Compact Gear, Expansive Plans: From Living-Room Play to Stargazing in the Backyard | Vol. 40

Nex Playground’s most interesting move is to change what counts as playing a video game. Rather than making family gaming another seated activity, it uses body tracking to put movement at the centre. The screen stays; the audience is asked to get involved. For families looking for a different kind of screen time, that is a more useful proposition than another solemn promise to stop having screen time altogether.

The motion system tracks 18 points on the body and supports up to four concurrent players. The appeal is participation: several people can take part together instead of turning a family game into one person’s performance and everyone else’s commentary. Four-player support makes it particularly relevant to siblings, parents and small gatherings. It also means the area in front of the TV needs to be treated as a place to play, not merely the route to the sofa.

Five games are included: Fruit Ninja, Go Keeper, Party Fowl, Starri and Whac-a-Mole on Nex Playground. That gives the console a defined starting point without requiring Play Pass. The distinction matters, however: Play Pass unlocks the rest of the library. This is not a system whose entire catalogue comes with the hardware. If variety is what keeps your household interested, the starter pack should be considered a beginning rather than the whole attraction.

The practical arrangements are straightforward. Playground connects to a TV or projector through HDMI, with the cable included. Games can be played offline once downloaded, so an internet connection does not have to accompany every play session. Downloads still need to happen first; offline play is a convenience, not magic.

The strongest reason to choose Playground is not that it replaces outdoor play or turns gaming into a fitness programme. It is that it offers a shared indoor activity built around moving. That is a worthwhile distinction on an afternoon when everyone wants entertainment and nobody wants another board-game rules briefing. Choose it for that kind of family participation, with a clear-eyed view of the starter library, and its appeal is easy to understand.

The Positive Grid Spark GO makes the most sense as the amp you reach for when setting up a larger one feels disproportionate to the task. Ten minutes working on a chord change does not need to become a small production. At 125 × 85 × 45 mm and 346 g, this is a guitar amp with very little physical ceremony attached.

Its defining appeal is the combination of that small enclosure and a much broader tone palette than four preset buttons might suggest. There are 33 amp models and 43 effects available, with four customizable onboard presets. That gives a guitarist room to explore different sounds without assembling a pedalboard just to find out whether today's riff wants more gain. The numbers describe choice, not a guarantee that every model will become a favourite; the useful part is having those choices in something this compact.

The division between amp and app matters. You can use the four factory presets without the Spark app, so basic playing does not require a phone beside the guitar. Creating or accessing additional tones does require it. That makes the onboard controls a convenient way to return to selected sounds, rather than a complete substitute for the app. Players who enjoy editing on a screen will find the arrangement more appealing than those who consider a phone the sworn enemy of practice time.

Battery power is the other reason this format works. The built-in 2500 mAh battery is rated for up to eight hours at mid volume or lower, with a stated two-hour charging time over USB-C. The volume condition deserves attention, but the proposition is still useful: a rechargeable amp that can move between practice spots without needing a nearby outlet.

There are also two distinct ways to listen. The custom 2-inch speaker is mono and sits in a passive-radiator cabinet; the headphone output is stereo. Headphones make it useful when the household has already heard quite enough of the same four bars. Bluetooth audio adds another playback option, while USB recording gives the GO a role at a computer. Its 1-input, 2-output interface runs at 44.1 kHz and 16-bit: a straightforward recording connection, not a multi-input studio hub.

The hard boundary is speaker output. This is a 5-watt Class D amp with a maximum stated level of 82 dB SPL at one metre. It belongs in the solo-practice conversation, not in a contest with an enthusiastic drummer. Buying it as a miniature replacement for a rehearsal amp would miss its purpose.

As a second amp, though, the Spark GO has a persuasive job description: keep a selection of guitar sounds close at hand, allow private listening, and offer a route into recording. Its appeal is not that it does everything. It makes the modest, repeatable act of picking up the guitar easier to accommodate.

Tire maintenance is easy to postpone because it rarely feels urgent until it becomes inconvenient. The Xiaomi Portable Electric Air Compressor 2 Pro makes a useful case for keeping the means to do it close at hand: a rechargeable inflator that lets you choose a pressure and stops when it reaches that target. Its appeal is less about turning your garage into a workshop and more about removing an excuse from a small, recurring job.

Automatic shutoff is the defining feature here. Rather than making you manage the entire inflation process manually, the compressor works towards a preset endpoint. Bicycle, motorcycle, car, electric scooter and ball modes give familiar starting points, while custom mode provides adjustment from 3–150 PSI. That makes sense for a household whose wheeled possessions have gradually become a small transport department.

There is one important distinction for cyclists. Bicycle mode adjusts only from 30–65 PSI; road-bike pressures above 65 PSI require custom mode. The compressor can accommodate that pressure setting, but the named bicycle preset is not a universal bicycle setting. Choose the appropriate pressure for your tire rather than assuming the mode has done all the thinking for you.

