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STREAMING MEDIA PLAYERS

TELSTRA TV 2 vs FOXTEL NOW BOX + SIX MORE MOVIE & TV STREAMERS COMPARED

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TECHLIFER

E A S Y• M A D E S M A R T S

TECHLIFFER ISSUE 72 | JANUARY 20118 |

•T E C H

APPLE NEWSSTAND & GOOGLE PLAY

E

E IN RICC F R I ING ON NE FLIX, N AN O

LOUNGE ROOM UPGRADE UNCOVERED: THE BEST GEAR & GADGETS TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE AT-HOME TV & MOVIE VIEWING EXPERIENCE (WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE)

DISCOVER NEAT TECH TRICKS

WINDOWS 10 FALL UPDATE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW MAKE YOURSELF A SOCIALMEDIA MASTER ON TWITTER PRO GUIDE TO SETTING UP POWERLINE NETWORKING

HUGE BUYER’S GUIDE UPDATE!

NO BUM STEERS: WE’VE PICKED THE BEST TECH GEAR ACROSS 110 CATEGORIES, SO YOU’LL NEVER BUY A LEMON!

HOT NEW TECH, TESTED BY EXPERTS

KINDLE OASIS 2: IS THIS PREMIUM EREADER WORTH THE HIGH PRICE? PROTECT YOUR HOME THIS SUMMER: 10 WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS COMPARED XBOX ONE X: THE ULTIMATE 4K LOUNGE ROOM DEVICE?

Adventure-ready.

Just like you.

NEW

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When a speaker this small sounds this good, you’ll never leave it behind. The Bose® SoundLink® Micro Bluetooth® speaker delivers unmatched sound for a speaker this size.

Its rugged design and durable strap let you take it everywhere you go. It’s waterproof from the inside out, so even if it falls in the pool, just pull it out and keep on playing.

The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Bose Corporation is under license.

HLIFE #72 ]

ORIAL RED SPECULATION

[ BLOCK ]

Is it time to unplug from social media?

TECHLIFE’S EDITOR ASKS WHETHER SOCIAL MEDIA USE IS WORTH THE COST. [ DAN GARDINER]

WITH AN ESTIMATED 2.07 billion monthly users — or more than a quarter of the global population — it’s undeniable that Facebook wields a lot of power in today’s world. And the social network can be an incredibly useful tool, offering users a convenient way to see what friends and family are doing while catching up on important news (and not-so-important funny memes). But it’s also easy to spend way too much time on the site on in the mobile app — something that more and more people are speaking out about... even tech moguls who’ve made billions of dollars from the service.

In a recent interview with website The Verge (see tinyurl.com/tla72-parkface) tech billionaire Sean Parker, who created Napster and was an early investor in Facebook, railed against the company and the design tactics it employs to keep users hooked on the service, saying it was deliberately “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology” through social-validation feedback loops. And the introduction of fake news to the pot makes the issue of our social-media use all the more important to consider.

Facebook has at least made moves in trying to fight the latter. In the wake of the 2016 US presidential election and the potential impact [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

that ‘fake news’ had on the American electorate, the company hired dedicated fact-checkers in an attempt to minimise the number and impact of these types of stories. Unfortunately, those fact-checkers have recently come out and stated that, with their current level of resources, they’ve had minimal effect on the spread of blatant falsehoods across the social network — effectively making them little more than a PR ploy. Facebook, of course, has a reputation for trying to fix things programmatically — in other words, by using code wherever possible — so it’s perhaps no big surprise that the people it has hired feel under-resourced...

It’s the users who are ultimately Facebook’s greatest resource, so it’s worth asking ourselves whether we’re getting a positive return on the social and mental time we’re investing. I’m of the opinion that, at the very least, if the social giants want to keep our attention, they need to stand up and take more responsibility for what appears on their networks.

In the meantime, as with anything potentially dangerous, the age-old advice probably still holds true: use only in moderation... and definitely not after you’ve been drinking.

[ 003 ]

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

WELCOME THIS THI SI

E

057

ROOM UPGRADE UNCOVERED: THE BEST GEAR & GADGETS TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE AT-HOME TV & MOVIE VIEWING EXPERIENCE (WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE)

[ 046 ]

Assassin’s Creed Origins, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, South Park: The Fractured But Whole and more games reviewed!

[ 004 ]

055

052

[ THIS MONTH IN TECHLIFE ]

Intro 056

[ 003 ]

Editorial

Test Bench [ 052 ] [ 053 ]

Hotspot [ 008 ] [ 010 ] [ 013 ] [ 014 ] [ 016 ] [ 017 ] [ 018 ] [ 019 ]

Microsoft Xbox One X Essential tech news The news in numbers Pop science Kickstarted Kindle Oasis 2 Get psyched!

Google Pixel Buds

[ 053 ] [ 054 ] [ 054 ] [ 055 ] [ 056 ] [ 056 ]

Features [ 072 ] [ 076 ]

Trending [ 020 ]

056

Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update: Everything you need to know

[ 026 ] [ 028 ]

Track price drops on apps & products Affordable wireless security cams

[ 084 ] [ 090 ] [ 092 ] [ 094 ] [ 096 ] [ 098 ]

Discover [ 032 ] [ 035 ] [ 036 ] [ 038 ] [ 040 ] [ 044 ] [ 045 ] [ 046 ] [ 050 ]

054

Cover story [ 057 ]

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET WWW TECHLIFE NET ]

Social media pro: Twitter Best podcasts Random tidBITs Emerging tech New apps for every platform Great browser extensions Most-useful websites PC & console game reviews Mobile game reviews

Lounge room upgrade

Is your future health in your hands?

10 inventions that could change the world

Help Station [ 086 ]

Bargain Hunter

Sony WH-1000XM2 Jaybird Freedom 2 Google Home Mini Tile Pro Series Philips Hue Ambiance Canon EOS 200D Logitech Brio Das Keyboard Prime 13

[ 100 ] [ 102 ] [ 104 ]

Q&A: Your questions answered Pro tips for Windows’ File Explorer Run Windows 10 on your Mac Master iOS 11’s accessibility tools Speed up an older Android phone Get interactive with your fiction How ad services watch you (and what to do about it) Getting to know powerline networking Discover the power of Photoshop blend modes Master your DSLR: in-camera processing

Buyer’s Guide [ 109 ]

The best tech products

The back page [ 114 ]

Ridiculous tech [ 005 ]

[ DOWNLOADS ]

SOFTWARE EXCLUSIVE TECHLIFE DOWNLOADS

Exclusive software FULL-VERSION COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE EXCLUSIVELY FOR TECHLIFE READERS. THIS MONTH, WE’VE GOT TWO GREAT FULL-VERSION PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PC. ASHAMPOO ZIP 2017 & ABELSSOFT CLEVERP PRINT

Future Publishing Australia PO Box 1077, Mount Street, North Sydney, NSW 2059 TEL: 02 9955 2677 FAX: 02 9955 2688 EMAILL: techlife@futurenet.com WEB: www.techlife.net SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES: Please call Magshop 13 61 16 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAN GARDINER CHIEF SUB-EDITOR/JOURNALIST CARMEL SEALEY SENIO OR JOURNALIST SHAUN PRESCOTT SENIO OR JOURNALIST PAUL TAYLOR JOURN NALIST JOEL BURGESS JOURN NALIST STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS JOURN NALIST SHARMISHTA SARKAR JOURN NALIST HARRY DOMANSKI CREATTIVE DIRECTOR TROY COLEMAN SENIO OR DESIGNER NYKKE COLEMAN DESIG GNER SHARNEE SWINNERTON

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Use Ashampoo Snap 8 to create images and videos that precisely demonstrate what you are meaning to tell!

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IM YOUR PRIVACY

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TIBROWSERSPY

Many tracking features of common web browsers cannot be easily disabled by PC users, but AntiBrowserSpy makes it easy to control all browser settings. With one click, you can configure the settings of all your browsers and disable hidden espionage features.

Meanwhile, AntiBrowserSpy allows you to remove internet traces easily. This contains the removal of history entries and web cache. Download lists and typed URLs can also be cleaned. Additionaly AntiBrowserSpy contains a cookie manager allowing you to view and protect specific cookies.

Download link: www.techlife.net/exclusives Download ZIP password: January18n Please note that these exclusive downloads will only be available for a limited time, from 21/12/2017 to 07/02/2018. [ 006 ]

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS A M BANKS, TIM BOTHWELL, DAVID CHARTIER, ALEX COX, E M A DAVIES, NATE DRAKE, CAT ELLIS, IAN EVENDEN, F SE R GILBERT, TOM GORHAM, CRAIG GRANNELL, LINDS AY HANDMER, GARY MARSHALL, ROB MEAD-GREEN, NICK O ODANTZIS, JAMES PATERSON, NICK PEERS, NICK PPINO, IAN SLEIGHTHOLM, NATHAN TAYLOR, TYLER WILDE, DARREN YATES CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER NEVILLE DANIELS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR PAUL MARTTILA paul.marttila@futurenet.com ABOUT THE MAGAZINE TechLife is published by Future Publishing Australia. Distributed in Australia and NZ by Network Services Printed by Webstar. All contents copyright Future Publishing (Overseas) Ltd, trading as Future Publishing Australia copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

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ABOUT FUTURE Future Publishing Australia is part of Future plc. Future produces carefully targeted special-interest magazines, websites, and events for people who share a passion. We aim to satisfy that passion by creating titles offering value for money, reliable information, smart buying advice, and which are a pleasure to read or visit. Today we publish more than 180 magazines, websites and events, with over 100 international editions of our magazines published under license in 30 countries around the world. Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR)

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD PETER ALLEN CEO ZILLAH BYNG-THORNE

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

THE WALL GUFF AND STUFF

THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE SAID BE WARY OF ANY ADDRESS THAT BEGINS WITH ‘BBQ’ AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. YES, YOU GUESSED IT... MINE DID.

The old online BBQ switcheroo I recently decided to purchase a Weber BBQ. A website appeared in Google with some great offers. Unfortunately, the BBQ never arrived. The old adage of ‘it sounds too good to be true’ was correct.

Here’s what I’ve learnt from my experience: Never purchase anything online using a direct bank transfer into the vendor’s account. Write an email with an enquiry and see if you get a response. Is there an address connected to the website? There was in my case but a later search proved it was a fake. If there is a phone number, call them. Again, there wasn’t in my case. See if the company name is actually registered with ASIC. For me, it wasn’t. If in doubt, do a Google search on the website address. The Consumer Affairs website said be wary of any address that begins with ‘BBQ’ at this time of year. Yes, you guessed it... mine did.

It sure was a slick website, though. Turns out, that’s because most of it was stolen from a genuine vendor. This time, I’m going to a real shop with real people and bugger the price.

The kids asked for a BBQ Christmas lunch and that’s what they’re getting! [ ADRIAN ELDERHURST ]

On passwords and personal security I was reading the Editorial in the December issue (page 3) the other day, in which Dan once more explains the importance of having a good password and utilising the power of password managers. Well, you’ve finally convinced me to take the plunge! I had been doing the unthinkable for a long time — recycling the same password over and over, adding a different number here, slapping on a capital letter there... In my heart, I knew it was risky, but after receiving a suspicious email from my brother, I realised that, yes, I could

get hacked, too. So I did a bit of shopping around and reading of your security articles over the past year and have decided to give 1Password a go. I’ve set up the app on my iPhone and have linked it with a desktop version on my iMac at home. One by one, I’ve been adding in my current login details and then visiting each site or app, then changing my passwords to a randomised suggestion from 1Password. It’s taking a long time, yes, but it’s also strangely satisfying that I’m finally doing something about my terrible security/password habits.

If there are any readers out there who are afraid to take the plunge, like I was, I can assure you that 1Password is about as simple as it gets.

It does take a while to set up all your login details, but the way I see it... Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that! Thanks for the tips, TechLife team! Keep ‘em coming! [ SAMMY SMITH ]

[ COME ON, HAVE YOUR SAY! ]

We want to hear what you think. Add to these discussions or email your views (in fewer than 250 words) to techlife@futurenet.com All correspondence becomes the property of TechLife and is subject to editing. Letters must include full name, street address, suburb, state and phone number to be considered for print publication. Address and phone details will not be published. [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

[ 007 ]

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

HOTSPOT YOUR GUIDE TO HOT NEW TECH

[ THE ONE THAT I WANT? ]

Xbox One X

WINNER

THE PREMIUM 4K HDR GAMING CONSOLE WITH A SLIGHT STORAGE ISSUE.

APPROVED AWARD

[ NICK PINO & STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS]

4 XBOX ONE X $649 www.xbox.com CRITICAL SPECS: 2.3GHz 8-core CPU; 6 Tflop GPU; 8GB flash memory; 1TB internal storage; 12GB GDDR5 RAM; 4K UHD Blu-ray disc drive; HDMI I/O, 3 x USB 3.0 ports, IR out, S/PDIF port, Optical Audio port, Ethernet; 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0; Dolby Digital 5.1; backwards compatibility with select Xbox and Xbox 360 titles; 6 x 30 x 24cm; 3.8kg

THE XBOX ONE X is the powerful premium console Microsoft first promised gamers over a year and a half ago. It’s capable of driving games along at 4K HDR at 60 frames per second — at least on a handful of titles — and, as part of Microsoft’s Xbox family, it doesn’t force you to throw out the games you already own for new ‘enhanced’ editions. In some cases, Xbox One games you might have played a year ago will now look absolutely stunning when fired-up on the One X. Those might be the only Xboxexclusive games you’ll be playing for a while, though, with few big name first-party titles currently on the horizon. Thankfully, all of the major holiday 2017 releases, including Call of Duty: WWII, Assassin’s Ceeed: Origins and Wolfenstein II, are available with One X patches.

4KING AWESOME Beyond higher-res gaming, the console is also perfect for media junkies — there’s 4K Netflix and Stan on-board alongside a 4K app for YouTube, Amazon’s Prime Video app is now [ 008 ]

Ultra HD compatible and, when all else fails, there’s also a reasonably good 4K Blu-ray player built into the box — a feature that no other console maker has at the moment, and a few early bugs with disc playback were quickly fixed by Microsoft. The new console also supports Dolby’s Atmos audio, among other premium surround audio formats.

However, while you can make a strong case for the One X based on its specs, buying one right now isn’t quite an open-and-shut case.

While powerful, sleek and wonderful, it’s essentially a souped-up version of the $399 Xbox One S. The X can play certain games in native 4K while the S only does upscaled 4K, sure; but the Xbox One S arguably does upscaled 4K so well that you might not even be able to notice the difference. That said, having the option to choose buttery-smooth performance over native 4K resolutions in certain games, or vice versa, is something that we heartily endorse in console gaming going forward.

The One X is a fairly neat and unobtrusive rectangular box that’s the same size as a larger Blu-ray player, coated with an attractive matteblack colour. It’s a far cry from the bulky VHS player-stylings of the original Xbox One. In terms of ports, round the back, you’ve got a power connector, HDMI out, HDMI in, three USB ports, an IR out, an optical audio port and an Ethernet port. The console will also not see the return of the original Xbox One’s Kinect port — if you haven’t heard, Kinect (Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera) is officially dead.

Controller-wise, the new machine is packing a new darker gamepad, which, for all intents and purposes, is exactly the same mechanically as the one that currently ships with the One S.

HOTSPOT XBOX ONE X

IT COMES EQUIPPED WITH AN EIGHT-CORE CPU CLOCKED AT 2.3GHZ, ALONGSIDE 12GB OF GDDR5 RAM. IT FEATURES A GPU CLOCKED AT 1,172MHZ LEAVING THE CONSOLE WITH 6 TERAFLOPS OF GRAPHICAL COMPUTING POWER.

SHOW ME YOUR MOVES The console comes equipped with an eight-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz, alongside 12GB of GDDR5 RAM. It features a GPU clocked at 1,172MHz leaving the console with 6 teraflops of graphical computing power. That RAM is split in between the system and the GPU, however, so don’t go jumping on the PC Gamer forums to tell them how consoles have finally surpassed PCs in terms of value performance.

On the CPU side of things, the X is running a custom AMD chip with eight Jaguar CPU cores clocked at 2.3GHz. That’s a 76% increase compared to the CPU inside the original Xbox One and One S. Where the One X falters is on its hard drive — the small 1TB drive that comes standard is the only configuration Microsoft plans on selling for the immediate future. Consider the fact that all these new ‘Enhanced for Xbox One X’ titles use 4K image assets — Gears of War 4 alone takes up 100GB — and you begin to realise that 1TB isn’t nearly enough.

If you’re a 1080p TV owner, the console will do something called supersampling to create better-looking images. The idea is that the game renders itself in 4K thinking it’s connected to a 4K screen, which means objects are rendered with four times the detail. All this data can’t be displayed because, at the output end, it’s still being shown on a 1080p TV, but the resulting image is one that is more detail-rich. In practice, that means images are going to look a little bit sharper. FHD TV owners will still need to download those huge 4K assets to take advantage of supersampling, though.

On a true 4K HDR TV, the Xbox One X can really unleash its full potential. Games render at up to native 4K, offering four times the detail of regular 1080p. Better still, some of those games will have a wider array of colour options thanks to high dynamic range (HDR) support. In our experience, One X games have so far offered [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

deeper HDR settings than their PS4 Pro equivalents, allowing users to tweak white balance for better contrast.

I’D TAB THAT The new redesigned Xbox One interface is a sort of mash-up of the Xbox 360 blade design and the Windows 10 block-and-pin-heavy design.

Like the blade design of yore, the interface is separated by purpose: there’s Home and Store, but also tabs for Community, Entertainment and Mixer, a Microsoft-owned Twitch competitor. One of its most unique features is turning the idea of pins — games or apps that you are really attached to — into full rows on the Home screen. This row might call attention to DLC, note how close you are to a particular achievement, or show you a highlight from Mixer. It’s a marked improvement. What we’re less appreciative of, however, is how deep Microsoft buries things like friends lists and settings. These sections are usually relegated to the small Xbox Help Bar.

ALL IN ALL Coming into this review, we had some concerns that this premium console’s performance, however good, might not be able to justify its

price. We were wrong. When hooked up to a decent 4K HDR screen, it plays games at an astoundingly high level of detail. Throw on a 4K Blu-ray player with Dolby Atmos sound, and you’ll be treated to the best cinematic experience this side of movie theatre.

The Xbox One X is the pinnacle of console gaming. But while it has claimed the new top spot, its closest competitors — the PS4 Pro and the much cheaper Xbox One S — aren’t that far behind. Despite not being able to play games in native 4K, the latter consoles are around half the price and often produce images that look nearly as good. Their better balance between price and performance will make them a better pick for the vast majority of gamers out there.

So is an Xbox One X for you? The simplest question you can ask yourself is: ‘Will I appreciate the extra horsepower?’ If you’re the kind of gamer who stops to look at the scenery in games like The Witcher or Dragon Age, or a streamer who can point out a 4 frameper-second difference between videos, the One X will be a worthwhile investment.

But if you’re a gamer who just wants a console that plays great-looking games without digging too deep into your savings, the One S might be a more sensible option. [ 009 ]

HOTSPOT NEED TO KNOW

UBER COVERED UP HACK THAT LEAD TO 57 MILLION USERS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION BEING STOLEN AT LEAST 1 IN 10 AUSTRALIANS AFFECTED. Ride-sharing giant Uber has recently revealed that it covered up a hack from 2016 by paying out the requested ransom of US$100,000. Over 57 million users had their personal information stolen in the hack, with at least 1 in 10 Aussies caught up in the breach. Along with names, email addresses and mobile numbers of passengers, licence plate numbers of drivers were also compromised. [ HD ]

STUDY FINDS RUSSIA MEDDLED WITH THE BREXIT VOTE VIA FAKE TWITTER ACCOUNTS SOWING THE SEEDS OF DISCORD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC. Twitter suspended 2,752 accounts that were caught up in the fracas that was the US presidential elections, 419 of which have been recently discovered were also tweeting about Brexit and terror attacks in the UK. All the accounts were found to be run from the Kremlin-linked Russia Internet Agency (IRA) with the content of the tweets aimed at spreading religious discord in the UK. Lawmakers in the UK are now pressuring Prime Minister Theresa May to “bring political pressure to bear on tech giants to reveal the extent to which their platforms have been hijacked”. [ SS ]

[ CABLE TIE

HFC rollout COULD DELAY INSTALLS BY SEVERAL MONTHS. IF YOU’VE BEEN hanging for a hybrid fibre-coaxial NBN upgrade to your internet connection, you’re going to have to wait a while longer — the NBN Co has announced that it’s temporarily putting its HFC rollout on hold while it focuses on improving “end user experience and retailer satisfaction.” According to the NBN Co, the purpose of its “new initiatives” is “aimed at raising the standard of service quality when declaring the hybrid coaxial-fibre as ‘ready to connect’ (RTC)”. The company has also stated that the changes will “also help to further improve the reliability of the network.” Of the one million premises that are classified as RTC for HFC, the 370,000 end users that have already taken the plunge will be first to see the benefits of the new initiatives, while the rest could end up waiting several months for the improvements. “We remain confident of reaching our goal of completing the build and connecting eight million Australian premises by 2020,” said Bill Morrow, NBN Co Chief Executive. [ STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS ]

[BEAT THE BILL]

SEARCHES FOR TV SHOWS AND MOVIES ON NETFLIX BEAT PIRATE ALTERNATIVES, SAYS GOOGLE

Aussies to ‘own’ their utility, banking and internet data

MORE WAYS THAN ONE TO GET YOUR ENTERTAINMENT.

NEW LEGISLATION GIVES POWER TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST — AND EASILY SWITCH SERVICES.

It’s something that’s been said a lot — make TV shows and movies more accessible and piracy will reduce. To test that theory, Google undertook a study in one of the world’s hottest piracy spots, Brazil, and found that streaming services like Netflix are giving people access to interesting libraries on easy-to-use platforms, thus spreading awareness that there are alternatives to piracy. Netflix isn’t necessarily reducing piracy itself, but nine out of 10 users say they are “extremely satisfied” with the service. [ SS ]

STARTING IN 2018, Australians will be able to retain usage data from their electricity, banking and internet providers, giving consumers more power to compare services and save money.

Called the Consumer Data Right, Aussies can also authorise government agencies to transfer the data to other third parties. Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation, Angus Taylor, said in a statement, “Government is pursuing the very simple idea that the customer should own their own data. It is a powerful idea and a very important one. Australians have been missing out because it’s too hard to switch to something better. You may be able to access your recent banking transactions, or compare this quarter’s energy bill to the last, but it sure isn’t quick or easy to work out if you can get a better deal elsewhere.” The ultimate goal is to be able to use your smartphone to transfer services once you’ve figured out if you can get a better deal elsewhere on these — and more — core utilities and services. [ PAUL TAYLOR]

[ 010 ]

[ SETTING BOUNDARIES]

SHOULD VPNS BE OFFICIALLY ALLOWED TO BYPASS CONTENT REGION LOCKS? IN A RECENT response to an official Productivity Commission, the Australian Government endorsed the use of VPNs for Aussie consumers wanting to gain access to geoblocked media content, stating that doing so could help to reduce piracy. The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) has responded, firing off a stern warning against the adoption of any such laws and claiming that the whole proposal shows “a breathtaking lack of understanding of longstanding international norms and the importance of copyright to Australia’s creative industries”.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Hollywood isn’t so keen on some of these laws getting passed.

Australia is currently paying more than most other regions for its streaming content and in many cases is getting it much later, so circumventing geoblocks allows Australians to access movies and shows at the same time as other territories, and in some cases unlocks content that would otherwise not have been released locally.

The Australian Government thinks that giving the public “affordable access to copyright content in a timely manner is a key factor in preventing copyright infringement”, pointing out that users who do bypass geoblocking already pay for the service, but that those users would possibly resort to piracy if the media was legally unattainable. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

[ GET YOUR BOX OFF ]

State governments unsure if ‘loot boxes’ in games should be classified as gambling VICTORIA AND QUEENSLAND DISAGREE ON THE MONEY-FORPERKS SYSTEM. TWO AUSTRALIAN STATES have commented on the recent ‘loot box’ trend in videogames, and can’t agree if unseen and random rewards in games bought with real money should be considered to be a form of gambling. EA’s recent release, Star Wars: Battlefront II features ‘loot boxes’, digital treasure chests that contain rewards to be used in-game, but the contents of which are only revealed once you’ve spent actual money on them. While Battlefront II isn’t the only game to include them, it’s the most (in)famous example as the rewards can be used to improve your character. While speaking to Kotaku, Jarrod Wolfe of the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, says that “what occurs with ‘loot boxes’ does constitute gambling by the definition of the Victorian Legislation,” while Robert Grimmond of Queensland’s Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation says “video gaming which provides for ‘loot boxes’ would not fall within the meaning of a gaming machine as defined under the Gaming Machine Act”. While the controversy rolls on, it’s clear that the next game to feature loot boxes will endure more scrutiny. [ PAUL TAYLOR ]

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

US FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MOVES TO KILL US NET NEUTRALITY LAWS ONLY CONGRESS HAS THE POWER TO STOP IT. Aiming to bulldoze net neutrality rules put in place by former-president Barack Obama, the US’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed changes that would allow ISPs to throttle websites and/or users unless they pay for faster speeds — a change which critics say will effectively destroy the internet’s level playing field. While Australia is not required to follow suit, startups and businesses with an eye on breaking into the US market will undoubtedly be affected. [ SL ]

HOTSPOT NEED TO KNOW

Motion Picture Association of America warns Australia not to mess with geoblocking

AI ALARMISM IS BULLSH*T, SAYS EU RESEARCH COMMISSIONER DON’T BELIEVE THE ALARMISTS, SAYS ONE EXPERT. Though intellectual icons like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have conditioned us to believe that artificial intelligence will eventually cause the downfall of humanity, EU Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas thinks most opinions on AI are BS. Calling negative articles on AI “fake news”, Moedas believes “fearing what is arguably one of the most exciting new technologies of our generation and denying ourselves its amazing benefits is not the answer.” [ SL ]

GERMANY BANS KIDS’ SMARTWATCHES OVER PRIVACY FEARS ‘RENTS ASKED TO DESTROY THEM. Citing privacy and security concerns as its reasons, Germany has issued a nationwide ban on smartwatch sales to children. According to Ken Munro, security expert at Pen Test Partners, “there is a shocking lack of regulation of the ‘internet of things’,” something that’s “concerning when it comes to kids’ GPS tracking watches.” Not messing around, the Federal Network Agency has recommended parents destroy their said smartwatches immediately. [ SL ]

[ 011 ]

HOTSPOT INSIDE TECHLIFE

[ ALL THE DEETS ]

Inside TechLife GET THE LOWDOWN ON TECHLIFE’S EDITORIAL POLICIES, TEST PRACTICES, HOW TO READ THE BENCHMARK RESULTS AND MORE.

TECHLIFE IS AUSTRALIA’S most practical mainstream technology magazine, having been in print since 2012, when we launched as a redesigned and modernised version of Australian PC User. The latter was first printed in 1990, and TechLife’s current editor has been working for the mag (in both its incarnations) for over a decade. We take that 25-year heritage seriously and strive to be both ethical and transparent in our coverage of technology and any other topics we broach.

Like our sister magazine, APC, we have two main goals here at TechLife: to track down the best of modern tech and to help our readers get the most from it. We’re also an open church in terms of platforms. We know most people aren’t wed to a single brand’s products and use a variety of devices in their lives. And like you, TechLife’s journalists want to know what’s good in tech — no matter what platform it resides on.

UNBIASED REVIEWS Championing technology doesn’t mean we’re unrelentingly positive, however, and our other aim at TechLife is to be as objective as possible in our coverage. That means identifying the best products from multiple perspectives — the best performance, best value and best [ 012 ]

features and, ideally, the products that offer the best mix of these three aspects.

As a matter of policy, reviews published in TechLife are not shared with productproviders prior to print. We will contact vendors under certain conditions; if we have a problem testing a product that seems to indicate it may be faulty, or to invite a vendor to clarify how a particular feature works. If a TechLife reviewer has any potential conflicts of interest involving a brand, the review will always be assigned to another writer.

LABS TESTING In order to make our reviews and other stories as unbiased as possible, TechLife strives to conduct rigorous, objective and scientific tests and benchmarks where possible. We use a variety of tools and programs to achieve this, including many freely available benchmark suites for assessing things like general system performance, gaming, media encoding and battery life.

In most cases, for the benchmark results published in TechLife, you can assume that higher is better. There are certain tests that deviate from this rule and where the opposite is true; in those cases, we’ve flagged the results with a note explaining as such.

AMOUNT IT COULD COST TO REPAIR AN iPHONE X

HOTSPOT NEWS IN NUMBERS

$819

With every new iPhone released comes the opportunity to watch it shatter as you (almost inevitably) drop it, and given the new iPhone X’s all-glass design, it’s recently been crowned the most fragile Apple handset to date. Owners of the new phone may get a rude shock and find repair costs could be as high as $819 to fix a broken iPhone X — unless they’ve forked out $299 for AppleCare+. And even in the latter case, they’ll be needing to spend an extra $149 to fix up accidentally damaged handsets… so hold on tight!

THE NUMBER OF F*CKS ISPs GIVE ABOUT DELIVERING GOOD NBN SERVICE According to NBN Co board member and founder of iiNet Michael Malone, most Aussie internet service providers (ISPs) “don’t give a f--k about the quality of [NBN] service” they deliver, instead “the reason they are moaning is that they are price fighting”. In the interview with Fairfax Media, Malone very much pointed the finger at the ISPs rather than NBN Co itself when it came to where the blame lies for the slow speeds suffered by some NBN users.

The news in numbers THE KEY FIGURES DRIVING THE LATEST ISSUES AND TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

322,000 NUMBER OF BANNED PLAYERUNKNOWN: BATTLEGROUNDS PLAYERS As of mid-October, PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds’ anti-cheat software, BattlEye, had identified and banned over 322,000 cheating players and, according to tweets from the official BattlEye account, was banning players at a rate of “6K-13K per day [and] the vast majority [are] from China”.

The company tweeted earlier in the year that “by nature, Battle Royale games are a real mess to protect”, citing their heightened competitive nature due to everyone wanting to be the sole winner.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

3%

AMOUNT OF AUSTRALIAN SEX TOY-PURCHASERS THAT BUY A TOY EVERY PAYDAY

According to a survey conducted by the self-explanatory website Adulttoymegastore Australia, almost 3% of its customers purchase a sex toy every pay day, perhaps giving an indication of the convenience and privacy offered by online shopping but lacking with brick-and-mortar retail.

This is a rather small percentage, but even if you only get paid monthly, it seems like a rather high rate of purchase as well.

To balance it out, close to 40% of the surveyed customers were purchasing sex toys for the first time, which may just offset the sex toy enthusiasts that are potentially buying a new ‘friend’ every week.

5TH

OUR WORLD RANKING FOR MOBILE INTERNET SPEEDS (NO WONDER NBN CO FEELS THREATENED)

A new report released by Ookla, the company behind the ubiquitous SpeedTest.net, has revealed that Australia ranks an impressive fifth globally in terms of mean download speeds over its mobile data networks, squeezing in ahead of Singapore, and just getting beaten by the UAE. The report measured the average download speed in Australia as 44.2Mbps via mobile broadband, while fixed-line broadband only managed an average of 24.1Mbps. Norway, The Netherlands and Iceland took out the top three mobile broadband spots, with speeds ranging from 50–60Mbps.

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HOT SPOT POP SCIENCE

RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED THAT EATING SPICY FOOD TRIGGERS THE SAME PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT ARE TRIGGERED WHEN THE BODY DETECTS SALT. THE RESEARCHERS CONCLUDED THAT EVEN ADDING IN SMALL AMOUNTS OF SPICES TO FOOD INSTEAD OF SALT COULD RESULT IN HEALTH BENEFITS.

[ I F&%$#@* LOVE SCIENCE! ]

Pop science THE LATEST DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS AND SCIENCE NEWS THAT’S HELPING SHAPE THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

TEXT-SHARING EVERY PROBLEM WITH FRIENDS COULD BE MAKING YOU MORE ANXIOUS A TOUCH OF THE FOMOS?

The condition ‘intolerance of uncertainty’ or IU, according to the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, results from “negative beliefs about uncertainty and its implications” and may be partly responsible for many anxiety disorders and even depression. According to experts, uncertainty and learning how to deal with it properly is vital to our mental health. The rise of smartphones, however, has unintentionally had a negative impact on the ability of many to manage their FOMO (fear of missing out). Rather than allowing the brain to fully process the facts (and often rationalise-away any paranoid thoughts), phones constantly give us the opportunity to check whether someone has read our message or liked our post, or to instantly reply to something before we, perhaps, entirely understand what was said. This behaviour of repeatedly seeking reassurance via our phones, increases our overall anxiety levels over time, preventing us from relying on ourselves.

IMPROVE YOUR LANGUAGE LEARNING SKILLS BY DRINKING ALCOHOL (IN MODERATION) Alcohol can be harmful when consumed in large quantities. However, a Dutch research team has undertaken a study that suggests alcohol, when taken in moderation, can actually improve your foreign language skills.

German students were given either 250ml water or lemon and vodka drinks, then tasked with arguing a point in Dutch for two minutes. The students were rated on their performance by native Dutch speakers. Contrary to their predictions, Renner and his colleagues found that students who had drunk the alcohol were rated higher for their language skills and pronunciation. The reason for this unexpected result is believed to be due to alcohol’s ability to reduce anxiety. However, we here at TechLife would like to reiterate Renner’s own conclusion — the amount of alcohol is important, and drinking more will result in slurring and general stupidity, not a diploma in international studies.

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Like your food salty but want to curb your sodium intake?

CONSIDER EATING SPICY FOODS INSTEAD!

Consuming too much salt over the course of your life can increase your risk of heart disease, due to higher blood pressure. According to The Heart Foundation, we Aussies are eating too much of it. “Salt is used for flavouring,” the foundation says, so how can we reduce our salt intake without resorting to bland, tasteless foods? Well, apart from switching to fresh foods that are naturally low in salt (vegetables, nuts, meat, fruit and so on), you could also add a dash of sriracha or Tabasco. In a recent study carried out by the American Heart Association, researchers discovered that eating spicy food triggers the same parts of the brain (insular and orbitofrontal cortices, to be precise) that are triggered when the body detects salt. The researchers concluded that even adding in small amounts of spices to food instead of salt could result in health benefits.

HOT SPOT POP SCIENCE

THE NEXT TIME YOU NEED TO DE-STRESS AFTER HAVING AN ARGUMENT WITH SOMEONE, ALL YOU NEED DO IS FIND THE CLOSEST ROOM WITH BLUE LIGHTING

Blue lighting proven to be help relaxation after an argument TAKE A DEEP BREATH... AND SIT UNDER THE BLUE LIGHT.

Science has spoken — the next time you need to de-stress after having an argument with someone, all you need do is find the closest room with blue lighting. Spanish researchers have proven, after an objective evaluation, that blue lighting dramatically encourages relaxation after short-term psychological stress (like the stress you feel when pressured to complete a task, or after a fight with a loved one). In the study, participants with high stress levels were made to lie down in a room with white lighting or in a room with blue. The latter was found to reduce bio-signals — heart rate and brain activity — much faster than white light. Other than finding use in clinical environments, the researchers hope that this information will help regular civilians “in daily-life context”.

Tesla’s South Australian battery network is already online MUSK MEETS PROMISED 100-DAY DEADLINE.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and saviour of the world, has successfully achieved what he bet the world (through Twitter) he and his company could do — build the world’s largest battery in 100 days in South Australia. Had Musk not been able to complete this enormous feat, he could have been looking at a bill of up to $65 million. Located near Jamestown, three hours’ drive north from Adelaide, Tesla’s 100 megawatt-capacity Powerpack system, at time of writing, is about to undertake the mandatory testing phase. Providing it passes the tests, it will begin operating on the 1st of December and will hopefully help the troublesome energy situation in the state.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

BEING INTELLIGENT IS NOT A SAFEGUARD FOR BELIEVING IN THE PARANORMAL, STUDY FINDS One would assume that intelligent people, or those with high cognitive abilities (like Albert Einstein, for example) would be naturally sceptical, arguing that conspiracy theories and paranormal behaviour are unfounded beliefs. On the contrary, a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences reports that intelligent people do tend to believe in the paranormal or conspiracy theories, like the moon landing being a hoax.

Unless superior cognitive (or analytical) skills are matched with the need for logical explanations and evidence, intelligent people are just as likely to believe in the frivolous as anyone else, and this is despite advances in education and improved intelligence scores over the last century.

MENTAL HEALTH LINKED TO RISK OF EARLY DEATH The Canadian Medical Association Journal reports that a 60-year-long study discovered the risk of an early death is higher in those suffering from depression, and women are more susceptible. Although stigma attached to mental health issues has reduced, thanks to increased awareness, the trend continues. The study found that the risk of an early death associated with mental health issues was prevalent throughout the course of the entire study, with the risk being strongest in the years immediately following a breakdown. This suggests that if patients are in recovery from depression, the risk could well be reversed. The researchers also clarified that although depression is associated with factors like poor diet and exercise regimes, smoking and substance abuse that are detrimental to general health, they did not entirely explain the increased risk.

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KICKSTARTED!

MOAI A FISH’S BEST ROBOT FRIEND. www.moaidevices.com | Goal: US$30,000 Raised: US$134,901 from 565 backers RRP: US$299

[ CROWDFUNDED ]

Kickstarted!

FROM THE PRACTICAL TO THE QUIRKY TO THE DOWNRIGHT STRANGE, CROWDFUNDING WEBSITES HAVE ALLOWED THE CREATION OF AN AMAZING RANGE OF PRODUCTS. HERE’S A SELECTION OF LATEST PROJECTS THAT PIQUED OUR INTEREST. [ CARMEL SEALEY ]

Bose noise-masking sleepbuds PUTTING AN END TO SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. www.bose.com.au | Goal: US$50,000 | Raised: US$447,500 from 2,911 backers | RRP: US$249

You might be wondering, like we were, why the likes of Bose — an already well-established company — would turn to Indiegogo to crowdfund a new product. With an arsenal of already available speakers, headphones and accessories, you’d think they could simply release these ‘sleepbuds’ as per usual, but this time around, they’re trying a test prototype phase that people can pay for. And they did. This achieved, at time of writing, almost 900% funding. That’s crazy.

So what are they? The Bose sleepbuds are noise-cancelling earplugs to help you sleep next to a snorer, drown out the constant sound of the city or a party going on next door. These rechargeable earplugs emit soothing sounds (nature or “other familiar sounds”) through the specially-designed eartips, which come in three sizes, and you can alter the volume of your relaxing tones via a companion app. You can also set the sleepbuds up with a silent alarm.

The MOAI is a device that you attach to the inside and outside of your home aquarium, connect through an app on your phone and then let it do its thing. This little robot runs across your fish tank’s glass, wiping all the goopy algae away, and can be programmed to do this on a timer to ensure it stays clean all the time. But it’s not just a cleaning robot.

This little guy also has an HD camera attached and, once connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, you can log in to watch your fish tank from wherever you may be! Want to check in on your Nemo? Can do. You can also mark favourite spots on a digital map of the glass and tell your robot to head to that position with a single press of a button. For fish-lovers, this is a great way to both keep your underwater friends in a clean environment but also check in on them when you’re out.

ARCHISKETCH PORTABLE DIGITAL ARCHITECT www.archisketch.com | Goal: US$30,000 Raised: US$205,414 from 1,001 backers RRP: US$249

[ FAILED ]

The ‘What has the world come to?’ kickstarter project of the month SOME PROJECTS SAY A LOT ABOUT THE STATE OF MIND OF THE HUMAN RACE…

Pen Fly THE FIDGET SPINNER THAT’S ALSO A PEN. tinyurl.com/tla72-penfly | Goal: US$500 | Raised: US$310 from 1 backer | RRP: US$89

Now, ‘fidget spinner’ might be a bit of a poisonous phrase here at TechLife, but out in the wild, there are still some who need to keep their fingers occupied by some sort of rotating doodad.

