Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i TechLife

It’s that time of year again! The Australian PC Awards are upon us, where all of Future Australia’s technology titles come together to find the best new PC products of the last year. Like a lot of things, the APCAs have been impacted by COVID, forcing us to take a new look at the way we present this event. Before COVID, it was a live event, whereas last year we had to hold off on joining our industry friends to celebrate the awards. This year, we’ve decided to take a different tack again, and run the awards over three nights online – so you can watch along and celebrate with us! Point your browser at www.australianpcawards.com.au, and not only can you be a part of the show, but you could…

After launching the Latitude 7320 Detachable just a month or so ago, Dell is back with two new additions to its Latitude line of business laptops. The new Latitude 5421 and Latitude 5521 feature 11th Gen Intel Core processors, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and can be outfitted with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM as well as Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics. When it comes to ports, both laptops have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, a microSD card reader, a headphone jack and a SIM tray. The Latitude 5421 and 5521 even come equipped with built-in AI capable of boosting application performance and improving battery life by adapting to users’ work habits. These new devices were also designed with Dell’s 2030 sustainability goals in mind and…

Facebook’s rumored plans for an ‘Instagram for Kids’ app haven’t been very well received so far – and they’ve just come under even more fire in a bombshell letter written by a group of 44 US attorneys general. The Instagram for Kids app, which isn’t yet official, could apparently allow children under the age of 13 to use the modified photo-sharing app. Currently, Instagram requires all users to be 13 or older to use the service. But a letter signed by the 44 US attorneys general has told Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, exactly why the kid-friendly version of Instagram shouldn’t be introduced. Their arguments against Instagram for Kids include Facebook’s apparent “record of failing to protect the safety and privacy of children on its platform”, research that “increasingly demonstrates that…

In the 19th century, researchers discovered a series of decorated caves that date back between 14,000 and 40,000 years to the Upper Paleolithic era, or Late Stone Age, across Western Europe. Found mainly in Spain and France, they were filled with paintings, many of them in areas that could be accessed only through narrow passageways. The depictions were painted in black and red and primarily showed animals, with some hand stencils, handprints and geometric abstract signs. But why would people go through the trouble of walking through narrow cave passages to make art? To answer this question, a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University focused on a characteristic of such deep, narrow caves, especially those that require artificial light to navigate: low levels of oxygen. The researchers ran computer…

Gears of War studio The Coalition is shutting down rumors that it’s developing a new Star Wars title. With the news that The Coalition is shifting development of all future projects to Unreal Engine 5, a recent rumour from GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb naturally made its way into the Reddit conversation, but the Gears studio wasn’t having any of it. In a reply to a comment invoking the rumor, Gears of War community manager TC Kilo, in no uncertain terms, squashed it. “Just to clarify regarding the Star Wars thing,” reads the response from The Coalition. “We are not working on any such title. We have nothing else to announce at this time.” In announcing that The Coalition is moving to a next-gen development engine, the studio also made sure to…

“Early rumours suggested this started life as Resident Evil Revelations 3, before being reworked and upgraded to a Resident Evil 7 sequel, and having finished it I can believe that.” $75, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, www.residentevil.com I feel like I want to give Resident Evil Village a running commentary of scores, such is the range and variety of its sections: 8, 9 (...Jesus, maybe a 10?), 8, 7, 6… There’s so much going on but it chops and changes from beat to beat in such a way you can almost see the line between sections. Most noticeably it feels like there’s a real difference between the first and second half. The opening is strong, clever, and fun – full of atmosphere and intrigue as you explore (and features a part that’s…

Project Cars Go PROJECT: FAILED. Free with IAP Project Cars as a franchise has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. One of the closest competitors to the Forza and Gran Turismo powerhouses of Xbox and PlayStation, Slightly Mad Studios has made high fidelity, true handling, dynamic surface and weather environments an obsession. As a result, even the original version of the software that came out in 2015 still looks and runs exceptionally on PC and is considered best-in-class as far as simulators go. So, it’s somewhat of a shock that a game that focused so heavily on realism would choose to emulate one of the other recent disappointments in mobile racing – Forza Street – which also took a franchise focused on control and pace and removed…

From $130, en-de.sennheiser.com It seems a little odd to find Sennheiser competing in this market – but the company hasn’t sacrificed any of its principles in bringing in the HD 250BT at such a startlingly low price. If sound quality is your be-all and end-all, these wireless on-ear headphones demand your attention. The fact that the HD 250BT don’t look, or feel, any more costly than they are is more than compensated for by the sound they make. Yes, the headband is unpadded, but the soundstage is wide open and properly defined. Yes, they’re built from plastics that feel hard and quite cheap, but they give music real detail and nuance. No, there’s no noise-cancelling or voice control, but there’s more realism to the HD 250BT than$130 can buy anywhere…

