Author: Chris Singh

Located in the charismatic James Hotel, Scarpetta holds court as one of Manhattan’s most reliable Italian restaurants, shouldering plenty of acclaim despite consistent competition from the likes of Torissi and the great Emilio’s Ballato. The restaurant opened in 2008 in the Meatpacking District to instant acclaim, glowing from a three-star review in The New York…

One in Sydney. One in Melbourne. L.A legend Ice Cube is no stranger to performing in Australia. He was just here two years ago with Cypress Hill, although he hadn’t been touring much before that. Anyone who saw Cube at those concerts would be surprised to hear he’s coming back so soon, and with a…

It’s no secret that Canberra punches above its modest weight. The food (and wine) is some of the best in the country, spoiled by the finest of both Victoria and New South Wales produce. Then you have the relaxed pace, barely-there traffic, world-class art and bucolic lifestyle.  That’s one of the few things Melbourne and…

When you live in Australia, summer means long, hot days, backyard BBQs, and—if you’re lucky—a dip in the pool to escape the heat. But if you’ve got a pool, you also know the struggle: leaves, bugs, and who-knows-what floating on the surface. That pool net is a daily demand, and it takes up a lot…

Pizza ovens have been a leading category for a few years now. Just look on Google and you’ll find that plenty of brands have entered the market to meet demand. But Gozney started the whole hype with the excellent (and remarkably portable) Roccbox. Expanding the range has been a regular thing since then, with some…

While the tech world obsesses over Apple Intelligence and machine learning algorithms, the iPhone 16 Pro didn’t exactly need to be an impressive piece of tech. In fact, Apple kind of messed up when they put out the iPhone 16 series with little to no AI features, even though Apple Intelligence was a big drawcard…

Sleek, beautifully designed, and highly functional, the Google Pixel Watch 3 represents a major change for the mega-company’s smart device ecosystem. Whereas the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 failed to make much of an impact, the third time is most definitely a charm for this product line. But first. Frustration. Google’s bizarre system…

The smartphone market has become obsessed with “bigger is better,” but Google’s Pixel 9 Pro makes a compelling case for restraint. In an era where flagship phones increasingly resemble tablets, the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro feels refreshingly normal to hold, while delivering every premium feature you’d expect from a top-tier Android device. After three months…

Noughties nostalgia will be flowing all over some of Australia’s best venues this month when St Louis rapper Nelly brings his current world tour down under to celebrate a trip down memory lane. While many younger hip hop fans would have grown up with songs like “Ride With Me” and “Dilemma,” there’s a distinct bounce…

After plenty of acclaim this year, it seems Dometic is poised to dominate the category of outdoor essentials. Planning a big camping trip? You might want to look into this incredibly well-considered device, which is aimed squarely at big groups who spend days or even weeks soaking up the great outdoors and don’t necessarily feel…

The Ecovacs Deebot X5 Omni represents a significant leap forward in the evolution of robot vacuums. It introduces a suite of advanced features that enhance cleaning efficiency and user convenience. That’s the promise on paper and it’s more or less delivered here with stunning results. And while it may not be pushing the envelope, I’ve…

Everyone knows the UE speakers as soon as they see them now. I don’t think there’s a sharehouse in Australia that doesn’t have at least two of these sitting around the lounge room, always ready to blast some Fred Again when the mood strikes. Such familiarity also leads to complacency at times. It’d be just…

The latest iteration of GoPro’s action camera continues the company’s tradition of keeping in step with modern technology while maintaining the rugged reliability that made the brand a household name. Design is, after all, what made GoPro such a game-changing camera when it was first released. Now, as more and more people set out to…

Compact with big ambitions, XGIMI’s MoGo 2 Pro might not be perfect but, for the price, it’s the portable projector to beat right now and has me excited about where the technology is going. When it comes to portable projectors, the XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro aims to redefine expectations, packing impressive features into a device…

Santa’s state-sanctioned home invasions are just around the corner. The big ball of joy is going to be squeezing down your chimney in just a few weeks, but you don’t want him to spot a sad, empty Christmas tree when he makes it down, do you? Trees that shadow dozens upon dozens of wrapped presents,…

