EXERCISE TECH ON THE CHEAP FATTEN YOUR WALLET

WHILE YOU GET FIT

WINDOWS, MAC, ANDROID & iPHONE HACKS

ISSUE 75 APRIL 2018 | TECHLIFER TECHLIFER APPLE NEWSSTAND & GOOGLE PLAY

STOP
THE SNOOPS
FIX YOUR GOOGLE
SETTINGS & LOCK
BE A JEDI
DOWN FACEBOOK LENOVO STAR WARS
KEEP YOUR AR HEADSET
PAGE 57
ONLINE LIFE
SAFE
PC & SMARTPHONE
SECURITY SUITES
COMPARED

NEVER LOSE
ANYTHING 2018 SECURITY SPECIAL
AGAIN
TRACK YOUR PHONE,

MAKE LAPTOP, KEYS,

PETS & MORE

YOURSELF
HACKPROOF
SOLVE EVERYDAY HOT NEW GADGETS APPLE
I.T. PROBLEMS REVEALED HOMEPOD
LEARN HOW TO REMOTELY AUSTRALIA’S BEST BUDGET 2-IN-1 VS AMAZON
CONTROL A PC, MAC, LAPTOP: BIG SCREEN, TINY PRICE
ANDROID & iPHONE TUNING-IN ON A BUDGET WITH ECHO PLUS
KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE ONLINE DAB+ DIGITAL RADIO HOT NEW
SORT YOUR DIGITAL LIBRARY OPPO R11S: FLAGSHIP PHONE SMARTHOME
THE EASY WAY AT MIDRANGE PRICE HUBS TESTED
& RATED
 [ TECHLIFE #75 ]

EDITORIA
UNFETTERED SPECUL

MY HOME’S SMART SPEAKER

SITS IN A DRY CORNER OF THE
BATHROOM, AS I SEEM TO
HAVE EPIPHANIES DURING
MY MORNING ROUTINE.
IT DOES A REASONABLE JOB OF
UNDERSTANDING MY SHOUTS
BETWEEN PUTTING PASTE
ON THE TOOTHBRUSH
AND RUSHING OUT THE DOOR.

[ TALKING ‘BOUT TIME ]

What changes in a year?

Not a lot and yet at the same
time, everything
TAKING A LOOK AT THE SOCIAL TRENDS OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS
THROUGH THE EYE OF TECHNOLOGY.
[ PAUL TAYLOR ]

THIS TIME LAST year we lamented that Facebook
was wielding the sort of power that only beits
governments. Not much has changed there.
Facebook continues its incredible march towards
social media domination, though its power as
publisher and curator, rather than a simple
community board, has come to the forefront.
Multiple news outlets have raised the point that
Facebook dictates what its audience sees based on
its own interests. Mark Zuckerberg’s site recently
announced that it will alter its algorithms and shit
away from promoting public content (news links
and posts from businesses) and skew more towards
posts from friends and family. his is in a bid,
in Zuck’s words, to bring people closer together
— all two billion of us who use the site — and the
statement echoes the early purpose of Facebook.
However, it leaves brands and news organisations
— the ones that its audience has willingly liked and
followed on Facebook, and who have contributed
to Facebook’s growth — high and dry. hat is,
unless they’re willing to pay money to make their
post or news story into an advertisement. So what
does that mean for you? Less ‘clickbait’, hopefully,
and more of your nearest and dearest with the best
news and un-sponsored public posts rising to the
top. Our social media expert, Tim Bothwell,
has written a guide showing what to do to get
started on Facebook, and tips on how to better
use the world’s largest social media platform
on page 28.
What has changed? he rise of the smart home
speaker. Long term readers will be familiar with
these, as we’ve featured Amazon Echo and Google
Home in the past with guides on how to import
them. My Google Home Mini sits in a dry corner
of the bathroom, as I seem to have epiphanies
during my morning routine. It does a reasonable
job of understanding my shouts between putting
paste on the toothbrush and rushing out the door.
With Amazon now down under, Aussies can
choose between three varieties of the Echo smart
speaker. All feature local ‘skills’ that will give you
the power to tackle mundane tasks such as sorting
your calendar and checking your bank balance,
through to more exciting and enticing prospects
as playing music, automating your lights,
and controlling other devices. Jenneth Orantia
has written reviews of the two latest devices to hit
the shelves, the Amazon Echo Plus (p14) and the
Apple HomePod (p8), giving her deinitive review
on how these two items work. For now, though,
I’ll say, “OK Google, remind me to see what
Facebook’s doing this time next year...”

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 003 ]
 [ TECHLIFE #75 ]

WELCOME
IN THIS ISSUE

052

2018 SECURITY SPECIAL

MAKE
YOURSELF
HACKPROOF
[ 038 ]
Kingdom Come:
Deliverance, Bayonetta 2,
Iconoclasts, and more
games reviewed!

[ 004 ]
 044 008

[ THIS MONTH IN TECHLIFE ]

047
Intro Test Bench (cont)
[ 003 ] Editorial [ 048 ] Canon EOS 6D Mark II
[ 049 ] Upright Go
Hotspot [ 049 ] Uniden app cam Solo
[ 008 ] Apple HomePod [ 050 ] Beyerdynamic Aventho
[ 010 ] Essential tech news headphones
[ 013 ] he news in numbers [ 051 ] Oppo R11s
[ 014 ] Amazon Echo Plus
[ 016 ] Pop science Cover story
[ 018 ] Lenovo Star Wars Jedi [ 052 ] Make yourself hackproof
Challenges
[ 020 ] Kickstarted Feature
[ 021 ] Get psyched! [ 082 ] Cryptocurrencies 101

Bargain Hunter Help Station

04
49 [ 022 ] Let’s get physical [ 086 ] Q&A: Your questions answered
[ 023 ] Digital radios under $200 [ 089 ] Catalogue your media
[ 092 ] Opening apps on your Mac
Discover [ 094 ] Master the iOS 11 Files app
[ 028 ] Social media pro: Facebook [ 096 ] hird-party Launchers to spruce
[ 031 ] Best podcasts up your phone
[ 032 ] New apps for every platform [ 098 ] Streaming more foreign TV
[ 036 ] Great browser extensions [ 100 ] Helping you help others
[ 037 ] Most-useful websites with their tech
[ 038 ] PC & console game reviews [ 102 ] he art of composition
[ 042 ] Mobile game reviews
Buyer’s Guide
Test Bench [ 109 ] he best tech products
[ 044 ] Lenovo Yoga 920
[ 045 ] Razer Blade Stealth (2017) The back page
[ 046 ] ASUS VivoBook Pro N580V [ 114 ] Ridiculous tech
051 [ 047 ] Kogan Atlas 13” C300
convertible

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET
WWW TECHLIFE NET ] [ 005 ]
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[ 006 ]

I OCCASIONALLY USE TOR
FOR BROWSING BUT IT’S NOT
AS FRIENDLY AS FIREFOX
AND SOME WEBSITES WILL NOT
LOAD, SO I WAS TAKEN BY
TUNNELBEAR VPN
SINCE IT ALLOWS THE USE
OF OTHER BROWSERS.
PLUS, IT’S FREE!
Two times
the VPN
I have long been trying to
decide on whether to use a VPN or not,
and your recent articles have decided it
for me. I occasionally use Tor for
browsing but it’s not as friendly as Firefox
and some websites will not load (and I
can’t igure out how to make it the default
browser to test it further) so I was taken
by TunnelBear VPN since it allows the
use of other browsers. Plus, it’s free!
I also run Disconnect (disconnect.me)
as a separate app, thanks to Firefox using
it as a plugin, and have been amazed at
how many tracking attempts it has
stopped in a few months. hirty thousand
and counting! Main question is — will I
have to remove this plugin if I download
and start using TunnelBear? I am
assuming that the tracker blocking
undertaken by both apps is diferent but
will there be any conlict? Also, I’d be
interested in an article about the changes
to Firefox, because a lot of companies
We want to hear what you think. Add to these discussions or email your views (in fewer than 250 words) to techlife@futurenet.com
All correspondence becomes the property of TechLife and is subject to editing. Letters must include full name, street address, suburb,
state and phone number to be considered for print publication. Address and phone details will not be published.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
[ TECHLIFE #75 ]
THE WA
GUFF AND STUFF
seem to be having trouble optimising their
websites to accommodate the changes (Java
and so on) and are suggesting only using
either IE, Chrome and others.
[ CHRIS FOWLER ]
Ed replies: A VPN certainly provides peace
of mind, doesn’t it? We’ve gone into internet
security a lot this issue in our superguide
(from page 52) so there are even more ways
to make your browsing and digital life safer.
As far as we can tell, there shouldn’t be any
conlict between Disconnect and TunnelBear,
but that’s a question we’ll put to our
networking expert for another issue.
Since there are free options for both, it’s worth
experimenting to see how this double up
afects performance.
Elementary,
my dear TechLife
I was interested in the letter
(TechLife #74, page 7) asking for more
Photoshop sections for beginners. To my
mind, few if any beginners would own and
[ COME ON, HAVE YOUR SAY! ]
use Photoshop and it would be more useful
for the bulk of your readers to have the
Digital Darkroom focus on Adobe Elements
which is a far more accessible piece of
sotware for most of us.
I, like many of my friends, own a recent
copy of Elements but do not really know
how to use it and what many of the
functions actually do. Digital Darkroom for
the beginners who use Elements rather than
Photoshop for the experienced would be
very welcome.
[ PETER NEWSTEAD ]
Ed replies: Elements and ‘ full fat’ Photoshop
share a lot of the same underpinnings, with
Elements — as you pointed out —being a
more accessible (and afordable) piece of
sotware. However, there’s a lot of cross over,
and you’ll ind many of the tools and
techniques we’ve talked about (and have
planned for future issues) feature in both.
Our previous issue’s clone tool how-to, for
example, should give a keen Elements owner
a good idea about how to modify an image.
[ 007 ]
 [ TECHLIFE #75 ]

HOTSPOT
YOUR GUIDE TO HOT NEW TECH

[ HEY, SIRI... ]

Apple HomePod
APPLE’S WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.
[ JENNETH ORANTIA ]

W
WE’LL PREFACE TH THIS review by saying y g the he HomePod is also highly restricted d in
3 Apple
A HomePod isn’tt ffor
d isn o everyone. As good w at you can do with it. here are really only
as
a it
i is at playing music, an nd as cool as it is at two oices: you can play music directly
APPLE HOMEPOD being
b able to perform a variety ty of functions through the eaker using an Apple Mus c
$499 using
u voice commands — both off w which subscription (whic w ll set you back $11 99
www.apple.com/au
we’ll
w cover in more detail later — its vari rious a month, $119 a year); or you u can stream ny
CRITICAL SPECS: limitations mean that even Apple die-hards music that’s currently playing on an le
High-excursion woofer
with custom-engineered wiith deep pockets may want to think twice. de
device (including MacBooks and iMacss)
ampliier; array of seven As
A with the Apple Watch and AirPods, via Appl
ple’s proprietary multimedia streaming
horn-loaded tweeters,
each with own custom- the HomePod
H is designed for iOS devices tech AirPlay, whic
which includes your ow wn music
engineered ampliier; only. EEven MacBook and iMac users are collection and other stream
eaming servvices such
six-microphone array;
internal low-frequency locked ou ut, as you’ll need an iPhone or iPad as Spotify, Google Play Music and d YouTube.
calibration microphone; to set the HHomePod up in the irst instance. But only the Apple Music optio on supports
direct and ambient audio
beamforming; transparent Technically, yoyou could borrow someone else’s voice control; if you’re stream
aming music via
studio-level dynamic device to do this,, bbut that also means you’ll AirPlay from an external al device, you’re stuck
processing; 802.11ac Wi-Fi
with MIMO Bluetooth 5.0; be locked into using the their Apple account, with the on-screen n co
controls in that app.
17.2 x 14.2cm; 2.5kg which is tied to their Notes, s, Co
Contacts, Either way,
y, yo
you have to have an Apple device
Reminders and Apple Music subscription. ti or service to use the HomePod.
he latter is the clincher. Given you can’t he lack of auxiliary input means you can’t
stream Apple Music on more than one device connect an external music player (such as a
at a time — and anything you do stream will TV, laptop or smartphone) with an audio
afect the account’s music preferences, even cable. Nor is there a Bluetooth option.
your closest buddy may have a problem with However, there is a third option that isn’t
lending you their device for this purpose. well-documented. If you have an Apple TV

[ 008 ]
that’s third generation or above, you can set
the HomePod as its speaker by coniguring it
up in the Apple TV’s settings, efectively
turning it into a TV soundbar. Of course,
you’ll have to go back in and de-select it
whenever you want to use your HomePod for
other things, and this is a bit of a pain as it’s a
multi-screen process, but at least the option’s
there for squeezing a little more use out of it.
he HomePod really comes into its own
when paired with an Apple Music sub, as it
can learn your music preferences and act as
your personal DJ. As well as the usual
requests specifying song name, artist name
or genre, you can say something like “Play
one of my favourite songs”, and it’ll dig up
something from a mix that’s automatically
generated from tracks you play regularly.
Another cool voice command is “Play
something I’ll like”, which throws out tracks
that you haven’t heard before but are likely
to enjoy based on previous tracks played.
his is all well and good if you’re already
using Apple Music, but if you’re irmly
entrenched with Spotify, then you may not
want to make the switch and lose all of the
playlists and recommendations you’ve built
up over the course of using the service. his is
a serious sticking point, as the HomePod
loses much of its allure if you can’t use your
voice to control music playback.
If you happen to fall within the small niche
of users who won’t be phased by these
limitations, the good news is that it’s an
outstanding audio speaker that looks a lot
nicer in person that it does in pictures. Apple
has marketed the HomePod as a speaker irst,
and smart hub second. As such, it’s packed
to the brim with enough audio components
to make other speakers its size cringe with
embarrassment. As a result, while the
HomePod is relatively compact, easily itting
on a bedside table, desktop or bookshelf, it’s
far heavier than you’d expect at a hety 2.5kg.
A unique array of seven beam-forming
tweeters — each with their own ampliier and
transducer — produces a remarkably wide
soundstage. he built-in spatial awareness
tech automatically optimises the audio output
based on the speaker’s location in the room
(ie, whether it’s against a wall or not), and it’s
also clever enough to equalise the sound
levels based on the song it’s currently playing.
If you’re upgrading from a portable
Bluetooth speaker, the HomePod’s audio
quality will be a revelation for your
eardrums. he bass reproduction is tightly
controlled, but boomy enough to pull of
bottom-heavy tracks with gusto. We’re not
talking Beats-level bass here, but the
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
HomePod opts for a more accurate sound
over emphasising the lower registers. In fact,
all of the frequencies are reproduced equally
well with exceptional clarity.
As a ‘smart assistant’, on the other hand,
the HomePod has some serious catching up
to do. While it can perform most of the
functions available on an iOS device using
Siri, there are notable exceptions. Initiating
calls and checking your calendar, for
instance, have been arbitrarily let of the
feature list. he functions that are on ofer
are very much limited to your own data or
information that’s publicly available on the
internet — tapping into third-party services
like you can with the Amazon Echo isn’t
possible.
he HomePod can also control smart
home devices like Philips Hue lights, Elgato
Eve Motion and August Smart Lock using
voice commands, but the list of supported
devices is skimpy compared to its Amazon
and Google rivals.
One thing Siri does better than competing
voice assistant technologies, however,
is understanding context. his means you
can follow up a voice command with another,
HOTSPOT
APPLE HOMEPOD
A UNIQUE ARRAY OF
SEVEN BEAM-FORMING
TWEETERS — EACH WITH
THEIR OWN AMPLIFIER
AND TRANSDUCER —
PRODUCES A
REMARKABLY WIDE
SOUNDSTAGE THAT
REACHES YOU WHEREVER
YOU HAPPEN TO BE
IN THE ROOM.
related command that builds of the previous
request. If you ask for the weather forecast
tomorrow, for instance, you can follow this
question up with “What about at 5pm?”
and it will understand that you’re still asking
about the weather.
Apple has always been good about locking
users into its own ecosystem of products and
services, but the HomePod feels like it’s gone
too far. At the very least, an auxiliary input
would’ve made us feel better about the steep
asking price, as it would’ve opened it up to
more uses. In the past, Apple has justiied its
walled garden approach by claiming it came
down to security risks, but this isn’t a valid
argument when it comes to analogue audio
inputs. Further, tying people into using
Apple Music feels like yet another instance
of the technology juggernaut throwing its
weight around.
here’s no denying that the HomePod
produces sensational sound quality — it’s just
hindered by too many limitations to justify
the expense. Apple usually needs a few
attempts to iterate its tech and make a
product right for the mass market — the
HomePod is no diferent.
[ 009 ]
 HOTSPOT
NEED TO KNOW

THE ‘AMAZON EFFECT’ IS YET

TO DISRUPT BRICK-AND-MORTAR
STORES
JB HI-FI BREATHING EASY FOR NOW.
Amazon Australia created plenty of fear
in physical retail stores leading up to its
inevitable arrival, but in the months since
its December 2017 launch, the online retail
giant has yet to dent local shops. Financial
reports from JB Hi-Fi show steadily growing
proits, although the stock market has
been more cautious and future-wary
as JB Hi-Fi’s stock dropped 7.5% when it
released its half-yearly report. [ HD ]
CHAT APP TELEGRAM PULLED
FROM IOS APP STORE OVER
CHILD PORN ALLEGATIONS
THE PITFALLS OF ENCRYPTION.
Late in January, the encrypted messaging
service Telegram was temporarily removed
from the iOS App Store and, according to
a report from 9to5Mac, this was due to
allegations of child pornography on the
service. After it was reported, the app was
immediately taken down from the App
Store. Telegram was quick to ban the users
who uploaded the content in question,
and a new version of the chat app —
one with safety measures in place that are
believed to prevent illegal material being
uploaded in the future — has been allowed
to return to the Store. [ HD ]
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT
SUED BY KIM DOTCOM
OVER WRONGFUL ARREST
KIWI AUTHORITIES ACCUSED OF
NEGLIGENCE AND MISFEASANCE.
Six years after New Zealand authorities
conducted military-style raids to arrest
individuals accused of copyright
infringement, Kim Dotcom is suing the
Kiwi Government for billions of dollars.
The German-born entrepreneur has always
maintained that his arrest was unlawful
under New Zealand law. That erroneous
arrest, he says, resulted in “the unlawful
destruction” of his now-defunct ile hosting
service Megaupload. The legal documents
iled in court claim the arrest warrant
was invalid and there were no reasonable
grounds for Dotcom to lose his freedom
and his proitable company. [ SS ]
[ PATCH IT UP ]
Spectre and Meltdown headaches
continue for hardware and
software makers
MICROSOFT RELEASES EMERGENCY PATCH AFTER INTEL
ROLLS ITS LATEST ONE BACK.
IN JANUARY, THE discovery of serious laws in the design processors used in millions of devices
around the world had both chip-manufacturers and sotware-makers scrambling to release
patches to counter the threats. Although Intel released updates and promised that all its devices
would see ixes rolled out by the end January, the company’s most recent patch for Spectre
embarrassingly had to be rolled back because of reboot issues. “I apologise for any disruption this
change in guidance may cause,” said Neil Shenoy, Intel’s Executive Vice President, in a statement.
Soon ater Intel’s public withdrawal of the patch, Microsot released its own stop-gap update for
Windows, which is designed to mitigate Spectre bugs until Intel comes up with a ix that works.
Meanwhile, security irms are reporting that there are already hundreds of pieces of
nonfunctional Spectre and Meltdown malware circulating, which seem to be probing the exploits
— test runs, it’s likely, to be followed by more serious and ‘armed’ malware that could do real
damage. Get your gear patched wherever possible, reader. [ DAN GARDINER ]
[ NEED FOR SPEED ]
Telstra and Optus promise to
roll out 5G network in 2019
BOTH TELCOS WILL TRIAL TECH AT THE
GOLD COAST 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES.
OPTUS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that it plans to begin the rollout of the next generation of mobile
connectivity in early 2019. “People have been hearing about 5G for some time, and there is pent up
expectation, but to date, a lot of the talk has been highly theoretical,” said Dennis Wong, networks
managing director at Optus. Optus, however, has not revealed any speciic dates or locations for the
commencement of the rollout, except to say it will be made available in “key metro areas”. here is
also no word on what it will cost the end user.
Not to be let behind, Telstra has also laid out its plans for rolling out its own 5G network in 2019.
Australia’s largest telco has set up a 5G Innovation Centre in the Gold Coast housing the new tech
needed for next-gen connectivity. From this Centre, Telstra will be able to conduct trials before
commercial deployment next year. “From our new 5G Innovation Centre, we will be completing
a number of 5G irsts in 2018 to ensure Australia remains at the forefront of mobile technology,”
said Robyn Denholm, chief operations oicer at Telstra.
he news of the 5G network rollout comes ater the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP),
— a consortium of telecommunications standard development organisations — met in December 2017
in Lisbon, Portugal, to inalise the standardisation of 5G technologies. At present, there are no mobile
devices — tablets or smartphones — that are 5G-enabled, so there is a possibility that the telcos might
ofer home broadband plans running on their 5G network at launch. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

[ 010 ]
[ REBRAND TIME ]

Windows 10 S is becoming
Windows 10 S Mode
MICROSOFT IS REVISING ITS APPROACH WITH THE LIGHTWEIGHT

HOTSPOT
NEED TO KNOW
VERSION OF WINDOWS.

CHANGES ARE COMING to Windows 10 S — the stripped-down, lightweight operating system

that’s said to provide improved battery eiciency and security, albeit at the expense of the
platform’s traditional openness. For one, it’s getting a new name, with the OS said to become
Windows 10 S Mode in the not-too-distant future.
hat’s according to the Microsot watchers at hurrott and Neowin, who say the company
wants to rebrand the sotware to better it into its portfolio of products. he new S Mode OS US, UK AND AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENTS BLAME RUSSIA
will soon be available on most versions of Windows, limiting users to apps downloaded through
FOR NOTPETYA VIRUS
the Windows Store, with an unlock option available for the full version of the sotware. RUSSIA DENIES ALLEGATIONS.
Apparently, if you’re running Windows 10 Home in S Mode, you’ll be able to upgrade to the Halfway through 2017, malware dubbed
full desktop experience for free, while those with Windows 10 Pro in S Mode are going to have NotPetya swept the globe, crippling
to cough up US$49 for the privilege of unlocking. Microsot has remained mum on the matter, governmental and business computers
stating: “We’ll share more about what’s next for Windows 10 S when we’re ready.” [ DAVID NIELD ] and halting operations in hospitals, ports
and many other major sectors. Now,
the inger has been pointed at Moscow,
more speciically at its military, as
[ I SEE YOU ] Australia joins the UK and US in claiming
the attack was more than just a criminal
Chinese street cops are using activity but a militaristic disruption. [ HD ]

augmented reality glasses to ADVOCACY GROUPS ASK

FACEBOOK TO DISCONTINUE
identify criminals MESSENGER KIDS
SOCIAL MEDIA IS DETRIMENTAL
WELCOME TO OUR CYBERPUNK FUTURE, TODAY. TO MENTAL HEALTH, ARGUE CHILD
HEALTH EXPERTS.
JUST AHEAD OF Chinese New Year (and the rush of travellers it was expected to bring), Facebook launched Messenger Kids
China’s state media reported that the country’s railway police in Zhengzhou have started using for children as young as six years old,
augmented reality (AR) glasses equipped with facial recognition capabilities. With more than but child care advocates are urging the
389 million train trips expected for the holiday period, Chinese authorities are hoping that social media platform to discontinue
the app. A letter sent by the advocates
the glasses, which are connected to the police database, will catch known criminals, spot
to Zuckerberg cites numerous studies that
impostors and generally help to verify passenger identities. he technology apparently lead
link social media use to child development
to the identiication of seven suspected criminals in the irst week of operation, with charges and mental health issues, not to mention
including hit-and-run and human traicking. the concerns over privacy and the
While privacy and security concerns are being raised over a national database that would possibility of abuse. Facebook claims it
contain the personal information of over 1.3 billion citizens, the Chinese Government worked closely with experts to ensure the
and partnering tech companies continue to focus on AI development, with a $2.7 billion app was safe for younger users, but it’s
AI research district in Beijing expected to be operational by 2025. AI-based facial recognition been reported that these experts were
technology is already being used in Shanghai for traic violations and certain other train funded by the social media platform.
stations around the country, but the development of AR glasses will allow these scanners Despite the criticism, the app is now
to go mobile. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ] available on both Android and iOS. [ SS ]

FITNESS APP STRAVA GIVES AWAY

SECRET ARMY BASE LOCATION
ALSO INVITES USERS TO JOIN
“SEX CLUB”.
In November 2017, the itness-tracking
app Strava released maps of every route
its users had run and displayed it in a
rather dazzling lightshow. Unfortunately,
this included tracks taken by military
personnel around their top-secret bases,
both in their home countries and abroad.
Many users of the app have since received
an unsolicited spam invitation from
“Jessy Kiss” to join her “SEX Club”.
Strava is now reviewing its privacy
features. [ HD ]

[ 011 ]
 HOTSPOT
INSIDE TECHLIFE
[ ALL THE DEETS ]
Inside TechLife
GET THE LOWDOWN ON TECHLIFE’S EDITORIAL POLICIES,
TEST PRACTICES, HOW TO READ THE BENCHMARK
RESULTS AND MORE.
TECHLIFE IS AUSTRALIA’S most practical
mainstream technology magazine, having
been in print since 2012, when we launched
as a redesigned and modernised version of
Australian PC User. he latter was irst printed
in 1990, and we take that 25-year heritage
seriously and strive to be both ethical and
transparent in our coverage of technology and
any other topics we broach.
Like our sister magazine, APC, we have two
main goals here at TechLife: to track down the
best of modern tech and to help our readers get
the most from it. We’re also an open church in
terms of platforms. We know most people
aren’t wed to a single brand’s products and use
a variety of devices in their lives. And like you,
TechLife’s journalists want to know what’s
good in tech — no matter what platform it
resides on.
UNBIASED REVIEWS
Championing technology doesn’t mean we’re
unrelentingly positive, however, and our other
aim at TechLife is to be as objective as possible
in our coverage. hat means identifying the
best products from multiple perspectives —
the best performance, best value and best
features and, ideally, the products that ofer
the best mix of these three aspects.
[ 012 ]
As a matter of policy, reviews published
in TechLife are not shared with product-
providers prior to print. We will contact
vendors under certain conditions; if we have
a problem testing a product that seems to
indicate it may be faulty, or to invite a vendor
to clarify how a particular feature works. If a
TechLife reviewer has any potential conlicts of
interest involving a brand, the review will
always be assigned to another writer.
LABS TESTING
We like to review products as though we’d
bought it from the shops ourselves. In order to
make our reviews and other stories as
unbiased as possible, TechLife strives to
conduct rigorous, objective and scientiic tests
and benchmarks where possible. We use a
variety of tools and programs to achieve this,
including many freely available benchmark
suites for assessing things like general system
performance, gaming, media encoding and
battery life.
In most cases, for the benchmark results
published in TechLife, you can assume that
higher is better. here are certain tests that
deviate from this rule and where the opposite
is true; in those cases, we’ve lagged the results
with a note explaining as such.
The news in numbers
THE KEY FIGURES DRIVING THE LATEST ISSUES
AND TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY.
[ HARRY DOMANSKI ]

HOTSPOT
NEWS IN NUMBERS
1 Flick
FACEBOOK INVENTS A NEW
UNIT OF TIME
Facebook’s virtual reality team, Oculus,
has invented a new unit by which to measure
time — the Flick. The unit equates to
1/705,600,000 of a second (less than one
seven-millionth of a second) which is a
fraction that happens to be a very neat factor
of numbers such as 1/23.976, 1/25, 1/30,
1/44.1, 1/60 and so on. As you may have
noticed, these are all common framerates
and frequencies used for various formats
of media (30fps video, 44.1KHz audio for
instance) for which the unit was devised.
As many of these fractions would otherwise
translate to recurring decimals, the Oculus
team hopes that the Flick will make media
processing more harmonious and tidier.
EARNINGS IN AU$ BY AUSTRALIAN GAME DEVELOPERS IN THE 16/17 FINANCIAL YEAR
A recent report released by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association on the
Australian game development industry has found that, despite little support, the ield has
remained relatively stable — and, in fact, actually grew a little. While the 2015/16 inancial
64%
RATIO OF SMART SPEAKER
year saw the ield’s total revenue cap at just under $115 million, the following inancial year has OWNERS WHO SAY THAT THEY’RE
grown to $118.5 million, with 80% of that coming from overseas sales, especially from the US. USING THEIR SMARTPHONES LESS
he number of full-time employees has also risen from 842 to 948, with the industry A global survey conducted by research group
predominantly made up of men — with only 19% identifying as female. Accenture has found that almost two-thirds
of the respondents that use a smart speaker
are using their smartphone less as a result.
This usage doesn’t just stop at general
questions such as “How’s the weather?”
either; it includes the decline in smartphone-
based entertainment and online shopping
as well. The survey has also found just
how much smart home device adoption is
climbing, with an impressive rate of 50%
growth in the category year-on-year.

$454
AVERAGE PRICE OF GLOBAL
SMARTPHONE PURCHASE
The average price that people pay for their
smartphone has been in decline for several
years, largely due to the introduction of
competition to the iPhone, but the numbers
have risen again throughout 2017 and are
now the highest they’ve been since 2012.
iPHONE X PRODUCTION NUMBERS SLASHED
A global market research company,
According to a report by Japanese economic review Nikkei, the iPhone X will have halved
Growth from Knowledge, has taken customer
its production numbers to 20 million units by the end of March 2018 due to sluggish sales. checkout data from around the world and
Since its launch, the iPhone X has sold fewer units than the iPhone 8 and, even when accounting found that consumers pay an average
for all three of Apple’s latest handsets (the X, 8 and 8 Plus), the trio comprise roughly 12% less of of $454 for a new smartphone.
Apple’s handset sales compared to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 launch in September 2016.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 013 ]
 HOTSPOT
AMAZON ECHO PLUS

[ OI, ALEXA... ]

Amazon
Echo Plus
HELLO, HOME OF THE FUTURE!
[ JENNETH ORANTIA ]

31/2

AMAZON ECHO PLUS

$229
www.amazon.com.au

CRITICAL SPECS:
ZigBee certiied; dual-band
802.11a/b/g/n/ac;
Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP;
7-microphone array;
2.5-inch woofer,
0.8-inch tweeter;
3.5mm audio output;
23.5 x 8.4 x 8.4cm; 954g

[ 014 ]
SPEAKERS AREN’T JUST for playing music of other lights in the Hue range. You’re better Of course, you’ll probably use the Echo most
anymore. At least, not in the world of Amazon. of using the Philips Hue bridge and installing for music playback, and in that regard, it’s a bit
Since late 2014, the online juggernaut has been the relevant Hue skill instead; in which case, of a mixed bag. While it ofers native support
rolling out a variety of Echo-branded ‘smart you can save yourself about $80 by opting for for the ever-popular Spotify music streaming

HOTSPOT
AMAZON ECHO PLUS
speakers’ that let you perform a wide variety the regular Echo. Oddly, several smart devices service, along with Amazon Music Unlimited,
of tasks using voice commands. that work with any Echo conigured to a US you’re out of luck if your preferred platform
Using the trigger word ‘Alexa’, which wakes account — Belkin WeMo, Nest and Sonos is Apple Music, Google Play Music, Tidal
the Echo up, you can ask the time, check the — aren’t supported for Australian users. or even YouTube.
weather, look up your calendar, ind out where But you don’t need to have Wi-Fi-enabled hat’s not to say that you can’t play music
the nearest Chinese restaurant is, and ask light bulbs, smart plugs or cloud-connected from those platforms. Since the Echo Plus also
factual questions like “Who is the premier security cameras to get a kick out of the Echo. functions as a Bluetooth speaker, you can
of New South Wales?” and “Who starred in It’s very capable as a device in its own right, stream that music from your mobile device —
the movie Top Gun?” and can tap into a variety of information you just can’t take advantage of the Echo’s
his may not sound all that impressive, sources — including voice commands to
given you can do these things through your your own personal control music playback
smartphone already. But the beauty of the data — to do your or navigate through
Echo — and other smart speakers like it — bidding. the library by song
is that you’re no longer dependent on your he Alexa skills name, artist or genre.
device. Rather than having to fumble for your marketplace opens Just don’t expect
smartphone, unlock it, navigate to the relevant you up to more than $229 worth of sound
screen and tap away on the on-screen 15,000 additional quality. With much
keyboard, you can access much of the same skills that the Echo of the budget blown
functionality completely hands-free. Plus, can perform once on the fancy voice
the Echo uses a high-performance, far aield installed, and while recognition technology
7-microphone array that is far better at many of these are and built-in smart hub,
picking up voice commands — even in a noisy duplicates or duds, its audio capabilities
room with the TV on — than a smartphone. there are quite a few are almost an
Despite being irst to market with a smart gems in there. aterthought. he Echo
speaker, it was only in early 2018 that the he Uber skill is Plus is certainly loud
Amazon Echo made its way down under. deinitely one of our YOU COULD HAVE A ‘GOOD enough to ill a room
Alas, the full range isn’t available in Australia favourites, enabling MORNING’ ROUTINE, FOR (although it distorts at
— notably, the nitier Echos with built-in us to quickly hail a INSTANCE, THAT TURNS ALL full volume), but the
colour displays are a no-show — but there are car while getting THE LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE ON, sound it produces
more than enough models to take on its main ready to leave the RATTLES OFF YOUR TO-DO is quite lat, and
smart speaker rivals: the Google Home and house. You can also LIST AND MEETINGS FOR THE particularly lacks
the Apple HomePod. order Domino’s DAY, AND GIVES YOU BOTH depth at the bottom
he Echo Plus is the premium speaker of the pizza, ask Flight WEATHER, NEWS AND end. It’s perfectly
range. he main point of diference between Centre what the TRAFFIC UPDATES. capable for pop music,
the Plus and the regular Echo is that the cheapest light to but if you want to be
former comes with a built-in ZigBee hub Bali is, check your moved into some
for controlling smart home gadgets. his is a amaysim mobile serious head banging
nice marketing ploy, but it’s not as impressive balance, ind out when your Energy Australia or bobbing, the Echo Plus won’t get you there.
as it sounds. he things is, you don’t actually bill is due, and even check your NAB or Amazon has had a number of years to work
need to plump for the Plus in order to control Westpac bank balance. on the Echo, and it’s a legacy that shows with
smart home devices; this has always been Whether it’s as smart as its rivals really the wide variety of functions it can perform,
possible from the entry-level Echo Dot and depends on what you ask it. It couldn’t tell us as well as the breadth of the speaker range
upwards — it just requires a bit of extra what the current price for Bitcoin was (while — even if some of those models aren’t yet
coniguration. Siri was smart enough to not only tell us the available in Australia. We’re especially
he Echo Plus promises to make the process current price, but tell us how much it went up impressed with all of the localised skills
simpler with out-of-the-box support for smart or down compared with previous days), but it available at launch, and this is a signiicant
home devices that use the ZigBee standard. was clever enough to interpret “Is it going to point of diference compared with other smart
But many popular gadgets don’t use that be a scorcher today?’ as an enquiry about the speakers in the market, which are far more
standard, so you’ll need to set these up the weather (Siri, sadly, is not as well-versed in limited when it comes to controlling third-
same way you would on other Echo speakers local vernacular). party apps and services.
anyway. Worse, devices that are supported One of the cool things you can do is group As for the Echo Plus, we’re not convinced
— such as the Philips Hue smart lights — tasks together into ‘routines’ that correspond it’s a worthwhile investment compared to
don’t have as many features available when to particular times of day or situations. You other speakers in the range. If you’re an
connecting them via the Echo Plus’ built-in could have a ‘good morning’ routine, for audiophile, you’re actually better of with the
ZigBee hub. Notably, you can’t change the instance, that turns all the lights in the house entry-level Echo Dot and using the audio
colour of bulbs that support this. his isn’t an on, rattles of your to-do list and meetings line-out to connect it to a superior speaker.
issue with the Philips smart bulb that comes in for the day, and gives you both weather, news And whether you use a lot of smart home
the box, as this is limited to varying shades of and traic updates. Routines can be set on a gadgets or not, the regular Echo actually
white only, but it’s a problem for the multitude timer or triggered with a set voice command. comes out on top.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 015 ]
 HOT SPOT
POP SCIENCE

[ I F&%$#@* LOVE SCIENCE! ]

Pop science High salt diet could be

THE LATEST DISCOVERIES, INVENTIONS AND SCIENCE NEWS damaging our brain
THAT’S HELPING SHAPE THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. TOO MUCH IS TOO BAD.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]
Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine in the US
have found that the tiny crystals of salty
NARCISSISM DRAWS NARCISSISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA, STUDY FINDS goodness that we all love so much could be
VANITY ON PARADE. impeding blood low to the learning and
memory centres of the brain, leading to
here are plenty of examples of narcissism all over social media — a person posting comments cognitive impairment and dementia. At least
and photos solely to promote themselves. Most of us aren’t exactly tolerant of that sort of that’s the case with mice fed on a high-salt
behaviour, but one study decided to examine whether narcissists themselves accepted the same diet. he percentage of salt in their diet was
type of behaviour from someone else. Published in the journal ‘Computers in Human Behavior’, as high as 8% but the study does raise
the study used Instagram as its platform and found that narcissistic users were quite favourable questions about the connection between our
towards others posting selies to gain popularity, liking and following compatriots with similar gut and the brain. he good news, however, is
behaviour. It seems that the need to be popular is acceptable and encouraged amongst people that the damage caused by impaired blood
who exhibit grandiose narcissism (ie, the extroverts who express admiration for their own low is reversible, with normality setting in
physical attractiveness). Like attracts like, in this case. he study, however, didn’t look into what ater four weeks of consuming a regular,
is called ‘vulnerable narcissism’, behaviour associated with insecurities and social anxiety. healthy diet. For reference, the Heart
Foundation recommends adults consume no
more than 5g of salt per day.
Image: Jes, flickr.com/photos/mugley/3588919280