$99, www.corsair.com The Corsair K55 Pro XT should be at the top of the list for budget-conscious folks who need a full sized gaming keyboard with a light focus on streaming. An upgrade from the cheaper K55 Pro, the higher tiered $99 variant features a handful of upgrades, including individually lit RGB keys and more than 10 static lighting colors. This is on top of an already impressive membrane switch keyboard offering IP42-rated resistance, media controls, six dedicated macro keys, Elgato Stream Deck software compatibility and detectable soft palm rest. If you are solely looking to upgrade from the K55 Pro and don’t mind adding an extra bit to your budget, the XT tier makes sense. There aren’t many quality, brand name full-sized keyboards catering to streamers at that price.…

$349, www.viofo.com Despite being a relatively obscure name in the dash cam game, Viofo offers excellent bang for your buck in its 4K Viofo Pro Duo bundle, which features a surprisingly crisp full 4K resolution front camera and Full HD rear-facing unit. The A139 isn’t exactly this model’s successor, but instead an additional offering that includes another camera in the mix. The newcomer is an interior unit that monitors the cabin of the vehicle in Full HD, with the added benefit of six infrared LEDs to capture footage in even the lowest light. The downside to Viofo’s generosity is that the front-facing camera drops its resolution to 2K quality (2,560 x 1,440 pixels at either 30 or 60fps) and you lose the small colour display that makes setting up and…

From $45, www.apple.com/au Apple’s long-awaited location-tracking device, AirTag has finally been made official, and while it may be small, it’s likely to prove invaluable if you’re a serial loser of keys, wallets, and the like. As well as emitting an electronic beep when you can’t locate a tagged item, if an AirTag is paired with an iPhone 11 or above you can get accurate directions to the item using the Find My app. Called Precision Finding, the feature utilises the iPhone’s accelerometer, camera, and gyroscope to provide on-screen directions, your current distance from the AirTag, and haptic feedback when you get close to locating it. Apple’s Find My device network can also be harnessed to help reunite you with an AirTag that you deem lost rather than misplaced: just put…

1 REPOSITION THE ROUTER Ideally, your router should be located right in the center of your home. That’s not always possible, but you can still make sure to lift the router up off the floor, and keep it away from obstacles that might block the signal. 2 ADJUST THE ANTENNAS You should remember to spread the antennas out as well (although some routers just hide their antennas inside). Each antenna transmits its own signal, so spreading these out ensures that the Wi-Fi signal reaches out in all directions. 3 CHANGE WI–FI BANDS Most routers can transmit on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. The 5GHz band is faster, but 2.4GHz provides greater range and reliability, so that’s probably the best option for mobile devices that move around a lot. 4…

1 NETWORK KNOW–HOW Most routers provide an app that allows you to adjust various settings. The features in these apps can vary quite a lot, but they generally start by giving you an overview of all the devices that are currently connected to your network. 2 TAKE BACK CONTROL You can control individual devices, perhaps blocking devices you don’t recognize, or pausing the kids’ internet at dinner time. Some apps provide filters to block unsuitable material – but watch out for additional subscription fees here. 3 DAY BY DAY Another really useful feature – but not found in all apps – is the ability to create daily or weekly schedules to control your kids’ internet access. That way you can make sure they’re not on Instagram or TikTok all night…

TP-Link Archer C80 $105 tp-link.com TP–Link’s Archer range concentrates on providing good performance and value for money. The new C80 model is an affordable entry-level router, but it offers dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi running at a healthy 1,900Mbps and will be fine for streaming video and music, and the occasional gaming session. There are four Ethernet ports for wired connections, and TP-Link’s well-designed app will have you up and running in no time at all. Linksys Velop From $229 linksys.com The Velop is a good introduction to mesh networking for larger homes, or homes with thick walls that block the Wi-Fi signal. There are several models in the Velop range, with prices starting at under $229 for a twin-pack with dual–band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, or you can step up to a faster…

1 UNWELCOME GUESTS Your router’s app will show you a list of all devices that are connected to your network. It will also allow you to block any devices you don’t recognise, although you should follow our next few steps to stop it happening again. 2 PASSWORD PROTECTION While you’re at it, you should also consider changing your Wi-Fi password every now and then. You can do this in your app, and the app will also provide a secure option for sharing the new password with family and friends. 3 CHECK YOUR SECURITY Your iPhone or iPad will actually tell you if your network is secure or not. Take a look at Settings > Wi-Fi, and you’ll see this warning if your security settings aren’t up to scratch. Oddly, though,…

