Parrot Zik 3 headphones, Netgear security camera, HyperJuice and Cash by Optus

From security cameras to swipe-and-pay wristbands, the week’s best in gadgetry.

4 gadgets for Life

From security cameras to swipe-and-pay wristbands, the week’s best in gadgetry.

Netgear Arlo Q 1080p HD Security Camera. Netgear has followed up its battery operated Arlo camera with a new version you plug into power. It connects directly to home Wi-Fi and features 1080p wide-angle viewing and video capture, two-way audio communication, customisable sound or motion alerts, built-in night vision capabilities, and 7 days of free cloud storage for videos. Motion-triggered recordings are automatically saved for later viewing and you can download them during the 7 days. The Arlo app for iOS and Android loads quickly and offers easy access to all camera views. Arlo Q is available in Australian stores now; $349.

Parrot Zik 3 headphones. A pair of Parrot’s Zik 3 headphones not only looks beautiful, it packs in lots of technology. The adaptive noise control can be managed manually with an app or left to automatically adjust to surrounding noise. Software can reinject part of the background noise so that you have a natural perception of your voice during phone calls. You can listen to your music in lossless Hi-Fi quality and charge your headphones simultaneously. Use NFC and Bluetooth to connect to a music source, and the headset can be charged wirelessly. There’s a touch panel for controlling functionality and an app lets you set acoustic environments such as a concert hall or jazz club. Available in stores late March; preorder now. $600.

HyperJuice battery pack (left) and Cash by Optus bands.

HyperJuice External Battery Pack for MacBooks. I sometimes hear people grumble about not having a compatible battery pack for their Macbook. There’s already the ChugPlug that adds 3-4 additional hours use to 11 and 13-inch MacBooks. If you want a higher capacity battery, there’s HyperJuice, which lets you recharge your MacBook 3 to 4 times over. The capacities are 60, 100, 150 and 222Wh and the battery includes two 12 watt high power USB ports that can charge 2 iPad Pros at the same time. You’ll need to also buy a “magic box” that connects to your MagSafe adaptor. Pay $US49.95 and use tools to connect your existing adaptor or $149.95 for an already modified adaptor/magic box system. The battery pack is $US169.95 (60WH) to $US449.95 (222WH). Available from hypershop.com

Cash by Optus bands. The Cash by Optus debit facility was introduced last year and represented the telco’s entry into mobile payments. You needed an Optus prepaid or postpaid account, a compatible phone and a specially designed SIM for it to work. You could then swipe your phone on retail terminals to make payments. Adding a new Cash for Optus band makes the system much more useful. Place the band around your wrist; to make a payment, swipe it over the retail terminal. The band doesn’t need to be near the linked phone. So you could be out running without your phone, or lounging in a sunken bar at a luxury resort. Load up to $500 into the band at a time.