The Pen Fly labels itself as a “fingertip gyroscope” rather than a fidget spinner, but they’re not fooling anyone. It comes ‘disguised’ as a pen, so we suppose it might actually have a purpose beyond keeping fidgety humans occupied. But it is an expensive pen and also a very expensive fidget spinner, and amusingly, the creators are trying to spout the idea that the Pen Fly will encourage creativity and imagination. Sure, guys. Sure... [ 016 ]

If you’ve ever done a bit of interior design, you’ll be familiar with the annoying stage of getting on your hands and knees with a measuring tape, scribbling down numbers until you’re blue in the face and then realising you’ve done it wrong. Well, the Archisketch aims to do all that hard work for you. Whether you’re just doing a reshuffle, buying a whole new set of furniture or completely renovating your house, Archisketch wants to help. After you set up the room by marking its corners, attach this little box to the end of your phone and get it going. It scans a space, measures the distances and produces a 2D, 3D and even VR virtualisation of that space in the app.

If you have compatible files of your to-be furniture, you can import those files into the Archisketch app and move them around inside your new 3D floorplan to make sure they fit before buying them. Neat!

HOTSPOT AMAZON KINDLE OASIS (2017)

41/2

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE

AMAZON KINDLE OASIS (2017) 8GB, $389; 32GB, $529 www.amazon.com.au

AWARD

[ LIGHT MY FIRE ]

Amazon Kindle Oasis (2017) FINALLY, A PREMIUM EBOOK READER THAT’S WORTH THE ASKING PRICE? [ DAN GARDINER ]

IT’S BEEN ABOUT 18 months since Amazon’s original Kindle Oasis was launched, a premium ereader that dropped jaws with its unconventional design — where one side is considerably thicker than the other — and rather outlandish price; in Australia, buying one would set you back $449.

Amazon’s second-gen Oasis ups the ante in numerous areas and this is a redesign that, by and large, has definitely been worth it.

This is a premium ereader that finally feels like it does enough to match its price tag. With an aluminium body and a matte-finish glass panel to cover its high-res, 7-inch E Ink display (adding an inch over its predecessor), the new Oasis has an almost iPad-like feel that’s both classy and durable. It’s also the first Kindle to include water-proofing, where it beats most flagship smartphones with an IPX8 rating.

And yet despite those improvements, the price is also more palatable in Australia, dropping $60 to a slightly more reasonable $389 for the 8GB model — although opting for the bigger 32GB model will still set you back $529.

The asymmetrical design, which gives you a nice big holding area on one side of the display and thin bezels everywhere else, is unusual[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

looking, but works very well in use. Swap from holding the Oasis in your left to right hand (or vice versa) and the screen orientation automatically flips around to accomodate.

The two dedicated page-turning buttons have a satisfying and reassuringly stable click when you press them, and that 7-inch, 300dpi display is gorgeous, too, rendering text and images with the same sharp and smooth results we saw on the first Oasis.

There’s another neat new trick underneath the Oasis’s hood, too: Audible audiobook support. There’s a big caveat, though, in that you can only output audio via Bluetooth — there are no inbuilt speakers or a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll need to have a wireless speaker or set of headphones to use it.

The Oasis isn’t the only premium reader out there, though. Kobo’s slightly cheaper Aura ONE offers a 7.8-inch display and the same water-proofing, but uses a plastic body that, while durable, lacks the premium feel of the Oasis. The Kobo does have a couple of capabilities that make it worth carefully considering, however. The first is a dedicated ‘night mode’ for backlighting, which changes the backlight tone from blue-white to orange, which is less disruptive to sleep. The Oasis has

CRITICAL SPECS 7-inch E Ink display @ 1,680 × 1,264-pixels (300ppi); 8GB or 32GB onboard storage; 802.11n Wi-Fi; IPX8 waterproofing; Audible audiobook support; Bluetooth; 15.9 x 14.1 x 0.8cm; 194g

no such feature — you can adjust brightness, but the colour-tone is always a neutral white.

A slight concession is Amazon has added a new optional viewing mode, letting you reverse convention and have white text on a black background, which should help reduce the amount of blue light being bounced into your eyes.

The other main caveat with Kindle is that you still can’t borrow library ebooks in Australia. Our libraries use the Overdrive system, which the Kobo range of readers support, but Kindles do not. There’s also no native integration with a read-it-later service, like Kobo has with Pocket (www.getpocket.com), although you can email stories or use a free service like Pocket 2 Kindle to achieve this.

If you’re an existing Kindle owner that already owns a wide selection of Amazon ebooks and are looking for an upgrade, the new Oasis should be a no-brainer. This is a fantastic ereader that delivers a premium reading experience on almost all fronts.

If you haven’t jumped on the ereader boat yet, however, the Kobo’s Aura ONE is an equally strong contender, albeit for different reasons.

Consider carefully. [ 017 ]

HOTSPOT GET PSYCHED: DEPRESSION AND BRAIN STRUCTURE [ ZONE OUT ]

Get psyched: Daydreaming GO ON, DAYDREAM — IT WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

EVER CATCH YOURSELF drifting slowly but surely into a different world while someone’s having a conversation with you? Or even when doing dishes, or while at work? Not to worry, we’ve all been there and done that. But have you ever wondered why we have this tendency to drift off into a daydream, or what a daydream actually is?

Wikipedia defines daydreaming as “a short-term detachment from one’s immediate surroundings, during which a person’s contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.” Despite the “happy thoughts” though, daydreaming generally has a bad rap, being associated with laziness and “a bad use of mental power,” says Dr Muireann Irish, who studies the neurobiology of daydreaming at Neuroscience Research Australia. Everyone does it, however, with experts suggesting about half our waking lives is spent daydreaming.

That indicates an evolutionary advantage lies behind the act.

THE BENEFITS OF DAYDREAMING In a world that appreciates the go-getters, daydreaming is frowned upon. But what few know is that having your head in the clouds can actually be good for you. There’s a few

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benefits that have even been specifically identified by scientific studies.

It bolsters brain power: Mind wandering has been found to give the brain’s memory a truly terrific workout. Scientists have learned that people who perform simple tasks (like washing the dishes) while daydreaming are able to retain more information during a memorisation test.

And the more you’re able to juggle daydreaming with these kinds of simple tasks, the better your ability to zone out and yet still remember details or focus on a more complex project. This increase in retention power can help provide a boost in general intelligence too. So the more you daydream while doing something, the sharper your mind will be. * It boosts creativity: Many renowned super-intelligent and amazingly creative people like Albert Einstein and the Bronte sisters had their best ‘a-ha’ moments when daydreaming. Research has found that mentally breaking away after a complex creative task has been completed can, subsequently, boost creativity by up to 40% when starting the next project. * It alleviates stress: This isn’t backed by science, yet, but because it is essentially a mind-calming technique, daydreaming

*

can lower blood pressure and heart rate, reducing stress-related symptoms.

THE DARK SIDE Despite the obvious advantages of daydreaming, it’s best to err on the side of caution, because even though by definition daydreaming is about happy thoughts, it has been reported that some people are less happy when their mind has wandered. Other studies have flagged that people are wont to drift off when they’ve got the blues, so to speak, and this could lead to feelings of depression.

That said, the human mind is quite pliable, and people can be trained to think happier thoughts — a study conducted in the 1980s and published in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy found that if people spent a fixed time (say about half an hour) worrying about whatever they wanted to worry about, they ended up spending less time worrying spontaneously.

So there you have it: the next time you catch yourself or someone else staring off into the distance with a silly smile on the face, remember that it’s all in the name of a brain workout.

Google Pixel Buds 31/2 GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS $249 store.google.com

HOTSPOT GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS

[ AIN’T NO BABEL FISH ]

THE FIRST GOOGLE HEADPHONES PROMISE SCI-FI LIKE REAL-TIME LANGUAGE TRANSLATION. SO DO THEY TALK THE TALK? [ DAN GARDINER ]

CRITICAL SPECS Audio specifications not disclosed by Google; Bluetooth; in-built mic; capacitive touch controls; 120mAh battery with 620mAh backup in USB-C charging case; buds, 15g; charging case, 43g.

DEVICES WITH NEAR-MAGICAL languagetranslation capabilities are one of those tropes that’ve been a sci-fi staple since the original Star Trek’s Universal Translator — Google even named its first online translator ‘Babel fish’ after the small yellow fish from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which, when inserted into a user’s ear canal, spat out alien languages in the native user’s tongue.

Well, the search giant’s now taken that homage to another level with its first set of Googlebranded headphones, the Pixel Buds.

These are largish earbud-style headphones connected together via a braided cord and, unlike most of today’s in-ear headphones, they don’t come with detachable rubber tips to get the right (tight) fit for your ear. Instead, they’re designed to ‘hang’ in the same manner as regular earbuds, although the braided cord also has a small loop section, which is meant to be resized and tucked into your ear to help keep them in place.

While the fact that these aren’t in-ear monitor (or ‘canalphones’) style buds means they don’t isolate outside noise as well as others, they do deliver nice crowd-pleasing audio that offers a warm and phatt lower-end but maintains enough clarity that you don’t feel like you’re missing any detail.

The right bud also houses touch-sensitive controls, which somewhat helps justify their rather bulbous design. You can swipe up or down to change volume, tap to pause or resume playback, and tap twice for a Google Assistant-powered general info update. Lastly, you can tap and hold to issue commands to [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Assistant, eliminating the need to speak the have functional, if stilted, conversations across usual “OK, Google” command phrase...

40 languages. With the Google Translate app although that doesn’t entirely remove the open, the Buds-user taps and holds the right stigma attached to issuing commands to your bud and speaks a phrase in their native phone in public. language, with the Translate app on your Pixel We had a somewhat mixed experience with phone automatically translating and then the Buds when it came to fit. While the left bud speaking out the foreign-language equivalent didn’t pose us any serious problems, we (or as close as it can get) through your constantly had trouble getting the right-hand smartphone’s speaker. Inversely, it can also bud to sit properly, decode a foreign requiring a lot of language spoken into WITH THE GOOGLE fiddling each time the phone’s mic, TRANSLATE APP OPEN, THE we put it in to get and play the spoken BUDS USER TAPS AND HOLDS audio projecting into translation back THE RIGHT BUD AND SPEAKS our ear correctly. through the Pixel A PHRASE IN THEIR NATIVE To its credit, Google Buds. With any other LANGUAGE, WITH THE has got a few things set of earbuds, this TRANSLATE APP ON YOUR very right with these feature doesn’t seem PIXEL PHONE THEN buds. The magnetic to work, with all audio AUTOMATICALLY carry case is blaring through the TRANSLATING AND THEN particularly excellent, phone’s speaker.

SPEAKING-OUT THE FOREIGNmaking it quick and The Pixel Buds LANGUAGE EQUIVALENT easy to both neatly make translation stash the Buds away a less awkward and and get them out again; it’s also how you more rewarding process, but nevertheless, charge the earbuds, and there’s a backup they’re somewhat stilted by Google’s own battery inside that’s good for an estimated Translate app, and the uniqueness of this 24 hours of extra runtime. feature is somewhat undermined by the fact So what about those real-time translation that you need a Pixel phone to use it. That smarts? Well, they’re actually provided via the makes the audience for these rather narrow Google Translate app — and you’ll also need — and, frankly, there are better-sounding to be using a Google Pixel handset (any of and cheaper in-ears out there (like the Jaybird the four available models) for this feature to Freedom 2’s we’ve reviewed on page 53), function properly. So does it actually work? which are much easier to recommend.

Well, while it’s not going to eliminate the need to learn a new language just yet, it will let you [ 019 ]

[ INCOMING! ]

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update explained THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE IS HERE! THIS IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

WHEN WINDOWS 10 launched back in 2015, Microsoft promised that this would be the ultimate version of Windows that will continue to get new features and major updates well into the future, and it’s stayed true to its word with the release of the Fall Creators Update (released in our spring) — the most recent package of new features that’s available to download for free.

Following on from this year’s earlier Creators Update and last year’s Anniversary Update, the Fall Creators Update brings a wide range of new features and tools that makes Windows 10 even better. As the name suggests, many of these new features are geared towards creative pursuits, such as editing your home videos and photos, and exploring 3D worlds in mixed reality, but it [ 020 ]

also brings some more serious, behind-thescenes, updates that make Windows 10 even more secure.

There are loads of new and exciting features in the Fall Creators Update, so we’ve put together this five-page guide that explores the biggest changes, and how they can transform the way you use Windows 10. Of course, it’s no good just banging on about the new features if you aren’t able to use them, so we’ll also show you how you download and install the Fall Creators Update right now, without having to wait for your computer to update itself.

The Fall Creators Update is a free update for all Windows 10 users, and it’s been tested by Microsoft and a range of volunteers, so you should be able to download and install it without experiencing any issues.

Installing the Update ONE OF THE most pleasing results of Microsoft’s determination to make Windows 10 the ultimate version of its operating system is that you get a constantly evolving OS that’s continually getting new features for free — rather than having to pay for a new iteration every five years. It also means you don’t need to worry about compatibility — if your PC or device is able to run Windows 10, you’ll be able to install and run the Fall Creators Update as well.

As with previous major updates to Windows 10, such as the Anniversary Update, Microsoft will be rolling out the Fall Creators Update as an automatic update in waves. This means that, for many people, you won’t need to do anything to get the Fall Creators Update — Windows 10 will quietly download it when you’re doing something else, then will inform you when the update is ready to be installed.

By releasing the update in waves, it does mean you may have to wait for the update to appear. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it means Microsoft’s servers aren’t being hammered by millions of users wanting to get the update right away. It also enables Microsoft to monitor the success of the software, and catch any bugs or issues.

If some arise, Microsoft can get to work fixing those while the update rolls out.

FEATURE WINDOWS 10 FALL CREATORS UPDATE EXPLAINED

THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE SHOULD MAKE YOUR WINDOWS 10 PC BETTER THAN EVER — HERE ARE THE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE FOR A HAPPY AND HASSLE-FREE UPGRADE.

You’ll need to make sure you install the correct version of the Fall Creators Update for your processor.

If you are eager to try out the Fall Creators Update and don’t want to wait for the rollout to reach your device, we don’t blame you, and thankfully, there is an easy way to download and install the update yourself. Check out our step-by-step guide on the following page that will take you through the process.

PREPARING FOR THE UPDATE Whether you wait for the update to reach you via Microsoft’s rollout, or you manually

CHANGING YOUR MIND ONCE YOU’VE INSTALLED THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE, YOU’RE GIVEN A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS TO TEST OUT THE NEW FEATURES. If, during that time, you don’t like the update, or there are problems that prevent your PC from working, then you can easily roll back to a previous version of Windows 10.

To do this, go to ‘Settings > Update & security > Recovery’ and click on ‘Get started’ under where it says ‘Go back to the previous version of Windows 10’.

A window will appear asking you why you want to revert to a previous version. Answer the question (this helps Microsoft improve future versions of Windows), then click ‘No, thanks’ from the next window. This is where you’ll be asked you if you want to check for any updates.

Click ‘Next’ on the window that follows, then ‘Next’ again, making sure you have your Windows login details handy. Then click ‘Go back to earlier build’ and the Fall Creators Update will uninstall itself.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

After the 10-day ‘trial’ period has elapsed, you won’t be able to roll back the Fall Creators Update — you’ll need to do a full Windows 10 reinstall instead.

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FEATURE WINDOWS 10 FALL CREATORS UPDATE EXPLAINED

download and install the Fall Creators Update, you should make sure that your device, and the important files and documents you store on it, are backed up and ready for the update. After all, this is a major update to your device’s operating system, and while it’s unlikely that anything will go wrong, you don’t want to put your irreplaceable files at risk unnecessarily.

So the first thing you should do is make sure you have copies of any documents or photos you do not want to lose. This can be done by either copying the files to an external hard drive or USB flash drive, or by making sure the files are also stored on a cloud service, such as OneDrive, which is built into Windows 10, or the likes of Dropbox or Google Drive.

You’ll also want to make sure that your hard drive has enough space to download and install the Fall Creators Update.

Microsoft recommends at least 16GB of space for the 32-bit version, and 20GB for the 64-bit version. Before installing the Fall Creators Update, you’ll need to know which version you’ll need. This is determined by whether or not your device has a 32-bit or 64-bit processor. As a general rule, most modern devices will have a 64-bit processor, but you can double-check to be sure by typing “System” into the Search box on the Taskbar (next to the Start menu button).

In the window that appears, there should be a setting labelled System. From there, you’ll see ‘System type’ and it is here that Windows 10 will state whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit. Once you know which version you’re using, you can follow the guide below for installing the Fall Creators Update.

AFTER INSTALLING THE UPDATE Once you’ve downloaded and successfully installed the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can quickly check to make sure you’re running the update correctly by opening the Start Menu and clicking on the Settings button (the icon which looks like a cog). Click System, then About at the bottom of the left-hand menu. Under where it says ‘Windows specifications’, there will be a number next to where it says Version.

The Fall Creators Update is version 1709, so if that number, or one higher than that, is displayed, then the Fall Creators Update has been successfully installed on your PC

or other Windows device. As with any major update to an operating system, there may be a few bugs or issues that need to be ironed out early in its life. In the Search box on the Taskbar, type in “Windows Update” and then select ‘Check for updates’. If there are any further updates available, install them, since they may contain fixes for any problems you’re experiencing or could encounter — another reason to back up your PC!

To be sure you have the Fall Creators Update correctly installed, you can check the version number.

[ STEP BY STEP ]

HOW TO INSTALL THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE

WINDOWS UPDATE

01

The easiest way to download and install the Fall Creators Update is to use the Windows Update tool. Type “Windows Update” in the Search box on the Taskbar, then select ‘Check for updates’. If The Fall Creators Update is ready to be installed on your machine, it will appear here. Click to install the update, and follow the onscreen instructions. Your PC will need to restart, so make sure any open documents are saved before you begin. [ 022 ]

UPDATE ASSISTANT

02

If the Fall Creators Update doesn’t appear in Windows Update, then it means Microsoft hasn’t rolled out the update to your device yet. Don’t worry, as Microsoft provides a tool for starting the upgrade manually, called the Update Assistant. Go to tinyurl.com/tla72-update and click ‘Update now’ to download it, then check for the latest version of Windows 10. Once downloaded, run it, then select ‘Update Now’. The tool will do the rest.

A FRESH INSTALL

03

If you want a fresh install of the Fall Creators Update, you’ll need to download an ISO file with it included. This will wipe all your files and settings, so make sure they are backed up first. Go to the Download Windows 10 web page (tinyurl.com/tla72-discimage), and where it says ‘Create Windows 10 installation media’, click the ‘Download tool now’ button. You’ll need a blank DVD or a USB flash drive with 5GB of free space for the files.

New features in full WINDOWS 10 FALL CREATORS UPDATE EXPLAINED

THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE BRINGS MIXED REALITY, FLUENT DESIGN AND BETTER BATTERY LIFE TO YOUR PC — READ ON TO FIND OUT THESE FEATURES CAN HELP YOU.

NOW THAT THE Fall Creators Update has been downloaded and installed on your PC, the fun begins — checking out all the cool new things that Microsoft has included. There’s a huge amount of new features included in this update, so we will focus on the most exciting additions.

WINDOWS MIXED REALITY Probably the most incredible feature to have been added to Windows 10 with the Fall Creators Update, Windows Mixed Reality has the potential to change the way you interact with your PC in future.

Essentially, it enables you to use Windows 10 and various apps in a virtual reality (VR) setting. A number of big name brands, such as ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo have already created special headsets for Windows Mixed Reality.

You can explore Windows and its various Mixed Reality apps with the Mixed Reality Portal, which enables you to walk around a virtual home, and launch things from inside the home.

Paint 3D, Microsoft’s reimagining of its classic Paint software that was brought in with the earlier Creators Update, has also been given a slight revamp with the Fall Creators Update, and now enables you to create 3D artwork and view it in 3D in either a virtual reality setting using the headset, or placed in the real world using

Cortana has its own settings page now, for easy access.

augmented reality (AR). This doesn’t need any fancy headsets — you can simply use a Windows 10 laptop or tablet with a backfacing camera. The camera captures the real world, while Windows 10’s Mixed Reality Viewer app intelligently places the 3D model into the real-world image displayed on the device’s screen. You can even move your device around to view the model from different angles.

IMPROVED EDGE BROWSER If you use Edge, Microsoft’s default web browser in Windows 10, then you’re going to love the Creators Fall Update, since it brings a number of new features to the software. You can once again pin your favourite websites to the Taskbar for easy access, and the browser can handle PDF files and ebooks better as well, making it a very versatile tool. So if you have a stylus, you can now write on and annotate PDF and ebooks

MIXED REALITY HEADSETS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING NEW FEATURES OF THE FALL CREATORS UPDATE IS SUPPORT FOR WINDOWS MIXED REALITY, AND TO COINCIDE WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE UPDATE, A NUMBER OF BIG NAMES IN THE COMPUTING WORLD HAVE LAUNCHED THEIR DEVICES. For example, the Acer Windows Mixed Reality headmounted display (HMD) launched at $649, while the Dell Visor can be bought for $799. Both of these prices are well 9 and close below the asking price of the HTC Vive kit ($999), to the Oculus Rift. Other Mixed Reality headsets include the HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset, the Lenovo Explorer, the ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset and the Samsung HMD Odyssey.

With this early support for Windows Mixed Reality from these brands, it’s clear there’s a lot of faith in Microsoft’s new augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) platform — and we should see even more Mixed Reality devices become available in the very near future.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Windows Mixed Reality mixes augmented reality and virtual reality tech to bring you a whole new way to interact with your PC — and gadget makers are already getting onboard.

[ 023 ]

FEATURE WINDOWS 10 FALL CREATORS UPDATE EXPLAINED

— useful if you’re using your device for studying, and you can also open and fill out PDF forms. As for ebooks, your reading progress is synced with your Microsoft account, so you can carry on from where you left off when you switch to another device! Neat.

CORTANA IS BETTER THAN EVER Microsoft has continued to invest in Cortana, the virtual personal assistant that made her debut with the first version of Windows 10, and she’s now smarter — and more useful — than ever before. You can now tweak Cortana from her new section in the Settings app, and the virtual assistant can now access your photos and recognise certain aspects of them, thanks to machine learning, enabling you to use Cortana to find particular photos faster. She can even tag them for you.

You can also ask Cortana to control your PC, so you can say “Hey, Cortana, restart PC” or “Hey, Cortana, lock PC,” and she will do your bidding.

Programs and apps that are running quietly in the background will have their processor power throttled, while programs that you’re currently using — and which need plenty of oomph to work smoothly — won’t be affected, so you should not see any nasty side effects as a result of this feature.

Power Throttling is turned on automatically when you set your PC to Battery Saver or Recommended mode in Windows 10. If you choose Best Performance, it’s disabled.

IMPROVED INTERFACE Microsoft has been working hard on improving the look and feel of Windows 10, and you can see some of the fruits of the company’s labours with the Fall Creators Update. Known as Fluent Design, this new look uses transparency effects to make Windows 10 look better, while being easier to use. The Start menu has seen elements of Fluent Design added, and it can now be resized horizontally and vertically.

The Action Centre (which appears on the right side of the screen) has also been given a new look.

BETTER BATTERY LIFE The Fall Creators Update should also help prolong the life of the battery of your device.

It does this thanks to a clever new feature known as Power Throttling, which enables Windows to control your processor, putting it into a low-power state when it’s not doing anything too taxing. By dropping the power consumption of the CPU — Microsoft claims it can reduce processor usage by up to 11% — your battery life could see a little bit of improvement.

The Action Centre is now even clearer and easier to use.

[ STEP BY STEP ]

USING THE MICROSOFT STORE

A NEW STORE

01

Remember the Windows Store, that had an icon on your Taskbar and allowed you to install Windows apps? You’ll notice that, with the Fall Creators Update, the icon is no longer there — instead, there’s a new icon that leads you to the Microsoft Store. Don’t worry, it’s essentially the same as before, it’s just that Microsoft has rebranded it so that it fits in with its non-Windows products — such as the Xbox One — as well. [ 024 ]

SEARCH THE STORE

02

Click on the icon to open the Microsoft Store and you’ll see the home page.

This lists the top apps and games for you. Clicking on a tile will take you to more information. You can also browse by category: Apps shows you the Windows Apps available; Games if you fancy a break from working. Music and Films & TV lets you buy or rent media. To find a particular app, game or media, type the name in the Search box at the top-right of the window.

BUY FROM THE STORE

03

Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, you’ll be taken to a new page where you’ll see additional information. If you choose a game and see it is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, you’ll also be able to play it on your Xbox One — and you won’t need to pay for a second copy!

If the app or game costs money, the price will also be shown. Click the Buy button and follow the instructions to pay for the selection and install the app or game on your PC.

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

BARGAIN HUNTER HELPING YOU TRACK DOWN THE BEST TECH FOR LESS

[ BARGAIN HUNTER ]

Track price drops on apps & products BE FIRST IN LINE TO HEAR ABOUT PRICE DROPS WITH THESE GREAT TOOLS. [ LINDSAY HANDMER ]

IT CAN BE incredibly frustrating to buy a product or app, only to have it end up heavily discounted a short time later. Alternatively, if it is something you don’t need in a hurry, waiting for a price drop or big discount can really pay off. Manually checking prices yourself is extremely tedious, but fortunately for us, there is a huge range of apps and websites devoted to helping consumers nab the best deal. We’ve put them to the test, and compiled this handy guide on using the best of them. It should go without saying by now, but the best site Down Under for communitydriven bargain hunting is OzBargain.

downloaded. It’s also totally free and works on most websites. To use Price Owlert, enter an email, then add the smart bookmark to your browser bar. To monitor a specific price, browse your online retailer of choice until you find a product that you want to monitor.

Then simply highlight the price and click the bookmark. Owlert will grab the price and provide some options, such as a target price, for the alert. No account is needed but having one gives extra options to view and manage alerts. Of course, Owlert isn’t perfect and has a number of drawbacks. For a start, it can only monitor the specific price you select, and can’t

PRODUCT PRICE DROPS It is surprisingly hard to find a good price tracker, with no dedicated Australian options.

While we were still waiting for Amazon AU to lauch at the time of writing this feature, if you’re using Amazon US or UK, CamelCamelCamel (camelcamelcamel.com) makes it easy to monitor for price drops.

But for keeping track of prices on AU websites, Price Owlert (www.priceowlert.com) is by far the best option. The system tracks price changes using a smart bookmark, so works in any browser and no software needs to be [ 026 ]

Adioso is by far our favourite flight comparison website, and it includes price alerts to help grab a bargain trip.

automatically compare prices for the product elsewhere. It also can only monitor the price for where it is displayed by default — it won’t work if any information (such as location) is needed before the price can be viewed. It also does not work on some websites, such as eBay.

iOS For Apple users, there are a number of options available to track the price of apps and other content. A great place to start is AppShopper (appshopper.com), which actually searches iOS and Mac apps. It’s easy to set up wishlists and alerts for price drops, as well as shop by

BARGAIN HUNTER GRAB THE BEST PRODUCT AND APP DEALS

Android users after a bargain should look no further than AppSales, which can create custom watchlists and notifications for Google Play app price drops.

AppSliced is a totally new way to browse the iOS app store, with a focus on finding and tracking the best prices.

options for custom filters, watchlists and alerts so you never miss a discounted app again.

For those who want more of a community focus (but no alerts), the subreddit Google Play Deals (reddit.com/r/googleplaydeals) is worth checking out.

CREDIT CARD PRICE PROTECTION Price Owlert has a terrible name, but is a great way to monitor for product price drops in Australia.

Communities such as OzBargain and Reddit can be great ways to keep up with the best of the discounted apps and products.

While it doesn’t matter much for apps or other small purchases, it can be very frustrating seeing that new laptop on sale for hundreds of dollars cheaper than you bought it just one month ago. Many credit cards have a solution — Price Protection Insurance. In a nutshell, if the item purchased is available cheaper after your purchase, the credit card company will refund the difference. Depending on the credit card, there are loads of stipulations, such as time limits and maximum refunds, and some charge extra for the insurance. But considering the typical discount cycle for technology, a refund can easily save hundreds of dollars with little effort. A great place to learn more and compare credit card offers is at financial comparison site Canastar (goo.gl/B3hYNk).

FLIGHTS free apps, or ones that have had a recent price drop. A more in depth option is App Sliced (appsliced.co) which works as an alternative App Store experience. Going beyond just tracking price changes, it actually gives price buying advice for apps, shows pricing history and, of course, has price drop alerts.

GOOGLE PLAY While it’s possible to search by free apps, in general, Google Play does not make it easy to find cheap content. App Sales (app-sales.net) makes things easier, showing sales and apps that are newly free. To get the full benefit, you need to install the free app, which gives [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get the cheapest flight, as prices can change at a moment’s notice and bargains often need to be bought very quickly before they sell out. Don’t forget, airlines and some price comparison sites track your visits with cookies, and can show higher prices if you keep coming back.

To get around this, clear cookies or visit flight sites with a browser mode that does not save cookies, such as Chrome and Incognito.

One of our favourite flight comparison sites, which includes alerts for great deals, is Adioso (adioso.com). You do need to sign up to get the full benefit, and make sure to delve around to find all the features.

eBay can be hard to monitor for price drops, but custom searches with tight price limits can help find new bargains.

EBAY Still by far the largest online marketplace in Australia, eBay is full of bargains. While you can’t monitor for price drops exactly, a custom saved search can do a similar job.

Just search for the item you want, then select the price range you are waiting for. From there, you can save the search by clicking the heart icon next to the number of search results. For example, you might want a Chromecast Ultra for $70, when the cheapest price is $85. Simply set the maximum price to $70 on the search then save the search. Often, you will need to be specific with search terms to eliminate false results, such as charger cables and so on.

It’s also worth selecting ‘Buy It Now’ to weed out auctions and setting a minimum price. eBay will then send an email when a product is listed under your target price.

A simpler option to do the same job is Auction Sensor (auctionsensor.com), which allows custom alerts based on price.

Handily, it can also filter by Newly Modified BuyItNow which makes it easier to target for price drops.

[ 027 ]

WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

BARGAIN HUNTER AFFORDABLE WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS

[ I SEE YOU ]

Affordable wireless security cams

WINNER

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR HOME WHILE YOU’RE OUT AND ABOUT WITH THESE FLIES ON THE WALL.

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

[ LINDSAY HANDMER ]

INCREASINGLY AFFORDABLE IP Cameras can be a great way to monitor your home and provide some extra security. But they also offer a host of other features, from checking if packages have been delivered to keeping an eye on kids or pets. The latest cameras don’t need dedicated recording systems — they are completely selfcontained. Better yet, they use a tablet or smartphone to view and record the footage, and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. The better models can even send you an alert when something suss is going on, and automatically start recording. Typically, they connect to your network with Wi-Fi, so the only cables that need to be run are for power. This also means they are easily moved around, or can be used by renters without having to permanently install anything. While there are loads of very expensive options, we have tested 10 of the most affordable IP cameras that will get you started for under $150.

10

AFFORDABLE WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS ON TEST

Each IP Camera was connected to a W-Fi network. Apps were installed and tested on a Nexus 6P phone. Image quality was compared at full resolution across a range of light levels.

[ 028 ]

TP-Link NC260

IP Webcam

UN UPDATE TO THE EXCELLENT NC250.

IS THE ULTIMATE IP CAMERA APP?

AVAILABLE FOR ABOUT $20 more ($100) than the NC250 (opposite), the TP-Link NC260 is well worth the extra cost. The cameras share the same 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, with a 1,280 x 720 resolution. But the NC260 increases the field of view (FOV) to 113°, for much better coverage. Image quality is quite good, and it also has a microphone for audio recording. The camera has 802.11n Wi-Fi built in for easy network connectivity, but also sports a LAN port for a wired connection. The NC260 has built-in night vision, as well as motion and sound detection.

The camera can be used as a standalone unit — sending a notification if movement is detected, and offering remote viewing. It also has a SD card slot for local recording. TP also has a top-notch (is somewhat simplistic) monitoring app that also enables two-way communications using a speaker built into the camera. Included in the package is a DC power extension cable, which makes it easier to install the camera without buying any extras.

IP CAMERAS CAN be bought quite cheaply, but still can’t compete the price of IP Webcam — free. Sure, you do need a spare or old Android phone to run it on, but even buying a (cheap) brand new model is still very affordable. More importantly, using an app and phone gives a much higher quality and powerful IP webcam. The tradeoff is ease of use, as the app is a bit more hands-on to get up and running. The resolution is limited by your phone’s camera, but 1080p+ is typical, and the app can handle motion detection and send alerts. You can also record to the device, a NAS or even cloud storage such as Dropbox.

The app even enables two way audio and can integrate into other services, such as Tasker.

Of course, there is no IR night vision mode, but you can remotely activate the phone’s torch. Thanks to the inbuilt battery, your webcam also keeps working through any power cuts. The app also has features geared towards baby and pet monitoring.

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4

TP-LINK NC260 $99 www.tp-link.com.au

IP WEBCAM Free with IAP paid upgrades www.www.ip-webcam.appspot.com

CRITICAL SPECS 720p resolution; 802.11n Wi-Fi, LAN port; two-way audio; motion and sound detection; remote viewing; local recording

CRITICAL SPECS Motion detection and alerts; two-way audio; cloud recording or to external device

BARGAIN HUNTER AFFORDABLE WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS

WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

WINNER

WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS BUYER’S CHECKLIST

APPROVED

THE KEY SPECS, FEATURES AND TERMINOLOGY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A WIRELESS SECURITY CAM

AWARD

TP-Link NC450 A HIGHER-END OPTION.

Uniden Guardian App Cam 25 FOR OUTDOOR USE.

WI-FI All the IP cameras tested include inbuilt Wi-Fi, but some also have wired connections for areas with poor signal.

TP-LINK OFFERS A vast array of network

cameras at very affordable prices, and available for just $129, the NC450 is no exception.

Designed for indoor use, the camera has pan and tilt, which allows it to view 360° horizontally and 150° vertically. The NC450 can be mounted on the roof or wall, or just on a desktop, for flexible install options. Combine that with a 1,280 x 720 resolution and 75-inch FOV, and it can easily monitor more than two fixed cameras. It connects to your network via 802.11n Wi-Fi, but also has a LAN port for a wired connection. The NC450 can be controlled via the excellent tpCamera app, which includes two way communications.

It also has motion and sound sensing, and can send smartphone and email alerts. The camera isn’t limited to day use either, with built-in night vision with an 8m range. While footage can be viewed and saved remotely, the camera can also take up to a 128GB SD card for local recording.

AT THE MORE expensive end of the affordable range, the Cam 25 is a standalone solution.

While its more expensive big brother includes pan and tilt, the App Cam 25 has a fixed, but weatherproof housing for mounting outside your house. It also includes Wi-Fi, so no need to run network cables. The Cam 25 connects to your smartphone via a fairly comprehensive app, so doesn’t need a NAS or other recording device. This makes remote viewing very easy, though the camera can also record to an SD card onboard. The camera has an inbuilt PIR sensor, and can send push notifications and email alerts if triggered. The 720p resolution is decent, and the camera records quite usable, but not outstanding footage. It also includes infrared LEDs for night vision, making it ideal to monitor a front door or garage.

While not suited for those building a larger security system, the App Cam 25 (and 26) is a great choice for simple but effective home monitoring.

RESOLUTION A 1,280 x 720p resolution is most common in affordable IP cameras, and it’s best to avoid older 640 x 480 models.

NIGHT VISION While not strictly necessary, IR night vision is very handy for security monitoring in the dark and is included on all but the cheapest cameras.

APP CONTROL The IP cameras tested all can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app, and can be operated without any other form of recording device.

MOTION SENSING The better cameras can automatically detect movement (and audio), and start recording, as well as send an alert to your phone or email account.

TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS While most of the cameras have microphones, the best include a speaker that enables two-way communications from the control app.

4

4

CLOUD RECORDING TP-LINK NC450 $129 www.tp-link.com.au

UNIDEN GUARDIAN APP CAM 25 $150 www.uniden.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS 720p resolution; pan and tilt; 802.11n Wi-Fi, LAN port; two-way audio; motion detection; night vision; remote viewing; local recording

CRITICAL SPECS 720p resoltuion; 802.11n Wi-Fi; weatherproof; records to SD card and phone; night vision; motion detection

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Local or phone recording is fine, but being able to save your footage directly the cloud makes life a lot easier, but is not always free.

PAN AND TILT Despite being more expensive, pan and tilt cameras can give a lot more coverage and provide excellent value for money. [ 029 ]

BARGAIN HUNTER AFFORDABLE WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS

D-Link DCS-700L

D-Link DCS-932L

Jaycar Wi-Fi IP Camera

AKA, THE WI-FI BABY CAMERA JR.

IS IT WORTH SAVING SOME MONEY?

A VERSATILE OPTION.

AS THE NAME suggests, the DCS-700L is aimed at those who want a smarter baby monitor. The unit links to a smartphone either directly, or via your home Wi-Fi, so can be accessed even when on the go. The camera itself is somewhat uninspiring, with a 640 x 480p resolution at 30fps. Still, image quality is reasonable and the night vision is good — though trying to use the full 4x digital zoom is a letdown. Still, the real drawcard is the baby-focused features, such as a large speaker for better quality when using the two way communications. The mydlink Baby App is also very parent focused, compared to the sual security offerings, and is very easy to use.

The camera will alert you if the baby cries or moves, and you can grab snapshots remotely.

It even has a range of built-in lullabies that can be remotely activated, to help sooth an upset baby. While the camera spec itself is on the low side considering the price, the baby monitoring features make up for it.

BRINGING THE PRICE down to just $80, the D-Link DCS-932L has to make a few sacrifices. For a start, the resolution is lower than we’d like at 640 x 480, and the camera records at a maximum of 20fps. While it does record audio, the unit does not have a speaker, so two-way communications are not possible.

It also doesn’t have an SD card slot, so can’t record video locally. On the plus side, it can be linked to a network via 802.11n Wi-Fi or a wired connection. The app is also excellent, and makes it easy to manage the camera and remotely view and record footage. The image quality is quite usable, but not outstanding, though the 4x digital zoom leaves it looking very pixelated. The camera can provide motion detection alerts, but can’t be triggered by sound. The 932L includes night vision, with a 5m range.

For those who want to save even more money, the $50 DCS-930L has virtually the same spec, minus the night vision.

AVAILABLE FOR $120, the Jaycar Wi-Fi camera has all the features needed for easy home or small office monitoring. It features a typical 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, recording at 25fps and a 1,280 x 720p resolution. It has a wide 110° field of view, IR LEDs for night use, as well as a microphone for audio recording.

Connectivity is via inbuilt Wi-Fi, with no wired option available.

The Jaycar camera is designed to be able to be used as a standalone unit, linking up to a smartphone or Windows PC for viewing and control. The included app can be a touch fiddly, but is overall very usable. It also enables motion sensing with alerts if anything is detected. The camera has a built in speaker, so can be used for two way communications as well. You can also record video to an onboard SD card, for later viewing.

While a touch fiddly to get setup, the Jaycar IP Camera has a solid range of features, and very usable image quality for the price.

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[ 030 ]

31/2

31/2

D-LINK DCS-700L $130 www.dlink.com.au

D-LINK DCS-932L $80 www.dlink.com.au

JAYCAR WI-FI IP CAMERA $120 www.jaycar.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS 640 x 480p resolution; two-way audio; night vision; baby-focused features; built-in lullabies; motion detection

CRITICAL SPECS 640 x 480p resolution; Wi-Fi / wired connection; night vision; motion detection and alerts

CRITICAL SPECS 720p resolution; night vision; 802.11n Wi-Fi; motion detection and alerts; two-way audio; local recording

BARGAIN HUNTER AFFORDABLE WIRELESS SECURITY CAMS

Smanos IP6 HD

Swann ADS-446

TP-Link NC210

USING A HIGH QUALITY SENSOR.