TP–Link RE450/AC1750 $99.99 tp-link.com You can get cheap extenders for as little as $20, but it’s worth paying for one that provides decent performance. The RE450 provides dual–band 802.11ac Wi–Fi running at 1,750Mbps, plus one Ethernet port. Linksys RE9000 $149.99 linksys.com It may look like a regular router, but that’s the point — this tri–band extender has a 10,000sq ft range and offers speeds of up to 3,000Mbps — making it great for 4K video and gaming. Netgear EAX20 $149.99 netgear.com Netgear’s EAX20 is one of the first Wi–Fi 6 range extenders, and it will work with older 802.11ac routers too. It provides dual–band Wi–Fi at 1,800Mbps and has four Ethernet ports for additional wired connections.…

To put it lightly, sound is colossal when it comes to gaming, and has been even back from its humble beginnings. Commercial gaming started to take shape back in the 1970s. The quintessential classic game of Pong is as simple as it gets by today’s standards. However, the implementation of the “beeps” and “bops” adds to the game. Even though you can see you have hit the shot, you get to hear it too. Strangely, it’s satisfying, and it gives you a feeling of confirmation without you really realising it. Through simple soundtracks or repetitive noises, audio can soon become a huge part of the brand identity for a game. Pacman is heavily known for its “waka waka” sound – you hear that and you think Pacman. For a gaming…

Those of us lucky enough to have gardens have become intimately attached to them in this past year. The yard has become more than just a patch of grass; it’s a viable room in its own right, with all the modern conveniences we’ve come to expect. It should come as no surprise that the burgeoning smart home is expanding outward into this new room at pace, ready to offer you smarter garden management, better connectivity, and a host of new kit to tie into your existing routines. If you’re committed to your outdoor space you can even find full-on entertainment rigs ready and raring to annoy your neighbors as you put your feet up on the patio. Go, go, robo mow Smart mowers may be the big headline grabbers of…

While some other smart lighting brands stick sensibly to the inside of your home, and others (like LIFX) make only slight excursions to the outdoors, Philips Hue has really cemented its outdoor expansion recently with a wide range of new outdoor bulbs and illuminators. Philips runs its own low voltage system to the garden, which allows you to daisychain together certain products for easy installation. And new devices like the (rumored, at press time) Hue Wave Linear (which feels an awful lot like an outdoor version of the Hue Play Bar) can sensibly take advantage of it. Note that you’ll often find the Bluetooth option missing from Hue’s outdoor bulbs, which does make sense; while it’s a neat addition to its newer indoor hardware, you’re not likely to want to…

APPLE IS INCREASINGLY TRYING TO USE ITS OWN CHIPS, BUT THIS PROCESS IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE. As said, even its ‘own’ chips still need to be manufactured by someone else. Looking through Apple’s supplier list, various key names that we know are involved in the semiconductor manufacturing process stand out: > Broadcom > Intel > NXP Semicondcutors > ON Semiconductor > Qualcomm > Samsung > TSMC These companies need to work through the backlog to help Apple get back to pre-pandemic supply.…

REQUIRES PCalc, OS X 10.9 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to use PCalc’s basic features and start using the app IT WILL TAKE 5–10 minutes If you want to run some calculations and conversions on your Mac, Apple’s Calculator app and even Spotlight are decent places to start. But neither of those options offers anywhere near the level of depth, customisation, and power you get with PCalc. If you find that they’re missing the mark, PCalc is what you need. The long-lived app has been around since 1992 – nearly 30 years! – yet is still going strong and feels right at home in macOS Big Sur thanks to its dedicated developer. It comes with a range of useful tools for almost any calculating need: switchable modes between binary,…

$1,649, www.lenovo.com The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga 2-in-1 is a business-focused convertible laptop that delivers excellent performance at a fair price, while wrapping it all in an attractive package – even if it’s a fingerprint magnet. This is a solidly midrange 2-in-1, with the entry-level configuration coming in at just under $1,700, and it has some attractive features for the price. Things like a finger-print scanner built into the power button, physical webcam privacy shutter, and a fast-charging garaged stylus definitely put it above other midrange 2-in-1s, and that alone makes it one of the better options at this price point. Design The design of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga is easily one of its best selling points. The all-aluminum construction is fairly light at just over three pounds (1.5kg,…