HUMAN POO COULD ONE DAY BE FOOD... FOR ASTRONAUTS

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have igured out how to turn human waste into food.
Yes, you read that right — human poop can be broken down by microbes to create a protein- and fat-rich
substance that looks a lot like Vegemite. And given that food is hard to grow in space — or in a
spacecraft — this edible goo is being earmarked for astronauts. Using anaerobic digestion (breaking
down organic material in the absence of oxygen, like waste treatment), methane can be produced in a
chamber within the spaceship, which, in turn, can be used to grow a microbe called Methylococcus
capsulatus. This organism is already being used in animal feed and could potentially become a food
source for humans as well. This new method of food production hasn’t yet been perfected, but it could
give humankind hope that, when climate change destroys our staple food source, we’ll still have insect
flour and human poo spreads to keep us going. [I think I’ll stick with Vegemite, thanks. — Ed]

[ 016 ]

Scientists create colour-changing material
ONE ACCESSORY, DIFFERENT COLOURS.
We’ve all been there and done that — wondered why we decided to wear
white instead of blue or red. And the only way to change that would be
to go home and put on diferent clothes. However, MIT researchers have
discovered a way to change the colour of diferent materials by using
photochromatic inks. Called ColorFab, the system creates a layer of
voxels — units of visual information, much like pixels — in three
dimensions, which can be activated by diferent wavelengths of UV
light. he inks change colour and retain it even ater the light source has
been removed. So your cool new jacket won’t go from a bright red to a
drab grey the moment you leave the house. he colours will, however,
begin to fade ater several weeks. he researchers still need to improve
the process, but they say it can theoretically be used on any surface that
can hold a layer of voxels.
Women’s wee could hold the key to tackling
antibiotic-resistance bacteria
OH, NO, YOU’RE JUST TAKING THE PISS, RIGHT?
Researchers at Loyola University Chicago have found a plethora of
never-before-seen viruses deep in the recesses of a woman’s bladder,
that could be used to ight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. hese
bacteriophages — bacteria-infecting viruses — have been listed and
described in ‘the Journal of Bacteriology’, and this rich tinkling hoard
could be used to combat bacterial infections. Phages exclusively only
infect bacteria, with each phage species able to attack only a few types
of bacteria, by taking over bacterial DNA. Unfortunately, scientists
still don’t know enough to use these viruses safely and efectively.
he researchers are currently studying the individual viruses to ind out
which ones could be put to good use.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
HOT SPOT
POP SCIENCE
BRAIN’S NEURAL RESPONSES CAN PREDICT WHO YOUR
FRIENDS ARE
A study out of Dartmouth in the UK has found that friends have similar neural
responses to real-world stimuli like watching video clips. And these
similarities can help predict who would make a great friend or help someone
predict who your friends are. The study also found that we share some
similarities in neural patterns with friends of friends as well. Published in the
journal ‘Nature Communications’, the study is the irst of its kind, linking
brain patterns with real-life social networks. This research tells us that,
when we meet someone we know, our brain immediately lets us know how
important they are to us and what position they hold in our social life.
The next step in this research will be to ind out if we’re naturally attracted
to people who view the world pretty much the way we do ourselves.
STRESS COULD BE TREATED EFFECTIVELY IN FUTURE
AS SCIENTISTS DISCOVER ‘ANXIETY CELLS’ IN THE BRAIN
Neuroscientists in the US have found what could be ‘anxiety’ cells, hidden
within the hippocampus of the brain. These cells — found in mice — ire up
when the body is under any stress. In the case of the mice, this is when the
animal is in a place that is innately frightening. The neuroscientists believe
the cells can also be found in humans and, when stimulated, trigger other
parts of the brain that cause anxious behaviours, such as sweaty palms and
elevated heart rates. The scientists believe that the discovery of these cells
opens up new avenues for treatment of stress and anxiety — if these cells
are molecularly diferent from others around them, then perhaps new drugs
could be formulated to suppress them.
[ 017 ]
 HOTSPOT
LENOVO STAR WARS JEDI CHALLENGES
Lenovo Star Wars Jedi Challenges
AS CLOSE AS YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO BEING ONE WITH THE FORCE.
BETWEEN THE FILMS, countless videogames
and even Monopoly boards, we’re still
searching for the ultimate simulation of being
a Jedi. No, nominating your religion as ‘Jedi’
on your census form isn’t going to cut it either.
Lenovo’s AR headset does an admirable job
of putting you in the shoes of a Jedi replete
with lightsaber, and has you fending of
life-sized battle droids, Stormtroopers and
Darth Maul, while also indulging in a mini
real-time strategy game and Holochess.
he draw here is the Jedi lightsaber battles,
where you wield your laser sword and detly
cut down advancing enemies, from within
[ 018 ]
[ THERE IS GOOD IN THIS, WE’VE FELT IT ]
[ PAUL TAYLOR ]
the comfort of your lounge room. Getting to
that point takes a lot of setting up, and a lot
of devices to charge. he main part of the
package is the headset itself, which is designed
to it smartphones up to 6 inches in screen size.
A cradle keeps your phone in place, and a trio
of USB cables are included to suit phones with
lightning, micro USB or USB-C connections.
Lenovo has a list of phones it says are
compatible with the headset, which includes
iPhones 6–8, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8,
Google Pixel and XL, and the LG G6. Don’t
fret if your phone isn’t on that list, as we used
a Huawei P10+ with no issues.
31/2
LENOVO STAR WARS JEDI CHALLENGES
$399.95
www3.lenovo.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS:
Lenovo Mirage AR headset; Lightsaber controller;
tracking beacon; phone tray; lightning to micro-USB cable;
USB-C to micro-USB cable; micro-USB to micro-USB cable;
2 x AA battery; 5V/1A wall-charger and power cable;
275g ‘saber controller, 477g headset (minus phone)
Getting the phone paired with the
lightsaber hilt took us a few tries, and ater
restarting our test phone and turning of all
other Bluetooth connections, the ‘saber
happily talked to the controller. hat
lightsaber, like the headset, is recharged via
a micro USB cable. Finally, there’s a sot,
glowing orb that sits on the loor and acts as
an anchor point, and runs on AA batteries.
You’ll also need Bluetooth headphones
to hear the music and sound efects, as no
matter how good your phone’s speakers are,
the phone itself is going to be stufed inside
a headset. Routing a headphone cable from
the phone to your ears will either be tricky and
clumsy or downright impossible depending
on where the headphone jack is located.
Despite good ventilation, your phone is also
going to run hot, as the screen of your handset
is the display that’s relected onto your eyes.
he headset visor is see-through, and while
the display it projects incorporates part of
your environment, it’s not smart enough to
recognise walls or other objects. You’ll need a
good amount of space to walk around in,
with nothing within arm’s reach — we’d
suggest at least 1.8m by 1.8m. hat way, you
won’t accidentally over lick a vase or TV when
you’re delecting incoming blaster ire.
Once you’re all set up, the efect is at times
completely absorbing, and other times lacking.
As mentioned, the front visor is transparent,
and you have plenty of peripheral vision below
and to your sides. Depending on how well-lit
your room is, you might get a bit of light
relecting of the inside of the headset, which
can be distracting.
While the selection of games on ofer is a
little slim at the moment, the presentation
is perfectly suited to the format, despite some
shortcomings. hose Jedi saber duels require
a lot of movement, and the hilt itself is
beautifully weighted, vibrating when you
strike an enemy — or get hit yourself.
Imperfect AR tracking will sometimes result
in a bendy lightsaber, which can be mitigated
by slower movements. Probably not something
Luke Skywalker would recommend you do.
[ WWW
W HLIFE
HLIFE.NET ]
he challenge grows as the levels progress,
though you’re basically doing the same things
over and over, and the play area means you’ll
be kept within a conined space. While
peripheral vision is good, you might
sometimes feel that you’re looking through
a Ned Kelly-esque slit to the world, and need
to take a step back from the action to get
the full view of any advancing baddies. It’s an
annoying limitation, but one that’s not
uncommon to AR headsets.
Of course, there’s the strategy game, and
lo es hich is a charming recreation
of the gam originally depicted in Star Wars:
New e (minus the quaint but janky
animatio . Anyone who’s played a Command
& Conq r, Starcrat or even a tower defence
game w ll get to grips with the strategy rounds
quickl and easily. A round usually git you
CHALLENG
HOTSP
STAR WARS JE
LEN
with a team of replenishing soldiers, who will
automatically spew out of a hut and ire on the
advancing troops, and you’re able to place laser
turrets, rockets and ships to repel the attack.
Obi Wan Kenobi can be temporarily plopped
onto the battleield, and is far stronger than
your usual supply of grunts.
his can be a lot of fun and ofers a good
challenge. Your eyes act as the cursor, and a
button on the lightsaber issues the command
— it’s immediately intuitive. he same can be
said about holochess, which isn’t really chess
but an action boardgame that’s more
appealing than the label suggests. Anyone who
pores over Star Wars lore will love being able
to send their creatures into battle, and even
if you can’t tell a Monnok apart from a Ng’ok,
you’ll still have fun.
Rounds of all three games are brief,
over in less than ive minutes, which sounds
shortlived but works out well. hat’s partly
because, while you have freedom to move
around, you’ll probably be shuling about in
the same place from where you started, and
the headset gets quite heavy — children might
ind it tricky to keep the thing on their head
— so taking a brief break is a good idea. Plus,
these are the only the three genres available
at the moment, with a Lenovo rep telling us
that other games from third parties may be
coming, but nothing’s been decided.
As a proof of concept, the Lenovo Star Wars
Jedi Challenges is great. he unit’s wireless,
the efect in the right light is absorbing,
and despite the weight of the headset, it’s
comfortable to use. However, the initial hassle
in setting it up will try your patience, and it’s
anyone’s guess as to whether more games and
apps will be made available for it. What’s there
at the moment is faithful to the Star Wars
universe, which is probably enough for
superfans of the movies.
[ 019 ]
 HOTSPOT
KICKSTARTED!

KNOPS
ADJUST THE VOLUME OF LIFE.
knops.co | Goal: US$69,000
Raised: US$595,225 from 3,018 backers
RRP: US$99

These aren’t regular earbuds with music

volume controls on the side. These are what
the company calls an “acoustic hearing
solution”, which will give you the power to
cancel out all sound, turn down unwanted
city noise (leaving you still aware of the
[ CROWDFUNDED ] outside world) and also just tone down all
sound equally, to save your ears when you’re
Kickstarted! at a concert, for instance. By flicking through
the various Steps, the Knops will ilter out
FROM THE PRACTICAL TO THE QUIRKY TO THE DOWNRIGHT diferent sounds that sit at certain decibel
levels. These Steps have been designed to
STRANGE, CROWDFUNDING WEBSITES HAVE ALLOWED THE
ilter out brackets of decibel-level sounds, so
CREATION OF AN AMAZING RANGE OF PRODUCTS. HERE’S A
no customising necessary. The best thing
SELECTION OF LATEST PROJECTS THAT PIQUED OUR INTEREST. about all this is: there’s no electronics, no
[ CARMEL SEALEY ]
app to iddle around with and no battery. No,
these aren’t noise-cancelling earbuds. You
won’t be playing music through them, just
PITTA listening to music (or just life in general)
THE PITTA-PATTER OF TINY... PROPELLORS? through them from another source. They
www.eyedea.co.kr | Goal: US$50,000 | Raised: US$556,709 by 1,706 backers | RRP: US$269 come in all diferent colours and styles, too.
Perfect for aerial, handheld and mounted use, this little action cam drone is the closest thing
you can get to a Golden Snitch. he PITTA is modular in design, meaning you can easily remove
the propellors and attach a handlebar mount instead. It’s lightweight, at only 200g, and comes
with the ability to follow you around, simultaneously taking video, and can also be controlled
manually using your phone. About that recording — it can take burst shots and slow-mo at 60fps,
as well as take time lapses and also provide live streaming, meaning you leave the little guy
docked in its charger at home and use it as a security cam. It’s very versatile and attractive,
and did we mention you can just slip it into your pocket without worrying about bits getting
stuck or snapped? For the hobbyist, this little drone looks very enticing.
EASYCUBE
MODULAR BUILDING BLOCKS THAT CAN
ALSO BE ROBOTS!
[ CONFUSED TROMBONE ] www.easycube.club | Goal: US$10,000
Weird kickstarted project of the month Raised: US$10,994 from 52 backers
RRP: From US$89
SOME CREATIONS WERE PROBABLY INVENTED IN A DRUNKEN STUPOR...
Kids love building things — just take a look at
Sound Reactive LED Mask the success of Lego, Minecraft and sandpits.
MAKE YOUR FACE EVEN MORE SCARY. Well, Easycube is introducing robotics to the
outline-montreal.com | Goal: CA$15,000 mix to give little builders the chance to make
Raised: CA$382,341 from 5,629 backers | RRP: CA$30
something come alive, and learn at the same
Outline Montreal wants to take “a step time! By using cubes, wheels, axels, beams,
forward” in the history of the humble mask. gears and much more, all sorts of vehicles and
By fusing art and tech, the resulting mask is clawed monstrosities can be whipped up and
both disturbing and fascinating. he designs given the gift of robotic life. The cubes slot
are constructed primarily with lines or small together very easily and come in a range of
colours — although, certain ‘action’ cubes are
blocks of colour, ensuring more individual
ixed as either blue or red. Your engine cubes
sections can be activated separately. he LEDs
(red) must be powered by a power cube (blue),
react to music or audible rhythms in the wild,
and the power is transferred by a magnetic
blazing with colour and glow, in programmed wire from the interior battery in these blue
patterns depending on the mask design. It’s cubes to the engine cubes, which include a
light, bright, tough and niche. You’ll deinitely motor and gears. What did we say about Lego
attract some attention wearing this, and it goes being static? With Easycube, you can get an
without saying that your humble reviewer adapter that makes your Lego move, too!
would pick the jaguar design over the fox, So cool!
Obama, grizzly, King Kong and other masks.

[ 020 ]
[ YAWN! ]
Get Psyched: Beat the midday slump
HOW TO STAY AWAKE WITHOUT REACHING FOR CAFFEINE.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]
IT’S THE MIDDLE of the aternoon — lunch is
done, the day is glacially marching on and your
eyes are beginning to droop. Is your go-to a Red
Bull or another cup of cofee? Or would you
rather try something that’s natural and, hence,
better for you in every way? We’ve listed some of
the best methods to stave of the midday slump
without you having to reach for that can or cup of
sugar or cafeine so you can stay alert for the rest
of the day.
STEP OUTSIDE AND MOVE AROUND
If you work at a desk, one of the best ways to perk
up is to change your environment. Head out and
take a brisk 10-minute walk. If you’re at home
and need to stay near your computer or phone,
just get up and move around the house. Embrace
your inner Doubtire and do a dance. he
movement will pump oxygen to your muscles
and brain, keeping you alert for longer than
having some chocolate for a quick energy boost
that will burn up in no time at all.
TAKE A POWER NAP
here was a time when taking a nap at work
was frowned upon, but bosses are now beginning
to understand the importance of sleep. So, if you
can, ind a quiet corner (or put your head down
on your desk) and take a 15–20 minute power
nap. A growing body of evidence (as mentioned
in issue 63, page 17) suggests power naps
rejuvenate you, but make sure it’s about six or
seven hours before your actual bedtime so that
you don’t disrupt your normal sleep pattern.
LOOK AWAY OR BRIGHTEN THE ROOM
If a nap or stepping outside isn’t an option, just
turn away from your computer screen for a few
minutes every hour. Looking out of a window to
let your eyes adjust to some sunlight reduces eye
strain, which, in turn, keeps fatigue at bay.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
You can even switch on lights in the room —
studies have shown that bright lights can help
stave of fatigue and sleepiness. Reducing the
temperature of your work environment
will also keep you awake. Turn down the air
conditioning temp or open a window if (baby)
it’s cold outside.
STAY HYDRATED AND EAT HEALTHY
Dehydration causes fatigue, so be sure to drink
plenty of luids or eat foods rich in water, like
fruits. Some people ind snacking keeps them
awake, and if this is you, be sure to have healthy
bites. Sugary snacks will give you a quick boost,
but energy levels will drop quickly once the
sugar has been processed by the body. Better to
have things like nuts, yoghurt and vegetable
sticks instead, which take longer to process,
releasing energy to the body slowly over a longer
period of time.
TAKE A BREATHER AND EXERCISE REGULARLY
Deep breathing will increase the amount of
oxygen entering the body, energising your brain
and your muscles. It will lower your heart rate,
thus your blood pressure, relaxing you and
helping you get on with your work. Regular
exercise also improves your body’s circulation,
sending plenty of oxygen where its needed.
VOCALISE
It has been found that starting a conversation
can stimulate the brain, thus keeping you alert.
So get chatting with someone, like discussing
work with a colleague or anything else for that
HOTSPOT
GET PSYCHED: BEAT THE MIDDAY SLUMP
matter — just make sure it’s something that is
interesting. Boring chatter won’t help.
Is laughter is the best medicine? Of course,
especially when you’re tired, ofering a break from
your task. However, if you’re working from home,
try playing some music and sing along. Or just
sing, even if you can’t carry a tune. Even watch
videos of cute animals or a funny video. Go on,
have a laugh!
ADD VARIETY TO YOUR DAY
If you have multiple projects going on at the same
time, try to switch between them. Like having
a conversation, the change up will stimulate the
brain. It’s one of the easiest ways to stay engaged
and focused throughout the day by eliminating
monotony, which can be rather boring. So, where
were those cat videos again?
AROMATHERAPY TO THE RESCUE
Although not scientiically proven, experiments
involving olfactory stimulation have shown that
people who smell rosemary (or rosemary oil)
tend to stay alert and perform well on cognitive
tests compared to people who use lavender oil
or don’t smell anything at all. Citrus smells are
also natural stimulants. Aromatherapists
recommend peppermint for a boost for energy,
eucalyptus to increase circulation, cedarwood
to stimulate the brain and cinnamon to
improve reaction time.
If, however, you’ve tried all sorts of things to
ward of sleepiness (or, on the contrary, ind you
aren’t getting enough sleep full-stop), you should
consider speaking with your GP.
[ 021 ]

BARGAIN HUNTER
HELPING YOU TRACK DOWN THE BEST TECH FOR LESS
[ BARGAIN HUNTER ]
Let’s get physical
YOU DON’T NEED AN EXPENSIVE GYM MEMBERSHIP OR PRICEY
SPORTS GADGETS; HERE’S HOW TO GET FIT FOR FREE.
[ JENNETH ORANTIA ]
THE QUEST FOR physical itness can oten
seem too diicult. Leaving aside the requisite
determination and tenacity required, there are
all the inancial requirements that make it
too easy to put it into the ‘too hard’ basket,
between the costly monthly gym membership,
the even costlier personal trainer sessions, and
the various itness gadgets that help you keep
track of your progress and stay motivated.
However, the smartphone you already have
in your pocket is more than capable in
assisting you improve your itness. Here’s how
you can track steps, log workouts and follow
exercise routines for free via your mobile.
APPLE iPHONE
iPhones as old as the 5S have a built-in motion
co-processor that independently tracks your
daily steps — even when the device is asleep.
Essentially, it’s like a Fitbit or other itness
tracker, and if all you want is something to
track steps, you can stick with the function
built into your iPhone. (Note, itness bands
typically ofer additional features like sleep
tracking and heart-rate monitoring.)
To access the step count data, open the
iPhone’s native Health app and tap on the
Today tab at the bottom of the screen.
[ 022 ]
[ TECHLIFE #75 ]
his will show the activity data for the current
day, including walking and running distance,
number of steps and number of lights of stairs
climbed. You can see a graph that depicts the
hours of the day that you accomplished those
steps, and tapping on the week, month and
year tabs at the top lets you compare your
daily step count across diferent time periods.
It also gives you an average weekly, monthly
and yearly step count, and you can add steps
manually by pressing the ‘+’ button on
the right.
SAMSUNG
he latest Samsung devices come with a
sophisticated Samsung Health app that not
only track your steps in the background,
but can automatically log workouts and gives
you daily and weekly insights into your
progress. he trick with Samsung Health is
that it doesn’t automatically start doing this
from the get-go (unlike the iPhone). To get
started, you need to open the app and enter
all of your info, ater which point, it can start
gathering your itness data automatically.
he Samsung Health app is incredibly
comprehensive. It tracks a broad spectrum
of physical activities in surprising detail,
The simple step tracking function in
Apple Health shows a running count
(pardon the pun) of your daily steps.
and is smart enough to automatically detect
when you’re running, tracking everything
from duration, distance and calories, through
to average speed, pace and elevation. It also
ofers various features to bring out your
competitive streak, with both community-
and friend-based step challenges.
One of the best things about the Samsung
Health app is that it doesn’t simply log your
itness metrics. Ater you’ve been using the app
for a few days, it takes the itness data that it’s
collected and spits out detailed insights and
recommendations that encourage you to
improve your performance, with personalised
daily and weekly reports that compare your
current stats with earlier performance and
also benchmarks you against other Samsung
 Samsung devices with a built-in heart-rate
monitor can feed this data into the Health app
in order to provide an overall picture of your
physical itness.
If you’re lacking on the motivation front, the
community challenges built into the app may
be enough to spur you into action.
The historical tracking feature in the
Huawei Health app lets you
benchmark your performance against
previous days, weeks and months.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
The dashboard in the Huawei Health app is simple
but does the job, giving you a visual indicator of
how you’re tracking against your daily step goal
Health users that match your demographics.
On newer devices like the Galaxy S8 and
Galaxy Note 8, you can even measure your
current heart-rate, stress level and SpO2 level
(the amount of oxygen in your blood) using
the rear-mounted heart-rate sensor.
HUAWEI
he latest Huawei phones automatically track
your steps without any additional intervention
on your part. Even better, this data isn’t hidden
away in an app — a quick swipe right across
the screen, which produces the system-wide
search function — also reveals a basic step
counter, along with calories burnt and
distance travelled.
If you want more detail and additional
functions, however, you’ll need to log into the
pre-installed Huawei Health app, and this is
deinitely a worthwhile endeavour given the
extra features on ofer. While the Samsung
Health app crams in almost every itness-
related feature possible, Huawei Health goes
for a more pared-down approach, displaying
a daily tally of steps and calories burnt, along
with a progress indicator that quickly shows
your tracking against your daily step goal.
hese steps can be benchmarked against
weekly, monthly and yearly performance,
and you can also log a handful of cardio
exercises (outdoor and indoor runs, walking
and cycling) with live GPS tracking.
he Huawei Health app also comes with
useful training plans that are designed to help
you achieve running goals, whether you’re
aiming for your irst 5km or going all-out
on a full 42.2km marathon.
BARGAIN HUNTER
LET’S GET PHYSICAL: HOW TO GET FIT FOR FREE
NIKE TRAINING CLUB
Fitness apps are front and centre on the iOS
and Android app stores, but inding a quality
app that doesn’t require you to purchase
a separate hardware accessory or pay for a
monthly premium subscription to unlock key
features is a tougher ind.
Nike Training Club is one such gem that
negates the need for a personal trainer —
or even a gym membership. This slickly-
designed app consists of more than 160
video workouts that cater for all levels of
itness and are themed around diferent
areas of the body or speciic training goals.
Being able to see each exercise performed
by the trainer, along with the trainer’s audio
commentary, makes the Nike Training Club
a decent — and much cheaper — alternative
to a personal trainer. While some workouts
require speciic equipment such as a foam
roller, dumbbells and kettlebells, many of
them don’t, which is yet another money-
saving advantage ofered by this app,
as you can do many of the exercises at home
or in the park. In any case, getting your
hands on the requisite bits of equipment
is still a lot cheaper than paying for a
monthly gym membership.
There are plenty of ways to navigate
through the app. You can flick through the
personalised recommendations, browse by
muscle group, workout type, no-equipment
workouts and short workouts, or start with
a multi-week workout plan that focuses on
particular training goals.
Other fun features of the Nike Training
Club include celebrity trainers (everyone
from athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and
Serena Williams through to comedian Kevin
Hart and singer Ellie Goulding), personalised
workout recommendations based on your
previous activity, and seamless integration
with external apps like Apple Health and
Nike Running Club.
[ 023 ]

[ TUNE IN ]
BARGAIN HUNTER
DIGITAL RADIOS FOR UNDER $200
Digital
radios for
under $200
CUT THE CRACKLE ON YOUR
FAVOURITE STATIONS AND
DISCOVER MORE NEW ONES —
WITHOUT IT COSTING AN ARM
AND A LEG. HERE ARE THE
CHEAPEST WAYS TO TUNE IN
[ JENNETH ORANTIA ]
DIGITAL RADIO IS somewhat of an unsung
hero when it comes to music options. It ofers
far more choice than AM/FM radio, with
genre- and era-speciic stations such as Old
Skool Hits, Triple M Classic Rock and ABC
Jazz, and yet it’s completely free to use, with no
subscription fees or data usage overhead.
To tune in to digital radio, you’ll need to be
in an area that supports it (Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin
and Hobart) and have a device with a DAB+
tuner. If you’re still rocking the same clock
radio or stereo system from ive or ten years
ago, then chances are, you’ll need to upgrade
to a newer model.
hankfully, prices are far more afordable
than they used to be, with entry-level models
available for below a hundred dollars. DAB+ is
also available in plenty of form factors, from
smartphones and pocket radios through to car
stereos and bookshelf audio systems.
As well as the station variety, digital radio
has many beneits to recommend it. It’s clearer
than analogue radio and less susceptible to
electromagnetic interference, sends additional
information with the digital audio stream such
as song and artist information, weather and
news updates — all of which are displayed on
the radio’s screen — and you can pause and
rewind live radio on devices that support it.
BUDGET DIGITAL
10 RADIOS ON TEST
All of the radios were tested across DAB+,
FM and AM stations (where applicable)
in a Sydney CBD location and a location
in the South East of Sydney.
[ 024 ]
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Sangean DPR-35 DAB+
Pocket Radio
PERFECT FOR YOUR POCKET.
IF YOU WANT to listen to digital radio on
the go, the Sangean DPR-35 is one of the few
options available in a pocketable form factor.
Smaller than even the most compact of
smartphones, it has a built-in rechargeable
battery that lasts for up to 28 hours. Portability,
rather than audio quality, is the DPR-35’s forte,
but it’s still a touch better than the ‘tinny’
output of the typical kitchen radio. What it
lacks in bass response and depth, it makes up
for with gusto. Sound output via the supplied
headphones is surprisingly loud — pushing it
beyond the midway point will challenge your
eardrums. he 0.15W built-in speaker isn’t as
powerful, but the volume mid-point makes
for perfect background listening.
he DPR-35’s value proposition comes
down to the money it can save you of
streaming music on your smartphone. While
tuning into FM and digital radio is completely
free, a full day of streaming music via services
like Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play
can use up to 1GB of data.
4 3
SANGEAN DPR-35 DAB+ POCKET RADIO
$175
www.jbhii.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; 1,800mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer
battery built-in; available in black, white and red; three-line
monochrome LCD; built-in telescopic antenna; 10 station
presets per band (20 altogether); 10.2 x 5.6 x 2.2cm; 120g
Panasonic RF-D20UGN-K
RATED AS AN ALL-ROUNDER.
THE PANASONIC RF-D20UGN-K is an
interesting addition to the mix. As well as
functioning capably as a bedside clock radio,
it doubles as a portable Bluetooth speaker,
with an IPX3 ‘splash-proof’ design that makes
it suitable for kitchen and outdoor use.
But is it good enough to replace a dedicated
Bluetooth speaker? Not if you’re expecting
the audio quality of similarly-priced units.
Notably, the Panasonic lacks the multi-
directional, 360-degree sound that have
become all the rage with portable speakers
— even ones in the sub-$100 spectrum.
Its built-in speaker is strictly front-iring only,
and while it produces a fuller, more detailed
sound than most rivals in this price range,
it lacks the low-end oomph favoured by
popular Bluetooth speakers from the likes
of Ultimate Ears and Bose.
Our main qualm with the Panasonic
was that it wasn’t always responsive to button
presses. We frequently had to push buttons
two or three times before the radio would
wake up and spring into action.
PANASONIC RF-D20UGN-K
$179
www.panasonic.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; uses 4 x AA batteries; IPX3 splash-proof;
sound EQ – 5 modes; 2W speaker output, 5cm speaker;
12 hours battery life as a Bluetooth speaker, 8 hours battery
life for FM/DAB; 14 x 9 x 10cm; 600g
 $20
R $2
A N HUN
UN
N
DER
HU
U NDE
OR UN D
GA
S FOR
OS FO I AL R A
ITA
IT
WINNER

APPROVED
AWARD

BUDGET DIGITAL RADIO

Sony XDR-S41D
VIRTUALLY IDIOT-PROOF.
SONY’S ENTRY-LEVEL DIGITAL radio is a
good option for those seeking a simple yet
easy-to-use digital radio that can produce
low-level background noise for the home or
oice. It adopts the upright, rectangular form
factor of a traditional AM/FM radio, with ive
top-mounted preset buttons, a telescoping
antenna that tucks into a slot on top when not
in use, and a mechanical dial on the right for
quick volume adjustments.
hose looking for something as straight-
forward as their old analogue radio will love
how intuitive the S41D is. he combination of
an extra-large LCD display and the intuitive
three-way jog dial make navigating through
radio stations (ive are displayed at a time) and
coniguring menu settings an absolute breeze.
he built-in speaker is loud enough to be
heard from another room at full volume, but
you won’t be starting a party with this device
any time soon. he digital radio reception also
seems prone to interference — it regularly
faded in and out of reception, while others on
test fared much more consistently.
Sangean H203D
CAMPING COMPANION.
BUILT FOR MORE challenging listening
conditions, the Sangean H203D is just at home
in the shower cubicle as it is in the toolshed
or camping ground. It boasts a JIS-7 rating,
which means it can withstand being immersed
in water, and the thick plastic casing feels
sturdy enough to survive quite a few hard
knocks.
A retractable handle on the top can be used
for either carrying the device or hanging it
from a shower rod or other ixture, and it
comes with a bracket kit for mounting it on a
wall. Additional ‘outdoor features’ include
a built-in torch and an ‘emergency buzzer’
that you can activate in SOS situations.
he H203D’s waterproof form factor and
rugged construction make it best suited for
portable use, and to that efect, it comes with
two D-sized batteries in the box. It can also
run of AC power, but oddly, no power adapter
is included in the box. Digital reception is
strong, but you’ll have to revert to using
a iddly wire antenna for tuning in.
BUYER’S GUIDE
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING
A DIGITAL RADIO.
FORM FACTOR
Check the form factor suits your usage
patterns. If you want to take it outdoors,
it should have a battery option. For bedside
radio use, it should be compact enough
to it on a night stand.
AVAILABLE MODES
Ensure it supports the music playback
modes you want. DAB+/FM are a given, but
other options include AM, wireless Bluetooth
streaming and an AUX input for a hardwired
connection from an external device.
PRESET OPTIONS
All radios support presets, but regular
channel surfers will ind it easier to switch
between stations with dedicated preset
buttons.
AUDIO QUALITY
If you’re using the radio for anything other
than background listening, the audio quality
and power output of the speaker is typically
what separates the haves from the
have-nots.

HEADPHONE JACK
Using the radio at work? Check it has
a headphone socket so you can crank your
31/2 4 favourite tunes without disturbing your
colleagues.
SONY XDR-S41D SANGEAN H203D
$149 $219; street price: $158.85 SCREEN RESOLUTION
store.sony.com.au www.ryda.com
It’s the display resolution more than
CRITICAL SPECS CRITICAL SPECS the size of the screen that matters.
DAB+/FM bands; 77mm speaker unit, 650mW output power; DAB+/FM bands; 8 station presets (4 DAB+, 4FM); A higher resolution means you’ll be able
mono speaker; 25-hour battery life with 4 x AA batteries; waterproof to JIS7; 2w power output; emergency LED light,
available in white and black emergency buzzer; retractable handle; battery operation; to see song information all at once rather
3-inch speaker; 23.5 x 14 x 5.6cm; 920g than as a scrolling line .

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 025 ]
 BARGAIN HUNTER
DIGITAL RADIOS FOR UNDER $200
Sony XDR-S61D
GETS THE JOB DONE.
THE BIG BROTHER of the S41D, this model
justiies its larger form factor and steeper price
tag with a beeier (albeit still mono) built-in
speaker, along with audio input and output
jacks. he latter makes the S61D more
versatile, as you can connect an external music
player (such as a smartphone) and take
advantage of the built-in speaker, as well as
listen to music privately via headphones.
It’s no prettier than its cheaper stablemate,
with the same generic black box design, but
the big ive-line display is easy on the eyes in
the sense that it ofers larger text and a plus-
sized digital time display. It also ofers similar
ease of use thanks to its large, clickable knob.
he only downside is that this looks very much
like a volume control, and our stubborn
muscle memory insisted on reaching for it
every time we wanted to adjust the speaker
output. he top-mounted scrollwheel — which
is the actual volume control — isn’t as intuitive
an option, and unless you’re an avid station
surfer, it would have made more sense to swap
these functions around.
3 41/2
SONY XDR-S61D
$179
www.sony.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; mono speaker; 8cm speaker unit; can use
4 x AA batteries; 17 hours for DAB/FM, 28 hours for audio in;
5 DAB and 5 FM direct preset buttons; telescopic antenna,
3.5mm, audio in, DC in; 22.7 x 13.9 x 9.5cm; 1.04kg
[ 026 ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
VQ Monty
NOT YOUR FATHER’S RADIO.
GUNNING FOR MORE of a fashionista
following, the VQ Monty ofers an attractive
‘contemporary classic’ design that evokes a
wireless from the ‘40s and ‘50s. It’s not quite as
slick as digital radios on the pricier end, with a
rougher wood inish and lower-quality LCD
display, but it’s still an impressive-looking
package for the asking price.
he VQ Monty actually beats its
competitors in a couple of key ways. It’s one
of the few digital radios that support the AM
radio band, and it also supports a proprietary
rechargeable battery that runs for 36 hours.
Sadly, this removable battery isn’t included
in the box, and while we couldn’t ind a local
retailer selling it, the converted price will set
you back approximately $50.
Support for Bluetooth music streaming
is thrown into the mix as well, along with
a useful built-in carry handle for carting it
between rooms and outdoors. he 10w stereo
speaker produces a better-than-average audio
quality, and we like the ability to tweak the
sound levels via EQ presets.
VQ MONTY
$179
www.davidjones.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM/AM bands; Bluetooth; 2.4-inchnch LCD screen;
10w ultra-wide full range stereo speaker; 3.5mm speaker;
analogue signal processing technology; 3.5mm AUX,
headphone socket; 18.6 x 13 x 10cm; 1.4kg
Richter Wake RR40
RISE AND SHINE.
THE RICHTER WAKE adopts more of a classic
beside radio form factor, with a low, compact
frame that won’t hog space, and a large top-
mounted knob that does triple duty as a
volume control, scroll wheel and select button.
Despite its unassuming appearance, the Wake
comes with full functionality, including
Bluetooth streaming, audio in and out jacks,
and a USB port for fast-charging mobile
devices. houghtful extras for beside use
include an auto-dimming display, dual alarms,
and an over-sized snooze button for stealing a
few extra zzz’s in the morning.
Sound quality, too, is surprisingly good —
certainly better than its Sony counterparts.
he bass response won’t blow you away, but the
mid-range is well-rounded, producing a warm
sound, with clear and detailed higher
frequencies. Perfect for bedroom listening and
easing you into wakefulness. he Wake RR40
is easy to use for the most part, but the buttons
are very loud when pressed — to the point that
it could wake up your companion if you were
iddling with the settings at night.
31/2
RICHTER WAKE RR40
$159
www.oiceworks.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; 3.2-inch LCD display; Bluetooth/NFC;
10 DAB+ and 10 FM presets; 1w speaker; EQ with six presets;
headphone output, AUX input, USB fast charge;
21 x 8.5 x 8cm; 650g

Qudo DAB Pocket Radio
CHEAP, NOT SO CHEERFUL.
KUDOS TO QUDO for managing to produce
a pocketable digital radio for well under the
hundred-dollar mark. he Chinese brand
exclusives to Oiceworks specialises in the
cheap and cheerful. Its DAB Pocket Radio is
positively tiny — so much so that it has a belt
clip on the back for clipping it to your trousers
or bag strap. While it lacks the built-in speaker
of the Sangean DPR-35, it’s also half the size,
and produces a surprisingly good sound —
especially when you pair it with better
headphones than the ones included in the box.
It also boasts an OLED screen, which is bright
and manages to it a lot of text into the two-
line display. Of course, shoehorning so much
into a small form factor entails compromises,
and the lack of antenna means it struggles to
hold on to the DAB+ signal, while FM radio
is noticeably noisy. It also ‘locks’ the buttons
ater a few seconds of inactivity, requiring you
to press and hold one of the side-mounted
buttons every time you want to use it — we’d
have preferred a slider or switch for manually
locking the device.
21/2
QUDO DAB POCKET RADIO
$68
www.oiceworks.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; OLED display; built-in rechargeable lithium
1,000mAh battery with 12-hour battery life; 2w speaker;
charging via microUSB; 4.6 x 2.2 x 7cm; 140g
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Sangean DPR-45
THE BEEFY BATTLER.
IF PRACTICALITY IS more important than a
pretty face, you’ll appreciate the sheer variety
of buttons and controls on the DPR-45.
While many radios go for a minimal
aesthetic that requires you to dig through the
menu settings every time you want to do
something, the DPR-45 heads full bore in the
opposite direction. As well as the ive large
preset buttons on the top (which can
accommodate 15 stations per band), there are
two over-sized dials on the side for station
navigation and volume, dedicated bass and
treble dials, and buttons for sleep, nap and
screen brightness controls. We were pleased
with the sound quality. he extra-large speaker
is powerful enough to be heard from another
room, and easy access to the bass and treble
— controls that are typically absent or hidden
in this price range — means you can quickly
tweak the audio to suit your preferences.
he DPR-45 is one of the few sub-$200
radios that support the AM band, but we were
disappointed that the one-line LCD screen
doesn’t display song information.
3 3
SANGEAN DPR-45
$2239; street price: $198
w ww.harveynorman.com.au
CRITICAL
CR SPECS
AM/FM/DAB+ bands; 45 station presets (15 per band);
large LCD with backlight; integrated carry handle; bass and
treble controls; 4 x D-size battery compartment;
28 x 17 x 9.2cm; 1.62kg
BARGAIN HUNTER
DIGITAL RADIOS FOR UNDER $200
Philips AJB4300W
BEST FOR A SLEEP-IN.
THE PHILIPS IS well-suited for the bedroom.
Its compact, cube-shaped design looks right at
home on a bedside table, and all-important
controls like the volume and snooze function
are large and easy to access. he two-line LCD
screen can also be dimmed with a single
button push, and there are dedicated buttons
for turning the each of the two alarms on
and of.
But accessing the radio’s various functions
isn’t as intuitive as on other radios, as many
buttons serve double duty via short and long
presses. Chances are you’ll need to revert to
the supplied quickstart guide any time you
want to conigure station presets and add
alarms.
he AJB4300W doesn’t ofer a battery-
powered option like many of its counterparts,
but there’s a USB port on the back for charging
a mobile device, along with an audio in port
for playing music through the radio from said
mobile device. here’s no headphone jack,
though, so night owls won’t be able to listen
to the radio while their partner’s asleep.
PHILIPS AJB4300W
$147
www.oiceworks.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
DAB+/FM bands; adjustable screen brightness;
13.3 x 13.8 x 11.4cm; 661g
[ 027 ]