AFFORDABLE PAN AND TILT.

A BARGAIN CAMERA.

WITH SOME SAVVY online shopping, the Smanos IP6 HD can be bought for around $110, but otherwise costs up to $200. The camera uses Sony 1/3-inch CMOS sensor, with a normal 1,280 x 720p resolution, a 110° FOV and the ability to record at 30fps. It connects via 802.11n Wi-Fi (with no wired option) but can also save footage to a microSD card (not included). It also records audio, and has a speaker for two-way communications.

The camera comes with an adjustable stand, for easy mounting. Control is via a free Android or iOS app, though we found the setup process somewhat fiddly.

Frustratingly, the IP6 does not have built-in motion detection, and instead relies on being part of a larger Smanos security system.

That means for standalone use, that recording has to be triggered manually. Still, the camera has some of the best image quality of the models tested. Low-light performance is particularly good, and it has IR illumination for use in total darkness.

THE ADS-446 IS one of the more affordable pan and tilt options available, and can be picked up for $120 from Officeworks. It has a decent 1,280 x 720p resolution, can record at up to 30fps and includes IR night vision.

The camera can pan through 350°, and tilt up to 100°, and is controlled via smartphone or Windows/Mac app.

It also has a microphone for audio recording, but no speaker, ruling out two-way communications. The camera links into your network via Wi-Fi or a wired connection, and also has a mini HDMI output. The ADS-446 has a built in movement sensor and can record video and send alerts when triggered — including if the camera is tampered with.

Frustratingly, the inbuilt SD card slot is not usable, and recording can only be done to the Swan cloud server, where anything more than a day of recording costs extra.

Despite a QR code system to link it onto the network the ADS-446 was fiddly to set up, but image quality is quite good.

WHAT THE TP-LINK NC210 lacks in features, it more than makes up for with a bargain price as low as $50. Just like the more expensive NC260, the camera uses a 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, with a very competitive 1,280 x 720p resolution and wide 113° field of view.

The 20fps frame rate is slower than the 30 from the higher priced competition, and there is no IR night vision included. It also records audio, but does not support two-way audio.

The NC210 has 802.11n Wi-Fi built in, but drops the wired connection to save a little money.

The camera works with the excellent tpCamera app, which makes it easy to monitor what’s going, as well as record video and take photos. It also has motion and sound detection built in, and can send you a notification via email or the app if there is an issue. You can’t record footage locally using an SD card, but the app makes it easy to save and view later on your smartphone.

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SMANOS IP6 HD $110 www.smanos.com

WANN ADS-446 SW $120 ww w.swann.com

TP-LINK NC210 $55 www.tp-link.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS 1,280 x 720p resolution; 802.11n Wi-Fi; Wi Fi night vision; adjustable stand; local recording only

CRITICAL SPECS 1,280 1 28 x 720p resolution; Wi-Fi / Wired connection; pan and tilt; mini HDMI out; cloud recording only

CRITICAL SPECS 720p resolution; 802.11n Wi-Fi; motion and audio detection, and alerts

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

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[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

DISCOVER ESSENTIAL APPS, TOOLS AND ENTERTAINMENT

[ #BLESSED ]

Social media pro: Twitter LEARN HOW TO BE THE ONE IN THE KNOW BY FOLLOWING OUR GUIDE TO THE TWEET-BASED PLATFORM. [ TIM BOTHWELL ]

LAUNCHED BACK IN 2006, Twitter has since become the go-to source for real-time information on anything and everything.

Breaking news, up-to-the-minute sports commentary, shameless celebrities spruiking their latest films and/or products — all this and more can be found on Twitter. A place for diverse discussion and opinion, you can converse (and/or argue) with people all over the world about the things that interest you — albeit using a maximum of 280 characters.

In addition to us ordinary humans, you’ll find well-known academics, musicians, actors, sports stars, journalists and even big tech luminaries. Follow this detailed guide and you’ll be tweeting like a pro in no time!

THE BASICS FINDING FRIENDS: One of the first steps to using Twitter is finding people to follow.

During sign up, you’ll be asked to search and select from a number of topics that interest you — Twitter will then use this information to recommend people to follow. Additional suggestions based on your twitter habits can be accessed by pressing the person icon in the top-right corner of the Explore screen.

The app can also sync your phone’s contacts to find friends already on Twitter. Use the search tool to navigate to a person’s profile — each user has their own page filled with past tweets, replies, retweets and likes.

posted by the people you follow. Twitter’s emphasis is on the now, which means it’s highly likely you’ll see a page filled with entirely new tweets every time you open the app. This is great for ensuring you get the latest up-to-date info on breaking news and events. Twitter will first show tweets from the people you engage with most, while the ‘In case you missed it’ section shows popular tweets posted while you were away from the app. Tap on a tweet at any time to see comments and replies posted by other users.

However, at the time of writing this article, that number was doubled to 280 characters in order to allow people to tweet more freely — political rants, here we come! Sending a tweet is easy — within the Home tab, press the quill icon in the top-right hand corner of the screen. You can then start typing, as well as add links, photos, videos, even GIFs.

HASHTAGS: What seems to be the buzzword of the 21st century, hashtags are essential to the Twitter experience. #iphone, #avocado, #beyonceisthebest — these simple words and phrases can be used when tweeting and TWEETING: Probably the most challenging conversing with others. Like Instagram, aspect of Twitter is finding something to hashtags help organise the many millions tweet about... using a maximum of 280 of posts made each day into different topics characters. Twitter’s and interests. For focus has traditionally example, if you were A PLACE FOR DIVERSE been on messages that writing a tweet about DISCUSSION AND OPINION, can be read in a few this super-awesome YOU CAN CONVERSE (AND/OR short seconds. Hence, magazine, then you’d ARGUE) WITH PEOPLE ALL a limit of just 140 include #techlifeau OVER THE WORLD characters was initially in your tweet. imposed on tweets.

This means anyone

TIMELINE: Looking at the home screen reveals a (mostly) chronological timeline of tweets

Select a number of topics that interest you and Twitter will recommend people to follow.

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Here lies a chronological feed of tweets posted by the people you follow.

Including hashtags in your tweet makes it easy for other people to find.

Moments are curated stories featuring tweets, photos and links coming from a variety of sources.

DISCOVER SOCIAL MEDIA PRO: SNAPCHAT

Tapping the retweet button lets you share or quote another person’s post.

Quickly find a person, hashtag or news story using the search feature.

who searches for that hashtag can then easily see and respond to your tweet, even if they don’t know you. When composing a message, simply enter the hashtag symbol and begin typing — the app will provide a series of popular keywords to choose from, or just continue writing your own.

of posts in real-time. Searches can be further refined by specifying whether you’re looking for something specific like a photo, person, Periscope or news story.

REACTIONS: If you find yourself passionately pounding your fist in agreement with a tweet, you can like it by pressing the heart icon.

Retweeting takes it one step further, letting you ‘forward’ tweets to your followers. Press the square icon with arrows to either share or quote the tweet onto your profile page.

MOMENTS: Trying to keep up with the latest breaking news on Twitter can be quite overwhelming at times. Moments are curated stories covering topics popular on the platform. It could be a trending news story, international event or celebrity gossip (don’t judge). Each moment includes comments, photos and videos from a variety of sources. You can even create and share your own by tapping your profile picture and pressing ‘Moments’.

SEARCH: One function you’re likely to use regularly is the search feature. Located in the Explore tab, you’re able to search for a particular person, keyword or hashtag. Results can be filtered to show only top tweets or a list

TRENDING TOPICS: What’s deemed popular on Twitter is determined largely by the aforementioned hashtag. If enough people use a particular keyword, then it’s likely to become a trending topic. In the Explore tab, you’ll see

STEP IT UP A LEVEL

a section titled ‘Trends for you’ — this is organised based on who you follow and your location.

PRIVACY: While many users choose to make their profiles public, Twitter also allows you to protect your tweets and make them visible only to the people approved to follow you.

This can be enabled in settings. Also included are tools for blocking and muting particular users. You can even hide others’ tweets from your timeline that contain particular words.

MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS: There’s a chance you may have multiple Twitter accounts for different occasions. For example, one could be for following friends, while another might be used to anonymously remain informed on the whereabouts of the Kardashians (or so I’ve been told). Rather than repeatedly log in and out, Twitter allows you to quickly toggle between accounts. To set this up, tap your profile icon and press the three dots in the top-right corner.

GOING PRO PUSH NOTIFICATIONS: Twitter is a powerful beast when it comes to the quantity of content produced every minute. Push notifications ensure you remain informed on the latest and greatest happenings in the Twittersphere when away from the app.

Press the alarm icon on a person’s profile to be notified whenever they send out a tweet.

Notifications for mentions, likes and retweets can also be managed in settings.

In the Explore tab, you’ll see a section listing popular topics currently being talked about on Twitter.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

You can hide tweets containing particular words or phrases from your timeline.

POLLS: You’re now able to create a poll others can vote on directly from their timeline.

When writing a tweet, press the graph icon and type your question. Up to four choices can be included, along with how long your [ 033 ]

Enable push notifications to be notified the second a particular user sends a tweet.

DISCOVER SOCIAL MEDIA PRO: SNAPCHAT

In addition to tweeting, you can send and receive private messages with followers.

Unsure of what the norm is on a particular topic? Ask your followers what they think.

poll will be active. People who vote can then see the results in real-time.

DIRECT MESSAGES: In addition to posting tweets, you can also send followers direct messages. Tap the envelope icon to see a list of conversations you currently have with other users. Private messages can be sent to both individuals and groups. In settings, you can choose to receive messages from everyone or just followers.

LISTS: Your Twitter feed can be further refined through the use of lists. Accessed via the main menu, you’re able to create both public and private groups of users whose tweets will appear in an additional feed separate from the main timeline.

Public lists are visible to everyone — tap the settings icon on a user’s page to see lists they’re subscribed to.

NIGHT MODE: They say news never sleeps, and neither does Twitter. But scrolling through your timeline late at night won’t do you any good. Thankfully, the Twitter app has a night mode that changes its interface to a darker, less intense blue.

Simply tap your profile icon and select the half moon. Press it again to go back.

COMPANION APPS

Browse a list of live streams coming from users all over the world.

PERISCOPE

Free www.pscp.tv

Twitter has its own live streaming service — Periscope.

On the Home screen is a collection of featured live and recent streams, on which you can comment. Streams can also be started from within the Twitter app — tap the live button in the tweet composition screen.

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Schedule future posts for multiple accounts at once using Hootsuite.

HOOTSUITE

Free with IAP hootsuite.com

Hootsuite allows you to write and schedule posts for multiple social networks all at once. Simply write a message, choose the accounts you want it posted to, along with the date and time for publishing. The free version allows you to manage up to three accounts.

Not content with a single-feed interface?

Tweetdeck lets you see multiple columns of information on one screen.

TWEETDECK

Free tweetdeck.twitter.com

Not content with the single-feed interface of Twitter?

Designed exclusively for desktop, Tweetdeck offers a personalised dashboard of your Twitter timeline and other useful information. Columns can be added for things such as notifications, messages and hashtags.

DISCOVER BEST PODCASTS

THE WELL

www.mamamia.com.au/the-well-podcast

[ AUDIO THERAPY ]

Podcasts to kick you up the bum

New Year’s resolutions aren’t all about dropping kilos and eating lots of quinoa. Sometimes, you might just want to get some more friends, learn a new skill, understand yourself a bit better or expand your horizons. The Well talks about all these things, as well as everyday hurdles you’d like to conquer, such as managing your inbox, how to sleep better and the odd bit of parenting advice. It’s well worth a listen.

AUDIO INSPIRATION TO HELP YOU BECOME THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE IN 2018. [ CARMEL SEALEY ]

WAS 2017 EVERYTHING you hoped it would be? Did you achieve anything you wanted to?

Those New Year’s resolutions you set yourself at the beginning of 2017... how many of them did you manage to cross off? Your humble writer set herself two main goals: lose weight and get fit, and finish one of those books she’s trying to write. Happily, we can report that one of those things got done. How did you go? Well, if you’re feeling slightly embarrassed about your efforts over the course of the last 12 months, maybe you need to listen to some of these podcasts. We scoured the radio waves this month to bring you the inspirational, motivational and slightly guilt-tripping audio productions to help you set those 2018 New Year’s resolutions and, more importantly, get them crossed off.

THE MINDFUL KIND

If you haven’t already discovered the wonders that are TED Talks, then you’ve got some catching up to do! Each talk is thoroughly thought-provoking, covering topics as varied as climate change, recounting experiences in war zones, personal struggles with mental health, self-improvement, scientific discoveries, lessons learnt from history and much, much more.

DON’T SALT MY GAME

www.rachaelkable.com/podcast

www.laurathomasphd.co.uk/podcast

Mindfulness isn’t just about sitting on the grass in a park and thinking about what you’re feeling — physically and emotionally. As host Rachael Kable explains it, mindfulness can extend to every corner of your life, helping you with communication, coping with stress and grief, as well as motivating you to love yourself more and take care of that body of yours! If you need help setting and keeping to your goals, Kable’s got a few tips for you.

So you’ve probably had ‘lose weight’ or ‘get fit’ on your New Year’s resolutions before, right?

Been there, trying that. It’s hard to get fit and healthy, though, when you’re pressured into picking up a diet and sticking to it, especially when it includes giving up things you love — like bread, noooo. Well, this podcast turns that around and helps you reach your goals without going crazy on diets and weird habits. Give it a go!

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

TED TALKS DAILY

www.ted.com

BUILDING BETTER HUMANS PROJECT

www.glennazar.com/inspire-me/podcast

Glenn Azar wants you to find your passion and purpose, grow your confidence, achieve your goals, get more productive and stay positive. Guest appearances (ranging from school teachers to ex-military) pepper his regular self-improvement episodes, sharing their experiences with their life’s struggles, how they grew their business, changed their lives or took on a new challenge. [ 035 ]

DISCOVER RANDOM TIDBITS

[ BYTES AND BOBS ]

Random tidBITs EVERY MONTH, THE TECHLIFE TEAM STUMBLES ACROSS A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF HANDY TECH TOOLS, TIPS AND FEATURES, SO WE’VE COLLECTED OUR FAVOURITES ALL IN ONE PLACE! [ TECHLIFE TEAM ]

MOZILLA TO WARN IF A SITE HAS BEEN HACKED COMPANY PARTNERS WITH AUSSIE SECURITY SERVICE TO PROTECT YOU AS YOU BROWSE. Mozilla and Have I Been Pwned will soon alert Firefox users if a site has been hacked. These new ‘Breach Alerts’ will pop up and direct users to a support page to get more information and see if their credentials have been compromised.

Firefox users can also opt in to receive notifications of other data breaches. Powering this add-on is the site Have I Been Pwned, which was founded by Australian cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt. There’s no word on when it’ll go live, but the beta can be downloaded from Github. [ PT ]

‘BREACH ALERTS’ WILL POP UP AND DIRECT USERS TO A SUPPORT PAGE TO GET MORE INFORMATION POCKET CAN NOW READ ALL OF YOUR ARTICLES FOR YOU AN UPDATED TEXT-TO-SPEECH FUNCTION ACTS LIKE A PLAYLIST. Give your eyes a rest and have articles read aloud to you with Pocket (www.getpocket.com).

The service bookmarks online articles so you can read them later or keep your favourites in order. Couple the glut of stuff out there with your appetite for knowledge and the list can blow out.

Pocket has a solution so you’re not glued to your screen, turning the written word into the spoken.

You may be familiar with its old function ‘Listen’, which employed one of Google’s voices to read your articles one at a time. Version 6.6.3 now reads articles one after the other, much like a playlist in Poweramp or iTunes. Download it through iTunes and Google Play. [ PT ]

Kindle app now smarter on iOS IMPROVED DESIGN OFFERS MORE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR NEXT BOOK AND LETS YOU CHOOSE THE LIGHT SIDE. GLOBAL SUPERMARKET AND digital bookstore Amazon has overhauled its app to provide better recommendations, and connect you to a community of like-minded readers. The app’s design and UI have both been tweaked to get you reading faster, with shortcuts to the book you last had open, and a new ‘light’ theme complements the usual dark default. Lucky iOS users also get access to Amazon’s 65-million-readersstrong Goodreads community who provide commentary and reviews on books to help you pick your next page turner — sorry, Android owners, you’ll have to wait a while longer for this part of the update. [ PT ] [ 036 ]

HOW TO SWITCH YOUR ANDROID PHONE AUDIO TO MONO, FOR LISTENING WITH A SINGLE EARPHONE STAY ALERT, STAY GROOVY. Stereo audio can be an important factor in the songs and podcasts you listen to, but if you need to listen through a single headphone (for increased awareness when cycling, for instance) you’ll be missing out on certain components of your music, especially with older recordings.

Audio on Android can be turned into ‘mono’ mode, which combines the left and right signals and sends the sum to each ear so you don’t miss out on anything that would otherwise only play in one of them. First, navigate to the Accessibility screen in your Settings (this may be found under the Advanced screen) and tap the ‘Mono Audio’ option. [ HD ]

You can now search for products on eBay using just an image

Get your daily subscriptions and keep tabs on your notes with Google Assistant

YOU SEE THOSE SHOES? NOW YOU CAN BUY THEM!

A DAILY DOSE OF THE WEATHER WITH A LIST OF YOUR SWEET NOTHINGS.

If you don’t know the name of a product, or happen to see something you’re keen on buying while out and about, eBay’s mobile app now has the option to search via image courtesy of some new AI capabilities. While in the app, tap on the camera icon in the search bar to bring up the viewfinder and take a snap of the product. Crop the image to best fit the product itself, and tap Search. The results will vary based on the photo itself and the precision will improve over time as the feature gets used more. The function is only available on iOS at the time of writing, although eBay has stated that image search (as well as another feature — Find It On eBay) are available on both platforms. [ HD ]

As a Google Assistant user, you have the opportunity to use the app to send you jokes, poems, the weather report or even funny videos at certain times every day, or any other frequency you wish. Setting up these subscriptions is easy via the “Send me XYZ every day” — ‘XYZ’ being whatever information (or entertainment) you’re after.

Open the app, say or type out the kind of information you’d like to receive and when, then select ‘Yes’. Set the time you want to receive the updates and voila!

If you’re someone who thinks on their feet and can never remember all your thoughts and little to-dos at the end of the day, Google Assistant can help with this, too.

DISCOVER RANDOM TIDBITS

SETTING UP THESE SUBSCRIPTIONS IS EASY VIA THE “SEND ME XYZ EVERY DAY” — ‘XYZ’ BEING WHATEVER INFORMATION (OR ENTERTAINMENT) YOU’RE AFTER. OPEN THE APP, SAY OR TYPE OUT THE KIND OF INFORMATION YOU’D LIKE TO RECEIVE AND WHEN, THEN SELECT ‘YES’. SET THE TIME YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE UPDATES AND VOILA!

You will need to set up a free IFTTT (If This Then That) account for this, however, but that’s not too hard. Once you’ve logged into IFTTT, make your way to the Google Assistant channel and turn on ‘Keep a list of notes to email yourself at the end of the day’. Connect to your Google Home account, make sure the settings are to your liking and hit Save.

The next time you want to remind yourself of something or want to save a random thought to follow through with later, just speak it out or type it into the app and Assistant will send you an email reminder at a time you’ve specified with a summary of the day’s titbits. [ SS ]

GOOGLE’S MADE IT EASIER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PRODUCTS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH GOOGLE HOME A SUPPORT PAGE HAS BEEN SET UP ONLINE TO HELP YOU WITH THAT. If you own a Google Home (or a Home Mini), finding smarthome devices that can be controlled with Google Assistant can be hard, what with thousands of IoT products available today, and not all of them compatible with Home. To make it easy for customers, Google has set up a support page that lists all the smarthome devices that can be voice-controlled via the “OK, Google” command.

The searchable list (tinyurl.com/tla72-homecontrol) currently has partners listed alphabetically, but a filter box will help you narrow down your search by using keywords. Searching for ‘speaker’ or ‘light’ will give you a list of partner devices, while the ‘Narrow by’ box comes in handy if you know the manufacturer of the device you’re after. [ SS ]

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

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VIRTUAL-REALITY APPS, GAMES & VIDEOS

AUGMENTED REALITY

DISCOVER BLEEDING EDGE: THE BEST OF EMERGING TECH

[ YOUR TECH CRYSTAL BALL ]

Bleeding edge: the best of emerging tech TECHLIFE’S PRACTICAL MONTHLY ROUNDUP OF EMERGING TECH EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING ALL THE LATEST VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY APPS, ALONGSIDE AI-DRIVEN BOTS AND OTHER USEFUL TOOLS. [ JOEL BURGESS ]

BETHESDA’S SUITE OF VR titles and some decent sales on high-end VR headsets rounded out an impressive year of VR development. While it might not have met the explosive demand some analysts had predicted, Sony’s PlayStation VR shipped close to 500,000 units through the third quarter of 2017 and was expected to sell even more in the following months, as more big-name titles are released.

While the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive shipped comparatively fewer units (210,000 and 160,000 respectively), it’s a good indication that VR is still an appealing area for many people.

Meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) has continued to quietly tick along, finding unique app use cases, including a novel collaboration with AI from Google and Microsoft which uses smartphone cameras and visual machine learning systems to annotate the world around us for the visually impaired.

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[ IOS ] [ RIFT, GEAR VR ]

Dispatch

A CALL TO ACTION. Free | dragons.org

If you were pitched the concept of a 911-dispatch game for VR, you might be a little perplexed as to why a game that’s primarily reliant on audio cues would base itself on the visual VR platform. That is unless you’ve already dialed in to the engrossing world of Dispatch, the latest title from renowned virtual reality production company Here Be Dragons.

The game’s minimalist art style animates the important information and noises you hear as a small town police dispatcher on a particularly dark night.

RoomScan

TAKE STOCK OF YOUR SPACES. Free with IAP | locometric.com

While RoomScan for iOS was first released back in 2014, a recent update has made the AR room measurement application free for the first time. If you’ve ever needed to check if furniture will fit in a space or want to know room dimensions for for DIY purposes, it’s much easier to just pull open an app and record the dimensions of multiple rooms in a way that you can easily refer to at any time in the future.

[ ANDROID, IOS ] [ PSVR ]

Skyrim VR

SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR VR? $99.95 | playstation.com

After what feels like an exceptionally long wait, Skyrim is finally out on PSVR and with full two-handed, Move controllerintegrated, weapon movement it was clearly worth the wait. Never again can VR games be accused of being just ‘experiences’ as the 300-hour (and then some) title brings this expansive RPG into the virtual world. You have the option of teleporting or smooth directional controller locomotion giving you the power to experience the game in a way that is the most comfortable.

CSR Racing 2

ARKIT PUTS A PORSCHE IN YOUR DRIVEWAY. Free with IAP | naturalmotion.com

Most of us will never have the opportunity to park a Lamborghini in the driveway and unless you are the creator of Pokemon Go, AR probably isn’t going to help you fulfil this wish.

But for those who’d just like to know what such a midlife-crisis-mobile would look like in your garage, then the iOS mobile racing game CSR Racing 2 is the AR app for you, allowing you to place the game’s fancy cars anywhere your smartphone camera can take a picure.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

EMERGING TECH NEWS

CHINA IS BUILDING A NEW REALITY FOR THEME PARKS.

[ WEB ]

[ TWITTER ]

Charlie

Louis Theroux Bot

THIS BOT HAS A NOSE FOR RESEARCH. detectivelabs.com

Time poor professionals such as politicians and lawyers often outsource research in order to save time, but synthesizing important information is a complex process that is generally more expensive that most professionals can afford. Bravo to Charlie that is here to help! This new AI system is built to research details on companies and individuals and summarise it into an easy to digest report, saving sales representatives time rather than keep them working later.

IN THE THEROUXS OF DOCCO SUBJECT INVENTION. twitter.com/louistherouxbot

While bots plod along, chipping away at their innumerable, pragmatic, time-saving applications, the Louis Theroux Bot is painstakingly generating the most amazing, perception-changing, fake documentary topics and broadcasting them to a dedicated, 40,000 strong cohort of Twitter followers. Sure it’s a little flippant, but anyone with a penchant for the popular documentary-maker’s obscure subjects will appreciate the comedy in this topic generator’s pitch perfect amalgamations.

Even Theroux himself has read aloud one of the bot’s concoctions.

Oriental Science Fiction Valley is a new VR theme park in the Guiang in the Guizhou province of China that’s already spent US$1.5 billion building the novel theme park concept. Marked by an enormous robot that you’ll be able to bungee jump form when the park opens, there will be 35 attractions and rides will include some element of VR. The theme park hopes to capitalise on China’s burgeoning VR market which is expected to hit US$8.5 Billion by 2020.

AI LEARNS TO EXPLAIN ITSELF

DISCOVER BLEEDING EDGE: THE BEST OF EMERGING TECH

US$1.5 BILLION VR THEME PARK UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN CHINA

MACHINE LEARNING EXPLAINS WHY IT’S BETTER THAN US.

Researchers generally have few insights into the mechanisms that machine learning systems use to come to their conclusions. Understanding how neural networks make decisions is critical for medical and autonomous driving applications.

Chris Olah, a Research Scientist who worked on Google’s Deep Dream, has published a research tool that gives insights into the decision making processes of visual neural networks.

PSVR IS DRIVING GROWTH IN HIGH END VR

CONSOLE-IDATING VR GAMING.

[ IOS ]

Microsoft Seeing AI AN EYE FOR AN AI. Free | microsoft.com/en-us/seeing-ai

Microsoft is leading the blind with a new AI application. Point your smartphone camera at an object and the app says what it can see. Leaning heavily on machine learning, the visual processing system can recognise text, product barcodes, objects and people, and can even describe them.

For any of the 384,000 Australians with low vision, this is an empowering application that offers a signifiacnt amount of independence. Currently only available to iOS users, there’s no word yet on when it will reach Android.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

[ PIXEL PHONES ]

Google Lens SAY WHAT YOU SEE. Free | blog.google

It seems that Google and Microsoft are falling over themselves to create the best AI based app for the vision impaired.

Google announced the new AI-powered Google Lens back in May at the I/O Developers Conference, and the clever app has been accessible through Google Photos on the Pixel 2 since launch.

Google Lens should be rolling out to the older Pixel phones through the Google Assistant in the coming weeks.

A new study by International analyst firm Canalys estimates the number of high-end VR units sold in the last quarter has hit the million mark for the first time, with more than half of that attributable to PlayStation’s VR headset.

With a number of exclusive titles, summer US sales and a much more accessible platform it’s not surprising that PlayStation is dominating its PC counterparts where Oculus and the HTC Vive only make up 21% and 16% respectively.

THE AI FOR THE PEOPLE

POLITICS ALWAYS WAS A NUMBERS GAME.

We often assume that sentient computers will someday snare us in a ‘people zoo’, but one AI bot is out to change these perceptions by running for political office in New Zealand. SAM is an AI politician created by intellectual property lawyer Nick Gerritsen to gauge public opinion on New Zealand’s politics by trawling social media accounts. In addition to building a political platform for the 2020 elections, this robot herald has chatbot capabilities and can explain current political positions over Facebook Messenger. [ 039 ]

DISCOVER BEST NEW APPS

MY COPING PLAN

A UNIVERSITY-DEVELOPED APP FOCUSED ON CALMING DOWN. Free | www.unisa.edu.au

[ LATEST APPS ]

Best new apps THE TECHLIFE TEAM REVIEWS THE MOST INTERESTING NEW APPS FOR iOS, ANDROID AND WINDOWS MOBILE.

Some days are harder to get through than others, and it’s difficult to know how to cope when every stress in the world seems to mount at once. My Coping Plan is an app developed by the University of South Australia, and it purports to be able to help cope with stress wing users to create, as the name suggests, by allow “copingg plans”. Basically, the plan has five different sections including ways to calm down, things to do in order too calm down, people you can consult, and more.

These can either be entered manually or selected from a list of suggestions. Meanwhile, there are areas of the app dedicated to prescribed strategies, such as audio coomponents related to “calming down”. It’s a softly-softly approach: the user is basically given an opportuunity to lay out the best ways for them to cope, and in this way, it might feel more liberating compared to some more heavy-handed, dogmatic motivational apps out there. Worth a look if things are getting tough. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]

SEVEN

TRANSFORM YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE. Free with IAP | perigee.se/apps/seven

Files Go

ANDROID’S ANSWER TO AIRDROP NEEDS MORE WORK. Free | google.com

Android users generally have it a lot better than iOS users when it comes to the flexibility of moving files around, but it doesn’t have a simple alternative to Airdrop. Well, until now that is, because Files Go is Google’s answer to that Apple functionality, and according to the beta version we tested, they’re on the right track. When you boot the program up, you’ll find an application hell bent on helping you clear up hard drive space on your phone, but tucked away in there is the ability to share any file — big or small — with a close fellow Android user via a Bluetooth connection that the app itself [ 040 ]

sets up. Of course, the person you’re either sending to or receiving from will need to install Files Go too, but it’s a simple affair, and given it’s from Google, it’ll sync straight with your remaining account without any fuss about logging in or registering.

The app is currently a bit on the unstable side — it crashed a half-dozen times during the half hour we used it — but once these are ironed out it’ll be very useful indeed. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]

If you have seven minutes to spare, you can change your body and your fitness levels using nothing more than a chair, a wall and the willpower to work out once a day for seven months. That’s the premise behind Seven, an app which turns exercises into a game. You start your fitness journey with three lives.

Miss a workout, and you’ll lose one; miss three workouts in a month, and you’ll need to start from the beginning. Each workout is clearly described and illustrated, with audible and vibrational prompts which help you switch between periods of exercise and rest. With achievements to earn and plenty of ways to monitor your progress, it’s very easy to get sucked into the Seven plan — and you’ll need to sign up for the subscription programme to unlock additional workouts and plans which suit specific goals like weight loss. It’s not necessarily beginner friendly (if you can’t do a push-up, even the first workout is going to be a struggle), but it’s a great motivational tool.

DISCOVER BEST NEW APPS

OmniGraffle 3

THE PREMIER IOS DIAGRAMMING APP JUST GOT BETTER. Free with subscription | omnigroup.com.

OmniGraffle 3 is delightfully straightforward.

You drag elements called stencils to its canvas from a built-in collection. A lot of usability is packed into the unified navigation sidebar that gathers document objects, layers and canvases.

It makes it easy to select objects based on their properties. Each OmniGraffle shape, line or symbol is endlessly adjustable through the Inspector sidebar. OmniGraffle’s floating Tool palette can be minimised with a tap, while tapand-hold triggers fullscreen mode leaving only the canvas visible. The canvas dimensions themselves can be flexibly extended at any time. If you’re used to OmniGraffle on Mac, you’ll enjoy a near-frictionless transition. This version can import SVG images and Omni has squeezed in a cross-platform JavaScript engine to manipulate documents through scripts.

The Pro version, which adds extras such as Microsoft Visio export, includes a scripting console. There are still features we’d like to see — a variation of the macOS version’s outliner, which accelerates layout creation, for example.

But the Freehand tool here compensates: draw a shape on the canvas with your finger and OmniGraffle converts it into an object. [ TOM GORHAM ]

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

CastBox

THE PODCASTING APP TO RULE THEM ALL? Free | castbox.fm

Using CastBox is about as easy and stress-free as podcast-finding can be. To begin with, if you’re already using another podcasting app, CastBox gives you the option to import your subscriptions. The app’s search categories are definitely easier to browse than any other podcast app your humble reviewer has ever encountered. If you have Android Auto and an Amazon Echo, you can also take your tunes to the lounge room and car. You can link your social media accounts, and each channel and episode allows you to leave your comments and share. You can download episodes for offline listening, change the order of your next-up playlist, listen to any podcast without even logging in, and filter your podcasts by their download or playing status, and date.

And if you’re a budding podcaster yourself, CastBox allows you to become a contributor by uploading your own files or recording them directly in the app itself! But back to its searching ability: podcasts can be found by searching the name of the show, episode, hosts or even guest appearances, and if you can’t find your podcast anywhere, you can email CastBox to suggest they add it. It truly is the best podcast-listening experience going around at the moment. [ CARMEL SEALEY ]

WattPad

A WRITING COMMUNITY FULL OF LOVE... AND ADS. Free with IAP | www.wattpad.com

In the world of apps, seldom do you get a truly free experience. This is the case for WattPad, a contributor-centred story app that’s free to download. There’s a swathe of titles in the public domain, but the majority of content here is from authors you’ve never heard of.

If you’re a writer, you can publish your work and any reader who finds your story is free to comment — either on the work as a whole or paragraph by paragraph. When reading, you will notice the number of little grey speech bubbles that populate the right-hand scrollbar.

This gets annoying, but it’s a constant reminder of what the service actually is — a community. WattPad encourages interaction, and so long as the people are nice (this is the internet, mind — nasties lurk in every corner), things will remain civil. The ads that prop up the service can be very obtrusive, however.

They don’t invade the chapters you’re reading, but they will pop up in lists and after each chapter you read. If you can stomach that, you won’t need to cough up the $9.99 per month Premium subscription fee. It’s a great idea and, undoubtedly, a useful tool for budding writers, but the content on offer can be very rough, first-draft kind of stuff, and catering mostly to teens. [ CARMEL SEALEY ] [ 041 ]

DISCOVER BEST NEW APPS

SOUNDSHARE 3

SIMPLE AND CLEVER MUSIC SHARING. Free | soundshareapp.com

From the home-made compilation tapes of the ‘80s to today’s shared links from Apple Music and Spotify, one of the great joys of music is sharing your discoveries or favorites with others.

SoundShare was designed to do just that, and to do so in a way that made sharing as easy as possible — it doesn’t matter if you’re on Apple Music and your friend is on Spotify or Deezer; SoundShare finds the right song in the appropriate service. Version 3 has two key improvements. First, it uses MusicKit, the iOS 11 framework that enables deeper integration with Apple Music. This means apps such as SoundShare can access personalised playlists and recommendations in much the same way the Apple Music app does. Second, and even more fun, it has a Party Mode. With this mode, you can invite friends to collaborate on a playlist, where a single iOS device can handle everybody’s requests and send to a wired or wireless speaker system. It works really well, although the ability to let others interrupt playback with their own choices could be a problem if any of your friends are impolite and have terrible taste in tunes.

In a nice touch, SoundShare can even stream Party Mode videos to Apple TV by finding them on YouTube. There are a couple of caveats.

You need to have a Spotify Premium account.

SoundShare can work only with what’s available, so differences between streaming services’ catalogues may prevent you from sharing the odd track between two different music services.

The SoundShare app is a must, so Android owners are not able to take part either. And we encountered the odd bug, such as when the Invite option trapped us in a Contacts page. But overall SoundShare 3 is a clever and effective way to share music with friends. [ GARY MARSHALL ] [ 042 ]

MailChimp 4

SEND NEWSLETTERS FROM MOBILE, FINALLY. Free | mailchimp.com

MailChimp is mighty big in mailing list services. If you have something to say or sell, it’s a great choice. That is, unless you’ve wanted to create email campaigns on your iPad or iPhone. Its iOS app hasn’t really allowed creating or editing email campaigns — until now. MailChimp on iOS has mostly been a place to view details of subscriber activity and sent campaigns. New in MailChimp 4 is the ability to create and edit new campaigns (the industry name for the emails you send).

You can add nearly every kind of supported content, reorder your content ‘blocks’, change most formatting details, preview your work, and press the big red button. If your iPad is your primary computer, or you just need to change a few things while on-the-go, the updated app will be a big help. Note that there are still a handful of missing features — you can’t set a campaign’s web address, the autooptimising tool for large images isn’t there, some text formatting options aren’t available, and neither is the Code Block. Still, this is a welcome update for the mailing list manager that better embraces the mobile future.

It’s a powerful, popular mailing list service that’s at last fully on iOS. [ DAVID CHARTIER ]

Notification History Log

A NIFTY WAY TO KEEP TABS ON YOUR NOTIFICATIONS. Free with IAP | www.geekdashboard.com

We’ve all been there: clearing out all your phone’s notifications that have piled up over the day, but you notice too late that there was one you didn’t recognise.

What was it about, and which app was it even from? The aptly-titled Notification History Log is here to put an end to the mystery. The standard Notification History screen allows you to view a list of all your notifications and which app they came from, a list that is kept on Android systems but is hidden by default.

Tapping on any one of these items will display more detail about the notification, such as its priority, contents, and settings such as whether it will vibrate or play sounds when receiving that type of notification.

There’s also an Advanced Notification History which will allow you to open the notification directly, and with the purchase of the Pro version, allow you to keep an unlimited amount of stored notifications, and delete them as you please. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

DISCOVER BEST NEW APPS

FrogID

LEARN ABOUT FROGS AND SAVE AUSTRALIA! Free | frogid.net.au

The latest in citizen science comes in the form of the FrogID app, an initiative designed to help count and locate the amount of frogs residing in Australia by focusing on each user’s local amphibians.

As the app’s website suggests, “frogs are a sign of a healthy environment, but around Australia frogs are declining and many are endangered”.

Once you’ve registered an account, you can record the local frog calls in your area and submit them to the national frog count. Eventually, they’ll be identified by Audio DNA experts from the Australian Museum and you’ll get to know which little frogs live in your area, but more importantly, these experts will be able to get a much better understanding of environmental trends such as the spread of the pestilent cane toads or the flourishing of the striped marsh frog.

As motivation to use the app, you’ll also be given access to an ‘explore’ tab that offers up plenty of detailed and interesting info on all the frog species that people have located so far. Ribbit! [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Kaleidoscope SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Free trial; $30.99 kaleidoscopeapp.com

This app is almost as important for what it represents as what it does. This is a filecomparison app with a razor-sharp focus, geared towards productivity. On iPad, the app tries to be as proficient as its Mac version, although ends up coming off second-best.

Throw a couple of TXT, DOC, HTML or code documents at it, and you can quickly spot differences in a two-up or unified view. The app also supports Split View, which is just as well, given that it lacks the text merge that’s part of the Mac version. With images, everything suddenly feels fiddly. When it comes to folders, import appears to be an issue. Drop a couple of text files into the app and you’re comparing them almost instantly.

Open a couple of web archives, and the app appears to seize up. However, the app clearly indicates files that have changed or are unmatched, and double-tapping a file opens it and its twin for comparison.

There’s ambition here, not only regarding the app but also the iPad. Kaleidoscope is also a good iOS 11 citizen, usable and useful.

Just be aware of its limitations, and be sure to put it through its paces during the two-week free trial. In all, it’s solid but occasionally flawed. [ CRAIG GRANNELL ]

PROCREATE

AMAZING ART APP GETS EVEN MORE SHINE. $14.99 | procreate.art

Procreate was one of the first apps to take full creative advantage of the iPad, and this fourth version confirms it’s still ahead of its rivals. It’s aimed squarely at artists — dabblers and pros — both for finished artwork and visualisation, where a scene or character is roughed out. This is a big update, with changes both above and below the surface. The interface is more streamlined than ever, with everything clearly and logically laid out in drop-down panels accessed from the top toolbar, making it easy to switch colours and brushes. The developers have also made clever use of gestures, so you can find extra settings with a swipe. You can undo with a two-finger tap, or hold your fingers down to wind back as many steps as you want, but there’s no way to edit individual strokes or effects later, or change the resolution of a canvas. Still, this suits the app’s painterly approach, which is enhanced by a new set of wet painting brushes. These feel real and interact satisfyingly with colours on the canvas.

There’s also a Smudge mode. An iPad Pro with Apple’s Pencil is the ideal setup: both pressure and tilt are supported, and you get detailed control over how brushes respond. Many Pogo, Jot and Wacom active styluses are supported, too.

Inevitably, you see some lag on slower iPads.

Procreate is a serious creative tool.

