Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i APC

Every year the show known as Computex is the focus of the entire PC industry. It’s where every company you know has a glorious big stand showing off its new gear, with most of it is being unveiled for the first time. It’s where AMD’s Lisa Su and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang – along with many of the power-players in the scene – get up on stage and engage maximum hype mode as they lay out their company’s new products, tech and direction. It’s also where an almost uncountable number of smaller companies fight for your attention amidst the noise and chaos, hoping journos will notice and create some publicity, and where retail buyers might just like what they see and place orders. We were there, we rode the waves of…

You know that sinking feeling you get when you land on a website and you’re instantly sucked in? Down the dark rabbit hole you go, either in amazement at wonderful things or in mild horror at what is being presented. Today I fell upon the website called National Day Calendar (nationaldaycalendar.com). This site details all of the National Day of Something that seems to be happening all of the time. It’s a very well presented website without a hint of parody. You can search by all sorts of useful parameters, but my own rabbit hole was its International Day page. Did you know that January 4th is World Hypnotism Day? Click on the page and you’re taken to a fact-filled page all about the day, and I now feel strangely…

PRICE $99.95 WEB www.dlink.com.au At just $99.95, the D-Link DWR-933M is a budget range mobile hotspot device with a strong pitch towards consumer users, as distinct from business-grade 5G capable mobile hotspot devices. Setup feels suitably old school, like a classic feature phone, with a pop-off rear cover that reveals the battery; remove that and you’re faced with a flat Nano SIM card tray and simple metal shutter to hold it in place. Getting it to hold in place is a tad fiddly, but not something you’d really need to do all that often. The DWR-933M comes pre-setup with default login codes printed on the main board underneath the battery, but one of the big benefits of a mobile hotspot over a smartphone one is configuration, which you can do…

PRICE $5,899 from asus.com So there I was at the airport, my flight delayed by three hours. Normally in such a situation I’d bemoan my fate on social media, but with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 in my carry-on I had no complaints. I happily whiled away the time, engrossed in high-end gaming; when at last it was time to board, I was actually disappointed that I had to fold down the lid. That’s the beauty of a 14in gaming laptop. While I see the appeal of 16in and 18in screens, the smaller format is more practical wherever you may be. The ROG Zephyrus G14 looks beautiful, too, combining a clean, Apple-style aesthetic with a touch of excitement courtesy of a diagonal slash of subtle lighting on the back. I…

PRICE $5,699 from lenovo.com Lenovo’s latest 16in gaming laptop justifies its high price with a one-two punch of killer performance and a superb display. Frankly it’s one of the most attractive machines I’ve ever reviewed. That has much do with its OLED display. I’ve always loved the bright whites, inky blacks and sharp contrast of OLED panels, and it makes everything you do on this laptop look amazing, especially gaming in HDR and Dolby Vision. Every time I opened the lid, I was struck by how rich and colourful the screen looked. I was even more impressed at the panel’s technical performance. This thing is bright, more than 100cd/m2 brighter than the HP opposite, with an SDR peak of 464cd/m2 that climbs all the way up to 1,000cd/m2 when viewing…

If you listened carefully during March you might just have heard the sighs of relief coming from Microsoft’s Seattle headquarters. Windows 11’s global market share jumped from 38.13 to 42.69 per cent (tinyurl.com/APC547winshare), while Windows 10 fell from 58.7 to 54.2 per cent. It was one of Windows 11’s best ever months. At that rate it’ll overtake Windows 10 by the time you read this. It’s already more popular in some countries, including Australia (tinyurl.com/PC547winau). There will still be hundreds of millions of computers running Windows 10 when Microsoft axes support in October. That’ll prove to be a major headache for the company. But there’s significant momentum behind Windows 11 now, and it’s well deserved. Despite an underwhelming launch in 2021 and several flawed updates since, it has grown into…