Social media pro: Facebook
LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SOCIAL NETWORKS AROUND.
MANY OF YOU would be familiar with
Myspace, one of the irst social networks
to really take of across the world. With an
emphasis on digital ‘friends’, Myspace led the
way in terms of what qualities any future social
network should have. Over time, however,
popularity for the site dropped dramatically,
with many turning to a newer social network:
Facebook. Consisting primarily of ‘likes’,
comments and shares, Facebook has made it
easy to stay in touch with family and friends
no matter where they are. As the website’s
popularity continues to grow, so too does its
long list of features. Whilst overwhelming at
irst, you’ll ind many of the site’s functions to
be extremely useful. Here, we’ll run through
the steps to setting up a new account before
delving deeper into the many things you can
do on this superior social network.
THE BASICS
SIGNING UP: If you’re yet to sign up for a
Facebook account, registration is quick and
easy. Download the app and choose the sign
up option at the bottom of the screen, or hop
on the website. You’ll then move through a
series of steps that includes adding your email
address (or mobile number), as well as your
irst and last name (refrain from using any
crazy nicknames here to ensure friends can
actually ind you on the site). Facebook will
also request access to your phone’s contact list
in order to try to automatically ind those
friends already signed up on the site.
You can like, comment and
share posts that appear in
your newsfeed.
[ 028 ]
[ TECHLIFE #75 ]
DISCOVER
ESSENTIAL APPS, TOOLS AND ENTERTAINMENT
[ WE THINK YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE THIS ONE ]
[ TIM BOTHWELL ]
FRIENDS: To get the most out of your Facebook
experience, you’ll need to actually add some
friends. You can search for people using their
irst and last name, as well as mobile number
or email address. Results can be further
reined by iltering to particular cities or places
of work. Also handy, when browsing a person’s
proile, you can see any mutual friends that
you both have. As you add more and more
people, Facebook will start to recommend new
users based on your existing friends list.
NEWSFEED: One of the irst things you’ll see
ater signing up is your Newsfeed which
displays a constantly updated stream of
content tailored speciically to you. Scroll
down to see posts from friends, pages and
public igures you like and follow. Note that
your newsfeed won’t necessarily be
chronological — Facebook uses a series
of complex algorithms to order posts based
on interest and relevance. Whilst browsing,
you can show your appreciation for a post
by tapping the like button, as well as comment
alongside other users. You can also share
another person’s post to your own wall for
friends to see.
PROFILE: Your proile page is one place people
can visit to learn about you and your interests.
When uploading a proile picture, be sure to
use an image that clearly shows your face to
ensure friends can easily ind and recognise
you on the site. Be as detailed or as private as
In the friends tab, you’ll see any pending
requests as well as recommendations from
Facebook with people you may know.
you like when choosing what information to
add. You can include things like where you
went to school, current job and the city you
live in, or none of these things. On your
proile, you’ll also see a feed of everything
you’ve posted and shared with friends.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
MESSAGES: In addition to posting on
someone’s wall, you can also send them an
instant message, which aren’t just limited to
text. Facebook allows you to send and receive
photos, videos, web links, even documents and
iles. While on desktop, you can do this
directly from the Facebook site, for
smartphones, you’ll need to download the
separate Messenger app available for iPhone,
Android and Windows Phone. You’ll ind
more information about this over the page.
EVENTS: Don’t tire yourself out mailing
physical invitations for your Cocker Spaniel’s
2nd birthday party. Instead, simply send
friends a digital invitation on Facebook. In the
More section of the app, tap events to see
an option to create a private, public or group
event. Add a title, description, date and time,
before choosing who from your friends list
to invite. Guests can RSVP directly from the
event page, as well as post comments, ask
questions and vote in polls.
PAGES: In addition to ordinary proiles,
Facebook also allows brands and public igures
You can be as detailed as you want
when it comes to what information you
choose to include on your proile.
 Send friends instant messages
using the Messenger app.
Highlight important life
events on your wall.
Give your group a name and
choose which friends to add.
Tag friends in a photo simply
by tapping their face.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Creating an event on Facebook
is both quick and easy.
GUESTS CAN RSVP DIRECTLY
FROM THE EVENT PAGE, AS
WELL AS POST COMMENTS.
to create pages you can follow. Tapping the like
or follow button on a page will add their future
posts to your newsfeed. You can adjust how
frequently these posts appear by pressing the
following button on a page you already like.
LIFE EVENTS: In addition to ordinary status
updates, you can share important life events
such as a new baby, engagement or work
promotion. hese events will appear as
milestones on your wall. Life events can be
created from the status update screen by
scrolling down and tapping the purple lag.
GROUPS: Creating a private group for your
sporting team, book club or bird watching
society helps ensure everyone is kept up to date
on important and relevant information. From
the More tab, you’ll see a button titled Groups.
Press the plus button and give your group a
name, before choosing which friends to invite.
In addition to posts, members can create polls,
upload photos and add events.
If there’s something on your wall you no longer
want others to see, tap the three dots on the
ofending post to hide it.
DISCOVER
SOCIAL MEDIA PRO: FACEBOOK
In addition to ordinary people, Facebook lets
businesses and public igures create pages
you can like and follow.
TAGGING: When uploading an image to your
wall, Facebook will give you the option of
tagging any friends featured in your photo.
White boxes will appear over any faces
in your image — tap one to add your
friend’s name. Facebook will even try to
automatically recognise friends using facial
recognition — creepy!
GOING PRO
MARKETPLACE: Looking to sell that
AbCoaster Flex you’re currently using
as a coat rack? Facebook marketplace is
perfect for selling (and buying) things
you no longer need. Similar to Gumtree,
give your item a title, sale price, category
and description before uploading a photo.
Interested buyers can then send you
enquiries via a Facebook message.
HIDING POSTS: If there’s something on your
proile you’d prefer people didn’t see —
for example, a photo from last year’s work
Send live streaming video
directly from the Facebook app.
[ 029 ]
 DISCOVER
SOCIAL MEDIA PRO: FACEBOOK
You can buy and sell real-world
items through Facebook’s
marketplace.
Christmas party — you can remove it simply
by tapping the three dots on a post and
pressing hide.
LIVE STREAMING: Like almost every other
social network, you can live stream video
directly from your camera. Tap the live button
at the top of your newsfeed to begin streaming
in a matter of seconds. Friends can like and
comment on your video in real-time.
SAVING: If whilst browsing your feed,
you scroll past a video or web link that seems
COMPANION APPS
In addition to messages,
you can also make and
receive voice or video calls.
MESSENGER
Free
www.messenger.com
While messages could previously be sent from within
the Facebook app, this feature has since been moved to
an entirely separate one called Messenger. In addition
to sending messages, you can also conduct voice and
video calls, start group chats, even play games.
[ 030 ]
You can ilter saved items to
show only videos, links or
photos.
particularly interesting, you can quickly save
it for later. his is especially handy when you
don’t currently have the time (or mobile data)
to see it. Simply tap the three dots in the
right-hand corner of a post to see the option
to save. You can access saved items from
the More tab.
STORIES: A feature almost identical to
Snapchat and Instagram, last year, Facebook
introduced the ability to post photos and
videos to a story lasting 24 hours. However,
ater more than 12 months, the feature has
Moments makes it easy to
track the diferent friends
in your photos.
FACEBOOK MOMENTS
Free
www.momentsapp.com
It can be hassle remembering who took what photos on
which device. Facebook Moments makes it easy to keep
track. Using facial recognition, Moments groups your
photos based on which friends are in them. You can
then easily share those photos from within the app.
Privacy settings allow you to
adjust who can see the things
you post.
struggled to achieve any signiicant uptake.
Stories made by friends (if any) are shown
at the top of your newsfeed.
PRIVACY: It’s important to think about
who might see the things you post. While
Facebook gives you the option of making
your proile public, many people choose
to set their accounts to private. his ensures
only friends can see photos, status updates
and other things that you post. Privacy
settings can be accessed from the bottom
of the More tab.
Follow the step-by-step
instructions to create your
own Facebook page.
PAGES MANAGER
Free
tinyurl.com/tla75-pagesm
Having a Facebook page for your business is a great
way to promote products, special ofers and events.
Page Manager makes creating your own one simple.
Over time, the app can also provide valuable insights
on things like page views, likes and other metrics.
 DISCOVER
BEST PODCASTS
SEARCHING FOR RACHEL ANTONIO
tinyurl.com/tla75-rachel
18 years after teenager Rachel Antonio went missing
in Queensland, investigative journalist David Murray
was contacted by the girl’s parents, asking him for
help. Over the course of ive episodes, Murray
speaks to the key people involved with the case,
as well as getting his hands on information that
[ YOU’RE NICKED, MATE ] could prove vital to reopening the search.

True (blue) crime

podcasts
THE HOME-GROWN INVESTIGATIONS INTO OUR LOCAL
MURDER MYSTERIES.
[ CARMEL SEALEY ]

THERE’S MORE TO Australia than our sunshine, beaches, outback and Skippy. Like every other
nation, delve deep enough and you’ll discover a seedy underbelly of crime stretching from coast
to coast. We’ve tackled the subject of true crime a couple of times in this section, but as it’s the
most popular genre of podcast out there at the moment (and for good reason), we thought we’d
throw a few more suggestions in the way of your eager ears. From the garage-style productions FELON TRUE CRIME
tinyurl.com/tla75-felon
to the big-budget studios, here are ive more podcasts to sate your appetite — this time, 100%
Like Australian True Crime, most of the cases
Australian made. So blow the dust out of your audio jack (if you’ve still got one) and plug yourself followed here are ones that you’ve never heard of.
in for some ridgy-didge crime. (Warning: Some of the following productions will not be suitable Episodes often include audio clips but the majority
for younger audiences.) of each tale is told through simple but gripping
narration. From domestic violence to the psychotic
rampage of a mentally ill man, these stories are dark
and violent, so be prepared.

AUSTRALIAN TRUE CRIME LITTLE GIRL LOST: PHOEBE’S FALL

meshellaurie.com/australian-true-crime-podcast
Many of the cases covered in this production are
everyday situations rather than the big headline
stories of gruesome murders, which is probably
why we like it so much. Often, the hosts get
contacted by regular people who have a story
to tell — either of their experiences of going to jail,
or recounting cases they were involved with while
being in the police force. It’s a great podcast to
listen to and full of variety.
tinyurl.com/tla75-lost
Leanne Holland’s body was found in bushland,
beaten so badly that she could only be identiied by
her ingerprints. The prime suspect was convicted
of the crime and sent to jail, but later released on
appeal. This podcast follows the short life and inal
moments of Leanne, and the investigation into her
disappearance and death. The production is an
extension of an episode of a Channel 7 TV show,
ofering additional information. A gripping listen.
tinyurl.com/tla75-phoebe
The coroner declared that 24-year-old Phoebe
Handsjuk had died by jumping into the garbage
chute of her luxury apartment building under the
influence of drugs and alcohol. However, Phoebe’s
family have been trying to appeal this decision and
reopen the investigation. Two reporters delve deep
into the details of the case and how the family is
ighting for an appeal. The podcast plays out like
an edge-of-the-seat mystery.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 031 ]
 DISCOVER
BEST NEW APPS
[ LATEST APPS ]
Best new apps
THE TECHLIFE TEAM REVIEWS THE MOST INTERESTING
NEW APPS FOR iOS, ANDROID AND WINDOWS MOBILE.
Vue
MONTAGE MAKER.
Free | vuevideo.net
Do you have a video or 20 of your cat, stashed
on your phone? Of course you have. Or maybe
of your — or a family member’s — baby doing
something cute? Perfect. Vue can stitch them
all together easily and simply, with a good
selection of Instagram-esque ilters and movie-
like transitions. It promotes itself as a montage
creator, producing videos that last as little as
10 seconds all the way up to three minutes.
You can have as little as one continuous shot in
your video, or as many as you care to throw in.
Exceptionally well designed and easy to use,
[ 032 ]
whether you’re loading in pre-existing videos
or ilming on-the-ly, videos can be adorned
with captions, emojis, location and weather
data. Wrap up shooting, and videos will be
saved to your phone as an MP4 with the option
to share them to social media or upload to
cloud storage. Remarkably, it’s totally free
as well, and the Vue watermark is small
and unobtrusive in the bottom right hand
cover of the video.
[ PAUL TAYLOR ]
VLC
THE MEDIA PLAYER MAINSTAY
KEEPS IMPROVING.
Free | www.videolan.org
You migght wonder why we’re reviewing one of the
most ennduring cross-platform media players now,
since it’’s been available for years. But it’s received
plenty oof updates throughout its life, and it’s worth
returninng to occasionally. For the fundamentals
(ie, playying a large selection of video ile types in
a fuss-free, easy-to-use UI), VLC is still hard to beat,
and rem mains one of the irst apps installed on any
new devvice. Chief among the recent updates,
though,, is Chromecast support. While it’s still in
beta (though easily accessible through the publicly
available app), this allows you to stream VLC to your
Chromeecast device, which for some might prove a
more coonvenient way to get phone content playing
on a TV. Meanwhile, scrolling through videos has
been immproved — it’s not as choppy as it once was
— and local network ile sharing is as simple
as seleccting the relevant local device and entering
a passw word.
[ SHAU N PRESCOTT ]
SKYLINE
A LIVE WALLPAPER APP THAT DRAWS
FROM WORLD MAPS.
$2.49 | tinyurl.com/tla75-skyline
While most are happy for their smartphone
background to feature their kids, partner or some
other utterly boring thing, others prefer something
more dynamic, more interesting. And what is more
interesting than the earth itself? Skyline is a live
wallpaper app which draws from Mapbox, which is
“an open source mapping platform for custom
designed maps”. Basically, you can either search
for your favourite location, let Skyline select one
at random, or base your desktop background on
where you’re located at any given time (the rate at
which it refreshes can be customised). We preferred
the random location, because naturally, it’s more
varied than the probably less-than-30km radius you
travel every day for work. But the ability to seek your
favourite location is handy as well. It’s a priced app,
but that price isn’t too steep, and once you’ve paid
it, Skyline doesn’t ask you to fork out again. It shirks
any functional aspects of a map app, and we’d like
to one day see this functionality perhaps integrated
with Google Maps or the like, but in the meantime,
this is nice if you love, uh, maps.
[ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]

Fella
FACEBOOK’S NEW MATE?
$0.99 | tinyurl.com/tla75-fella
It seems unfathomable to pay for apps to
access a service that is free, and the oicial
app for that service is free, too. However,
there is a key beneit to Fella, and that’s
being able to scroll through your Facebook
feed and access Messenger all in one app.
Facebook all but forces mobile users to use
the Messenger app to send messages,
which requires either the regular
Messenger app and all of the privacy
compromises that go with it, or logging on
to the mobile website and using Messenger
with all of its privacy compromises, too.
Fella is a wrapper — you log in, see your
feed, and the messages icon is nestled
in the row of icons at the top. Dig into
the options and you can customise the
appearance with diferent colours and
textures. It’s all very snappy and easy to use
since it apes Facebook, but there are a few
quirks. he main one is that the app
doesn’t scroll up when trying to comment,
blocking the text entry box, but posting on
your wall is ine. For the price, it’s possibly
worth it for one convenience, but trading
of for another may see you juggling
between it and the mobile site.
[ PAUL TAYLOR ]
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Stations by Spotify
A STREAMLINED SPOTIFY FOR CASUAL
PLAYLISTERS.
Free | spotify.com/au
Music streaming mammoth Spotify has snuck
a new ‘experimental’ app dedicated entirely
to playlists onto the Google Play Store.
Stations is incredibly streamlined compared
to the fully-ledged Spotify app, featuring little
more than a list of curated playlists to scroll
through, as well as some of the service’s
personalised options, such as Discover Weekly,
that use algorithms to suggest new and
relevant music. You can customise which of
the pre-selected stations appear in your menu,
but you won’t be able to create your own.
he current playlist will begin to play as soon
as you open the app and the only options
you’re given is to pause or favourite the track,
or scroll to a diferent playlist. If you already
have a Spotify account and are logged in
on your device, the app will automatically
log you in and pull your user data for its
personalised playlists. Otherwise, you’ll have
to create a free account and select a few artists
as a starting point. While the latest from
Spotify certainly is streamlined and will suit
those ater a background soundtrack, there’s
never been an easier way to slip into repetitive
music habits.
[ HARRY DOMANSKI ]
DISCOVER
BEST NEW APPS
Smiling Mind
MEDITATE WITHOUT STRESSING
ABOUT YOUR MONEY’S WORTH
Free | smilingmind.com.au
here are a lot of meditation apps available,
but Smiling Mind difers from most of them
in two key ways. First, it’s completely free,
which is refreshing when rivals like
Headspace and Simple Habit require
monthly subscriptions to access most of
their material. Second, Smiling Mind is
aimed at children as well as adults, with a
range of meditation courses available for
diferent age ranges, starting at 7–9 years. It
even includes lesson plans and activities for
educators trying to teach meditation. If
you’re not a kid or an educator, there are
plenty of other plans that might appeal,
from meditation basics, to programs
focused on everything from digital detoxes
to improving your productivity and
sporting skills. here is a mix of audio and
video meditations of varying lengths, you
can set up sub proiles so multiple family
members can all use the app, and you’ll see
your progress over time, with stats and
charts showing how long you’ve spent
meditating, how many sessions you’ve done
and on which days.
[ JAMES ROGERSON ]
[ 033 ]
 PIXELBOARD PRO
WHITEBOARDS FOR VIRTUAL
MEETINGS
$14.99 | getpixelboardapp.com
Virtual meetings can be useful, but they often
lack a crucial component: a virtual whiteboard
where you can sketch ideas. That’s something
that Black Pixel encountered, and so created
a virtual whiteboard app. The app enables
you to share three boards with up to nine
people. The free trial is fully featured for two
weeks; you can permanently unlock Pro for
$14.99 to keep using multiple boards,
collaboration features and gesture support.
The interface is very simple and
straightforward, so nobody’s wasting time
trying to make it work when you’re supposed
to be working together. It works just like a real
whiteboard does, with the rather brilliant
addition of disappearing ink that remains on
the board for only a short time. The gesture
tools make it easy to highlight or point to
elements of the current board, and you can
save screenshots to refer to them later. It’s
not perfect, though. You can save images but
not import them, and if you don’t have a
stylus, your scribbles (like ours) will look
rather childish — even on an iPad Pro. Also,
the app requires iOS 11, so older iPads aren’t
invited to the party. However, if you have
dainty ingers and up-to-date iPads to work
with, then it’s a useful and well-priced tool for
your collaborative work.
[ CARRIE MARSHALL ]
[ 034 ]
Polyjamer
BECOME A MUSICAL GENIUS,
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.
Free | www.polyjamer.com
he world probably doesn’t need another
music app, but it deinitely needs Polyjamer.
At least people like yours truly, who have
absolutely no musical training, need it. his
app helps anyone create music either on their
own or with friends and family. he app
employs the power of artiicial intelligence and
a new algorithm to turn anyone into a rock
star. And it’s super easy to use — choose your
favourite genre of music, then move your
ingers (up to four if you’re dextrous enough)
around the screen of the four tabs, choosing
percussions, bass, chords and melodies. hat’s
it, you’re creating music! Add more beats or
melodies if you need, mute any if you want to
experiment, delete — everything with just a
single tap. Change notes or speed of the tune
by swiping up and down or let and right,
respectively, then save your creation when
you’re happy with it. Want to start a band? Up
to 20 devices can use the app simultaneously
when connected over the same Wi-Fi network
for a jam session. Just make sure everyone is
not more than a couple of metres away from
each other. If you’re a irst-timer when it comes
to creating music, there are tutorials in the
menu to take your music to a crescendo.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]
Squigglish!
WIGGLE, WIGGLE, WIGGLE, WIGGLE,
WIGGLE... YEAH!
Free | tinyurl.com/tla75-wiggle
Comic artist Olivia Walch knows a thing or
two about art, and about drawing apps, too.
She’s already got one under her belt. Her new
app, Squigglish! adds wiggles to any artwork,
then exports it as a GIF or video ile — it’s a
great way to add dynamism to static drawings
or photos. he app was built based on code
Walch had developed during a hackathon and
was inspired by the design of Squigglevision
cartoons. he app does just one thing and one
thing alone — and does it well — make your
lines all wiggly and animated. You can start
by importing a saved drawing or photo,
or begin with a blank canvas if you want to
doodle. here are currently nine diferent
brushes (or styles and thickness of wiggly
lines) to choose from, plus an eyedropper tool
to select colour. However, colours can also be
changed by just tapping on the colour dot
on the bottom toolbar. he rest, as they say,
is up to your imagination. Draw faces that
wiggle or add squiggly touches to your photos,
then share with friends and family or on
social media.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]

U-Dictionary
“WORDS, WORDS, WORDS —
I’M SO SICK OF WORDS!”
Free | www.u-dictionary.com/home
U-Dictionary is one of those apps that is as
useful as you make it. Dictionary, translator
or language learning. It’s primarily an app for
English-as-a-second-language users, but that’s
not to say you can’t use it if you’re a boring
native English speaker, like your humble
reviewer. If you need it to be a simple
translation device, it can do that easily for
38 languages, providing you with contextual
sentences including the word you’re looking
up or a translation of a whole sentence. But as
far as helping English-speakers goes, that’s
pretty much it, unless you want to sink some
serious hours into the Synonym Game. If you
want it to help you speak English, it has
planned tests and conversations you can
practise. If you want to brush up on your
vocab, it has a variety of ways to help you do
that, too. here are groups to discuss certain
topics or words. And lots of videos. Does it
sufer from trying to do too much? hat’s hard
to say, but the interface could probably use
some work. In order to ind out what the app
can do, you have to scroll through all the
diferent activity types, rather than see them
all in a dropdown menu or hideable sidebar.
It’s all potentially very useful, if you can ind
what you’re looking for. [ CARMEL SEALEY ]
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Workouts++
DOSE YOURSELF WITH DATA.
Free | david-smith.org
here are many diferent ways to monitor your
progress on the road to being it and healthy
— see page 22 for examples. Workouts++ is
probably the most in-depth app we’ve ever
used and it’s even better in the second version.
here’s a ton of info here that we lapped up.
Which workout do you do most oten? What
time of the day is your favourite for running?
What’s your total elevation climbed? Where
did you run today? What was your average
heart rate? Workouts++ can tell you all this
and more. Each workout type is a diferent
colour, which makes them easy to ind — but
you can also apply ilters to see only one kind.
Customising your data is simple and the UI
is a cinch to navigate. As this app buddies up
with your Apple Watch, you can customise
your watch face with Workouts++ data. It also
allows you to play podcasts through your
watch, although we prefer inspiring music
to sweat to rather than comedy. If you’re not
using Strava (in fact, even if you are using
Strava), we suggest you give this thoroughly
in-depth app a try. It’s colourful and complex,
and even inspires us to get our runners back
on and plot a new course for tomorrow
morning. Now, if that isn’t reason enough,
we don’t know what is…! [ CARMEL SEALEY ]
DISCOVER
BEST NEW APPS
NOTESHELF 2
CAN IT RIVAL APPLE’S IMPROVED
NOTES?
$14.99 | noteshelf.net
Noteshelf 2 has tools for marking PDFs, lets you
add photos, and handles typed and handwritten
notes. However, there is a limitation to the
handwritten content (which we’ll go into in just
a sec). You get a choice of two pen tools, a pencil,
a highlighter and intelligent shape tools. It can
even record audio as you jot or type, although
you can’t link your jottings to locations within
the soundtrack. Noteshelf 2 lacks the handwriting
recognition of the native Notes app, so you can’t
search entries with Spotlight, and when you
export a handwritten page, it will transfer as
a PNG or PDF. If you want to export in a more
usable format, try Nebo. Notes are synced
between iOS devices through iCloud, but there’s
no macOS version. The app also integrates with
third-party cloud services like Dropbox, Evernote,
Google Drive, OneDrive and Box. Version 2
introduces numbered lists, bookmarks,
bulletpoints and checkboxes, and you can now
group notebooks. There are three new paper sizes
— A4, ‘mobile’ and 12.9 inches. Noteshelf 2 is
afordable, but it’s missing a couple of features.
Its compatibility with Evernote and other
third-party cloud services is tempting, and plugs
the gap of a missing macOS edition, but there
are more flexible options if you look around.
[ NIK RAWLINSON ]
[ 035 ]
 [ EXTENSIONS TO ENHANCE YOUR WEB EXPERIENCE ]
Browse better
THE TECHLIFE TEAM DIGS UP THE BEST NEW
BROWSER EXTENSIONS FOR CHROME, FIREFOX
AND MICROSOFT EDGE.
DISCOVER
BROWSE BETTER
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]
[ BS... ]
Iffy
STAY AWAY FROM FAKE NEWS.
Free | www.ifynews.com
MOST OF US get our news from the web, and it’s getting harder and
harder to separate fact from iction. While Facebook might employ
fact checkers [‘Might’ being the word — Ed], we need something that
surfs the web with us and immediately lets us know that we’re viewing
something fake. Enter Ify. It’s a Chrome plugin that alerts you when
you come across biased or inaccurate news, but it works on user
reviews. Users are encouraged to score the news they read, then Ify
combines these ratings to provide what the developers call “a balanced
opinion”. With that in mind, there are no guarantees that you’ll be
reading authentic content. he other limitation is that Ify requires you
to log in, and those have to be your Facebook details — there are no
other options. If you happen to be one of the few who don’t use this
social media platform, this plugin isn’t for you. Ify also collects
anonymous browsing data, which, the developers say, can’t be tied
to the individual users, but anything you rate is linked to your user
account. It does sound a tad inconvenient, but if you’re willing to trust
your fellow man, Ify could be an useful tool.
[ 036 ]
[ HELLO? CAN YOU SEE ME? ]
LOOM 2.0
RECORD VIDEOS AND SHARE RIGHT FROM YOUR BROWSER.
Free | www.useloom.com
There are tools available to record screens and webcam videos, but hardly
any are as easy to use as Loom. It’s a great Chrome plugin if you need to
make presentations, submit assignments, advertise your brand or simply
use it for personal videos.
Installation is as easy as clicking to download, but you will need to sign up
with either your Google account or with Outlook. That done, just click Record
to begin. It works on any tab you’re on and you can choose to capture the
screen, as well as audio and webcam, or screen only with your narration in
the background. And the best part is that the control buttons at the bottom
of the screen are visible only to the user and won’t appear in the inal video.
It’s possible to pause or delete and start from scratch to ensure you’re happy
with the inal results. That done, the video gets saved to your account and is
accessible via a web link. Although Loom is free to install and use, you can
only record ive-minute videos with limited storage. But refer a few people
and, if they sign up, you are automatically upgraded to the premium service
with no limitations and no extra charges.
[ WHERE ARE YOU...? ]
FIND & REPLACE FOR TEXT EDITING
IT’S NOT JUST FOR WORD DOCUMENTS ANYMORE.
Free | ind-and-replace-f6588.irebaseapp.com/
Find & Replace for Text Editing — a mouthful to say out loud — is a lot more
versatile than many other search-and-replace text plugins. This one works
with webmail clients, as well as with content management systems
(like blog sites) and forum ields, plus includes time-saving functions like
templates and saved search histories.
Find & Replace is available for both Chrome and Firefox, and like most
plugins, just requires a single click to install and you’re up and running.
In fact, you’ll even get a tutorial when you use the plugin for the irst time,
which isn’t necessary if you’re using it for basic searching and replacing.
It works the same way as the function on a Word document or on Google
Drive, but you can save search queries you use regularly or save an entire
phrase, sentence or paragraph you need often as a template. The latter is
a handy feature when it comes to using multiple email signatures or saving
personal details to pop into forum ields.
[ SPIFFY STUFF FROM AROUND THE WEB ]
Site insight
OUR MONTHLY SELECTION OF THE WEB’S
MOST ILLUMINATING, USEFUL OR
JUST-PLAIN-COOL WEBSITES.
[ HARRY DOMANSKI ]
A Spacecraft For All
SPACE NERDS CAN WITNESS SPACE HISTORY, AND MAYBE MAKE THEIR OWN.
spacecraftforall.com
Launched in 1978, the ISEE-3 spacecrat was initially intended to study
the Sun’s solar winds but, despite succeeding in its mission, it was
sacriiced for a greater purpose. Upon discovering a nearby comet in
1982, the crat was co-opted to ly through the comet’s tail in order
to collect previously undiscovered information on the space rock’s
material composition. Aterwards, it was let to drit in an orbit that
would eventually return it to Earth’s orbit some 30 years later. In 2014,
a team re-established contact with the satellite and sent it a command
to once again transmit live data from its instruments. his information
is being collected by the ISEE-3 reboot team and published in an
informative and accessible manner on the website, A Spacecrat For All,
for the sake of citizen science. he site also includes an interactive video
on the history of the ISEE-3, as well as an artist’s rendition of its current
position in relation to Earth. While its propulsion systems are no longer
functioning, the satellite will continue beaming back data on magnetic
ields, solar winds and cosmic rays until it drits into oblivion.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
DISCOVER
SITE INSIGHT
Watermark Ink
CLAIM IMAGES AS YOUR OWN AND PRETTY THEM UP WHILE YOU’RE AT IT.
watermark.ink
If you’re looking at publishing some original photos online, there are
plenty of sotware solutions for watermarking and editing your work,
but the simplicity of this online utility makes it a truly convenient
inal step before you upload. With the ability to work on batches
of photos at once, Watermark Ink allows you to apply the same
watermark and edits to all of your iles and, if you sign up for the
service, even lets you save them as templates. It’s currently free to sign
up and use the site, although there are hints of a paid subscription
in the future. Beyond the ability to add text of varying opacity and
orientation, you can incorporate logos you upload, as well as a variety
of borders, ilters and stickers ranging from a clip-art-esque stylised
silhouette to a photo-realistic image of a cloud. he utility features
some relatively barebones editing capabilities as well, such as
cropping, rounding, rotating and changing the background colour
(which includes transparent options).
Carbon Doomsday
“GIVING A F*** ABOUT CO2 SINCE 1958.”
carbondoomsday.com
Carbon Doomsday is a site on a mission — it wants to show you just
how much carbon dioxide is in the Earth’s atmosphere, and it wants
to make an impression in doing so. he year mentioned in the slogan
references the source of the site’s data, which is taken from daily
readings gathered by scientists at the Earth System Research
Laboratory (ESRL) in Hawaii since 1958. Carbon Doomsday then
presents the information in a graph, clearly showing the cyclically-
luctuating measurements of CO2 in the short-term (speciically,
the seasonal cycle that makes up a year), but showing the overall
trend of increase over the 5- and 60-year timeframes. Since the
recording program began, the measurement has increased by close
to 100 PPM (Parts Per Million), climbing from 313.04 to 410.07
PPM, and more than 20% of the increases over the entire 60-year
span have occurred in the last 5 years. Beyond the doom and gloom,
the site kindly tells you how you can “give a f*** about it” as well,
with such links ranging in efort from sharing the chart on Twitter
to volunteering to work for the project.
[ 037 ]
 DISCOVER
GAME REVIEWS

Don’t be fooled: combat is far from the

focus in Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
[ PC AND CONSOLE GAMES ]

Deliver us
THE TECHLIFE TEAM REVIEWS THE LATEST GAMES FOR PC AND CONSOLES, WINNER

BEGINNING WITH THIS CROWDFUNDED PASTORAL RPG.

APPROVED
AWARD

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

AN AMBITIOUS, REALISTIC RPG
SET IN MEDIAEVAL BOHEMIA.
$89.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.kingdomcomerpg.com

THE RPG IS in rude health, mostly thanks to

a burgeoning PC development scene (think
Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity) and
the genre’s prominence among the mainstream
(Fallout, he Elder Scrolls). And yet, most titles
tend to stick to fairly rigid archetypes. You’ve
got your fantasy RPGs on the one hand, and on
the other, your science-iction RPGs. Even the
latter is rare, and given the style’s origins in pen
and paper Dungeons & Dragons, it makes sense
that the fantasy theme should stick so
stubbornly.
But Kingdom Come: Deliverance is diferent.
It’s a purportedly realistic RPG set in 1400s
Bohemia. here are no dragons, no spells,
no goblins, no stafs. Instead, there’s gritty
mediaeval poverty, oppressive nobles, violent
and trying hand-to-hand combat, and... the
most pastoral and realistic looking open world
seen since he Witcher 3. Warhorse Studios
crowdfunded this project about four years ago,
and while it’s deinitely got traces of a debut
game by an independent studio, it’s astonishing
just how cohesive and fun this has turned out.
You play as Henry, a blacksmith’s son.
He’s not destined to fulill any prophecy and
he’s not blessed with some supernatural power.
He’s just a boring bloke who likes a drink.
But when his hometown is burnt and pillaged
It takes a while to be gifted a horse, but once you
get one, you’ll love exploring the world.
by the Cumans, he manages to escape and,
as a result, endears himself to various regional
authorities. He’s still a stick-in-the-mud,
though, and most of the game is spent
carrying out tasks for people with far more
power and inluence than him.
Warhorse Studios is pretty uncompromising
when it comes to the roleplaying element here.
You can’t grind your levels per se, with the
game opting for an Oblivion-style progression
where you master skills through performing
them. One must sleep and eat in order to
survive, and in the beginning of the game,
combat is slow, arduous and nigh-on
impossible to win. But all these factors help
the player feel more present in the world,
and while it’s deinitely a ‘game’ rather than
a ‘simulation’, Deliverance feels like a world
rather than a playground.
It’s a bit rough around the edges. PC users
are experiencing a few technical hiccups at
launch, though the game runs ine on PS4 Pro.
here are glitches aplenty, but the same is true
for a Bethesda RPG. One needs to approach
Deliverance with patience, an open mind and
a willingness to accept its faults. And if you do,
you’ll ind one of the most surprising and
powerful games likely to release this year.
[ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]
4

[ 038 ]
 Bayonetta prepares herself
for a face-of.
Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta
FLY ME TO THE MOON… TWICE.
$89.95 | Switch | bayonetta2.nintendo.com
HOPING TO REACH a larger audience than
it did with its original release on Wii U,
PlatinumGames’ masterpiece Bayonetta 2
arrives on Nintendo Switch with the original
Bayonetta included as a bonus. he package
aims to bring newcomers up to speed on the
action series before its upcoming third entry,
while also give existing fans the chance to
indulge in its outrageously stylish gameplay in
a more portable manner. Playing as the
titillating titular character of Bayonetta, a
scantily-clad Umbran Witch with amnesia,
you’re tasked with mowing down hordes of the
evil Angels of Paradiso using your hand and
stiletto guns, as well as a variety of other
weapons you’ll pick up along the way. Oten
considered a spiritual successor to the Devil
May Cry series (both were born from the mind
of Hideki Kamiya), Bayonetta is essentially a
hack’n’slash title with a deep ighting system
that’s focused on chained attacks through
melee and ranged combat. he game’s
outlandish enemies can be launched into the
air and juggled, placed into mediaeval torture
devices, and even ravaged by Infernal Demons
Girls just wanna have gu-uns.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
composed from Bayonetta’s own hair (don’t
ask). Other magical powers allow you to
transform into a panther, walk on walls, and
even set of ‘Witch Time’ — an ability that
slows things down so that you can unleash a
lurry of retaliatory blows ater a successful
dodge. While some may ind the overly-
sexualised nature of the character to be
of-putting (the game features crotch shots
galore), Bayonetta completely owns that
sexuality, never coming across as anything but
powerful and in charge.
Admittedly, not much has changed since
the games were released on Wii U, though
Bayonetta 2’s newly-added amiibo support
gives players unlockable costumes based on
famous Nintendo games, and the game now
runs at a steady 60fps during combat.
As far as third-person action games go,
Bayonetta 1 and 2 are some of the best of all
time. Turns out they’re even better when
played on the go. [ STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS ]
5 41/2
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
DISCOVER
GAME REVIEWS
Boss battles are plentiful, and usually
involve more than aiming and shooting.
THE ICONOCLASTS
A NARRATIVE-DRIVEN PLATFORMER
BROUGHT TO LIFE BY PIXEL-PERFECT ART.
$29.95 | PC, PS4, PS Vita | www.konjak.org
There’s no shortage of pixel-styled 2D
platformers out in the wild, but The Iconoclasts
is probably the most beautiful of them all. If you
owned a Sega Mega Drive in the ‘90s you’ll
rejoice at its bright and vibrant aesthetic.
But such is its detail, and so painstaking is the
attention to every facet of its artistic direction,
that The Iconoclasts more closely resembles a
game you might have dreamed would release for
16-bit consoles back in the day. Protagonist Robin
is a mechanic, though according to the rules of
tyrannical authority One Concern, she must
undertake the day job they delegate. But she’s
determined to be a mechanic anyway, and this
sends her on a quest to foil the powerful
oppressor. The game is wrapped up in a lengthy
(and some might argue, confusing) narrative,
with most of its charm derived from environment
and character design. The usual 2D rhythm of
jumping, puzzle-solving and boss smiting is here.
It’s not a very interesting game on a systems
level, but it’s got a heart of gold.
[ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]
Robin’s pistol has heat seeking
bullets, making combat more breezy
in favour of more stressful puzzles.
[ 039 ]
 DISCOVER
GAME REVIEWS

When I asked the bartender for a tall one, WINNER

this isn’t what I had in mind…

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 APPROVED

Shadow of the Colossus AWARD
FAR BIGGER, BUT NOT NECESSARILY BETTER. ATTACK ON TITANS.
$99.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.koeitecmoamerica.com $54.95 | PS4 | playstation.com/shadowofthecolossus