At $14.99 all-in, with no in-app purchases required, it’s great value. [ ADAM BANKS ] [ 043 ]

[ EXTENSIONS TO ENHANCE YOUR WEB EXPERIENCE ]

DISCOVER BROWSE BETTER

Browse better THE TECHLIFE TEAM DIGS UP THE BEST NEW BROWSER EXTENSIONS FOR CHROME, FIREFOX AND MICROSOFT EDGE. [ CARMEL SEALEY ] [ GET BACK TO WORK! ] [ HOOT HOOT! ]

CivikOwl

SEPARATE THE FACTS FROM THE FICTION. Free | www.civikowl.com

WHILE FAKE OR distorted news is far from a recent occurrence,

the average consumer is now a lot more aware of its presence — whether they care or not is another matter... If you’re part of the former group, then you might be interested in CivikOwl. This extension helps you decipher between the truthful and the not-so-truthful by letting you know how credible a certain article’s sources are. Once you’ve installed CivikOwl, head out into the wide world of the internet and hunt down some news. While you’re reading, click on the little owl icon to check the quality of the article’s sources. You will get a ‘score’ indicating how factual that article is (N/A for breaking news or suspected opinion pieces, Low, Medium and High) and also suggest alternate-view or similar pieces on the same topic. Once you’ve received your score, you’ll see a breakdown of how many unique sources have been mentioned, how many times the article redirects to other articles on the same site (which CivikOwl doesn’t much like), how many links to sources with a high standard of factual reporting, as well as links to sources known for having politically diverse views.

It’s a thoroughly useful tool, all in all, and will hopefully help you escape from any echo chambers you might be trapped in.

WHILE YOU’RE READING, CLICK ON THE LITTLE OWL ICON TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF THE ARTICLE’S SOURCES.

MINIMALHERO

REDUCE DISTRACTIONS BY REDUCING TABS. Free | aabergkvist.com/resources

How many tabs do you usually have open in your browser at once? Ask our Editor and he will probably say, ‘I can’t see my favicons anymore...’

Meanwhile, your humble reviewer usually only has about five on the go at any given time. While some of us here at TechLife are on top of our tabs, others (cough, Dan) might be letting things get a little out of hand. If you’re like our beloved Editor, then perhaps you need MinimalHero, a browser extension that’s designed to limit the number of tabs you can open with the goal of funnelling your attention to what’s most important. By default, it will limit you to seven tabs but you can change this to as many as ten or as few as just two. If you go over your limit, a notification will pop up, telling you that you’ve reached your limit. Hit OK and the tab will be closed. It will also block your Facebook or LinkedIn feed to stop you from getting distracted. While some will find this tab-limiting service very useful, we can hear our Editor crying into his cold tea, so it’s obviously not for everyone!

[ READY, SET... ]

TIKTOK

A COUNTDOWN TIMER FOR YOUR BROWSER. Free | tinyurl.com/tla72-tiktok

Got an important date coming up that you want to be constantly reminded of? Perhaps, you’re working towards a magazine deadline, but setting up a desktop reminder that pops up every hour might not hit home quite as powerfully as you’d like. TikTok is an extension that hijacks the window when you open a new tab in Chrome. Hit the pencil icon in the top right to set up your countdown. You can give it a name and select the end point, and that’s it. You can choose between a light and dark theme, too — whatever is more likely to motivate you. We would have like to have had the ability to set up multiple countdowns, though, since a single countdown doesn’t take up the entire space. If you use another extension that provides daily photos or words of inspiration when opening a new tab, such as Momentum, TikTok will override it. So you’ll have to choose between them, sadly. [ 044 ]

DISCOVER SITE INSIGHT

NDA Lynn

WHILE IT’S NOT GOING TO GIVE YOUR PICTURES THE PERFECT MAKEOVER, IT WILL MOST LIKELY GIVE THEM A BIT OF SHINE

GET AN AI TO LOOK OVER YOUR AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU SIGN. ndalynn.com

If you or the business you’re involved with has anything to do with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), then you’re likely aware of the intricacies that can hide in the fineprint, ultimately affecting your decision to sign the agreement or not. You could hire a lawyer to go through the document and give you the go-ahead, or you could ask an AI to do it — that’s where NDA Lynn comes into play. The service is a project from Dutch legal tech company JuriBlox that aims to automate as much of the legal process as possible, particularly when it comes to the recognition of repetitive (boring) and consistent (dry) language. To test it out, first select if you’re the recipient or deliverer of information (or both) and then upload your file. You can provide some extra information, such as the purpose of the NDA, to improve the analysis, but with that first question and the uploaded file, Lynn should be able to recommend whether or not to sign the deal. The process takes a few minutes, but there’s a neat little option to email the results, so you can carry on working elsewhere while NDA Lynn runs in the background.

[ SPIFFY STUFF FROM AROUND THE WEB ]

Site insight OUR MONTHLY SELECTION OF THE WEB’S MOST ILLUMINATING, USEFUL OR JUST-PLAIN-COOL WEBSITES. [ CARMEL SEALEY & HARRY DOMANSKI ]

Phancer

GET YOUR PHOTOS DIDDLED WITH BY AN AI. Phancer.com

If you find photo-editing apps a bit too complicated with all the filters, sliders and styles, but still see the benefit of getting your photos touched up a bit, then you might be interested in this service. First of all, upload your photo and choose which type of phone it was taken on. As the dataset that the neural network is relying upon was set up with images from only a handful of cameras, you can only choose between an iPhone 6, iPhone 7 and ‘Nexus 5X and other Android phones’. To be honest, we’re unsure to what extent your choice matters here (since we tried pictures from other phones not listed and even a DSLR, but received similar results). We tested the power of the AI by throwing landscapes and pictures of cats its way, and discovered that the best results come from images that turned out too dark in the original or the colour was washed out. Pop your images into Phancer, and the AI will get to work boosting those colours and crisping up the image a bit. As with all neural networks, there’s a learning curve involved and Phancer is still soaking up valuable data from testing, so while it’s not going to give your pictures the perfect makeover, it will most likely give them a bit of shine. [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Saltify

THE DIGITAL EQUIVALENT OF WHISPERING SOMETHING IN SOMEONE’S EAR. saltify.io

Just to clarify, this isn’t a site dedicated to spreading rumours. Saltify is actually an encryption service that allows you to share sensitive data with someone in a specified length of time. For instance, if your friend is house-sitting for you and they need the Wi-Fi password but you don’t want to send them a text or leave it scribbled down somewhere in the house, you could instead jump on Saltify, type in your message (of up to 500 characters), add in an optional passphrase, set the timer the password will be stored for (from 5 minutes up to 7 days) and then send them the link to the encrypted secret. Once the link has been used and the message decrypted, the message will then be deleted.

Another great feature about this service is, if you’re a Slack user, you can share secrets quickly and safely without even jumping into a browser. Just type in /saltify followed by your secret and you will receive a secure link that you can then send to whomever you wish. [ 045 ]

DISCOVER GAME REVIEWS

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

Yes, you do indeed go on a bruise cruise. Ship combat is tough, too. [ PC AND CONSOLE GAMES ]

Pyramid schemes THE TECHLIFE TEAM REVIEWS THE LATEST GAMES FOR PC AND CONSOLES, BEGINNING WITH THE LATEST JUMPY STABFEST FROM UBISOFT.

Assassin’s Creed Origins A SPRAWLING OPEN-WORLD EGYPT RIDDLED WITH NUMBERS. $99.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.assassinscreed.com

IT’S HARD TO detect at which point in recent gaming history numbers started to figure heavily into anything that wasn’t a niche RPG. Nowadays, you see numbers everywhere, whether it’s the interminable level grind of your average online FPS (Overwatch, Battlefield) or in once breezy and noncommittal arcade racers (Forza, Need For Speed). Games like Diablo arguably perfected the “loot grind” — actually a cyclical, alarmingly futile chase for bigger numbers — but now it’s difficult to imagine any blockbuster game launching without some form of levelling attached.

And so it is with Assassin’s Creed Origins, which has enjoyed a longer period of gestation since Ubisoft ceased dishing them out on a yearly basis. It’s the archetypal, modern, ‘light RPG’ — you won’t need a spreadsheet to form an optimal build, but you’ll sure as hell need to know how to count. Unlike earlier games in the series, your protagonist accumulates levels, and loots items based on their rarity and various other numerical markers. And to be honest, these are among the only functional changes to the series since 2015’s Syndicate: the meat and potatoes of the game — the momentto-moment gameplay — stays much the same.

And yet, Origins is definitely among the best Assassin’s Creed games we’ve played. The [ 046 ]

Weapons, materials and gear can be upgraded.

ancient Egypt depicted here is gorgeous, sprawling through deserts and oases and ruins, taking us to the high seas and down into the dank treasure-strewn caverns of the actual Pyramids. Protagonist Bayek is charismatic and as vaguely interesting as an AC main character can be, and the tools he uses, such as his military-drone-esque eagle, add a lot of flavour to both exploration and tactical stealth play. Aside from the loot grind, Origins also sports the best combat system in the series yet, melding the DNA of Ubisoft stablemate For Honor with something like Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It’s not as exacting and unforgiving as any of those, but the necessity to block and dodge and time your moves makes it a more exhilarating affair than the sticky auto-swipe rhythm of previous instalments.

For its world, and its combat, and the sheer joy of being in the game, Origins is a winner.

But there are caveats: if you’re the type to blaze through the main missions without a thought

Senu, the drone-like eagle that accompanies the player, is one of the game’s neatest touches.

Arrows can be set on fire by dabbing them into naked flames.

for side dishes, that’s virtually impossible here: main missions are levelled, meaning if your character is at 8 and a mission is at 11, you’ll pretty much fail it. Side missions are essential, and while occasionally great, the requirement to do them feels a bit pushy. But if you’re after a huge (to the tune of 60-odd hours) adventure, there’s probably nothing better out this season. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ] 41/2

The takedowns that occur during police chases make for some of the game’s best moments.

There’s a lot to process here, but the helicopter should probably go first.

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

AWARD

NEED FOR SPEED: PAYBACK

OVER 3,000 NAZIS DIE IN THIS SECOND REBOOTED INSTALLMENT.

GETTING A LITTLE TYRED.

$99.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.wolfenstein.com

$68 | PC, PX4, XO | www.ea.com

THE SECOND PART in a proposed trilogy,

The New Colossus is — yet again — about longtime series protagonist BJ Blazkowicz kicking Nazi arse... with guns. Set in the aftermath of the first game, which saw the Nazi regime regrettably win World War 2, The New Colossus spends the bulk of its time traversing a Nazi-occupied United States. Think Philip K Dick’s Man in the High Castle, except starring a cast of underground revolutionaries hell bent on toppling the sadistic fascists... with guns.

As you’d expect, the bulk of your time spent in The New Colossus is shooting at baddies, and that’s fine, because MachineGames’ weapons are explosive, packing a punch that few other modern FPS games can. But much like the first game, The New Colossus doesn’t coddle the player, and most will find this instalment a huge challenge compared to contemporaries like Call of Duty or Battlefront 2’s campaign. While the marketing posits the game as an unrelenting, cathartic Nazi killing simulator, you’ll actually need to resort to stealth a fair bit unless you’re supernaturally

dextrous. But its challenging nature isn’t a negative: it makes the game more engaging and impactful, while foregrounding the urgency of both Blazkowicz and his entourage’s efforts. Also, the environments are much more richly detailed and impressive when compared to the first game, so spending a lot of time in a single level isn’t as draining as it used to be.

MachineGames is a master of game cinematography... and guns, so the studio has not seen fit to ‘innovate’ much with this sequel — it’s about as bread and butter as a modern blockbuster game can be. There are new weapon upgrades which help the player customise their approach marginally, but all in all, The New Colossus will appeal to anyone who likes straightforward single-player campaigns: a true rarity in this era of multiplayer loot box nickel and diming. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]

41/2

Yes, there are Nazi robots and, yes, you ought to throw grenades at them. Preferably from a distance, though.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

The latest iteration in EA’s Need For Speed series embodies something of a back-to-basics approach. Gone are the 2015 reboot’s onlineonly campaign and live-action cutscenes, and the result is a smarter and more varied arcade racer that finds inspiration in everything from Forza Horizon to Grand Theft Auto. Even so, NFS Payback often feels like wasted potential.

The game places you in the shoes of three main characters, all seeking revenge against notorious local cartel ‘The House’. However, the story suffers from an overly abrupt introduction and dull cast, and it’s hard to get emotionally invested. In the main storyline, you’ll find yourself taking part in one of five entertaining race types: race, off-road, drag, drift or runner.

The variety is complemented by a set of refined driving mechanics that improve on 2015’s game, particularly in terms of handling, drifting and the greater feeling of individuality to each vehicle. AI improvements are noticeable, too. Each car you select can be customised to your desire, and the range of options is broad. A major new introduction is Speed Cards — collectible performance mods that are drawn at random following a race victory or made purchasable from a tune-up shop. Many races (including online encounters) require highly-upgraded cars to achieve success, and given the cost and variety of Speed Cards on offer, it can take some laborious grinding to achieve the type of boosts that’ll see you compete at the highest level.

The beautiful world offers detail and diversity in abundance, though. The bustling city, dusty desert and hilly mountains all look striking, if rather deserted. It all adds up to a game that remains a fun arcade racer at heart, but begins to chug when surrounding elements come into play. It was always going to take a mammoth effort to return NFS to the peak of its former glory, and in this case, it suffers from too many dents in the bodywork. [ FRASER GILBERT ] 31/2

[ 047 ]

The campaign tries to be profound, but it still excels as a mindless shooting gallery.

WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

The zombies co-op horde mode is back, except this time, the zombies are…

Nazi zombies.

WINNER

You can alter your race, gender and sexuality as you go.

APPROVED CALL OF DUTY: WW2 A RETURN TO FORM FOR MULTIPLAYER, BUT A TYPICALLY NAFF CAMPAIGN.

AWARD

South Park: The Fractured But Whole DON’T GO BREAKING MY FART. $57 | PC, PS4, XO | southpark.ubisoft.com

$99.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.callofduty.com

After two years spent dabbling in sciencefiction and, most importantly, doublejumping and jetpacking, Call of Duty returns to its historical war roots with this aptly named instalment. Last year’s Infinite Warfare was a good stab at perfecting the type of hi-octane, traveral-centric FPS combat mastered by Titanfall 2, but given the size of the COD series, the conservatism of its fans, and the sad truth that Titanfall 2 itself wasn’t exactly a bestseller, here we are again, in the trenches. It’s easy enough to hate this game before it’s booted up and, let’s be honest, the campaign, in typically linear, explosive COD fashion, is pretty average. Mass market shooter franchises can barely hope to lend gravity to narratives concerned with actual historical tragedies, and while the marketing for this game promised that it would — it emphatically does not. If you’re into trite war-is-noble platitudes and watching things explode, it might be worth a shot.

But WW2 is definitely worth picking up, because its multiplayer component is arguably the best it’s had for years — and this is coming from a critic who loved the sci-fi direction previous instalments took. While there’s a whole loot crate system, it doesn’t reach the cynical heights that Battlefront 2 does, and all is forgiven when one starts blasting shotgun shells into MountainDew Lover_360NoScope while tossing grenades over the rooftops of German bunkers.

There’s a zombies co-operative component as well — the usual horde mode affair — but if Call of Duty is really all about its PvP multiplayer, then Activision might not have to scratch this franchise off its list of priorities after all. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ] 4

[ 048 ]

THE FRACTURED BUT Whole serves as the ultimate tutorial in gassy manipulation.

Progressing through the returning New Kid’s latest adventure proves impossible without the aid of flatulence, which enables you to clear paths, inflict diabetic rage, and manipulate time, such is the power of your windy behind.

The once-christened ‘Douchebag’ of 2014’s Stick Of Truth has evolved into ‘The Farting Vigilante’ — the superhero destined to someday receive their own Netflix series.

We’ve missed you, South Park.

Cartman, having grown bored with the kids’ previous Stick Of Truth fantasy, has opted instead to play superheroes with his friends, expectantly seeking the funds to develop his own movie franchise. In true South Park fashion, matters only escalate from there.

But in truth, the game proves less engaging than its predecessor in this area, with its uninspiring tale getting off to a particularly slow start. Subsequent bouts of boredom remain short-lived despite this, with parodies, social commentary and good ol’ fashioned toilet humour filling the void amidst the duller moments. Not every joke hits the mark, but in the context of its length, The Fractured But Whole provides plenty of chuckles.

The biggest enhancement over the series’ previous entry can be found on the battlefield.

This time around, the basic combat elements of The Stick Of Truth make way for a more complex grid-based system, granting participants the ability to move freely within a certain area. This addition allows for more grandiose and diverse battles than before, where planning your next move doesn’t necessarily mean picking the best attack in your arsenal.

Battles are complemented by a variety of deeper RPG elements, too. You can unlock multiple classes of superhero (such as cyborg, assassin and blaster), allowing you to mix and match abilities at will, while bonus-granting artefacts provide a customised edge in combat.

Even the new crafting system (introduced by Morgan Freeman, because why not?) provides a welcome, if bare-bones, addition to the series. As a collective, the new tactical components work to deliver tense, entertaining encounters from battle to battle.

And, of course, exploring the town of South Park remains a delight. The quiet mountain town has barely altered (for obvious reasons) since the first iteration, but the implementation of 60fps gameplay combined with minimal loading screens helps to retain fluidity and momentum throughout. It only ever loses its charm when you’re forced to do a lot of mission-required backtracking, but even then, there’s always something to investigate along the way.

Naturally, this means it delivers a high degree of fan service. There’s ample opportunity throughout to bask in references to the show and enjoy in-jokes, many of which line the main plot itself. This will undoubtedly prove offputting to newcomers, but then, only a handful of non-fans are ever likely to dive headfirst into The Fractured But Whole.

Ultimately, whichever category you align with, you’re guaranteed to stumble upon a surprisingly in-depth RPG, offering the kind of charming authenticity that TV tie-in games have long strived to achieve. Just don’t forget to bring a towel, mmkay? [ FRASER GILBERT ] 4

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE

DISCOVER GAME REVIEWS

AWARD

The maps, such as Endor, are beautiful and accurately capture the feel of the films.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 LACKING IN THE MIDICHLORIANS DEPARTMENT... $79 | PC, PS4, XO | www.ea.com

IF THE CAMPAIGN’S story were better and the progression system not so irritating, we might have really liked Battlefront 2.

Battle Points are earned and spent midmatch to spawn as X-wings, AT-STs, jump troopers, wookiees and all sorts of other Star Wars combatants, including heroes and villains like Yoda, Rey and Kylo Ren. Your primary goal in any multiplayer mode is not your team’s objective, it’s earning those points so you can do some real damage.

Most of your time will be spent as a regular trooper, though, and the basic shooting is really more fun in the campaign, where the focus is all on spectacle (because it definitely wasn’t on the story). There, most enemies are weak enough to kill in one headshot, while in multiplayer, shields can take a beating, making most kills feel incidental. And the map design, though beautiful, can make for some dull battles. In the confined spaces, most maps eventually push both teams into a room to defend, such as the Mos Eisley Cantina — it’s a lot of reckless charges and grenade spamming.

The worst thing about the Battle Points grind is that everyone wants to spawn as Rey,

The story is bland, but well-acted.

or in Poe Dameron’s X-Wing, so everyone prioritises earning points over teamwork.

DICE makes an effort to solve this: when playing near your squadmates, you earn you double Battle Points. There are Credits, a non-cash currency you earn by playing matches and achieving milestones. Credits can unlock loot boxes which contain randomised awards, including Star Cards — a largely dull way to upgrade your classes, ships, ground vehicles and heroes.

Outside all that progression nonsense, the 4–5hr campaign is a pretty good time.

Its snappy levels run through all the best Star Wars moments: piloting TIE fighters, exchanging blaster fire down too-white corridors, force pushing Stormtroopers...

The dialogue can be funny and clever, but the larger story is erratic. Plus, there’s little opportunity for exploring those beautiful locations. There’s also a singleplayer Arcade mode, and Heroes vs Villains, which is a mess of superpowers but fun enough. [ TYLER WILDE ]

3

TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER II ADD A SPLASH OF MAGIC TO YOUR TOTAL WAR EXPERIENCE. $89.95 | PC | www.totalwar.com

Having just lost the Tower of Lysean to a surprise attack in the North from the Cult of Excess, whilst reinforcements were blocking a feint by the considerably-overpowered high elf faction of Caledor in the East, it’s clear that, after only a few hours, we’re already fighting a war on two fronts... but, contrary to the saying, in Total War: Warhammer II, fighting a war on two fronts is about as easy as it gets.

The initial guided gameplay teaches you everything from battle tactics to settlement management, initiating diplomacy to concealing assassination plots, and managing unruly populations to raising entire settlements, in a predictably Total War fashion.

If you’ve come for the Games Workshop side of things, you’ll need to be prepared to play as something other than the diplomatic, humanlike, high elves — but the game’s new race list also features dark elves, lizardmen and skaven, which keep the battles chaotic and campaign styles unique.

Improvements to the end turn notification system, construction tree and the addition of rogue armies, make Warhammer II the most polished and enjoyable Total War game we’ve yet played. [ JOEL BURGESS ]

41/2

[ 049 ]

WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

DISCOVER MOBILE GAMES

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

[ MOBILE GAMES ]

Hit the decks TECHLIFE’S TEAM REVIEWS THE LATEST GAMES FOR ANDROID & iOS SMARTPHONES & TABLETS.

DropMix

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT! ...AND ALSO EXPENSIVE. $199 | www.dropmix.hasbro.com/en-au

DROPMIX IS A mobile music mixing game from developer Harmonix, the masterminds responsible for Rock Band, where up to four players can team up or duke it out to show off their DJ chops. Lay down beats, vocals, bass and other iconic lines from the hottest chart bangers or classic anthems and mix them masterfully to rack up your points.

The product itself consists of a long plastic deck, with a cradle in one end to house your smartphone or tablet. Your device connects to the cradle via Bluetooth, and using a companion app, also acts as the display and audio output for the game. The deck has spaces to lay down five NFC-enabled playing cards, with each space representing a song component or combination of components. Once you lay down a card, the game will start playing the associated part and will automatically mix each of the next cards you play into the right BPM (tempo) and key, allowing up to five components to be mixed at any one time. Each of the three game modes relies on placing, stacking and removing these cards.

The more casual Freestyle mode has no limits and is excellent for riding the game’s short learning curve, but is also exceptionally fun — we found ourselves spending far longer than we thought we would just grooving along in this mode. Clash mode puts you in a head-to-head battle against another player (or two versus two), while party mode has you working together to build the perfect mix.

Frankly, the concept seems a little lame when written down, but we were pleasantly surprised at how fun and addictive it was when we got our hands on it. It works well as an alternative to card and board games at gatherings, and is also a great ‘toy’ for younger audiences.

While it isn’t essential, the larger display of a tablet is also definitely recommended. Our only major complaint is the price, which feels a little steep at $199, particularly considering the included 60 playing cards will likely need to be bumped up with the extra decks, which are purchased separately. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

4

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Syllablade

WORDS ARE MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. Free with IAP | naquatic.com/syllablade

BONEGHOST THE TERRIBLE is going down! One hit to the face with ‘revamp’ and he’s met his second death, for this is Syllablade, a mobile game that’s all about words... and violence against undead monsters.

You start off with a little warrior and a sword, facing a skeleton.

The bottom half of the screen is taken up by a 4 x 4 board of jumbled letters which you must use to create the longest words you can.

Like Scrabble, each letter has a certain weight, so ‘rare’ will not be as powerful a word as ‘jazz’, for example.

You get an unlimited amount of time for your go, so take as long as you need to think up the right words. Once you select a word, your little warrior will charge forward and hack at your opponent, chiselling down its health bar and earning you gold, which you can use to upgrade your gear and weapons. Unlocking items is definitely worthwhile, as spending the coin gives you a permanent boost to attack or health, regardless of whether you’re actually wearing that item. Plus, enemy attacks get more powerful as you progress.

If you create a word that has five or more letters, your ‘bonus tile’ meter begins to fill up, encouraging you to think up more complex words. There are levels, consisting of varying numbers of foes, and those levels combine into worlds, such as the graveyard or forest zones, where you will meet new enemies. Once you’ve filled up your bonus tile meter, a skull and crossbones bonus tiles appears on the board. You can use this tile to increase your letter count, and using it also initiates a longlasting effect attack on your enemies, continually working down their health bars. The effect hangs around after one enemy dies, too.

There are opportunities to replay levels if you want to grind your way to upgrades, although your gold earnings will be reduced. You can also pay real money to upgrade your gear and get more gems (which give you health bumps, spells and so on). However, if you enjoy word games like this, the RPG elements make replaying levels less of an annoying grind and more of an actual brain challenge. [ CARMEL SEALEY ] 41/2

WINNER

APPROVED

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AWARD

WINNER WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

APPROVED AWARD

Freeways

Flower

GET YOUR KICKS DOODLING ROUTE 66. $4.99 | captaingames.itch.io

WE’RE ALL GUILTY of being drawn to the gaming equivalent of glitter. We all forget it’s how a game plays that’s really important.

Which is just as well for Freeways, given that it looks like it was scrawled on a wall; and yet it has compelling foundations that place it at the pinnacle of strategy-oriented mobile puzzlers.

The basics involve getting vehicles from A to B, by way of road systems you quick-sketch.

Each single-screen challenge provides road signs and buildings. Hold any of them and coloured arrows spring forth, pointing out where traffic needs to go; each arrow’s thickness shows the volume of cars and bikes that’ll be heading in that direction.

During the early levels, you get by with the odd rotary or intersection, and feel smug when you tap the simulation button and watch your traffic flowing in fast-forward. Before long, though, you end up faced with far too many exits, and not enough space — so you make use of the game’s ability to raise sections of road, creating junctions that look like someone dropped concrete spaghetti from on high.

One thing that won’t raise a smile, though, is its resolute ‘no undo’ stance — a feature that ensures immediacy but is infuriating when you blunder and you have to start again.

That said, what’s a human doing designing roads in this automated future anyway? [ CRAIG GRANNELL ]

41/2

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Kalimba

BE A PETAL ON THE WIND AND SOAR $7.99 | thatgamecompany.com

IF YOU BUY into Flower’s message, blooms not only brighten up a space, they can even conquer the ills of industrialism. The game’s conceit is a simple one: you control the wind, gently buffeting along first one petal and then, as each level progresses, a veritable confettishower of them. Your main aim is to brush past the flowers growing in clusters across the level, causing greenery to spread across the murky landscape.

Originally released on PS3 in 2009, the game relies on tilt controls to direct the breeze.

It feels like it ought to be a fluid, intuitive interface, but it can be a struggle to make tight enough turns.

These doubts are not enough to sour the experience, though. Flower is a delight, with your next steps always highlighted by some clever level design. It’s impressive, given the total lack of dialog, written prompts, or tutorials, as you progress from spreading pollen to activating wind turbines and destroying the detritus of urban civilisation.

‘Experience’ is a more accurate word for Flower than ‘game’ — you’re not chasing points, fretting about time limits, or scattering hit points. Instead, you float about watercolour scenery at your own pace, accompanied by an orchestral score. It’s worth slowing up to make the most of Flower, since you could zoom through it in an hour or so. [ EMMA DAVIES ] 4

TWISTED TWIN TRACKER. $5.99 | pressplay.dk

KALIMBA HAS YOU control two characters — one pinkish-purple, the other green — who move at the same time along two farfrom-identical tracks. Make jumps, collect pickups and get to the end.

It sounds simple, but trying to do it both above and below at the same time starts to twist your mind. That’s only the early levels, too — new mechanics get introduced and seem to keep coming, like switching characters over, bumping one into a rock so they can’t move but the other can, and matching their colour to barriers they can pass through if they’re the same, but that kill them if they’re different.

The plot covers the search for parts of a totem pole, which you reclaim by reaching the end of levels. Deaths and missed pickups detract from your score, and only a perfect score nets you a golden totem pole piece.

Failure comes often, but it’s always your fault — although the touchscreen controls, with their usual lack of tactility and feedback, don’t help. Getting a completely golden pole means missing nothing and never dying — a goal that looks out of reach when you’re struggling to wrap your brain around the game itself, but which gradually becomes more attainable. [ IAN EVENDEN ]

4

[ 051 ]

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

TEST BE THE HOTTEST GEAR PRE

THE ADDITION OF A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SENSOR THAT CAN DETERMINE THE SURROUNDING AIR DENSITY IN ORDER TO OPTIMISE ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLING IN AN AEROPLANE CABIN OR AT HIGH ALTITUDES IS A SMALL BUT USEFUL ADDITION.

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

Sony WH-1000XM2 ITS NAME MIGHT SOUND LIKE THE BOTTOM END OF A BARCODE, BUT SONY’S LATEST WIRELESS HEADPHONES ARE TAKING NOISE-CANCELLING TO NEW HEIGHTS.

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE of competition in the premium over-ear wireless active noise cancelling (ANC) headphone category, but Sony’s MDR-1000X from 2016 managed to stand out from the crowd with an exceptional balance of audio quality, noise-cancelling and ease of use. The WH-1000XM2 are their just-released successors, and build some novel noise-cancelling features onto the existing setup to create the most user-friendly ANC control scheme we’ve yet tested.

The addition of a barometric pressure sensor that can determine the surrounding air density in order to optimise active noisecancelling in an aeroplane cabin or at high altitudes is a small but useful addition. There’s the return of legacy features like a physical noise-cancelling button and the touch to communicate interface that allows you to cycle through ANC, audio passthrough and off modes quickly or immediately reduce audio volume and maximise ambient sounds from your surroundings. Sony has even attempted to bring the features of ANC into the everyday by adding a novel ‘Adaptive Sound’ setting that uses an accelerometer to detect when you are stationary, walking, running or on public transport and allows you to customise particular noise-cancelling profiles for each.

These features are backed up by class-leading ANC signal processing that can be customised [ 052 ]

to your head size, hair style and and even spectacles profile for optimum performance.

While headphones in this category are primarily concerned with noise cancelling, Sony has actually done a decent job in bringing high-quality audio to the table as well.

In addition to the broadly available AptX high-bitrate Bluetooth Audio protocol, Sony has included compatibility with its new 24-bit LDAC Bluetooth protocol that will come standard on all Android Oreo devices and opens up lossless audio to the WH-1000XM2s.

Sony has also included its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) which upscales compressed sound to approximate high-resolution audio from CD-quality files.

Despite the impressive high-resolution wireless codecs, you should be aware that these headphones won’t offer the same quality as Sony’s audio focused h.Ear headphone range.

It’s close, but not quite on par.

Sony has clearly tuned these headphones for Android, offering a slightly bassier than flat profile with warmth through the mid range and clarity across higher frequencies. The 40mm full-range drivers and Liquid Crystal Polymer diaphragms do a good job in reproducing everything from full bassy notes to crisp frequencies up to 40kHz. Battery life on the WH-1000XM2s is 30hrs when noise cancelling is on, allowing you to get

through a week of workday listening without having to recharge and you can extend this by another 10 hours if you use a wired connection or switch off the noise cancelling.

Coming in a minimalist black or rose gold, these solid 275g headphones are supported by a tensioned adjustable headband that evenly distributes weight and works alongside its soft leather cushions to keep the set comfortable during extended sessions. While much of what the M2s excel at are features you would expect from premium ANC sets, the intuitive control scheme, audio quality and a comfortable headband are hard-to-find components.

This, plus the price, all combines to make what is our favourite premium noise cancelling cans of the year (so far). [JOEL BURGESS]

5

SONY WH-1000XM2 $499 www.sony.com.au CRITICAL SPECS 40mm Neodymium driver (4–40,000Hz frequency range); LDAC and AptX HD high-res audio; Bluetooth 4.1; capacitive touch controls, physical on/off/Bluetooth and noise canceling buttons; 275g

TEST BENCH RADAR WINNER

ED’s CHOICE

WINNER

AWARD

APPROVED AWARD

Google Home Mini A DOUGHNUT-SIZED SMART SPEAKER WITH PLENTY OF OOMPH.

Jaybird Freedom 2 PROVIDING FREEDOM FROM ALL THE WIRELESS IN-EAR ANNOYANCES?

WITH THE FREEDOM 2s, headphone-maker Jaybird’s gone back to the drawing board in an attempt to solve pretty much all of their main shortcomings. And the designer’s haven’t neglected sound quality either, despite the buds themselves being quite tiny. Yet they still sound great, delivering an exceptionally clean and crisp sound that’s wellbalanced and warm. There’s enough bass that you can feel it without it being overwhelming — the only considerable acoustic shortcoming is that busy music can often lose some of its definition, with midrange frequencies getting a bit overloaded with lots of instruments.

It’s really usability that sets the Freedom 2’s apart, though, with a lot of small tweaks and improvements ultimately adding up to a great overall experience. A super-chirpy female voice announces what battery percentage you have left as soon as you turn the headphones on, and charging these in-ears is done by snapping a small adapter (which also serves as a backup-battery) onto the in-line controls. Although the buds only-last 3–4 hours at a charge, the pen-cap-sized adapter holds one full recharge. Resizing the cable that connects the buds is also simple.

The rubber cable is woven between two small black tabs, and all that’s required to adjust cable length is to pull these tabs apart to shorten it, or pull the cable ends to make them longer. It’s as pain-free as we’ve experienced with wireless in-ears (well, barring completely cable-free models). They’re exercise ready too, with water- and sweat-resistance, can be comfortably worn over- or under-ear, and are very secure and quick to insert. Really, there’s nothing serious we can complain about here — this is a great set of in-ears, and our new all-round favourite. [ DAN GARDINER ]

41/2

GOOGLE HOME WAS the first AI smart speaker to officially make its way to Australian shores, and now it’s been followed here by its smaller brother, the Google Home Mini. This little marvel pretty much does everything the Home is capable of, thanks to the integration of Google Assistant, but there are some design and specification differences that potential purchasers of the Mini should be aware of (even beyond just obvious size distinctions). The Mini charges via a micro-USB cable, as opposed to the Home’s dedicated DC power adapter and plug.

The other difference is in sound quality — the Home Mini has just a single 40mm driver for all audio output. During testing, we found that, at lower volumes, music was a bit anaemic, although crank the volume up to 70% or higher and the sound quality gets a lot better — it’s capable of filling a room despite the size, although it does lack the Home’s thumpier bottom end. The Google Home comes equipped with a 2-inch (50mm) driver and dual passive radiators housed in its base. We had the Mini sitting in a corner with the sound bouncing off the walls, and it could easily compete with most decent portable Bluetooth speakers in the market today. The only serious complaint we have with the Mini is around volume control, which involves tapping on the left and right edges of the blob, and because the exact spots aren’t marked, finding the physical volume controls can be a bit of a hit-and-miss.

Home Mini gives you full control over Assistant-powered features, like adding content to a Chromecast so you can stream movies and TV shows with “OK, Google”, or stream music from Spotify or YouTube Red. You can even link smart home accessories like lights that can then be voice-controlled via Google Assistant. You can still get recipes from the internet, catch up on the news, get a rundown on the day’s appointments and play the Stranger Things audio adventure game.

Home Mini is exactly like its bigger brother, then, just with a smaller speaker and an even smaller price tag. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

4

JAYBIRD FREEDOM 2 $229 www.jaybird.com

GOOGLE HOME MINI $79 store.google.com

CRITICAL SPECS 6mm drivers; 20Hz–20KHz frequency response; 16 Ohms impedance; less than 3% THD; 3–4hrs battery life (+4 hours via charging clip); 2.5hr charging time; integrated microphone and playback controls; four sets of rubber fit tips; Bluetooth 4.1; 23.4 x 22.4 x 6.2; 15g (without tips)

CRITICAL SPECS 360° sound with single 40mm driver; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support; far-field voice recognition; 5V, single micro-USB port; 9.8 x 4.2cm; 173g

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

[ 053 ]

WINNER

APPROVED TEST BENCH RADAR

AWARD

Philips Hue White Ambiance Starter Kit THE MIDDLE CHILD THAT COMBINES MOOD LIGHTING WITH AFFORDABILITY.

Tile Pro Series A TRINKET FOR FINDING STUFF YOU’VE POTENTIALLY LEFT BEHIND SOMEWHERE.

TILE IS A small device you can attach to or place inside an item you want to keep track of. Its associated smartphone app can locate the Tile, or make it play a sound for you to find. It can even help if you’re out of range, by using its network of existing users to anonymously pinpoint your stuff and get you happily reunited.

The Pro Series’ Sport and Style models feature an improved 60m range, a louder speaker and waterproofing — so practically nothing can get in the way of this device doing its job. Setup is simple, but our first Tile unfortunately stalled during activation. The second went fine.

Locating a Tile can be spotty. It worked great at home, but failed to alert us to a Tile we had left in a Pyrmond café for three hours, despite hundreds of other Tile owners also being present in Sydney.

(Maybe our taste in cafés is just that unique?)

The app also insists on always-on access to your smartphone’s location to support a feature that allows your Tile to locate the phone.

This feature means that, while you would normally be using the Tile to locate it and whatever it’s attached you, it can actually be used in reverse as well, if you’ve misplaced your phone. But when testing on iOS, even though we chose the option of ‘When Using the App’ in Settings, we got frequent prompts to choose ‘Always Allow’.

If you often lose things at home or work, then Tile is useful. But its most attractive feature — finding lost stuff in the world — sadly fell short for us. The bottom line for this device is that it’s promising but it has some frustrating flaws. [ DAVID CHARTIER ]

21/2

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PHILIPS HUE RANGE of smart lighting systems are some of the most widely compatible and well-supported on the market and, in Australia, we’ve previously had a choice of buying either coloured bulbs or ones that produce a neutral white light. This new White Ambiance kit combines elements of both to give you a choice of tones within the soft white spectrum, from warm candlelight to cool blue daylight.

So although there are no colours, you still get mood lighting and regular white light in the one bulb.

The kit is comprised of two E27 LED bulbs, a Hue Bridge communications hub and a handy remote switch. And installation is as simple as screwing in the bulbs, connecting the Bridge to your router and setting up the Hue app. That done, light controls are at your fingertips or just a voice command away — the latter via Siri on Apple devices, or Google Assistant on Android. The kit works exceedingly well with both Apple’s HomeKit system and the equivalent Google Home environment.

To make lighting your home easier, Hue’s new routines allow you to set up timers for when you want lights in different rooms to come on or switch off — which can even be tailored to specific tones (or ‘scenes’) — without constantly having to dig your phone out of your pocket.

That can include things like bedroom lights switching on or off at the time you want to wake up or go to sleep, or automatically switching the home lights on after sunset. The location-aware routines are handier still, which will track your phone’s location and work the lights automatically as you leave home or return.

In testing, our only real complaints were that the Ambiance bulbs weren’t as bright as we had hoped, and that the Google and Apple digital assistants don’t come with the vocabulary to handle descriptions chaange a of various white light tones, meaning that,, if you want to change KAR ] ‘scene’ or tone, it’s best done via the app. [ SHARMISHTA SARK

4

TILE PRO SERIES $35 www.thetileapp.com

PHILIPS HUE WHITE AMBIANCE STARTER KIT $189 www2.meethue.com/en-au

CRITICAL SPECS Bluetooth connectivity; 60m range; waterproof to 1.5m for30 mins and dust-resistant IP68; Style: 37.5 x 37.5 x 5.7mm, 11g Sport: 40 x 40 x 5.9mm, 15g

CRITICAL SPECS 9.5W LED E27 bulbs; 60W equivalent; 806 lumen output; ut; A19 form factor; soft white light output; dimmable

TEST BENCH RADAR WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

Canon EOS 200D AN AFFORDABLE LITTLE DSLR PACKAGE THAT PACKS QUITE A PUNCH.

