About Owen

Owen McCarthy
Reviewer
Owen McCarthy has had a long love affair with all things technical since the dawn of the computer age. A child of the 1960’s, he agrees with legendary author, Douglas Adams, that digital watches were a pretty neat idea. By the 1980’s Owen was learning how to code using C and by the turn of the century, he was teaching HTML to enthusiastic youngsters. These days, Owen can be found pestering editors for new technology to review on an annoyingly regular basis. In his spare time, he rides motorcycles of the three-wheeled variety, studies theology, aqua-jogs, and works hard to honour his late wife’s request to live a joy-filled life.
Stories by Owen - Page 2

Hands-on review: Xiaomi Mi 11 5G Dual Sim Smartphone
Fri, 11th Jun 2021
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
The Mi 11 is designed for the visual creatives out there who will love its “on the fly” brilliance.

Hands-on review: OPPO A54 5G and OPPO A94 5G
Mon, 31st May 2021
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
These mid-range models offer an economical alternative to some of their higher-priced competition.

Hands-on review: JBL Go 3 - the ultra-compact portable with punch
Wed, 19th May 2021
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gaming
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digital music
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reviews
Those of us who equate big sound with big speakers will be pleasantly surprised by the Go 3.

Hands-on review: OCULUS Quest 2
Tue, 11th May 2021
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gaming
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reviews
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technology gifts
The Oculus Quest 2 is my first and long overdue foray into the world of virtual reality, and I've been having fun.

Hands-on review: Huawei Band 6 and FreeBuds 4i
Thu, 29th Apr 2021
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digital music
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gaming
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reviews
For the past few weeks, I’ve been going about my life with a grin on my face, thanks to these devices.

Hands-on review: OPPO Find X3 Pro
Mon, 12th Apr 2021
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
The Find X3 Pro has a juicy set of specs. After a week of playing with some of the features, they have hooked me.. again!

New Dyson air purifier attacks indoor pollutants
Tue, 23rd Mar 2021
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wfh
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remote working
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dyson 360 eye
Dyson has taken its problem-solving approach and applied it to the problem of formaldehyde.

Hands-on review: BenQ ZOWIE XL2411K Esports gaming monitor
Tue, 16th Mar 2021
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gaming
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reviews
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monitors
This is a great middle-of-the-road option, well worth a look for those of us constrained by space and budget but with an eye for ergonomics.

Hands-on review: Jabra PanaCast & Jabra Speak 750
Tue, 2nd Mar 2021
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gaming
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uc
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microsoft teams
It offers a very cost-effective and versatile solution to your online meeting needs.

Hands-on review: Swann Enforcer Security System
Mon, 25th Jan 2021
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gaming
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surveillance
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reviews
The 1TB hard drive is “set and forget” meaning you have free local recording for up to 12 months, “with no fees ever.”

Hands-on review: JBL PartyBox On-The-Go
Mon, 7th Dec 2020
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gaming
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digital music
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reviews
Some of us love to celebrate through singing and playing music. The JBL PartyBox On-The-Go is designed for just such occasions.

ReedPop reaches $100k fundraising target for Cure Cancer
Fri, 4th Dec 2020
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gaming
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technology gifts
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metaverse
Let’s hope that more of us are inspired to encourage the researchers who will face life-long challenges to unwrap the mysteries surrounding cancer.

Hands-on review: OPPO Reno 4 and Reno 4 Pro 5G
Tue, 24th Nov 2020
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
If you use a phone for professional-looking photos and great video content, both these models deserve your attention.

Hands-on review: Lenovo Smart Display 7 and Lenovo Smart Clock
Thu, 19th Nov 2020
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gaming
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reviews
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smart home
Fashionistas will rejoice at the clever use of the cloth-covered units which mean they blend into any environment with ease.

Hands-on review: Vivo X50 Pro 5G
Thu, 15th Oct 2020
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
I’m already convinced that I want to be the next stellar movie director to come out of New Zealand when I grow up.

Hands-on review: Jabra Evolve2 65 Headset for business UC
Wed, 14th Oct 2020
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uc
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gaming
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contact centre
It was so comfortable that I took to wearing them even when not listening to anything.

Hands-on review: The Jabra Elite 45h headphones
Thu, 24th Sep 2020
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gaming
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uc
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digital music
For a headset coming in at under $200, Jabra has packed in an array of features that appeal to the budget-conscious that demand a quality sound experience.

Hands-on review: The Amazon Echo Auto
Mon, 14th Sep 2020
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gaming
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reviews
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cartech
Coming in at well under $100, the Echo Auto may well be that auto accessory that keeps you company on those long road trips.

Hands-on review: The Nokia 2.3 smartphone
Mon, 7th Sep 2020
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
Your kids are going to love it (and you will too), writes Owen McCarthy.

Hands-on review: The Nokia 5.3 smartphone
Tue, 25th Aug 2020
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
The high-quality build means that each time I take it out of my pocket, I don’t put it into “Do not disturb” mode. Other Android users will know what I mean.

OPPO Watch debuts featuring a 'world-first' 3D hyperboloid screen
Mon, 24th Aug 2020
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smartphones
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technology gifts
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wearables
With OPPO’s growing reputation for style, reliability and innovation, I confidently think they’re onto a winner.

Hands-on review: TCL QLED Android 55C815 TV
Thu, 20th Aug 2020
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gaming
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reviews
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digital entertainment
Since installing this 55-inch behemoth in our modest living room, I’ve come to appreciate just how hard Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda have been working.

Hands-on review: JBL Bar 5.1 Surround
Mon, 3rd Aug 2020
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digital music
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reviews
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gaming
To quote John Wick, if you were to ask me if I’d want one of these as part of my home entertainment, my answer would have to be, “Yeah.”

Hands-on review: Realme X3 SuperZoom
Mon, 20th Jul 2020
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smartphones
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gaming
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reviews
You will have fun customising your screen to your own preferences and adding those personal tweaks to make the Realme X3 truly your own.