The ninth instalment in the Dynasty Warriors

SHADOW OF THE Colossus is oten described story-based adventure. What may come as a
series adds a few new steps to the tried-and-true
as the ‘Citizen Kane of video games’, and not surprise to irst-time players, however, is just
routine of previous entries, going open world for
just because the two share a fascination with how emotionally afecting it is to repeatedly
the irst time, among other things. Once again,
grand-scale military battles form much of the taking down larger-than-life igures. At the attack and kill these enormous, peaceful
backdrop as your chosen champion of the three time of its 2005 release, Shadow of the Colossus creatures — each one assailed as they go about
rival states takes centre stage. When you see the was the artistic watermark by which all other their daily business.
on-screen prompt over an attacking foe, you can games were judged, and we’re happy to Team Ico’s masterpiece has received an
perform either a counter or inishing move, announce that it still packs the same astonishing remake worthy of its enduring
or a guard break, a knock down or launch your emotional punch and epic scope in 2018. legacy, with the Austin-based Bluepoint
enemies into the air. Alongside gems that can be he game follows the aptly-named young Games rebuilding the Japanese classic from
forged into your weapons, this adds welcome man Wander as he traverses a vast and the ground up, bringing cutting-edge visuals
variety and an additional layer of visual flair to desolate land on horseback in search of 16 and modern controls to it in the process.
combat. That said, even with occasional mountain-sized beings — referred to only Shadow of the Colossus looks especially great
deviations from the series’ norm (for instance,
as ‘colossi’ — which he must then kill in order when played on a PS4 Pro, with the console’s
there’s a stealth mission early on), there are few
to restore life to a young girl named Mono. additional rendering power ofering the choice
enemies in the irst 10 hours that necessitate a
complex strategy. The amount of content in this Unlike other adventure games, there are no to play at either 4K resolution or a rock-solid
entry is impressive. Tucked into every corner of additional enemies or side quests to distract 60fps. A brand new lighting engine also makes
the expansive map are stunning vistas plus a you from your goal. Armed with a sword and the game shine, especially when displayed
number of new additions, including hideaways bow, the challenge comes from tracking down on an HDR-capable television. But for all the
you can buy and kit out, watchtowers that let you each colossus (holding your sword up to the remake’s bells and whistles, it’s the journey
push back the fog of war, resources you’ll need sky will shine a light in the next target’s itself that continues to resonate the most.
for crafting or cooking that you can wrestle from direction), identifying its weakness, scaling it, [ STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS ]
powerful enemies, and animals that you can and putting it down for good. In a sense, this
only encounter by straying from the path. But makes Shadow of the Colossus a puzzle game 4
despite everything the open world still ends up of sorts, albeit through the lens of an epic,
feeling empty, especially as much of your time is
spent travelling long stretches between battles
broken up only by samey outpost ofensives.
While battles are informed by a story drawing
from rich historical and literary sources, the
presentation is devoid of that same richness.
Many conversations leading up to pivotal battles
are conveyed through bland cutscenes featuring
inexpressive, mostly static character models.
English voices return, alongside the option of
Japanese or Chinese audio, though they are far
more restrained than previous appearances
and unable to save these scenes. Even the
settlements feel lifeless, illed with the same
NPCs carrying out the same animations, failing
to create the illusion of more beneath the
surface. [ JESS KINGHORN ]

A breathtaking journey
deserves visuals to match.
3

[ 040 ]

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
TEAM UP AND FIGHT!
$99.95 | PS4 | www.dissidiainalfantasynt.com
TEAM NINJA’S LATEST is a mechanically
excellent 3v3 multiplayer arena ighting game,
and nobody is playing it. We can’t blame them:
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT’s core is a spirited
take on the genre, mantled in a mess of
inadequate base content, poor presentation
and technical issues. Yes, you can enjoy its
lavish fan-service battles on a supericial level,
but getting the most from Dissidia NT
requires a signiicant time investment.
A console port of an arcade game, it’s easy
to see why Dissidia NT’s singleplayer ofering
might be lacking, if harder to forgive it. he
token tutorial gives scant information on the
game’s controls and unorthodox battle system.
Each team of three players shares three stocks,
or lives, between them — the irst team to lose
them all is defeated.
Hitting X has your character perform
Bravery attacks to build a meter: when it turns
a glittering purple, you can ire of an HP
attack that deals damage. Pre-selected EX
Skills on triangle ofer alternate attacks,
party-wide bufs or enemy debufs. he right
bumper lets you dash ater (or away from) the
enemy team, until your stamina bar is
depleted. Well-timed bumper presses also
Just accept that this is a world
where these two would meet.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Each ighter has their own unique trait
that can help you master their playstyle.
allow you to chain Bravery attacks into each
other for longer combos. he let bumper
is reserved for your guard, turning into a
swit sidestep when combined with a
directional input.
hese are the basics, and a surface
knowledge of them will get you through
Story mode, a series of short cutscenes that
ofer thin justiication for why the FF series’
best are beating each other up. Largely
non-interactive, it’s a disappointment that
doesn’t make the most of its rich roster.
Most balingly, every cutscene is locked
away behind Memoria, an in-game
currency earned by participating in online
and oline battles. he oline arcade mode
is almost instantly wearying. he preferable
option is jumping straight into online play,
with nary a practice mode or character
move list in sight. But be prepared to wait
a while to be match-made.
Infuriatingly, the game’s focus on 3v3,
its limited modes and lack of beginner-
friendly packaging means that, as the
online well of competition runs dry, we’re
repeatedly matched with a single opponent
with the remaining four slots illed by
incompetent AI. hose of you solely
targeting our bots for an easy win ought to
be ashamed of yourselves.
For the irst few hours, Dissidia NT can
seem impenetrable. Countless bars, meters
and indicators litter the screen. If you’re
clued in on ighting games, you’ll eventually
uncover a singular, sophisticated addition
to the genre underneath all the clutter.
21/2
DISCOVER
GAME REVIEWS
DANDARA
A UNIQUE TWIST ON THE METROIDVANIA
TEMPLATE DOESN’T QUITE WORK.
$14.99 | PC, PS4, Switch | www.longhathouse.com
The opening hours of Dandara are a hard sell.
This is a 2D platformer, except you can’t jump,
and for that matter, you can’t walk or run. Instead,
the protagonist (whose name is Dandara, by the
way) must warp between white surfaces in order
to traverse the world. She can do so quickly and
sometimes gracefully, but rare is the time you’re
not thinking: isn’t there a better way? And it
doesn’t help that this world resembles one
secured in a jar and shaken violently.
Aside from the traversal, the game world itself
is remarkable. It’s as illogical and winding as an
Escher drawing, except rendered on a 2D plane.
Any of the four sides of a given screen or
environment could very well be a roof, or a floor,
or a wall — or none of these things. When the
protagonist warps from one white surface to
another, the camera often re-orients: you’re meant
to feel dizzy, poorly oriented, confused. Coupled
with the lush orchestral soundtrack and the
mysterious, austere art design, Dandara has a
unique atmosphere. It’s just a shame it often
feels more frustrating than intriguing.
[ SHAUN PRESCOTT ]
21/2
[ 041 ]
 [ MOBILE GAMES ]
Buddy up
TECHLIFE’S TEAM REVIEWS THE LATEST GAMES
FOR ANDROID & iOS SMARTPHONES & TABLETS.
DISCOVER
MOBILE GAMES
A Boy and His Blob
SHAPESHIFT THROUGH THIS CLASSIC GAME.
$7.99 | majescoent.com
GAMEPLAYERS WITH VERY long memories
might remember the original A Boy and His
Blob, released for the NES in 1989. Designed
by industry luminary David Crane, the game
featured the titular characters — a boy and
his shapeshiting alien pal — trying to topple
a despot on the planet of Blobolonia.
It was a playable, inventive platform game,
but the clever part was the shapeshiting.
Lob a jellybean at Blob, and he changed
into something useful like a ladder or a
lamethrower. And although the swit and
tricky action of the NES game has largely
been negated on iOS and Android (where
you’re playing a touchscreen take on
a high-def spruce-up of a Wii remake of the
original), the transformation stuf is intact.
What you end up with is a kind of logic
test wearing the skin of a ponderous
platform game. he levels have the
appearance of an open sprawl, but are in fact
broadly linear. he aim is to methodically
make your way to a golden jellybean that
transforms Blob into a door, through which
you can continue your adventures.
Early levels pepper the platforms with
signs that don’t so much hint as scream at
what you should do next. Standing before
a long drop? Turn Blob into a parachute.
Need to somehow get through a platform?
Transform Blob into a hole. Fortunately,
the hand-holding eases of later on, giving
you the chance to tackle tricky bits alone.
Given the underlying complexity of the
[ 042 ]
game’s mechanics, the controls fare
reasonably well on their trip to your
phone’s touchscreen. You slide to the let
to walk or climb ladders. he right-hand
side is used to jump, and also houses three
action buttons: holler at Blob; throw a
jellybean; select a jellybean (from a rather
stylish dial picker that pauses the action
while you choose).
However, the game’s origins mean it
never entirely feels at home on your phone.
he controls can be hard to manage —
some challenges make almost unreasonable
demands on your dexterity — and the lack
of gamepad support is a disappointment.
Also, while checkpoints are plentiful, it can
be frustrating having to play through the
same sections several times because Blob
was doing his own thing, or the boy didn’t
respond as expected.
Yet there’s a charm and inventiveness
about A Boy and His Blob. he animation
has a cartoonish quality, and turning Blob
into all kinds of contraptions never gets
old. Although some gamers used to frantic
modern mobile fare might ind the slow
pace a bit yawnsome, it is if anything a
boon, giving you time to think. It’s an
endearing, if occasionally frustrating,
puzzle platform game, overall.
[ CRAIG GRANNELL ]
31/2
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Gunstar Heroes
Classic
16-BIT PLATFORMER GOES
FREE-TO-PLAY.
Free, with IAP | sega.com
FOR A MEGADRIVE title that’s 25 years old,
Gunstar Heroes feels remarkably fresh. You
could attribute that to the classic run-and-gun
gameplay, as you tear across the screen and
blast seven shades out of anything that moves.
Traditional platform shoot-’em-ups pitch you
from let to right. Gunstar messes around with
the formula without feeling gimmicky, happy
to send you on a gravity-defying minecart or
iring at a die as you play a boardgame on the
way to defeat the boss. It also ofers a lot of
freedom while building on the basics. Multiple
weapon types encourage repeat play-throughs,
and when you’re not hammering the shoot
button, your character is acrobatically lipping
and sliding across the screen. It really is quite
lively and surprising.
he mobile version supports a few modern
conveniences, like 15-second rewinds and
instant save states, and 2-player co-op over
Wi-Fi. Stump up a couple of dollars and you’re
able to rewind time as much as you like;
otherwise, you’ll have to sit through an ad
every time you want to turn back the clock and
correct a mistake. Staying alive through the
shower of bullets gets trickier as you progress
throughout the seven stages on ofer, as the
barrage of enemy ire can be overwhelming,
and the on-screen control pad does a so-so job.
Invest in a Bluetooth controller with a decent
D-pad and you’re set. [ PAUL TAYLOR ]
4
 WINNER

APPROVED
AWARD

DISCOVER
MOBILE GAMES
WINNER

APPROVED
AWARD

Finger Driver Campfire Cooking

Subsurface Circular KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. THE TRICKIEST MARSHMALLOW
A ROBOTIC DETECTIVE ADVENTURE. Free; $2.99 to remove ads YOU’VE EVER TOASTED.
$7.99 | bithellgames.com www.ketchappstudio.com $5.99 | laytonhawkes.com

THIS GAME DEALS with a robotic ‘Tek’
underclass that serves the human
population. You’re a Tek, and a fellow Tek
tells you a friend is missing. You then defy
your programming to investigate the
mystery. Interaction happens using
on-screen text messages, and progress
depends on unearthing ‘focus points’ and
fulilling objectives.he writing is tight and
engaging, and the game takes place within
a beautifully rendered underground train
carriage. Your Tek never even rises from
his seat; instead, other Teks come and go.
he game’s challenges are cleverly
designed. One Tek demands a joke before
it’ll dish any dirt. Another exchange has
you use one Tek’s mood to manipulate
another. At times, it can feel rigid and
repetitive; despite the odd comedic
ofshoot, the journey is linear. But while
there’s little replay value, there are no
distractions, just a compelling mystery.
Subsurface Circular also wilfully subverts;
the ending cleverly spins everything
around, and the in-game commentary
amusingly comes via an interactive Tek.
You will also get to enjoy one of the
funniest in-jokes in gaming —
not something you get every day.
[ CRAIG GRANNELL ]
YOUR HUMBLE REVIEWER does not
partake in self-mutilation, but playing this
game comes pretty close — in a mental
capacity, anyway. Finger Driver is an
endless runner game. It’s painful, each try
is short and, for a long time, you’ll wonder
how this sort of thing is even fun. he
design is very simple — there’s a road and
a car, with a virtual steering wheel down
the bottom of the screen which you must
turn in order to turn the car. Simple, right?
Wrong. If a pixel of your car ventures
outside the track, you die. If your inger
strays too far from the steering wheel,
you die. If you blink, you die. If you sneeze,
you die. And if your muscles start
twitching because you’ve been sitting there,
hunched over this game for hours trying to
better your pathetic score, you will die.
he only reward you will get is the
knowledge that you lasted one second
longer than you did last time. he ads are
annoying — taking up a thin bar at the
bottom of the screen during play, and then
popping up to fullscreen mode each time
you die — but you can remove them with
a payment of $2.99. We didn’t, we just
deleted the app ater we got too angry to
press the retry button for the umpteenth
time. Try this if you like pain and
frustration, basically. [ CARMEL SEALEY ]
REMEMBER WHEN YOUR grandfather would
take you camping and then, as the sun went
down, turn the campire into a series of
iendish puzzles you had to complete before
you could eat your toasted marshmallow?
Developer Layton Hawkes clearly does,
and the memories have found an outlet
in this outdoorsy grid-based puzzler app.
Each campire is divided into squares.
Marshmallows on various sticks are
introduced, and must be toasted evenly on
both sides without burning. hey can be
rolled, pushed or, in the case of wooden sticks,
rotated, and their movement can be blocked
by burning logs, the edge of the grid,
or each other. Most of the time there’s one
marshmallow on the stick, but sometimes
there’s more, with two or three little patches of
lame to guide them to. It starts of relatively
easy, but builds to some really tricky moments
as more items are added to the ire. Happily,
undo and restart buttons are always at hand,
and you don’t need to complete all the puzzles
in an area to progress, although you’ll likely be
tempted to do so. It’s a game nicely designed
for mobile play, and despite an issue we had
with the rotate controls not registering,
the whole thing is simple enough to master,
although maddening to complete. We’re just
thankful the levels aren’t timed.
[ IAN EVENDEN ]

4 3 4

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 043 ]

WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
enovo Yoga 920
Le
AN
NOTHER REMARKABLE HYBRID LAPTOP FROM LENOVO.
THE LENOVO YOGA 920 features USB-C
ports, an improved webcam location,
a better keyboard and boosted battery life,
while retaining the 360-degree hinge that’s a
hallmark of the Yoga range. However, with
devices such as the Microsot Surface Book 2
really pushing the boundaries of what we
should expect from 2-in-1s, the Yoga 920 has
its work cut out for it, if it’s to really stand out
from the crowd.
he Yoga comes in diferent conigurations.
he base model comes with an Intel Core
i5-8250U processor, a 256GB SSD, 8GB of
RAM, a 13.9-inch 1080p touchscreen and an
Active Pen stylus. he second model — which
we’re testing here — comes with the same
specs, but features a faster Intel Core i7-855OU
processor and a larger 512GB SDD.
he 2-in-1 is thin, yet sturdy, weighing in
at 1.37kg and measuring 32.3 x 22.3 x 1.4cm.
his means it has a nice het, without feeling
heavy or bulky. It also has a metallic inish
which adds to the premium feel, although ater
only a few hours of use, it quickly becomes a
haven for ingerprints.
he hinges along the back of the Yoga 920
are also eye-catching — we’ve luctuated
between thinking they’re stylish and inding
them a bit gaudy. here’s no doubting the
strength and build quality of them, though,
which is essential for a convertible laptop since
they’re likely to see a lot of action as you lip
the screen orientation. Like the hinge on the
Surface Book 2, they’re strong enough to angle
the screen without the body tipping up, while
[ 044 ]
[ TECHLIFE #75 ]
TEST BENCH
THE HOTTEST GEAR PRESSURE-TESTED
the screen remains held in place. Unlike the
Surface Book 2, however, the design of the
hinges doesn’t stick out quite as much, and the
screen can lip a full 180-degrees. Plus, the
keyboard is clever enough to turn of, so the
keys don't interfere when in tablet mode.
Given the design, it’s probably no surprise
that there aren’t a huge number of connectivity
options. here’s a headphone/mic jack, two
USB-C ports — one of which is also used as
the power supply — and a full-size USB 3.0
port. he number of ports isn’t restrictive, and
is a reasonable trade-of for the svelte design.
One thing we criticised the Surface Book 2
for was the fact that you’ll need to pay extra for
the Surface Pen stylus. hankfully, the Yoga
920 comes with a battery-powered Active Pen
as part of the package. he Pen has a nice
design and the Yoga responds well to it, thanks
to its screen being able to detect 4,096 levels of
pressure. Light presses and hard presses are
registered accurately, and the Yoga 920 can
keep up with even the most frantic scribbles.
he keyboard is large enough to type
comfortably on, and despite the keys being
fairly shallow, they have satisfying travel.
he touchscreen is also fast and responsive,
when using either your ingers or the stylus,
while the 1080p screen looks fantastic with
crisp and bright visuals and deep, dark blacks.
Sound quality is good too.
Windows 10 runs smoothly on the 1.8GHz
Intel Core i7, and Lenovo has kept the number
of unwanted pre-installed applications to a
minimum. Day-to-day tasks are usually
processed quickly, although it took the Yoga
quite a long time to extract a large ZIP ile,
which also caused its fans to kick in.
he integrated graphics don’t have enough
power to drive graphically-demanding games,
but it can still handle older titles.
he Yoga 920 lasted 9 hours and 23 minutes
in our movie test, and just over 4 hours in the
PCMark 8 Battery Life benchmark, which
simulates medium to high usage. hat’s almost
2 hours less than the Surface Book 2 13.5-inch
— although the Surface Book 2 is both more
expensive, and actually contains two batteries.
he Yoga does recharge very quickly via
USB-C, though — taking just 90 minutes to
reach 92%.
In all, the Yoga is a triumph. It has a lovely
premium design, and performs day-to-day
tasks well. It's a little weak when it comes
to graphically-intensive tasks, but it’s a price
you’ll want to pay.
4
LENOVO YOGA A 920
From $1,899
www.lenovo.coom/au
CRITICAL SPECCS
13.9-inch Full HD 1,920x1,080 display; 1.8GHz Intel Core
i7-855OU CPU; Intel UHD Graphics 620; 16GB DDR4 RAM;
512GB PCIe SSD; 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.1; USB 3.0,
2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), 3.5mm mic/headset jack;
32.3 x 22.3 x 1.4cm; 1.37kg
 TEST BENCH
RADAR
WINNER

APPROVED
AWARD

Razer Bllade Pro (2017)

DOES THE CON
NCEPT OF A ‘THIN-AND-LIGHT’ 17-INCH GAMING LAPTOP ACTUALLY HAVE LEGS?

RAZER IS BASICALLY attempting the
impossible with its latest revamp of the Blade
Pro, matching a 17.3-inch screen with a thin
(well, ‘thinner’) form factor than you typically
see in gaming laptops of this size, with the
company attempting to make a more portable
17-incher. he result is admittedly still a
beastly and burly machine, but it’s one that’s
been made about as svelte as you could
reasonably ask, and weighs a respectable
3.07kg sans power brick.
Like Razer’s other Blades, the overarching
design is rather MackBook like, with nice
clean lines and a tough metal exterior that
looks very much like a black version of Apple’s
circa-2012 MacBooks — and physically,
the Blade Pro is the closest thing we’ve seen
to a 17-inch MacBook since Apple
discontinued the latter way back in 2012.
he entry-level model of the Pro we tested
for this review packs a GeForce GTX 1060
GPU, which is powerful enough to drive
the unit’s 1080p IPS G-Sync display along
at a reasonable clip, although not quite to its
full ‘gaming’ 120Hz refresh rate... or at least,
not in the latest, most-demanding games.
You can also optionally step up to a GTX
1080/4K display model, which starts at an
eye-watering $5,899.95 for the 512GB option
and climbs even higher for the 1TB and
2TB units.
he specs are adequate-to-mixed elsewhere
on this entry level unit. While it’s only using
a 7th-gen Intel CPU (despite the 8th-gen
equivalents having been available for a couple
of months), but it’s the near top-of-the-tree
Core i7-7700HQ, and there’s a useful 16GB
of DDR4-2400 memory to accompany that.
he bigger chassis size has let Razer squeeze
in some useful extras elsewhere, too, including
an RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet port and a full-sized
HDMI output, alongside an SDXC card reader,
three USB-A 3.0 ports and one USB-C/
hunderbolt 3 port. You also get a
combination of 256GB SSD and 2TB 5,400rpm
mechanical hard drive for storage.
he extra space provided by the 17-inch
chassis has let Razer’s designers make some
interesting choices when it comes to inputs,
too, such as the decision to squeeze the Pro’s
large trackpad in to the right of the keyboard.
For let-handers, that’ll likely make the Blade
Pro uncomfortable, or even downright
impossible, to use without a mouse, although
for right-handed use, we had no problems.
Also neat is that, because, it’s only using
a relatively undemanding GTX 1060,
this particular Blade Pro comes with a quite
compact power brick that weighs just 550g —
a fair drop down from the 1kg+ models
bundled with most larger gaming laptops.
Be warned, however, that the GTX 1080
models will come with a larger charger
to accomodate that GPU’s higher power
requirements.
his more budget-oriented Blade Pro, then,
is a fairly interesting proposition. It’s got
enough power to game on at 1080p, and for
a 17.3-inch G-Sync laptop, its price is quite
reasonable. On the other hand, at nearly six
grand (or more, depending on the model),
we can’t quite say the same of its 4K siblings...
[ DAN GARDINER ]
4
RAZER BLADE PRO (20177)
From $3,399.95
www.razerzone.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Windows 10 64-bit; 17.3-inch 120Hz IPS display
@ 1920 x 1080p; Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU;
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 GPU; 16GB DDR4 RAM;
256GB NVMe PCIe SSD; 2TB HDD; 70Wh lithium polymer
battery; 42.4 x 28.1 x 2.3cm; 3.07kg

GENERAL PERFORMANCE MEDIA ENCODING MEDIA ENCODING GRAPHICS GRAPHICS GRAPHICS BATTERY LIFE
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
PCMARK 10 (SCORE) CINEBENCH - OPENGL CINEBENCH 3DMARK FIRE STRIKE GRID 2 - ULTRA 1080P THE DIVISION - ULTRA PCMARK 8 - HOME
RENDERING (AVG FPS) - MULTI-THREADED CPU EXTREME (SCORE) (FPS AV.) 1080P (FPS AV.) ACCELERATED (HRS:MINS)
(SCORE)

4,417 99.07 725 5,063 112 52.6 3:53hr

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 045 ]

TEST BENCH
RADAR
ASUS VivoBook Pro N580VD-DM264T
BUSINESS ON THE OUTSIDE, GAMING ON THE INSIDE.
WITH ITS SIGHTS set on the professional
market, ASUS’s new VivoBook Pro has
managed to dodge the price-up/performance-
down rut that many of its aluminium-clad
counterparts get stuck in. Impressively, ASUS
has delivered a sleek machine that runs as fast
(and hot) as some gaming systems.
he VivoBook Pro sports a very familiar
MacBook-esque aesthetic (albeit one from
several years ago) combining a brushed
aluminium shell with premium and well-
spaced keys and sensibly stylish curves.
With substantial bezels, a 19mm-thick chassis
and a weight just shy of 2kg, this 15.6-inch unit
doesn’t follow in the footsteps of the slim-and-
compact ultrabooks that currently rule the
roost, but the bonus room allows it to pack in
some surprising power and shave of some
dollars instead. Most notably, the inclusion of
an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4GB VRAM)
GPU (rather than relying on its integrated one)
and a quad-core Intel Core i7-7700HQ
processor puts it on par with gaming laptops
that typically run closer to $2,000. When
compared to ASUS’s own RoG Strix GL553VE
gaming laptop ($1,999), the VivoBook Pro was
only marginally bested in every gaming
benchmark we ran (nine in total — including
GRID 2, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Metro: Last
Light and more). We were also impressed by
the relatively inofensive level of fan-noise
during gaming, and while the internal
temperatures reached a slightly toasty 96°C
GENERAL MEDIA ENCODING
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
PCMARK 10 (SCORE) HWBOT X265 1080P (AVG CINEBENCH
FPS) - MULTI-THREADED CPU
3,662 22.91 733
[ 046 ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
and 80°C (for the CPU and GPU, respectively),
the shell never grew uncomfortably hot.
he biggest trade of with the VivoBook Pro
is that the battery life is comparatively a little
disappointing, enduring less than three hours
of media playback at 50% screen brightness and
beaten out in PCMark 8’s battery tests by units
with more power-hungry GPUs. Compared
with most gaming laptops, this ASUS laptop
has managed to remain rather compact,
though, and that means it has a slimmer
(read: lower capacity) battery. he model
we tested (N580VD-DM264T) comes with
a 1TB HDD, which didn’t quite read or write
at anticipated speeds, and 8GB of DDR4 RAM.
his more price-conscious coniguration’s
main shortcoming is its TN display — it’s a
budget panel, meaning the colours are a little
lat (especially when weighed up against the
vivid contrasts and clarity of, say, the latest
MacBook Pro) and the viewing angles are also
a tad limited. Despite that, the 1080p screen
is still serviceable for gaming, everyday use
and media consumption, and the Harman
Kardon-designed speakers are about as good
as you’ll get on a laptop. If that TN screen’s not
good enough for you, for an extra $450 or so,
you can get the next model up (N580VD-
FI263T), which boasts a 4K IPS panel that’ll
improve both viewing angles and colours,
an additional 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM,
although those upgrades will likely negatively
afect battery-life, considering that both models
GAMING
PERFORMANCE
3DMARK FIRE STRIKE GRID 2 - ULTRA 1080P
EXTREME (SCORE) (FPS AV.)
2,727 74.21
share the same capacity. he spec-bump on
ofer from the higher model would be welcome
if you’re a creative looking to work with video,
rendering or other design-based sotware,
but may not translate as favourably to gaming.
Running the latest titles at 4K will prove too
taxing on that GTX 1050 GPU and the SSD
won’t do much beyond decreasing load times,
so if you’re looking to upgrade for the sake
of gaming, we’d start looking for a $2,500
dedicated gaming laptop instead.
With that said, the fact that the VivoBook
performs well with low-level gaming is a rather
impressive cherry on the top of an otherwise
exceptionally competent productivity-focused
cake. Anyone looking for a day-to-day machine
to occasionally game on will enjoy this feast
— as long as you don’t stray too far from a
powerpoint. [ HARRY DOMANSKI ]
41/2
ASUS VI BOOK P
N580VD 264
From $1,4
www.asus
CRITICAL SPE
Windows 10 64 it Home; 15.6-inch TN
@ 1,920 x 1,080 7 Q CPU;
Nvidia GeForce G ; 8GB DDR4 RAM; 1TB HDD,
802.11AC Wi-Fi; 3 .0 x 25.6 x 1.9cm; 1.99kg
BATTERY
LIFE
THE DIVISION - ULTRA PCMARK 8 - HOME
1080P (FPS AV.) ACCELERATED (HRS:MINS)
27.9 2:23hr
 WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Kogan Atlas C300 Convertible Notebook
CAN THIS SUPER-CHEAP 2-IN-1 REALLY COMPETE WITH MORE EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVES?
THIS $500 2-IN-1 from budget Aussie retailer
Kogan really is better than it has any right to be.
With a unibody metal chassis, it both looks
and feels incredibly sturdy and durable, and its
13.3-inch IPS display is better than what you
oten ind on laptops for two (or even three)
times this price.
Don’t get us wrong, though: this is not a
powerhouse that’s going to take down the likes
of, say, Dell’s XPS 13 — a device that’s still
our favourite Windows ultrabook, despite the
general design being a few years old now.
In fact, compared to that Dell, what’s under
the C300’s hood looks rather sedate. Primarily
powered by a quad-core 1.1–2.2GHz Intel
Celeron N3450 processor — a chip that’s
about a year and a half old at this point —
in combination with a very basic Intel HD
Graphics 500 GPU and 4GB of RAM, you won’t
be doing any seriously demanding tasks.
You can forget about video encoding or high-
end image editing, and anything but games
with simple 2D graphics or retro titles will be
possible here.
he storage on ofer is adequate — 64GB
of lash in the form of a SanDisk DF4064.
GENERAL MEDIA ENCODING
PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
PCMARK 10 (SCORE) CINEBENCH - OPENGL CINEBENCH
RENDERING (AVG FPS) - MULTI-THREADED
CPU (SCORE)
1,098 10.33 126
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
hat’s an embedded MMC (eMMC) drive,
rather than an SSD. he eMMC format was
born out of a desire to use cheaper lash storage
on computing devices like tablets and netbooks
— what you’re basically getting is an SD card
soldered onto the motherboard. hat’s not quite
as dire as it sounds, however, because here,
the lash storage does at least outperform
a magnetic hard drive in most tasks, with
sustained read and write speeds of 177MB/s
and 102MB/s, respectively.
What’s more diicult to deal with is the lack
of space that 64GB results in. Disk formatting
shenanigans and the considerable size of
Windows itself consume about half the drive,
leaving you with slightly under 30GB for your
own use. hanks to a built-in slot, you can add
in a microSD card to supplement that, but a
better option would be to grab an M.2 SSD
to install — the addition of a 128 or 256GB SSD
would transform this into a a much more
well-rounded machine, but you will need
to install that drive yourself, as Kogan sadly
doesn’t ofer it as an pre-conigured option.
he included charger is also a bit anaemic — 
it’s the kind of plug adapter you’d expect to
GAMING BATTERY
PERFORMANCE LIFE
3DMARK ICE STORM PCMARK 8 - HOME
UNLIMITED (SCORE) BATTERY
(HOURS:MINUTES)
15,034 4:44hr
TEST BENCH
RADAR
THIS IS NOT A
POWERHOUSE THAT’S
GOING TO TAKE DOWN THE
LIKES OF SAY, DELL’S XPS
13 — A DEVICE THAT’S
STILL OUR FAVOURITE
WINDOWS ULTRABOOK,
DESPITE THE GENERAL
DESIGN BEING A FEW
YEARS OLD NOW.
come bundled with a cheap clock-radio, not a
13-inch laptop, and at 1.10m, the cable is a fair
bit shorter than we’d like.
On the upside, the combo of components
in the C300 is at least good enough for any
day-to-day task you can think of, from suring
the web and streaming videos on Netlix, to
creating and editing Word docs or spreadsheets.
It works reasonably well as a tablet, thanks to
that fold-around screen (the hinges are
surprisingly sturdy) and the keyboard and
trackpad are comfortable and large.
here’s even two full-sized USB 3.0 ports,
a mini-HDMI output and a metal stylus
included, too, and the battery lasts a good
4–6 hours, depending on the task.
In other words, if your needs are relatively
undemanding, this one punches well above
its weight. [ DAN GARDINER ]
4
KOGAN ATLAS C300
CONVERTIBLE NOTEBOOK
$499
www.kogan.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
Windows 10 64-bit; 13.3-inch IPS display @ 1920 x 1080p;
1.1GHz Intel Celeron N3450 CPU; 4GM DDR3 RAM;
Intel HD Graphics 500; 64GB SanDisk flash memory;
5GHz ac Wi-Fi; 34Wh LiIon battery (5 hour lifespan);
32 x 21.1 x 1.6cm; 1.56kg
[ 047 ]
 TEST BENCH
RADAR
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Canon EOS 6D Mark II
DOES CANON’S LATEST ‘AFFORDABLE’ FULL-FRAME SHOOTER STILL TEMPT THE ENTHUSIAST?
WHEN THE FIRST generation Canon EOS 6D
launched about ive years ago, it instantly
became a popular choice for many who
wanted to take their photography seriously.
Ater a long wait, the second iteration is here
with improvements that make the EOS 6D
Mark II a well-rounded camera for anyone
looking for an afordable full-frame DSLR.
Canon has increased the pixel count in the
Mark II, producing a brand-new 26.4MP
sensor (up from the original 6D’s 20MP chip)
with Dual Pixel technology that improves on
the camera’s autofocus (AF) system when
using Live View during shooting. he new
sensor also bumps the native ISO range to
100–40,000, but still has the same expanded
ISO of 50–102,400 as in the original 6D and
the 5D Mark III. hat said, the 6D Mark II
boasts Canon’s latest DIGIC 7 image processor,
which is capable of processing information
about 14 times faster than the DIGIC 6 (the 6D
had the DIGIC 5 engine) and improves the
new shooter’s noise performance.
he 6D Mark II has inherited the 45-point
all-cross type AF system from the 80D — a
massive improvement from the 11 AF points
on the 6D — with the central point being a
dual cross-type. his improves the camera’s
autofocus precision from the older model.
And despite the higher burst speed of 6.5fps
(as compared to 4.5fps in the 6D), the Mark II
doesn’t quite cut it as a sports camera as
autofocus performance in burst mode is a bit
hit-and-miss. Tracking slow-moving objects
is perfect enough, but shooting high-speed
[ 048 ]
activity (like a moving car or train) means
lowering the burst speed for focus priority.
Low-light performance is fair, with some
luminance noise creeping in at ISO4000, but
no chroma noise. Bump that to ISO12,800 and
both will make an appearance, although post
processing those RAW iles will result in
satisfactory end results.
he new camera is capable of shooting up to
21 RAW iles in sequence. For those shooting
JPEGS, however, the 6D Mark II tops of at
150-frame burst depth, a signiicant drop
compared to the 1,250 shot limit in the
original 6D. However, there’s no UHS-II
support for the single card slot, severely
limiting the Mark II’s burst depth.
Canon has steered clear of 4K video capture
here, too, which makes it hard to recommend
for professional use. he 1080p recording (at
60fps) on the camera, however, is smooth and
stable, keeping the casual shooter quite happy.
he viewinder has also seen a small
improvement over the original in terms of
coverage — 98% compared to 97% in the 6D.
While this is only a minor change, the rear
display has been given a complete overhaul.
he Mark II sports a 3-inch vari-angle which is
now touch sensitive. It simply makes the
camera easier to use — tapping on the screen
where you want the camera to focus is a
pleasure that will be very familiar to
smartphone owners.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity via the
associated smartphone app works quite well
— it took us barely a minute to connect to the
camera and then another couple of minutes to
transfer about 30-odd images with no hiccups
whatsoever. Battery life has been given a tiny
boost as well, going from 1,090 shots in the 6D
to 1,200 in the Mark II, but it’s possible to
squeeze more out of it, depending on your use.
Given the camera’s new articulating screen,
it’s a pleasant surprise that Canon has
managed to retain the light and comfortable
form factor of the original 6D, with the Mark
II weighing just 10g more.
Competing camera manufacturers seem
to have evolved their tech by leaps and bounds,
leaving some to think the 6D Mark II a lazy
upgrade. But given the new camera’s price
point (roughly $100 cheaper than the Mark I's
launch price), it is a feature-packed and
capable all-rounder that will please many a
hobbyist and enthusiast, more so when paired
with a great lens.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]
4
CANON EOS 6D
MARK II
$2,250 (body only)
www.canon.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
26.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor; Full HD 1080p video
at 60fps; built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; 45-point cross-type
AF system; 6.5fps burst shooting; 3-inch vari-angle
touchscreen LCD display; 1,200-shot battery life; 765g

WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Upright GO
SETTING YOUR POSTURE RIGHT, ONE DAY AT A TIME.
UNTIL THE PERFECT chair and desk combination is invented that’s
ergonomically sound for every oice worker in the world, it’s a good bet
that the majority will experience neck or back pain due to poor posture.
Upright GO detects subtle changes in the angle of your back, and gently
(or viciously, depending on your preference) vibrates to tell you if you’re
pitching too far forward, or sideways, in your chair. Download the app,
pair your phone and GO, peel of the plastic backing, sit up straight and
stick it to the top of your spine. Double tap the button to calibrate and
you’re about to ind out just how oten you slouch. his may seem
confronting, having a pebble-shaped device attached to your body
where you can’t see it, but its small streamlined shape, kind-to-your-
skin adhesive and low mass makes it pretty unobtrusive. As long as
you’re not wearing any particularly tight shirts or tops, you won’t notice
it’s there — until you inevitably slump forward and the GO buzzes.
Returning to an upright position turns the buzz of, and it can be
calibrated to be less or more sensitive, delay the time between slumping
and being alerted, or the level of vibration. What makes it efective
in the long term is that the app challenges you with eight minutes of
continuously good posture on day one, then nine, and so on. You can
continue to challenge yourself and track how oten you lose that perfect
posture once you’ve hit your daily target if you want. During our review
period, this tester made signiicant improvements to his posture —
proof that it worked. he sleek design works for and against it, though,
as it’s embarrassingly easy to forget about, only to have the thing ping
of when taking of a bulky jacket (we’ll put that down to user error
rather than a fault of the GO, ultimately). Replacement pads and alcohol
wipes are included. [ PAUL TAYLOR ]
4 31/2
UPRIGHT GO
$149.95
www.uprightpose.com
CRITICAL SPECS
10 hours active use; two hours charge;
30 hours standby; microUSB; Bluetooth 4.0;
5.53 x 3.31 x 1.1cm; 12g
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
TEST BENCH
RADAR
Uniden App Cam Solo
PORTABLE CAMERA FOR HOME OR AWAY.
UNIDEN’S CAMERA CERTAINLY has portability on its side.
his ist-sized security cam snaps neatly onto a magnetised base, which
is strong enough to be hung upside down without fear of the camera
falling of. Or you can screw the Cam Solo to a threaded base which
latches onto a strap, which can then be mounted to a tree or post — and
easily relocated should you need — even under pouring rain, as it’s IP65
rated. Ater a painless setup process, you have the options of a live feed
to the camera via your smartphone on Wi-Fi or mobile data, checking
in as you wish, or being notiied when something crosses its path.
Stick a 64GB SD card in it and the cam will automatically record
movement should anything come within 10 metres of the 130° viewing
angle. Nighttime capabilities are admirable, too. A mic and speaker
combo gives you the power to talk to the person on the other end —
useful if you mount this near your front door. However, we experienced
a weird feedback loop that made one person complain that it sounded
like they were “being screamed at by bats”, negated by us turning the
talk function on and of. Not an ideal solution, but it’s the only quirk in
a system which is otherwise reliable, if a little unexciting. he front end
of the app is utilitarian, and the camera’s powered by four CR123A
batteries, which are around $6 each. Uniden advertises that the camera’s
good for 180 days of standby, or up to 840 minutes of recording. Battery
maintenance is your only ongoing cost, as there’s no cloud storage
service, or hard wiring to mains. A great all-rounder, and the App Cam
can be paired with up to three other identical devices. [ PAUL TAYLOR ]
UNIDEN APP CAM SOLO
$229.95
www.uniden.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
130° viewing angle; IP65; 4 x CR123A batteries;
180 days standby time; SD card (Class 10, up to 64GB);
720p - 1080p @2 - 15fps; requires iOS or Android device
and Wi-Fi network for setup; 186g (with batteries)
[ 049 ]
 OUT OF THE BOX, THE
TEST BENCH
RADAR
AVENTHO DAZZLE WITH THEIR
SOUND — A WELL-BALANCED
FREQUENCY PROFILE WITH
EXCELLENT CLARITY AND
SEPARATION, GIVING EACH
ELEMENT EQUAL ATTENTION
AND ITS OWN SPACE.
Beyerdynamic Aventho
TRULY INNOVATIVE AND PREMIUM HEADPHONES WITH A MATCHING PRICE TAG.
THE GERMAN MASTERMINDS behind
Beyerdynamic’s innovative and premium
audio have brought us a novel treat with the
Aventho wireless headphones — and it's one
that's very personal.
he utilitaritarian ruggedness of their
design makes for some seriously pretty cans,
with their predominantly metal construction
providing both stability and a striking
minimalist aesthetic. Despite the solid
construction, they only weigh in at 240g,
although the non-collapsible design and rather
hety cloth carry bag makes for on-ears that
aren’t quite as compact as some competitors.
Being able to provide 20 hours of playback
greatly helps the grab-and-go appeal of these
on-ears, and their USB-C port means you can
top them back up in under two hours using
your modern smartphone charger. However,
the unit’s lack of active noise cancellation is
likely a big factor in the battery’s longevity, and
it’s a sorely-missed feature in modern,
premium headphones such as these. Part of
the reason that the Aventho can keep its sleek
aesthetic is the near-total lack of physical
buttons. Nestled between the 3.5mm audio
jack and the charging port is the solitary and
annoyingly-tiny power button. he remaining
functionality is handled by a touch-sensitive
panel on the right-hand side of the unit.
Swiping horizontally allows you to skip or
[ 050 ]
rewind a track, swiping vertically adjusts
volume, and tapping will play or pause music,
but despite the ability to adjust the sensitivity
of these controls, we found them a little too
unresponsive to comfortably operate.
Out of the box, the Aventho dazzle with
their sound — a well-balanced frequency
proile with excellent clarity and separation,
giving each element equal attention and its
own space. But the ace up the sleeve is only
revealed once you download the free MIY app
(only for iOS and Android 7, not 8, at time of
writing). In partnership with Mimi Hearing
Technologies, the MIY app is able to
personalise your headphones to suit your
hearing proile, so any frequencies you may
have lost, either naturally or otherwise, will be
detected and accommodated for. here’s a test
you’ll need to take in a very quiet location
and although it isn’t automated like some of
its competitors (Nuraphone, for instance),
it’s relatively straightforward and takes under
10 minutes. Once you’ve built your proile,
you can turn it on or of from within the app
and choose just how intensely the efect
is applied (in increments of 20%), but we
would’ve liked to have seen a simple EQ to
further reine the proile to taste. his will
obviously have varying results user to user,
and while this relatively young reviewer found
the end result to be an overall improvement in
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
the sound’s already incredible clarity and
presence, the impact will likely be more
impressive for those who have lived through
— and worn the efects of — the golden age of
Bowie, Springsteen, he Clash et al. he MIY
app also features a tracking function which
monitors your daily listening and the volumes
at which you do so, letting you know if you
should turn down the music or simply have a
break. he focus on personalisation and
hearing-health is truly innovative and makes
the Beyerdynamic Aventho an excellent choice
for older audio lovers and the health-conscious
alike, but the lacking ANC and somewhat
unresponsive touch controls make it a little
harder to swallow the premium pricetag.   
[ HARRY DOMANSKI ]
4
BEYERDYNAMIC AVENTHO
$599
beyerdynamic.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
10–40,000Hz frequency response; 32 Ohm impedance;
MIY audio customisation
ti app; touch
t h controls;
t l
20 hours playback; Integrated microphone;
USB-C charging port; cloth carry pouch; 240g
 TEST BENCH
RADAR
THE OPPO R11S MAY HAVE
MORE SCREEN REAL ESTATE
AVAILABLE THAN ITS
PREDECESSOR, BUT ITS
RESOLUTION REMAINS IN THE
1080P REALM (2,160 X 1,080).
THANKFULLY, IT HAS A
GORGEOUS AMOLED SCREEN
WITH A PIXEL DENSITY OF
401PPI, OFFERING INKY
BLACKS, VIBRANT COLOURS
WINNER AND EXCEPTIONAL
BRIGHTNESS.
APPROVED
AWARD

Oppo R11s
PREMIUM HANDSET WITH FEW CONCESSIONS

EVER COMMITTED TO giving consumers
a lagship feel at a reduced cost, Chinese
smartphone maker Oppo delivers a premium
experience in almost every aspect of its design
with its latest 6-inch handset. hose who
prefer their handsets even more phablet-sized
also have the choice of the Oppo R11s Plus,
which has a 6.43-inch display. In both
instances, the phones are less than half the
price of an iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy Note
8, which is an impressive feat. Sweetening the
deal is Oppo's promise that it will ix broken
screens for free for the irst six months of
ownership.
hat said, despite sporting some high-end
features, the R11s is undeniably a mid-range
phone, as it lacks a few of the key aspects we’ve
come to expect from lagship handsets, such as
NFC and a USB-C port.
A drastically-reduced bezel gives the phone
a similarly-modern look to the Samsung
Galaxy S8 and the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.
hose smaller top and bottom bezels mean
the Oppo uses an on-screen navigation bar,
and the supremely-fast ingerprint sensor’s
now at the rear of the phone. But you might
not use it, as face unlock is seemingly perfected
here. We can’t say for certain whether it’s more
or less secure than Samsung’s own facial
recognition tech, though.
A combination dual SIM and microSD slot
lives on the right side of its all-metal unibody
chassis. When its case is of (Oppo continues
its much-appreciated tradition of including
a clear gel phone case in the box), it also has a
signiicant camera bump, made all the more
noticeable by its wide, dual-camera nature.
Music lovers will be happy to know that a
3.5mm headphone jack has been included,
and as is custom with Oppo’s phones, a
built-in equaliser ofers 10 diferent presets,
with room for you to create custom settings.
he Oppo R11s may have more screen real
estate available than its predecessor (the
phone’s display now takes up 85% of its front),
but runs a 2,160 x 1,080 resolution. hankfully,
it has a gorgeous AMOLED screen with a pixel
density of 401ppi, ofering inky blacks, vibrant
colours and exceptional brightness.
With its large 3,205mAh battery, the Oppo
R11s lasted 8 hours and 4 minutes of heavy use
in our PCMark battery benchmarks. hat’s a
great result for a mid-range phone, lasting just
as long as the Samsung Galaxy S8 did, and
Oppo promises that a 30-minute charge will
bring the phone to at least 75% capacity.
A magniicent 20MP front-facing camera
implements artiicial intelligence and machine
learning in its quest to provide users with the
most lattering selies imaginable. On the back
of the handset, the R11s packs a 20MP + 16MP
dual camera setup that automatically switches
between the two lenses to maximise the
quality of low-light photography. hat dual
camera setup can also be used to create
impressive depth-of-ield efects via a
dedicated Portrait mode. For the most part,
this feature works well, keeping images in the
foreground sharp and clear while blurring the
background nicely. Video capture is not one
of Oppo’s strengths, as 1080p recording is
limited to 30fps. 4K capture is also available,
though like on the Oppo R9s Plus, our video
at this resolution was always inconsistent, and
appeared choppy during movement.
Oppo’s ColorOS interface still provides an
iPhone-like user experience — meaning no
option to quickly sort them in alphabetical
order — despite its operating system being
based on Android 7 (aka Nougat). Once you’re
over that quirk, in day-to-day use, the phone
feels fast, challenging the high-end LG G6.
With the R11s, Oppo has once again
produced a surprisingly premium handset,
and one that’s an afordable alternative to
high-end competitors like the iPhone X and
Samsung Galaxy S8.
[ STEPHEN LAMBRECHTS ]
4
OPPO R11S
$779
www.oppo.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
6.01-inch, 18:9 AMOLED dispplay;
Snapdragon 660 chipset; Adreno 512 GPU;
3,205mAh battery; 4GB RAM; 64GB storage (expandable
to 256GB via microSD); 20MP + 16MP rear, 20MP front cams;
2.4/5GHz 802.11 a /b/g/n/ac; face unlock, ingerprint
scanner; micro USB; 15.5 x 7.6 x 0.7cm; 153g

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 051 ]
DE
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SUPER
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2018 SECURITY SPECIAL

MAAKE
YOUR
URSELF
HACKPR
KPROOF
53 60 65 68

MAKE YOURSELF HACKPROOF WHICH WINDOWS
Make your PC more resilient to SECURITY SUITE?
hackers and malware. A good suite ofers more than just
basic antivirus. We’ve compared the
current options for Windows and
selected the best for your needs.
LOCK DOWN FACEBOOK SECURE YOUR ANDROID
The social media giant is great for DEVICE FROM THREATS
sharing, but it’s easy to overshare Everything you need to know
— but you can control who sees what about defending your Android phone
with a little help from this guide. or tablet.

70 72 74 76

PROTECT YOUR MAC
Tips on how to stay safe when using
your Mac at home or on public
Wi-Fi hotspots.
GIVE YOURSELF A GOOGLE
PRIVACY CHECK
How to stop Google from tracking your
online activity.
MAKE YOUR APPLE WATCH
MORE SECURE
Prevent prying eyes from gaining
access to info on an Apple Watch.
PHYSICAL SECURITY ITEMS
From trackers to transmitters and
locksto screens, a world of physical
security items can keep you and your
possessions protected.

MAKE YOUR PC MORE RESILIENT TO HACKERS AND MALWARE
[ NICK PEERS ]
ONCE UPON A time, the process of protecting
your PC against viruses was simply to install
an antivirus program, and be careful about which
loppy disks and CD-ROMs you introduced to it.
hen we all got internet access, and you needed to
make sure you didn’t download anything dodgy,
while adding a irewall to your PC to dissuade
hackers. And for a while, that seemed suicient.
How times have changed — and with ever-
increasing rapidity, too. hese days, the threats
keep coming, inding ever more inventive ways
of getting through defences, using trickery as
much as anything else. But however hard the
hackers ight, the security folk ight back, helping
to develop new forms of protection, removal and
repair to thwart the cybercriminals.
As it has been since the beginning, prevention
is always better than cure. Far better to tighten
the security on your PC than have to go through
the trauma of removing unwanted sotware,
or battling a demand for money from a
ransomware attack. But where do you begin?
What sotware do you need? And how can you
change your behaviour to minimise your
W TECHLIFE.NE
ET ]
DE
OF
SUPER
MAKE YOURSELF HACK
exposure in the irst place? In this feature,
we’ll help you on all of these counts.
We’ll reveal the core protection you need,
run through the various ways in which your
online activities put you at risk, and explain how
to protect yourself accordingly. You’ll discover
how to encrypt your email, properly screen
downloads for viruses and potentially unwanted
programs, keep malvertising at arm’s length,
and ensure none of your online accounts are
easily — if at all — hacked. We’ll help secure
your home network, too, so people can’t
piggyback onto your Wi-Fi, or gain access to
your home devices through your router.
But what happens if you do get infected?
Don’t worry — we’ll run through some ways
in which you can get control of your PC back
from the malware. And we’ll point you in the
direction of some useful tools that can help you
recover from a ransomware attack, even to the
point of potentially decrypting your precious
data. Without further ado, let’s get this
(anti-malware) party started!
[ 053 ]
 Whether you like it or not, you need anti-
malware sotware. Windows 10 comes with
Windows Defender for basic protection,
but it’s outclassed by most other anti-malware
tools. he best free anti-virus tool in our
humble opinion is Avira Free Security Suite
DE
OF

(www.avira.com). However, if you’re looking

for security with the lot, the paid-for suite
Bitdefender Total Security 2018, which covers
E YOURSEL HAC

you for ive devices (www.bitdefender.com.

SU

au), can’t be beat on value. For families,

we recommend Norton Security Premium
for hree Devices (au.norton.com), which will
help you keep track of your ankle-biters when
they’re online. For more on why these three
have taken the trophies, head over to page 60.
In the past, you could only run one
antivirus app on your PC at once. hese days,
there exist anti-malware apps designed to
work in tandem with other security sotware.
he most visible of these is Malwarebytes
Anti-Malware (www.malwarebytes.org).
he free version provides scan and remove
tools, but for continuous real-time protection,
and the ability to block malicious websites
— vital when it comes to keeping out
malvertising and potentially unwanted
programs (PUPs) — the Professional Edition
is available for a reasonable annual fee.
Speaking of PUPs, it’s worth your while
installing a tiny, free program called Unchecky
(www.unchecky.com) to stop unwanted
add-ons being installed on your PC.
Norton provides comprehensive
protection for your computer.
TIGHTEN UP YOUR ROUTER
One of the most efective ways of making your
PC as hacker-proof as possible is to review
the way you use your PC. Let’s begin by
securing your PC’s connection to your
network and the internet. First, your network
— if you connect through Wi-Fi, make sure
you have WPA2 encryption enabled in your
router’s settings, and choose a strong,
randomly generated password that can’t easily
be remembered, if at all.
Worried about drive-by hackings, where
people get within range of your wireless
network, then attempt to gain access to it?
Reduce your network’s visibility by disabling
SSID Broadcast, then changing the SSID
of your network to a name that’s not easy
to guess. If you wish, enable wireless MAC
iltering (use the ‘ipconig /all’ command in
a Command Prompt window to ind out
your PC’s MAC address, in order to whitelist it
irst), change your network’s IP address from
the usual 192.168.0.x to 192.168.y.x (where ‘y’
is between 1 and 255), and disable DHCP.
With this in place, a hacker would need four
things to gain access: your network SSID and
its password, yes, but also a whitelisted MAC
address to spoof, and what IP address to assign
to their device (as well as the IP address of
your router), just to get on your network.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING UPDATED

HACKERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WEAK
SPOTS TO EXPLOIT, AND OFTEN FIND THEM
IN THE UNDERLYING CODE THAT MAKES UP
WINDOWS AND ALL THE PROGRAMS
(AND ASSOCIATED EXTRAS, SUCH AS
BROWSER ADD-ONS) ON YOUR PC.

When such vulnerabilities are found, hackers

use so-called ‘zero-day exploits’ to take
advantage of them.
Most good anti-malware software has built-in
behavioural protection against these exploits
— it works by monitoring your PC’s processes
for suspicious behaviour that could point
towards a zero-day attack, and takes steps
to block it. It’s not foolproof, though — some
false positives can be found.
As always, the best form of protection is
prevention, and that means keeping your system
up to date. This is one of the reasons why to zero-day exploits, and given the rise in support If you’re struggling to keep your programs
Windows 10 updates for you, and most good for native HTML5 video streaming, you might want updated, use a free tool called Personal
software automatically checks for new versions to experiment with disabling it altogether. Software Inspector (bit.ly/softinspector),
when it’s irst launched — so never skip this, (In Firefox, go to ‘about:addons’, select Plugins which carries a database of thousands of
particularly if it refers to security updates. and set Shockwave Flash to ‘Ask to Activate’ — supported apps and tells you exactly which
Most browser add-ons should update that way, you’re alerted when a site needs it, ones need updating at any given time —
automatically, too, but Flash is one you should enabling you to make a decision on whether in many cases, it can even do the updating
keep an eye on — it’s more vulnerable than most to run it). for you.

[ 054 ]

Malwarebytes Premium blocks threats
that are often missed by other tools.
In reality, though, this will make network
setup long-winded, so you may want to strike
a balance (perhaps leave DHCP enabled,
for example).
Next, tighten your router’s other settings.
Verify its irewall is switched on, and review
any ports you’re forwarding — these are
channels from the internet to your networked
devices, so make a note of what they are,
remove any not in use, and disable those you
don’t need permanent access to. Also, review
your UPnP settings — these ports are
allocated to apps running on your network.
Disable suspicious ones, and search for the
originating apps to remove them.
It’s also important to protect access to the
router settings: change the default password
to a stronger one (change the username
if allowed, too). Now look for a Remote
Management or Remote Access option. his
enables you — and anyone else — to access
your router from outside your home network,
using your public IP address (or dynamic
hostname). So disable this option.
LOCK DOWN YOUR CONNECTION
Virtual private networks (VPNs) ofer a
number of security and privacy features —
not only can you make you and your location
anonymous when connected through one,
but they also encrypt all your internet traic,
which makes them an essential add-on for
your laptop or tablet whenever suring using
a public, unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspot.
here are many free services, such as
TunnelBear (www.tunnelbear.com), with a
free tier ofering 500MB per month. Plans
starting from around US$5 a month lit this
limit. If you’d like to run your entire home
network through a VPN, you need to use a
second router that supports the DD-WRT
irmware.
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES
Unfortunately, the days are gone when the
W TECHLIFE.NET ]
only way malware got onto your system was
through opening iles or programs. hese
days, many threats are triggered by your own
inadvertent behaviour, through misdirection.
So how can you protect yourself from, uh...
yourself? Let’s start with email, where most
initial phishing threats originate from. First,
treat all email with suspicion. If it’s peddling
an ofer too good to refuse, or making dire
threats while exhorting you to click a link
to verify your account or respond to some
kind of dispute or ofer, just take a deep breath.
Re-read the message, spot the spelling
mistakes or the fact the address you’ve been
emailed isn’t the one you’ve linked to your
bank account. Who’s the sender? In the
majority of cases, these checks will reveal
the email is a fraud.
Get into the habit of never clicking links
in emails. Instead, open your browser, and
visit the site speciied by typing its address.
But that’s not all you need to do against emails.
Some contain malicious code hidden in the
mail’s HTML, so conigure your email client
to read mail in plain text by default. Also,
consider installing a mail-checking tool,
like POP Peeper (www.esumsot.com)
or Mailwasher (www.mailwasher.net),
which can screen mail for junk and scams,
and let you preview email without
downloading it. Connect using SSL or TLS
(see the ‘Encrypt Your Email’ box, right).
SAFER WEB SURFING
In the past, suring the web was a blind process
— you typed in a web address and it loaded,
no matter what was lurking at the other end.
hese days, most browsers can detect known
malicious websites, and block them by default,
but there are still many dodgy sites that aren’t
considered direct security risks. his is where
web iltering solutions come in, such as Web of
Trust (www.mywot.com). WOT operates a
traic-light safety system, providing an icon
next to web addresses (and search results)
SUPER GUIDE
KPR OF
MAKE YOURSELF HACK
ENCRYPT YOUR EMAIL
MAKE SURE YOUR EMAIL PROVIDER
SUPPORTS SECURE METHODS FOR
SENDING AND RECEIVING EMAIL.
For webmail providers, that means
ensuring you’re always logging on through
https:// to prevent your password being
snifed out by hackers. In the case of major
providers such as Google, this should now
be the default, but also look for other ways
in which to protect your account —
see the ‘Protect Online Accounts’ box
over the page.
If you use a traditional email account,
check with your provider that it supports
SSL, the protocol that establishes a secure
connection, and verify you’re using those
settings in your email program to send and
receive messages. This ensures that your
username and password are encrypted
when sent to or from the server.
As things stand, however, the content
of your email isn’t encrypted during transit,
and is easily readable. If your mail provider
supports TLS, it’s possible to encrypt
emails you send to and receive from other
email providers that they also support TLS.
Taking Gmail as an example, the feature is
enabled by default, but look for an open
red padlock when composing emails —
this indicates that the receiver doesn’t
support TLS, so the conversation won’t be
encrypted. Check with your email provider
to see if TLS is supported, and what
settings you need to apply in your client
app, and check to see if it’s able to make
it clear which conversations are encrypted
and which aren’t.
If you want to go further (with
co-operation from other individuals),
look at implementing PGP mail encryption.
This encrypts the mail before it’s sent,
and then the recipient uses PGP at their
end to decrypt the mail once it arrives.
Wizards make it relatively easy to set up,
but Google your email client (or webmail
provider) and ‘pgp’ to ind out more.
[ 055 ]
 PROTECT ONLINE ACCOUNTS
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRADICTIONS
WITH PASSWORDS IS THAT THEY NEED
TO BE UNIQUE, STRONG AND HARD
TO CRACK, YET SOMEHOW EASY
TO REMEMBER.
DE
OF

Thankfully, password managers are built

speciically to aid with this process —
you set up a vault containing all your
E YOURSEL HAC
SU

passwords, then unlock it with one master

password, meaning that you only need
to remember that one to efectively gain
access to all the rest.
Our favourite password manager is
LastPass. We recommend the Premium
version, which syncs across all your devices
(mobile and desktop) and ofers two-factor
authentication as well, which means that,
even if someone hacks your password,
they still can’t get at your vault. LastPass is
installed as a browser add-on or standalone
app, and ofers to save passwords as you
enter them for the irst time. It can also
generate strong, randomly generated
passwords for sites and, thanks to its
Security Challenge feature, can then alert
you to weak and duplicate passwords that
need changing, as well as highlight sites
that have been the victim of attacks.
In some cases, it can even automatically
change these passwords for you with a
single click — though generally you need
to change them manually.
“But LastPass itself was hacked!”
we hear you cry. These days, it seems major
websites will at some point be subject to
attack. The question is, how robust are the
site’s defences? In the case of LastPass,
it did give up user email addresses, but
nothing else was lost — LastPass has no
access to your master password anyway,
while the encrypted vaults were left
untouched. LastPass then immediately
enabled email veriication, which meant any
hacker logging on from an unknown location
who guessed your password would still be
blocked, while you would have received
an email notiication, giving you time to
change your password.
You can block unwanted program
installations with Unchecky’s help.
that’s green (safe), amber (use with caution),
red (dangerous) or grey (untested, so be
cautious). he ratings are community-based,
so aren’t always 100% accurate, but they do
help lag up potentially dangerous sites,
and block access to red-rated sites by default.
Add-ons are available for all major browsers.
Norton ofers a similar feature with Safe
Search — a search engine extension that
helps protect you from phishing and other
dodgy sites.
Even with this extra line of defence,
protecting yourself on the web requires extra
efort. First, adopt the same level of scepticism
to everything you see on the web as you do
with email. Phishing occurs across all
platforms, from pop-up pages masquerading
as Windows dialog boxes, claiming you’ve
been infected or need to update now, to scams
in Facebook Messenger, trying on the
same type of scam as found in email.
You should even be suspicious of text messages
exhorting you to share your two-factor
authentication code ‘for security purposes’.
First, don’t react immediately. Neither
should you try to close the window, unless
you’re conident that what you’re clicking is
the close window dialog box and not a spoofed
one. Instead, use Task Manager to close the
process. Under no circumstances give out any
personal data, ever, regardless of who it is that
seems to be asking for it.
Another way to tighten web suring is to use
a secure web connection (https://) whenever
you can. Some sites automatically use secure
connections, but others don’t — even though
they support them. Force all compliant sites
to encrypt your connection by installing the
‘HTTPS Everywhere’ add-on for the Chrome,
Firefox, and Opera browsers (from www.ef.
org/HTTPS-everywhere).
MALICIOUS ADD-ONS
Browser add-ons such as WOT and HTTPS
Everywhere help tighten browser security,
but it isn’t surprising that not all add-ons
are what they seem, with many able to track
your movements and steal personal data.
Malicious add-ons have been injected into
the Chrome Web Store in the past, while some
cybercriminals buy up legitimate add-ons only
to introduce nasties through updates, which
are then automatically installed. Even those
add-ons that appear to be reputable can be

Make sure you tighten your network’s

security through your router.

[ 056 ]

Free VPNs might be slow, but they are
safer than regular connections.
poorly coded in such a way as to make them
vulnerable to exploits.
So, irst, exercise extreme caution before
installing any add-on — do all the usual
checks, such as checking who the publisher
is and reading reviews (and paying particular
attention to any that say the add-on is spyware
or spam). Google the name and words such as
‘malware’ or ‘exploit’, to see if they’re linked
in any way. Check the permissions
(particularly during an update, where an  DOWNLOAD PROTECTION
add-on may ask for additional permissions it
didn’t previously need), and ask yourself why
it wants them. Also, regularly check your
browser extensions, removing any you no
Make a habit of vetting suspicious websites
with the help of Web of Trust (WOT).
W TECHLIFE.NET ]
longer need or don’t recognise. Consider using
bookmarklets, too, instead of add-ons —
bookmarklets contain tiny bits of code that do
simple things, such as tweeting the current
page, but they can’t automatically update,
and only run when you click the bookmarklet.
Again, be sure to obtain these from reputable
sources, and be as sceptical as you would
with an add-on.
Downloads are a common source of malware,
so make sure the installer is scanned by your
anti-malware tools before you launch it —
right-click the ile to ind the relevant option,
SUPER GUIDE
KPR OF
MAKE YOURSELF HACK
such as ‘Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-
Malware’, if it’s not done automatically
(Norton pops up a message in Taskbar
Notiications to tell you it’s scanning the ile,
for example).
An increasing number of developers
provide checksums for the sotware you’ve
just downloaded. hese checksums, also
known as signatures or hashes, are typically
used to verify that a download isn’t corrupt,
but can also be used to calculate its
authenticity too. You need a third-party tool
to generate the ‘hash’ of the ile you’ve
downloaded, and then you compare this
with the checksum given online — it’s not
deinitive proof, but it’s a useful step.
A number of diferent hashes are used:
MD5 and SHA are the most common, and the
MD5 & SHA Checksum Utility (raylin.
wordpress.com) makes it easy to verify either
type. Just select your downloaded ile, then
paste in the hash from the webpage, and click
Verify — the program should then conirm
for you that the two match.
here’s one major development to look
out for whenever downloading sotware.
An increasing amount is shipped as
‘bundleware’, which means it includes other
program installers, ofered to you during
installation. Reputable installers make these
ofers crystal clear, and make it obvious
how to opt out of them, but an increasing
number don’t, making it all too easy to
accidentally install unwanted extras, not all
of which are desirable.
[ 057 ]
 BLOCK MALVERTISING
MANY INSTANCES OF RANSOMWARE
ARE DELIVERED THROUGH MALICIOUS
ADVERTISING — OR ‘MALVERTISING.’

This is the process of injecting malicious,

DE
OF

malware-laden ads into legitimate online

advertising networks and webpages — since
2012, billions of ad impressions have been
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hijacked, including ones on trusted sites. This

SU

malware gets through defences, and can silently

infect users’ systems — no interaction required.
So how do you protect against these ads?
Your anti-malware software should have some
protection — both Norton and the Premium
version of Malwarebytes have defences against
malicious websites built in, for example, and
you’ll see a steady stream of alerts as sites are
blocked, not just from your browser but other
apps, such as Skype, too. going forward. There’s also an argument for avoiding provide ad-blocking natively — no plugins
Make sure you’re running the latest version dangerous websites, where these kinds of ads required. Alternatively, you can install
of your browser and Adobe Flash, as some (as well as other unwanted pop-ups) tend to the AdBlock Plus plugin (adblockplus.org),
malvertising targets vulnerabilities, as we noted proliferate — use your Web of Trust (WOT) or Norton which works with all major browsers and is
in the ‘Importance of Being Updated’ box back Safe Search browser plug-in to steer clear. open-source. Be sure to whitelist your trusted
on page 54. Speaking of which, setting Flash Perhaps the most efective way to protect against (and responsible) sites, though, as adverts
to run only on your say-so is a good idea, malvertising is through ad-blockers, which block are the lifeblood of many, enabling them to
as encouraging advertisers to stop using Flash all ads that aren’t expressly allowed. Norwegian provide you with content for free.
for their ads is one way to improve security browser Opera (www.opera.com) is the irst to

It’s not just individual programs, either — doesn’t take risks with your security. networking add-on needs to know so much
major download sites (we’re looking at you, Are you a fan of torrenting? You need to be personal information about you. Take the
Download.com) have also started bundling doubly cautious — torrents from oicial time to check your proile’s privacy settings
extra unwanted sotware with downloads, sources (such as Linux installer ISOs) are on all your networks, to review what data
and some of this is little more than ‘crapware’ usually safe, but if you’re venturing into dodgy you’ve handed over to the network, and how
or even borderline malware. In the case of territory, looking for the latest TV episodes, much of it is public. Avoid making public
Download.com, examine the green ‘Download say, be very wary. Check comments and posts that unintentionally give out 
now’ button carefully for a greyed-out reviews of individual torrents to see if anyone information you use as security questions
‘Installer Enabled’ sign; if it’s there, it means else has spotted anything dodgy, and run the elsewhere (your mother’s maiden name,
the app is installed using Download.com’s usual scans before opening any iles. for example, or the town or city where you
own installer, which contains bundleware. were born). And, as always, ensure that your
MD5 & SHA Checksum Utility is downloaded SOCIAL NETWORKING accounts are protected with strong
through Download.com, and thankfully One way in which we inadvertently hand out passwords, and use two-factor authentication
there’s no bundleware included. personal data is through our social networking or veriication whererever possible.
Programs such as Unchecky and the proiles. Ask yourself if you really want to Many web links shared over social media
Premium version of Malwarebytes will screen share your birthday publicly with everyone — particularly on Twitter — are oten
most of these out — you still get the original on Facebook, or why a particular social shortened to save on characters, but how
program, but they either change the
bundleware’s default settings to prevent the
extra programs being installed by default,
or may block the bundleware portion of the
app. Either way, you get a notiication that
they’ve worked on your behalf.
Even if you have these programs installed,
though, they’re not foolproof (particularly
Unchecky). herefore, you need to take extra
care during the installation process — look out
for licence agreements referring to other
programs, and examine any checkboxes
carefully to ensure you’re not about to
inadvertently install an unwanted extra.
Some ofers come with Accept and Decline
options — choose the latter, and you move on
to the next part of the process, or close the Be careful installing programs that may
attempt to add unwanted extras.
installer and source a diferent program that

[ 058 ]

You should always ind out where short
web links actually direct you.
do you know the link published is genuine?
At checkshorturl.com, you can input the
shortened link to examine the webpage
it points to, as well as check the link’s safety
ratings on WOT, Norton and other
reputable sites.
RANSOMWARE
One of the biggest threats in recent times
comes from ransomware, which is specially
formed malware that locks you out of your PC
or your data (typically by encrypting it), before
demanding a ransom in return for receiving
the code required to unlock it. One clever trick
on the thieves’ part is to ramp up the pressure
by hiking up the ransom cost the longer you
delay. Most anti-malware tools should ofer
you some form of protection, but check with
your vendor to see what it can and can’t do.
he most efective way to protect against
ransomware is to keep your PC backed up
— either a drive image of an entire drive, or
ile-based backups of your data (including
cloud services, such as OneDrive) — as this
will help ensure you’re protected. In the case
of ile-based backups, these ofer multiple
versions of your iles, enabling you to roll back;
drive images enable you to wipe the drive and
restore Windows, your apps, settings and data
from scratch, with all but those changes made
since the image was taken. Use a tool such as
Macrium Relect Free (www.macrium.com/
relectfree.aspx), with daily images to keep
the ile size down.
Try to keep at least one copy of-site —
that is, not directly connected to your
computer. Otherwise, it’s possible the
ransomware could locate your backups and
encrypt those too. Future attacks may target
cloud storage, for example.
REPAIRING THE DAMAGE
It’s not always possible to keep infections out,
so what can you do if they get through your
defences? If your system is working, try
W TECHLIFE.NET ]
running scans with your existing tools
— reboot into ‘Safe mode with networking’
if necessary, via ‘Start > Settings > Update &
security > Recovery > Restart now’, to access
the Advanced start-up menu. From here,
choose ‘Troubleshoot > Advanced options >
Startup Settings’, then restart and pick option
5. If this fails, you need some additional tools.
First, download RKill and ADWCleaner from
toolslib.net (use another PC if necessary,
transferring them across on an optical disc or
USB lash drive). Run the former to terminate
known malicious processes, but don’t reboot
if prompted. Next, launch Malwarebytes,
update it, then select ‘Settings > Detection
and Protection > Scan for Rootkits’, before
running a hreat Scan.
If you need additional cleaning of adware,
browser toolbars and hijackers, and other
PUPs, then run ADWCleaner, plus
Malwarebytes Junkware Removal Tool
(www.malwarebytes.com/junkware
removaltool), which may ind things missed
by Malwarebytes itself. Another tool to
consider is the Emsisot Emergency Kit —
this is a portable dual-engine scan-and-
remove tool, which can be downloaded direct
to a portable USB drive on another PC.
Run the tool once on the second PC, and
update it when prompted, then plug it into
your ailing PC, and let it attempt to ind and
remove the nasties.
Once your PC is clean, you may need to
perform repair tasks. NetAdapter Repair
All In One (sourceforge.net/projects/
neta-dapter) can help with broken internet
connections, for example, while the Windows
Repair Tool (www.tweaking.com) can give
your system the once-over, as well as restore
functionality — resetting the Registry and
permissions, removing policies set by
infections and repairing Safe mode.
With your PC running smoothly, follow
our tips to tighten security, and restore any
backups, ready to sail into safer waters.
SUPER GUIDE
KPR OF
MAKE YOURSELF HACK
RECOVERING FROM NASTY
RANSOMWARE
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU RECEIVE A
RANSOMWARE DEMAND?
First, identify its type — there are those
that block access to your PC, and others
that encrypt data, then demand a ransom
to release it. The former usually tries
to trick you by claiming to have found
unlicensed software or other illegal
material on your PC, while the latter
is more upfront.
Make a note of the Bitcoin wallet
address used for payment demands,
plus the ile-list of encrypted data —
should the private keys used by the
criminals ever come to light, it may give
you back your data. Next, verify you have
a recent backup that’s safe and
uncompromised (check on another PC).
Finally, you need to clean your system.
Try running scans with your anti-malware
tools to see if they can remove the
infection. If necessary, reboot into Safe
mode — hold Shift as you press the
power button and choose Restart,
which should bring up the Advanced Boot
Options menu. From here, select
‘Troubleshoot > Advanced options >
Startup Settings’ and choose option 5.
If the scans don’t help, try a dedicated
removal tool — search for ‘ransomware’,
‘removal’ and anti-malware vendors,
including Trend Micro and Bitdefender.
If you can identify the exact form of
ransomware, you might ind a speciic
removal tool.
These tools tend to focus on
ransomware that blocks access to
your PC. If your iles are encrypted by
ransomware, in most cases you have
to rely on your backup to restore them
(but do so only after verifying that the
infection has been removed).
We recommend that you visit noransom.
kaspersky.com irst, though — it has
tools that can decrypt iles from a wide
range of data-scrambling ransomware
infections.
[ 059 ]
 [ BOARD UP THE WINDOWS ]
SUPER GUIDE
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITES

Which Windows security suite?

A GOOD SECURITY SUITE OFFERS MORE THAN JUST BASIC ANTIVIRUS.
WE’VE COMPARED THE CURRENT OPTIONS FOR WINDOWS AND SELECTED
THE BEST FOR YOU, NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF USER YOU ARE.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]

ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT seem like a relic,
having a security suite installed is more
important than ever. he protections built into
your operating systems — be they Windows,
Mac, iOS or Android — just aren’t enough to
comprehensively protect you and your family
from the many and varied internet threats.
Although this might seem like a tax on
owning a computer (and a hassle to boot),
there is some good news.
First, suites do more than they ever have
before, and include conveniences like built-in
password managers, parental controls,
sotware version checkers, VPNs and backup
systems — so their utility extends well beyond
protecting you from hackers and malware.
Second, it’s absolutely possible to get
a free suite now, although as you might expect,
it won’t be as good as a paid solution.
Below, we’ve looked at our favourite suites
in three diferent categories: best overall,
best for families and best free. he best overall
is the suite that we think ofers the best feature
set, as well as provides excellent protection
from malware. he best family suite is the one
we think will work best for you if you have to
manage the security of other people (especially
kids and seniors), as well as yourself. And the
best free suite is what it says on the tin: the
most value you can get without paying a cent.
TEST RESULTS
Each of the suites reviewed here has been
comprehensively tested by independent
antiviral analysis company AV-Test
(www.av-test.org). We’ve published the latest
results available at the time of writing, from
December 2017, below. We’ve included results
for most of the major products tested by
AV-Test, not just the standouts we’ve reviewed.
Note that the results are not, in all cases,
from the speciic products we’ve reviewed.
For example, we may have reviewed the full
suite where AV-Test may have only tested the
standalone antivirus application, or we may
have a product that has been updated since
the tests were performed. hat doesn’t change
the validity of the results, though, since the
same antivirus engine is in use.
Let’s break down what the numbers mean:
* Protection against 0-day malware attacks
is a measure of the suite’s ability to detect
new viruses based on their behaviour. It’s
perhaps the most important number here.