CANON HAS DESIGNED its new 200D camera to appeal not only to beginners — with a guided menu system on its vari-angle touchscreen display — but also to those looking for an easy-to-use shooter with reliable picture quality without the usual hefty bulk of most DSLRs. It’s one of the most compact and lightweight DSLRs available today, only marginally larger than its predecessor, the 100D. The combination of a 24.2MP crop sensor (the same being employed in the very capable EOS 800D) and Canon’s DIGIC 7 processor makes the 200D capable of handling up to 14 times more information than the outgoing 100D, upping the light sensitivity in the new camera to ISO 51,200 in expanded ‘Hi’ mode (accessible via the menu), making the 200D’s low-light performance better than the 100D. The new processor also improves the camera’s autofocus (AF) performance and bumps the max burst speed up to 5fps (from the 4fps in the 100D) but video capture still only remains at Full HD 1080p.

It’s great to see Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system trickle down to the cheaper DSLRs — it’s previously meant forking out over $1,700 for a higher-end model such as the Canon EOS 80D. This sensor-based phase-detection autofocus system adds Servo AF tracking to the new camera and removes the sluggish Live View autofocus performance found in many older Canon DSLRs. The 200D, [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

however, only has a rather disappointing nine autofocus points which are distributed in a diamond formation covering only a small area of the frame. This makes it harder to focus on specific points, however 49 contrast-detect focus points are available in Live View.

Apart from the full complement of manual shooting options, the Scene Intelligent Auto mode features a handful of Creative Filters alongside 11 scene modes, all of which are easily accessible from the mode dial. The dial opens up the menu system on the LCD, which, in turn, provides beginner-friendly instructions on what to do next. This Guide Mode can be disabled if more experienced users wish to stick to Canon’s traditional menu system. The touchscreen is extremely responsive, but does put a slight strain on the otherwise decent battery life of the camera.

Other handy additions in the 200D include a connectivity button to one side of the pop-up flash, which sets up a reasonably fast wireless connection with a smartphone or tablet, and a depth-of-field preview button found below the lens release. The 200D is also NFCenabled, so users can transfer images via Bluetooth as well. RAW image processing and conversion is available in-camera, making it easy to share high-res images immediately with friends and family.

Canon has also made some lens aberration corrections on the 200D and thrown-in a time lapse movie mode to increase its movie-

making chops. In terms of image quality, we found the 200D’s colour performance quite reliable, and the 24MP sensor captures relatively noiseless images in low-light conditions. White balance performance was likewise very good, with the addition of the optional Ambience Priority that adds a warmer look to images to help retain mood and atmosphere.

Although some may be put off by its plasticky build and lack of 4K video recording, there’s still plenty going for the 200D that makes it a serious contender in the beginner DSLR market. It’s a very capable and versatile shooter that comes paired with Canon’s excellent EF-S 18–55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, making this one of the best kits out there to get anyone started on their photography journey. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

4

CANON EOS 200D $899 (EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit) www.canon.com.au CRITICAL SPECS 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor; DIGIC 7 image processor; rear 3-inch touch-enabled vari-angle LCD with 1.04m dots; 9-point AF system; dual-pixel live AF; 5fps burst speed; ISO 100-25,600; 1080p at 60 and 50fps; 453g (including battery and card)

[ 055 ]

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

WINNER

APPROVED

Das Keyboard Prime 13

AWARD

‘BASIC’ IS SOMETIMES BETTER.

WE’VE REVIEWED A few of these pro-oriented, mechanical keyboards from Texas-based company Das Keyboard over the course of 2017, and the Prime 13 is definitely our favourite. While Das’ boards are all quite similar, small differences can ultimately add up to quite different usage experiences — and this ‘board is a perfect example of that.

The ‘Prime’ in this board’s name is meant to imply that it focuses on delivering good solid basics rather than integrating fancy extras. First and foremost among those is, as you’d expect, a great typing experience, with Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches delivering reliable performance with subtle resistance, so you know when you’ve pressed a key without it having to hit bottom.

This more basic board has ditched both the bank of media controls and the built-in two-port USB 3.0 hub offered in the Prime’s cousin, the 4 Professional — though you do still get USB passthrough, which requires plugging in a second USB cable.

Otherwise they are both pretty similar boards when it comes to shape, size and weight — the Prime is still near 1.3kg, meaning this beast won’t shift on your desk unless you’re deliberately trying to move it. The Prime does have one not-inconsequential advantage over the Professional — its keys are backlit by white LEDs, meaning it’s much easier to use in the dark, and therefore a better choice for gamers (or coders) who favour a dimmer environment.

We also prefer the Prime’s braided USB cable (the Professional’s is an ugly rubbery plastic) and the fact that it uses standard fold-out feet to tilt the back of the board up, rather than the weird “shove a plastic ruler” affair used by the Professional. The Prime’s feet also give it a slightly steeper incline, which we’re all in favour of — the Professional’s angle was to shallow, to be honest. The fact that the Prime 13 is a good $70 cheaper, dropping down from $250 to a more reasonable $180, doesn’t hurt its appeal either. [ DAN GARDINER ]

5

DAS KEYBOARD PRIME 13 $180 www.daskeyboard.com CRITICAL SPECS Cherry MX Brown switches with gold contacts; white LED backlighting with 7 levels of brightness; 2m USB cable; single-port USB passthrough; full n-key rollover; 456 x 172 x 31 mm; 1.3kg

[ 056 ]

Logitech Brio 4K Stream Edition TOO MUCH WEBCAM, OR JUST ENOUGH?

LOGITECH’S ENGINEERS (WHO have, it must be said, been on fire recently) realised that they could create a 4K webcam without stopping to think if they should. Then its marketers slapped the word ‘stream’ on it, despite the fact that rendering and uploading a stable 4K stream is beyond most PCs, internet connections and streaming hosts.

And then its power-crazed number-crunchers decided $300 was a perfectly reasonable price.

This is that dream device: a higher-resolution sensor, HDR support, wider angles, up to 90fps capture, and support for Windows Hello on board. The stand includes additional points of articulation, and a standard camera-mount thread, so the Brio can be attached to a tripod.

The fact that its sensor can pull a respectable 4K image at 30fps shouldn’t be its major sell, though. It can certainly do that, although the results at full stretch are rather noisy and grainy. This is a webcam, as opposed to a broadcast-ready 4K camera. When you drop it down to more realistic resolutions, the power behind the sensor really shows; at 1080p 60fps, it’s crisp and smooth, and at 720p 90fps, it’s a perfectly acceptable streaming resolution. HDR support makes a massive difference to the colour depth.

Below 4K, you can adjust the viewing angle, or use the muchimproved driver within the Logitech Gaming Software app to virtually pan and tilt its viewport. You’re also given a high level of control over brightness, saturation, white balance, and more.

The Brio is, however, far too expensive. [ ALEX COX ]

4 LOGITECH BRIO 4K STREAM EDITION $300 www.logitech.com/en-au CRITICAL SPECS Up to 4K Ultra HD video; 90° FOV; USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.0 Type A and C; 5x digital zoom in Full HD; autofocus; omni-directional mics with noise-cancellation; 2.2m cable; Camera: 2.7 x 10.2 x 2.7cm, 63g; Clip: 9.9 x 3.6 x 0.6cm, 44g

E UIDE INTRODUCTION

ROOM UPGRADE UNCOVERED: THE BEST GEAR & GADGETS TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE AT-HOME TV & MOVIE VIEWING EXPERIENCE (WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE)

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Boost your binge

I have a stream!

Raising the bar

Grab the remote and put your feet up with these Aussie video streaming tips and tricks!

TechLife rounds up the best media streaming devices in Australia to see which one gets the closest to delivering an all-inclusive living-room utopia.

While built-in TV speakers have got a little better, they still can’t beat a good soundbar. We test eight new models to find the best-sounding and best-value options.

W TECHLIFE.NET ]

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SUPERGUIDE BOOST YOUR BINGE

Through the Android, iOS and Windows 10 apps, Netflix allows downloading of content to watch later when offline.

Netflix has a special speed test service direct to their servers, which makes it easy to check what quality your connection can support.

[ ISLANDS IN THE STREAM ]

Boost your binge GRAB THE REMOTE AND PUT YOUR FEET UP WITH THESE VIDEO STREAMING TIPS AND TRICKS. [ LINDSAY HANDMER ]

MORE AND MORE Australians are ditching free-to-air TV and cable for streaming services. Netflix is still the leader, with over half of the market, but competitor Stan has around 25%. There are also loads of other streaming options, TV catch up services, not to mention content giants such as YouTube.

And while generally very easy to use, there are loads of ways to bring your streaming experience to the next level.

Netflix With a growing collection of excellent, self-produced TV shows, Netflix is must-have when streaming. Most modern TV’s include a Netflix app, which can be used with your existing remote control. But for those with an older TV, finding the right Netflix-capable media player can be a bit of chore. Our favourite options, such as the Roku lineup, are not officially sold in Australia. Apple TV is a decent, if somewhat underdeveloped player, [ 058 ]

and the Chromecast is a very flexible and affordable option.

THE NEED FOR SPEED Knowing the speed of your connection and planning accordingly is very important with Netflix. For example, we rarely see 4K content streaming properly, even on a very fast NBN connection, due to other speed bottlenecks between our TV and the Netflix servers.

Netflix actually has a speed test (fast.com) that connects to their own servers, so gives a more accurate idea than the more generic tests.

Make sure to test in peak times (such as the evening) to account for congestion.

You need at least 5Mbps to stream in HD, and 25Mbps for 4K video — and that is per account watching.

PROFILES, PLANS AND USERS For $10 a month, the basic Netflix plan only streams SD to a single device. Upgrade to

standard for $14 and you get HD and streaming to two devices, while for $18, you get 4K video (where available) and up to four devices watching at once. Being able to stream to multiple screens at once is a great way for a family to enjoy their own shows, or even share your Netflix account with a family member. But to improve the experience, make sure everyone has their own profile within the account. This keeps your recently watched list to your own shows, and avoids getting unwanted recommendations.

It’s also great for parents wanting to make a locked-down kid’s profile. Profiles are most easily edited by accessing your account at Netflix.com, under Account.

THUMB IT Netflix uses a simple thumbs up and down system to rate content, but also learns what you like through your watching habits. It can be pretty accurate, too, but making sure to actually vote on everything you watch can really improve

SUPERGUIDE BOOST YOUR BINGE

WHILE MOST NEWISH TVS INCLUDE A NETFLIX APP, FOR OLDER MODELS, THE CHROMECAST IS AN AFFORDABLE YET VERSATILE WAY TO STREAM CONTENT.

Whatsonnetflixaustralia.com helps make it easy to search for shows on Netflix with all sorts of filters not available through the app.

ever growing number of TV shows, many streamers choose to have both Stan and Netflix, or alternate the two. Stan also tends to have the shows or movies Netflix doesn’t, so the two complement each other well.

PLAYBACK With thousands of TV shows and movies, and some great original content, Netflix is by far the most popular streaming service.

the suggestions. Netflix also keeps a log of what you have watched, under ‘Account > My Profile > Viewing Activity’. It’s not just about looking ashamedly at your binge watching habits — any show can be deleted from the log.

Selecting the Rating tab on the My Activity page also lets you easily view, change or delete your previous ratings.

OFFLINE WATCHING For those wanting to watch Netflix on their next plane trip, or just on the train without chewing up mobile data, there is a download option. It only works on the Netflix Android, iOS and Windows 10 apps, and not all content is actually available for download. Just look for the little down arrow (download) icon, or select ‘Available for Download’ from the app menu. You can choose the quality it’s saved at, and they can be selected for playback under My Downloads. The content has varied expiry times once downloaded, and can be manually deleted by selecting Edit (top right).

OVERSEAS CONTENT Thanks to varied licensing, Netflix content varies around the world, and we miss out on loads of great shows here in Australia.

It’s a bit of a grey area, and against the terms and conditions, but it’s possible to use a VPN or Smart DNS service to access shows from [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

a country of choice. Our favourite is getflix (www.getflix.com.au), which can cost as little as $3 a month. It has a two-week free trial as well, so is easy to test without any outlay.

OTHER TIPS, TRICKS AND WEBSITES There are some handy options hidden in the Netflix menu and help files, so it’s well worth exploring. Subtitle size, colour, font and more can be changed in your profile settings.

On computer, keyboard shortcuts can make life easier — F enables full screen, Esc to exit full screen, Space pauses and plays, M mutes, Shift-Left or Right Arrow fast forwards or rewinds. In your profile, under ‘Playback settings’, make sure the highest video quality is selected — you can also disable the automatic playing of the next episode. On the app, Netflix also has an option in the settings to help conserve data when watching on mobile away from Wi-Fi. Looking for new things to watch can be a bit of a pain, but there are a few websites to help out. Justwatch.com makes it easy to search for Netflix (and other streaming service) shows with a bunch of filters. Whatsonnetflix australia.com performs the same task, just for Netflix AU only, and has a handy mobile app.

Stan With an impressive array of movies, and an

While supported on most new TVs and media players, as well as Android and iOS devices and Windows 10, Stan does have a few gaps when it comes to playback devices. Before you get started, it’s well worth checking out the compatibility list in the help file (goo.gl/ p1DnFe) and seeing if you device is supported.

RATING SHOWS AND FINDING CONTENT Unlike Netflix, Stan does not have a rating system and won’t recommend shows based on your viewing habits. For the lazy among us, that’s a right pain, and a little actual effort is needed to find new shows. Since the available shows are always changing, there isn’t a central list from Stan either — you just have to search and hope, or browse through the categories.

Fortunately, third-party websites can help a little — JustWatch allows you to search Stan shows with a bunch of extra filters to help narrow down content. Finder.com.au and comparetv.com.au also have lists of Stan shows and movies.

STAN PLANS Picking the right plan is an important part of getting the most out of the streaming service.

It’s kind of a complex lineup: starting at $10 a month lets you watch on a single screen in SD quality, and only downloads to one device. $12 a month gives you HD quality, and the ability to watch on three screens at a time, and downloads to three devices. For $15 a month, Stan gives up to 4K resolution, and the ability to watch on four screens, and download shows to five different devices. Stan doesn’t have a [ 059 ]

SUPERGUIDE BOOST YOUR BINGE

Google Home and a Chromecast (or enabled TV) can be used to control Netflix and Stan using just your voice.

h a free 30-day trial and loads of cont nt, Stan is an essential part of your well-rounded Australian streaming service viewing.

VOICE CONTROL WHILE IT’S STILL EARLY DAYS, DIGITAL ASSISTANTS SUCH AS GOOGLE HOME, SIRI AND CORTANA CAN BE USED TO CONTROL YOUR MEDIA WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO LIFT A FINGER. If using the Windows 10 app, Cortana can be used to control both Stan and Netflix. For those with an Apple TV 4, Siri can also be used with Stan and Netflix.

However, by far the easiest and most powerful is Google Home, albeit when paired up with a Chromecast Ultra or Chromecast enabled TV. It works with Netflix and Stan (and YouTube), and Google has a guide (goo.gl/Y5Z8FB) to linking the apps to enable control. It’s a bit buried but quite easy — open up your Google Home app, then the menu (three horizontal lines). Then tap ‘More settings > Videos and Photos’, find the Netflix or Stan app, and tap the Link icon.

You do need to be specific with your voice commands at first. For example, you have to specify the streaming service, and whatever your TV is named, but after that, any commands work for the same TV. For example, you could say, “OK, Google, play The Good Place on Netflix on Chromecast Ultra.” It will start playing wherever you left off in a movie or TV series, and you can’t specify an individual episode.

Further commands include Pause, Resume, Stop, Next Episode or Previous Episode.

You can also use commands such as “Skip back 10 minutes” (or forward, and any chosen length of time), “Turn on (or off) subtitles”, or “Change language to...” (chosen language).

Stan doesn’t have a rating system or recommendations built in, but JustWatch can be a more powerful way to search for new content. [ 060 ]

The Stan app is not available on as wide a range of devices as Netflix, but has a handy guide to checking compatibility.

SUPERGUIDE BOOST YOUR BINGE

Get your fill of documentaries, foreign films, edgy content and even some mainstream media with the SBS On Demand service.

speed test service, so try an option such as ozspeedtest.com. Stan recommends 3Mbps for SD, 4.5Mbps for 720p, 7.5Mbps for 1080p and 15Mbps or better for 4K.

PROFILES Without a rating system, profiles are less useful, but still worth setting up. Profiles are created and managed by logging into your account in a web browser, and navigating to ‘Manage Account > Profiles’. Creating individual accounts allows each separate watcher to create their own watch lists, and viewing history. But more importantly, you can create a Kids account that has no adult content. Alternatively, there is also an option to restrict an account by classification, with PG, M, MA15+ and R18+ options.

When creating more than one profile, Stan prompts you to set a PIN, which stops anyone using the other accounts from accessing or changing the profile settings.

Freeview combines catch-up streaming for Australian free-to-air TV into one easy-to-use service.

don’t generally allow you to download content for later offline viewing. Rather than a monthly subscription, the services are free, but typically include unskippable advertising.

Depending on the service, they also can have limited support for older TVs or media players.

FREEVIEW WWW.FREEVIEW.COM.AU Combining a range of catch-up services into one, Freeview is one of the easiest ways to stay on top of content. It’s available as an iOS and Android app for just streaming, or through your recent TV or PVR for Freeview Plus that combines free-to-air and streaming.

As the name suggests, it’s totally free (though has ads), and allows live streaming of freeto-air, as well as catch-up content. Using the app and a compatible TV with casting (or a Chromecast), you can watch free-to-air on your TV, via streaming. Freeview covers ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine and Ten, as well as the associated digital channels.

OFFLINE DOWNLOADS For watching on the go, Stan allows users to download content — though only to Android and iOS devices via the app. Individual movies and TV shows will have a download button if the option is available. Download quality (and, therefore, file size) is set separately, in App Settings, while downloads are managed under the menu option, My Downloads.

Other streaming and catch-up services As great as streaming-only providers such as Netflix and Stan are, there is still loads of excellent content on free to air. Even better, most of them have online ‘catch-up’ services that allow you to stream the shows you missed.

Other options combine multiple channel catch-up services into one. Catch-up services [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

ABC IVIEW IVIEW.ABC.NET.AU A great way to stay ahead of ABC content, iview has live streaming of existing ABC channels, as well as other content. You can search for a specific program, or browse by category. iview is available via the web, Android and iOS app, some late model TVs and PVRs, as well as Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

SBS ON DEMAND SBS.COM.AU/ONDEMAND With loads of classic SBS content, such as documentaries and foreign films, SBS On Demand is well worth a look. It also has some more mainstream content, such as Brooklyn Nine Nine. SBS On Demand is watchable

via a web browser, iOS and Android app, as well as most late model TVs, PVRs and game consoles.

PLUS7 AU.TV.YAHOO.COM/PLUS7 Channel 7’s catch-up service let’s you watch all your favourite free-to-air shows on the schedule you choose. It also has a range of everchanging content not available via free-to-air. Plus7 is totally free, but includes unskippable advertisements during the streaming. The service is available via a web browser, iOS and Android app, as well as most late model TVs, PVRs and game consoles.

9NOW 9NOW.COM.AU After a mandatory sign up, 9Now gives full access to the Channel 9 free-to-air content (including digital channels), as well as a range of other shows. It does include a recommendation system, and will try to target ads towards your interests. 9Now makes it easy to search or browse content, and has a decent amount of old classic shows available. 9Now is available via a web browser, some late model TV or PVR, iOS or Android app, Apple TV and gaming consoles.

TENPLAY TENPLAY.COM.AU TENPlay covers all the Channel 10 catch-up content you crave, but doesn’t stream all the live TV channels. You don’t have to sign up to watch, but doing so gives a few extra personalisation options such as reminders. The TENPlay options for streaming are a little more limited than the competition, but include web browsers, some TVs, and its Android, iOS and Windows 10 apps.

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WINNER

ED’s CHOICE SUPERGUIDE I HAVE A STREAM!

AWARD

[ TURN IT ON ]

I have a stream!

TECHLIFE ROUNDS UP THE BEST MEDIA STREAMING DEVICES IN AUSTRALIA TO SEE WHICH ONE GETS THE CLOSEST TO DELIVERING AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LIVING-ROOM UTOPIA. [ JOEL BURGESS ]

STREAMING BOXES

Foxtel Now Box YOUR PERSONAL BOX OFFICE.

SUBSCRIPTION VIDEO ON demand has become big business in Australia. The launch of Netflix in 2015 drove a major increase in internet bandwidth consumption across the nation and played an influential role in the accelerated uptake of 4K TVs locally.

While the first round of media players jumped on the initial opportunity, most of these are now becoming obsolete as they don’t output at 4K and most 4K smart TVs will have at least a couple of streaming services available directly on the screen.

So what is the point of a media streaming box? Well, most TV manufacturers do deals to decide which streaming and catch-up apps will be baked directly into the screen’s OS. This annoying powerplay means no TV has every service and opens a space in the market for a single hub that gives you access to all of the local streaming and catch-up services in the one easy to access place.

Sadly, the media streaming box market is plagued by similar conflicting desires, so whether you choose to be bound to Telstra’s broadband internet services by going with the Telstra TV 2 or you decide to get behind Foxtel’s Netflix-less media player, there’s no one cure-all streaming device. That said, one of the devices here will appeal to your particular home entertainment circumstance and give you access to all the streaming and catch-up services you desire. Since most 4K media streaming boxes are under $200, it’s also not a huge investment for those watching a lot of TV over the web.

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STREAMING BOXES AND CONSOLES ON TEST

HOW WE TESTED Media boxes were connected to a 4K HDR 49UH652T television and were used to search for and watch TV and movies. Devices were tested using various streaming apps including Amazon Prime, Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan for app interface integration, password input and ease of program searching.

Local catch-up services and live TV tuners were also used, where available.

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THERE WERE RUMBLINGS of Foxtel launching its own physical media player to follow up its independent streaming venture Foxtel Now, but we were not prepared for the polished product it managed to sneak into 2017. On paper, the Foxtel Now Box’s 4K 60fps output, Digital video tuner and Android TV-based OS is an impressive combination for something that costs less than $100. While we’ve been disappointed with the integration of some Android TVs here, the Foxtel Now Box (which is powered by US media streaming box the Technicolor Skipper) shows that there’s been a significant amount of effort put into developing the new user interface. Slotting in neatly with Foxtel Now’s existing Home, Live TV, On Demand and Kids categories, the Foxtel Box’s UI does a good job of displaying all of the Foxtel Now content you subscribe to, but it’s not totally exclusive. While it’s not as comprehensive as the Telstra TV, the Foxtel Now Box actually has access to some of the more popular media playback apps, streaming services and local catch-up offerings with the likes of VLC, Plex, Stan, Youtube, ABC iview and TenPlay all available. This connectivity buffet is expanded considerably through Chromecast integration, allowing you to cast any Chromecast-compatible app to your TV and even have the device respond to Google Assistant commands. On top of this, there’s hidden perks like live Foxtel channels for relevant streaming channels, smartphone remote integration which makes typing significantly easier and voice searching for the Google Play app store.

41/2 FOXTEL NOW BOX $99 www.foxtel.com.au CRITICAL SPECS 3,840 x 2,160p output with 10-bit HDR; Android TVV OS; 8GB onboardd storage; 2GB DDR4 RAM; Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11b/gg/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi; HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, microSD card, Gigabit Etthernet, SPDIF optical audio, RF Aerial in; 10.4cm radius x 7.2cm height; 270g 270

WINNER

APPROVED SUPERGUIDE I HAVE A STREAM!

AWARD

Telstra TV 2

Apple TV 4K

TELSTRA WANTS YOU TO STREAM BIG.

APPLE’S HIGH-RE ES STREAMING BOX IS SIRI-OUS ABOUT SEARCH.

DESPITE THE LIKES of Apple and Telstra flaunting the term ‘TV’ in the titles of their media streaming boxes to date, the Telstra TV 2 is actually th fi t local l l device d i off thi d tto include i l d an aerial i l input i t and d di it l the first this ki kind digital TV tuner to let you watch local free-to-air channels. On the free-to-air side, you have both a live TV interface for flicking through channel descriptions while watching a show or the broader TV guide interface, displaying full program schedules. There’s also the catch-up element that includes the return of all the local catch-up services from the first model. The free-to-air offering combines with Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan to offer an impressive smorgasbord of perfectly integrated streaming service apps. What is perhaps the standout feature of the Telstra TV 2, however, is the accompanying Android and iOS app.

This app lets you use your phone to see the TV guide, change the channel, search for titles across all your subscribed services at once, and gives you additional remote functions, such as keyboard input and voice searching. The Telstra TV 2 app even has a list of recommended shows from all the streaming services on its home page that you can save to a central watchlist to remind you of what to watch later. Its only limitation, then, is the playback of locally stored media, which relies on one rudimentary file storage and playback application. Whilst you could use the last Telstra TV with just a free-to-set-up Telstra ID, there were some apps and services that were limited to Telstra Broadband users. This arrangement is likely to be the same on the Telstra TV 2, oduct for a niche market. making it an excellent product market

THE SELL FOR Apple’s latest update to its living room media hub is that it can lean on Siri’s voice recognition to search for shows iinstead t d off h i to labour away using the expectedly difficult having 10-foot interface controls. This works really well when looking for shows since Siri’s voice recognition skills have come far enough to get titles right almost every time, but also because the Apple TV is able to search across all of the connected streaming and catch-up services you are signed in to. Using voice recognition is a little trickier when it comes to login details and passwords, which requires you to instead use the rather cumbersome straight line alphabet selection interface and the directional touchpad at the top of the new remote. When not using it for text input, this remote feels sophisticated and user-friendly with most actions being a matter of swiping the powdery touchpad while giving you all the essential, volume, home, menu, play/pause and Siri buttons just below it.

(You can also use an iPhone app, which shares the same functionality as the remote.) The Apple TV 4K is a little light on connection options offering just power, HDMI and Ethernet inputs, excluding the option of playing locally stored media, but you can still connect to a local server via Ethernet. You get a good selection of apps and games from the App Store including media servers like Plex, all the local free-to-air catch up services, Netflix and Stan.

Foxtel Now subscribers won’t be able to connect directly, but you can always use AirPlay to cast from a Mac.

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TELSTRA TV 2 $192 www.telstra.com.au

APPLE TV 4K 32GB $249, 64GB $279 www.apple.com/au

CRITICAL SPECS 4K resolution max output @ 60fpss HDR10; MStar C quad core p o 2GB RAM, 512MB storage; single ddigital TV tuner; RF aerial input, USB B 2.00; Dolby Digital 7.1; dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Ethernet; microSD card; 12 x 12 x 2.2cm; 227g

CRITICAL SPECS 32GB or 64GB local storage; A10X Fusion Chip; 4k HDR output; HDMI 2.0; 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi (MIMO); Gigabit Ethernet; Bluetooth 5; H.264 (2160p, 60fps), HVEC Dolby Vision (2160p, HDR10), MPEG-4 (480p); 3.5 x 9.82cm; 425g

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

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SUPERGUIDE I HAVE A STREAM!

Google Chromecast 4K Ultra DOES ADDING ETHERNET MAKE IT A CHROME ‘HALF-CAST’?

GOOGLE’S ORIGINAL N CHROMECAST was the g gatewayy drugg into the addictive world of streaming TV for many and, considering it’s price and user friendliness, it was just about the best deal for turning your existing TV into a smart TV. Sadly, these golden years have all but gone with the blossoming of the local 4K TV market, since streaming in 4K puts a much heavier burden on your Wi-Fi network and many new TVs will come with their own streaming and catch-up service apps built in, there’s much less demand for a higher specced Chromecast. This dwindling intrigue is compounded by the addition of an Ethernet port in the base of the power cable that will give you the stable internet connection needed to get consistent 4K speeds. While we understand the need for it, it hardly says much for the ‘cast’ element of Chromecast and can be a difficult thing to set up if you’re not using a cookie cutter local Wi-Fi network setup at home. Continuing with the theme that you are the UI, navigating and casting from all your connected apps, it’s also not the most intuitive system for when you just want to vege out on the couch. The price is good enough that a few concessions are acceptable and Google has already done the legwork connecting plenty of streaming apps and catch-up services, but on the whole, the budget bonuses of the Chromecast don’t really line up with the premium experience, 4K TV consumers are looking for.

REAMING BOX BU ING U UIID AT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN

I TERNE N T TV

IORITI e Telstra 2 is only guaranteed work for Telstra broadband cu ers and lacks extensive local dia playback apps to encouragee ternet usage, the Foxtel Box’s erface is centred around the Foxtel Now streaming service, Apple’s 4K TV doesn’t play nice with other platforms, the consoles are expensive and the Android TV offerings cut costs on software integration. You’ll have to choose your poison.

CONNECTIVITY While all offer Ethernet, Wi-Fi and HDMI output, anyone hoping to use it for local media playback will want to keep an eye out for USB ports, microSD card slots and the devices you can cast to.

LOCAL MEDIA 31/2

GOOGLE CHROMECAST 4K ULTRA $99 store.google.com CRITICAL SPECS 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet; HDMI 2.0, 4K HDR output; 5.8cm radius; 148g

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This will require a combination of software and hardware. If you just want to play files from an external drive, then USB inputs and a media playback app will suffice, but if you want to connect it to a home media server, then you’ll be wanting a device that has an Ethernet input and a server client application like Plex.

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TCH UP SERVICE ile the available show librari ght not be quite as premium as streaming services, catch-u erings are actually worth eping on your radar. E ery now andd then, h you’ll ’ll bbe able bl to stream episodes of a newly released show or a film premiere. Yes, there’s ads and the weekly allocations mean no bingeing, but it’s worth it for some shows.

TV Sure, your priority will be to get Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan on your TV, but some of the latest media streaming boxes have RF aerial inputs and digital TV tuners to give you access to free-to-air as well. Other than the generous free-to-air offerings, Foxtel Now actually bundles in some live TV channels that you can watch via the internet with its streaming subscriptions.

SUPERGUIDE I HAVE A STREAM!

Laser MMC-X40 LASER’S ANDROID-BASED MEDIA STREAMING DEVICE CUTS BOTH WAYS.

IS THIS MEDIA STREAMER ‘THE ONE’?

WHILE THE TRENDY tech companies are attempting to create the most minimalist remotes they can, Laser and its MMC-X40 are heading in the opposite direction by using a remote that’s essentially just two remotes stuck together. The regular media playback controls, volume buttons and the selection wheel sit on the front side, while the underside is lined with a dual thumbsized QWERTY keyboard. In addition to this, Laser has included a magic wand feature and a home, menu and back button for a seamless Android-like control scheme that generally works well with the MMC-X40’s Android-based OS. That said, there were a number of instances, say while browsing Netflix, where it’s clear the app hasn’t been designed to work with a remote; and even though there are three controlling interfaces, none of them are able to scroll through pages easily. Because it can draw on the existing catalogue of Play Store apps, all the major streaming and catch-up services are available, as was an ample selection of media players and local file viewers. The unit uses an 8-core CPU with 2GB of RAM to deliver 4K resolution at 60fps in HDR10+ colour. This video output is supported by up to 5.1 Dolby Digital audio output, DLNA or Screen Mirror casting, ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, an SD Card slot and three USB ports for various flash drives. The MMC-X409 has a lot going for it, but much like its remote, the device feels a little like it’s been pieced together quickly, which, for a premium 4K media streaming box, isn’t ideal.

TAKING THE SAME approach as Laser’s MMC-X40 (left), the MINIX NEO U9-H has shoehorned an Android Marshmallow-based OS into a near-identical hardware configuration that includes an octa-core A53 CPU, Mali-820MP3 GPU and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. While MINIX has built two different media player front ends (a classically simple 10-foot menu system and something that looks like a phone home screen), both these systems use Android apps that have been designed to work with a touchscreen rather than a remote. While most compatibility issues can be skirted, not being able to browse streaming service apps like Netflix and Stan because there’s no controls that reliably allow you to scroll, is a pervasive issue. The NEO U9-H does combat this somewhat by having a dual-sided remote with a full letter keyboard, a USB dongle-connected air-mouse and Android powered voice recognition searching, but it feels like the added controllers don’t fully make up for the hindrances caused by non-customised applications.

The Minix NEO U9-H has a generous Wi-Fi antenna that runs dual-band 2 x 2 MIMO for a more stable casting connection if you want to use DLNA or Miracast, but since it runs on an unmodified Android, you should be able to get all the streaming apps directly on the unit.

Local playback is good, too, with three USB inputs, access to Plex, Kodi integration and the full range of downloadable Android media playback apps. While it definitely has a more polished interface and hardware look than Laser’s MMC-X40, it is plagued by the same incompatibilities which aren’t what you want from a premium 4K media player.

21/2

2

LASER MMC-X40 $250 www.laserco.com.au

MINIX NEO U9-H $299 www.jbhifi.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS Amlogic S912 SoC (Octa Core Arm Cortex A53 CPU and aMali T820MP3 GPU); 2GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB local flash storage; 4K HDR10 video output; Android 6 OS; 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE); Ethernet, optical digital audio; HDMI 2.0, 3 x USB 2.0; 11 x 9 x 2.5cm; 200g

CRITICAL SPECS Octa-core A53 Processor (64-bit); Mali-820MP3 GPU; 2GB 3 RAM; 16GB onboard storage; 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi with 2 x 2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1; Android Marshmallow OS, 4K HDR @ 60fps max output, Ethernet, HDIM 2.0, 3 x USB 3.0, optical audio out, 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks, microSD card slot; 12.5 x 12.5 x 2.5cm; 291g

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

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CONSOLES

Sony y PlayStation y 4 Pro

Microsoft Xbox One X

THE PLAYSTATION ISN’T JUST FOR PLAYING GAMES.

DOES MICROSOFT’S NEW CONSOLE CROSS THE STREAMS?

THE NEW PLAYSTATION might not have the processing power of the Xbox One X, but it’s got more than enough premium components to be one of the most overpowered 4K media streaming hubs around.

There is no way that you would buy one of these consoles purely for 4K media streaming, but if you’re in the market for both, or you simply haven’t researched the streaming capabilities if your PS4 Pro, then it’s worth a quick look before you go out and buy anything.

To the surprise of many, PlayStation decided to not make their disk readers compatible with the new 4K Blu-ray specification. While this is disappointing for movie lovers, the PS4 Pro’s media streaming capabilities do make up for this a little bit. The console has access to the Amazon Prime, Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan streaming services, supplementing this with ABC iview, SBS On Demand, Plus7 and 9Now catch-up services. On the whole, this is a pretty comprehensive library and the ‘Discover’ section in ‘TV and Video’ actually throws up a handpicked mix of popular titles from each of these content providers in a simple-to-browse page. In comparison to the app typing or voice remotes of media boxes, using a controller feels clunky and navigating the Amazon Prime interface is more difficult than it needs to be, but this is a small encumbrance compared to the obstructions you get from the non-tailored Android media players.

It’d be hard to justify buying another standalone media player if you already have a PS4 Pro, but if you’re considering getting a 4K Blu-ray player, the Xbox One S (reviewed back in issue 55, page 14) is still the unit to beat.

WHILE WE WOULDN’T recommend going out and netting yourself a new $650 console if you’re only interested in streaming services and local media playback, their broad app compatibility and regular software upkeep has made them ideal media hubs in the past.

Sadly, the Xbox one X was plagued by some initial controversy over its poor 4K Blu-ray playback performance at launch (which has since been fixed by Microsoft) and when you look at the number of apps that were ported to the new 4K system in these early days, it wasn’t as comprehensive as we were hoping. While we were able to look at Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Go, Amazon Prime, TenPlay, Plus7, 9Now and ABC iview on the new 4K console, it missed out on Foxtel Now, SBS On Demand and smaller services like Mubi.

This incomplete offering is made up somewhat by a reasonable number of local file viewers and media playback apps including Plex, VLC and Cloud Media Player that’ll allow you to play locally stored movies and TV series. Under the entertainment menu, you get categorised trending shows and movies in the one place, but sadly, you can’t search across your subscribed streaming services using the one interface yet. While in years gone by, the controller was preferable to the 10-foot remotes of the top media streaming hubs, the increased demand in streaming has seen smartphone integration, facilitating keyboard typing, voice searching and convenient swiping control schemes to make the controller feel inefficient for signing in and searching.

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PS4 PRO $559 www.playstation.com/en-au

XBOX ONE X $649 www.xbox.com

CRITICAL SPECS 4K HDR output @ 60fps; custom 8-core CPU; AMD Radeon GPU; 8GB DDR5 RAM; 1TB onboard storage; Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; 29.5 x 32.7 x 5.5cm; 3.3kg

CRITICAL SPECS 4K UHD output @60fps, HDR10; octa-core 2.3GHz CPU; 1TB storage, 12GB GDDR55 RAM; custom 6 Teraflop GPU; Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, Dolby Digitall TrueHD, 2.0, 30 x 24 x 5.9cm; 3.81kg

Raising the bar

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

SUPERGUIDE RAISING THE BAR

WINNER

[ HEAR YE, HEAR YE! ]

WHILE BUILT-IN TV SPEAKERS HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE BETTER, THEY STILL CAN’T BEAT A GOOD SOUNDBAR. WE TEST EIGHT NEW MODELS TO FIND THE BEST-SOUNDING AND BEST-VALUE OPTIONS. [ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]

MODERN HOME ENTERTAINMENT isn’t as simple as it used to be. Once upon a time, you’d buy a TV that was barely distinguishable from the competition, you’d use it for five, 10, 15 or 20 years, then you’d replace it. Nowadays, much research goes into deciding which television is best for your home, what resolution it supports, whether it can stream, and whether it can iron your shirt for you (none do the latter yet, we’re afraid, but we’re sure it’s coming). One thing is consistent, though — the sound on modern TVs, no matter the quality of its screen, is almost universally crap. That physical flatness comes at a cost, and that cost is a lack of real estate for speakers that aren’t absolutely terrible.

That’s why you buy a soundbar — to ensure your home theatre experience isn’t like sitting in a cinema with cheap earbud headphones on. Soundbars are great if you’re not fussed about a big, multi-speaker home theatre setup, though if you wish to upgrade, some models can work as a component in these.

And typically enough, there are dozens of soundbars on the market, so you’ll need to do a bit of research to decide whether they are right for your TV, right for your room, and right for your expectations regarding fidelity.

So without further ado, here are eight of the major models available on the market at present, ranging from cheap through to pricey.

08

LG SJ9 DOLBY ATMOS IN A PREMIUM BUT AFFORDABLE PACKAGE.

THIS IS ONE for the must-have-everything type — a 500w Dolby Atmos soundbar which is as gargantuan in size as it is in sound.

On that note, you’ll probably want a decently large TV (wider than 55 inches) because this thing is hefty, though seemingly against the odds, it can be wall-mounted. Of course, you’ll need a Dolby Atmos-supporting playback device, whether an Xbox One S (and the new X) or supported Blu-ray player, but even without taking advantage of that (still burgeoning and still not-widely supported) technology, this soundbar is probably the best on the market at the moment, considering the price.

Given the 5.1.2 channel configuration, you’re getting about as close an approximation to ‘surround sound’ as is feasible with a soundbar setup, and as far as lounge room immersion goes, the LG SJ9 holds up, well, admirably — compared to the competition. For real surround sound, there are a variety of add-ons you can purchase.

It supports HDMI, optical and, of course, Bluetooth, and streaming music from a phone to this system provides a gigantic sound — among the best you’ll get before you stray into audiophile territory. For its cost, and its Atmos support, the LG SJ9 is this brand’s flagship for a reason.

SOUNDBARS ON TEST

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HOW WE TESTED We set up each unit in the same testing environment, using a Panasonic HD-TV. We tested using The Hobbit on Blu-ray, as well as music streamed direct to each device using Bluetooth.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

LG SJ9 $1,699 www.lg.com/au CRITICAL SPECS 5.1.2 channel; 4k passthrough; Dolby AAtmos; wireless subwoofer; USB, Bluetooth, ooptical, HDMI 2.0; recommended 55-inch screen and aboove; wall mountable

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WINNER

ERGUIDE HE BAR

APPROVED AWARD

WINNER

ED’s CHOICE AWARD

Samsung HW-K950

Klipsch RSB-14

AN UPMARKET, DOLBY ATMOS SUPPORTING FLAGSHIP.

