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Man of Many’s Staff Favourites is back to brighten up your weekend, as we celebrate the products, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the week.
We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and curious on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. So we collect them here in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to give your week a lift.
This week, we have some new gear to manage those unruly cables, a new portable monitor, and an RTD to try out this summer. But before we dive in, don’t forget to check out this week’s episode of Daddies – we spoke to journalist Marc Fennell about State of Man, his new series on the ABC, and life inside the manosphere. Well worth a listen.
Meanwhile, here are this week’s staff favourites!
1. Chunky Silicone Cables
Ben Mckimm – Staff Writer
I have far too many of those woven USB-C-to-USB-C iPhone cables. Sure, they don’t tangle as much as the old plastic ones, but charging cables are, more often than not, treated as disposable commodities, built with thin plastic jackets that split at the collar within months. The other day, Australian outfit Chunky put their silicone cables across my desk, and while I was a bit hesitant at first, I’ve really come to like them. The brand has basically over-engineered everyday cables with heavy-duty metal connector housings and thick, soft-touch silicone shielding built to withstand repeated bends. The flexible silicone sleeve resists tight kinks and tangles without further fraying, even more than Apple cables, making it significantly easier to pack into daily tech pouches or vehicle consoles.
Beneath the matte exterior, reinforced internal wiring supports high-wattage power delivery to handle power-hungry hardware, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. They don’t have the speed of more expensive Thunderbolt cables that I’ve started hoarding for SSDs and video products, but when rounding up durable everyday carry gear and work-from-home accessories, Chunky’s heavy-gauge silicone jacket and reinforced strain-relief collars are enough for me to recommend them as a hard-wearing local alternative to standard nylon-braided leads.
Price: approx AUD$39–$49
Favourite article: Billionaire Aussie is Creating the ‘Singer of Holdens’ with Reimagined HDT Brand
2. espresso 15 Lite
Elliot Nash – Staff Writer
I never understood portable monitors. Lugging around a second screen seemed unnecessary when you’re working on the go, since you often have to make do with your lap if you can’t find a cafe table or a picnic table in the park. But what about Work From Home? Well, that’s where the AUD $399 espresso Lite 15 quickly changed my mind.
Paired with my 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15.6-inch display offers some much-needed extra real estate whenever I’m working from home, whether I’m at the dining table or the coffee table in the living room. Who doesn’t love working from the couch?
The only problem with stepping out of the office is stepping down from my 32-inch 4K monitor. But with the espresso sitting side-by-side with my MacBook, I have all the space I need to get my articles out every day.
I love the look and feel of the white model, and while it does come in a bunch of colours, like mint green, orange and purple, I know I’d want it in black. But it’s the magnets on the Stand+ that deserve a bit of extra praise. Combined with the super-strong magnets on the back of the display, the Stand+ makes switching between setups a snap. However, that same strength can also make positioning fiddly if you’re trying to centre the monitor.
Oh, and as much as I love its gorgeous glossy screen, it’s also a fingerprint magnet and particularly reflective near windows. So position yourself accordingly to avoid staring at your face while you work in dark mode.
The included USB-C connection and purple cable keep things as simple as they do colourful, while the optional Nylon Pro case, which came with my review unit, makes the espresso easier to carry around day to day, provided you’ve got enough room in your backpack or messenger bag.
I’m still not convinced I’d take my espresso Lite 15 on the go between meetings, but having a proper dual-screen setup away from my desk? Well, that’s what I’ll be doing from now on.
The TAB Everest
Scott Purcell – co-Founder
The last time Man of Many was looked after at Royal Randwick for Everest Day was back in 2022, and I’ve been angling to get back ever since. This Saturday I finally am, mostly to celebrate a mate’s birthday (albeit with a form guide I barely understand tucked in my back pocket).
If you’ve never been, The TAB Everest is the richest race in the country. It’s a AUD $20 million sprint over 1200 metres that’s done and dusted in a little over a minute. The winner takes home $7 million, and even the horse that runs last in the 12-horse field walks away with $700,000. Each slot holder forks out $700,000 just to get a runner in, which tells you everything about how seriously this crowd takes it. This year is also the 10th running, so expect a bit of extra fanfare.
For me, though, the racing is only half of it. For my money, it’s the best dressed day on Sydney’s racing calendar, and the people watching is elite. I’m told the VIP suite will have Jack Steele from The Inspired Unemployed, Brendan Fevola and stylists Donny Galella and Paul Versace. If you’re after some spring racing style inspiration, keep an eye on our socials over the weekend, where we’ll be sharing the best dressed blokes at the track.
If you fancy a crack, check what’s left on The Everest site and sort your outfit before you sort your tips. I’ll be the one in the Members’ area with a lighter wallet, a sunburnt bald head and no idea which horse I backed.
Favourite Article of the Week: 2026 Toyota GR Corolla Review: Can Trick AWD Dethrone the Civic Type R?
Favourite Video of the Week: Longines Master Collection Chrono Monopusher Breakdown
Disclosure: Man of Many is travelling as a guest of MAXMEDIALAB.
Haiver Spirits Hard Tea
Jackson Langford – Digital Editor
I don’t know about you, but the second the weather starts to warm up, I start to feel adventurous when it comes to my choice of beverages. Don’t get me wrong – I love a strong winter drink, like a whisky or glass of pinot noir, more than anyone, but there’s something about summer that I want to be all encompassing (drinks included). That first day of AEDT time, and I want to be sitting outside past 6pm sipping on something that tastes, smells, feels like summer.
Now, summery drinks tend to be sweet, fruity or citrus-based, but that encompasses so many different types of beverages. However, when independent Geelong Haiver reached out and asked to send me some of its Summer Peach Hard Tea, my interest piqued: I don’t think I’ve ever had hard tea before, let alone in RTD form. I brought them to a board games afternoon on a particularly balmy September day, with only the drinks and a dodgy pedestal fan to cool us down. But, I was stoked with the flavour that rests in that skinny, 330mL can. I sometimes find peach-flavoured alcohol to taste a bit off as it can lean too hard into the floral notes, but Haiver’s hard tea balanced the sweetness and punchiness really well. It wasn’t so sweet that it became sickly, but sweet enough that it weighed out some of the more aromatic notes. Maybe it’s because it was brewed on a beer base, as opposed to just combining tea and spirits.
And that’s on top of the glorious fact it tastes just like an iced tea! Usually, my go-to RTDs are all soda-based, so this really was a refreshing take. If you’re looking to update whatever drinks you bring to a picnic, Haiver Spirits Hard Tea is a great place to start.
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