Five simple ways to upgrade your favourite gadgets

WANT to make your gadgets greater? There are easy ways you can get the most from your gear so take a look at these essential upgrades.

Get the most from your gear and take your gadgets to the next level with these five simpl

DO you want a tip-top television picture or a mobile camera with more clout?

To upgrade, enhance and generally pimp your stuff there are some must-have items you should buy. Here are the best places to start to get your gear working better for you.

Tune up your television picture

Take the time to play with your TV’s picture settings and you will be rewarded.

As a television owner there is a cardinal sin that could be staring you right in the face. No, it’s not watching an Adam Sandler film. If you’ve spent a decent wedge on a snazzy new flatscreen and haven’t even ventured into the menus to tinker with the picture settings it’s time to get your hands dirty, otherwise you’re watching a big waste of money.

Instead of winging it by eye you can get expert help by way of a DVD that will guide you on the perfect calibration. There are a few to choose from but DVE HD Basics (available on Amazon for around $40) is highly recommended, or there are free download options. With some televisions arriving out of the box with brightness, contrast or colour set far too high, not only will this make the picture look better but it can help preserve the life of the panel.

A snappier mobile camera

The Olloclip 4-in-1 lens can transform your mobile’s camera.

With the mobile phone camera becoming our go-to-guy for taking pictures it’s a good idea to give it a boost. In comparison to compact cameras and DSLRs the lens is tiny and can’t offer the same standard of images.

This add-on from Olloclip is a device that enhances the iPhone camera lens with larger optics for clearer and less distortion to pictures. For creative photographers the 4-in-1 snap-on tool lets you take fisheye, wide-angle and close-up macros shots. Not bad for just $70.

Maximise your mobile music

Yes, you too can enjoy your music as much as this. Just don’t use those generic headphones.

For confessed audiophiles there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing someone listen to their iPod or mobile music through the complimentary headphones that come in the box.

They’re tinny, leak sound for the whole train carriage to hear and simply don’t make the most of your music. Invest in a decent pair of headphones and you’ll never appreciate your music more.

Apple has upped its game with its Earpods but its first generation headphones were tragic. Others can fit poorly and become uncomfortable. If you’re going for in-ear buds try to get ones with interchangeable silicone tips — they will fit better and won’t leak sound.

If you’re set on over-ear cans we highly recommend Sennheiser’s Momentum. They sit at the mid-high price range at $400 but the sonics are absolutely outstanding. These give tracks a whole new dimension, vocals are like a live performance in your ears and you’ll hear things in songs you never knew existed.

Awesome television audio

Denon’s soundbar is a convenient solution to boosting your TV’s audio prowess.

While flatscreen TVs are easy-on-the-eye, the problem they have lies in the name. Being flat means very little depth for speakers to perform, which is why you may have noticed some sets not offering enough audio oomph.

To compensate you could go for a full-on home theatre system with surround sound speakers placed around the living room, but not everyone has the space or wants to be shaken off the sofa when the Neighbours theme tune plays.

A top solution is a soundbar. This unit sits at the bottom of your TV and contains several small speakers that give the effect of a surround sound setup in one neat package.

There are bars for all budgets — the likes of Denon’s DHT-S514 ($999) is on the top end but comes with a really simple setup, Bluetooth for playing audio from your mobiles and a kicking subwoofer for bellowing bass as part of the package.

A case has its place

There are all sorts of cases intended to enhance our kit, like this one from Logitech that can unleash the gaming potential of the iPhone.

We know a case isn’t the sexiest piece of kit but it dutifully ensures it keeps your stuff safe and still working when bashed. In our eyes, that’s an upgrade.

Cases these days do more than just act as protection — some can conceal keyboards so you can type away without swearing at the touchscreen (Moshi Versa, $60), others can deliver additional battery life and memory (Mophie Juice Pack), or some can transform your mobile into mini gaming consoles (Logitech PowerShell controller + battery, $130).