$4,995, www.lg.com The LG G1 OLED is the follow up to the sleek Gallery OLED model that debuted last year, but a host of improvements – including a shot in the arm to brightness – make the G Series a more tempting proposition than ever. Adding a new high-efficiency ‘Evo’ panel design and enhanced colour system allows the G1 OLED series to boldly go where no LG OLED has gone before. It means, after all, that the spectacular black level and local contrast talents that LG OLED TVs have always boasted can be partnered with more of the raw brightness and colour reach that’s so important to a true HDR experience. Design The LG G1 OLED’s design isn’t called ‘Gallery’ for nothing. It’s designed very much with wall-hanging in mind…

With the launch of a couple of new VR headsets and leaked details about others, this month gives us a good insight into what the VR landscape will look like over the next year or so. Niantic has created an impressive developer tool that should see some exciting progress in smartphone AR, and the Oculus adds Infinite Office features to encourage productivity use-cases for its headset. AI is working to save languages at risk of becoming extinct and is helping the USPS find lost parcels faster, but we’re expecting even more development on this front with a new US$110 billion package to advance America’s emerging tech space. XR Quest 2 Desk in VR Oculus is letting you redesign the homepage to make it more productive. Free | oculus.com/blog/ Hand tracking…

$79, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch, motogpvideogame.com Are you new to motorcycle racing games? Well let me tell you this: MotoGP 21 is going to be really, really difficult. But what am I saying – maybe you’re a perennial hundred-hour player in Milestone’s long-running bike sim, with every braking zone from Losail turn one to Valencia’s Adrian Campos corner memorised. Guess what: MotoGP 21 is still going to be really, really difficult. This series has turned adamantly sim-wards since its move to Unreal Engine in 2018, but this year’s release represents the most noticeable shift in difficulty and realism in years. In particular, changes to suspension and braking make themselves felt in every corner entry and apex, demanding a different approach than last year’s game asked of you. And if you…

$499, www.asus.com As the way we use computers has changed – and productivity has moved more towards online tools – so has the value of Chrome OS (which powers many of the best Chromebooks). The Asus Chromebox 4 is a good example of what it can do; a box which can handle basically any online tool you can throw at it, and as long as you’re careful not to ask too much of its relatively limited hardware, it’s a machine with a surprising amount of pep for its price. It’s small and subtle, able to sit behind a monitor or quietly on a desk, with a very good collection of connectivity ports and enough graphical power to output in 4K – perhaps, if you’re really looking to push it, over…

$169, www.instax.com.au The Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 is essentially an evolution of one of our favorite starter cameras, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. It retains that camera’s stripped-back operation, but swaps the toy-like shape for a vintage-inspired body that will look far more at home in adult hands. Instant photography can be equal parts appealing and frustrating, especially for newcomers to the medium. And while there’s no shortage of cameras to choose from, the ones designed for first-timers usually have children in mind. Luckily, the Instax Mini 40 is a more grown-up alternative. Design and features It may be mechanically identical to the Mini 11, but the Mini 40’s faux leather finish and silver trim details give it a more mature appearance. The design is clearly influenced by the more…

$250, www.kenwood.com Kenwood might be a name associated with bass-heavy in-car sound systems from the good old days of car customisation, but it currently offers a solid selection of aftermarket head units – many complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – and a neat line of high-definition dash cams. The DRV-A601W here is arguably its flagship model, boasting a neat and compact exterior body, 3-inch full-color LCD touchscreen and 3840 x 2160 (8.3M pixels) recording capabilities for capturing crisp footage from the front window. Although available as a standalone camera, Kenwood is also keen to push its KCA-R200 rear-view camera, which tethers easily to this unit, as well as the CA-DR1030 hard-wiring kit. The latter allows owners to tap into the vehicle’s fuse board and gets around the sticky…

$Free, www.canva.com In order to use Canva, you must create an account, but all they need from you is your name and an email address to set one up. Once logged in, go to the website creation section of Canva’s website and you’ll be presented with 162 templates, which you can narrow down not by category, but by their principal colour. It’s a little unusual, but it appears to be your only option, aside from scrolling through them all. You also have the choice of starting with a blank website, should you prefer. As you click on various templates, you’ll notice that some state that they are “Free to edit and download” while others are “Included in Canva Pro”. Sadly, there’s no way to find out which are which aside…

Most conventional routers broadcast their Wi–Fi signal on two main frequency bands, at 2.4GHz and 5GHz. You can think of these two bands as being like two separate freeways for transmitting data (often referred to as your network “traffic”). There are many things that can cause your home Wi-Fi network to slow down or become unreliable. Many electrical appliances, such as microwave ovens, cordless (DECT) telephones, and baby monitors generate electromagnetic signals that can interfere. Thick walls can block the signal travelling from room to room, and ceilings between floors can create a “deadspot” upstairs. The biggest culprit, though, will probably be rival Wi-Fi networks running in the homes of nearby buildings, so it’s worth knowing a little bit about how Wi-Fi networks transmit their data so you can pinpoint…