A PRESTIGE BRAND AT A PRESTIGE PRICE.

SAMSUNG HAS LASHED out with the HW-K950: not only does it have the usual soundbar and sub-woofer bundle, but this 5.1.4 channel home cinema setup also has two directional speakers, designed to sit up the back of the room. All in all, you’re dealing with 500 watts of power here, which is, needless to say, a lot for one room.

The sub and the soundbar itself feel massive, so be warned: this is not a unit for the humble. No one will think you deserve a payrise if they find this under your TV, and it’s very much verging into audiophile territory (not a bad thing).

The sub-woofer nearly knocked our modular office walls over [Oh, so that’s what you were doing — Sub-Ed], and the bar itself has a rich and balanced output. If you’ve got a spare two grand in the bank, you couldn’t do much better than this — our only real criticism is that the soundbar looks massive, but some people might actually prefer that.

Like the LG SJ9, this system boasts Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Not all content supports Dolby Atmos, though platforms like the Xbox One S and X are capable of playing back content that features it. While the technology is great and we sure hope its better supported by content creators into the future, it’s not yet time to let Dolby Atmos sell you on a product. You’re better off assessing the HW-K950 on the usual terms for a soundbar, and in that respect, it’s quite exceptional. While it’s definitely not one to buy if you’re just after a quick fix speaker upgrade, it’s a bang-for-buck scenario if you’re looking for something edging towards a home theatre system.

WHILE KLIPSCH DOESN’T quite have the brand power that some of the other brands in this round-up do (at least in Australia), this 2.1 channel Dolby Audio soundbar and 8-inch subwoofer combo boasts a robust, full-bodied cinematic sound. Like most soundbar packages nowadays, the RSB-14 can act as just one part of a multi-room speaker system via the DTS Play-Fi system (which supports brands including Pioneer, Onkyo and more). While it supports Wi-Fi functionality, accessible via the Klipsch stream app, it’s likely only of interest if you’re partaking in multi-room setups: HDMI for TV and Bluetooth for music is perfectly convenient.

We enjoyed a pleasantly balanced sound across both film and music playback using Bluetooth (for music), HDMI and optical connections — most impressively, the bass was silky but never descended into crackle, playing nicely off the treble even during the most complex Aphex Twin tracks.

This unit doesn’t boast anything fancy on paper: it’s a 2.1 channel setup and Dolby Atmos isn’t even a distant concern. Even so, the virtual surround sound does a good enough job of simulating the cinema experience. The unit boasts two three-quarter-inch horn-loaded textile dome tweeters with 90 x 90 Tractrix horns (Tractrix is Klipsch’s proprietary acoustics technology). It’s not cheap, but it ticks every box more than satisfactorily, and while it’s true that Klipsch doesn’t have the profile of your Sonys or Samsungs, it’s a brand generally known among people who care about audio fidelity.

41/2

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4

SAMSUNG HW-K950 $2,000 www.samsung.com/au

KLIPSCH RSB-14 $1,699 www.klipsch.com

CRITICAL SPECS 500w; 5.1.4 channels; wireless subwoofer; woofer; Bluetooth, optical, HDMI support; 3D video pass; 4K video passthrough; wall mountable

CRITICAL SPECS 2.1 channels; 4K passthrough; wireless subwoofer; USB, Bluetooth, optical, al HDMI 2.0; 20 wall mountable

SUPERGUIDE RAISING THE BAR

WINNER

APPROVED AWARD

Sony HT-NT5 SONY MID-RANGER THAT EXUDES CLASS.

ON THE LOW-TO-MID edge of the price spectrum comes this 2.1 channel HT-NT5, which, as you’d probably expect, doesn’t come with Dolby Atmos support but boasts, at least, hi-res audio support. A factor usually in favour of Sony’s soundbars is that they’re classy-looking systems, and the HT-NT5 is no exception, with a premium-looking angular design for the soundbar and — by contrast — a completely inconspicuous subwoofer. The angled design of the soundbar also neatly solves the problem of jamming some powerful speakers beneath the bezel of your TV (at least, it does for those not planning to wall mount this thing).

This device won’t exactly blow minds with its volume, though it’ll definitely fill a living room and doesn’t clip at higher levels.

Clarity appears to be the priority here, and on these terms, the HT-NT5 delivers a perfectly readable and never murky sonic spectrum which carries through to its music playback, too.

As is pretty much the norm now, multi-room is supported, and you’ve got the usual array of HDMI, optical and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as in-built Spotify and Google Cast support, and Apple AirPlay. Though for Spotify and the likes, a Bluetooth connection to your phone is usually a lot more convenient, though the SongPal app is required if you’re looking to set up a multi-room ecosystem.

The middle end of the soundbar market is pretty healthy by all indications, but this unit can stand healthily among its betters at this price point.

4

TV SOUNDBAR BUYER’S CHECKLIST WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A SOUNDBAR FOR YOUR TV

IS IT GOING TO FIT? Make sure you measure the width of your TV, and its bezels, before shopping around — you don’t want your soundbar to obscure the screen or look awkwardly huge below your screen.

DOES YOUR TV HAVE HDMI PASSTHROUGH SUPPORT? It probably does if it’s a recent model, but if you want to use HDMI and not an optical connection, make sure it does (check for an ARC HDMI port).

SHOULD I USE HDMI OR OPTICAL? If you’ve got passthrough support, HDMI. If you don’t, and you want to control your soundbar with your TV remote, optical is the better and easier option. HDMI may be inaudibly better, fidelity wise, but it’ll take more wrangling.

DO I NEED BLUETOOTH? SONY HT-NT5 $999 www.sony.com.au CRITICAL SPECS 2.1 channel; 4K passthrough; wireless subwoofer; USB, Bluetoooth, optical, HDMI 2.0; recommended 55-inch screen and above; wall mountable

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

No, probably not, but you’d be silly to buy a unit without this support, if you want to use it to stream music from other smart devices.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2.1, 3.1 AND 5.1?

Basically, the amount of speakers and/or channels you’re getting.

2.1 is two speakers in the soundbar and a separate subwoofer. 2.0 is two speakers and no sub. More speakers means a better, albeit artificial, surround sound approximation, and real surround sound kicks in at 5.1.

Be aware that more speakers doesn’t always mean better sound output: three speakers with 30 watts each will push out less sound than two with 50.

DO I NEED DOLBY ATMOS? Maybe. This is new-ish audio tech which can approximate surround sound better than anything that came previous. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need an HD Blu-ray player (say, an Xbox One S) and not all media supports it.

If you’ve got the money, go ahead.

For most people, it’s not quite a must-have yet.

CAN YOU WALL-MOUNT IT? Many come with all the brackets and bolts you’ll need, but check!

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SUPERGUIDE RAISING THE BAR

THE OUTPUT CAN APPROXIMATE DISTANCE IN RELATION TO WHAT’S GOING ON ONSCREEN, BUT ‘SURROUND SOUND’ ISN’T EVEN BOASTED HERE. INSTEAD, YOU’RE GETTING S-FORCE PRO FRONT SURROUND, WHICH, IF WE’RE HONEST, SOUNDS GREAT BUT ISN’T PARTICULARLY IMMERSIVE IN THIS PRODUCT.

Jamo SB 40

Sony y HT-MT300

A SOLID MID-RANGER WITH A NICHE AESTHETIC.

THE SMALLEST SOUNDBAR ON THE MARKET.

UNLESS YOUR WHOLE home entertainment system is currently decked out in grey, the Jamo SB-40 doesn’t give a great first impression. Because, yes, it is grey, and chances are if you’re forking out for home cinema goods, you’re a bit of a stickler for perfection.

But there is some charm to this staunchly European setup, not least its retro flair. You may not be familiar with the Jamo brand, but it originates in Denmark and is enduringly popular in Europe.

It was acquired by Klipsch in 2005.

But how does the SB-40 sound? It’s a relatively inexpensive 2.1 channel affair, but it pumps out a decently crisp sound at 120w (shared between the soundbar and the subwoofer), and boasts all the support you’d ever need (HDMI, optical and Bluetooth). At only 40 inches wide (that’s just over a metre), it’d look great beneath modestly sized TVs. The wireless subwoofer, while as stylish (or otherwise, depending on your tastes) as the soundbar, is sleek and minimal. At this price range, you’re hardly getting sound that will impress or enrage your neighbours, but in the realm of mid-range budget speakers — and yes, this is ‘mid range’ budget by today’s standards — we were impressed by how cinematic the experience was, with the virtual surround sound working overtime to emulate a fully-fledged cinema experience. Music, even thickly textured bass-oriented techno, sounded satisfactory through it, too.

Still quite niche, especially with competitors like the Sony HT-NT5. en the two two, aesthetic preferences would If given the choice between almost certainly be the deeciding factor.

OF THE UNITS which could count as ‘low budget’ in our test room, the Sony HT-MT300 fared the best — but only because it has a unique selling point. Like the Pioneer unit overpage, the HTMT300 also lacks HDMI compatibility, but get past that, and this 2.1 channel bar and subwoofer package nudges slightly ahead simply because it offers a more compact form factor. The soundbar itself is 50cm wide and only 10cm deep, so not only is it cheap (it can be had for at least $100 cheaper than its RRP in most outlets) but it fills a niche that few other soundbars do. Whether you live in a sharehouse or on a boat, the HT-MT300 can accommodate you if you’re lacking in space but still don’t want to tolerate crappy TV speakers.

That said, the subwoofer can’t make the same boast in terms of its compactness, though you can hide it easily enough under your couch or behind furtniture. Meanwhile, the output can approximate distance in relation to what’s going on onscreen, but ‘surround sound’ isn’t even boasted here. Instead, you’re getting S-Force PRO Front Surround, which, if we’re honest, sounds great but isn’t particularly immersive in this product.

Music playback is fine but struggles in terms of clarity at high volumes, but if you’re after something this compact, you’re probably dealing with either a small room or easily riled neighbours.

The HT-MT3000 is a decent option if you want something small and powerful for this price, but don’t expect anything close to luxury.

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JAMO SB-40 $949 www.jamo.com

SONY HT-MT300 $449 www.sony.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS 2.1 channel; 4K passthrough; wireless subwoofer; USB, Bluetoooth, optical, HDMI 2.0; wall mountable

CRITICAL SPECS 2.1 channel; wireless subwoofer; optical, Bluetooth; wall mountable; 50cm wide

Panasonic SC-HTB688

Pioneer SBX-101

A LOW-END OFFERING FROM ONE OF THE STRONGEST SOUNDBAR

A BUDGET OFFERING FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A TV SPEAKER

BRANDS

SUBSTITUTE.

WHILE YOU CAN hardly set your expectations high at this price range ($549 is the RRP, but this unit can be had for much less at major retailers), the SC-HTB688 does a commendable, albeit wholly unimpressive job at what it sets out to do. We’ve covered higher-ranged Panasonic soundbars in past round-ups and each have ranked among the highest in the list, but this low ranger is very much a meat and potatoes prospect: it’s inconspicuous in looks, thin but clear in sound, and while 3.1 channels indicates a decent attempt to emulate surround sound, you probably won’t write home about it.

Or email home about it, even.

Optical, HDMI and Bluetooth are all supported — and as a means to playback music from your phone while doing the household chores, it’s adequate but definitely no substitute for a separate sound system. But on the matter of HDMI — neither of the Panasonic’s price range competitors tested for this round-up (the Sony HTMT300 and the Pioneer SBX-101) offer HDMI compatibility, so that’s one bonus in this unit’s favour. The subwoofer succeeds in adding nice heft to the overall sound, though the bar itself can occasionally sound ragged with especially deep bass — it can turn pulses into pops. But for TV and movie viewing, it’s a decent experience for this price range, and well worth it if you’ve got a modestly sized TV in a modestly sized room. If you can find it for around $300, it’d be well and truly worth it compared to the competition.

AS THE PRICE makes abundantly clear, this is, by today’s standards, a budget soundbar package. Less designed for home cinema aficionados and more targeted towards those looking to improve on their TV’s crappy sound quality, this unit does the job, if simply boosting audio presence is what you’re after. Sure, it offers sound much more dynamic and immersive than your TV, but don’t expect to be wowwed by the SBX-101 unless you’ve been listening to ABC News through Apple earbuds for the last decade. It’s not just premium sound that you’re sacrificing if you opt for the SBX-101, either: you’re also missing HDMI compatibility, so get ready to use either optical or, if you’re really old fashioned, AUX cables.

We didn’t test the AUX connection, but you can at least rest assured that it’s a satisfactory experience using optical.

200 dollary-doos is a lot of money, so we’re not advocating that you opt for the next bar in this round-up — the Panasonic — instead of this. The sound is by no means explosive but it’s by many measures better than what you get with your standard flatscreen TV. Still, if this is an investment you intend to use for years to come, it seems worthwhile buying something that at least boasts HDMI support. So the SBX-101, while decent for the price, is one we’d ignore unless after a very quick fix. Maybe one for the kids if they’re barking mad for better sound quality? Whatever the case, without Sony’s form factor selling point with the HT-MT300, the lack of HDMI hurts the SBX-101.

3

3

PANASONIC SC-HTB688 $549 www.panasonic.com/au

PIONEER SBX-101 $349 www.pioneer.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS 300w; 3.1 channel; wireless subwoofer; optical, Bluetooth, HDMI; wall mountable; 85cm wide

CRITICAL SPECS 108 watts; 2.1 channel; wireless subwoofer; optical,l Bluetooth; Bl t th wall mountable; 88cm wide

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

SUPERGUIDE RAISING THE BAR

THE SOUND IS BY NO MEANS EXPLOSIVE BUT IT’S

BY MANY MEASURES BETTER THAN WHAT YOU GET WITH YOUR STANDARD FLATSCREEN TV.

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FEATURE IS YOUR FUTURE HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS

[ A TECHLIFE PRIMER ]

[ DARREN YATES ]

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FEATURE UR HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS

EVERY NIGHT, MILLIONS of us connect our phones back up to mains power, recharging batteries exhausted through a day of videos, social media, games and the occasional phone call or two. But increasingly, smartphones are being seen in research circles as the great untapped source of latent computing power. There are concerns over rates of smartphone addiction, but from a research perspective, the cure for a range of conditions and diseases from HIV to Alzheimer’s could literally be in your hands.

SMARTPHONES ARE FAST BECOMING THE FRONT-LINE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST DISEASE, BUT CONCERNS ARE GROWING FOR HOW WE’RE USING THEM. TECHLIFE INVESTIGATES THE FUTURE OF MOBILE HEALTH.

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YOUR SMARTPHONE IS A COMPUTER We’ve been saying it for years — smartphones are powerful computers capable of doing far more than we often give them credit for. But their portable nature makes them ripe for adoption in a range of personal-health initiatives and research that help us both collectively and individually. Smartphones are increasingly being seen as a broad-based solution for everything from data gathering to diagnostic tool to collaboratively calculating massive mathematical problems that may unlock the answers to cancer and other diseases.

DREAMLAB One of the latest examples of this idea of ‘distributed data mining’ comes from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Vodafone Foundation. DreamLab is an iOS and Android app that works while you sleep. As you charge your phone overnight, the app taps into the Garvan Institute’s cloud servers to retrieve data for processing, calculating patient DNA profiles to better understand cancer. All data is anonymised before it’s downloaded to your device, but with some 26 million calculations to perform and each one taking around 5–10 minutes to execute on a mid-range smartphone, it’s the sort of task where the more computing devices you can throw at it, the better. As soon as you pull the phone off charge, the app goes into ‘suspend’ mode, preserving your phone’s battery life for the day ahead. Currently, DreamLab has two projects — Project Decode and Project Genetic Profile. Project Decode looks at solving breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers, while Project Genetic Profile aims to find the answers to brain, lung, melanoma and sarcoma (soft-tissue) cancers.

It’s not the first time smartphones have been drafted into the distributed fight against disease.

The University of California, Berkeley, created the BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) app for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux back in 2002, with a simplified version released for Android devices in 2008. Today, BOINC is available on Google Play for distributed projects including Rosetta@Home, which studies a range of diseases such as HIV, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Even older is Folding@Home, launched by Stanford University back in 2000. Originally for [ 073 ]

FEATURE IS YOUR FUTURE HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS

CANCER CONTROVERSY

Dario turns your smartphone into a glucose monitoring system.

the PC, it’s now available on Android, powered

by Japanese tech giant Sony and recently made open source.

However, the difference with DreamLab is that the Garvan Institute has teamed up with Vodafone Foundation — that means Vodafone Australia users who download and run the DreamLab app and use their mobile connection to transfer DreamLab data will do so data-free.

RUNNING DREAMLAB ON A PC Thinking about ways to boost processing speed, we wondered whether you could also run the DreamLab app using Android-x86, an open-source version of Google’s Android operating system for Intel-processor based systems. We first tried installing Androidx86/6.0-r3 (Marshmallow) as a virtual machine inside Oracle’s VirtualBox virtualisation app.

While Android-x86 works and DreamLab installs, the DreamLab app is designed to keep tabs of your device’s CPU temperature and won’t run if the temp is too high or can’t be detected. And with no CPU temp data relayed to Android-x86 through VirtualBox,

DreamLab turns your phone into a cancer research lab while you sleep.

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DreamLab gets no data and won’t run.

However, we did find an alternative. It will run on Android-x86, when Android-x86 itself is installed on actual hardware. You can find out more and download the Marshmallow/6.0-r3 version from the Android-x86 website (android-x86.org). It’s best installed on a spare system with a spare empty hard drive or solidstate drive that you can devote fully to Android.

How to install Android-x86 is beyond the scope of this story (we cover this occasionally in our sister publication, APC), but we had DreamLab running successfully on an old Intel-powered dual-core Compaq Presario CQ42 laptop with a spare 64GB solid state drive and Androidx86/6.0-r3 operating system. Note the DreamLab app does consume available CPU performance, so PC-based systems will need adequate cooling.

Regardless, if you have any Android-powered devices with at least Android 4.4/KitKat or later, plus a decent Wi-Fi-connected download quota if you’re not on Vodafone, this looks to be a very worthwhile way to do your bit (or bits) for cancer research.

You can select which DreamLab projects you wish to join.

Our phones can participate in distributed analysis tasks like DreamLab and Folding@ Home, but what if your phone could instantly diagnose those funny-looking moles on your skin and tell you whether or not they’re cancerous? While smartphones have no trouble with traditional mathematical problem-solving, there have been numerous attempts to use them to handle more complex and specific health issues such as mental health or detection of melanoma (skin cancer).

For a number of years, researchers have been trying to develop a non-invasive method to correctly detect skin cancer using only images captured via a smartphone’s camera. But according to one study from 2013, some of those early efforts achieved ‘highly variable’ accuracy and that “three of four smartphone applications [tested] incorrectly classified 30% or more melanomas as un-concerning”.

But by early 2017, scientists at Stanford University had developed a technique using AI, testing it against 21 dermatologists trained to identify skin cancers. According to the report in the journal Nature, the computer algorithm achieved the same accuracy as the experts.

The technique involves machine-learning tech from Google that creates a formula based on a library of some 130,000 skin-lesion images.

The algorithm uses data mining methods to test new images against that formula and makes a diagnosis. The researchers say the algorithm exists on computers at Stanford University, but hope to make a smartphone version in the not-too-distant future.

MENTAL HEALTH APPS When it comes to treating mental health, there’s no shortage of apps available. But there’s also no shortage of debate about their benefits.

Research conducted by Monash University, the University of Canberra and University of Melbourne published in 2016 reported many mental health apps available in 2014 lacked

DreamLab keeps a tab on the number of calculations your device performs.

University of California’s BOINC uses your phone to work on disease cures.

The Good Tucker app aims to help indigenous youth make healthy food choices.

Smartphones can use the camera and LED light to measure your heart-rate.

evidence proving their efficacy. Despite this, a new study from 2017 in the journal World Psychiatry involving 22 selected apps trialled on some 3,400 participants found that "smartphone devices are a promising selfmanagement tool for [treating] depression".

Yet, with so many mental health apps available, Mark Larsen, Research Fellow at the Black Dog Institute and University of New South Wales, says users should consider four things when searching for a suitable mental health app. One, don’t just look at the ratings — popularity doesn’t necessarily equal quality.

Two, who developed the app — do they have experience in mental health? Three, what’s the privacy policy — what happens to the data the app records? And finally, evidence-based research — is there evidence the app is effective?

hours to a month. The Australian Parents Council initiated a ‘digital detox month’ in September 2017 to help families set healthy boundaries for digital screen use.

This also comes on the back of the Australian Psychological Society’s 2015 Stress & Wellbeing Survey finding that 60% of teens "feel brain burnout from constant connectivity to social media". If you needed further encouragement for taking a digital holiday, research released in June 2017 conducted by the University of Texas, Austin, found that just the presence of a phone was enough to significantly dull the cognitive performance of study participants, even if the phone was switched off.

For help or information, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.

TIME FOR A DIGITAL DETOX?

The signs appear to be more encouraging for other allied-health areas. The Good Tucker app, developed by Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up aims to help indigenous young people make healthy food choices when shopping. The app has two modes — barcode scanning that returns a simple thumbs-up/sideways/down health rating, plus a non-packaged food database.

HEALTHY EATING There are growing concerns that smartphones could be as much a source of issues as they are part of the solution. Internet addiction has been a topic of psychology research for the last two decades, but in recent years, there’s been a growing focus on smartphone addiction, particularly amongst teens and children. There’s seemingly a constant flow of reports of young people displaying addictive behaviour to phones, with one rehabilitation clinic director telling a UK conference in mid-2017 that giving a child a smartphone was like giving them a gram of cocaine.

In 2013, a Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) was proposed by researchers in South Korea, built on the Korean internet addiction scale or ‘K-Scale’. According to 2016 figures from the US-based Pew Research Center, South Korea has the highest penetration globally for smartphone ownership at 88%, followed by Australia on 77%.

Not surprisingly, there’s been considerable growth recently in the ‘digital detox’ movement, of users seeking to cut back on digital screens for a period of time, anywhere between 24 [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

FEATURE IS YOUR FUTURE HEALTH IN YOUR HANDS

Dexcom’s G5 continuous glucose-monitoring system can alert your phone.

NON-INVASIVE GLUCOSE-MONITORING Patients with Type I or II diabetes have to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels.

Epic Health (www.epichealth.io) recently announced the development of a non-invasive glucose-monitoring solution in the form of an app. The Epic Health app is undergoing trials with 2,100 participants. According to the company, it utilises the smartphone’s camera to snap pictures of blood flow through your finger.

Those images are then whisked away for processing and the glucose reading is returned back to the user. At time of writing, there were no details on when the app will be available.

HEART-RATE MONITORING There are a number of apps on the respective

app stores that attempt to monitor heart-rate.

Going by forum comments, some users seem sceptical of the concept, but the technique is very similar to ‘pulse oximetry’. The heart-rate measurement process essentially involves holding your finger against the phone camera lens while the on-board LED shines light on your finger. The phone camera identifies in real time the tiny but measurable changes in reflected light to record your pulse rate, which the app displays on-screen. However, some users report varying rates of accuracy with some app/phone combinations, so it’s important to investigate before you buy, but also to not rely on these apps alone — if in doubt, always seek medical advice.

Genuine pulse-oximetry, by contrast, uses red and infrared light to measure oxygen levels in your red blood cells.

THE FUTURE IS COMING With billions of smartphones in circulation, it’s not surprising to find them being pressed into service, as researchers mine increasing amounts of data to find the elusive answers to curing cancer. Despite a lack of supporting research in early app examples, recent studies are now showing smartphones also have potential in helping users with mental health issues.

However, concerns over the rise of smartphone addiction are not only seeing increased focus in research, but a growing appetite of users for ‘digital detoxing’, putting down screens to unplug and change usage habits.

So could it be that the best thing to do with your smartphone is leave it on charge for a couple of days and let it run DreamLab? No doubt, the Garvan Institute wouldn’t mind, but research is beginning to show that a little down time may be good for you as well. Still, as health-treatment costs continue to soar, the smartphone looks set to play a greater role in improving health outcomes.

It may well be that the secret to your future health is in the palm of your hand. [ 075 ]

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

“What if we could stop diseases before they spread?”

“What if you could access the internet anywhere in the world?”

“AI can help detect cancer.”

10 inventions to change the world THE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO A BETTER TOMORROW.

“Biodegradable plastics could be a lifesaver.”

Artificial intelligence IF THERE’S ONE thing that elicits thoughts of the future, it’s artificial intelligence (AI). But AI is already changing our lives in more ways than you might think, such as stopping violence and flying our planes.

Driverless cars might hog the headlines, but in June 2017, Boeing tested an autonomous plane that could take off, cruise and land with little human input. Whether a self-flying cockpit would be trusted by the public is another matter, but most are already comfortable with autopilot technology, so who knows where this may go.

A company out in the US called ShotSpotter, meanwhile, has been looking at using acoustic sensors to pinpoint the location of gunfire during a shooting or crime. Machine learning confirms that a gun produced the sound and then counts how many there are, telling police what to expect.

These are just some of the many ways AI might change our lives in the coming years.

TACKLING VIOLENCE

SAFER DRIVING

Using machine learning and acoustic sensors, ShotSpotter can pinpoint a gun firing within 25 metres and alert the authorities.

IBM Research is working on the use of ‘hyperimaging’ and AI. This tech could be used in cars to help drivers see through fog and other bad weather conditions.

DETECTING CANCER

FIGHTING F

Using images from a smartphone, AI can detect skin cancer, then diagnose conditions with the accuracy of a dermatologist.

The Mcrops p j c to use smartphones and computer vision to spot signs of disease in cassava crops, a staple food source for over 500 million people.

02

Hi-tech mosquito traps

WHAT IF WE could stop diseases before they spread? That’s the goal of Microsoft’s Project Premonition, which hopes to prevent epidemics like the Zika virus from taking countless lives.

The idea is to use mosquitoes as the ultimate field biologists.

By setting up specialised traps in hot spot areas, mosquitoes will be captured and then studied, analysing what viruses — if any— they are carrying. Ultimately, the team hopes to use drones to identify hotspots.

The traps have smart compartments equipped with infrared laser beams. When the flutter of a mosquito’s wing is detected, the compartment automatically shuts its door, trapping the mosquito for later study. An algorithm can then determine the species by scanning the bug, taking into account the time of day and the amount of light available, before the data is then transmitted to researchers. It’s hoped this can be used to spot outbreaks before they spread.

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

01

FIND

01

Autonomous drones are used to find hotspots of mosquitoes in a particular area and then drop traps down to collect them.

COLLECT

02

The robotic traps use infrared light to detect the species of mosquito. If it’s one of interest, the door shuts and the bug can then be analysed.

DETECT

03

Scans check the blood of the mosquitoes for harmful pathogens and see what animals it has bitten, helping to predict how a disease may spread. [ 077 ]

03

Global internet access

PROJECT LOON BALLOONS

How Google plans to bring the whole world online.

Dozens of the balloons could hover over a region to bring internet to remote areas.

ALTITUDE Filled with helium, the balloons will float at an altitude of 20km.

INTERNET A small box weighing 10kg contains all of the electronics, such as the radio antennae to transmit signals.

PARACHUTE If one of the balloons fails, a parachute brings it gently to the ground and its helium is expelled.

04

Pollinator drones IT MIGHT SOUND like an episode of Black Mirror, but researchers have begun using insect-sized drones to pollinate flowers in place of bees. The idea is not necessarily to replace bees but to compliment them as agricultural needs increase.

Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan unveiled the drones in early 2017, which use a special ionic gel to attach onto pollen. The team flew drones that dangled bristles made of horse hair (like a bee’s fuzzy exterior) laden with this gel. In tests on Japanese lilies, the team found the drones were able to successfully begin the process of seed production.

The research still has a long way to go, but the potential benefits are plain to see. While we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to bee decline, this research provides a promising back-up as needs increase.

One honeybee colony POLLINATES 4,000m

bees a lifetime’s work to make one teaspoon of honey

of fruit trees

CAN POLLINATE

300 MILLION

CONTAINS AROUND

50,000

BEES

flowers in a day

BEES POLLINATE BEES ARE WORTH

TYPES

of crop in the UK alone

BILLION to agriculture per annum

GENERATES AROUND 15KG OF HONEY EACH YEAR

]

30

%

of all food relies on pollinating insects

60

%

reduction in hives between 1947 and 2008 in the US

© Dr Eijiro Miyako; WIKI/iLighter; Steven Keating, Julian Leland, Levi Cai, and Neri Oxman_Mediated Matter Group; MIT, Steven Keating, Andy Ryan

WHAT IF YOU could access the internet anywhere in the world?

That’s the idea behind Project Loon, Google’s ambitious project run by its secretive X branch to create a global web. The plan is to use high-altitude balloons 20 kilometres up to transmit Wi-Fi to the ground, bringing connectivity to the remaining portions of the world that aren’t currently online.

Filled with helium, the balloons are about 15 metres across.

Beneath them hangs a small box that enables the Wi-Fi signal to be transmitted to the ground. Running on solar power, the balloons can stay aloft for up to 200 days. It’s not yet clear when the service might come online, although a pending patent dispute may delay efforts somewhat. Originally planning to build hundreds, Google now says it can bring the system online with just dozens, using machine learning to direct the balloons to certain areas.

IT TAKES

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Pollinator drones could support bees in transporting pollen to plants.

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

The DCP is equipped with one long, 5-axis hydraulic arm that has a shorter 6-axis arm mounted on its endpoint.

The Digital Construction Platform (DCP) built this 3.7m foam wall in 14 hours.

The DCP can be used to pour concrete, spray insulation or be equipped with a milling head.

Novel 3D-printing techniques could be used to construct entire buildings

05

3D-printed buildings SURE, 3D-PRINTED TOYS and tools are pretty cool.

But printing an entire building would be a whole lot better, and that’s what a team from MIT is working on.

Their robotic system uses a vehicle with tracks to carry a large, industrial robotic arm. A nozzle at the end can then be used to lay concrete or spray insulation, allowing a structure to be built up over time. In a test, they were able to build a dome made of polyurethane foam moulds filled with concrete in 14 hours, measuring 3.7 metres high and 15 metres wide.

The idea is that these machines could optimally build structures using on-site environmental data, such as giving walls varying thickness depending on which way they are facing. It’s still in its early stages, but one day, you might be stepping into a 3D-printed home.

[W

W.TECHLIFE.NET ]

If you need windows, MIT has also been working on 3D printing glass

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FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

06

Super batteries A NUMBER OF breakthroughs in battery technology could lead to ones that are longer-lasting and charge faster. In July 2017, a team of scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) came up with a novel solution to the former by using ‘molecular pulleys’ to increase lifetime. These held silicon inside the battery’s anode in place, allowing it to remain 98% effective even after hundreds of cycles.

In 2015, meanwhile, Samsung unveiled a new rapid-charging technology that could recharge a phone in minutes. They used synthesised organic molecules inside their batteries to achieve the results, with ions moving more quickly in these batteries than others and thus charging faster.

And if capacity is your thing, we’ve got you covered. In 2016, scientists from the University of Central Florida (UCF) revealed their supercapacit r battery prototype, using metal materials e width of an atom w ed in nanowires to greatly increase storage capacity.

The concept for the Forest City was designed by Milan-based Stefano Boeri Architetti.

07

Smog-busting buidings

Advanced batteries could charge in a matter of minutes.

SMOG IS A serious issue in cities across the globe, threatening the health of many people. But steps are underway to tackle it using some innovative new technologies that can pull it out of the air.

One such idea is the Vertical Forest project in Milan. This pair of residential towers hosts 20,000 trees and plants to absorb nearly 20,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide every year and turn it into oxygen.

The trees can also keep the temperatures of buildings down and filter out dust particles from traffic. Specialised aerial arborists scale the buildings to keep the plants and trees fed and watered.

Similar projects have since sprung up in China (the Liuzhou Forest City), Canada and elsewhere. While one would hope the problem of pollution might be stopped at the source by reducing emissions, these at least offer another solution.

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

The city will be equipped with a futuristic train line and spaceshiplike train station.

The Liuzhou Forest City will be home to 30,000 people and around 40,000 trees. In line with the eco-friendly surroundings, the cars on the roads will be electric.

The Vertical Forest project in Milan helps to reduce air pollution

[W

TECHLIFE.NET ]

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FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Inside the Nano Membrane toilet

08

HOW THIS LIFE-CHANGING LOO WILL WORK.

ROTATING FLUSH Waste enters the toilet as normal in a mixed stream. A rotating waterless flush blocks odour and transfers the waste into the holding tank for separate processing of urine and faeces.

Waterless toilets

WATERLESS TOILETS MIGHT not sound too appealing, but they could be a hugely important health breakthrough across the globe. More than 2.4 billion people live without access to clean running water, and approximately 1.5 million children die each year from food and water that has been tainted with faecal matter.

In 2012, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sought to change all that, awarding funding to several teams developing waterless toilets. Now one of those, the Nano Membrane toilet from Cranfield University in the UK, is making strides.

Using nanotechnology, their device directly converts human waste into water and ash. The water is removed from urine by passing it through a membrane chamber and heating it, while faeces is burned to turn it into useful ash. The team are hoping to begin field testing their idea, which could be a game-changer for many.

SPENDING A PENNY While the toilet will cost around $3,300, by serving 50 users a day, that price equates to about 7c per person per day for 10 years.

DRIER PELLETISER Reduces moisture content of the solid waste before dosing the fuel into the gasifier below.

ARCHIMEDES SCREW Removes solid waste from the holding tank after a settling period.

GASIFIER Burns the faeces to produce the energy for the system.

09

Biodegradable plastics PLASTIC WASTE IS a huge problem, taking centuries to degrade when discarded in landfills. Biodegradable plastics, however, could be a lifesaver. Using materials that break down in much shorter periods of time, the wastage problem could be dramatically reduced.

One idea comes from researchers at Harvard, who created a bioplastic from a substance found in shrimp shells. The substance is chitosan, a form of a polymer called chitin that’s responsible for the hardiness of shrimp shells. It is the second most abundant organic material on Earth, so there’s no short supply. It breaks down in just weeks, leaving behind nutrients that can support plant growth.

Another idea comes from the Indonesian company Avani, who have made plastic bags and other objects out of cassava starch, a shrub found

[ 082 ]

in South America. Their resultant bioplastic is completely biodegradable and compostable. Looking indistinguishable from regular plastic bags, these might just be the future of shopping.

Advanced solar power

WEIR CHANNEL Urine will pass over the weir and into the channel where it will warm up around the exhaust of the gasifier.

MEMBRANE BUNDLE The urine will pass into the membrane chamber and pure water will pass out of the hollow membrane fibres.

RESERVOIR The pathogen-free water will be stored ready for either use around the home or easy disposal by the homeowner.

WHILE SOLAR POWER is becoming increasingly widespread, one problem is that solar cells are not that efficient, being able to convert only around 32% of incoming sunlight into electricity. However, that could all change with hot solar cells, which could double the efficiency.

The idea is not just to absorb light but to absorb heat too. So-called thermophotovoltaics have been around for a while, but in 2016, a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) worked out how to boost their efficiency. They made the spectrum of the incoming light more useful for the solar cell, first by converting it into heat and then back into light. This is the first design to absorb more energy than a standard solar cell. The technology may still be a decade away, but the potential benefits are enormous.

FEATURE 10 INVENTIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

10

HOT SOLAR CELLS DON’T JUST ABSORB LIGHT, THEY ABSORB HEAT, TOO. HEAT EXCHANGER The water vapour will condense to liquid and fall to the bottom.

Avani’s eco bags, cups and other implements are made from cassava starch.

[ WWW W.TECHLIFE.NET ]

]

[ TECHLIFE #72 ]

HELP STATION GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TECH

[ THIS MONTH IN HELP STATION ]

84 86 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104

Q&A YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Windows PRO TIPS FOR WINDOWS’ FILE EXPLORER

Mac RUN WINDOWS 10 ON YOUR MAC

iOS MASTER iOS 11’S ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS

Android SPEED UP AN OLDER ANDROID PHONE

Downloads & streaming

You’ll need to add the video to your client device by navigating to ‘Add Videos…> Browse > UPnP devices’ and then choosing your PC.

GET INTERACTIVE WITH YOUR FICTION

Security & privacy HOW ONLINE AD SERVICES WATCH YOU (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)

Home networking GETTING TO KNOW POWERLINE NETWORKING

Digital darkroom DISCOVER THE POWER OF PHOTOSHOP BLEND MODES

Photography MASTER YOUR DSLR: IN-CAMERA PROCESSING

Your Wi-Fi signal may broadcast beyond your home’s boundary, so ensure its password is a strong one.

[ MEDIA ]

Share your Kodi media libraries I enjoyed your Kodi add-ons tutorial from issue 66 (page 98), but I’d like to be able to share my media directly from Kodi without having to use another program such as Plex.

What must I do? [ GERRY BUKOWSKI ]

Nick Peers replies: Good as it is, Kodi simply doesn’t provide as slick a user experience as Plex or Emby, but its DLNA-compatible server is widely accessible from a range of other devices.

Here’s how you set it up...

Open Kodi and click the Settings button followed by Service Settings. Select ‘UPnP/ DLNA’ in the left navigation pane, then flick the ‘Share my libraries’ switch to ‘On’ to sh hare your media. Kodi should show up as a DLNA/UPNP source on compatible devicees.

You can access your shared media libraries from another computer, iPhone or Android device by installing Kodi on there. Once done, navigate to ‘Service Settings > UPnP/DLNA’ on there and flick the ‘Allow remote control via UPnP’ to gain access.

Next, you need to physically add the shared content to your client device — from the home page, select your target library and enter the files section. Click ‘Add videos...’ followed by Browse, UPnP devices and select your PC. Click OK twice.

You can now access your shared media libraries — they won’t show up on the main screen; instead, select Movies and click ‘Enter files section’ to manually browse your libraries using the same navigation tools as found in Kodi itself. [ INTERNET ]

the best Getting Wi-Fi connection We use a couple of Wi-Fi access points to deliver good signal coverage throughout our house and garden. How should we configure them to ensure our devices always get the best wireless connections? [ RACHEL STELMACH ]

Ian Sleightholm replies: In theory, you should set up each with a unique name and password, so that, in the event of problems, they are easier to identify. However, some devices don’t simply connect according to the best signal, but first and foremost according to the priority list of access points, and so may well opt for a weaker signal if that connection happens to be at the top of the list. You can use this to your advantage by giving your access points identical names and passwords. They’ll still have unique [ 084 ]

HELP STATION Q AND A

You can select certain metadata to remove if you don’t want to erase it all.

Changing the default app for a file type is easy.

IP addresses, and will automatically configure themselves to operate on different wireless channels. When your device then tries to connect, it’ll give both the access points equal priority, and should choose the one with the better signal. This should, in turn, ensure you get the fastest speed and a more reliable connection. If you then have a wireless problem and need to work out which access point is causing the problems, you’ll have to rename it until that’s fixed. One other important matter is that you must ensure the common password is long, impossible to guess, and robust. Unless you’re in a remote location, it’s wise to turn off guest access to reduce the risk of anyone breaking into your network. [ HARDWARE ]

Laptop wiping worry

I’m about to remove my laptop hard drive, connect it to my desktop and wipe the drive before returning it to the laptop for a brand-new Windows install. But I’ve realised that, when I put back the drive, there will be no OEM partition on the drive containing laptop drivers to recognise the optical drive or USB ports, and there’s no laptop drivers disc.

How would I install these drivers to ensure they would recognise the Windows install disc when I boot? [ GERALD GIBSON ]

Nick Peers replies: Your laptop’s ability to boot from a DVD or USB drive is not linked to the currently installed OS system. It’s handled by your PC’s BIOS or UEFI. You can test this now with your Windows bootable USB flash drive.

Restart your laptop with the drive plugged in and it will do one of three things: automatically boot to the recovery media; offer you the option of pressing any key to boot from the recovery media; or boot back into Windows as normal.