Look, I’ll be honest. When Apple first announced the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 Pro in September 2024, my initial reaction was pretty lukewarm. Another button? Really? It felt like one of those features that was just more about doing something different than doing something important. The more I thought about it, the…

Have you been to a rave at Sydney’s Carriageworks? You may have popped by the Carriageworks Farmers Markets, gazed in wonder at Sydney Contemporary and strutted your stuff at Fashion Week, but seeing a big, blinding rave at this arts and lifestyle institution is just as essential. I once saw Grace Jones in the belly…

You know it’s a big deal when bassist Mark Stoermer pops up on stage. Stoermer might be The Killers’ original bassist, but a combination of tinnitus and back issues means the prodigiously talented musician rarely tours with the band. Similarly, Dave Keuning’s luscious locks are barely seen when The Killers flirt around the word. And…

Not since 2017’s highly successful Boys Meets World tour has Canadian rap impresario Drake even stepped on Australian soil. But eight years later, the globe-dominating artist has the country’s east coast firmly in sight. In fact, he may well be debuting a brand new tour down here. The Anita Max Wynn (“I Need A Max…

Music is much more than just art. It’s a neuroscientific tool that you can use to pocket memories, elevate moments and add magic to the mundane. Some elicit stronger bouts of nostalgia than others simply because of how they’re produced and written. But the process of music digging into our souls and helping us find…

The short flight from Sydney to the pacific paradise of Fiji is one of the most frequented for keen Australian travellers looking for a quick and budget friendly escape. Fiji Airways, which has a codeshare agreement with Qantas, has long been known as one of the better and more comfortable ways to get there. So…

It’s been far too long between outings for Nintendo’s acclaimed Mario & Luigi RPG outing. This has supposedly been rectified by masterful remakes of two of the series’ most acclaimed titles, as well as a brand new adventure in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. The interesting release strategy is a smart move from Nintendo, nodding to…

Black Francis doesn’t like talking, and he isn’t afraid to let you know that. “We’re happy to be here. Many people think we aren’t because we don’t talk much, but we are,” he says casually into the microphone before his band, Pixies, give us two nonstop hours of snub-nosed rock & roll. “When you talk,…

The silly season has already started. With work winding down, Christmas parties loading up, and all those Xmas lights starting to sparkle, it’s beginning to look a lot like freedom. No doubt you’ll be planning an epic December to let loose from a chaotic 2024. We’re willing to bet that live music is a big…

If the remaining members of the Beastie Boys ever wanted to recreate the music video for “Intergalactic” surely Chris Martin wouldn’t mind stepping in for the late, great MCA. I’m not sure when Coldplay became obsessed with the galaxy but the band has been doing this titanic, leave-the-world-behind super-pop thing for many years now. It’s…

A sinister wall of synths and strings shoots from the tiny Sydney Opera House forecourt stage. One of music’s most formidable creatives is cheering himself on as the flickering orange glow illuminates his half-cocked cackle, making him look like a mad scientist as he fiddles away with his equipment and twists his arms into the…

One of history’s most highly influential UK rappers is returning to Australia after a painfully long absence. During the peak of his popularity, Dizzee Rascal was a regular in Australia and in remarkably high demand thanks to classic albums such as Boy In Da Corner and Maths + English. And while those projects still hold…

According to the Hilton website, the company has around 68 hotels in New York City. As per Google, there are around 700 hotels in New York City (from 2021 – that number would have increased by then). Based on those numbers, just under 10% of the hotels in New York City are branded under Hilton….

Acclaimed Canada-based Punjabi artist Karan Aujla is gearing up for an arena tour around Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, bringing his unique, award-winning blend of Punjabi folk and worldly contemporary music to some of the region’s biggest venues for the very first time since his debut in 2022. Aujla’s star has reached tremendous heights this year….

I still remember the cracks clearly. The first one reverberated up my right leg to let me know something was wrong, while the second immediately followed and sent me into a panic. A sprain? Annoying. It’ll heal. But how did I sprain my foot at a concert? It’s Halloween in 2010 and I’m watching Nas,…