Having problems with your Wi-Fi network? Unreliable online calls or stuttering video? Then it’s worth taking a look at the devices and services that are using your network. The first place to start is with your broadband connection. Bear in mind that even basic video streaming on Netflix requires a speed of 3Mbps, going up to 25Mbps for 4K video. A family of four who are working from home, homeschooling the kids, and then bingeing on Netflix, Fortnite, and YouTube are going to need all the broadband they can get. Some basic broadband providers can only offer about 10Mbps, but you can get 100Mbps (or more) broadband that will easily handle all your digital desires. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a postcode lottery so you’ll need to enter your…

Even if you’re lucky enough to have superfast broadband, chances are that the router provided by your ISP will still be very cheap and won’t provide you with particularly good performance. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to upgrade your network performance then buying a faster, more modern router is the best place to start. It’s quite likely that your existing router only supports the decade-old 802.11ac version of Wi-Fi, while the latest routers now offer the new 802.11ax standard – also known as Wi-Fi 6. This new standard provides amazing speed, but Wi-Fi 6 routers are still quite expensive and at the moment there are only a handful of the latest Macs and iPhones that support Wi-Fi 6. So while a Wi-Fi 6 router is a…

Another thing to remember is that most video services will enable you to download films and even complete TV series before watching them. This is really useful if your broadband struggles with streaming HD or 4K video. We have looked at a number of ways you can improve your network and Wi-Fi performance, from switching bands and channels to buying a new router. However, most video and music streaming services also have their own apps that will allow you to adjust various settings in order to improve performance. Services such as Netflix and Apple TV+ all offer different levels of video quality for watching films and TV. In fact, Netflix and other services charge extra for 4K video, so you can save money and improve performance at the same time…

For many people, the answer is simply: “So I can watch Netflix in another country.” But there are more important (and less legally dubious) answers too. For starters, your ISP always knows exactly what websites and services you’re using, so you have no real privacy when you’re online at all. That’s where a VPN – virtual private network – can prove really useful. A VPN uses special software to route all your internet communications through private servers that are run by the company that developed the VPN software. This means that your ISP can no longer see what websites or services you’re connecting to, and those websites can’t see where your connection is coming from either (which is how the Netflix trick works, although this is somewhat illegal). A VPN…

>> Public Wi-Fi hotspots are safe if password-protected Except that everyone knows the password – it is called “public” Wi–Fi, after all. Subscribing to a VPN app such as ExpressVPN will provide protection for all your devices, including your MacBook or iPhone, when you’re out and about. >> 5GHz Wi-Fi is always faster than 2.4GHz The 5GHz frequency does transmit data at higher speeds than 2.4GHz, but it has shorter range and is more prone to interference from other networks and devices. You may find that the 2.4GHz band works better for mobile devices that tend to move from room to room. >> Simultaneous downloads will slow down your Wi-Fi Older routers were originally designed to transmit data to just one device at a time, so if you had two…

It’s fully possible to transform your patio into a second lounge. We’ll leave the comfy seating choices up to you, but for entertainment Samsung has you covered. Its 2020 range introduced the Terrace TV, an IP55–rated 4K HDR screen built to be mounted on an outside wall. The Terrace isn’t cheap (the 55–inch model is $3,499, while the largest 75–inch edition costs $6,499) and it doesn’t sound great (you’ll probably need to shell out for Samsung’s tie–in Terrace Soundbar, $1,199) but it is, at least, an outdoor TV. If you have a “little” more to spend, try the LED–driven C Seed 301. You’ll need a big garden, both to accommodate its fold–out–of–the–floor mechanism and because it’s 301 inches corner–to–corner. The Austrian–made luxury screen costs around $1.5 million!…

Thunderbolt 3 support Hi TechLife. I’ve been working from home for about a year. My work laptop is connected to a dual-monitor 180W docking station via Thunderbolt. The dock and all peripherals are mine, but the laptop belongs to the company. I want to use the setup off-hours by unplugging the Thunderbolt from the laptop and into a yet-to-be-built PC rig. How would I do that? I don’t need the extra power from the Thunderbolt. Do I just need to make sure the motherboard I pick has USB-C? John Otto TechLife responds: While Thunderbolt 3 is backward compatible with USB-C, USB-C isn’t compatible in return. That means you need to source a motherboard with Thunderbolt 3 support, which typically means one of two things. First, some higher-end boards come with…