If it goes straight to Windows, restart your laptop again, but look for a message that flashes up on first boot inviting you to press a key to access a boot menu — such as F11 — or enter the BIOS/UEFI configuration tool — typically Del or F2. If the boot menu option is presented to you, press the key and a boot menu will appear — check to see whether your USB drive

is listed; if it is, select it and then press Enter to boot from it. If it isn’t, check that the configuration tool you’re using supports USB booting — if it does, make sure that the USB drive is listed. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to burn a Windows 10 install DVD using the Media Creation Tool, and then boot from that. [ SOFTWARE ]

VLC hijacked my Has music files?

I’m a little concerned, because I’ve just checked my collection of MP3 files and they’ve been changed to a VLC format, and I’m not sure why. [ DAN EVANS ] Cat Ellis replies: Don’t worry, Dan — what this suggests is that the VLC Media Player app has become the default player for your MP3 files. If you go to ‘Start > Settings > Apps > Default apps’, you may see it listed as the default music player. Click the icon and choose a different player from those installed.

If you simply wanted to change the default app for MP3 files, open File Explorer, locate a file and choose ‘Open with > Choose another app’. Tick ‘Always use this app to open .mp3 files’, then select your desired app and click OK.

Remove all metadata: You can also create separate copies of the files with all the metadata removed from them — useful if you’re sharing with others or uploading to social media. Simply leave ‘Create a copy with all possible properties removed’ and click OK. Selectively remove: Alternatively, 03 you can choose ‘Remove the following properties from this file’ if you want to wipe the data from the original files. Click Select All to remove all metadata, or selectively tick the fields that you wish to remove. Click OK to wipe them.

Select from multiple folders: Want to 04 select multiple files of the same type from different folders? Browse to the top-most folder in File Explorer, then type the name of the file type (such as .doc) into the Search box. Hit Enter to quickly generate a list of relevant files.

02

[ WINDOWS ]

doesn’t Calendar print my way I am using the latest version of Windows 10, but I am having a problem with the Calendar app. On my desktop screen, I see lovely solid colours (as selected) for each event, but when I try to print out a copy of my calendar, all I get is a box and no solid colour. Can you please help? [ TONY LAWRENCE ]

[ PHOTO EDITING ]

unwanted Remove photo metadata What’s the quickest way to remove all the metadata from a large collection of photos so I can burn a DVD slideshow? [ TREVOR HAWKER ]

Nick Peers replies: Metadata can be found in a number of different file types including photos, and you might want to remove such data for privacy reasons (as it may contain personal information). Windows includes a metadata removal tool.

Access removal tool: Browse to a folder 01 using File Explorer, then select all of the files that share the same file type (such as JPG).

Right-click them and choose Properties. Switch to the Details tab and click ‘Remove Properties and Personal Information’.

Nick Odantzis replies: This sounds like you’re referring to the built-in Calendar app, Tony.

Sadly, it’s very much deliberate behaviour on the part of the app — presumably to save toner and ink and provide clarity. There’s no setting to switch this off, so you’ll need to hunt for an alternative Calendar app that gives you control over the printout.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a freebie that offered this level of customisation. eM Client (www.emclient.com) pulls the same trick as Calendar, while Thunderbird (mzl.la/2tbUH7j) prints in a different way. Instead search the Windows Store for ‘One Calendar’, which recently added printing support, and which prints using solid colours as you require.

You can try it for free, but printing requires upgrading to the Pro version for $7.45.

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HELP STATION PRO TIPS FOR WINDOWS’ FILE EXPLORER

[ WINDOWS ]

Pro tips for Windows’ File Explorer

03

DISCOVER NEW WAYS TO VIEW, EDIT AND ARRANGE FILES AND FOLDERS ON YOUR PC WITH THESE TIPS AND TRICKS [ ROB MEAD-GREEN ]

01

WHATEVER YOU DO in Windows 10, chances are you’re going to use the File Explorer at some point. It’s the graphical user interface (GUI) that enables you to find, edit, copy, delete and organise your files. And in Windows 10, it carries a myriad of useful features that enable you to do more with ease — from taking a sneak peek at the contents of files without actually opening them, to changing the default file and folder views.

The quickest way to access File Explorer is to click the dedicated shortcut in the taskbar. You can also open it using ‘Win-E’, by clicking its option in the Start menu (just above Settings), or by asking Windows 10’s helpful virtual personal assistant, Cortana.

In this tutorial, we’re going to explain the tips, tricks and customisation secrets that can help you master File Explorer.

So let’s crack on, shall we?

02

[STEP BY STEP]

GET STARTED WITH FILE EXPLORER

REVEAL THE RIBBON

01

You may not be able to see the Ribbon when you first open a File Explorer window. If that’s the case, either click on the down arrow on the right side of the window, or press ‘Ctrl-F1’. You should now see four tabs: File, Home, Share and View. Select View to reveal the different ways you can change how a File Explorer windows contents are displayed. [ 086 ]

CHANGE THE VIEW

02

Under ‘View > Layout’, you’ll see a range of options, including Large Icons, Small Icons and so on. Mouse over each one to see how it changes the way contents are displayed. To make each change more permanent, click the option you want to use. Now if you close the window, then reopen it again, you will see the change you have made has stuck. You can change the view at any time.

QUICK ACCESS

02

MAIN WINDOW

03

RIBBON

04

PREVIEW PANE

05

CHANGE VIEW

06

SEARCH

Click any item here to quickly jump to the relevant folder. Some items, such as the Documents and Pictures folders, are here by default, but you can easily add your own shortcuts.

06

The files and folders in the currently selected location. Select ‘Ribbon > View’ to change the way these items are displayed — in a list, as small icons or something else.

HELP STATION PRO TIPS FOR WINDOWS’ FILE EXPLORER

01

The four tabs — File, Home, Share and View — contained in this toolbar let you to perform various actions on files, on folders and on File Explorer itself.

Enable this option to get a preview of a file without having to open the relevant application. Works best with pictures and video.

You can switch between content list and large thumbnail views in File Explorer by selecting the relevant button — left for content list, right for large thumbnail.

04

05

TAKE A SNEAK PEEK

03

Head to ‘View > Panes’ and click ‘Preview Pane’. You’ll now see a preview of the currently selected file or files (useful for pictures and video) without having to open it in a compatible application. You can resize the Preview Pane for a closer look by clicking and dragging the grey border to the left (the cursor will change to a double-arrow). Double-click to open the file in the relevant app. [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Quickly find any item by typing what you’re looking for into the Search box.

You can also search your computer using Cortana, of course.

SEE MORE DETAILS

04

If you want to know more about a file, go to ‘View > Panes’ and select the Details Pane. This reveals further info, including EXIF data in any photos. As you mouse over some of the details, you’ll see a grey outline appear around them. This means you can edit them. Double-click to change the current selection. You can add titles, tags, star ratings and other info right in File Explorer. [ 087 ]

HELP STATION PRO TIPS FOR WINDOWS’ FILE EXPLORER

SORT YOUR STUFF

05

By default, File Explorer displays items in alphabetical order.

To change this go to ‘View > Current View’ and click ‘Sort By’ to reveal a drop-down menu. You can view items by name, date, tags or any one of seven other options, as well as in ascending or descending order — handy if you’re trying to find the latest version or are trying to save space by weeding out the largest ones.

FORM A GROUP

06

You can also sort files and folders into groups. Again, this is handy for identifying certain kinds of file, such as any images you have tagged.

To do that, go to ‘View > Current View > Group by’, then choose from your options.

You’ll see the window layout change to reflect your selection. If you select by File Type, for example, you’ll see files are listed under File Type headings.

CUSTOMISE YOUR COLUMNS

07

Another way to get at-a-glance info is to customise the columns File Explorer shows. In ‘Layout > Details and Current View > Group views’, you’ll see default columns, but you can change these. Go to ‘Current View > Add Columns’ and select Choose Columns. A Choose Details window appears.

You can now choose the columns you want to see. Click OK once done.

SHARE FILES AND FOLDERS

08

File Explorer makes sharing easy. Go to ‘Ribbon > Share > Send > Share’ to upload files to apps and services such as Mail and Facebook. Select ‘Send > Zip’ to compress them, or use the options in the next column to print, fax or burn them to disc. To share items on a network, select ‘Share With > Specific people...’, then choose your options from the window that opens.

OTHER FILE EXPLORER OPTIONS

09

While you can select multiple files and folders by clicking and dragging or Ctrl-clicking, there is another option. Go to ‘View > Show/hide’ and select and check the ‘Item check boxes’ option. Every item will now have its own check box, making it easy to select them quickly.

This section also lets you to show or hide file extensions and show or hide individual files and folders.

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CUSTOMISE QUICK ACCESS

10

If you regularly access certain items, Quick Access can help.

It enables you to pin them to its menu, which sits in File Explorer’s sidebar. Select the Quick Access menu itself and you will see your favourites on top with recent files below. To add an item to Quick Access, select it, then go to ‘Home > Pin to Quick Access’. To remove it, right-click it and select ‘Unpin from Quick Access’.

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HELP STATION RUN WINDOWS 10 FROM YOUR MAC [ MAC ]

Run Windows 10 on your Mac RUN WINDOWS 10 FROM A VIRTUAL MACHINE WINDOW ON YOUR MACOS DESKTOP. [ NATE DRAKE ]

VIRTUALBOX IS A free app in which you can create a Windows 10 ‘virtual machine’.

This means you can run Windows, use programs written for it, and share files from the comfort of your macOS desktop. In order to proceed, all you need to do is buy a Windows 10 DVD or download an ISO file, as well as obtain a valid product key for your chosen version.

Our guide also contains tips on installing the VirtualBox Extension Pack and Guest

Look in your virtual machine’s View menu to find options for how Windows’ desktop scales and to take screenshots.

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Additions. These allow for the more advanced features that you would find in a physical computer, including fullscreen mode (press Command-F to switch to it) and support for USB devices. Once you have followed our walkthrough, check out VirtualBox’s Devices menu for more hidden treasures. Choose ‘Devices > Shared Clipboard > Bidirectional’ to be able to copy and paste text between macOS and your virtual Windows machine.

You can use drag and drop to move files and folders between systems. PCs are more prone to malware than Macs, so you may want to enable the ‘host to guest’ setting.

For further peace of mind, you can choose only to share specific folders from your Mac, such as Downloads. Pick ‘Devices > Shared Folders > Shared Folders Settings’ to add a specific Mac folder. You’ll then have access to your designated folders in Windows’ File Explorer under ‘Network > VBOXSVR’.

You can access shared Mac folders under Networks in Windows; right-click to create a shortcut on the desktop.

[ STEP BY STEP ] HELP STATION RUN WINDOWS 10 FROM YOUR MAC

SET UP VIRTUALBOX

INSTALLATION

01

Open Safari and visit virtualbox.org to download the current version of the software. Once you’ve installed the app, return to its site and click ‘All supported platforms’ next to ‘VirtualBox Extension Pack’ and install that as well.

GET WINDOWS

02

To proceed, you need a DVD or ISO image of Windows 10. ISO images are available from bit.ly/mf320virtualbox.

You must enter a valid product key within 90 days of installing Windows 10 in order to keep using it.

CONFIGURE ITS STORAGE

04

Leave the default ‘Hard disk file type’ selected and click Continue.

Do the same for ‘Storage on physical hard disk’ by clicking Continue again. Choose the size and location for your virtual disk, then click Create.

When the virtual machine opens, dismiss alerts about mouse and keyboard integration. At ‘Where do you want to install Windows’, pick your virtual disk and click Next. Continue setup as you would on a regular PC.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Click New at the top left of the app.

Next to Name, enter ‘Windows 10’ then click Continue. Adjust the slider on the Memory Size page to allocate memory to your virtual machine. Assign at least 2048MB to it.

ADD WINDOWS MEDIA

05

Choose ‘Machine > Settings’, then click Storage. Select the CD in the Storage Devices tree, then click the CD icon near Optical Drive, and then either your DVD drive, or Virtual Optical Disk File and your Windows 10 ISO file.

SET UP WINDOWS

07

MAKE A VIRTUAL MACHINE

03

ADD USB SUPPORT

06

Click Ports and then the USB tab.

Click the small blue icon at the top right of the device filters box to add one or two empty filters; this enables you to connect USB devices to Windows. Click OK to save your settings, and then click Start.

GUEST ADDITIONS

08

Once Windows’ desktop appears, Choose ‘Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD image’. Go to that CD in File Explorer and run VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe to install extra features. When prompted, select Reboot Now and then click Finish.

ATTACH USB DEVICES

09

Connect a USB device — for example, a memory stick — to your Mac, but ensure you eject it in Finder before proceeding.

While your virtual machine is running, go to ‘Devices > USB’ and select your device there to make it available to Windows.

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HELP STATION MASTER IOS 11’S ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS [ IOS ]

Master iOS 11’s accessibility tools ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES ARE FOR EVERYONE WITH AN iPAD OR iPHONE. [ CRAIG GRANNELL ]

ACCESSIBILITY IS SOMETHING many people consider an add-on for those with specific assistive needs. A well-known example is screen reading software, baked into Macs and iOS devices to help anyone with a visual impairment. But modern accessibility’s aim is to cater for everyone, whatever their specific needs. So iOS 11 includes settings to benefit people who have hearing or motor

impairment, too, and issues such as vestibular disorders.

Chances are that if you don’t have any such concerns, you skip past the Accessibility section of Settings entirely. That would be a shame, because ideas and concepts geared towards easing device use for a subset of people can often benefit a much wider audience. And that’s what this tutorial

is all about — highlighting accessibility controls that can be a boon for anyone who uses an iPad or an iPhone, whether you have a specific impairment or not.

We start with three handy-to-have controls in the ‘Display & Brightness’ section of Settings, before delving into the Accessibility section proper.

[ STEP BY STEP ]

MAKE THE MOST OF iOS ACCESSIBILITY

ADJUST DISPLAY ZOOM

01

Want content bigger on your iPhone Plus? In ‘Display & Brightness’, scroll down to View and tap Standard. In the Display Zoom page, you can preview Standard and Zoomed modes. Select Zoomed, tap Set and confirm to restart.

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INCREASE TEXT SIZE

02

You can alternatively adjust text alone. In Text Size (or ‘Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Text’), drag the slider. In apps that support dynamic type, such as Mail and Facebook, text size will grow accordingly (or shrink, if you wish).

MAKE TEXT BOLDER

03

The option below Text Size (or Larger Text in Accessibility) is Bold Text.

This emboldens text throughout iOS, including app names and interface buttons. Unlike Text Size, it requires you restart your iPhone to apply the changes.

HELP STATION MASTER IOS 11’S ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS

USE SMART INVERT

04

In ‘General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations’, you could always invert colours; but Smart Invert now reverses interface colours but not media.

Alas, while it works for Photos, it doesn’t work for images in Safari.

AUTO-BRIGHTNESS

05

The iOS auto-brightness toggle used to be in Display & Brightness.

Apple now thinks you should leave it on, so has hidden it. If you ‘think different’, you can now find it in ‘General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations’.

READ OUT A SELECTION

07

Use the Speaking Rate slider to preview how fast the OS will talk.

Then switch to another app, select some text and tap Speak. Note how the current sentence is underlined, and words are highlighted as they are spoken.

If you want to use Siri somewhere you have to be quiet, turn on ‘General > Accessibility > Siri > Type to Siri’.

When Siri is activated, you now type in your query. Note, however, that this entirely overrides voice input functionality.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Few people use speech on macOS, but it’s great for proofing your written documents. We suspect even fewer realise iOS is capable of the same. Go to ‘General > Accessibility > Speech’, and turn on Speak Selection to get started.

INCREASE CONTRAST

08

If you have trouble dealing with the semi-transparent interface elements peppered throughout iOS 11, you can make them look more solid. In ‘General > Accessibility’, tap Increase Contrast, and then Reduce Transparency.

TYPE TO SIRI

10

TURN ON SPEECH

06

REDUCE MOTION

09

Had your fill of iOS 11’s dizzying animations, such as folder zooms, and the app switcher? Most of them can be stilled by turning on Reduce Motion in ‘General > Accessibility’. Auto-playing Messages effects are toggled separately.

FINE-TUNE 3D TOUCH

11

On an iPhone with 3D Touch, go to ‘General > Accessibility > 3D Touch’.

In this pane, you can disable the feature entirely if you regularly trigger it accidentally, or you can adjust its sensitivity so that it requires a firmer press before activation.

TURN ON MONO AUDIO

12

Listening out for someone? Want to use just one earbud, keeping the other ear free, without missing half your stereo track?

Use ‘General > Accessibility > Mono Audio’ to mix the left and right channels into a mono signal sent to both channels.

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HELP STATION SPEED UP AN OLDER ANDROID PHONE

[ ANDROID ]

Speed up an older Android phone PERFORMANCE TIPS AND TRICKS TO KEEP YOUR DEVICE RUNNING SMOOTHLY. [ LINDSAY HANDMER]

BUYING THE LATEST wizz-bang smartphone is very satisfying, but older hardware can keep on trucking for a long time. However, inevitably, a clog of apps, updates (or lack thereof) or other issues can slow your device to a crawl. To help out, we’ve put together a guide to finding and eliminating any performance bottlenecks.

Our instructions are based around a Nexus 6P running Android 8, so your menus might be slightly different.

FINDING THE ISSUE The hard part is knowing exactly what has caused your phone to go from buttery smooth to laggy and annoying. Sometimes, it is obvious — if the change is very sudden after installing a particular app or update, for instance. But normally, it’s a combination of factors that can be very frustrating to troubleshoot. It’s worth noting that full RAM on Android is a good thing (it helps Greenify gives you total control over commonly used apps load faster) and task background apps and can ensure they killer apps are best avoided. A good starting sleep properly, improving performance. point is to check battery usage — rogue apps often use excess power. in active use, but If you do spot an app AS PHONES AGE, ONE OF THE some stay awake that is using an BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS and can keep using excessive amount BATTERY LIFE. IT’S AN EASY resources. This can of battery usage, try FIX IF THE BATTERY IS be a tricky problem uninstalling it and REMOVEABLE, BUT DON’T to solve, and the seeing if performance RULE IT OUT OTHERWISE. easiest way is with improves. Another REPLACEMENT BATTERIES a third party app. resource hog can be CAN BE QUITE CHEAP ONLINE. We recommend widgets — remove Greenify any you don’t use, (goo.gl/LSsNw), or disable them which can be used to identify misbehaving temporarily to see if performance changes. apps, and to force them to sleep when not Check the update history and try removing in use. For more in depth data, the free app a recent update if possible, or install a newer Trepn Profiler (goo.gl/d7Seif) gives real update if there is one available. It’s also worth time readouts of performance metrics, doing a Google search with your problem such as CPU use. and phone model, as it might be a common issue that someone else has already solved.

CLEAR CACHE AND APP DATA After uninstalling apps or making any Apps store all sorts of data for later changes, make sure to reboot so your phone reference, which normally helps speed starts fresh. things up and avoid unnecessary CHECK PERFORMANCE AND downloads. But sometimes, an app can RUNNING APPS end up with something in the cache that Most apps sleep in the background when not causes it to act a bit screwy or create lag. [ 094 ]

Trepn is a powerful performance analysing app that can help track down rogue apps that are using too many resources.

Clearing the cache wipes that data, but does not get rid of any app data such as saved logins or game progress. Clearing the cache varies depending on Android version, so Google it to make sure, but it’s usually in ‘Settings > Storage’. In Android 8.0, clearing the cached data is only possible app by app, under ‘Settings > Apps & notifications’, then by selecting an app, and hitting Storage. If a particular app is the problem, selecting to clear app data will wipe it back to a fresh state, just as if it was uninstalled and reinstalled. For more in depth data, Trepn Profiler gives real time readouts of performance metrics, such as CPU use.

DELETE UNNECESSARY APPS AND FILES That old notepad app you haven’t used in a year is unlikely to contribute much to your smartphone’s performance issues, but is still worth clearing out. The same goes for old download files, as well as photos and videos that are packed up elsewhere.

To see what is using most of your space, head to ‘Settings > Storage’ and get rid of

FULL RESET

Often clearing the cache can help bring a misbehaving app back into line.

Reducing the animation scales in Developer Mode can help make an older device feel a bit faster.

everything you no longer need. A little bit here, and a little there might add up to a noticeable difference.

DEVELOPER OPTIONS While not usually necessary, hidden in Developer Mode is an option that can help an older device feel a lot snappier. Activating Developer Mode varies phone to phone, but generally, it’s something similar to ‘Settings > About’, then tapping on the build number until Developer Mode activates. Under the settings menu, there should be an extra Developer options menu. Scrolling down, there should be three entries for Animation Scales — these control how fast things like menus pop up. Changing all three from 1x to 0.5x can help give a snappier feel on an older phone, or turn them off completely to further reduce lag, albeit at the expense of looks. Many third-party launcher apps (such as Nova Launcher) also allow user adjustment of animation scales.

HARDWARE UPGRADES As phones age, one of the biggest problems is battery life. It’s an easy fix if the battery is removeable, but don’t rule it out otherwise.

Replacement batteries can be quite cheap online (try eBay, eBay.com.au) and websites such as iFixit (ifixit.com) have excellent guides for most major phones. Otherwise, check your local phone repair business — many can replace a battery surprisingly [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

For hard-to-troubleshoot issues, the solution is often a full factory reset. While it might seem kind of drastic, it’s actually a fairly quick and painless process. The very important first step is to ensure everything is backed up — check ‘Settings > System’ and make sure Backup is turned on. Keep in mind that Android does not automatically backup call logs and SMS — try App Backup Restore – Transfer (goo.gl/TPpw3) for a full solution. Your previously installed apps will be reinstalled, so make sure to remove any you don’t use anymore before the factory reset. Once backed up, to perform a reset, head to ‘Settings > System > Reset’ and select ‘Factory Reset’. Make sure your phone is plugged in, and everything should be restored back to the default settings.

You will then have to sign back into your Google account, and either let it restore your apps, or use your third-party backup prepared earlier. For those who want an even fresher start, during the setup process, select to not have your previous settings and apps restored.

HELP STATION SPEED UP AN OLDER ANDROID PHONE

FOR THOSE WHO WANT AN EVEN FRESHER START, DURING THE SETUP PROCESS, SELECT TO NOT HAVE YOUR PREVIOUS SETTINGS AND APPS RESTORED.

Checking your battery usage statistics can help track down a problem app that is hogging system resources.

cheaply. For those with performance issues, thermal throttling can be to blame, so try ditching a thick case and seeing if there is an improvement.

Many Android phones include a microSD card slot, and adding some extra storage is a good way to make an older device a lot more usable.

If all else fails, a factory reset can solve a lot of problems, but make sure to back up all your data first.

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HELP STATION ONLINE INTERACTIVE FICTION

[ DOWNLOADS AND STREAMING ]

Get interactive with your fiction A LOOK AT THE BEST FINGER-CLICKIN’ GOOD TEXT ADVENTURES YOU CAN PLAY IN YOUR BROWSER. [ NATHAN TAYLOR ]

YOU ARE LIKELY to be eaten by a grue.

If that phrase means anything to you, then this month’s column is for you!

We’ve previously talked about the huge variety of retro arcade and console games you can stream to you PC using just a web browser, but there was a major category we left out: interactive fiction, also known as text adventures.

For old-timer gamers, text adventures were once the bee’s knees. Usually, they had no graphics at all: you would get text descriptions of locations and events, and just typed what you wanted you character to do and hoped that the language parser could understand you. They were awesome, and frustrating, and often insanely difficult.

There is still a notable community of interactive fiction developers around today, and a lot of the older games have also made the transition to web-based applications.

So this month, we’re going to take a dive into that world and look at where to find some of the best text adventures you can play online right now.

Zork playing through iplayif.com

http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/ games/zcode/zdungeon.z5 Now, if you take this URL and feed it to iplayif.com like so: http://iplayif.com/?story=http://www. ifarchive.org/if-archive/games/zcode/ zdungeon.z5 ...then you’ll see Zork start to play in your browser. Cool, huh?

Of course, it’s easier to just go to pre-made links rather than make your own.

And that’s where the aforementioned

Interactive Fiction Database comes into play. It’s a huge database of interactive fiction, new and old.

Head to ifdb.tads.org in your browser to visit it. There are thousands of interactive fiction titles hosted and linked from here, and it includes web links to online players like iplayif.com as well.

Finding stuff can be unwieldy if you don’t have a specific title you’re after.

We’d start with ‘Browse lists’ and look for the Top 100 list. Of course, if you know

HOW TO START THE GAMES Today, most text adventures are not developed or released as executable files that you can just run. They are typically released in a format such as TADS (Text Adventure Development System), Z-Code (for Infocom games) or Hugo that requires an interpreter to play.

So to play a game, you need to load it into an interpreter. There are a number available on the web, but the one we find the most reliable can be found at iplayif.com.

But going to iplayif.com just by itself won’t do anything except give you a link to the Interactive Fiction Database.

You have to ask it to play a particular game.

And to do that, you type into the browser address bar: http://iplayif.com/ ?story=addressofstory ...where ‘addressofstory’ is the web address of the interactive fiction file.

For example, a Z-code version of Zork can be found at: [ 096 ]

FIVE TITLES TO START WITH THE WORLD OF INTERACTIVE FICTION IS A BIG ONE, SO HERE ARE FIVE TITLES TO GET YOU STARTED:

ZORK iplayif.com/?story=http://www.ifarchive.org/ if-archive/games/zcode/zdungeon.z5 The most famous of all of the text adventure games, it’s the one that most people know and reference when talking about IF. Thanks to a promotional push

by Activision for a newer Zork game a few years back, Zorks 1 through 3 are in the public domain.

For those who never experienced it, Zork is a fantasy game that takes you through a dungeon where the goal is to find as many treasures as possible.

OK, that description doesn’t really do justice to its awesome weirdness and offbeat humour — you just have to try it for yourself.

THE DREAMHOLD eblong.com/zarf/zweb/dreamhold A fantasy story that’s perfect for beginners, The Dreamhold is one of the IF stories most recommended by experienced IF gamers. It actually has tips and help systems if you get stuck, and the story is one of the most compelling and well written we’ve seen.

HELP STATION ONLINE INTERACTIVE FICTION

Gargoyle on PC running Zork.

PLAYING ON PC AND MOBILE PERHAPS YOU’D RATHER PLAY LOCALLY THAN ON A WEBSITE. On PC we like Gargoyle ((ccxvii.net/ gargoyle), e and if you want to try playing on mobile you can use Son of Hunky Punk on Google Play. With these apps, you download the interactive fiction file to the local drive, then start the interpreter and open the file.

what you’re after, you can just type the name of the game in the search bar (we should note that the site does not host copyrighted content, so if you’re looking for most of Infocom’s catalogue, for example, you’ll have to look for another site).

Once you find a title you’re interested in, click on it. You’ll see on the top right that there will be a Play On-line link. Click on that link and it will take you to iplayif.com or a similar site with the link already filled in for you.

HOW YOU PLAY INTERACTIVE FICTION INTERACTIVE FICTION IS PLAYED BY TYPING IN COMMANDS. YOU TELL THE GAME WHAT YOU WANT YOUR CHARACTER TO DO. The simplest type of command is VERB-OBJECT. For example: “take sword”, “open door”, “hit troll”, “examine book”, “go north”. Most of the commands you’ll issue will be of this type.

You can include conjunctions and possibly adjectives and prepositions as well if you like: “hit the troll”, “examine the dusty book”, “go through the door”.

Next, there are the more complex VERB-SUBJECT-OBJECT commands. These usually work too: “hit the troll with the sword”, “put the batteries in the flashlight” and so on.

Usually, sentences more complex than this will be unable to be interpreted. Obviously, the vocabulary is limited as well, so a lot of things you try will get an “I don’t understand” response.

Don’t worry — you’ll get a vibe for the language soon enough.

Finally, there are special game commands, like “Quit” (to end the game), “Undo” (to take back the last thing you did) and “Save” and “Restore” (to save the state or return to a saved game).

On iplayif.com, the Save command does something special. You’ll see when you type it that the web address in the browser changes. Bookmark this address, and when you return later, it will resume at the point you left off.

NAMELESS QUEST

LOST PIG

THE PAWN

iplayif.com/?story=http://ifarchive.org/if-archive/ games/zcode/nameless.z8

iplayif.com/?story=http://www.ifarchive.org/ if-archive/games/zcode/LostPig.z8

msmemorial.if-legends.org/msa2/msa2.html

A fun Dungeons and Dragons-like experience that doesn’t take itself at all seriously, Nameless Quest even starts out with a joke about Bulletin Board Systems and goes from there. (It may appear to have crashed when it starts — just keep pressing keys and it will work.)

A lot of interactive fiction comprises of either fantasy or Lovecraftian horror stories, but Lost Pig is something a little different. Technically, it’s still fantasy — you play as an orc who has lost his pig — but the weirdness and humour set it apart.

It supports all kinds of strange actions and odd verbs, and being a more recent title, it has a more powerful interpreter than many of the older adventures.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

OK, this one is mostly for people looking for a nostalgia kick. Magnetic Scrolls’ The Pawn and its sequels were revolutionary in their day because of the gorgeous graphics that went along with the text.

As text adventures, they’re often torturously difficult and punishing, but if you don’t mind that, then there are also plenty of cool moments as well.

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[ PRIVACY AND SECURITY ]

HELP STATION HOW AD SERVICES WATCH YOU (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)

How online ad services watch you (and what to do about it) AD SERVICES ARE GATHERING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION ON YOU. IT’S TIME TO STOP THEM. [ NATHAN TAYLOR ]

IT’S NO REVELATION to note that the HOW YOU GET TRACKED The thing about online advertising is that it’s amount of information that ad services gather surprisingly concentrated. While you likely on internet users and mobile phone users use hundreds or thousands of different is astronomical. Depending on your privacy websites and mobile apps, those sites and apps settings, they can monitor which sites you commonly rely on a handful of online ad visit, what mobile apps you use and any ads services to deliver ads. you might tap on. They can often track your When you visit a website with a banner ad, location and movements and get a surprisingly that site is usually not actually serving up the ad complete picture of all your online activity.

It’s not just the ad companies that can do this. itself. Instead it’s just making space on the page, and then reaching out Using the interfaces to a third-party ad provided by those ad WHEN YOU VISIT A WEBSITE server like DoubleClick companies, individuals WITH A BANNER AD, THAT and asking it to fill and companies have SITE IS USUALLY NOT that gap with an ad. the means to track you ACTUALLY SERVING UP THE AD Suddenly, your PC is quite comprehensively.

ITSELF. INSTEAD IT’S JUST communicating with Just this year, a report MAKING SPACE ON THE PAGE, DoubleClick, and the from the University AND THEN REACHING OUT TO ad service can upload a of Washington called A THIRD-PARTY AD SERVER cookie to your browser.

‘Exploring ADINT: LIKE DOUBLECLICK AND Then you go to a Using Ad Targeting ASKING IT TO FILL THAT different site. It also for Surveillance on a GAP WITH AN AD. has a DoubleClick ad Budget’ showed that embedded. Having with just US$1,000 placed a cookie on your computer on the first anybody can use targeted ads “to track the site, now DoubleClick knows that it’s the same locations of targeted individuals as they move person visiting both sites. As you move about, from home, to work and to other sensitive from site to site with DoubleClick ads locations. We find that we can target ads to embedded, the company can get a pretty users of specific applications and at specific complete record of your online movements. locations.”

The same applies to mobile ads. The ads It’s scary stuff, and it’s probably time that embedded in your free mobile apps aren’t built you took action to stop the ad networks from into the app — they’re typically served by one tracking you.

of the major ad networks. Although they can’t upload cookies, they can use a thing called mobile advertising IDs (MAIDs) to individually identify phones to which they’re uploading ads.

Your phone gives them a unique identifier, nominally so that they can deliver targeted ads customised to you. That ID, however, can also be used by the ad services to track which apps you’re using and at what times.

HOW TO DEAL WITH AD TRACKING So how do you stop all this from going on?

Start with these steps:

DISABLE THIRD-PARTY COOKIES The first thing to do is turn off third-party cookies in your browser, which prevents embedded ads from uploading cookies to your device. * In Safari, they’re disabled by default. * In Firefox, you have to go to ‘Options > Privacy’ and select ‘Use custom settings for 01

Enable ‘Limit Ad Tracking’ on your iOS device to stop advertisers from monitoring what you click.

Turn off personalised ads on your Google account.

[ 098 ]

History’ to see the option to disable them.

* In Edge, go to ‘Options > Settings > Advanced Settings’ and select the option to ‘Block on Third Party Cookies’ under the Cookies section. * In Chrome go to ‘Settings > Advanced > Privacy and Security/Content Settings > Cookies’ to find the switch to turn off third-party cookies.

INSTALL A FILTERING TOOL There are browser add-ons that will block third-party tracking cookies, analytics tools and other things that can potentially be used to track you online (such as Facebook and Twitter widgets that dial back to their home servers).

The best of these are Disconnect (disconnect.me) and Ghostery (ghostery.com), which strip tracking elements out of websites, preventing them from dialling home to track your online activity.

02

INSTALL AN AD BLOCKER Ad blockers prevent your browser from communicating with online ad servers at all.

We’re a little squeamish about them because we understand that websites (including our own sister publications) need money to operate, but as long as ad services continue to monitor user activity, they’re a useful tool against them. Right now our top pick is uBlock Origin (www.ublock.org).

03

TURN OFF GOOGLE ADVERTISING ID Now we come to the stuff that affects mobile advertising. On Android devices, it’s called the Google Advertising ID. The Advertising ID is kind of like a browser cookie — if cookies applied to all mobile activity and not just web browsing. It allows advertisers to individually identify devices and use that to track ad-related activity on that device.

For example, if you tap on an ad in a mobile app, that mobile app can send your device’s 04

unique Advertising ID up to the advertiser.

That advertiser can then use that information, along with the device’s history of other clicks to build a customer profile of you: what you’ll click on, what apps you’ve used and so on.

We should note that the Advertising ID does not specifically identify you by name. It’s an anonymous code — just a string of random numbers and letters that serve to provide a persistent identity for your device. Of course, it’s not a huge leap for an advertiser to link an Advertising ID with an individual, especially if you make online purchases.

To turn it off, go to your Android device and find the Google Settings app in your App Drawer or the Google settings menu in Settings (tip for Samsung TouchWiz users: it’s found under Applications). Under Services, tap on Ads, then select the switch to ‘Opt out of Ads Personalisation’. Also tap on ‘Reset advertising ID’. Doing this resets your ID and prevents it from being sent in the future.

While we’re at it, go to adssettings.google.com in a browser and click the switch to ‘Turn off Ads Personalisation’ for your whole Google account.

This will only apply to ads delivered by Google — including its AdMob (that’s the ads embedded in many Android apps) and AdSense (ads embedded in websites).

HELP STATION HOW AD SERVICES WATCH YOU (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)

Given that Google is the world’s largest provider of online ads, it not surprisingly buries Chrome’s third-party cookies option deep, deep in the settings. But it’s there, and you should switch it off.

Ads are everywhere. And they’re watching you.

TURN OFF APPLE IDFA. iOS has a very similar system to Android’s Advertising ID. On iOS, it’s called the Identifier for Advertising (IDFA), and it works on the same principle the Google Advertising ID — a unique device identifier that apps and sites can use to build a history of advertising-related activity.

We recommend you turn it off by going to ‘Settings > Privacy’ on your iOS device and tapping on Advertising. Enable the toggle for ‘Limit Ad Tracking’, and then tap on ‘Reset Advertising Identifier’ to delete your existing profile.

With that done, the amount of information that your mobile sends to advertising companies should be much reduced. And that can only be a net positive for your online privacy.

05

Turn off Ads personalisation in Google.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Disconnect is something we can’t recommend enough.

[ 099 ]

The TP-Link TL-WPA7510 and Netgear PowerLINE 1000 + WiFi are powerline kits that have wireless access points built in.

HELP STATION GETTING TO KNOW POWERLINE NETWORKING

[ HOME NETWORKING ]

Getting to know powerline networking FRUSTRATED WITH INTERNET BLACK SPOTS IN YOUR HOUSE? IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S INTERNET COVERAGE WITH THIS HANDY GUIDE TO POWERLINE NETWORKING. [ NATHAN TAYLOR ]

WE’VE TALKED A lot in this column about how you can use range extenders and mesh networks to get Wi-Fi to reach the far corners of your home. But there’s another great technology available for getting better home coverage: powerline networking, aka HomePlug AV, aka IEEE 1901.

As the name implies, powerline networking uses your home’s electrical wires to get data from one point to another. Because it’s using physical wires, it’s less susceptible to contention and interference than Wi-Fi, and in most cases, it will provide better and more reliable performance. It’s a great alternative to running Ethernet cabling through your house, and is extremely easy to set up.

WHAT IT’S GOOD FOR Powerline networking provides a stable point-to-point network connection, similar to Ethernet. It can be used to connect wired remo corners of your house. devices in remote

Speeds currently go up to 1,200Mbps.

This is also known as HomePlug AV1200.

00 ]

If you have a game console out in the granny flat, for example, it might be better to connect it with a powerline adapter than try to force the Wi-Fi signal to reach it.

It’s also very commonly used for bridging wireless access points. Wireless extenders and most mesh networks have a problem: when they retransmit wireless signals, they’re competing with themselves for airtime.

That can lead to some serious performance issues. And then there’s the fact that they need to be carefully placed so that each wireless node can talk to each other reliably.

Using powerline adapters to connect your mesh or access points with each other solves both of those problems. We’ve often noted that the ideal wireless setup is a mesh network with the mesh points connected to each other with physical cables — powerline is one way you can achieve that.

HOW YOU SET IT UP Powerline adapters are typically sold

HOW HOMEPLUG TECHNOLOGY WORKS Much the same way that DSL uses spare bandwidth on your phone lines, powerline networking uses spare bandwidth on your home’s copper electrical cables. Electrical signals operate at 50Hz, but that leaves a lot of space for other signals to be carried at different frequencies. Newer models also use a technique that employs all three wires (live, neutral and earth) to provide more bandwidth.

in pre-configured pairs. You just plug each into a wall socket somewhere in your house and they will form a data link between them.

Then you have to connect them to the rest of your network. Typically, each adapter will have an Ethernet port. Using an Ethernet cable, you connect this to either a user device like a PC, or to a networking router, switch or access point. All the devices connected to one

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT POWERLINE NETWORKING THERE ARE MULTIPLE SPEEDS AVAILABLE:

SPEEDS CAN VARY BETWEEN HOMES:

There have been several generations of powerline products, with ever increasing speeds. The current fastest speeds available are from the latest HomePlug AV2 standard, and go up to 1,200Mbps.

You should look for an adapter that reaches these speeds.

Much like Wi-Fi, actual speeds with powerline are considerably lower than the theoretical speed.

How much lower depends entirely on your home electrical cabling. The length of cable between the power points, the quality of the cables, EM interference and a host of other factors will determine the actual speed of the connection.

Unfortunately, how well it will work for you is a little bit of a lottery. Barring a call out to an electrician to test the quality of your power wiring, all you can really do is plug in and hope for the best.

That said, you will typically get better speeds than Wi-Fi at a given range. What’s more, powerline speeds tend to be very stable. Where Wi-Fi signals can fluctuate wildly (which can be painful for streaming video or online gaming), powerline connection speeds tend to be quite consistent.

Modem / router Powerline adapter

Ethernet Cable Electrical cable link

Internet

powerline adapter will instantly be able to talk to all of the devices connected to the others.

Usually, you don’t even have to configure anything.

HomePlug AV does allow you to add additional adapters to the network, as well as change the security password. The security password is a common code, a bit like a Wi-Fi password, that encrypts communications between adapters, as well as identifies the network that they’re attached to. Usually, passwords and additional devices are added using an app or web console, just like a router.