D&D COMPUTERS SYS319 $1,950 tinyurl.com/APC547DD Coming in as the cheapest of this roundup, this system puts much of its priority onto the CPU with the strong i7 14700F serving up twenty cores for your general computing needs. With only Intel’s OEM heatsink to cool it, under sustained loads it’ll get rather toasty and downclock, losing some performance. The paired RTX 4060 Ti will get you by at 1080P. The memory at 16GB is ok but the slow 4800MHz speeds will also prevent the CPU from achieving its best. While this is $200 less than the Umart system, this doesn’t come with a Windows 11 license, so keep that in mind. If productivity is your main focus and gaming is secondary, this system could be a good choice. CPU Intel Core…

As much as one enjoys the company of a spirited and lively nephew, keeping them entertained while on the computer, without turning to Peppa Pig, is a challenge. You can’t leave them to their own devices for fear of bricking your system, or worse still, deleting or moving files and directories through some aggressive mouse and keyboard manoeuvres. Teaching them to type will only take you so far. Thankfully, drawing is a far more entertaining and enthralling activity. Even better to do it from the comfort of the console. While it might sound novel, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that there are several text-based drawing tools on offer. The main focus of this tutorial is Termpaint, a nifty tool that offers a number of symbols that can be used…

PRICE Free PLATFORM PC, Linux WEB sunscreen.itch.io/ephemeral-frame Growing up watching Narnia has made me look at paintings in a different way: as potential portals to other worlds. Ephemeral Frame has, remarkably, captured that feeling, by turning portal fantasy into a clever puzzle mechanic. Just click on a photo, as you explore these worlds in first-person, and you will instantly be transported to the world inside the frame. At first, it’s merely a tool for getting around. I want to get into the cinema, but the place is currently closed. Perhaps if I click on this flyer that’s been hung up outside it I might be able to – yep, that’s amazing, I’m now inside the cinema. Pretty soon you’re given the camera, which takes the excitement up another notch. Now…

Download these APC exclusives free from: www.apcmag.com/exclusives ASCOMP EASY SLIDESHOW CREATE STUNNING SLIDESHOWS WITH EASE. Discover Easy Slideshow, the user-friendly Windows software for creating stunning slideshows with music and transition effects. With Easy Slideshow, you can turn your photos into creative slideshows – quickly, intuitively, and without any prior experience. Perfect for memories, presentations, social media, or special occasions. A special highlight: flexible video export. Create your slideshows with integrated music (MP3) and export them as high-quality videos in MPEG or MP4 format – including 4K and higher. With the Professional Edition, you benefit from ad-free use and can export your slideshows without watermarks. It also includes over 200 built-in effects allowing for impressive transitions between your photos as you relive the memories. AUDIALS RADIO 2025 SPECIAL EDITION YOUR PRACTICAL…

Computex has wrapped for another year, giving us a swathe of new products and technologies to look forward to incorporating into our computers over the next year. Dive into Lindsay’s mega-report starting on page 38. For me, many of the things that caught my eye fell into two primary categories: cases and graphics cards. Outside of those some neat products that also caught our attention were: ID Coolings scented thermal paste, to keep your rig smelling fresh or fruity; Pulsar’s Noctua-themed mouse with inbuilt Noctua fan to keep sweaty palms dry, and Team Group’s T-Create SSDs that feature a self-destruct button to either erase all data on the drive or physically damage it, preventing data recovery. Sorry, no Mission Impossible explosions here. Cases The Phanteks Evolv X2 is a fish…

Denon AH-C840NCW Available in black or white, these true wireless earbuds from hi-fi makers Denon promise to be a great alternative to Apple’s own AirPods Pro. Costing just $335, they’re packed with features, including 12mm FreeEdge drivers, active noise cancelling (ANC) and twin mics for crystal clear calls, plus up to 35 hours of playback between recharges using a combination of both the earbuds and the charging case with ANC off. Not only that, but the AH-C840NCW are also waterproof to IPX4 and offer multi-point connectivity so you can easily switch between your PC or Mac, phone, tablet and watch and the case can be wirelessly charged as well. The earbuds come with three pairs of silicone eartips in different sizes to suit your ears (while offering increased sound isolation).…