If you’re a user of Microsoft’s Edge browser, in the last couple of months you may well have encountered a new kind of security popup, one telling you that a password you have is compromised. This is the result of Microsoft adding a new Password Monitor into the browser platform early this year. This type of security tool isn’t new – both Firefox and Chrome already have these tools built in, though they generally aren’t so in-your-face about notifying you of a breach. There are also password monitors built into the paid versions of a number of Password Manager services and several free websites that will do the job as well. If you’re not already, all of these are definitely worth using and making part of your regular security precautions.…

These are halcyon days for TV technology. Ultra HD 4K is now well established, 8K TVs are becoming more common, HDR is readily available, and streaming puts a near-infinite supply of content at our fingertips all day, every day. But these are also confusing times for TV technology, with new acronyms and marketing terms raining down like confetti. One of the ongoing confusions lies in the comparison between the two technologies competing at the premium end of the TV market: OLED and QLED. So, what exactly are they, what’s the difference, and which is in pole position if you want the best possible picture? OLED: pros and cons OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is a display tech that consists of a carbon-based film through which two conductors pass a current, causing…

It’s one of the biggest frustrations a photographer can experience when shooting in a city. You’ve found a fantastic view of a great subject, you get your camera set up, you frame your composition, and then a load of tourists stroll into your frame. Equally aggravating is passing traffic – we often forget that the city we’re shooting is a living, working urban environment, home to thousands of people going about their business. These elements work together to make capturing an unobstructed shot a challenge, especially when making images close to famous landmarks. In these circumstances you might try to repair the image using the Clone Stamp tool or a similar feature in Photoshop, but this will almost certainly be a lengthy process, and the results will be variable. You…

Marc Teyssier Eyecam The webcam that watches you! $NA | marcteyssier.com/projects/eyecamWith sleek modern technology it can be a little too easy to forget it’s there, which some believe is a dangerous equation for sensory devices that can record and gather information about you. Thankfully there’s a new kind of webcam that’ll never let you relax again… The Eyecam, by Da Vinci Innovation researcher Marc Tessier, is an Eye-of-Sauron webcam that moves, blinks and watches your every move is a nightmare-inducing product designed to make you think about your digital security. The Password Keyboard The one keyboard that makes it easy to type your single master password. $TBC | instagram.com/unnecessaryinventions The password Keyboard is an eight-key keyboard that you can customise to spell out Password so you don’t have to send…

$2,999, www.lg.com The LG Gram 17 (2021) is the latest 17-inch variant of the company’s so far superb lineup of productivity-oriented laptops that are focused on being as light as possible. Powered by Intel’s 11th-generation mobile CPUS, the LG Gram 17 (2021) mostly allows for fast, hassle-free productivity to make your workload seamless. While the LG Gram 17 (2021) certainly isn’t going to win any awards for style, what the laptop does offer is pure function, promising it as one of the best choices for workplace use. If you can stomach the price, that is. Design Even though the ‘LG Kilogram’ might be a more literally accurate name for this laptop, the LG Gram 17 (2021) is shockingly light regardless. It’s arguably the very first thing you’ll notice about the…

Which kind of headphones offer the best experience? Jim Gilbert Presuming we’re leaving out ear buds and on-ear headphones here, both for reasons of space and because each category is a subjective minefield, GaGu will limit this selection to only over-ear kit. There are a couple of key kinds of cans, both of which tend to have a very different feel: closed-backed and open-backed. The former is a completely sealed enclosure. Sound goes one way, towards your ears. This means the majority of outside noise can’t make it in to ruin your tunes, and is the logical reason that you’ll only find noise cancelling cleverness in closed-back cans. They’re close, warm, and keep the real world away – they’re core to the patented Guru family-avoidance technique. GaGu’s top pick doesn’t…

On November 10, 2020, Microsoft released the Xbox Series X – a premium home console that leveraged a new benchmark for power and performance against a lingering sense of familiarity. In my Xbox Series X review, I said that it was “a powerful and capable machine that sets Microsoft up for the future,” explaining that “this is a system set up for evolution, iteration, and success […], a great gaming console with only a few games on the immediate horizon designed to take full advantage of it.” Six months later, progress on that front has proven to be incremental. Perhaps that was always going to be the case. Microsoft has clearly struggled to reconcile its broader plans against the ongoing pandemic. This state of play has contributed to everything from…

