Crafting with confidence
Crafting at home has always been popular in certain circles, but with the introduction of purpose-built machinery and software, a whole new audience has jumped onto the endless possibilities that crafting presents. Metropol’s gadget guy Ian Knott puts the new Cricut Maker 4 through its paces. The Cricut Maker 4 feels more like […]
The carpet cleaner that pulls its weight
Carpet cleaning often sounds easier than it really is. In theory, you fill a tank, add some solution, push a machine around, and admire the results. In practice, it can mean dealing with a heavy machine, questioning the instructions, and wondering if all that noise and effort actually leads to much. Metropol’s gadget […]
Welcome Honor into the fold
Foldable mobile phones have spent the last few years hovering between novelty and necessity. Impressive, yes. Practical, sometimes. The Honor Magic V5 feels like one of the first to stop asking for patience and start offering confidence instead. Metropol’s gadget guy Ian Knott discovers there’s more to Android life than Samsung and co […]
A clean approach
There are product updates, and then there are course corrections. Metropol’s Gadget Guy Ian Knott finds that the ECOVACS X11 Omnicyclone robot vacuum feels very much like the latter. It is still worth looking back a little, because there was a period where ECOVACS experimented with a square-bodied design. On paper, the idea […]
Face it, it’s light work
LED face masks tend to sit in one of two camps: serious, science-backed skincare tools, or something that looks like it escaped from a sci-fi costume department. Metropol’s gadget guy Ian Knott discovers the Nanoleaf LED Facemask feels reassuringly grounded, even if wearing it gets a sideways glance from anyone else in the […]
Sir Dave Dobbyn: Selected Songs
Sir Dave Dobbyn – Selected Songs At the Christchurch Town Hall Auditorium, 9 November 2025 Reviewed by Ian Knott. Photo credit: George Thomson / Live Nation Aotearoa – @Georgetommo / @livenationaotearoa When it comes to New Zealand music legends, few come bigger than the somewhat ironically diminutive Sir Dave Dobbyn. With a career […]
A Legacy of Support: Harmans Lawyers and The Court Theatre
For over two decades Harmans has been a proud sponsor of The Court Theatre, Christchurch’s premiere venue for performing arts. Harmans’ commitment to supporting the arts stems from the belief that culture plays an essential role in a vibrant and thriving community. As the arts enrich our lives and shape the soul of […]
Premier Art Collection: Windsor Gallery
Art lovers will have the opportunity to explore works from over 40 highly regarded New Zealand artists in 3-4 May, 2025 at Windsor Gallery. Gallery co-owner and art expert Tracey Wynands hand-picked new and iconic national artists for the showcase, with many of them creating captivating new work specifically for the collection. “We […]
A balanced approach to learning
ROUTINE. CONSISTENCY. ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL A family-owned boutique tutoring service transforms student learning outcomes by offering an individualised approach in boarding houses across New Zealand. Hazlett Tutoring has gone from strength to strength, first offering boarding house tutoring in Dunedin, to opening in boarding houses in Christchurch, Hamilton, and Auckland. […]
Some like it hot
Chillies feature in almost every global cuisine, some more than others, although they’re not everyone’s idea of an enjoyable culinary experience. BY IAN KNOTT. The heat of chillies is a subjective thing to the individual. Many find a relatively mild jalapeño (2000 Scoville Heat Units) or Tabasco sauce unbearably spicy, whereas others won’t […]