PRICE $669 WEB geekom.au There are a lot of mini computers available these days, from powerful gaming capable PCs, to modest little machines. The Geekom A5 is an existing model, now updated for 2025, and aimed at anyone after an affordable tiny desktop. But how does it hold up in the real world? While the 2025 A5 is also available with a more powerful Ryzen 7 5825U, our review unit rocks the 2023 Zen 3 Ryzen 5 7430U inside the compact 0.6-litre shell. While not the latest generation anymore, it’s a solid low-to-mid-range chip with a 15W TDP, a 4.3GHz boost clock, and includes capable Radeon Vega 7 graphics clocked at 1800MHz. In the A5, it’s paired with 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 512GB PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD. Handily,…

PRICE $1,299 WEB www.dell.com The Dell S3225QC is potentially the best all-rounder model on the Australian market. Large with an epic row of in-built speakers, fitted with a gorgeous 4K QD-OLED panel operating at 120Hz, and capped off at a reasonably generous price of $1,289, the S3225QC is billed at being your monitor for work, school or play, all in one device. But that sales pitch is knee-capped by one big problem – the audio and video ports. Most monitors typically come with a healthy assortment of input ports – a healthy mix of HDMI and Display Ports typically – but the S3225QC only has an HDMI 2.1 port and a USB-C port (utilising the DisplayPort alternate mode) for projecting the screen of your laptop or PC. At first glance…

PRICE $1,999 WEB amazon.com.au Folding phones are no longer the hot new thing, but Motorola’s Razr mobiles keep getting better. The Razr 60 Ultra is the best take we’ve seen on the flip format, although the cost pits it against formidable non-folding competition. At least Motorola is providing a generous specification in return for your cash. The Razr 60 Ultra comes with 512GB of storage, the latest processor, a big 4,700mAh battery and fast charging. You also have a great range of new Pantone-branded finish options to choose from, namely Cabaret, Mountain Trail, Rio Red and Scarab – translating to a rich pinky purple, earth tones, maroon and opal green, respectively. Aside from the new colours, Motorola deviates little from the established Razr design; the most visible change is the…

Few of us spend our evenings with our eyes glued to the sky, but there’s so much beauty up there that can be missed if we don’t pay attention. Now that the weather is warmer, staying up late to watch the stars or indulge in a touch of astrophotography can feel like very tempting pastimes. Without the right apps, though, enjoying them fully can be tricky. We’ve picked six apps to meet your space-loving needs – install them on your phone and head out into the night to explore the celestial wonder. Night Sky Free (IAPs) | nightsky.com iOS only Unless you’re an expert stargazer, you might not be able to name all the stars, planets satellites and constellations in the night sky. That’s where the aptly named Night Sky…

PRICE $6,599 from rog.asus.com Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 makes quite a visual statement. For a start, the large ROG logo on the lid is actually a multicolour LED. Even that is made to look bashful compared to the array of 810 white LEDs that dance around when the laptop is in standby mode and flash “STRIX” when you turn it on. You can change these patterns to premade animations or import your own. Want more? There’s an RGB light ring around the entire perimeter of the enclosure, and per-key backlighting on the keyboard – all of which can be configured with the supplied Armoury Crate tool. Despite the showy exterior, the construction feels basic in places. It’s solid, but the keyboard deck and chassis bottom are constructed of plastic…

PRICE $5,599 from gigabyte.com No laptop costing almost $5,600 can be considered cheap, but the Aorus Master 16 is the only gaming laptop here to duck under that mark. But it does feel cheaper than its rivals. Though many gaming laptops use plastic to prevent overheating and reduce weight, Gigabyte’s implementation of the material isn’t perfect. For instance, the lid features a lenticular material that reveals a ribbed pattern around the RGB-lit Aorus falcon logo. But the material feels like something I’d expect from a Happy Meal toy. At least on the lid, Gigabyte should have gone with premium aluminium. Then there’s the Aorus logo displayed garishly across the touchpad, spilling onto the palm rest. Mix that with the RGB keyboard (including a handful of transparent keys), and there’s no…