The included accessories broaden its usefulness without requiring a separate collection of fittings from the outset. A Presta valve adapter serves compatible bike valves, a needle valve covers balls, and the package also includes a fast-connecting air valve and high-pressure hose extension. These are practical additions for moving between different inflation jobs, not ornamental extras destined for the mysterious drawer.

Portability needs a little interpretation. The body measures approximately 152 × 100 × 63 mm, excluding the hose, and weighs about 905 g. That is compact enough to consider for vehicle storage or a home maintenance shelf, but substantial for a cyclist counting every gram. This is portable in the sense that you can bring it along—not in the sense that you will forget it is there.

The rechargeable format also requires some planning. A full charge takes approximately 3.5 hours through the Type-C port, with 9V/2A fast charging and 5V/3A charging specified. Keeping it charged is part of keeping it useful. During operation, Xiaomi warns that noise can exceed 85 dB(A), and prolonged running can make both the compressor and hose very hot. It deserves cooling time, and a quiet early-morning top-up is not something to count on.

Its harder boundaries are worth respecting. It is not waterproof and should not be used in damp environments. Nor is it the right tool for filling a swim ring or inflatable boat: Xiaomi says those low-pressure items inflate slowly. A high pressure ceiling does not turn a tire inflator into a high-volume air pump.

For routine tire-pressure maintenance across a few vehicles and bikes, the 2 Pro earns its place through controlled inflation and useful fittings. Choose it for that focused job. Buyers seeking the lightest cycling backup, wet-weather equipment or a pump for large inflatables should look elsewhere rather than asking one compact box to cover three different professions.

Some people build their kitchen routine around coffee. The Hotel Chocolat ALL-NEW Velvetiser gives drinking chocolate a similarly dedicated place, without requiring its owner to pretend that cocoa is merely a backup beverage.

Its defining feature is the combination of a custom-designed whisk and a ridged InnerPod, which creates a vortex effect during preparation. That is the product’s central argument: a purpose-built mixing system for a particular drink, rather than a general kitchen tool pressed into chocolate duty.

A preparation cycle takes 2.5 minutes, making the process a short ritual rather than an afternoon project. Both hot and cold drinking chocolate are supported, so its intended use need not end when winter does. Chocolate, apparently, has declined to observe the seasons.

The buying decision is mostly about frequency. If drinking chocolate is a regular pleasure, this focused appliance has an understandable role. If it is something you remember twice a year, dedicating counter space to it is a harder argument. Choose it for the drink you already enjoy, not for the routine you hope an appliance will persuade you to adopt.

The DWARFLAB DWARF 3 makes its strongest case to someone who looks at the night sky and thinks less about an eyepiece and more about a photograph. This is a camera-led astronomy proposition, with dedicated filters, onboard storage and battery power. It invites a new photographic obsession. Conveniently, the subject matter is unlikely to run out.

The telephoto camera uses a Sony IMX678 STARVIS 2 sensor, while a separate fixed-focus wide-angle lens provides a 45 mm-equivalent view. Those are two distinct framing options, not simply two names for the same camera. The lens assembly can rotate 340° horizontally and 240° vertically, giving it considerable aiming range. The attraction is a purpose-built imaging instrument rather than trying to persuade an everyday camera to become an astronomy system through sheer enthusiasm.

The three built-in filters are a particularly meaningful part of that proposition. VIS covers 430–650 nm, Astro covers 430–690 nm, and the Duo-band filter targets Hα and OIII wavelengths. They give the instrument different spectral options for image-making, including one specifically directed at those astronomical emissions. For the buyer interested in learning how celestial images are made, that is more compelling than a long list of generic camera modes. The filters provide room to explore, not a promise that every session produces a frame-worthy nebula.

The important boundary is exposure control. In Deep Sky Mode, Auto Mode stops at 15 seconds; longer exposures require Manual Mode. EQ Mode is recommended at 15 seconds or longer and mandatory at 30 seconds or longer. That makes this a less convincing choice for someone expecting automation to handle every stage of long-exposure work. There is a clear point where the convenient gadget becomes a hobby, and the hobby expects your participation.

Physical setup matters, too. Tripod instability, light wind and ground vibrations can affect long-exposure tracking, potentially stretching or blurring stars. Its standard 1/4″-20 UNC tripod connection is useful, but choosing a compatible support is only the beginning. A sky full of distant objects does not make the instrument indifferent to a wobble beneath it.

The everyday provisions are welcome: 128 GB of built-in eMMC storage, a 10,000 mAh battery and external USB charging support. These make storage and power part of the instrument rather than entirely separate requirements. The listed package also includes a carrying bag and magnetic solar filters. Solar imaging requires a solar filter; that accessory is safety equipment, not optional creative seasoning.

Our judgment is that the DWARF 3 earns attention through its specialised imaging options and integrated essentials. It suits the curious photographer willing to learn the astronomy side, not just admire the idea of it. Buy into the process as well as the pictures, and the proposition becomes much more persuasive.