We should note that, given how common it is to use powerline as a way of connecting Wi-Fi access points and mesh points, some vendors have also started selling integrated powerline and Wi-Fi devices. These devices serve as both powerline adapters and wireless access points, providing everything you need to create a second wireless network in your home and bridge it back to your main network.

HELP STATION GETTING TO KNOW POWERLINE NETWORKING

ROOM 1

ROOM 2

Power point

Powerline adapter

Ethernet Cable

POWERLINE NETWORKING PROVIDES A STABLE POINT-TO-POINT NETWORK CONNECTION, SIMILAR TO ETHERNET. IT CAN BE USED TO CONNECT WIRED DEVICES IN REMOTE CORNERS OF YOUR HOUSE.

IT IS SECURE:

AVOID SURGE PROTECTORS:

BRAND COMPATIBILITY CAN BE SHAKY:

You may be worried that other people might be able to intercept your signals, especially if you live in an apartment block with shared electrical wiring.

Don’t worry — HomePlug AV signals are encrypted with 128-bit AES. Even if somebody could tap into your electrical wiring, they still wouldn’t be able to read the data.

On top of that, your data won’t be ‘broadcast’ onto the greater electrical grid. As soon as it hits a transformer (like the one just outside your house), the signal will be scrambled and lost.

A powerline adapter needs to be plugged directly into a wall socket. If you plug it into a power board with a surge protector, that surge protector will likely interfere with the signal, reducing speeds or blocking it entirely.

Unfortunately, that means that powerline adapters are themselves often vulnerable to surges, and we’ve seen several burn out over the years.

Thankfully, most products have become better at protecting themselves from major surges.

Technically, any device that conforms to the HomePlug spec should be able to talk with any other HomePlug device, so theoretically, you could have adapters from different brands. In practice, that’s a bad idea. There are several makers of powerline chips, and those chips don’t always play nice. It’s best to stick to one brand for the best compatibility and speed.

Surge protectors will mess up your powerline signals.

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[ 101 ]

HELP STATION DISCOVER THE POWER OF PHOTOSHOP BLEND MODES [ DIGITAL DARKROOM ]

Discover the power of Photoshop blend modes LEARN HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS SIMPLE YET VERSATILE FEATURE AND SEE HOW YOU CAN BLEND TWO OR MORE OF YOUR PHOTOS FOR INCREDIBLE RESULTS [ JAMES PATERSON ]

[ STEP BY STEP ]

MAKE A DOUBLE EXPOSURE

COPY AND BLEND

01

Open the double_exposure01 and 02 start files. Grab the Move tool and drag the 02 image up to the tab of the other image and then down inside the image window to copy the layer over, then go to the Layers panel (‘Window > Layers’). Click the Blend mode dropdown at the top and change it from Normal to Screen. [ 102 ]

FINE-TUNE POSITIONING

02

Double-click the lower layer to make it editable. Use the Move tool to alter the positions until both layers are aligned in the way you want. Press ‘Ctrl/Command-T’ if you need to resize or rotate, and use the Crop tool to remove messy edges. Finally, make any tonal adjustments you like — here, we’ve desaturated and added blue.

PHOTOSHOP ANATOMY WHAT ARE BLEND MODES? Blend modes work by blending pixels on the selected layer with those below. They each employ a different algorithm that uses the brightness or colour values of individual pixels to come up with a new effect. With 27 modes, it’s not always clear which Blend mode will give you the best results, so experimentation is key.

LIGHTEN AND SCREEN, DARKEN AND MULTIPLY These four blend modes can be hugely useful when compositing images. Lighten only allows brighter pixels to show, while Screen multiplies the brightness values (in the same way a traditional double exposure would). Darken and Multiply do the opposite for a darkening effect.

ADJUSTMENT LAYERS

HELP STATION DISCOVER THE POWER OF PHOTOSHOP BLEND MODES

OPACITY OR FILL? Most Blend modes will behave in the same way whether you adjust the Fill or Opacity of the layer, but a select few are different.

Color Burn, Linear Burn, Color Dodge, Linear Dodge (Add), Vivid Light, Linear Light, Hard Mix and Difference all give a varying effect at 50% Fill than 50% opacity.

Experiment to see how each works.

Blend modes can be used in combination with Adjustment Layers for all kinds of tricks.

For example, if you add a Black and White Adjustment Layer and set it to Luminosity, instead of getting a blackand-white effect, you instead gain the ability to alter the brightness of the six colour ranges on offer.

BLEND TEXTURES A simple texture blended using the Overlay or Soft Light mode can work wonders over your photos by giving them a weathered, aged look. It helps to build up a texture library, so head out with your camera and capture the textures all around you — we’ve been using the same old battered baking tray textures for years, to great effect.

BRUSH BLEND MODES Several tools, including the Brush tool, feature a mode dropdown similar to layer Blend modes, but they affect how the tool applies paint.

For example, if we set the Brush tool to the Color Blend mode, it will apply colour but won’t affect detail. The Brush tool offers two unique modes: Behind lets you apply paint to transparent pixels, and Clear works like an eraser.

BLEND MODE CATEGORIES WITH SO MANY BLEND MODES TO CHOOSE FROM, IT HELPS TO THINK OF THEM AS DISTINCT SETS...

The Blend Mode list is divided into six categories. The first section contains Normal and Dissolve [1]. The next holds the Darken blend modes [2]. Each of these five will have the effect of darkening down an image. Below this is the Lighten set [3], which — you’ve guessed it — all have a lightening effect.

Next is the Overlay set [4]. These seven modes both lighten and darken at the same time, creating contrast in different ways. Below this is the Difference set [5] — five modes that have an inverting effect on pixels. Finally, the HSL modes [6] in the bottom section blend based on either colour or luminance values.

Here we’ve made three copies of our city layer: the top one is set to Difference [7], the middle to Screen [8] and the bottom is flipped vertically and set to Screen [9].

EXPERT TIP

01 02 03 04 05 06

07 08 09

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[ 103 ]

MENU OPTIONS You can tweak in-camera processing options in your camera’s shooting menu or rear information screen.

RAW CONVERSION

HELP STATION MASTER YOUR DSLR: IN-CAMERA PROCESSING

Some cameras enable you to convert raw files saved oon Gs. the memory card into JPEG

JPEG PREVIEW

PARAMETERS

The processing effects will be reflected in the playback image — or in real-time during Live View shooting.

In-camera raw processing options aren’t as extensive as those in dedicated raw software.

[ PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS ]

Master your DSLR: in-camera processing WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADJUSTING THE LOOK OF YOUR PHOTOS? [ TECHLIFE TEAM ]

QUITE A LOT of things happen very quickly when you press the shutter release button on your camera. The light reflected off the subject is captured by the lens and fed to the image sensor, where it’s recorded as an analogue electrical signal then turned into digital data by the analogue/digital converter.

All of this typically happens in a fraction of a second, but it’s really just the start of the process of creating an image. Before the file ends up being temporarily stored in the camera’s buffer prior to being written to the memory card, the massive amount of data created for each image you shoot has to be [ 104 ]

crunched. Digital processing that’s carried out at this stage includes adjustment of the white balance, colours and contrast, along with lens corrections, noise reduction and sharpening.

How — or rather when — these adjustments are applied depends on the file format selected on the camera. In the case of JPEGs or TIFFs, they’re applied to the image before it’s finally compressed to create a smaller file size (in the case of a JPEG) and saved to the memory card.

If you’re recording images as raw files, the processing data is saved as part of the file but not applied.

TO CONVERT THIS INFORMATION INTO A VIEWABLE IMAGE FORMAT SUCH AS A JPEG, THE RAW DATA FIRST NEEDS TO BE DECODED. THIS IS NORMALLY DONE USING RAW PROCESSING SOFTWARE ON A COMPUTER, BUT SOME CAMERAS ENABLE YOU TO CONVERT A RAW FILE STORED ON THE MEMORY CARD TOO.

WHEN SHOULD YOU GET INVOLVED WITH MAKING ADJUSTMENTS? There are many situations where it pays to roll up your sleeves (or take off your gloves, at least) and dive into your camera’s menu to fine-tune the image processing options. Leaving everything in the automatic and ‘standard’ settings will work up to a point, but when lighting conditions get tricky or you just want to try a creative treatment,

there’s no substitute for a bit of manual intervention.

Some of the default settings can be an acquired taste, too. For example, you might find that your camera has what’s known broadly as a ‘lighting optimiser’. Look for the ALO (Auto Lighting Optimizer) option on Canon cameras or D-Lighting

01

on Nikon. These modes are designed to expand the dynamic range by revealing more detail in shadow areas without losing detail in the highlights. You may find that out of the box, the effect is too strong, in which case, you can tone it down or switch if off entirely.

HELP STATION MASTER YOUR DSLR: IN-CAMERA PROCESSING

Automatic or manual?

05

WHITE BALANCE

PICTURE STYLE/CONTROL

Leaving this in Auto mode can deliver strange results under artificial light or in cloudy conditions. Instead, choose a preset or dial in a ‘K’ value to remove a colour cast — or to add one for creative effect.

Your camera will have a range of picture processing presets, including Landscape (above), Portrait and Monochrome.

These offer different mixes of saturation, tone and sharpness, although they can be tweaked.

ORIGINAL IMAGE

02

03

04

LIGHTING OPTIMISER

DISTORTION CORRECTION

COLOUR SPACE

The camera will ‘push’ the shadows to reveal more detail, but this can lead to increased noise in these areas.

It’s worth activating this for Live View shooting, as you’ll be able to see if areas near the edge of the frame will be cropped when corrected.

You’ll have a choice of sRGB or Adobe RGB colour spaces.

Stick with sRGB if you’ll be sharing your JPEGs online.

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[ 105 ]

RAW vs JPEG HELP STATION MASTER YOUR DSLR: IN-CAMERA PROCESSING

WHICH SETTINGS MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO RECORDING RAW FILES? A raw file is often referred to as a digital negative, as it enables you to produce a range of different JPEG ‘prints’ while leaving the original image untouched. There are some aspects you have to get right in-camera when recording in raw, but in terms of image processing, you could leave everything set to automatic and just fine-tune the result later in

FINAL IMAGE ON CARD 8GB

FINAL IMAGE ON HARD DRIVE

software if you so wish. As highlighted earlier, there are some creative and technical reasons why you might not want to do this.

Getting it right in-camera can also save you time later. When you open a raw file in your camera’s proprietary raw software, such as Canon’s Digital Photo Professional or Nikon’s Capture NX-D,

it’s initially decoded according to the image processing data that’s been saved as part of the raw file, so it will be displayed with the white balance, picture style and other settings dialled in on the camera at the time it was taken.

06

6

PICTURE STYLE

x 133 eed Sp

Change the look of an image — although bear in mind that the effect is ‘baked’ into a JPEG. 05

LENS CORRECTIONS Remove aberrations and dark corners. Software options are better than in-camera ones.

In software

04

WHITE BALANCE Although this is locked in on a JPEG, you can still remove colour casts in Photoshop.

03

NOISE REDUCTION You can adjust the strength of this setting, but the results may not be obvious on the camera.

In-camera

In-camera

02

FOCUSING In most instances, you can’t change the point of focus once the shot has been taken.

01

EXPOSURE Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are fixed at the time of shooting.

JPEG

[ 106 ]

RAW

01

LYTRO ILLUM

This camera lets you refocus shots in the supplied software.

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY PROCESSING PARAMETERS THAT CAN BE CHANGED AFTER THE EVENT WITH A RAW FILE — AND, IN SOME CASES, FINE-TUNED EVEN WITH A JPEG — THE FUNDAMENTAL EXPOSURE SETTINGS OF APERTURE, SHUTTER SPEED AND ISO, ALONG WITH THE FOCUS DISTANCE, ARE FIXED AT THE POINT THAT A PHOTO IS TAKEN. In recent years, camera manufacturers have started to turn this idea on its head. Founded in 2006, Californiabased Lytro released its first ‘light field’ camera in 2012. This device enabled an image to be refocused after it had been shot. While an intriguing idea on paper, the first camera was hampered by cost, very low-res images and quirky handling.

The Lytro Illum (right) followed in 2014, offering a bigger zoom and an articulated screen, although at 4MP, the processed JPEGs are still small.

HELP STATION MASTER YOUR DSLR: IN-CAMERA PROCESSING

TAKING IMAGE PROCESSING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

02

IMAGE CAPTURE The 35–250mm equivalent, fixed f/2.0 lens feeds a 1/1.2in CMOS sensor that records 40 ‘megarays’ of information.

GOING MAINSTREAM Lytro might be viewed as a novelty, but mainstream manufacturers are also experimenting with this idea.

Take Canon, whose Dual Pixel RAW file format introduced on the EOS 5D Mark IV enables the focus to be shifted very slightly (we’re talking eyelashes to eyeball in a portrait) after the shot has been taken.

04 4 03

DEPTH MAP The Illum’s processor uses the direction data gathered by the sensor to reconstruct the path of the light and create a depth map.

At this stage, a raw file is not an image at all: rather a data file that contains the raw binary code from the camera’s image sensor. To convert this info into a viewable image format such as a JPEG, the raw data first needs to be decoded. This is normally done using raw processing software on a computer, but some cameras enable you to convert a raw file stored on the memory card too. All images start out as raw image data; it’s just that, in the case of a JPEG or a TIFF, the camera automatically carries out the image adjustments for you.

So why would you bother altering settings like white balance and sharpness in the [ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

camera when raw files let you do it later in the comfort of your own home?

Well, for a start, you’ll probably want a more accurate preview of the image. The image you see displayed on the rear screen of a DSLR during playback and Live View, and in the viewfinder of a camera equipped with an electronic viewfinder, is actually a JPEG preview that’s based on the image processing settings made on the camera.

This is the case even if you shoot raw, although the file that ultimately ends up on the memory card still contains all that raw sensor information.

FORMAT Files are saved in a proprietary 55MB raw format (LFR), although processed JPEGs are only 4MP in resolution.

This JPEG preview is a useful creative tool.

For instance, you can get a feel for how an image will stack up in black and white, while still recording the colour data in the raw file that can be used for a more sophisticated mono conversion later.

There are also technical considerations: the exposure histogram you see on the camera’s screen is based on the JPEG preview, and will reflect any changes you make to the picture style or white balance. You’re unlikely to get an accurate reflection of the raw file if you have a devil-may-care approach to in-camera image processing. [ 107 ]

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BUYER’S GUIDE YOUR READY RECKONER TO THE BEST TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS

The TechLife team finds the best budget, value and performance products, and the latest releases in the top technology categories. If you believe there are other products that deserve the title in any of the tech categories, let us know and give us your reasons why in 50 words or less.

Equally, if there’s a hot new product that’s worthy of attention, we want to kknow. Send yyour eemail to techlife@futurenet.com.

[ BEST VALUE ]

D-Link DSL-G225

TP-Link Archer D7

Netgear Nighthawk X8 D8500

ADSL/VDSL ROUTERS (WITH MODEM)

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ] [ BEST BUDGET ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

ASUS DSL-AC88U

$80 | www.dlink.com.au

$170 | www.tp-link.com.au

590 | www.netgear.com.au

$549 | www.asus.com/au

A basic, NBN-ready 300Mbps Wi-Fi ADSL router with four LAN ports.

Good wireless range and coverage.

The UI is a bit no-frills, but once set up, this is a very solid AC1900 router for a price well below the average.

The price is eye-watering, but this tri-band 802.11ac modem-router truly has it all.

We’re fans of ASUS’s routers, and this new ADSL/VDSL model is FTTN-ready with lots of smarts and AC3100 Wi-Fi.

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]

[ BEST MESH-NETWORKING KIT ]

ASUS RT-AC88U

Netgear Orbi RBK50

$79 | www.edimax.com

$150 | www.tp-link.com.au

$425 | www.asus.com/au

$580 | www.netgear.com.au

Blitzes its cheaper competition with Gigabit Ethernet and 867Mbps Wi-Fi that delivers great wireless range.

This modemless version of the D7 (above) has all the basics you'll need to set up a 1,300Mbps AC network.

This full-featured unit is overflowing with options and settings, plus it has super-fast wireless.

Mesh-networking has arrived with this fantastic, great-performing router and extender kit.

[ BEST WIRELESS W EXTEN NDER ]

[ BEST WIRELESS BRIDGE ]

[ BEST POWERLINE ADAPTER (BUDGET) ]

[ BEST POWERLINE ADAPTER WITH WI-FI EXTENSION ]

ASUS EA-AC87

TP-Link TL-PA8010P

Edimax HP-5102Wn

ASUS RP-AC68U $240 | www.asus.com/au

With 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, this AC1900 Wi-Fi extender’s built-in LEDs help you figure out the best placement.

$220 | www.asus.com/au

$125 | www.tp-link.com.au

$60 per unit | www.edimax.com

This bridge is a great way of linking up to four wired Gigabit devices to a 1,300Mbps AC network.

A pair of 1,200Mbps adapters that proved to be both fast and affordable in our most-recent roundup.

This Fast Ethernet powerline adapter throws in an 802.11n Wi-Fi access point for both wired and wireless.

BROADBAND ROUTERS (NO MODEM)

[ BEST VALUE ]

TP Li k Archer A h C7 TP-Link

NETWORKING ACCESSORIES

[ BEST BUDGET ]

Edimax BR-6478AC V2

NETWORKING EQUIPMENT

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

TS 228 QNAP TS-228

A t AS 3102T Asustor AS-3102T

S l DS916 Synology DS916+

Synology DS1517+

$190 (diskless) | www.qnap.com

$280 (diskless) | www.asustor.com

$660 (diskless) | www.synology.com

$1,100 | www.synology.com

Despite the bargain pricepoint, this 2-bay NAS is feature packed and lets you install apps to add more functions.

This two-bay NAS offers excellent features and can double as a media player, with Kodi and HDMI-output to your TV.

If you need more space, this four-bay model lets you install apps and can even transcode 4K videos.

A 5-bay NAS with 4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports and quad-core Atom chip, this one’s for SMBs that need lots of performance.

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NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE DEVICES

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WIRELESS SPEAKERS MUSIC HEADPHONES

BUYER’S GUIDE READY RECKONER

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST PORTABLE]

[ BEST MULTIROOM SYSTEM ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

UE Wonderboom

Bose SoundLink Mini II

Sonos Play

Bose Soundlink Micro

$130 | www.ultimateears.com

$249 | www.bose.com.au

From $299 | www.sonos.com

$170 | www.bose.com.au

This new Bluetooth portable gets you great ‘UE quality’ sound at a neat price.

It's on the expensive side, but this compact Bluetooth portable sounds amazing for its size.

Sonos still offers the best multiroom speaker range, with the broadest support for streaming services.

This more-affordable, palm-sized Bose option still outputs great sound and is waterproof to boot.

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[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST NOISE-CANCELLING ]

[ BEST WIRELESS IN-EARS ]

Plantronics BackBeat 505

Sony WH-1000XM2

Bose QC35 II

Jaybird Freedom 2

$120 | www.plantronics.com.au

$499 | www.sony.com.au

$499 | www.bose.com.au

$229 | www.jaybirdsport.com/en-au

A great-sounding set of Bluetooth cans with a long battery life and a super-keen price.

The stand-out feature is audio quality, with compatibility for high-res wireless audio and AptX for all other streaming.

Not a huge upgrade, but still the best noise-cancelling cans, with wellbalanced audio and superb comfort.

These neat in-ears offer great sound quality and include a compact backup battery, and easy size adjustment.

MEDIA PLAYERS PERSONAL & HOME AV GEAR

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DATA PROJECTORS

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[ BEST ALL-IN-ONE MEDIA PLAYER ]

[ BEST 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

Google Chromecast Ultra

Telstra TV 2

Xbox One S

Minix NEO U9-H

$99 | play.google.com

$192 | www.telstra.com.au

From $399 | www.xbox.com

$299 | www.jbhifi.com

Google’s 4K wireless HDMI dongle makes it easy to stream media content to your TV and has high-speed Wi-Fi.

It’s 4K HDR10 compatible and has great support for all the local streaming and catch-up services.

With support for 4K Blu-ray and Netflix streaming, the latest Xbox is a surprisingly capable media device.

This 4K Android media player supports a heap of streaming services and includes a remote.

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST PORTABLE ]

[ BEST HOME THEATRE ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

Epson EB-W32

Epson EB-1761W

Epson EH-TW5600

Acer V9800

$700 | www.epson.com.au

$1,199 | www.epson.com.au

$1,050 | www.epson.com.au

$8,999 | www.acer.com.au

A super-bright, portable 3LCD, WXGA unit at a nice price.

Cheap lamps, too.

One of the most compact ‘full-size’ projectors, this WXGA unit is only 1.7kg and new lamps are just $120.

A bright 1080p LCD-based model, with very cheap replacement lamps and nice, neutral colours.

This 4K DLP projector’ll cost ya, but it offers stunning picture clarity and vibrant colours thanks to HDR.

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LAPTOPS TVS LAPTOPS, TABLETS & SMARTPHONES

[ BEST LUXURY TV ]

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[ BEST BUDGET TV ]

[ BEST MAINSTREAM TV ]

[ BEST PREMIUM TV ]

Kogan MU9500 (55-inch)

Hisense 55M7000UWG

LG OLED55C7T

Sony Bravia A1 4K OLED (KD-65A1)

$800 | www.kogan.com.au

$1,500 | hisense.com.au

$2,999 | www.lg.com/au

$7,499 | www.sony.com.au

A big curved telly for a dirt-cheap price, this 4K unit’s image quality is great, but it’s a bit light on apps.

A great interface and solid image quality makes this a very good buy at the under-$2,000 price point.

This 55-inch OLED packs all the musthaves — native 4K, HDR support (with Dolby Vision) and superb pictures.

Boasts powerful and effective sound, a fantastic bordeless design and, of course, stunning image quality.

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Acer Aspire E5-575-539R

Dell XPS 13 (2017)

Gigabyte SabrePro 15

Microsoft Surface Laptop

From $699 | www.acer.com.au

From $1,999 | www.dell.com.au

$2,250 | www.gigabyte.com.au

From $1,499 | www.microsoftstore.com

This 15.6-incher includes a passable 1,366 x 768-pixel LCD screen, and is good value if all you need is the basics.

This new XPS 13 delivers great battery life alongside the fantastic keyboard, trackpad and tough build quality.

A great-value 15.6-inch option with GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, 256GB SSD + 2TB HDD and impressive build-quality.

Microsoft’s first ultrabook is a very solidly-built laptop with a gorgeous screen and great battery life.

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Motorola Moto G5 Plus

OnePlus 5

$370 | www.apple.com/au

$280 | www.motorola.com.au

$350 (16GB) | www.motorola.com.au

$599 (64GB) | oneplus.net

If you must have an iPhone, select stores still offer the 4-inch 5S at a reasonable price.

A basic dual-SIM (2G/4G) phone with a 5-inch 720p LCD, 16GB storage and even microSD slot.

A classy 5.2-incher with quality internals, good camera and fast-charging support.

Delivers flagship-level features for half the price, with OLED display and great specs.

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[ BEST PREMIUM — TIED ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung Galaxy S8

Apple iPhone 8

Apple iPhone X

$1,499 (64GB) | www.samsung.com/au

From $1,199 | www.samsung.com/au

From $1,079 | www.apple.com/au

From $1,579 | www.apple.com/au

It’s super-exxy, but this 6.3-inch, stylus-bearing beast is the best productivity-focused phone ever.

The S8 is almost all screen, and has a microSD slot, waterproofing and a sleek metal-and-glass chassis.

It’s a minimal update on last year’s model, but the 4.7-inch iPhone is the best all-rounder for most Apple fans.

It’s the most expensive iPhone ever, so will it be the best? Find out in next month’s review!

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Apple iPad mini 3 (refurbished)

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]

[ BEST VERSATILITY ]

Apple iPad (2017)

Acer Switch 3

$295 (16GB) | www.samsung.com/au

$359 (16GB) | www.apple.com/au

From $469 (32GB) | www.apple.com/au

From $799 | www.acer.com.au

If you absolutely can’t afford the iPad mini 2, this Android alternative is an okay fallback.

The iPad mini 4’s too expensive, so hold out until one of the 7.8-inch 3’s pops up on Apple’s AU refurb store.

Faster and cheaper than the Air 2, the new iPad is the best pick for a basic all-rounder tablet.

This detachable 2-in-1 has a stylus to work with Windows excellent pen input capabilities. This is a great all-rounder.

[ BEST BUDGET ]

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0

SMARTPHONES: PREMIUM

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]

Motorola Moto G4 Play

LAPTOPS, TABLETS & SMARTPHONES

[ BEST BUDGET ANDROID ]

Apple iPhone 5S

TABLETS & 2-IN-1S (ENTRY LEVEL)

[ BEST BUDGET IPHONE ]

SMARTPHONES: ENTRY-LEVEL BUYER’S GUIDE READY RECKONER

WWW.GETPRICE.COM.AU

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

Apple iPad Pro (10.5-inch)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

From $369 (16GB) | www.apple.com/au

$2,100 | www.hp.com/au

From $979 (64GB) | www.apple.com/au

From $949 (32GB) | www.samsung.com/au

If the budget doesn’t extend to an Air 2, get this 2013 unit instead. Recheck the store frequently if it’s ever sold out.

A slim, classy design, fast internals and long battery life make this our favourite premium Windows 2-in-1.

This new 10.5-inch iPad’s bigger screen hits the size sweet spot and makes a great 2-in-1.

This new 9.7-inch AMOLED tablet’s been a while coming, but if you want a premium Android, there’s no better.

[ BEST FOR IPAD MINI ] [ BEST FOR IPAD AIR/AIR 2 ]

ClamCase for iPad Air

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

[ BEST FULL-SIZED KEYBOARD ]

Logitech Tablet Keyboard

$90 | www.logitech.com

$150 | www.clamcase.com

$90 | www.logitech.com

$120 | www.logitech.com

Offers good protection and comfy, responsive keys on a budget.

If you want to turn your iPad into a mini MacBook, this clamshell keyboard case is a great option.

The Ultrathin combines a fantastic-quality keyboard with a metal-backed case.

If you want the full-sized typing experience, this is your best bet.

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[ BEST POINT-AND-SHOOT ]

[ BEST MIRRORLESS ]

[ BEST CONSUMER DIGITAL SLR ]

[ BEST ACTION CAM ]

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ110

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III

Nikon D3400

GoPro Hero 6 Black

$850 | www.panasonic.com.au

$1,199 (14-42mm) | www.olympus.com.au

$850 (twin lens kit) | www.nikon.com.au

$699 | www.gopro.com

A premium-but-compact cam with a big sensor and Leica lens that produce great shots. Perfect for travel.

The 16.1MP Mark III debuts an overhauled menu system that caters to the beginner and has a great value price.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

Aimed at newcomers, with a compact The Hero can now shoot video at 4K @ design, excellent battery life, decent AF 60fps, with improved electronic image system and reliable image quality. stabilisation and low-light performance.

GADGETS & ACCESSORIES

[ BEST FOR IPAD 2/3/4 ]

Logitech Keyboard Case for iPad

BLUETOOTH TABLET KEYBOARDS

[ BEST VERSATILITY ]

HP Spectre x360 13-ac068tu

DIGITAL CAMERAS

[ BEST BUDGET ]

Apple iPad Air (Refurbished)

TABLETS & 2-IN-1S (PREMIUM)

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TABLET & SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

[ BEST WIRELESS HARD DRIVE ] [ BEST POWER BANK ]

Xiaomi Power Bank Pro

WD My Passport Wireless Pro 3TB

[ BEST MOBILE GAMEPAD ]

iPega PG-9025

$32 | www.mi.com/en

$449 | www.wd.com

$50 | www.kaiserbaas.com

$25 | www.dx.com

A great way to share and back up your files anywhere, plus it has Plex media streaming.

This universal VR headset is a low-cost way to get in on the smartphone VR revolution and is comfortable.

You'll need to buy it online, but this gamepad is nice and responsive, and works with both iOS and Android.

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WD My Passport 1TB

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim 2TB

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST HIGH-SPEED ]

Seagate Backup Plus 5TB

Samsung Portable SSD T5

$89 | www.wd.com

$155 | www.seagate.com

$280 | www.seagate.com

From $199 (256GB) | www.samsung.com/au

WD’s My Passport ranges come with security and backup software bundled in and good speeds for the price.

A neat combination of small size, competitive transfer speeds, fair price and easy-to-use backup software.

It’s a little bulkier than the Ultra Slim, left, but if you need lots of storage on the go, this 5TB drive is a neat option.

With transfer speeds of up to 500MB/s, these portable USB 3.1 SSDs will move your data around supremely fast.

PRICE DROP

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[ BEST SMARTWATCH FOR ANDROID ]

[ BEST SMARTWATCH FOR IOS ]

[ BEST FITNESS BAND ]

[ BEST EXERCISE HEADPHONES ]

Samsung Gear S3

Apple Watch 3

Fitbit Charge 2

BioConnected HR+

$599 | www.samsung.com/au

From $459 | www.apple.com/au

$199 | www.fitbit.com

$279 | bioconnected.com

The S3 is pricey, but it makes a great fitness tracker and smartwatch, and can last 3 days between charges.

A tad cheaper and with optional 4G, Apple’s third-gen Watch is a great companion for sporty iPhone owners.

A refinement on the Charge HR, this bigger tracker does all-day heartrate and automatic sleep tracking.

These headphones have a heart-rate sensor and a whole wodge of other tech to measure your run performance.

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PC MONITORS

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[ BEST VALUE ] [ BEST BUDGET ]

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WEARABLES

[ SMARTPHONE VR HEADSET ]

Kaiser Baas VR-X Headset

This 225g power bank packs 10,000mAh of extra power and can even fast-charge supported smartphones.

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PORTABLE HARD DRIVES GADGETS & ACCESSORIES

BUYER’S GUIDE READY RECKONER

WWW.GETPRICE.COM.AU

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PROFESSIONAL ]

[ BEST GAMING ]

ViewSonic VX2457-mhd

ASUS VX239H

ASUS ProArt PA328Q

ViewSonic XG2703-GS

$175 | www.viewsonic.com.au

$230 | www.asus.com/au

$1,499 | www.asus.com/au

$899 | www.viewsonic.com.au

This 24-inch 1080p matte-finish display is great for gaming with a 75Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support.

This AH-IPS 23-inch matte LCD has great specs, a 1080p resolution and a nice price.

A 32-inch 4K IPS panel with vivid 10-bit colour, that comes with a guarantee for industry leading colour fidelity.

A 27-inch 1440p IPS display with great gaming chops and 144Hz refresh rate.

It even has G-Sync support.

GAMING HEADSETS

GAMING KEYBOARDS PC PERIPHERALS

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST LAPBOARD FOR LOUNGE-ROOM USE ]

Tt eSports Poseidon ZX

Logitech G610 Orion

Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire

Razer Turret

$99 | www.au.ttesports.com

$120 | www.logitech.com

$190 | www.corsair.com

$220 | www.razerzone.com

This basic compact board still has it where it counts, with solid performance and comfortable keys.

Available in red, blue or brown switches, it’s sedate enough for offices but still has gaming features.

This Cherry MX Silver-switched ‘board feels great under the fingers and has bright-as-hell RGB lighting.

This lapboard is sleeker than most, with a magnetised mousepad to help keep the included mouse grounded.

[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]

[ NEW ON SHELF ]

Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000

HyperX Cloud Revolver

Audio-Technica ATH-AG1

Astro A10

$35 | www.microsoft.com.au/hardware

$120 | www.hyperxgaming.com

$299 | www.audio-technica.com.au

$100 | www.astrogaming.com

A cheap basic USB headset with noise-cancelling tech.

This is monstrously good value, with a wide soundscape, great comfort and options for both 3.5mm and USB.

A super-comfy headset with massive drivers and fantastic sound.

An affordable pair of cans from a well-respected name, the A10s support Xbox, PS4, PC and mobile.

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY WWW.GETPRICE.COM.AU

Logitech G703

$49 | www.logitech.com

$65 | www.razerzone.com/au-en

$80 | www.steelseries.com

$150 | www.logitech.com

A hybrid-sensor gaming mouse with optical, gyro and accelerometer tracking, this one doesn’t skip a beat.

This super-comfy ergonomic mouse for right-handers has a great, organic-feeling sensor.

Ditching unneeded features, this is a lean, mean headshotting machine that’s good for lefties and righties.

Cheaper than its G903 sibling, this mouse uses the same wireless tech for excellent performance.

[ BEST PHOTO PRINTER ]

[ BEST SMALL-BUSINESS LASER ]

Epson Expression Premium XP-720

HP Colour LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw

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[ BEST VALUE ]

Canon Pixma MG2960

HP Officejet Pro 8710

$36 | www.canon.com.au

$180 | www.hp.com/au

$230 | www.epson.com.au

$450 | www.hp.com/au

An inkjet that can print, scan and copy in colour, send faxes, has Wi-Fi and can AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.

An inkjet with print, copy, scan and fax, a 50-sheet copying tray, double sided printing and wireless.

Creates fantastic-quality photo prints at a relatively affordable price.

Built-in wireless, duplex print and scan, cloud and mobile print, and great print quality at a fair price.

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST EXTREME ]

[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

ASUS PH-GTX1050TI-4G

ASUS DUAL-GTX1060-O3G

Gigabyte GVN1070WF2OC-8GD

Gigabyte GVN1080WF3OC-8GD

$230 | www.asus.com/au

$350 | www.asus.com/au

$630 | www.gigabyte.com.au

$800 | www.gigabyte.com.au

You’ll get respectable 1080p/Normal gaming performance from this affordable GeForce GTX 1050 Ti card.

With a GTX 1060 you can stretch to lower-detail 1440p gaming, or manage Ultra/1080p.

Stepping up to a GTX 1070 lets you game at 1440p, or pair it with a G-Sync monitor for smoother rendering.

GTX 1080 prices have climbed recently, but this Gigabyte card is one of the fairer offerings.

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[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST EXTREME ]

MSI B250M Mortar

ASRock Z370 Taichi

ASUS RoG Crosshair VI Hero

ASUS Prime X399-A

$135 | au.msi.com

$285 | www.asrock.com

$370 | www.asus.com/au

$579 | www.asus.com/au

A great companion for the Pentium G4560; has everything you need for under $150.

This option has solid build quality, heaps of features and is very minimal on the RGB lighting. Great value.

Currently the best AM4 motherboard on the market — provides all the high-end features you need at a fair price.

This Threadripper board is featurepacked, with a highly-tweakable BIOS, great memory and storage support.

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PC MOTHERBOARDS

[ BEST BUDGET ]

PC COMPONENTS

PRICE DROP

BUYER’S GUIDE READY RECKONER

[ BEST WIRELESS ]

PC PERIPHERALS

[ BEST AMBIDEXTEROUS ]

SteelSeries Sensei RAW

PRINTERS & MULTIFUNCTION CENTRES

[ BEST VALUE ]

Razer DeathAdder Chroma

PC GRAPHICS CARDS

[ BEST BUDGET ]

Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury

PC GAMING MICE

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[ BEST EXTREME ] [ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

Intel Pentium G4560

Intel Core i5-8400

AMD Ryzen 7 1800X

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

$85 | www.intel.com

$290 | www.intel.com

$635 | www.amd.com

$1,299 | www.amd.com

This 7th-gen (aka Kaby Lake) CPU is great for those looking to build a quality budget rig.

This six-core Intel chip strikes a great balance between gaming and multimedia performance at a very keen price.

AMD’s back with this octa-core screamer, which offers masses of performance for half the price of Intel.

If you’re looking for high-end 3D design or image and video editing chops, this is amazing bang-for-buck.

PC PROCESSORS

[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST BUDGET ]

[ BEST VALUE ]

[ BEST PREMIUM ]

[ BEST EXTREME ]

Crucial MX300 (275GB)

Samsung 850 EVO 500GB

Samsung 850 EVO 1TB

Samsung 960 Pro M.2 512GB

$130 | www.crucial.com

$240 | www.samsung.com/au

$450 | www.samsung.com/au

$430 | www.samsung.com/au

The affordable MX300 drives are great value and fast-enough to max out the SATA interface. Can’t go wrong here.

500GB is the sweet spot for cost-per-gig and this SATA model from Samsung is a great choice.

This successor to the 840 EVO offers the best mix of speed, capacity and price for those with big needs.

It’s pricey, but with 3TB/s read and 2TB/s write speeds, this M.2 drive is stupid-fast.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]

SOLID-STATE DRIVES

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THE BACK PAGE RIDICULOUS TECH [ THE HELL IS THIS! ]

Ridiculous tech exposed WE SCOUR THE DARK AND OFTEN PERVERTED CORNERS OF THE INTERNET TO BRING YOU THE WEIRDEST TECH AROUND. YOU MAY WANT TO BRING A SICK BOWL OR A BOX OF TISSUES TO CRY INTO... [ CARMEL SEALEY ]

PRECISION BAKEWARE MONITOR YOUR BAKING TEMPERATURES. www.geappliances.com

Unprecedented Yashica Y35 Camera THE NEW OLD CAMERA. www.yashica.com

Remember those old cameras you had to wind after taking each photo? While some may get a tingle of nostalgia at the thought, few of us would want to go back to those days.

Cameras have come a long way, so why would you want to buy a camera that was worse than the one you have, say, in your phone? Yashica thinks looking ‘faulty’ is charming, tells the story better and captures the ‘moment’ rather than the image, unlike most digital cameras. Questionable logic, especially in a world ruled by filters in photo-editing apps.

Apart from the unnecessary winder ‘feature’ on the Y35, the camera also comes with cartridges of fake film which allow you to take photos in different fixed settings. When you pop in the black-and-white ISO 400 cartridge, you are limited to taking just black-andwhites, meaning you have to carry the different cartridges around with you. On top of that, it apparently feels quite plasticky and cheap. What are the advantages of this camera again?

There are a lot of ‘problems’ that arise when cooking — setting the temperature on your oven to what the recipe says isn’t exactly one of them. If you’ve got a recipe that’s correct, and you’re following said recipe, then your ginger cake shouldn’t end up becoming a hard black rock. However, GE Appliances — a company with a vast array of kitchen appliances and accessories available — has designed a smart cake tin that connects to a smartphone app to help you monitor your cooking. At the concept stage at present, the cake tin keeps an eye on the temperature, letting you get on with something else, and will apparently notify you through the app when the cake is done. What is the world coming to?

Will we soon need an app-connected hair clip to notify us when our hair is 100% dry? Or perhaps we’ll need a smart peg to sit on our clotheslines to tell us when our clothes are dry?! [You’ve covered that one already. — Ed] Merlin’s beard...!

NISSIN’S OTOHIKO THE SLURP-CANCELLING RAMEN FORK. store.nissin.com/jp/products/product/1003843

Vibrating Panties DO I HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT THIS? tinyurl.com/tla72-panties

There are a lot of weird things on the above site, so if you were going to type in that url, please don’t do it at work. Just as a heads up, the Vibrating Panties are probably the safest thing to look at on this site. Marketed as the “greatest ever gift for your girlfriend”, you may think this is just a kinky toy for the bedroom. However, the creators claim this is perfect for those long and boring commutes, those long and boring shifts at work, and those long and boring nights looking after “your poor little monkey with the flu”. It comes with a washable cover and a remote so partners can control the action from 5–10m away, and we really don’t want to continue talking about it... We’re blushing here. [ 114 ]

Humans apparently find slurping noises so offensive that, instead of teaching those slurping barbarians how to eat without making those ungodly sounds — a smack to the bottom should do it — Nissin has invented a special fork to cancel out the slurps.

Now, this Japanese company is an instant noodles maker, so if there’s a noodle-eating problem, you bet your broth they know about it. So for only $180, you too can have an app-connected ramen fork that emits a sound to mask the sound of your shameful sipping. However, there is an elephant in the room… How exactly is one supposed to drink their broth with a fork? Nissin, we need a spoon version, pronto!

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ON YOUR GADGET WISHLIST? WAIT NO MORE. GRAB THAT LATEST TECH WITH GREATEST SAVINGS. WWW.GETPRICE.COM.AU