PRICE $8,599 from au.msi.com Powerful gaming laptops command premium prices, and the MSI Raider is no different. It feature a generous 4TB of storage spread across a pair of 2TB drives, and the result is excellent speed: 2,252MB/sec in our real-world file-copy tests. Of the other systems here, only the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i breached 2,000MB/sec. And this laptop is all about speed, with the Raider hitting a maximum operating power of 260W thanks to MSI’s OverBoost Ultra technology. This led to atrocious battery life in our light-use test, 2hrs 33mins, but it lasted for a more respectable 1hr 46mins when we switched to gaming. More importantly to most, it easily hit over 100fps at 1080p in most games, although more difficult titles such as Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk…

If you work in artificial intelligence or machine learning, you’re probably familiar with vague and hotly debated definitions. The term “reasoning models” is no exception. Eventually, someone will define it formally in a paper, only for it to be redefined in the next, and so on. I define “reasoning” as the process of answering questions that require complex, multi-step generation with intermediate steps. For example, factual question-answering such as “What is the capital of France?” doesn’t involve reasoning. In contrast, a question like “If a train is moving at 60mph and travels for three hours, how far does it go?” requires simple reasoning. After all, it requires recognising the relationship between distance, speed and time before arriving at the answer. A regular large language model (LLM) may only provide a…

ANDROID & iOS Set ChatGPT as your default voice assistant Google Assistant has long been the default voice assistant on Android devices, but it’s being replaced by Google’s AI tool Gemini. You now also have the option to make ChatGPT your default digital assistant, if you prefer OpenAI’s tool to either of Google’s. Provided you have the ChatGPT app (tinyurl.com/APC547chat) installed on your Android phone or tablet, the change is easy to apply. Open the Settings app and tap Apps followed by ‘Default apps’. Select ‘Digital assistant app’ then ‘Default digital assistant app’ and select ChatGPT (see screenshot below left). Press ‘OK’ to grant the assistant the required permissions. You can now launch ChatGPT by long-pressing the Home button on your device and interact with the chatbot using Voice mode.…

PRICE Free PLATFORM PC WEB tinyurl.com/APC547dull Dull Acres is essentially a series of encounters, as the little protagonist trudges from screen to screen and finds similar stick-people in various dire, strange or funny situations. I happened upon a concert, swapped places with a peculiar tree and met some unlucky people that were dragged into the trees by some sort of monster. I encountered beautiful things and creepy things, as I gave up on reaching a destination and as the forest gradually shifted around me. In such a repetitive environment, the encounters need to be memorable, and they certainly are here. There are bespoke animations, which are more expressive than the screenshots might lead you to believe, and the writing is thoughtful, concise, and often very funny. Absurdity is hard to…

Inspirational stories from computing’s long-distant past If you’re writing a personal message to a friend, I’m guessing that you wouldn’t be overly happy if someone else was taking a sneaky peek over your shoulder. It’s the same online, which is why most people want to protect their privacy. It’s also why many of us have come to love encryption software – tools that scramble readable data while it’s being transmitted so that only the intended recipients are able to view it. But if it wasn’t for the efforts of activists and talented cryptographers such as Philip Zimmermann, there’s no telling what systems we would have in place today. For his is a story of strong principles, political will, technical brilliance, determination and innovation. Not to mention great courage and perseverance.…

