Life & Technology – 2GB 30th August, 2015

Father's Day is just a week away, meaning its time to think about getting dad a present!

 

Wireless multi-room speakers are the next big thing in audio, and Sonos is one of the most established players in the space. If you want to get dad started with wireless multi-room audio, the Sonos Play:1 is a great entry point, and retails for AUD$329. It's small, but it packs a punch. If you really love dad, you can get him two!

 

 If you're after something a bit bigger, there's the Play:3 and Play:5, retailing for AUD$499 and AUD$649 respectively. And at the high end, you've got the Playbar and Sub, Sonos' wireless soundbar and subwoofer.  These are AUD$1,099 each.

 

If you want to get your dad a fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge HR is one of the most balanced options on the market. It tracks steps, sleep, calories and your heart rate, it's got a five day battery life, and a pretty great app. Just make sure your dad knows you're not calling him fat – you're just helping him stay healthy. The Charge HR retails for AUD$159.

 

Bluetooth isn't typically a phrase you typically associate with dental hygiene, but Oral-B’s Pro 5000 Power Toothbrush connects to dad's smartphone to track to his brushing habits. The Oral-B Pro 5000 Power Toothbrush retails for AUD$179.

 

LIFX smart bulbs are a great way for dad to dip his toes into the world of smart home automation.  He can program these to flash a different colour when he gets a notification on his phone, or schedule them to turn on or off at certain times! LIFX's smart bulbs start at AUD$98 and come in bayonet and Edision fittings.

 

Last but not least, Navman's Mivue 530 in-car camera combines a dash cam with a GPS. In addition providing maps, the GPS tracking is used to ensure your location, speed and direction of travel are recorded whenever the camera is recording. It retails for AUD$126.

 

All of these are available at our sponsor Harvey Norman!

 

For more gadget gift ideas, click here.

 

In non Father's Day news, TPG's AUD$1.56 billion acquisition of iiNet has now been approved, leaving TPG as Australia's second largest ISP. While the ACCC previously raised concerns, it said that the effects of competition would not be substantial enough to require intervention. The ACCC  says it will however scrutinise any further merger or acquisition between any of Australia's large broadband players to a much greater extent.

 

On Tuesday, I’ll be jumping on a plane to Berlin for IFA, Germany’s annual tech convention. I’ll be back in time for next weekend’s episode, and we’ll be bringing you all the latest gadget news straight from the show

 

While the convention hasn’t started yet, we already know a little about what’s going to be on display. One of Samsung’s big announcements is going to be a new round smartwatch it hopes to take the Apple Watch on with. It’s called the Gear S2 and we’ll learn more about it in the coming days.

 

LG’s already unveiled a new tablet it calls the G Pad II 10.1. As the name suggests, it’s 10.1-inch tablet – powered by Android – but it has one really interesting feature. If you like to read e-books on your tablet, the G Pad II 10.1 has an option called “Reader mode” that cuts the blue light emitted by the screen, reducing eyestrain and making it easier to use for extended periods.