Life & Technology – 2GB 1st February 2025

Your Android Phone and Device Security 
We have written up changes in how device security is being managed for your Android device. From the apps being used to security patches being released. If you have an Android phone its important to be across the security support being provided to you. We have written it up here.  

China’s DeepSeek is not for Aussies (Consumer Advice) 

China’s DeepSeek Artificial intelligence app wiped trillions off the US Share Market by allegedly releasing a new way to do AI—faster, cheaper, better, and without requiring NVIDIA’s expensive Neural Processor Units. That is a hell of an impact for a Chinese company registered in 2023 that released its DeepSeek A.I. Assistant on 27 January 2025. Let’s not get too techy—you only need to know that AI is trained on large language models (LLMs). For example, the contents of an animal database allow it to identify different animals, and the contents of a medical database will enable it to identify specific cancers and ailments.

This is phase one—machine learning. It then uses AI-programmed responses to react to the stimuli. AI experts have long said that AI is only as useful as the LLMs on which it is trained. DeepSeek stated that its training cost US$6 million compared to $100m for OpenAI’s GPT-4 and required only a tenth of the computing power. Hence, NVIDIA’s share price crashed along with any other US AI company, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, et al. 
DeepSeek was initially trained on 97% Chinese LLMs  
Guests and Topics on the Show
Australia’s broadband network is getting a major upgrade. NBN Co has announced new plans to upgrade the remaining homes and businesses still on Fibre to the Node (FTTN). What does this mean for users, and how will it improve speed and reliability?

Jane McNamara, General Manager of Media and External Communications at NBN Co. joined us this week to discuss about the recent update.  As we discussed on the show, use the address checker on the NBN Website here. You can then see if the upgraded fibre to the home service (called fttp) is available to you. If it is you will need to upgrade your speed tier to a minimum of 100 megabit speed service to take advantage of the fibre connection upgrade.  During the show I talked to the price difference between a 50 megabit speed vs a 100 megabit speed tier. I used the Buddy Telco pricing guide as the reference that will currently offer you a 50 megabit for $75 pm vs 100 megabit for $85 pm.

 Other prices and specials here (NOT SPONSORED).    

TCL continues to push boundaries in display technology, with exciting new innovations coming in 2025. From Mini LED advancements to smarter AI-powered picture enhancements, what can we expect from their latest range? Jason Carrick, General Manager – Sales at TCL Australia, sat down with us at CES to give us a sneak peek.   

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Life & Technology – 2GB 11th January 2025

Data harvesting – scammers profit from your memories (safety guide) 

Data harvesting is when personally identifiable information is data harvested by social media, apps, scammers, AI, and just plain cybercrooks.My daughter gave me an annual subscription to an app that sends you weekly questions with AI prompting to answer, ostensively so that the daughter and family can get to know Dad better. It is data harvesting at its worst. Poor Dad is subjected to weekly cleverly socially engineered questions that open his life to endless potential scams. Worse, it is now aided by AI that knows what buttons to push. They also sell your data to advertisers, affiliate marketers, price comparison websites, social media, funeral homes, charities, and more. 
READ MORE..  
Pool Robots – how to choose the right one for you (guide) 

Pool robots are now more common, but there are many things you need to know before you splash the cash. CyberShack has now reviewed several pool robots and a new category of pool skimmer robots. Although the terms robot and intelligence don’t really apply like they do to robot vacuum/mops. More on that later. We will limit this guide to cordless, rechargeable underwater vacuum cleaners that do not use the pool filter system for motion 

READ MORE..  
Guests and Topics on the Show
At CES 2025, we caught up with two industry leaders shaping the future of home entertainment and smart living.  Jeremy Senior from Samsung shared exciting updates on the evolution of SmartThings, setting new standards for connected homes. Samsung Vision AI Unveils Smarter TVs for Connected Living Tony Brown of LG gave us an exclusive look at their cutting-edge 2025 lineup, including the revolutionary G5 OLED and next-gen QNED TVs, which combine stunning visuals with advanced AI features to deliver an unparalleled viewing experience.LG Unveils 2025 OLED evo TVs with Wireless Innovation   
At CES 2025, Bradley Howe from Asus unveiled their latest AI-powered PCs, marking a major leap in personal computing. These cutting-edge machines integrate advanced artificial intelligence to enhance performance, productivity, and user experience. From intuitive task automation to real-time system optimisation, Asus’s newest lineup promises to redefine what’s possible with desktop and laptop computing. Bradley shared how these innovations will empower users in both work and play, setting a new benchmark for the future of PC technology. 

ASUS ROG 2025 Laptops: Strix, Flow Z13, and Zephyrus Shine  

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Life & Technology – 2GB 21st December 2024

PWM – Is your phone making you sick? (smartphone guide)

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) is a low-cost way to dim AMOLED or OLED phone screens. It results in low-frequency, imperceptible flickering that can cause nausea and headaches.

PWM is the smartphone industry’s dirty little secret. It severely affects over 10% of the global population, and several times that number suffers some effects. Why the industry has been allowed to get away with it for so long is a testament to the power that Apple and Samsung yield—two of the worst offenders.

What is PWM?

Guests and Topics on the Show
Earlier, we had Mitchell Whitaker, our go-to guy for all things retail at Harvey Norman Newcastle. He shared his top tips for last-minute Christmas gift ideas to help shoppers get everything sorted just in time. One of the featured ones is the moto tags.    
We also had an engaging discussion with Ryan Rieveley, the brains behind Smartvisit, talked about how her company has been changing the way we travel with tech. He explained how technology is making travel easier and more exciting for everyone.

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Listen to the full show here.