One thing I miss about my tiny, expensive apartment was that I never had any problems connecting to Wi-Fi. Every corner was amply covered by the wireless signal, so I could work without leaving my bed during the winter months – just as well, as the place was freezing. Now that I live in a larger, warmer and cheaper home, I have fewer things to complain about – aside from late bin collections. But I have noticed that my Wi-Fi is spotty and sometimes nonexistent in the areas furthest from my router. I’ve considered buying a Wi-Fi repeater or mesh system to boost the signal to these blackspots, but first wanted to try a DIY approach. I’d read that you can use an old phone to extend your Wi-Fi coverage,…

Everything you need to know from the month in tech Microsoft promises it is “ending USB-C port confusion” with its updated Windows 11 Windows Hardware Compatibility Program (WHCP) initiative. Going forward, it pledges to ensure all USB data, charging, and display functionality “just works” on all your USB-C ports. Moreover, an additional rule means USB 40Gbps ports will be fully compatible with both USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals. The Microsoft blog indicates that these rules should already be in place with certified Windows 11 laptops and tablets that come with Windows 11 24H2 installed. It isn’t the USB-C port that’s the problem, says the Microsoft exec, it is “the inconsistent implementations of USB-C port capabilities across the PC ecosystem.” Or in other words, not all USB-C ports are created equal.…

Nintendo’s Switch 2 launched last month, and only a few days later Microsoft announced the ROG Xbox Ally, a handheld PC that’s basically Asus’ ROG Ally, but with an Xbox user interface. Meanwhile, Valve has started to open the floodgates for non-Valve companies to ship handheld devices with SteamOS installed, meaning we could be on the verge of a tsunami of Steam Deck-style consoles. It’s a great time to love portable (or in-bed) gaming, but the focus on this form factor reflects a broader shift in the industry, where the old model of major publishers doling out a half-dozen blockbuster games every year has become commercially unviable (or so publishers claim). Instead, games like Clair Obscur, Baldur’s Gate 3, Balatro and Vampire Survivors emerge from the AA and indie spaces…

After a big return in 2024, Computex came back even harder in 2025, with more visitors and even more energy. The Nangang halls were packed, and many brands spilled out into nearby hotels and even restaurants just to find space to show off their latest gear. The show even got a visit from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. But to be fair, the crowds and security were even bigger when Nvidia’s Jensen Huang swept through, leaving his signature on products like a rockstar. If there’s one non-AI trend that defined Computex 2025, it’s LCDs crammed into everything. Mostly coolers, but also PSUs, GPUs, cases, and even RAM. Laptops also stood out, with a wave of clean designs and powerful, ultra-lightweight models dipping under the 1KG mark. Of course, AI was everywhere.…

DEVELOPER CanonicalWEB https://ubuntu.comLICENCE Mainly GPL SPECS CPU: 2GHz Mem: 4GB HDD: 25GB Builds: ARMhf, PPC64el, RISC-V, s390x, x86_64 The name Ubuntu is derived from a Bantu word that roughly translates as ‘humanity towards others’. Since October 2004, this community spirit has been reflected by regular releases of this Debian-based OS. Over the years, Ubuntu has undergone many iterations. Initially, its flagship edition deployed the Gnome 2 desktop environment. This all changed with the advent of Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal in 2011, which heralded Canonical’s own Unity desktop environment, which provided a more modern and touch-friendly interface. In 2017, Canonical abandoned Unity in favour of Gnome. Ubuntu’s release cycle now roughly follows that of new versions of the desktop environment, with new versions being released approximately every six months. At the…

PRICE $6,999 from asus.com If you thought the ROG Strix Scar 16 was a beast, you’ll baulk at this huge gaming laptop. It has an 18in display that looks more like a desktop monitor than a laptop screen, and it weighs a hefty 3.3kg. While the ROG Strix Scar 18 isn’t the most portable gaming system around, it is one of the best. That’s thanks to a combination of top-tier components and a screen that’s not only huge but gorgeous. When I say top-tier components, I mean the aspirational combination of an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU. It’s a power pairing made in gaming heaven, enabling the latest AAA titles to run smoothly with incredible visuals. In fact, Asus squeezes notably more performance out…

