You can boost mobile phone reception at home or on the move (quick smartphone guide) You can boost mobile phone reception at home, on the move, in a boat, caravan, etc. But it is not all that cheap or easy. First, be aware that almost all 4/5G boosters, often marketed as signal enhancers, are entirely illegal in Australia. This is both a legal and safety issue. Unscrupulous online stores peddle these to desperate ‘signal-less’ people, who unknowingly put themselves at risk with potentially dangerous and ineffective equipment.They are illegal for a good reason. All RF amplifiers need expensive certification before they join a Telco network. Otherwise, you can disrupt that network and impair its use for others, including military or aircraft bands. Australian 4 and 5G bands are often different to other countries.  Some are not illegal, and nine times out of ten, they are made by USA Nextivity Inc. Powertec distributes these in Australia under the brand Cel-FI through approved resellers and Telcos.  How do they work?

Guests and Topics on the Show

Last week, motorola announced their latest Edge range. Introducing moto edge 50 Pro and edge 50 Fusion.   Motorola is stepping into a new era of premium mobile communications with its latest offerings: the motorola edge 50 pro and motorola edge 50 fusion smartphones, alongside the introduction of the moto buds+ featuring Sound by Bose. The edge 50 pro and edge 50 fusion embody the essence of a world-class smartphone, blending style with intelligence to deliver an exceptional user experience. With an emphasis on AI-powered enhancements and elevated design, these devices redefine what consumers expect from their smartphones.  We invited Kurt Bonnici, Head of Motorola – Greater Asia Pacific to discuss these new phones.  Motorola Unveils Edge 50 Pro, Fusion and moto buds+  This week, apple announced its’ latest iPad Pro and iPad Air.  Featuring a new thin and light design, breakthrough Ultra Retina XDR display, and outrageously fast M4 performance with powerful AI capabilities, the new iPad Pro takes a huge leap forward Mike Boyd, our in-house Apple guy, joined us and news from Apple on their latest ipads.

­Here’s a copy of our weekly newsletter.

Life and Technology – Saturday May 11 2024

Screen time ‘drug addiction’ – children, teens, and everyone else at risk

Screen time can be a controversial discussion. How much is too much for kids, teens, or adults? Can too much screen time cause harm? Should children be supervised when online? 

Well, it appears that the world is yet again several steps ahead of our painfully slow federal government in trying to curb screen time addiction. Especially in K12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12), before it becomes the next humongous mental health issue affecting our very social fabric.

French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report, Children and Screens: In Search of Lost Time. Sorry, it is in French, but a 142-page machine-translated version is at the end of this article. It clearly states that children should be banned from owning/using a smartphone until they are 13 and banned from social media until they are 18. We have summarised the key elements here aswell.

The Commission insisted on 29 proposals taken as a whole to solve the issues confronting Gen Alpha (2010+), Gen Z (1997-2012), and Millennials (1981-1996).

READ MORE…

NEW CYBERSHACK TV EPISODE!

This week, there’s a new way to bring your favourite streaming services onto one searchable platform.

We chat to an Aussie company that’s aiming for the stars.

We’ll see why two screens are better than one on this new laptop.

Asus Zenbook Duo

And why the future’s looking clear with this clingy, yet helpful, little robot.

We also have motorola’s newest g series. 

Also on the show is LG TV 2024 range. 

GUESTS AND TOPICS ON THE SHOW

Thinking of gifting earbuds? We invited  Amrit Lall, Product Manager, Consumer Audio ANZ from Harman International who shared what to look for in your next earbuds purchase. 

Amrit talked through the new JBLFit Checker that makes it easier to find the right ear buds for your personal ear canal size. 

Check out some JBL options here. 

Last week we tried out a clingy robot – a window cleaner. We invited Glenn Yee
Managing Director from Robot My Life who discussed Hobot S6 Pro. 
 

The Hobot S6 Pro scrubs glass 600 times a minute with its dual reciprocating pads to dislodge dust and grime from glass. Combined with its powerful water jets, build up on your glass is eliminated with a streak free finish.

And, as we discovered on the show today, it works on SHOWER SCREENS!

Life and Technology – Saturday May 4 2024

Can you trust Google? Yes, but it depends on your definition (Trust series)

Many readers ask if they can trust anything in a digital world. By that, we mean any person or company that interacts with us via the Internet. We are preparing a series of Trust articles, and as this is the first, we need to set a few ground rules.

Can you trust Google? Well, 80% of the world’s smart phone users and 92% of the search engine market indicate it’s a pretty safe bet. Of course, that depends on your definition of trust in a digital world.

As our first article in the Trust Series, Can you trust anything in a digital world? No! found, the first definition of trust in the digital world is that there is no trust. At least you cannot be disappointed!

So, it’s crucial to consider what you expect from Google and whether it meets those expectations.

READ MORE…

Guests and Topics on the Show

LG has recently launched their LG 2024 TV line up. The new range is led by innovative new OLED models with brighter display technology, while the company’s QNED models have all received upgraded image processors with increased performance.  We invited Tony Brown Head of Home Entertainment Marketing and Content Business LG Electronics who walked us through the latest models.   You can read more about LG’s TV releases this year.    Are you renovating soon or maybe building your homes? You might want to consider environment friendly bricks.  Team leader Associate Professor Dilan Robert from RMIT University discussed about this great innovation.  Engineers have invented energy-efficient bricks with scrap materials, including glass, that are normally destined for landfill. RMIT University engineers collaborated with Visy – Australia’s largest recycling company – to make bricks with a minimum of 15% waste glass and 20% combusted solid waste (ash), as substitutes for clay. Test results indicate that using these bricks in the construction of a single-storey building could reduce household energy bills by up to 5% compared to regular bricks, due to improved insulation.

Here’s a copy of our weekly newsletter.

Life and Technology – Saturday April 27 2024