VENDOR AVAST AVG AVIRA BITDEFENDER BULLGUARD

TESTED PRODUCT NAME FREE INTERNET ANTIVIRUS INTERNET INTERNET

ANTIVIRUS SECURITY PRO SECURITY SECURITY
PROGRAM VERSION 17.7 & 17.8 17.7 & 17.8 15.0 22.0 18.0
PROTECTION

Protection against 0-day malware attacks 100% 100% 100% 100% 98.9%
Detection of widespread and prevalent malware 100% 100% 99.9% 100% 100%
PERFORMANCE

Performance impact when launching popular websites 8% 11% 8% 15% 7%

Performance impact on download of frequently-used applications 10% 9% 8% 1% 1%
Performance impact on launch of standard software applications 25% 24% 18% 6% 12%
Performance impact on installation of frequently-used applications 16% 17% 12% 13% 44%
Performance impact on copying of iles, locally and in a network 4% 7% 3% 2% 13%
USABILITY

websites 0 0 0 0 0
False warnings on installing new software 3 3 0 2 2
False blockages of certain actions carried out whilst installing 0 0 0 0 0
and using legitimate software
False blockages of certain actions carried out whilst installing 0 0 0 0 0
and using legitimate software
PROTECTION SCORE 6.0 6.0 5.5 6.0 5.5
PERFORMANCE SCORE 5.5 5.5 6.0 6.0 5.0
USABILITY SCORE 5.5 5.5 6.0 5.5 5.5
TOTAL SCORE 17.0 17.0 17.5 17.5 16.0

[ 060 ]
 WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A

SUPER GUIDE
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITES
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITE
THE MODERN SUITE HAS LOTS OF
FEATURES. SOME OF THE THINGS TO
CHECK OFF YOUR LIST SHOULD BE:

* Detection of widespread and prevalent
malware shows the detection percentage
of known viruses released in the four weeks
before the test.
* he performance impact ratings give
percentages by which the suite slows down
a mid-range PC when performing
common tasks.
* False warnings is the number of instances
where the suite lagged legitimate sotware
and websites as a threat and either blocked it
or produced a warning popup.
* Good anti-malware
* Anti-spam
* Parental controls, including cloud
management and parental advisory
systems
* Backup, including online backup
* A secure browser for banking
For convenience, AV-Test also provides * System cleanup tools
three overall scores, rating each suite’s * A password manager
protection, performance impact and usability * A website ilter
out of six, to give a total score out of 18. * Remote monitoring of multiple PCs
* Anti-ransomware
(Usability, in this instance, is not a reference
to ease-of-use, but is based on the number * A rescue disc
of times the program produced false popups
Finally, and perhaps most importantly,
and blocked legitimate sotware).
check the support terms. Being able to
We should note that AV-Test’s aggregate
contact someone 24/7 when things go to hell
scores are based on combined Nov-Dec in a handbasket is a big argument for owning
performance, while we’ve only printed a paid suite!
December results for space reasons.

ESET F-SECURE G DATA KASPERSKY MCAFEE MICROSOFT PANDA SYMANTEC TREND MICRO
LAB
INTERNET SAFE INTERNET INTERNET INTERNET WINDOWS FREE NORTON INTERNET
SECURITY SECURITY SECURITY SECURITY DEFENDER ANTIVIRUS SECURITY SECURITY
11.0 17 25.4 18.0 20.5 4.12 1.0 22.11 12.0

98.9% 100% 97.8% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

8% 13% 12% 13% 7% 6% 30% 8% 9%

8% 5% 2% 0% 1% 0% 20% 0% 2%
66% 6% 21% 6% 5% 9% 10% 7% 11%
40% 34% 36% 14% 30% 42% 47% 40% 18%
32% 6% 12% 4% 11% 1% 8% 7% 14%

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 0 0 0 16 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 4 1 0 0 1 0 3 1

5.5 6.0 5.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0

4.0 5.5 5.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 3.5 5.0 5.5
5.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.0 4.0 6.0 5.5 6.0
15.0 16.5 15.5 18.0 18.0 15.5 15.5 16.5 17.5

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 061 ]
 BEST OVERALL SUITE
SUPER GUIDE
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITES
Bitdefender Total Security 2018
NONE BETTER, SIMPLE AS THAT.
ALTHOUGH ITS OVERALL rating took a
modest hit in the most recent AV-Test
benchmarks due to some overzealous iltering
of new applications, Bitdefender Total Security
remains our favourite suite overall, both for its
extremely capable detection and removal
system, as well as the sheer volume of features
it supports.
he set of features available in Bitdefender
is equalled by no other suite. Of course, it has
your basics: irewall, anti-malware and
anti-spam, but it protects against so much
more than that. here is a secure browser for
online shopping and banking; anti-thet tools
for laptops and mobiles; a ile shedder;
a security auditor; system cleanup; version
checking; webcam access monitoring;
a password manager; social network
protection and much more.
We’ve been particularly impressed by this
latest version with the ile locker as well, which
lets you lock down access to particular folders
to block ransomware but make exceptions for
speciic apps. You could say, for example, that
Word could access your documents folder,
but other apps can’t — which is much more
convenient than other solutions that have you
locking and unlocking your folders every time
you want to do anything.
[ 062 ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
What’s more, Bitdefender has continued
to improve its parental controls, which is
becoming a serious competitor to the likes of
Norton Family and Qustodio. Comprehensive
cloud-based controls, parental advisory
systems and support for multiple platforms
are all built in. What’s more, the cloud
management system, Bitdefender Central
extends beyond parental controls, allowing
you to monitor the security of your devices
remotely, as well as trigger scans.
When it comes to anti-malware
performance, it achieves perfect scores in
AV-Test’s antivirus benchmarks, although it
was a little overzealous when new sotware
was installed. We’ve had excellent results with
its removal engine as well — it does a good job
of actually cleaning infections ater detection,
and includes a pre-boot mode for ripping
problematic elements out. It also has one
of the best recovery drive/disc creators going,
with a good set of tools available for repairing
a system that’s so messed up you can’t even
boot into it.
Given the sheer volume of features built into
BitDefender, you might expect it would be
hard to use. It’s not. Its autopilot mode gives
you a ‘set-and-forget’ option that many users
will ind appealing. We’ve never had any real
RUNNER-UP
Kaspersky Total
Security
No other suite has done as good a job at
keeping up with Bitdefender as Kaspsersky
Total Security. Its feature set largely mirrors
that of the winning suite, and for the most
part, the various components are well
designed and well integrated. All the tools
you could really want are built into the suite
— including backup, ile encryption, webcam
monitoring, cloud-based parental controls
and a password manager. It even includes
a volume limited VPN for secure connections
when you take your laptop onto public Wi-Fi
hotspots.
It also managed perfect scores in the
AV-Test benchmarks, and has only a modest
impact on system performance. Overall,
however, we don’t think it has quite the
elegance of design that Bitdefender has,
and right now, it does have a slightly higher
price — although at $84 for three devices,
it’s still a good deal.
problems with autopilot, and it’s smart enough
to make irewall and cleanup decisions
without your input.
If you’ve more of a mind to manage the
system yourself, you can do that: all the tools,
options and reports are highly conigurable.
You can set multiple location proiles and
adjust sensitivity sliders if you want to increase
the aggressiveness of its heuristic scans.
All of this is currently available as a very
afordable price right now. he $70 price is for
the irst year only, and Bitdefender may jack
that up for subsequent renewals, but given the
quality of the suite, it’s presently a real bargain.
5
BITDEFENDER
TOTAL SECURITY 2018
$70 for 5 devices for 1 year
www.bitdefender.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
Anti-malware, anti-spam, irewall, parental controls,
secure browser, system cleanup, version checking,
password manager, web site ilter, remote monitoring,
anti-ransomware, rescue disc, VPN
BEST SUITE FOR FAMILIES AND BEGINNERS
Norton Security Premium for Three Devices
AUTOMATED CLOUD BACKUP AND OUTSTANDING PARENTAL CONTROLS
MAKE NORTON A GREAT SOLUTION FOR FAMILIES.
ALTHOUGH WE FIND ourselves a little
unhappy at Symantec of late — both for the
cancellation of the free version of Norton
Family and the fact that Australian users
are paying way more for security than US
users (seriously: Norton Security Premium
is available for 10 device for US$55) — but the
fact remains that, when it comes to family
and beginner-friendly features, Norton is still
on the top of the heap.
What puts Norton in the lead is its elegant,
simple interface, its rich feature set that
includes online backup, and what is among
the industry’s best parental control solutions,
easily rivalling and perhaps besting dedicated
solutions like Qustodio and Net Nanny.
On that last point, the subscription for
Security Premium includes a full sub
to Norton Family Premier, a cloud-based
parental control system with absolutely
outstanding tools for managing and
monitoring kids’ online activities. It generates
reports, shows snippets of videos they’re
watching, lets you limit their access times
or sites they can visit and much more.
You don’t have to go to their individual PCs
and mobiles to set it up: all the rules are
managed through a portal site.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
he online cloud backup tool is a really
great one for beginners as well. A lot of
beginners don’t do proper backups or
subscribe to backup services, but this makes it
easy to have automated backup to a secure
cloud server, which is a key tool for mitigating
ransomware attacks. Its biggest problem is
that the 25GB limit is far too stingy —
an awful lot of people are going to have photo
collections way larger than that.
here are a lot of other things going on in
the background of Norton. It managed a
perfect score in AV-Test’s benchmarks and had
little impact on performance, though it did
produce a few false warnings on legitimate
sotware. here’s a ton of hidden features:
banking protection, website iltering, identity
protection, password management, system
tuning and cleaning and more. It does all these
things automatically, without making any
kind of fuss about them (especially when
running in silent mode), which is what makes
this so great for beginners.
Like many suites now, the Norton Security
licence also applies to mobile devices and
Macs as well. Norton is one of the few suites
with a really great mobile app. Its mobile
parental controls are particularly good
SUPER GUIDE
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITES
RUNNER-UP
Trend Micro Maximum
Security
If it weren’t for Norton’s parental controls
and online backup, Trend Micro might have
taken the prize as our pick for beginners.
We’ve had excellent experiences with it
when it comes to malware cleanup (we ind
that Norton too often gives a ‘Get Help’
response rather than cleaning the infection),
and like Norton, it does a lot in the
background without making a big deal
about it. There’s password management,
link protection, cloud drive scanning,
one-click system optimisation, folder
locking, social media privacy checkups,
a secure browser and a whole lot more.
It also covers up to six devices for your
$93, and that includes mobiles.
on Android, where all the rules that you
conigure can still be applied — access times,
site iltering, reporting and much more.
Passwords stored on desktops will be taken
to your mobile as well.
We love the elegance of the solution overall.
It does an awful lot without trumpeting any
of it. Setting it up requires very little
expenditure of efort, and even the online
backup system intelligently igures out what
to back up for you and requires virtually
no setup. he perfect solution for people who
just want to install and forget.
4
NORTON SECURITY PREMIUM
FOR THREE DEVICES
$105 for 1 year
au.norton.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Anti-malware, anti-spam, irewall, parental controls,
online backup (25GB), secure browser, system cleanup,
version checking, password manager, website ilter,
remote monitoring, anti-ransomware, rescue disc
[ 063 ]
 BEST FREE SUITE
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
SUPER GUIDE
WINDOWS SECURITY SUITES
Avira Free Security Suite
ALTHOUGH IT DOESN’T RIVAL A PAID SUITE, YOU GET STILL GET GOOD PROTECTION
FOR THE TOTAL PRICE OF ZIP.
ONCE UPON A time, if you wanted a free
security solution, you had to cobble it together
from various free apps. You don’t need to do
that anymore. Avira, Qihoo, Comodo,
Outpost and Panda among others ofer full
suites, completely free. Of course, you can still
roll your own if you really want to, but why
would you when a single, streamlined solution
is so much easier?
When it comes to free suites, none ofers
more than Avira. It provides anti-malware,
system tune-up, a cloud-based password
manager, a secure browser, a volume-limited
VPN (with 1 GB/month), a web and search
ilter, and a sotware update checker. You can
manage multiple devices from a single desktop
as well. It’s a pretty comprehensive package
for something that costs nothing.
It will not, however, completely rival
a commercial suite. It’s good, but it’s not up
to par with the likes of Symantec, Bitdefender
and Kaspersky. It has no irewall — it uses
Windows irewall — and a number of the
deeper features you might ind in those suites
are missing. here’s no ransomware locker,
for example, and no webcam monitor or
application sandbox. he tune-up tools are
restricted in the free version, and there are
[ 064 ]
no backup tools or parental controls.
On the other hand, what is there is pretty
good. Avira’s anti-malware engine received
an overall score of 17.5 out of 18 in AV-Test’s
benchmarks, being both efective and light
on system resources. It cleans a system well,
and the extra tools are useful across the board.
he VPN is particularly convenient, and the
Scout secure browser is excellent for both
banking and general usage.
As you might expect, there is some upsell
built into the app. You’re reminded, for
example, that the VPN is limited to only 1GB
per month, while the paid version ofers
unlimited access. he sotware update checker
and system optimisation tools are likewise a
little crippled, with the full set of features only
available in the paid version of the suite.
he suite isn’t diicult to use, though it is
a little scattershot and not terribly well
integrated. It’s chattier than something
like Symantec, but for the most part,
it’s straightforward and comprehensible
for both beginners and advanced users.
Avira Connect is a particular high point.
his lets you manage multiple devices from
a single PC. It’s more than just monitoring
alerts: you can see the status of components
RUNNER-UP
Avast Free Antivirus
Although it’s not marketed as a ‘suite’,
Avast Free Antivirus is more than just an
anti-malware application. It also includes
a (pretty good!) password manager, secure
browser, and a modest set of utilities for
monitoring Wi-Fi security and identity theft.
It’s very easy to use and has excellent
anti-virus detection rates.
It’s not anywhere near the kind of full
suite that you’ll get in a commercial product,
but for an advanced user who is careful and
doesn’t need a lot of the hand holding that
a full suite provides, it can be more than
enough.
as well as trigger remote scans. Nobody should
install Avira Free Security Suite thinking that
it’s going to be just as good as a $100-per-year
commercial suite. It’s most deinitely not.
But for the price of $0, it ofers an awful lot,
even including some things that commercial
suites don’t, like VPN support. If you’re not
going to pay for a suite, this is deinitely the
next best thing.
4
AVIRA FREE SECURITY SUITE
Free
www.avira.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Anti-malware, secure browser, system cleanup,
version checking, password manager, website ilter,
remote monitoring, VPN
[ SOCIAL ETIQUETTE ]

SUPER GUIDE
LEARN HOW TO LOCK DOWN FACEBOOK
Learn how to lock down Facebook
THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT IS GREAT FOR SHARING, BUT IT’S EASY TO OVERSHARE — BUT YOU CAN
CONTROL WHO SEES WHAT WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE.
[ ALEX COX ]

THERE’S A GOOD reason Facebook is the most popular social network through your family pictures or ind out your personal information?
in the Western world. It’s easy to join, easy to connect with your friends We’d say ‘absolutely not’. Facebook doesn’t hide its privacy features,
and incredibly convenient, as our guide on page 28 shows. If you want but it doesn’t push them either. It’s up to you to decide how secure you
to share something, it’s only a couple of clicks want your account and posts to be. We’ll walk
away. But is that really such a good thing? Do you through the steps and safeguards; use your
you want every one of your friends to see every DO YOU WANT EVERY ONE OF own judgement over how much you want to put
little thing you post? Should anybody that YOUR FRIENDS TO SEE EVERY in place, to ensure the people that matter can
stumbles on your proile be allowed to poke LITTLE THING YOU POST? still see your posts and proile.

[STEP BY STEP]
MAKE FACEBOOK MORE SECURE

LOGIN PROTECTION NOTIFY ME

01 First, let’s make sure nobody can get into your Facebook account and
post anything they shouldn’t and, if they do, that you’ll know about it.
Head to www.facebook.com as usual and, on the right side of the blue header
bar, click the downward pointing arrow and head to Settings. In the left column,
click ‘Security and login’, then scroll down to the ‘Setting up extra security’
section.
02 Click Edit next to ‘Get alerts about unrecognised logins’, and select
the appropriate options to receive a Facebook notiication when a
new machine logs in, or an email sent to any addresses you’ve conirmed with
Facebook in the past, then save changes. There’s a link here to add a new
address, which will take you to more settings; click ‘Security and login’ to get
back.

FRIENDLY HELP THE SECURITY FACTOR

03 Select the ‘Choose 3 to 5 friends...’ option, then click ‘Choose
friends’. Facebook gives you the option of choosing real-life buddies
who can help you get back into your account should it be compromised. Click
‘Choose trusted contacts’, type their names — Facebook will ind them from your
friends list — and click Conirm. They’ll be informed of what they need to do next.
04 Two-factor authentication, the middle option, means you’ll need two
things to log in — your usual password, and a security code. This
could be generated by your Facebook mobile app, sent to your phone, or pulled
from a cache of spare codes that you’ll keep secret. Run through the options to
set this up — it’s easy if you have a mobile number associated with your account.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 065 ]
 ACCOUNT PROTECTION
01 Use the ‘Security and login’ section
SUPER GUIDE
LEARN HOW TO LOCK DOWN FACEBOOK

to lock your account and so prevent

unwanted intrusion.

GET UNFRIENDLY 01
02 Unsolicited requests from people you
don’t really know can be unsettling 02
— block them in the Privacy section. 03

REVIEW YOUR TAGS 04

03 See what friends are posting about
you by activating ‘tag reviewing’
under the ‘Timeline and tagging’ option.

BLOCK AND MUTE

04 Remove every nuisance, from
troublesome friends to annoying app
requests, in the Blocking section.

BACKUP NOW
05
05 Even if you’re not concerned about
security, you may want to keep a copy
of your account data in case of disaster.

START SETTING UP
06 To ind all of these settings, use the
Settings option in Facebook’s
less-than-obvious drop-down menu.

JARGON BUSTER!
TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
A way of logging into a service which requires
two parts — usually a password, plus another
single use code. The idea is that, even if
someone does ind out your password, they
won’t be getting in without a fresh code.
FRIEND REQUEST
The way Facebook users connect with people
they know — or people that they want to know.
TIMELINE
All your Facebook posts are arranged in
chronological order — at least in theory.
However, that is not always the case, as the site
will pick and choose what it has deduced to be
the most interesting for you.

DEFINING DEFAULTS GET RETROACTIVE

05 Select Privacy in the left column. Here, you can deine the default
privacy settings for your future posts — we’d recommend Friends,
although it’s possible to exclude some on your friends list by choosing
‘Friends except...’ or set all your posts to private — this couldn’t be more
secure, although you’ll need to manually set the privacy of each post as you
make it — see Step 10 on the opposite page.
06 If you’ve previously been posting things publicly, you may be worried
that you’ll now have to plough through all your old posts to hide them
from prying eyes. Not so — use the ‘Limit past posts’ option to automatically set
your archived posts to friends-only. You can also use the options below to restrict
who’s allowed to look you up or canvass you with a friend request.

[ 066 ]

06
BLOCK AND BANISH
07 You can do more than deflect friend requests — head to the
Blocking section in the left column of settings and you can deny
app requests, block speciic users from seeing anything you post, stop
people contacting you via Facebook Messenger, and more. You can also
block and mute users on your timeline by clicking the downward arrow on
their posts and reviewing your options.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
SUPER GUIDE
LEARN HOW TO LOCK DOWN FACEBOOK
PROFILE PRIVACY
08 Now use the ‘Timeline and tagging’ section to choose who’s allowed
to see your proile page. This is perhaps the most critical part of
everything we’re doing here — your proile page could well be linking to
personally identifying information, so you’ll want to ensure non-friends can see
as little as possible. If embarrassing relatives keep posting to your timeline, you
can nix it here, too.
CLEVER MOVES
09 Your next step isn’t one that Facebook can help you with directly,
it’s more common sense. Click your proile picture on the blue bar
to head to your proile page, then click ‘Edit proile’. Remove any information
that isn’t absolutely critical to someone inding you — be as vague as you can.
To hide old posts, click the top right arrow on each one, select Edit and change
the status.
POSTING CLEVER
10 Now click the Facebook logo to head back to your timeline. In the box
at the top, begin creating a new post. You’ll see, at the bottom of the
post composition box, a drop-down box marked Friends. This is the post’s
privacy; you can quickly set a post to private, or share it with speciic people, by
clicking this box. Bear it in mind when you post from now on.
[ 067 ]
 [ OREO-SO SAFE ]
Secure your Android device from
viruses, bad apps & other threats
SUPER GUIDE
TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOUR ANDROID SAFER
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DEFENDING YOUR ANDROID PHONE OR TABLET.
[ LINDSAY HANDMER ]
INCREASINGLY, WE ARE storing and
accessing our entire digital lives through a
smartphone, and security is a growing issue.
It’s not just personal information, but breaches
can leave your bank accounts, credit card,
or services open to attack. Fortunately,
security on Android is generally excellent,
and there are plenty of third-party options
available for extra peace of mind.
SECURITY UPDATES
Devices in active use, yet which are not kept
updated, are one of the biggest Android
security problems. In 2016, half the Android
devices out there did not receive any updates,
leaving them exposed to new vulnerabilities.
It’s not just users falling behind on updates
— many manufacturers don’t support older
models for very long. Keep your Android
device updated, or if updates are not available,
consider upgrading to a newer model.
MALICIOUS APPS
he second largest threat to Android security
are malicious apps, which can do anything
from harvest personal information, to pop up
annoying ads. he vast majority of problem
apps come from sources outside of the Google
Google’s built-in Find My Device service allows you
to remotely track, call or erase your phone if it’s lost.
[ 068 ]
Play Store. In 2016, only 0.05% of Google Play
store apps were compromised, so the vast
majority of issues come from using third-party
app stores. App stores such as Amazon are
generally safe, but the numerous third-party
stores (even the largest, such as getjar.com)
are best avoided outright.
PHISHING ATTEMPTS
Links in SMS, email, apps or websites can be
used to trick users into visiting a malicious
page, or downloading a infected app or ile.
If someone else’s device is already infected,
the messages can look like they are coming
from a legitimate source. Getting infected
yourself can result in anything from secret
premium calls or text to rack up bills, to
stealing personal information, or just popping
up ads. he best way to avoid infection is to not
visit any links that you don’t trust, especially
from unknown sources, such as via SMS.
Google does have inbuilt safe browsing in apps
such as Chrome and Gmail, which can help
provide protection, but are not foolproof.
WI-FI WOES
Accessing an unsecured Wi-Fi network is an Most third-party Android app stores should not be
trusted, but Amazon is one worthy exception.
easy way to have your data snooped on or
Google Play Protect is turned on by default on Android When connecting to an unknown Wi-Fi network,
7 devices and automatically scans for malicious apps. using a VPN is the best way to improve security.
harvested. Even supposedly safe, secure
Wi-Fi networks can be compromised or
fake. he best bet is to avoid Wi-Fi unless
you know the source is safe (such as at
home, or a friend’s house), or use a VPN.
For Android, Hola VPN (hola.org) is free
and ideal for occasional use. Otherwise
Windscribe (windscribe.com) costs
~$5 per month, but can be used on
unlimited devices (including a computer)
with no bandwidth restrictions.
ACCOUNT AND PHYSICAL SECURITY
While malware is a big concern, the security
of your Android device also depends on
restricting outside access. Your smartphone
should use a PIN or ingerprint security,
and make sure notiications are not set to
show up on your lock screen. Make sure
any passwords (or PIN) used is not easy to
guess, or reused across multiple accounts.
Turn on two factor authentication for your
Google account, as well as for services such
as internet banking. It’s possible to see if
a password has been compromised through
a third-party hack on haveibeenpwned.
com — change the password immediately
and discontinue its use if so.
BUILT IN ANDROID SECURITY
Fresh out of the box, your device is already
pretty secure. Google Play Protect is enabled
by default on Android 7 phones, which
checks 1 billion devices, and 8 billion apps
every day, and removes anything malicious.
Apps are sandboxed, devices are encrypted,
and you can locate, lock, wipe or call your
phone by typing “ind my phone” into
Google when signed into your account.
Older devices as also protected by Google
Play scanning, but not to the same level.
SECURITY APPS
For those who want extra protection, there
are loads of free and paid security apps.
We have included a review of two of our
favourite here, but there are plenty of other
options with features that suit diferent
users. A great way to compare how efective
they are is with AV-Test’s Android security
testing (www.av-test.org), which compares
features and rates each app.
HOW WE TESTED
Despite stif competition, our winners have
a strong track record and have dominated our
testing for another year running. No matter if you
are continuing your Android protection or just
getting started, these apps are a great choice.
Our recommendations are based on installing
the top security apps, and evaluating for usability,
features and battery life impact. We use the
comprehensive malware detection comparisons
from av-test.org to guage security efectivness.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
Sophos Mobile Security
BEST FREE ANDROID SECURITY SUITE.
BY FAR OUR favourite option, Sophos Mobile
Security is 100% free for personal use, with no
ads or reduced functionality. Even better,
in the 14 tests since 2014, Sophos has picked up
100% of malware in the AV-Test security app
comparisons. Sophos Mobile Security scans
apps on install for any malicious content,
and can perform on demand or scheduled
scans of a device’s contents. It also has a
comprehensive thet protection system,
which includes remote locks, wipes, location
tracking and sim change detection. he app
also protects from other threats and
annoyance, including web iltering and URL
checks, spam call and SMS blocking and
insecure Wi-Fi monitoring. It includes a
built-in Authenticator service and password
manager, can protect apps with a password,
pin or ingerprint, and lists apps that could
access personal data.
Despite all the features, Sophos Mobile
Security is quite easy to get up and running
for beginners, but ofers loads of advanced
options. Efect on battery life and performance
is minimal, as it can be set to only scan
when charging.
41/2
SOPHOS MOBILE SECURITY
Free
www.sophos.com
CRITICAL SPECS
100% malware detection,
automatic protection,
spam call blocking
WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
SUPER GUIDE
TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOUR ANDROID SAFER
Bitdefender Mobile
Security & Antivirus
BEST PAID PRO ANDROID SECURITY SUITE.
TRY BEFORE YOU buy with a 14-day free trial,
ater which Bitdefender Mobile Security &
Antivirus costs $19.99 a year. he app stands
out thanks to key features not found on most
free competitors, including checking your
email for account breaches. It also extends
security to a smartwatch, and can be used to
sound an alarm if you’re separated from your
phone. he web security is a cut above most,
especially with Chrome, and includes an app
locker (with ingerprint support and smart
unlock) and privacy advisor. he anti-thet
is also above average, with premium features
such as mugshots pics, and the ability to listen
in on the phone, as well as the usual tracking
and wiping options. And importantly,
Bitdefender also picked up 100% of malware
in AV-Test’s latest comparison.
he Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus
app is intuitive to use, and doesn’t have a
noticeable impact on battery life, or phone
performance. While the competition from
free alternatives is stif, Bitdefender is a great
paid option, especially for those with Android
wearables.
4
BITDEFENDER MOBILE SECURITY
& ANTIVIRUS
$19.99 a year
www.bitdefender.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
100% malware detection,
account breach checking,
smartwatch security
[ 069 ]
 SUPER GUIDE
SECURITY ON MAC

TO MAKE SURE YOUR DATA

STAYS SAFE, WORK THROUGH
OUR FUNDAMENTAL
SECURITY TIPS TO ENSURE
THAT YOUR MAC IS WELL
PROTECTED, THAT IT ISN’T
‘LEAKING’ DETAILS

[ KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY ]

Protect your Mac

TIPS ON HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN USING YOUR MAC AT HOME OR ON PUBLIC WI-FI HOTSPOTS.
[ ROLAND WADDILOVE ]

SECURITY IS A constant concern, so your choice of a Mac instead of
some other kinds of computer is certainly a good decision. However,
while the Mac has enjoyed a reputation for security in the past, that
doesn’t mean you can ignore the cunning ways you can be tricked into
revealing information. For example, email attachments, phishing
attempts and sharing too much at public Wi-Fi hotspots are just some of
the problems that can afect your security, so it pays to be observant
with your technological surroundings.
To make sure your data stays safe, work through our fundamental
security tips detailed in the following pages to ensure that your Mac is
well protected, that it isn’t ‘leaking’ details (especially if you use public
Wi-Fi hotspots), and that you understand and avoid common traps.

FIREWALL OPTIONS

01
ULTIMATE SECURITY
01 Check this box to turn up irewall
security to the max. The Mac blocks
all connection attempts over the network, apart
from essential ones.

02 03 ALLOWED APPS
02 This is a list of all the apps that are
allowed to communicate over your
network connection. Search online for any you
don’t recognise to check it isn’t malware.

BLOCK ACCESS
03 If you ind an app in the list that you
04 don’t recognise and which looks
suspicious, click here and set its network access
rights to ‘Block incoming connections’.

HIDE YOUR MAC

04 There are easy ways for nefarious
people to detect your Mac over
a network. Enabling stealth mode stops this, and
is useful when using a public Wi-Fi hotspot.

[ 070 ]
[ HOW TO ]
SHORE UP YOUR MAC’S SECURITY
DISABLE FILE SHARING
01 It can be useful to be able to share
iles, printers, screens and other
features while at home, but you should disable
them in System Preferences’ Sharing pane
when using your MacBook on other networks.
FRAUD WARNINGS
04 Safari is able to warn you about
unsafe websites before you even go
to them. Again with Safari in the foreground,
go to ‘Safari > Preferences > Security’ and
check the ‘Warn when visiting a fraudulent
website’ setting.
EMAIL ATTACHMENTS
07 Malware can be distributed through
email attachments — and this isn’t
just used to target Windows PCs. Do not open
or download iles from emails unless you know
they are from a trusted source and safe.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
ENCRYPT THE DISK
02 Encrypting your Mac’s storage
prevents anyone else from accessing
its contents. Go to ‘System Preferences >
Security & Privacy > FileVault’ and click ‘Turn on
FileVault’ — your Mac is then encrypted even as
you use it.
AVOID ‘SAFE’ FILES
05 Safari can automatically open
supposedly safe iles after
downloading them, which is convenient for you
but also for malware. In Safari’s General
preferences, clear the checkbox next to the
corresponding option here.
WHERE TO GET APPS
08 The Mac App Store is the safest
place to get Mac software, as Apple
vets what’s featured. If you must get an app
from elsewhere, use its developer’s published
checksum to verify the ile is unaltered — see
bit.ly/2rVu1q3.
SUPER GUIDE
SECURITY ON MAC
SAFARI EXTENSIONS
03 There are great extensions for Safari,
but some risky places on the internet
to download them from. Stick with Apple’s
curated collection for safety: in Apple’s web
browser, choose ‘Safari > Safari Extensions’.
AVOID JAVA
06 Java has been reported to have been
used by malware authors for years,
so only install it if absolutely required. Visit
apple.co/2hMBdgF regarding the browser plugin,
and bit.ly/2rqgP99 for uninstallation steps.
AVOID LINKS IN EMAIL
09 Phishing tries to trick you into
revealing details of your Apple ID,
bank, PayPal and other accounts. Treat emails
asking for login details with suspicion and don’t
click links. If in doubt, go to a site’s address
manually and check its authenticity.
[ 071 ]
 SUPER GUIDE
GIVE YOURSELF A GOOGLE PRIVACY CHECK

Google does let you get a view of everything it

has recorded about you.

[ HIDING SLEEK ]

Give yourself a Google privacy check

HOW TO STOP THE SEARCH ENGINE FROM TRACKING YOUR ONLINE ACTIVITY.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN extra careful, it’s tracking your mobile’s GPS Its DoubleClick, AdSense and AdMob ad
probably fair to say that Google knows you just * Every time you issue an ‘OK Google’ voice networks use tracking cookies and similar
about as well as you know yourself. he internet command techniques to monitor app usage and movement
giant hoovers up vast amounts of information * Potentially any time you visit a page with between sites, too.
on millions of users, ostensibly to deliver better embedded Google services (like maps) and To its credit, Google does now give you tools to
ads (or, more accurately, to sell that user your complete Chrome browser history switch a good deal of that account tracking of
information to advertisers in order to better (thankfully this last one is turned of by — and that’s more than can be said for some of its
target ads). default). competitors, such as Microsot and Facebook.
his is especially true if you have a Google We’ll walk you through that process below, as
account. When you’re logged into your Google his information is recorded and attached to well as give some extra tips for dodging Google’s
account, Google will keep a permanent record your personal Google account permanently. But tracking.
of: even if you don’t have a Google account or are
* Every search term you type into Google not logged in, it will still gather information. DISABLING TRACKING AND RECORDING
* Every search result you click on It records the IP addresses of people Google, thankfully, gives you the tools to delete
* Every YouTube search you perform and every searching with Google and what they searched your account records permanently, as well as turn
video you watch for. his data is kept for a period of time before of future tracking. You just have to know where
* Ads you click on being “anonymised” by deleting part of the IP to ind the settings. Head to myactivity.google.
* A complete timeline of your movements by address. com and log in. It’s here that you’ll see the
complete record of every bit of data Google has
associated with your account, plus you can delete
FACEBOOK TRACKING
WHEN IT COMES TO TRACKING, FACEBOOK IS ANOTHER COMPANY your records and stop future tracking.
THAT YOU HAVE TO BE WARY OF. he irst thing we want to do is delete the
archives. his will remove every item from
The omnipresence of Facebook widgets such as ‘Like’ buttons provides Facebook with incredible Google’s record about your activity. Now we need
amounts of information about your online activity. Every time you visit a site with a ‘Like’ button, to say up front that we pretty much have to take it
Facebook can know about it. And Facebook has not been as forthcoming about its tracking activity as on faith that Google is actually deleting these
Google, and it doesn’t provide the same means of deleting and reviewing your records. Thankfully, records. he company has said that it does,
the browser privacy add-ons like Disconnect and Ghostery are also efective against Facebook although it notes that, in some cases, the records
widgets. More on curtailing Facebook on page 65. may still be stored on (oline) backup tapes and
in archives.

[ 072 ]

Delete everything, for all time. It’s the only
way to be sure.
Turn ’em all of. Except for watched videos. That one’s useful.
Click on ‘Delete activity by’ on the let side
of the page. hen under ‘Delete by date’, select
‘All time’ from the drop-down menu and click
Delete. his will clear the records of your online
activity up until now. You’ll be asked to conirm
your choice.
Now it’s time to stop Google from gathering
data in the future. Go back to the My Activity
page, then click on Activity Controls on the let.
his is where you can switch of all the logging
that Google does.
Here, you will see a set of panels for diferent
types of activity that Google records. here are
panels for ‘Web & App Activity’, ‘Location
History’, ‘Device Information’, ‘Voice & Audio
Activity’, ‘YouTube Search History’ and
‘YouTube Watch History’. In each panel, there is
a blue switch. One by one, turn them to of
(which Google calls “paused”). You’ll get a
warning popup for each one.
he one exception you might make is
watched YouTube videos. hat’s actually useful,
since it determines YouTube recommendations.
Once you’ve done that, Google should stop
recording your activity in your Google account.
It does not stop IP logging of searches (we’ll get
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
to that), and it will still keep some search
information in cookies for the duration of a
session, but your permanent account activity
record will remain clean.
ANTI-COOKIE MEASURES
Now to stop the tracking that Google does
regardless of your account settings or login
status. First up, let’s stop those cookies and
analytics.
he best way to do that is with a privacy
add-on for your browser. here are a number
that get the job done, but we’ve always liked
Disconnect (disconnect.me). Another solid
solution is Ghostery (www.ghostery.com).
Installing these browser add-ons will block all
tracking cookies from being sent by your
browser. hey also stop analytics and other
tracking systems, like Facebook and Google
widgets, from reporting your activity back to
the mothership.
If you really want to kill ad tracking, you can
also install uBlock Origin (www.ublock.org,
which we now prefer to Adblock Plus) which
will stop your browser from communicating
with ad services like DoubleClick altogether.
DISABLING THIRD-PARTY COOKIES
ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO TO STOP
AD COOKIES IS DISABLE THIRD-PARTY
COOKIES IN YOUR BROWSER — THOUGH
INSTALLING DISCONNECT OR GHOSTERY
HAS MUCH THE SAME EFFECT.
SUPER GUIDE
GIVE YOURSELF A GOOGLE PRIVACY CHECK
In Safari, they’re actually disabled
by default. In Chrome, you’ll have to go to
‘Settings > Advanced > Privacy and Security/
Content Settings > Cookies’ to ind the switch
to turn of third-party cookies. In Firefox, you
have to go to ‘Options > Privacy’ and select
use Custom settings for History to see the
option to disable them. In Edge, go to
‘Options > Settings > Advanced Settings’
and select the option to ‘Block’ on ‘Third
Party Cookies’ under ‘Cookies’.
Disconnect blocks tracking cookies.
DODGING IP LOGGING
Finally, to deal with the fact that Google still
links online searches with IP addresses, you can
use a third-party search engine. If you still want
Google’s search results, we recommend
startpage.com. StartPage still gives you Google
Search results. Except that it fetches those
results for you like a proxy, so that you don’t
give Google your IP address. StartPage itself
claims that it logs no IP addresses or search
terms — but again, we take that on faith.
With all Google account tracking turned of,
with ad cookies and analytics disabled, with
Google widgets blocked and by using a
third-party search engine, you should now be
mostly clear of the Google octopus. Now you
just have to igure out a way to stop Facebook
and Microsot... (See page 60.)
[ 073 ]
 [ SAFETY WRIST ]
SUPERGUIDE
MAKE YOUR APPLE WATCH MORE SECURE

Make your Apple Watch more secure

PREVENT PRYING EYES FROM GAINING ACCESS TO INFO ON AN APPLE WATCH.
[ DAVID CROOKES ]

APPLE WATCHES STORE personal data, so it

makes sense to be careful about keeping both
the Watch and the information on it as safe as
you can. Using a passcode and setting up a SET UP FIND MY iPHONE
If your Watch does not have the Activation Lock activated, then you need to set up Find My iPhone. To
way to track your Watch if you do happen to
do this, go to Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top of the screen, select iCloud and scroll
mislay it are two good practices. here are also
down to Find My iPhone. Tap it, make sure the slider next to the feature is green, then enter your
other settings you should pay attention to, Apple ID. Your iPhone, Watch, and AirPods will be set up.
such as those related to health and itness.
In addition, the Watch and your MORE PRIVATE NOTIFICATIONS
iPhone sync your data, meaning you need to By default, your Watch will show short notiications — the name of the app and alert type or sender
consider the privacy on your phone too. Since name — but if you keep your arm raised, these expand to display the contents of the message or
there is always a danger that someone could email. To keep things more private, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap Notiications, and
use your Watch to buy something with Apple move the Notiication Privacy switch to on. Now when you receive a notiication on your Watch, it
Pay without your phone nearby, Watch won’t expand; tap it to reply, dismiss, or view in the originating app.
security is something you should take very
seriously. Luckily, protecting your Watch and
your data doesn’t take long.

SET A PASSCODE FOR APPLE WATCH

01
CHANGE YOUR PASSCODE
There’s always a chance
someone can look over your
shoulder as you tap in your passcode,
so it’s worthwhile changing your
passcode every so often.

02
LONGER PASSCODE
You can use a passcode longer
than four digits, but in order to
do this, you have to unlock the Watch
with your iPhone and input the code on
there.
01

03
UNLOCK WITH iPHONE
For greater convenience, you
02 could have your Watch unlock
whenever you unlock your iPhone. If this
is something you’d like, then just slide
this to green.

SET A LIMIT
03 04
Think about it: if someone stole
your Watch, they could try
10,000 times to crack those four digits.
Slide this option to green and your
Watch will erase all of its data after 10
failed attempts.
04
[ 074 ]
[STEP BY STEP]
REVIEW YOUR APPLE WATCH’S SECURITY

SUPERGUIDE
MAKE YOUR APPLE WATCH MORE SECURE
CHECK YOUR PRIVACY ALTER THE SETTINGS
01 Since your Watch will share the health settings, location services, 02 You can turn Location Services of and see which apps request access
contacts, and analytics collected by your iPhone, irst make sure you to your contacts and health data. Under Analytics, you can turn of
lock all these down. Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Privacy. “Share iPhone & Watch Analytics.” There’s also a “Share iCloud Analytics” option.