$69.95, PlayStation, Xbox One, PC www.oddworld.com It’s easy to root for Abe. The Mudokons, a mystic race of amphibian-like pacifists, have been enslaved for centuries by the cruel industrial cartels of the Glukkons. The cartels’ greed is insidious, and it poisons everything on Oddworld. Mudokons are worked to the bone, institutionally drugged, and punished for any perceived insubordination. It’s up to one Mudokon to spark an insurrection and free his people from chains. That’s the plot of the 1998 Playstation cult classic Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, and many of the same core story beats are preserved in this 2021 “reimagining.” Lorne Lanning, patriarch of the Oddworld cosmology, has only grown more pointed in his depiction of capitalism’s rot, and as usual, he uses a strange, off-kilter drama composed of nasal-throated aliens…

$1,699, www.dji.com Hot on the heels of the DJI FPV, the drone giant shows no signs of slowing with the announcement of the DJI Air 2S. And while the name suggests only an incremental upgrade on the Mavic Air 2, there’s a lot in this new model to whet the appetite of consumer and professional drone pilots alike – most importantly, a 1-inch sensor packed inside a compact drone. The headline feature of the DJI Air 2S is the 20MP 1-inch sensor, which improves image quality and provides an improved high ISO respone compared to the Mavic Air 2. Then there’s the ability to capture 5.4K video at 30fps, alongside 4K at up to 60fps, as well as 1080p at up to 120fps, which opens up significant creative potential for…

$159, www.corsair.com 60 percent mechanical keyboards like the Corsair K65 Mini have become a niche product of both PC gaming markets for several reasons. Losing things like function keys, number pads and individual media controls delivers a compact peripheral with no frills. Though manufacturers like HyperX and Razer have already had success with their takes on the small form factors, Corsair is next to bat. From the premium build to keystroke performance, there’s much to appreciate here – just be mindful that it’s expensive and lacks any elevation latches if you need them. Out of the box the Corsair K65 Mini feels great in-hand. Weighing a little under two pounds, the keyboard should easily survive rustling inside a backpack or even some sheer drops. And to add to the portability…

$199, www.mi-store.com.au As with almost all smartwatches, the Xiaomi Mi Watch comprises a body and two detachable straps. The straps are long, made of thermoplastic polyurethane (which feels like a mix between rubber and plastic), and have plenty of holes for the strap, which also helps with breathability. It’s very lightweight, weighing in at just under 40g, and so it’s very easy to ignore the watch when it’s on your wrist. The Xiaomi Mi Watch display is 1.39 inches across, and it’s fairly bright, making it easy to see in direct sunlight. It uses AMOLED tech, so it’s super-colorful, which is useful as it makes it easy to see info when you glance at it while working out. We were surprised by how fluid motion on the screen felt, for…

~$70, www.mymo.co.uk The Mymo Running Shoe Finder measures 40.5 x 28.5 x13.1mm (approximately the same size as the Garmin Running Dynamics Pod). It sits on your foot as you run, held in a washable neoprene ‘sock’. It’s designed to be worn with no running shoes so your natural gait is unaffected. It’s powered by a replaceable 20mm battery, and its only control is a power switch accompanied by an LED power indicator. The Mymo test can take place on any piece of solid flat ground. First, you download the Mymo app and pair the Mymo pod to your phone. Next, you pop the pod into the neoprene holster over your bare foot and fit it over your ankle. Commencing the test on your phone, you’re given a clear countdown during…

When you look at the Wi–Fi Settings on your Mac or iOS devices you can see the names of all the networks in the area around your home. Unfortunately, the Wi–Fi Settings panel doesn’t provide much info beyond the names of those networks, so it’s worth using an additional app that can delve deeper into all those networks. There are lots of network monitoring apps available for both Macs and iOS devices, and many of these are free to download. However, the free apps tend to bombard you with ads and IAPs, so it’s worth spending just $2.99 on a straightforward app such as WiFi Explorer Lite. WiFi Explorer Lite can be a little daunting at first, as it shows a lot of information about all the networks around you.…

If you’ve just got one room where the Wi–Fi is a bit unreliable, then you can use a pair of inexpensive PowerLine adaptors to magically send your internet connection over your home’s existing electrical wiring. One adaptor is plugged into a wall socket that’s close to your router, and connected to the router with an Ethernet cable. Another adaptor is plugged into a wall socket in the room with the weak Wi–Fi signal, and the two adaptors can then connect together over the electrical wiring. Then you just plug your Mac or other devices into an Ethernet port on the PowerLine adaptor and you’ve got a fast, reliable internet connection in no time at all. Netgear PL1000 $74.99 netgear.com This two–pack is one of the cheapest PowerLine kits around, providing…

