How to buy a TV: 3 good things to look for from an expert    TVs are getting so sophisticated these days it can be tricky to know how to buy a TV just from comparing them side by side in a store. Patrick Chen, Product Training Specialist at TCL Australia says demo units are often tuned to look as punchy as possible rather than accurate as possible. Here are three of his top things to look at in the store. Skin Tone The first check is simple: does skin still look like skin? Demo reels presented in store often lean on bright and saturated images to grab attention away from neighbouring brands, and extra vibrancy can cause them to look artificial. “Often bright hues such as reds, greens, and blues can make a person on-screen look unrealistically bright or artificial, so ensuring skin tones still look natural is key,” Chen says. ” You should ideally be able to look at the bright blue sky or strong orange stripes of a tiger during a movie scene and still see someone’s skin tone remain as you would expect in real life, just as the director intended it to look.” If an actor’s face looks waxy or off-colour next to a vivid backdrop, that’s a sign that the panel prioritises vividness over accuracy.        Read the full article here.

 

Why I Think Higher Phone Bills On The Way…In 2027    The Australian telco industry is at a crossroads, and it’s time to take a broader look at what’s unfolding. Over the past 12 months, every major provider has faced significant issues. Optus suffered a major network outage, Vodafone experienced one, and most recently Telstra did too. Outages are more than an inconvenience: for some businesses they mean lost income, and in rare but critical cases they can be the difference between life and death. Yesterday ACMA revealed that Optus could face fines of around $250 million for failing to deliver Triple Zero emergency calls during its most recent outage. By the end of the day, ACMA updated journalists to say the figure they will pursue is closer to $500 million. Telstra is also expected to face penalties once investigations into its outage are complete. But fines for failing to meet emergency service obligations are only one part of the pressure facing Australia’s telcos. Costs and regulatory demands are rising sharply across several fronts.        Read the full article here.

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Connected Car Data Privacy Laws As more Australians embrace electric vehicles and connected car technology, our vehicles are becoming more like smartphones on wheels. Modern cars collect and share large amounts of data, from driving habits and location information to vehicle performance and usage patterns. While this technology can improve safety and convenience, it also raises important questions around who owns this data, how it is used, and how drivers are protected. James Pickering from the Australian Electric Vehicle Association joined us to discuss the growing conversation around connected car data privacy laws and what EV owners need to know. New Research Showing Aussies Unaware of Their EV Backup Power Ability Electric vehicles are becoming more than just a way to get from A to B, with many models now offering advanced features that can support modern lifestyles. New research revealed that many Australians were unaware their EV could potentially provide backup power capabilities, highlighting a knowledge gap around what these vehicles can actually do. Steve Maciver from GWM ANZ joined us to discuss the findings, explain the benefits of vehicle-to-load technology, and explore how EVs could play a bigger role in powering homes and devices in the future.

 

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New Outlook versus Classic Outlook: Why your client looks different   If you bought an outright license for Outlook with no subscription attached, you may have noticed it switching to a new version seemingly on its own. Microsoft’s rollout of New Outlook has been landing on Windows PCs regardless of what version you actually own. Whether you press the “Try the new Outlook” banner toggle or receive a sneaky popup that prompts you to do so, it means a separate version appears on your PC.    What is New Outlook? New Outlook has difficulty with larger .pst archives and offers limited functionality beyond reading them. If you rely on PST in your workflow, you may find it inadequate. New Outlook is a separate app built on a different underlying architecture. It’s installed separately from your standalone Outlook app, but supplants it as the default email client on your system. New Outlook repeatedly sets itself as the default app for email files, calendar links, and mailto links for some users – even after they’ve manually switched it back. New Outlook looks different than Classic with a modernised interface. It is faster for search and Microsoft is continuing to build it out. If legacy extensions and .pst file handling aren’t important to you, New Outlook is a solid option.        Read the full article here.