TURN OFF FITNESS DATA MOVE THE SLIDERS

03 Privacy settings can be adjusted to stop your Watch sharing your 04 Within “Motion & Fitness” you’ll see two options — one that allows
motion and itness data. To do this, open the Watch app on your the Watch to monitor your heart rate and another that determines
iPhone, then tap My Watch > Privacy and select “Motion & Fitness”. your step and itness levels. You can turn both of these of.

CHECK ACTIVATION LOCK DISABLE THE WATCH

05 Protect your Watch against theft by ensuring the Activation Lock is on. 06 If those words don’t appear, see page 74 for how to set up Find My
Tap “My Watch,” select your watch name at the top of the screen and iPhone. Log in when prompted, and you can locate your Watch on a
tap “i.” If you can see “Find My Apple Watch,” the Lock is activated. map, play a sound to help you ind it, remotely erase it, or enter Lost Mode.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 075 ]

[ UNDER LOCK AND KEY ]
SUPERGUIDE
PHYSICAL HARDWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
Physical
hardware
for your
digital life
FROM TRACKERS TO
TRANSMITTERS AND LOCKS
TO SCREENS, A WORLD OF
PHYSICAL SECURITY ITEMS
CAN KEEP YOU AND YOUR
POSSESSIONS PROTECTED.
[ PAUL TAYLOR & HARRY DOMANSKI ]
SOFTWARE THAT KEEPS your data yours
is one thing, but what about the devices
you use every single day? How do you keep
those out of the wrong hands? You can tie
them down — laptop cables ofer more
than a simple visual deterrent with their
reinforced steel, and when in transit,
a secure, locked case is a sensible option.
hese are ine for when you’re leaving them
unattended or turned of, but even when
you’re in front of your laptop, sensitive
information can be quickly and easily
snapped. Locks for precious house keys
seems like an oxymoron, so enter the
Bluetooth tracker to take care of those,
which act like homing beacons, and can be
attached to a plethora of other everyday
items, too. Wallets, backpacks, suitcases
can all go stray, and the power of these
trackers isn’t to be underestimated.
We’ve also covered personal security
in this roundup, and some of the more
subtle, hidden items can be truly
surprising.
PHYSICAL SECURITY DEVICES
13 ON TEST
HOW WE TESTED
Tracking devices were paired to a Huawei P10+
smartphone, and tested under real-world conditions.
Screen protectors were trialled in-oice with nosey
co-workers, and all other items were worn/used
over a fortnight.
[ 076 ]
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
Yubikey Neo
MAY WE PRESENT YOU WITH THE KEY TO THE
CYBER-CITY.
WITH THE RISING occurrence of mass
account hacks in recent years, it’s no surprise
that two-factor authentication (2FA) is also
on the up. his usually involves wrangling
multiple devices and codes but the YubiKey
NEO, as the name may suggest, acts as a
physical key to replace the secondary device
wrangling in 2FA, relying on the open
standard dubbed FIDO Universal 2nd Factor.
his means that, when logging into services
such as Google, Dropbox, Windows, MacOS,
and even password-managers like LastPass,
you can insert the YubiKey into your
computer’s USB port as that second factor.
he neat trick with the NEO is that it works
with NFC-mobile devices as well — simply tap
the tiny key to the back of your phone and
you’re in. While tininess is an inevitable
feature of all keys, both digital and physical,
the NEO’s diminutive size makes it easy to
lose, but given the advertised ruggedness of its
design (“nearly indestructible”), you should
feel conident chucking it on your keyring. For
businesses and individuals alike, the Yubikey
is a very tidy solution to a growing problem.
5 41/2
YUBIKEY NEO
$70
mtechpro.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
FIDO U2F certiied; NFC-enabled; Windows, Mac OS X, Linux,
and Android; crush-resistant and waterproof; 3g
WINNER
ED’s CHOICE
AWARD
Kensington ClickSafe 2.0
Keyed Laptop Lock
THE LATEST STANDARD IN CABLE-LOCKS
FOR TECH.
FOR CLOSE TO 20 years, the Kensington
security slot has been a standard for securing
your expensive and portable items to
something less expensive and much less
portable. he ClickSafe 2.0 laptop lock ofers
increased protection over its MicroSaver
range, with a thicker carbon steel cable that
would require dedicated tools to cut through,
but at the expense of a slightly bulkier and
stifer cable. he choice boils down to how
much security the user believes is ofered by
the durability of the cable compared with
the visual deterrent of a security device at all.
Setting up the ClickSafe 2.0 is surprisingly
simple, inserting a small anchor point into
the slot and aixing with the included allen
key is all that’s needed to plug the lock in,
and once you’ve registered your keys online
with Kensington, you can order replacements
if you lose them. he ClickSafe 2.0 ofers
excellent protection from opportunistic thet,
but just be sure you’re not using a Dell laptop
with a competing Noble lock slot, or a
MacBook that ofers no slot at all.
KENSINGTON CLICKSAFE 2.0
KEYED LAPTOP LOCK
$95
kensington.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
Fits Kensington slots (and some generic slots);
two keys (replaceable if lost after registering);
carbon steel cabling; pivoting lock head
 PERSONAL SECURITY
BUYER’S GUIDE

SUPERGUIDE
PHYSICAL HARDWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN
PICKIN
N A SECURITY DEVI
WINNER

ED’s CHOICE
AWARD

WINNER

APPROVED
AWARD

Kensington
g VeriMark Tiile Pro Series
ngerpr nt ey STYLISH BLUETOOTH TRACKER FOR LIFE’S
A SIMPLE, SNAPPY SCANNER FOR FINGERPRINT ESSENTIALS.
SECURITY.
TILE’S TRACKERS HAVE evolved. his third
WHILE THE SMARTPHONE market has generation is sleeker than its predecessors in UETOOT
already adopted biometric security in a big size and shape, with two attractive case lot of the devices
way with the near-ubiquitous ingerprint options — Sport and Style — that make it look re use Bluetooth
to monitor their
scanner, the uptake in laptops and desktops less like a big chunky square of plastic. It’s also
whereabouts.
is much slower. But with the Kensington waterproof to 1.5m, has a better range (60m
your phone has
VeriMark, you can add this feature to any compared to 30m), is louder than before, a lot of competing
Windows 7 and above system with a spare and the volume can be adjusted in two nnecti s
USB port. Setting it up is as easy as plugging it incremental steps. he ethos remains the — headphones,
in, waiting for the drivers and sotware to same, however. Your Tile is constantly smart watches and
automatically install, then following the beaming out a Bluetooth signal, and you pair so on — these can
prompts to register as many ingerprints as it to the phone app. Give that Tile a name hinder the device’s STYLE
you’d like. his tiny dongle can replace your in case you have multiple Tiles to distinguish functions. You want something
Windows login password, or any two-factor them, attach it to whatever you want tracked, discreet for your
authentication that uses the FIDO U2F and you’re of. here isn’t a GPS unit inside SMARTPHONE tracker, or else it
standard, such as Google, Facebook and them — that’s what your phone is for. As long
SUPPORT advertises to the
Consequently, items world ‘Hey I’ve got
password managers. he VeriMark faces the as the Tile is within range of your phone
that use Bluetooth something worth
same losability problem as the NEO and ofers (and your Bluetooth is turned on) you can see will need your stealing!’ Consider
a similar solution — you can attach it to your on a map where your Tile is, or its last known phone either its weight and size,
keyring via a small protective case. If you’re location. If it does go out of range, other Tile permanently, or and if it’s going
looking to add a ingerprint scanner to any of user can crowdsource your missing item infrequently, to add mass to an
your devices, the VeriMark is snappy and autonomously. Once the internal battery connected in order already bulky set of
simple, but once you carry it around on your is dead, that’s it, you’ll have to replace it. to function – making keys, for instance.
person as you would a key, the scanning itself Expect to get about a year of use. this item even more
feels a little redundant. important than ever. BATTERIES
Anything that needs
ONGOING to be recharged is
COSTS at risk of failure,
Do you need a but the same can be
4 1/
2 4
subscription, said with something
or change the that consumes
batteries? single-use batteries.
KENSINGTON VERIMARK Plan ahead, and Keep an eye on your
FINGERPRINT KEY weigh up the costs device’s health —
$100 TILLE PRO SERIES
kensington.com/au $499.95
versus the beneits the best will remind
thettileapp.com for items in the you when they’re
CRITICAL SPECS same categories. running low.
FIDO U2F certiied; Windows 7, 8.1, 10 compatible; CRITICAL SPECS
360-degree readability Bluetooth
Blue 4.0; 4 x 4 x 0.59cm; 15g

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 077 ]
 WINNER
APPROVED
SUPERGUIDE
PHYSICAL HARDWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
AWARD
APPROVED
Kensington SecureTrek
17” Roller
UNASSUMING CARRY-ON WITH TIDY DEFENCES.
THE KENSINGTON SECURETREK Roller is
carry-on approved with plenty of room for a
longer trip, but most importantly, it’s secure.
here are two main compartments, one that
can it a 17-inch laptop, 10-inch tablet and
various other tech goodies, and another
designed for clothing (albeit with an excessive
cutaway for the pull-out handle). A third,
latter section is good for organising a variety
of smaller items, although the locking
mechanism only applies to the two main
compartments. Each of these sections feature
zippers (double-layered, anti-puncture zippers
in the case of the tech compartment) with a
hammerhead design, enabling them to clip
under a steel plate that can be secured with a
regular padlock or one of Kensington’s own
dedicated locks (not included). here are some
signs of poor construction on the interior —
laking glue, rough plastic edges, loose threads
— but thankfully, the external 840D poly twill
seems tough as nails. It’s a decent piece of
carry-on and is made even more-so by the
peace of mind brought about by its security
features.
4 4
KENSINGTON SECURETREK 17” ROLLER
R PIONEER DREAMCARE
$230
kensington.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
Two main compartments with locking zippers;
lock compatible with Kensington and regular padlocks;
17-inch laptop and 10-inch tablet; anti-puncture zipper
(tech compartment); 840D poly twill; carry-on approved
[ 078 ]
APPROVED
WINNER
AWARD
TrackR Bravo
KEYRING COMPANION
RIVALLING TILE’S SLEEK tracking unit is
TrackR’s smaller, lighter and more utilitarian
device. What it lacks in waterprooing and
looks, it makes up for in portability and
lexibility. Where Tile’s devices are sealed in
and have to be disposed of once their battery
runs dead, the Bravo’s CR1620 battery can be
replaced by simply licking out the tray and
clicking it back in to place. Download the app,
register the tracker, and you and the
community can keep track of where your
items are (though only you can see where your
Bravo is; the community’s resources simply
pool together to help locate it). Once paired to
your phone (and your handset’s Bluetooth is
on and in range), they can call it and trigger
an alarm, in case you can’t ind it. As for the
Bravo itself, it has a small loop at the top that
its a keyring. One’s included, which is good
as the loop is annoyingly tight. he TrackR
has one more up on the Tile Pro Series units
as it features a small, blue LED that lashes
in unison with the shrill alarm when it’s being
called. We’re also fans of the ‘history’ list on
the app, so you can see where your Bravo
has been over time.
TRACCKR BRAVO
US$29.99
www.thetrackr.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Bluetooth 4.0; 3.3 x 3..1 x 0.3cm; 4g
WINNER
AWARD
Pioneer DreamCare
FINDER FOR YOUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND.
FIDO DOESN’T ALWAYS come when you call.
he Pioneer DreamCare tracker gives you an
up-to-the-minute idea of where your pet is
thanks to an integrated 3G SIM card (much
like the one in your smartphone), Wi-Fi
controls and GPS. An added bonus is that the
app also keeps track of how much exercise
your pet gets. A Vodafone SIM is pre-installed
in the chunky, weatherproof case, and all you
have to do is aix the robust rubber band,
charge it up, and then follow the instructions
in the app to get started. he app can set
virtual limits on where your pet roams,
alerting you if they step outside a radius that
you’ve marked out on a map, or if they stray
outside of the range Wi-Fi on your phone
(if you go walking and let them of the leash).
You can also track them down by remotely
activating the alarm and a lashing light.
he cost may be of-putting, as on top of the
$189 RRP, the SIM costs US$2.99–$3.99
per month, but for peace of mind, it’s worth it
as the unit is sturdy and the app easy to use.
Expect approximately two to three days of use
between charges, depending on how much
your pet goes walkabout.
4
$189, plus subscription
from $3.80/month
pioneeriot.com
CRITICAL SPECS
GPS+GLONASS; 2G/3G;
rechargeable 460mAh battery;
IP67; 5.8 x 3.2 x 1.7cm; 30g
 WINNER
APPROVED
AWARD
Everki EKS622XL RFID
Messenger
PROTECT YOUR TABLET... AND YOUR RFID
TRANSMISSIONS.
DESIGNED TO FIT Pad Pro 12-inch or
Surface Pro laptops, this laptop bag is made
from extremely rugged ballistic nylon to
stand the rigours of the road. here’s ample
padding to ensure your hardware doesn’t
get damaged, and there are lots of little
compartments for headphones, pens,
notepads and the like, making it easy to keep
all of your gear stowed away nice and tidy.
here’s even a special phone compartment
so you don’t have to frantically dig through
the interior to ind that ringing handset.
Bonus points for its styling, which doesn’t
announce to the world that you’re carting
around several thousand dollars’ worth of
laptop, too. However, it’s the special RFID
protective pouch that sets this bag apart
from the rest. Located at the front of the bag,
this pouch is big enough to easily it both
your passport and wallet. his explains
the slightly higher price point, though the
overall quality of the bag material and
rugged zippers makes it a keeper.
4 31/2
EVERKI EKS622XL RFID MESSENGER
$200
www.everki.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Fits iPad Pro 12-inch or Surface Pro;
RFID pouch; high-performance
ballistic nylon
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
Korjo RFID Passport
Defender
FOR THOSE WITH E-PASSPORTS.
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE RFID information
thet is real or not (stats show it’s less than
1% of all info-hacks), at just $8, this piece of
shielded cardboard is a very cheap way to buy
piece of mind. And that’s exactly what it is —
in the pack you get two cardboard sleeves, each
lined with RF-blocking material. According to
the specs, it blocks 13.56MHz and 860–
960MHz transmissions, while also shielding
ISO 14443/15693 and EPC Gen1/Gen2.
If you happen to have an e-Passport, unlike
contact-less credit cards, it does actually have
an RFID chip embedded within, so this cheap
sleeve guarantees nobody can skim your data
without your knowledge. To be honest, we’re
more worried about our RFID chips becoming
corrupted by other devices, ater this
happening to us in the past, so this sleeve
should also stop that from becoming a reality.
Ditto with credit/debit card defenders —
we’ve lost track of the number of debit cards
that stopped working ater just a few weeks
due to another card or device being placed
too close to the dead card. And for just eight
bucks, that convenience alone is worth it.
KORJO RFID PASSPORT DEFENDER
$8
www.oiceworks.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
2 x sleeves included; Shields ISO
14443/15693 and EPC Gen1/Gen2
cards and tags
SUPERGUIDE
PHYSICAL HARDWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
Targus 4Vu Privacy
Screen Filter
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
FOR THOSE THAT want to keep their
computer screen their own, a privacy ilter
is the next best thing ater setting yourself up
in a corner. he 4Vu option from Targus is
able to it a vast array of laptop and desktop
displays — we tested out a 21.5-inch ilter on
our desktop monitor. he ilter is reversible
and ofers either a glossy or matte inish to suit
your preference, but both orientations
noticeably darkened our display and required
a doubling of backlight brightness to
accommodate. he iltering efect is quite
powerful and blackens the screen completely
to all but a 30° viewing angle, but with wider
displays like our 21.5-inch monitor, the edges
of the display are noticeably dimmed even
when looking at it straight-on. Despite the
three adhesive-tab options on ofer, the
aixing process was inicky. he smaller ‘easy
removal’ tabs lew of when trying to insert
and the ‘ixed attachment’ option let long
strips of visual distortion on the edges of the
ilter. his ilter works as intended, but you’ve
got to really want that angular privacy to
accept the associated costs and sacriices.
31/2
TARGUS 4VU PRIVACY SCREEN FILTER
$170
targus.com/au
CRITICAL SPECS
Suitable for most screen sizes; reversible gloss
or matte options; restricts view to 30°;
three diferent aixing options
[ 079 ]
 SUPERGUIDE
PHYSICAL HARDWARE FOR YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
Armourcard Personal
Force Field
BLOCKING THE SCANNERS.
YOUR MODERN PASSPORT, some bank cards,
Opal and Myki cards all have a radio-
frequency identiication (RFID) chip. It’s this
chip that allows you to swipe or hover the card
over an EFTPOS machine or train/bus/tram
card reader for contactless payments. It also
means, in theory, that they’re vulnerable to
nefarious types walking past with a portable
RFID card reader, scanning your info,
duplicating it and taking of with your identity.
he Armourcard is a credit card-sized device
that slots into your wallet or purse and creates
a barrier around your cards to protect them.
It does work, and works well, as we tested it
with a number of phones loaded with an RFID
scanning app, and sure enough, when the unit
detected that something was trying to pass a
signal through its barrier, a small LED
furiously blinked back. However, it’s a largely
superluous product. Your cards need to be
mere centimetres away from the reader, so
anyone wanting to steal your info would have
to be well within your personal space. And
RFID crime is low — you’re more likely to
have your credit card skimmed.
3 3
ARMOURCARD
PERSONAL FORCE FIELD
$59.95
www.armourcard.com
CRITICAL SPECS
Blocks 13.56MHz; 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.3cm, 12g
[ 080 ]
Revolar Instinct
KEYRING TRACKER FOR YOUR PERSONAL
SAFETY.
WE’VE FEATURED BLUETOOTH trackers
that keep track of your possessions, and this is
a discreet tracker that’s designed to keep track
of you. Attach it to your keys, pair it to your
phone, and then click the button to alert your
friends and family of your whereabouts.
It difers from the Pioneer DreamCare, which
passively monitors the person (or item) it’s
attached to, as the Revolar only kicks into
action once you tap its discreet button once,
twice or three times. It also relies entirely on
your mobile phone — if you don’t have your
phone with you, it’s simply a fancy keyring fob.
he messages it sends out can be customised,
but depending on the situation, a simple
‘I’m ine’ one click can be escalated to a
three-click ‘send emergency services’. All three
alerts give away your location on a map.
We had some trouble pairing the Revolar to
our phone, and also maintaining a connection
to trigger alerts, which is less than ideal.
However, the phone app mimics the unit’s
functions, and there’s no on-going cost once
you’ve bought the unit. hat goes some way
to making up for spotty performance.
RE VOLAR INSTINC T
US$79.95
ww.revolar.com
ww
CRITICAL SPECS
CR2032 battery; Bluetooth 4.0;
2.8 x 3 x 1.3cm; 28g
3M Gold Privacy Filter
17-inch
LAPTOP SHIELD.
AIMED AT HIGH-FLYING execs who want to
protect their screen view whilst also looking
pretty slick in the process, this is 3M’s lagship
screen ilter. Available in a wide variety of
sizes, we checked out the large 17-incher,
for those who like to lug a monster of a laptop
around. he ilm is easily applied to your
laptop; rather than the entire screen protector
being completely adhesive, like a phone’s,
it comes with eight tabs that can be used to
aix the screen to your laptop. his removes
any issues such as bubbling or misalignment,
and also means you can take it of with
minimum hassle for meetings where having
the whole viewing angle is essential. Once in
place, when looking directly at your screen,
the view is clear and easy to read, though
brightness does sufer a little. However, at a 30°
viewing angle, the image starts to fade; at 60°,
all you see is a beautiful rose-gold mirror,
hiding any and all data from the screen.
It can be reversed to show an all-black inish
if you’d prefer. here’s one small hitch —
it’ll disable any touch functionality of your
screen.
3
3M GOLD
PRIVACY FILTER 17-INCH
$159.95
www.3m.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
Blocks view 60° from centre;
reduces 33% of blue light emissions
The home of technology

techradar.com
 A TECHLIFE PRIMER

Cr ptocur
FEATURE
CRYPTOCURRENCIES 101

[ 082 ]
rencies 101

FEATURE
CRYPTOCURRENCIES 101
THEY’VE TAKEN THE TECH WORLD BY STORM BUT WHAT ARE
CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND HOW DO THEY WORK? TECHLIFE DIVES THROUGH
THE HYPE AND LOOKS AT THE BASICS OF NEW DIGITAL CURRENCIES. [ DARREN YATES ]

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN living a self-imposed HOW CRYPTOCURRENCIES WORK

Bitcoin reached a peak value of near US$20,000 each
in December 2017.
Coincheck sufered theft of $500 million of NEM
cryptocurrency in early 2018.
New research could bring blockchain in to protect
personal medical records.
digital detox for the last year, it’s been tough But here’s where cryptocurrencies difer —
to miss the skyrocketing hype surrounding cryptocurrencies typically have no regulated,
cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular. centralised control. Instead, they use a
News of speculators making millions from distributed database or ledger that works
investing in digital currencies are oten ofset a bit like peer-to-peer ile-sharing. he database
by stories of imminent carnage as bubbles burst doesn’t exist in any one location on a main
and investments slide. Still, what actually is system or organisation's server — it exists
a cryptocurrency, how does it work and what over a network of equal-ranked computers
can you do with it? or ‘nodes’, where each node on the network
has access to the entire database. When you
WHAT IS A CRYPTOCURRENCY? make a transaction using a digital coin, it irst
A cryptocurrency is its own virtual, digital must be checked that you have that coin to
currency — you can’t physically hold it, spend. he transaction then has to be written
but you can spend it like normal currency to the ledger, a task performed by ‘miners’,
where it’s accepted. However, it’s more computers set up for this purpose.
accurate to describe it as a series As you’d expect, this isn’t simply
of transactions stored in a written down on the next blank
global database — and in line of a ledger book. he
that regard, there’s SEEK LICENSED ‘crypto’ in 'cryptocurrency’,
FINANCIAL ADVICE
arguably less distance you might have guessed,
This article is for general
between digital and information only and is not to be
refers to the fact that all
physical currencies taken as inancial advice. Make of these transactions are
than ever before. sure you seek professional advice recorded in encrypted
Over the last few from a licensed inancial planner form. To ensure the
years, there’s been before making any inancial accuracy and permanency
growing chat about decisions. of the ledger, your
Australia becoming a transaction must irst be added
‘cashless society’, possibly even to others to form a group or
as soon as 2020. With internet ‘block’. he next step is adding this
banking, EFTPOS and credit cards, Apple block to the previously-recorded blocks in the
Pay and Android Pay, you could argue we’re ledger and this is where the concept of the
nearly there already. hese digital mechanisms ‘blockchain’ comes from — it’s literally a chain
are links to the Australian dollars we have in of blocks, each containing many transactions.
our bank accounts, but think about this — how But here’s the clever bit — before a new block
oten do you see those dollars? he practical can be added to the blockchain, the block’s
reality is our money exists as entries in a transaction data is combined with a number
database and when we buy that DVD series that produces a special code or ‘hash’ that starts
on eBay, we’re digitally transferring amounts with a particular number of zeros. How do
of currency from one account to another in they ind the number? Literally, by guess work.
return. In Australia, those transactions are Miners are in a race to discover these
conirmed by your bank and the bank of unknown numbers or ‘nonces’ (number used
the service or product provider, inancial once). Once a miner has discovered a valid
institutions regulated by Australia’s central hash, it gets to write a block of transactions,
bank, the Reserve Bank. becoming the next block in the blockchain.

IF E ] [ 083 ]

FEATURE
CRYPTOCURRENCIES 101
Google ofshoot DeepMind plans for blockchain to
protect medical records.
Cryptocoin-mining is this process of
discovering block nonces, creating new blocks
and writing them to the ledger, but because
of the computational complexity involved
and to incentivise them to continue the word,
cryptocoin miners are rewarded with coin
of their own. Early on, the reward for writing
a valid block to the Bitcoin blockchain was
50 bitcoins — but back when one bitcoin was
worth only a few US dollars, so bitcoin-mining
was for the die-hards mostly. Meanwhile,
that block reward number reduces over time,
halving every four years or so. Today, it’s only
12.5 bitcoins — but at US$8,000 per bitcoin,
that’s US$100,000 and as you can imagine,
bitcoin-mining is fast becoming a popular
business.
CAN’T BUY A PC GRAPHICS CARD?
So there are two ways you can theoretically get
into a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin — you can
either buy it or mine it. For a while in the early
days, a reasonably powerful home computer
was enough to mine coins at a sustainable rate
and make a bit of money on the side. However,
as electricity prices rose, and combined with
Bitcoin’s relatively-static value and falling block
reward rate, costs began to overtake and only
the enthusiasts continued. More recently,
Bitcoin’s booming price has seen coin miners
come out of the woodwork, building high-end
systems to crank up mining operations.
[ 084 ]
Gartner sees Blockchain sliding into
the trough of disillusionment.
At the same time, PC gamers began noticing
a rise in PC video card prices due to an
increasing card shortage. According to reports,
prices for cards such as Nvidia’s GeForce GTX
1080 or AMD’s Radeon RX 580 have doubled
as the frenzy deepened. A look at local suppliers
showed mid-range cards such as the GTX 1070
were oten unavailable.
But why graphics cards? You can mine
cryptocurrency with almost any computer —
even a small Raspberry Pi. However, PC
graphics cards feature many small-scale
but very fast processing ‘cores’ that are not
only ideal for generating vivid 3D gaming
graphics, they’re also suited for processing
the calculations associated with mining
crypto-coins.
he problem is, with so many now
competing in the race to mine coins, including
commercial miners using much faster FPGA
(ield-programmable gate array) and ASIC
(application-speciic integrated circuit)-based
systems, plus the ever-growing complexity in
inding a valid nonce, its questionable whether
home miners can even make back the electricity
bill these days, let alone turn a proit.
HOW MANY DIGITAL CURRENCIES?
If you have only a passing interest in digital
currencies, you’ve probably heard of Bitcoin,
you may have heard of Ethereum, or even
Litecoin. As of February 2nd this year,
cryptocurrency market tracking website
Coinmarketcap (coinmarketcap.com)
followed around 1,500 digital currencies,
worth collectively a little over US$400 billion.
About a third of that belonged to Bitcoin at
US$142 billion, each Bitcoin then worth just
under US$8,500, followed by Ethereum with
a market capitalisation of US$85billion.
Even number 25 on the list — Zcash —
made the billionaire’s club at US$1.129 billion
total. More surprisingly, there were 743 digital
currencies with a valuation of at least US$1
million as of February 2nd. But as you’ll quickly
discover, cryptocurrency valuations can be
a very volatile business.
THE BITCOIN BOOM
he hype behind digital currencies has been
fuelled in no small portion by the meteoric rise
in the value of Bitcoin. From a practical value of
less than one cent per Bitcoin back in May 2010,
it had risen to $13 by the end of 2012. By April
the following year, it peaked at $266. When we
covered blockchain technology in this column
back in October 2016, it had spent the last two
years trading in a range between $500 and $800.
It broke new ground in March 2017, topping
$1,300 and then went for a run, catching the
mainstream media as it reached US$2,000 by
May, $5,000 by September (and this is where
things get white-knuckle) before hitting the
summit of US$17,900 in December. Bitcoin’s
incredible run even prompted a father-of-three
in the Netherlands into selling everything he
owned — including a house worth 300,000 Euros
— in part at least to buy Bitcoins.
Still, nothing deies gravity forever and the
inevitable correction followed. By the end of
January 2018, the price had plummeted nearly
50% from its December 2017 peak to be US$9,850.
It then fell another US$1,000 on February 1st
alone, as more than US$100 billion was slashed
from the cryptocurrency market in just 24 hours.
MAKE YOUR OWN CRYPTOCURRENCY?
he Bitcoin Boom also brought along for the ride
many of its competitors, alternative coins or
so-called ‘altcoin’, such as Ethereum and Litecoin.
he digital currency hype became so infectious,
just announcing a cryptocurrency was in the
works seemed enough to light a rocket under a
company’s share price. Kodak was best known for
making ilm cameras, yet in the days immediately
following its 9th January 2018 announcement
of plans to launch its own cryptocurrency,
KodakCoin, the company’s share price tripled as
investors piled onto the bus. By early February,
the share price had slid back to under US$7, but
still well above its pre-announcement levels.
hat got us thinking — if a camera company
can set up its own cryptocurrency, is it possible to
make your own? As it turns out, there are several
‘altcoin’ service providers that ofer, for a fee, to
take care of the blockchain tech management for
you. But if you have C++ coding skills, you can
do it yourself — the source code for Bitcoin and
Litecoin is available on the GitHub source-code
repository. However, you just can’t create a new
coin and expect everyone to jump on-board —
consensus seems to be you generally need a user
community to get things moving. hat’s where
businesses, with their customer base and loyalty
programs, would seem to have ready-made
communities for the job.
 Coin-mining is apparently to blame for a global
shortage in PC graphics cards.
WHAT SETS A CRYPTOCURRENCY’S WORTH?
he value of a cryptocurrency is determined by
many diferent factors, such as scarcity of the
currency, fear of government regulation and
good-old fashioned hype, but ultimately,
its value is set by basic supply and demand.
Yet, while most cryptocurrencies aim to be
alternatives to traditional centrally-controlled
currencies, you’re likely to see a signiicant
change come over the cryptocurrency
landscape in the next few years, thanks largely
to loyalty programs.
Businesses have used loyalty programs to
keep customers coming back for years — just
look in your wallet. However, many loyalty
schemes will likely sufer from two major
limitations — you’ll be limited in how you can
spend your points and, ater a period of time,
those points will oten expire. Cryptocurrencies
are starting to be seen by big retailers as a way
out of the problem. Here’s an example that’s
literally ‘food for thought’ — Burger King in
Russia launched ‘Whoppercoin’, its own
cryptocurrency, as a loyalty program in 2017.
Buy a burger and you get coins in your digital
wallet. he value of the coins comes by being
able to redeem the coins for burgers (one burger
will cost you 1,700 Whoppercoins), but also by
trading them with other coin holders.
A recent trial of a cryptocurrency loyalty
scheme involving students and faculty at the
Kodak’s share price tripled on news it was to launch
its own cryptocurrency.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
University of New South Wales, backed with
New South Wales Government support,
has been an early example here. We reckon it
won’t be the last, so expect cryptocurrency
loyalty reward programs to take of over
the next few years.
THEFTS AND RISKS
he blockchain technology behind
cryptocurrencies might well ensure the
legitimate owner of coins enjoys the spending
power of those coins, but it can’t necessarily
prevent them from being stolen. Earlier this
year, Japan’s Coincheck digital currency
exchange alerted investors in the ‘NEM’
cryptocurrency that its network had been
broken into on January 25th and around
US$530 million worth stolen. It was later
reported the funds were stolen from an online
wallet rather than a more secure of-line option,
raising questions of why that much currency
wasn’t more securely stored. Cryptocurrency
thets are not unheard of — the Mt. Gox
exchange reportedly sufered losses from
Bitcoin thet of approximately US$460 million
before it halted trading in 2014.
Meanwhile, inancial institutions are
growing increasingly wary of digital currencies
and Bitcoin in particular. he head of England’s
Financial Conduct Authority, Andrew Bailey,
hasn’t minced his words when it comes to
FEATURE
CRYPTOCURRENCIES 101
Could smartphones of the future be blockchain-powered?
Bitcoin. “If you want to invest in Bitcoin, be
prepared to lose your money — that would be
my serious warning,” Bailey told the BBC in
December 2017. In February 2018, Facebook
even banned all ads promoting cryptocurrencies,
including Bitcoin.
BLOCKCHAIN’S HEALTHY FUTURE
While cryptocurrencies appear set to continue
their rocky ride, blockchain technology continues
to be researched for a range of alternate
applications. One of those areas is electronic
health records (EHR), where researchers are
investigating techniques for applying blockchain
tech to manage access to patient medical data.
Much in the way cryptocurrencies use
blockchain tech to store transactions, researchers
are devising systems to implement blockchain
as a permanent record of all accesses to personal
data. In 2017, DeepMind — the artiicial
intelligence unit launched by Google’s parent
company, Alphabet — announced plans to
develop such a system and is working with
hospitals in the UK.
Increasingly, the value of medical data is being
seen through machine-learning and other
artiicial intelligence methods searching for
treatments for a range of medical conditions
and diseases, from mental health to cancer.
Concurrently, research is looking into ways
of anonymising the data so that it still provides
health researchers with the raw materials
they need, without identifying the person
the data describes.
BLOCKCHAIN’S THE KEY
As eye-catching as cryptocurrencies are, the real
story here is the rise of blockchain and the
cryptography technologies combining with it.
With talk of it being used in everything from
political elections to electrical power generation,
a distributed ledger acting as a permanent record
that’s diicult to hack is tech that’s quickly
gaining the interest of governments, industry
and university research around the world.
85 ]
[ 085
 [ TECHLIFE #75 ]

HELP STATION
GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TECH

[ THIS MONTH IN HELP STATION ]

86 Q&A
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

89 Windows
CATALOGUE YOUR MEDIA

92 Mac
OPENING APPS ON YOUR MAC

94 iOS
MASTER THE iOS 11 FILES APP

Android
96 THIRD-PARTY LAUNCHERS
TO SPRUCE UP YOUR PHONE
Events are printed in colour according to their calendar.

98 Downloads & streaming

STREAMING MORE FOREIGN TV
[ SOFTWARE ] Nick Odantzis replies: We’d purchased One
Home networking
100 HELPING YOU HELP OTHERS
WITH THEIR TECH
  One Calendar
problems
Calendar before recommending it, so knew this
wasn’t normal behaviour. We tracked down the
Ater you dealt with my calendar query in sync error problem to the fact that Tony had been
102 Photography
THE ART OF COMPOSITION
issue 72 (page 85), I bought the One attempting to save events to a read-only calendar,
Calendar app. It’s a big improvement, typically one shared by another user — One
but although I can colour-code events Calendar isn’t smart enough to recognise read-
on screen, only one colour appears when only calendars and prevent you from saving
printing. I also get a sync error message changes to them. he solution is to contact the
at the top of the screen — I thought I’d paid calendar’s owner and ask for full access, or log on
for the full version
version. to your calendar
cale account online to see if there’s
[ TONY LAWRENCE ] a setting youu can change. Failing that, recreate
the event in a calendar that isn’t read-only —
select the event and click Copy to quickly do this,
then delete the
t original event.
As for thee print error, we were unable to
replicate this on our PC — basically, One
Calendar coolours events according to the
calendar theey’re assigned to (change these colours
via ‘Settingss > Options > Colors’). Tony
subsequentlyy reported that the print function
worked corrrectly when he set the app up on
his laptop, suggesting it might be related to
a printer driver issue on his main PC.

[ WINDOWS ]
Reset forgotten PIN
I have set up my Windows 10 PC,
so I only need a password to sign in. I have lost
my PIN for my Microsot account. Do I still
need a PIN and how do I get it back?
[ GRAHAM JONES ]

Rob Mead d-Green replies: Assuming you’re

referring to the PIN you can assign to Windows
10 to speed uup logins, then they’re easy to remove
(or replace) because they’re device-speciic and
After re-enabling Time Machine, leave your iMac alone
(preferably overnight) while it backs up. can be bypaassed using your account password.
Once logged d into your Windows user account,
click ‘Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in

[ 086 ]

EtreCheck is a free tool that can help
diagnose a slow Mac
Options’. You’ll see options to change, remove
or reset your PIN. Change won’t work because
you have to know the PIN to change it, but you
can reset your PIN by clicking ‘I forgot my PIN’,
or remove it — enter your account password
when prompted. Once done, you can then set up
a new PIN.
[ INTERNET ]
  Edge no longer works
About four to six weeks ago,
Edge just stopped working. I’ve tried an
upgrade install twice, have contacted the
Windows Helpline and had two online
conversations with their staf to no avail.
Can you help? I’m currently using Firefox
without a problem.
[ GEOFF WATT ]
Mayank Sharma replies: Geof’s email is one
of a number we’ve received since the Creators
Update release. Unfortunately, when even a
repair installation fails, you’re let with two basic
choices: the irst is to bite the bullet and perform
a full, destructive install that should clean out all
your PC’s glitches and get Edge working again.
his approach is overkill if your PC is otherwise
running well and it hasn’t been that long since
your last reinstall. In the past, Microsot’s
browser was the standard and life without it
wasn’t practical because Windows Update
required it to function. hat’s no longer the case,
and now the browser market is more fragmented
— with Google’s Chrome the dominant force —
websites must support a wide range of browsers.
Long story short? Many people, ourselves
included, get by with never opening or using
Edge. If Firefox proves insuicient, installing
Chrome or Opera (which uses the same browser
engine as Chrome) will prove a much better
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
choice than worrying about how to get Edge
working.
[ MAC ]
  My new Mac runs
slower
I replaced my old 27-inch iMac (Late 2012)
with a late 2015 model of the same size.
Its performance seems inferior to my old iMac,
although that had a Fusion Drive, unlike the
new one. It oten shows the spinning beach ball,
and prior to shutting down, it shows a screen
with colour patterns. Is there something
wrong with it?
[ JAN SHORTT ]
Howard Oakley replies: Odd display efects at
shutdown can be an early sign of graphics card
problems. Disconnect all peripherals apart from
keyboard, mouse and network connection, and
hook up your keyboard and mouse to USB ports.
Shut the iMac down, wait a few seconds, and
hold down ‘D’ as you start up the Mac again to
run Apple Diagnostics. If its tests record an error,
contact Apple Support or take the iMac to a
Genius Bar. Check the Mac thoroughly for old
sotware, particularly extensions and persistent
services which might have migrated from your
old iMac. You shouldn’t be seeing the beach ball
so oten; Activity Monitor and EtreCheck (free,
etrecheck.com) can provide clues. Another trick
that may help is to download and install the
latest macOS Sierra Combo update from Apple’s
site (bit.ly/2j6Dbf7) over the top of your existing
installation. Ater that, you may need to force
your Mac to check for later security data:
in System Preferences, click the App Store icon,
disable ‘Automatically check for updates’,
then enable it again.
HELP STATION
Q AND A
[ MAC ]
  My backups halt
in Sierra
I upgraded to a 27-inch iMac with a 1TB Fusion
Drive, but every time it tries to run a Time
Machine backup, the process stalls at the same
point. I have even bought a new external hard
drive, but it won’t complete the irst backup to
that either. Is Time Machine broken in Sierra?
[ MIKE THOMPSON ]
Howard Oakley replies: Some users have
reported problems backing up with Time
Machine, but most of these issues can be ixed.
If you can, archive the drive containing your
old backups and switch to using the new one,
starting afresh with it. Ensure that Sierra is fully
up to date, and that there’s ample free space
on the external drive to perform a full backup,
as well as incremental backups thereater.
It’s also wise to check that any migration from
your old Mac didn’t bring old or buggy sotware
across to your new one, particularly extensions
and enhancements. Turn of Time Machine,
connect the new external drive, and restart in
macOS Recovery. Using Disk Utility there, run
First Aid on your Fusion Drive, then initialise the
external drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
format. Restart your Mac as normal. In Time
Machine’s preferences, click Options and add
any folders you don’t want backed up to the
exclusions. Re-enable Time Machine to back up
to the new drive. Leave the iMac alone to back
up, running no apps; overnight is ideal. If Time
Machine sticks again, Sierra’s Console isn’t much
help in diagnosing it. You could try to use
Recovery to reinstall Sierra, erase the new
back-up drive, and then try again.
[ 087 ]
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[ 088 ]
[ WINDOWS ]

Learn how to catalogue your media

DATA CROW MAKES IT EASY TO CATALOGUE YOUR BOOKS, MEDIA, SOFTWARE — IN FACT,
ANYTHING YOU LIKE — AND BEST OF ALL, IT’S COMPLETELY FREE!