PRICE $6,997 from hp.com Not much makes me happier than a powerful gaming laptop, and the HP Omen Max 16 is one of the most powerful around. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics, it’s an unbeatable specification – and the OLED screen is a treat for the eyes, too. The design is chunky – that’s inevitable for a 16in gaming laptop – but its 2.7kg weight is on the heavy side even compared to its competitors this month. The overall shape is clean and simple, but is decorated with several attention-seeking design features: aside from the lightbar and RGB keys, there’s a glossy black Omen logo on the lid, and another “O16” logo below the keyboard, along with text in an…

The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” blared across Microsoft’s Redmond campus on the day Windows 95 was unveiled to the world. This was the big one. A landmark release on Microsoft’s journey away from its DOS roots and into the 32-bit era. “Start me up and I’ll never stop,” shouted Mick Jagger, and so far that promise has held. Well, apart from the occasional blue screen of death. It had been a long road to launch, twisting and turning away from its original vision with such vigour that even Mick must have looked on with admiration. But now it was here, bringing us the roots of the Windows user experience we still use 30 years later. Millions of copies were sold over the next few days, many to people who…

Find the best deals on new gear at getprice.com/au Premium laptops Apple MacBook Pro M4 ONE OF THE BEST LAPTOPS THAT’S EVER BEEN MADE. This M4 update to the already brilliant MacBook Pro line is an easy recommendation, so the big question becomes do you choose the 14in version or 16in. But whatever you choose should last for years, and look great while it’s doing it. From $2,499, apple.com/au THE ALTERNATIVES ASUS ZENBOOK A14 This affordable and super-slim laptop with a 14in OLED panel has all the performance most people need at a very competitive price, and it boasts fantastic build quality. $1,999, asus.com APPLE MACBOOK AIR M4 If you don’t need the all-out power of the Pro, this is a brilliant, cheaper alternative despite the unchanged chassis and screen.…

WINDOWS 11 Share files from an app’s jump list Microsoft’s Windows 11 KB5053598 update, released on 11 March, adds the option to share files when you right-click an app’s icon on the taskbar. First, pin an app to the taskbar by right-clicking it and selecting ‘Pin to taskbar’. Next, right-click the icon to bring up the app’s jump list, then hover over the file you want to share and click the ‘Share this item’ icon (see screenshot below). Now choose how you want to share it – by email, Phone Link, Nearby Sharing, WhatsApp, OneDrive and so on. It only works with apps that have the option to share files, such as File Explorer, Microsoft Word and Snipping Tool. WINDOWS 11 Go back to the old Notepad Microsoft 365 subscribers…

PRICE $21 PLATFORM PC, Mac, Switch WEB tinyurl.com/APC547expelled Expelled places you in Miss Mulligatawney’s School for Promising Girls, an elite 1920s training ground for wretched entitled cretins. You’re Verity Amersham, the lowly scholarship student, and you’ve just been framed – possibly – for smashing a stained glass window. Oh, and shoving another girl out of it. You have until the end of the school day to clear your name, frame someone else, and/or discover why this happened in the first place. Each loop starts at 7.30am with that window smashing and the girl taking a tumble. To start with you can flee the crime scene (probably wise), or hide a crucial bit of incriminating evidence (probably wiser), or even just mill around waiting for someone to catch you (er…). Whatever…

Old games, new perspectives RELEASE 2013 DEVELOPER Red Barrels PUBLISHER Red Barrels LINK redbarrelsgames.com Horror games were never part of my repertoire when I was growing up. I just get scared way too easily. I always have done really. I used to have nightmares after watching Jumanji, and I once screamed so much at the Weeping Angel episode of Doctor Who that my mum banned me from watching it for two months. Because of this, horror was an instant write-off for most of my childhood. But when you’ve suddenly got a laptop that can just about handle gaming rather than relying on the family PC, and you have the confidence that you’ve become that little bit braver now you’re a teenager, horror feels a lot less intimidating. That’s until you’re…