 

A Windows 11 storage bug could be eating your hard drive space If you’ve found your PC is mysteriously using up hundreds of gigabytes for no reason, you’re not alone. Microsoft has confirmed a Windows 11 storage bug that eats up hard drive space in a hidden system file. The problem is in a Windows component that logs application permissions. Its log file, CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal usually sits at around 1.6MB to 4MB, but affected machines running the 24H2 or 25H2 Windows 11 update cause the file to grow unchecked. Some users have reported the file reaching upwards of 70GB, and in one confirmed case, over 500GB. Microsoft has not listed the problem on its issue tracker although there have been months of user reports. In the latest update, the release notes specify “improved disk space usage” for the file in question.

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After the Upgrade: The Right Way to Dispose of Old Tech Millions of Australians upgrade their phones, tablets and other devices every year, especially during major sales events. But while many people enjoy the latest technology, old devices are often left sitting unused in drawers or end up in landfill. Those forgotten gadgets still contain valuable materials that can be recovered and reused, making proper recycling more important than ever. Helen Maisano from MobileMuster joined us to explain why recycling old tech matters, what can actually be recovered from these devices, and how Australians can safely and responsibly dispose of their unwanted electronics. Google Storage Update   Google recently announced a significant change to how Android device backups are stored, with backups once again counting towards a user’s available Google Account storage. While the change may sound minor, it could affect millions of Android users who rely on cloud backups to protect their photos, apps and device settings. For anyone close to their storage limit, it could mean needing to free up space or upgrade their Google One plan. Alex Choros from WhistleOut joined us to explain what has changed, who will be affected, and what Android users should do now to avoid unexpected storage issues.

 

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What happens when you call 000, and why you should never hang up    There’s a mystery about what happens when you call 000. It might be the most important phone call of your life, but there’s no way to test it out first. Making a non-emergency call to Triple Zero is an offence, carriers warn against testing, and even the shadow communications minister copped backlash for test-calling the service. DO NOT EVER CALL TRIPLE 0 UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY  Of course, we hope you never have to make a call to emergency services, but it’s important to know what to expect in the event you do have to. The gap in knowledge around the service may cause people to hang up too early, panic at silence, or otherwise waste valuable seconds in an emergency situation.      Read the full article here.  How AI is changing the way scammers target Australians Scams are becoming harder to spot, with cyber criminals using AI to create more convincing emails, messages and even fake phone calls. I mentioned on the show we have recorded a Webinar with Norton where we explore how scammers are reaching people today, the most common threats to watch out for, whether Mac users are really safer, and the simple steps everyone can take to stay protected online. Watch the full webinar to learn how to recognise evolving scams and protect your personal information.

 

Guests and Topics on the Show

Saving Hot Water in The Home With New Aussie Shower Head Tech  As winter sets in and Australians enjoy longer, hotter showers, household water and energy use rises, placing additional pressure on family budgets. Water heating accounts for around 30% of a typical home’s energy bill, with showers responsible for up to half of all household hot water consumption. ShowerStar inventor and father of three, Bernard Emby, says the challenge of encouraging his teenage daughters to take shorter showers inspired him to develop a practical solution after seeing the impact on household bills. Research shows that many Australians underestimate how much water they use, despite showering being the largest source of household water consumption, while rising living costs have left many families struggling to pay their energy and water bills. More than half of Australians are unsure how to reduce their water usage, highlighting the need for simple tools that encourage better habits. ShowerStar automatically detects water flow, provides real-time shower alerts and usage data through a companion app, helping families reduce water consumption without sacrificing comfort. We spoke to the founder Bernard, today on the show. Visit them here.      NBN Continues To Remove Copper Connections From The NBN Network NBN has removed the requirement for customers in its Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) network to sign up to a high-speed broadband plan before qualifying for a free full fibre upgrade. Around 860,000 FTTC homes and businesses can now request an upgrade through their internet provider on the plan that best suits their needs. The move is part of nbn’s accelerated transition away from ageing copper infrastructure, which has higher fault rates, with more than 1.3 million customers already upgraded to full fibre and around 45,000 upgrades completed in May alone.  We spoke to the NBN today about the update.  We also discussed with NBN, if you ring your NBN provider and they are not aware of the change, wait a week and ring again!!! Read more details here

 

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