Most conventional routers are designed for use in homes with two to three bedrooms, or typically up to 1,500sq ft in size. A router like that may struggle to provide Wi-Fi throughout larger homes, especially where there are bedrooms on upper floors, or maybe even up in an attic. And even in smaller homes you may find that thick walls or ceilings can block the Wi-Fi signal. A mesh networking system is often the ideal solution for homes like these. Rather than a single router, a mesh system typically consists of two, generally for homes up to 3,000sq ft, or even three routers for really large homes. One of those mesh routers will use an Ethernet cable to connect to your existing broadband router in order to use its internet…

As well as fine-tuning your network to get the best possible performance, it’s important to keep your network secure too. An insecure network can allow your neighbors to piggyback on your Wi-Fi and steal the precious bandwidth you’re paying for every month. Even worse is the risk that hackers might penetrate your network in order to spy on you, or to steal important personal information. We’ve even heard of (albeit rare) cases where hackers have threatened people in their own homes by taking control of devices such as security cameras. Stranger danger It’s actually not too difficult to spot unauthorised devices that connect to your Wi-Fi network as the apps provided with most modern routers automatically display a list of all connected devices, and generally allow you to quickly block…

My new router won’t connect to the internet Q I recently bought a new router to replace the ancient, slow router that was supplied by my ISP about four years ago. When I set up the new router my Macs and iOS devices can see the new Wi-Fi network that it has created, but the router itself can’t connect to the internet. A A router on its own can’t actually connect to the internet, so the original router provided by your ISP is actually a combined modem router. It’s the modem, or modulator/demodulator, that handles the actual internet connection while the router is responsible for creating the Wi-Fi network and transmitting data to/from the internet to your connected devices. Most new routers that you might buy as an upgrade don’t…

Sound is just as important as vision. It is everywhere around you, and can take your mind away to wherever you want. Sometimes you can’t always put your finger on why you like a sound, you just like it. That’s why judging audio quality is a tough review process to trust. Everyone’s ears are different, and we pick up every sound in our own way. Every click, cry, sigh, laugh, shout, car, plane, melody – you name it, we are all going to hear it a little differently to the next person. Over the last half a century, audio listening has become a staple of day-to-day life. Whether that is starting your day by waking up to your favorite 1980s thrash metal song, walking the dog to some Cher (we…

Audio testing falls into another category of testing for us at TechLife – it’s not as simple as running it through some software, getting some numbers, and sticking it in a fancy bar chart. “Subjective” is one way to put it. The true nature of sound testing falls into the ears of the listener, and unfortunately quantitative data doesn’t always paint a perfect picture. For our headphones here, we have a few tests that they have all had to face. We have gaming headsets too, so we wanted to see how well they all perform for both music listening and gaming. Firstly, we wanted fair and honest group testing. Before listening, we delved into the sound settings in Windows to make sure that the default format for all the headphones…

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives, not to mention the industries we depend on both professionally and personally. One that might not immediately spring to mind for many people is the production of electronic devices, and, in particular, the chips that sit at the heart (or maybe the brain…) of such products. It should though. Semiconductors – including memory chips, microprocessors, and integrated chips – have been in short supply in the tech industry, and all those that rely on them are in the midst of a genuine crisis. While Apple is better placed than many to ride out the storm, nobody is quite sure at this point when it will end. What’s the problem? Like so many workplaces around the world, the factories that…

Luminar is putting out updates at a fast rate right now. The 4.2 release has added new AI tools for replacing and enhancing skies, some additional portrait tools, and there have been some changes behind the scenes, improving the way the program works with multicore processors and opening up compatibility with thirdparty plugins such as Topaz, Aurora HDR and the Nik Collection. The improved multicore efficiency means the program will run faster on higher-end processors, but all CPUs should see a bit of a boost. It’s the new sky enhancements that are most interesting, though, as they allow you to quickly build up an artwork quite different to your original image. A free trial of Luminar can be obtained from http://skylum.com/luminar (drop down the Luminar menu at the top) where…

As wireless has become more and more capable, powerline networking has become progressively less popular with home users. From its heyday a decade ago, powerline networking has become something of a niche product – but we’re going to argue that it’s one that’s still worth considering for many home users. For loungeroom/entertainment room setups or for linking wireless mesh nodes, powerline products can still find a useful place in many homes. So what is powerline networking again? Many of you young-uns may never have heard of it, so here’s a quick primer: powerline networking uses your home’s integral power cabling to digitally link devices. You plug powerline adapters into powerpoints around your home, and they created a digital bridge between them, using the copper electricity cables in your walls and…