that’s set to change. These new wearables from Bose are bluetooth- enabled sunglasses with speakers and a mic integrated in them, allowing you...
If the performance at the Emmy’s is anything to go off of, it appears that Succession has enraptured both audiences and critics across the world as of late. While only in its second season, Succession has rapidly gained attention since its June 2018 premiere. Fans of the HBO series can’t seem to get enough of this dramatic look into the lives of a scheming family running a monopolistic media empire. There is a certain morbid fascination with this family that sees each other as little more than a means...
Before Game of Thrones took the top spot for the most divisive finale on TV, ABC’s famous series Lost...
The ASUS F1 LED Projector is the projector you need for the ultimate, immersive entertainment experience. It’s the projector that’s perfect for gamers and movie buffs. You might be thinking, “But it’s a projector… aren’t those little contraptions for the office only?” Well, not anymore! This projector is an excellent pick because of its compact size, making it easy for you to set it up in your own backyard. The ASUS F1 LED Projector boasts full HD resolution, with a short throw lens, automatic focus adjustment, and 120 Hz...
DJI, the company behind some of the worlds best drones and gimbals are back with something new, the DJI Osmo Action, an all-in action cam for life’s most extreme thrill-seekers. With the Osmo Action, DJI is taking the GoPro Hero 7 Black, GoPro’s best offering, head-on with like for like features, specs, design and build quality. But what makes the Osmo Action unique compared to the Hero 7 Black is the inclusion of a secondary front-facing LCD display as well the regular backside display and a significantly lower price...
This review will contain spoilers. August 2019 marked the return of (in)famous director Quentin Tarantino to direct a brand new movie in his signature style, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The genuine buzz and curiosity surrounding this movie from the get-go never seemed to truly ebb from the moment that the first trailer dropped. Whether in excitement or dread, everyone was anticipating going to see this movie, with its uniquely tangible 60’s setting and immensely popular cast that seemed to grab the attention of both the film buffs...
Portable, nano, or pico projectors have been a rising trend in consumer tech goods over the recent years, and they can be useful in all types of situations – sharing a business PowerPoint on the fly, watching a movie in a remote location where your normal streaming box or TV can’t follow, and so forth. However, the main thing that has kept me from jumping on board is that they tend to lack versatility for streaming your personal media or accessing your favorite streaming services. Anker, makers of the...
The Oculus Quest has arrived and it’s making its grand entrance. The Quest is a follow-up to the equally successful Oculus Go, but this time, Oculus has developed and improved based on real comments from users. If you didn’t like the Oculus Go because of its limited movement, you’ll be more than happy with the Oculus Quest. It’s wireless, easy to set up and use for first-time VR users. Facebook’s first all-in-one gaming headset is reinventing what you know about virtual reality. With a Snapdragon processor built into its...
These days, almost anyone can become a vlogger. YouTube has taken the internet by storm and the term vlogging isn’t a new concept anymore. Self-made vloggers like Casey Neistat and Logan Paul have created digital communities where they show off their everyday lives — the plus side? They get paid to do it. From long distance couples to families with a dozen kids, there are a million things one could vlog about. With that competition, more and more people are swapping their smartphones for DSLRs in the pursuit of...
It has been five years since Naim launched the Naim Mu-so. Back then, wireless speakers were premium devices that...
