Telstra TV users – your best replacement is…

Telstra TV users were left high and dry when Telstra bricked their Roku boxes instead of serving a firmware update that would make them a smart TV set-top box.

Whatever Telstra’s reasons, apart from screwing their users even more, it left many people asking what to do. Telstra’s answer was to buy a Hubbl or a Fetch 4K and subscribe to those digital services. BTW – if you complained enough and took your Telstra TV box to a Telstra store, we understand they would give you a Hubbl or Fetch if you subscribed through Telstra.

But Telstra missed the point on two major counts.

• Many users were using Telstra TV to add digital free-to-air via its antenna socket and digital TV channels (digital versions of 2, 7, 9, 10 and SBS) to older TVs, giving them a new lease on life.
• The big one was that there was no monthly subscription charge to use the service.

Here are some suggestions..

Tineco Expands Nationwide with Harvey Norman

Tineco has expanded its vacuum range in Australia and partnered with Harvey Norman. From 21 August 2024, Harvey Norman will stock Tineco’s products nationwide. This includes the new FLOOR ONE S6 FlashDry with FlashDry technology.

Harvey Norman will offer Tineco’s full floorcare range, boosting its retail presence and making its vacuums more accessible.

“We’re excited to partner with Harvey Norman. Our FLOOR ONE S6 FlashDry and other vacuums show our commitment to effortless cleaning. This partnership helps us reach more customers,” said Romeo Luo, General Manager of Tineco’s International Business Unit

.Continue Reading..

Guests and Topics on the Show

The Google Pixel 9 has officially landed in Australia! With its arrival, Aussie consumers can now experience the latest in smartphone innovation. Boasting a range of new features and improvements, the Pixel 9 is set to redefine the mobile experience. Stay tuned as we dive into what makes this device a standout choice for Australians looking to upgrade their tech. We invited Rory Chalston, Director, Devices and Services from Google ANZ who walked us the phone’s key features, innovative technologies, and what makes it a game-changer for Australian consumers.  Get yours here.

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and Harvey Norman has some fantastic deals to celebrate! From the latest tech gadgets to must-have home appliances, there’s something special for every dad. Mitchell Whitaker, Director from Harvey Norman Newcastle shared some of these fantastic deals.

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Life and Technology – Saturday August 24 2024

Amazon scams flooding your SMS and email

Amazon scams have reached new highs with the company the target of the latest wave of AI scams. It is a Prime target (pun intended), as 7.9 million Australians now shop at least once a year or have a Prime+ subscription.

Interestingly, it is the only online brand (excluding Chinese-controlled data harvesters Temu – more Chinese spyware – the catch in cheap online shopping and Shein – more Chinese spyware – fast fashion at the expense of privacy to grow market share in 2023-24 by a massive 16%.

Its breadth of goods and services is now the fertile field that AI ploughs. As a Prime+ member, we now receive between 5 and 10 scam SMS and emails a week. That is up from almost none until the end of July.

The scams are all similar in execution. Continue Reading..

LG’s innovative CordZero® Auto Emptying Handstick and Robot Vacuum All-in-One Tower Combi is a powerful duo is designed to take the hassle out of vacuuming by combining cutting-edge technology with smart automation. We’ll discuss how this all-in-one solution is changing the way we approach home maintenance, making it easier, more efficient, and a whole lot smarter. We invited Christian Frykberg National Training & ISM Manager – Home Appliances  LG Electronics Australia who discussed this new cleaning wonder.   Read more details here.

This week, we also had a conversation with HP about the rise of AI PCs. We delved into what exactly an AI PC is, explored the battery life of these devices, and discussed the role of the CPU, GPU, and NPU. Additionally, we touched on the latest laptop innovations and how HP is enhancing the user experience for consumers. Brad Pulford, VP & Managing Editor from HP ANZ talked about this on the show.   Here’s one of the laptop models from HP.

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Life and Technology – Saturday August 17 2024

3G Shutdown – its not as clear as we were told it would be

When we started talking to Australian telcos we were told it was the ‘grey imported’ phones that would have the issues with 3G shutting down and they would receive alerts telling customers their handsets would not be compatible for 4G calling and data.

However, over the last few months its become clear the range of phones potentially affected is wider. We have seen phones sold locally in stores getting alerts to say they wont work, and we find out they WILL. We also see phones selling in stores in the last 12 months that will work on some phone networks, but not work on Aldi mobile (as an example).

The shut down is happening and needs to happen because technology marches on. But the shutdown has not been as simple as we were told it would be and that means our message to you is that you test your phone for 4G calling and be prepaid to update your phone at the end of August or the end of September if you are part of the small group affected. 

TCL C855 – the best value, high-performance, QD mini-LED TV got even better

The TCL C855 2024 is the successor to the acclaimed C845 (2023) and is class-leading in many ways. It wins hands down on image quality and pure bang-for-buck.

The TCL C845 – a superior Mini-LED TV with the lot was CyberShack’s pick of the mini-LED crop in 2023 with superior brightness, vivid Quantum Dot colour, easy-to-use Google TV, and a better 3-year warranty. Reviewers universally praised this device.

Our only 2023 caveat was that out-of-the-box calibration to get the best image was tricky. You see, brightness is the enemy of colour and contrast. You can have bright, but the colours are oversaturated (or washed out), and the black levels (contrast) are greyer. Or you can have natural colours and great blacks, but the brightness is too low.

Continue Reading…

Guests and Topics on the Show

Xiaomi’s latest Redmi Note 13 range offers remarkable value and a smart feature set. As one of the world’s top three smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi has nearly 15 years of experience. Ad its newest products reflect some of the best technology available today. Xiaomi is known for creating household electronics that integrate seamlessly under a unified IoT platform. Delivering a smooth user experience across all devices. We invited Jephix Liu, Head of Mobile from Xiaomi Australia joined us this week who introduced us to this new brand.  Watch our feature of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Series here.  and you can view the range at Harvey Norman here

We invited Alex Choros, Managing Editor from Whistleout who discussed a few more updates about 3G shutdown.

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Life and Technology – Saturday August 10 2024