HELP STATION
LEARN HOW TO CATALOGUE YOUR MEDIA
[ NICK PEERS ]

HAVE YOU EVER wanted to keep a catalogue
of the important items you own? Perhaps your
CD, DVD or Blu-ray collection needs
organising before you start lending it out
to friends or family, or you want to keep tabs
on your books. Maybe you’d like to make a
deinitive list of your music to avoid going out
and accidentally buying another copy of an
album you already own? Or perhaps you’d like
to record your collection of sotware packages.
Whatever your cataloguing needs are,
Data Crow is the tool for you. his underrated
freebie makes it easy to start building and
managing collections of all sizes, and thanks
to some nity time-saving tools, you don’t need
to meticulously record everything yourself;
instead, simply use one of Data Crow’s built-in
search tools to populate the information that
need from the Internet.
his tutorial is going to show you how to do
exactly that — read on to ind out more.

[ STEP BY STEP ]
CATALOGUE YOUR STUFF

INSTALL JAVA TIGHTEN SECURITY

01 Data Crow requires Java. If it’s not installed, download it from
java.com — click the Free Java Download link. Ignore any warnings
about Edge; instead, click ‘Agree and Start Free Download’. Launch the installer
stub and click Install. When Java Setup appears, select ‘Do not update browser
settings’ to avoid unwanted changes to your browser, then click Next to install.
02 Once installed, type “java” into the Search box, then click ‘Conigure
Java’. Switch to the Security tab — if you only plan to use Java with
Data Crow, untick ‘Enable Java content in the browser’; otherwise choose ‘Very
High’ for the security level and click OK. Now go to www.datacrow.net, select
Downloads from the left-hand pane and click ‘Data Crow Windows Installer’.

INSTALL DATA CROW CREATE CATALOGUE

03 Click the Windows Installer link to save Data Crow to your Downloads
folder. Locate the ZIP ile, right-click it and choose ‘Extract All’. Once
complete, double-click setup32bit.exe even if you have Windows 64-bit installed
(this is because Java 32-bit is installed by default). Then it’s a case of following
the prompts — the default choices are ine for most. Click ‘Done’ to inish.
04 Open Data Crow from the Start menu or via the Search box.
Choose where to store the program’s data. Click ‘OK’, select your
language, then click OK again. When the program opens, click Close to open
the Tool Select Wizard. Choose the type of information that you would like
to catalogue — pick Container if it’s not listed — and click Next.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 089 ]
 01
HELP STATION
LEARN HOW TO CATALOGUE YOUR MEDIA

03

ADD FIRST ITEM

05 You’ll see a description of the key controls you can use to add,
manage and delete items in your chosen catalogue — click Item 03
Wizard to get started by adding an item from an online database. First, choose
your server — Amazon is a good starting point — and select United Kingdom
(English) [Not the US version! — Sub-Ed]. Now enter the name of your item,
such as a book’s author or title and click Find. 04

MATCH AND ADD ITEM

06 A list of matching results will now appear. Switch to the Table View
tab for an easier way to review them. If there are multiple matches
— such as diferent editions of a book — select one and click Open to check
whether it’s the correct match using the tabs. Picture Front often helps in this
regard. Once you’ve found the right match, click Next.

REVIEW AND ADD EDIT ITEMS

07 The information will be downloaded, enabling you to review and
make changes or additions. To keep your items organised, look for
suitable ields on the Summary and Information tabs, such as Category or Genre.
Click the ‘+’ button for additional entries if they don’t cover your collection.
Once done, click ‘Finish & New’ to add another.
08 Keep adding items to your collection. If you want to edit an item,
right-click it and choose ‘Edit...’. If you want to make the same edits
to multiple items — such as genre or TV series — select them all in the middle
pane using ‘Ctrl-click’, then right-click and choose ‘Update all’. Make your
changes, then click Save or Apply to apply them to the selected entry or entries
in your database.

[ 090 ]
 01 DATA TYPE
Use these to select your

LEARN HOW TO CATALOGUE YOUR MEDIA

collection type: books, contacts,
containers, images, general
media, movies, music and
software.

02 ITEM MANAGEMENT
These buttons enable
05 you to manage your catalogue
by adding, deleting and even
visualising (through charts)
your items.

03
NAVIGATION
STRUCTURE
Items are organised into a
hierarchical structure of your
choosing — here we’re organising
by genre and series name.

04 EDIT ITEMS
Need to make changes
or add extra information?
Navigate to the item using the
left-hand pane, then right-click it.
06

05 ITEM DETAILS
The selected item
appears in the right-hand pane
complete with any additional
information that has been
assigned to it.

06 ONLINE SERVICES
You can add items
using online services, such as
Amazon, to quickly and easily
attach key information and
even artwork to it.

GROUP ITEMS YOUR COLLECTION, CATALOGUED

09 As your collection grows, you’ll want to organise it to make it easier
to browse. To do this, click the ‘Group by’ button in the left-hand
window and choose Select Fields, then pick how you want to display them here
— for example, by author or category. To create a multi-level hierarchy, select
multiple ields as you wish them to appear — for example, genre followed
by TV series.
10 You’ve got the basics mastered, so keep building your collection —
Data Crow saves your changes as they’re made. The program is
incredibly versatile, so explore the various menus to ind ways to ine-tune
your catalogue and change the way the program works. Also click the pie-chart
button to generate charts to help you analyse your collection as it grows.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 091 ]
 HELP STATION
OPENING APPS ON YOUR MAC
[ MAC ]
Opening apps on your Mac
EXPLORE THE MANY WAYS TO OPEN YOUR PREFERRED SOFTWARE.
[ NATE DRAKE ]
WHAT’S BETTER THAN having an app able
to handle whatever kind of ile you want to
open? Answer: having a choice of ways to run
your apps. Such lexibility is one of the
characteristics of the Mac, enabling it to suit
whatever you need to do right now or the way
you like to work.
So to ind an app you want, you can browse
the Applications folder in Finder, and create
desktop aliases or add favourites to the Dock
for easy access. If you’re more familiar with
iPad or iPhone, the macOS Launchpad
presents large app icons in an iOS-like grid.
You can use Spotlight or Siri to ind apps
for you. To open a ile with a speciic app,
drag-and-drop the ile onto the app icon or
alias in Finder or the Dock.
[ 092 ]
At the other end of the scale, you can use
the Terminal utility to launch apps from the
command line, or to open iles with a speciic
app. To run an app, type the open command,
for example: “open/Applications/Mail.app”.
Add ‘-a’ to open a named ile with a speciic
app, for instance: “open -a Preview ~/Pictures/
pumpkins.jpg”.
If you’re a keyboard fan but don’t feel
ready for Terminal commands, consider
setting up app shortcuts to open selected items
using a key combination. To do this, create a
Service using Automator, another tool that
comes free with your Mac, then set up a
keyboard shortcut for the Service in System
Preferences (see steps 8–9 opposite).
How about not having to open apps yourself
at all? You can conigure your Mac to open
speciied apps automatically when you log in
to your user account, so they’re already
running when you need them. Go to ‘System
Preferences > Users & Groups’, and click the
Login Items tab for your user account.
(You can also do this for other user accounts
you manage.) Click the plus sign beneath
the right-hand pane to add an app. Click the
Hide checkbox next to an app if you want
its windows to be hidden even though it has
launched in the background.
[ STEP BY STEP ]
OPEN APPS USING A VARIETY OF METHODS
USE FINDER
01 To open apps in Finder, simply click
the Finder icon in the Dock
(it’s always there, on the left), then click
Applications in the sidebar — if this is hidden,
go to ‘Finder > Preferences > Sidebar’ —
and double-click an app icon.
USE ALIASES
04 For fast access to an app, create a
shortcut to it. Hold ‘Opt-Command’
and drag the app icon to your desktop or a
folder; the arrow on the pointer shows it will
create an alias when you let go. To open the
app, double-click the alias.
ASK SIRI
07 Click Siri’s icon in the Dock or menu
bar and enable Ask Siri. Now click
either icon again or hold down ‘Command-
space’ to open Siri and try saying commands,
such as “Launch Mail”. You can disable Siri
in System Preferences.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
APPS IN THE DOCK
02 The Dock provides single-click
access to your favourite apps. To tell
your Mac to keep an app there, ‘Ctrl-click’ the
app’s icon and pick ‘Options > Keep in Dock’.
You can drag any app’s icon from Finder
straight into the Dock.
LAUNCHPAD
05 Launchpad works like an iPhone’s
Home screen. Click its icon in the
Dock or use Spotlight to open its icon grid,
then click the app you want. You can drag icons
to rearrange them across multiple pages
and in folders.
MAKE A SERVICE
08 Open Automator and create
a new Service document.
Change the ‘Service receives’ item to ‘no input’.
Drag Launch Application from the left to the
right pane. Select your app in the pop-up,
and press ‘Ccommand-S’ to save.
HELP STATION
OPENING APPS ON YOUR MAC
USE SPOTLIGHT
03 You can use Spotlight to search
for apps wherever they are on your
Mac and open them. Press ‘Command+space’
to reveal its search bar, then type an app’s name.
Use the arrow keys to select the app; press
Return to open it.
OPEN WITH
06 Double-clicking a ile opens the app
set as default for that type of ile —
to set this, ‘Ctrl-click’ it, select ‘Get Info’, pick an
app under ‘Open with’, and click ‘Change All’.
To open a ile in a diferent app, ‘Ctrl-click’ and
use ‘Open with’.
ASSIGN A KEY COMBO
09 Name your Service, and press
‘Command-C’ to copy the name.
Go to ‘System Preferences > Keyboards >
Shortcuts > App Shortcuts’. Click ‘+’, paste the
name, click the shortcut box, and press your
desired key combo. Finally, click Save.
[ 093 ]
 [ IOS ]
HELP STATION
MASTER THE IOS 11 FILES APP

Master the iOS 11

Files app
MANAGE YOUR DOCUMENTS IN VARIOUS
LOCATIONS, AND WORK REMOTELY
[ ALEX SUMMERSBY ]

WHEN THE NEW Files app was announced, it sounded like an iOS
equivalent of the macOS Finder, enabling you to view and organise
all the iles on your device. It isn’t quite that. For a start, your iles are
not all visible in Files unless you add them to the app; you can’t even
see your device among the default Locations until you add at least one
ile to Files.
Once you start using it, though, the app does give you a convenient
central point from which to view and manage your iCloud Drive,
Google Drive, Dropbox and other cloud storage locations, as well as iles
on your device (ater you’ve pointed the app at them, anyway). You can
move, rename and organise iles, sort them by name, date, size or
custom tags you’ve added, and more.
he bonus is that if you have Pages, Numbers and Keynote
documents stored in iCloud Drive, the Files app also enables you to
collaborate on these with other people, in real time. Here we’ll show you
how, and explain some of the app’s quirks and foibles. Note that some
devices ofer extra options — drag-and-drop on iPad, for example.

[ STEP BY STEP ]
MANAGE AND SHARE DOCUMENTS USING THE FILES APP

ENABLE ‘ON MY DEVICE’ SAVE A FILE TO ENABLE

01 Your iOS device is not included as a Location in the Files app right 02 Next tap ‘On My iPhone/iPad’. You can save only into your existing
away. So in any app (say Photos), pick a ile, tap its Share icon, Pages, Numbers and Keynote folders, so pick any of these
and swipe to the left in the bottom row of options until you see Save to Files, and tap Add. Now when you open the Files app, your device appears in the list
then tap it. of Locations.

[ 094 ]
 HELP STATION
MASTER THE IOS 11 FILES APP
ADD OTHER SERVICES USING TAGS
03 Install other cloud storage apps and set them up, then open Files 04 To duplicate, rename, move, delete or share a ile, tap and hold on it
and tap Edit (top-right of the main Browse screen). Activate (or hide) and pick the task you want in the pop-up. Select Tags to apply a tag
the Locations you want, and change their order by dragging them up or (or several), then ind iles with a given tag fast by tapping the tag on the
down the list. Browse screen.

RECENTS AND FAVOURITES SHARE FILES

05 Files you’ve accessed in Files get added automatically to Recents, 06 Tap and hold on a ile and select Share, or alternatively tap Select
so you can access them again super-quick. For fast access to folders, (top-right), tap a ile or multiple iles to select them, then hit the Share
add them to Favourites — tap and hold on a folder, and select Favourite icon at bottom-left. You can share in all the usual ways — AirDrop, Message
in the pop-up. and more.

COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS SET ACCESS LEVELS

07 With a Pages, Numbers or Keynote ile in your iCloud Drive, you can 08 Set who can access the ile and what they can do. With the settings
also invite other people to work on it with you. At the foot of the Share shown, invitees who sign in can all see everyone’s changes
sheet, tap Add People, pick how to send invites, then tap Share Options below. in real time, colour-coded so you know who’s done what. Learn more at
bit.ly/iwork_collaborate

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 095 ]
 [ ANDROID ]
HELP STATION
THIRD-PARTY LAUNCHERS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR PHONE
Third-party Launchers to
spruce up your phone
CHANGE THE WAY YOUR ANDROID LOOKS AND PERFORMS WITH THESE ALTERNATIVE LAUNCHERS.
[ CHARLES HANDMER ]
ONE OF THE most important — yet
customisable — parts of Android is the
Launcher. Essentially, it’s the user interface
that sits over the top of the operating system
itself, and dictates how your lock screen and
home screen look, as well as the ways it’s
possible to interact with them. While Android
has a stock launcher built in, many third-party
manufacturers also create their own. For those
who want to get hands-on, there are loads of
third-party launcher apps you can install and
customise. To help you get acquainted with the
Launcher, we’ve put together a guide
introducing you to the options, as well as
showing of some of our favourite launcher
apps. Next issue, we’ll do a deep dive into how
to get started with customising your own
launcher.
LAUNCHER 101
First and foremost, launchers are used to
change the look of your device. It’s possible
One of the most popular launchers available,
Nova can be tinkered with near endlessly.
[ 096 ]
to customise just about everything, including
colours, icons and backgrounds. here are
also icon and theme packs available that make
it very easy to give your phone a completely
new look. Some launchers also have more
in-depth options, such as the ability to move
the dock at the bottom, or position icons in
smaller increments than the standard Android
grid. Some launchers can mimic the look
and functionality of other operating systems,
such as iOS or Windows, or bring the latest
Android features to an older device.
hird-party apps also have a range of unique
features that you won’t always ind in
standard launchers, from gesture support
to app lockers, security, backups, special
widgets, a new dock, smart searches and more.
Some launchers also allow customisation
of the lock screen, and full control over how
notiications are displayed. A third-party
launcher can even help breath new life into
an older out-of-date device.
Microsoft Launcher is a must-have
for anyone who wants to link their
smartphone to a Windows computer.
LAUNCHER APPS
here are scores of launcher apps available,
from the good, to the oh-so bad. We‘ve given
a rundown our our favourite ive below,
but keep in mind that there are plenty of other
options. Many launchers can get very speciic
and ofer wild and entertaining styles and
features, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
When installing or opening a new launcher, it
should prompt you to set it as the default
launcher. If not, head to ‘Settings > Apps &
notiications > Default apps > Home app’ and
select your launcher.
NOVA LAUNCHER
novalauncher.com
Easily the most popular third-party launcher
for Android, Nova has almost endless levels
of customisation. It also has many guides
available, and can even import layouts.
Key features include subgrid positioning,
theme packs, colour controls, a customisable
Some launchers are designed to mimic a speciic
look and feel, such as replicating iOS on Android.
 OTHER LAUNCHERS AND APPS

There are also plenty of other launchers worth a look. For those with a bit
of know how, it’s easy enough to side-load the oicial Pixel Launcher
(goo.gl/Ue2YNC) on other devices. One Launcher (goo.gl/Ya44Dh) can be
used to turn your phone into an iOS lookalike. Using a theme for Smart
Launcher 3 such as SLT Ubuntu Style (goo.gl/OUOnQl), you can even make
your phone look like Linux.
A new launcher can give a wealth of options, but it’s also possible to
customise your existing launcher with third-party apps. While the options
HELP STATION
THIRD-PARTY LAUNCHERS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR PHONE
can be a bit more limited, it’s often an easier way to get set up, and lets you
keep the current look but adds some nifty features.
Next, Lock Screen (microsoft.co ) helps customise the lock screen,
and includes some security features, while smartWake - Auto screen On/Of
(goo.gl/I2f3f9) allows you to wake your device just by picking it up.
Boomerang Notiications (goo.gl/wnw2d4) 4 gives in depth control over
notiications, including being able to snooze them.

app drawer, gestures, and even backup
and restore functionality. Nova Launcher
is free, but there is a Prime version with extra
features for $6.
MICROSOFT LAUNCHER
arrowlauncher.com
Formerly known as Arrow Launcher, this app
is ideal for those who also use Windows 10.
Not only does it allow a totally customisable
look, with themes, colours and more, it also
helps link your phone and Windows PC.
For example, ‘Continue on PC’ allows you
to share pics and continue editing documents
across devices. You can also sync calendars,
reminders and activity history. he best part
is that the launcher is totally free.
EVIE LAUNCHER
evie.com
Optimised for performance, Evie Launcher
makes sure your user experience is fast
and snappy. While the level of customisation
is not as deep as some other apps, you can still
create your own look with diferent layouts,
app icons and colours. To make life easy,
you can also import existing layouts and work
from there. he launcher also has some unique
features, such as custom shortcut creation, and
a universal search that actually searches inside
all your apps. And, of course, t is totally free.
ACTION LAUNCHER
actionlauncher.com
A versatile option, Action Launcher stands out
by bringing the best of Android Oreo and the
Pixel launcher to your current phone. If that’s
not your style, the look and feel can be tailored
to your taste, and it even has a quicktheme
option that tailors the look based on the
colours in your background image. Action
Launcher also has speciic features aimed
at making it quick to access your apps and
important information. It also supports
adaptive icons, and with a (paid) upgrade
pack, can bring them to older versions of
Android. Action Launcher is free, but has ads,
and some features require a paid upgrade.
SMART LAUNCHER 3
smartlauncher.net
To help make life easier, Smart Launcher
takes an intuitive approach to the interface
and layout that feels minimalistic yet well
organised. It uses smart app categories,
and displays the apps and information you
need most. here are also loads of themes
and icon packs available to help create a
unique new look and has features such as
gestures and an app locker. he basic app
is ad supported, but ofers paid upgrades
for extra features.

Often the latest Android features (such

as the Pixel Launcher) can be easily
replicated with a launcher such as Nova.

You can select your default new launcher under Action Launcher has plenty of customisation
Default Apps if not prompted during the install. available, and even supports adaptive icons.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 097 ]
 [ DOWNLOADS AND STREAMING ]
HELP STATION
STREAMING MORE FOREIGN TV
Streaming more foreign TV
GOT A VPN AND AN APPETITE FOR STREAMING MEDIA? WHY NOT GIVE THESE SERVICES A TRY.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]
BACK IN OUR December issue (#70, page 98),
we covered some of the free channels you can
get just by iring up your VPN and choosing
the right country. We took a look at the major
US channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, he CW),
as well as ITV in the UK.
his month, we thought we’d expand on
that list a little with some more great channels
and networks that you can access using
a VPN. We’ll try and focus mostly on
English-speaking content with no subscription
required, though you can also access plenty
of shows and movies in other languages, too.
Beyond our list, a good place to extend
your foreign TV streaming journey is
Wikipedia’s own list of internet television
providers at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_
of_Internet_television_providers.
Hundreds are listed, organised by nation.
To watch one, all you have to do is switch
to the correct nation in your VPN settings,
and head to the website.
All 4 hosts all the content
from Channel Four’s network.
UKTV Play has catch-up
for four diferent channels.
[ 098 ]
THE UK
In the UK, we’ve covered BBC’s iPlayer
(bbc.co.uk) and ITV Hub (formerly ITV
player, at www.itv.com) previously, but these
are also worth checking out:
ALL 4
www.channel4.com
he home of Channel Four Television (which
includes Channel 4, E4, More4, Film4 and
4Music), there is a huge amount of content
available here. Like most such catch-up
channels, it includes a 30-day catch up period
for broadcast content, as well as a subscription
service to access the larger back catalogue.
You can also watch the channels live.
In terms of what’s available, you’re less likely
to ind ‘prestige’ TV than you are on,
say, the BBC, but you’re more likely to ind
lifestyle and reality shows, as well as some
licensed programmes. Some channels, such as
Film4, only operate for certain hours and may
not have all content available on catch-up.
Crackle has diferent content
depending on where you connect from.
UKTV PLAY
uktvplay.uktv.co.uk
UKTV Play is home to four UK television
channels: Dave, Really, Yesterday and Drama.
As you might be able to tell from the names,
Really focuses on reality TV (it varies from
trashy to documentary), while Yesterday has
a focus on historical documentaries. Drama is
what it says on the tin, and there are some
genuinely high-quality productions available.
Dave is the hardest to pin down, being the
most like a traditional broadcast TV channel,
with a mix of shows available from reality TV
to dramas, and even some licensed content.
US
We’ve covered the US pretty extensively
previously, including Hulu (hulu.com), ABC
(abc.go.com), CBS (cbs.com), Fox (fox.com),
NBC (nbc.com), PBS (www.pbs.org) and
he CW (cwtv.com). here are many others,
but most of them require a US cable
subscription to access, which is not easy for
an Australian user to acquire (unless you
know someone in the US and they can give
you their password). We do have one to add
to the list, however:
CRACKLE US
www.crackle.com
Just like Netlix, Crackle has diferent movies
and TV shows depending on where you are. So
if you connect to the service while on a US
VPN server, you’ll get Crackle’s US content
rather than the Australian selection. As with
the Australian Crackle, US Crackle is free and
ad-supported, and streams are only in SD.
Although it’s oten the butt of jokes because
of its frequently older content, we always

Hotstar is India’s largest
streaming service
ALTHOUGH CRACKLE IS OFTEN
THE BUTT OF JOKES BEACUSE
OF ITS FREQUENTLY OLDER
CONTENT, WE ALWAYS
RECOMMEND PEOPLE CHECK
IT OUT REGARDLESS.
THERE ARE ALWAYS A FEW
GEMS AS WELL AS PLENTY OF
GUILTY PLEASURES
recommend people check it out regardless.
here are always a few gems on Crackle,
as well as plenty of guilty pleasures for those
of us who don’t mind a little bit of ‘80s and ‘90s
trash in our viewing diet.
INDIA
Hotstar
Owned and operated by India’s largest
television network, Star TV India, Hotstar
hosts a huge amount of content in both
English and Hindi. In its native country,
it’s actually massively more popular than
even Netlix, with around 75 million users
and counting.
A large part of the popularity of the service
is that most of the content is available for free,
supported only by advertising. It includes
drama, comedy, reality TV, movies, news and
sport (mostly cricket), all drawn from Star
TV’s massive network of channels. here is
both original and licensed content, and there
is also a Premium service that gives access
to licensed and newer movie content
(including HBO hits like Game of hrones)
for just
199 per month — which works out
to about $4 Australian.
VOOT
www.voot.com
Another popular streaming service in India,
Voot is Viacom 18’s Indian streaming service,
launched a little over a year ago but already
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
HELP STATION
STREAMING MORE FOREIGN TV
Voot has lots of kids’
and musical content.
BC is Canada’s
equivalent to the ABC.
IPTV SERVICES
One thing we haven’t covered in this column is the various IPTV conglomeration services that have
sprung up over the last few years. These subscription services takes the feeds from hundreds or
thousands of internet television channels from around the world and give you access to that content
for a relatively low monthly charge. Example of such services include RapidIPTV, MAGIC IPTV,
ACE IPTV, WatchHD and many others.
These services are actually extremely popular, and growing in popularity because of the sheer
amount of content they ofer and ease of integration with apps like Kodi. But the legality of many such
services is highly questionable, so we don’t cover them here or recommend signing up to them,
unless you’re sure the service is legitimate.
hosting a large amount of TV shows and Although the site design is a little Spartan,
movies. Most of that content is drawn from there is a lot of great stuf on here, and it’s
India’s MTV, Nickelodeon and Colors Ininity, worth connecting to a Canadian VPN server
but there are also Bollywood movies on there, just to check it out. You, like us, may ind it a
as well as a handful of original series on the little weird to see Bondi Vet on Canadian TV,
site. Content is available in English, Hindi and though it proves that we’re known for more
several other languages. than Neighbours and Home and Away.
Like most catch-up TV services, it makes
CANADA shows available for a 30-day period ater
CBC broadcast (with some shows having full
watch.cbc.ca seasons available), and you can also watch
Canada’s equivalent to the UK’s BBC or live TV and lag shows for later viewing.
Australia’s ABC, CBC hosts a variety of shows
of all genres and styles. Documentaries and
current afairs are a strong suit, but there are
also dramas, comedies, lifestyle shows, movies
and everything in between.
[ 099 ]
 [ HOME NETWORKING ]
HELP STATION
HELPING YOU HELP OTHERS WITH THEIR TECH
Helping you help others
with their tech
THE ESSENTIAL TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MANAGE OTHER PEOPLE’S DEVICES.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]
YOU’RE READING TECHLIFE right now,
which probably means that you’re the go-to
guy or gal when anybody you know has
technical problems. It might be your kids,
your parents, your neighbours, your extended
family... when something weird starts
happening on their techno-things, they call
you. And that usually means going to another
person’s computer and trying to igure out
what is wrong. Or not, if you install the tools
we’re going to be talking about this month.
Below, we look at three tools we ind
invaluable for managing other people’s PCs.
hey’re not enterprise class management
tools — they’re just simple apps you can
install on your PC and on the devices that
you ind yourself (willingly or not)
in charge of managing.
TEAMVIEWER
www.teamviewer.com
FREE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL USE
here are any number of remote control
and remote viewing apps available, but
TeamViewer stands head and shoulders
above nearly all of them. It’s easy to use
and understand, has built-in communication
tools and works across platforms. It will work
with Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Linux
PCs. It will also work PC-to-mobile and
mobile-to-PC. To use TeamViewer for
remote support, you just need to install
TeamViewer QuickSupport requires no Enter the ID generated by QuickConnect to get rolling.
installation, just download, run and read.
[ 100 ]
the TeamViewer Host application on all
the devices you intend to control. hat can
include mobiles, as well as PCs — yes, you
can remote control Android mobiles with
TeamViewer (you can also control PCs
from mobiles).
here’s also a downloadable app called
TeamViewer QuickSupport that requires no
installation on the part of the user — they
can just download and run it. Once you’ve
got control of the computer using
QuickSupport, you can use that control
to install a permanent Host that can be set up
for anytime access.
To control the remote device, you need
to install the main TeamViewer app. his app
includes both a viewer and a host.
Typically, the process looks something
like this:
01
Over the phone, you tell the other
person to download and run
TeamViewer QuickSupport.
02
When they do, they will be given an
ID and a password. hey can read
these out over the phone to you.
03
In TeamViewer on your PC or device,
you type the ID into the ield under
Control Remote Computer, click on Connect,
then enter the passcode. hey will get a
conirmation popup and then remote control
should immediately start.
With a cloud parental control solution like Safe Kids,
you manage activity and permissions through a browser.
04
If you click on the ‘Files & Extras’
menu while remote controlling,
you can install TeamViewer Host and set
it up for permanent access.
KASPERSKY SAFE KIDS
www.kaspersky.com.au/safe-kids
FREE OR $20 PER YEAR FOR PREMIUM
When it comes to managing the online
activity of children, the new breed of cloud-
managed parental controls is the crème de la
crème. hey are so much easier and more
powerful than the old method of installing
big client apps on individual devices and then
having to constantly access those devices to
manage them.
With cloud-managed parental controls,
you just install a small host on the PCs or
mobile devices that your kids use. hen to
manage it, you log into a website to set
policies for the devices and users. You can
control what sites the kids can visit, when
they have internet access, what they can do
on social media, what apps they can use
and when, and when they can make and
receive phone calls. hey also oten have
location tracking as well.
here are a number of cloud parental
control system around now, and we
recommend Kaspersky’s Safe Kids Premium.
We should note that we actually don’t think
Kaspersky Safe Kids is the best cloud parental
control sotware. ContentWatch Net Nanny 7,
Symantec Norton Family Premier and
Qustodio are arguably better services.
 INTEL AMT
Intel has actually built remote control right
into some of its processors, and it even lets
you control the BIOS of the remote PC. Called
Intel Active Management Technology (AMT),
it’s available in all processors with the vPro

HELP STATION
HELPING YOU HELP OTHERS WITH THEIR TECH
logo. That includes quite a number of
processors designed for laptops.
You need to enable AMT KVM (keyboard
video mouse) in the BIOS of the system
you want to control, as well as switch on
Firmware Verbosity. Then pressing ‘Ctrl-P’ The console will start empty. You have to Snap-in controls.
during bootup will enter the host process
for that computer, which involves basic setup
and password creation.
To control the host, you’ll need Intel
Manageability Commander, which you can
download from Intel’s website:
downloadcenter.intel.com

But Kaspersky has two big things going for it:

the low cost and unlimited device support.
You can install the client on as many devices
as you like, and it won’t cost you extra.
here’s also a free version of Safe Kids
that has site iltering and online time
management, but lacks social media
and mobile communications controls.
(Our previous favourite free service,
Norton Family Free, is no longer available).

MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT CONSOLE Pick which ones you want.

FREE IN WINDOWS
Unless you’re a sys admin by trade, you may
be only dimly aware that there’s this thing
built into Windows called the Microsot
Management Console, or MMC.
MMC is a console into which you can
“Snap-in” various system management tools.
You can Snap-in the Windows Defender,
Task Manager and Services control, for
example. Once you do that, you can quickly
access those features from the MMC without
having to dig for their individual settings.
Here’s the thing — it’s not just your own
computer’s management tools that you can
plug into the MMC. You can plug in the
management tools for other people’s systems
as well. So you could Snap-in the Task
Manager and Windows Defender controls
for your mother’s system, for example, so you
can perform a quick check on her PC just
from the console. Obviously, you will need
permission — an admin account on your
client PC — but once you’ve set that up,
controlling it should be very easy.
Here’s how it all works:
Start MMC. Just go to the search bar
in Windows and type “MMC” and press
Enter. MMC will start, and by default,
the console is empty. It does nothing until
you add Snap-ins.
01
Go to ‘File > Add/Remove Snap-in’.
A list of available Snap-ins will appear.
Choose to manage another computer.
Select one you want to add to the Console
and click Add.
02
When you add a Snap-in that supports
remote control (such as Task
Manager), you’ll get a popup. Select the
computer you want this Snap-in to manage.
03
It’s here you can select a diferent
computer to manage. Click on the
radio button for ‘Another computer’, and
then browse the network to ind the
computer. You can also type in an IP address,
which allows remote management over the
internet (though the other person will need
to have a static IP, as well as proper irewall
permissions set up to do that).
04
If the admin user account you set up
on the other PC is diferent to your
current account, you’ll also need to check
the ‘Connect as another user’ box, then Set
User to enter the username and password.
05
Once you’re done adding and clicked
OK, the Snap-in will appear in the
main window, listed under the name of the
remote computer. Clicking on it will give
you access to the controls for that computer.
You can continue to add as many Snap-ins
as you like — although some may not have
remote control options or be available in
every version of Windows.
As you can see, MMC can get a little
technical, and it may not be for everyone.
But even just the basics, like adding
Windows Defender, Task Scheduler
(for backups) and Services can make support
quite a bit easier. And making the job
of being ‘the family tech support person’
easier is what we’re all about.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 101 ]
 [ PHOTOGRAPHY ]
N
MPOSITION

The art of composition

IMPROVE YOUR IMAGES BY DISCOVERING ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL TRICKS, TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS YOU NEED
TO ENSURE YOU GET THE COMPOSITION RIGHT EVERY TIME
RT O

[ CHRIS RUTTER ]

HAVE YOU EVER wondered why some pictures just look ‘right’,
while others don’t? he answer lies in composition, which relates to
the positioning and relationships between areas and focal points in the
subject you are shooting. Understanding how composition works is the
single most important thing you need to know to improve your images.
Composition is a combination of art, a little bit of science, and a
signiicant sprinkling of ‘gut feeling’. In these six pages, you’ll discover
all of the rules and techniques that you need to improve your
composition skills, how to use them and how they afect your images.
While we can’t teach you the ‘gut feeling’, simply getting out there
and using these composition techniques will help you discover which
ones work for you and the subject that you are shooting. Even if you
already instinctively ‘know’ when an image looks right, learning about
the rules of composition will only add to your skills and help you
to create more dynamic and striking images in the future.

[ 102 ]
USE DEPTH
CONVEY DEPTH AND DISTANCE TO HELP
DRAW IN THE VIEWER

WHILE THE BASIC positioning and placement of the elements within

a picture is vital to the composition, this is only one part of improving

HELP STATION
THE ART OF COMPOSITION
your images. Even when you have positioned your subjects beautifully,
you can end up with very lat-looking images, so you need to use some
other techniques to add a sense of depth and distance to shots.
here are two main techniques that can help emulate a three-
dimensional scene within the constraints of a two-dimensional
photograph: leading lines and aerial perspective. he irst relies on using
shapes, lines or curves in the subject to draw the viewer into the picture.
his technique can be enhanced by using geometrical rules such as
vanishing points and objects getting smaller as they get further away
from you, giving a sense of depth that would otherwise be missing
from a two-dimensional image.
Aerial perspective is a touch more diicult to use in many shots,
because it relies on tones becoming lighter and the reduction of contrast
to make objects appear further away from the viewer.

AERIAL PERSPECTIVE
his efect relies on the fact that WE ASSUME OBJECTS THAT
objects tend to get lighter and also CONTAIN DEEP BLACKS ARE
have less contrast the further away CLOSER TO THE VIEWER THAN
they are, due to water vapour LOWER-CONTRAST AND
and pollution in the atmosphere. LIGHTER ONES, WHICH HELPS
his means we assume objects that GIVE THE APPEARANCE
contain deep blacks are closer to OF DEPTH
the viewer than lower-contrast and
lighter ones, which helps give the appearance of depth in your
composition. Shooting from a distance and using a telephoto lens will
emphasise this efect, although you still need the right atmospheric
conditions. It‘s most pronounced in misty, hazy conditions, and also
when you are shooting into the light. So these situations are perfect for
using aerial perspective in your images. In contrast, thick fog can hide
the entire background, producing a more two-dimensional efect.
LEADING LINES
Diagonal lines and shapes that converge in the frame can be incredibly
useful for adding a sense of depth to your two-dimensional images.
hese geometrical efects are known as leading (or sometimes lead-in)
lines, as they lead the eye from the foreground to the background.
You can ind these lines or shapes in a huge range of subjects, from an
obvious road, track or path to a more subtle shadow, linear object or
shape in the subject that leads from the foreground to the main subject.
Getting close to the object that you want to use to lead the viewer in,
and using a wide-angle lens, will help emphasise this efect, although
you can also ind subtle shapes and lines when using other viewpoints.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 103 ]
 THE BASICS
ACHIEVE BALANCE AND FORM BY USING
HELP STATION
THE ART OF COMPOSITION

THESE SIMPLE TECHNIQUES IN YOUR SHOTS

Identifying and positioning the main subject,
and other focal points, in your image is at the
heart of good composition. Get this wrong,
and you’ll simply end up with an unbalanced,
awkward and unfulilling image that will
never look quite ‘right’.
So here, we’ll start with the building blocks
of where to place subjects and focal points to
help you get better balance, shape and
distribution of form in your photos. No single
one of these rules and techniques is the ‘golden
bullet’ to getting the right balance every time
you take a shot, but if you are struggling to
ind a framing and composition that works,
implementing one of these rules can really
help you get a shot that looks great, instead
of one that is only destined to be deleted.
Remember that, before you start using these
techniques, you’ll irst need to decide which
elements of the subject you want to include —
and, oten more importantly, which you can
leave out of the frame because they distract
from, rather than add to, the image.

RULE OF THIRDS
his age-old composition trick is the perfect REMEMBER THAT, BEFORE
place to start when you are thinking of placing YOU START USING THESE
subjects of-centre to add balance and TECHNIQUES, YOU’LL FIRST
dynamism. he rule of thirds works by splitting NEED TO DECIDE WHICH
each side of the frame into three equal lengths, ELEMENTS OF THE SUBJECT
then adding horizontal and vertical lines that YOU WANT TO INCLUDE — AND,
partition the frame into nine areas. he key OFTEN MORE IMPORTANTLY,
areas are the lines themselves, which are perfect WHICH YOU CAN LEAVE OUT
for placing the main elements of the scene. OF THE FRAME
Position your main subject on one of these
lines, then use others for important elements such as the horizon,
secondary focal points or strong vertical lines. he other key areas in
the grid are the four line intersections, which give optimal positions
for the main focal point.

[ 104 ]
THE GOLDEN RATIO

HELP STATION
THE ART OF COMPOSITION
While the rule of
thirds is the most
common way of
dividing the frame,
it’s certainly not the
only one. A popular
alternative is the
golden ratio, which
places the optimal
positions for focal
points and important
elements closer to the
centre than the rule
of thirds.
his grid divides
each side into
sections with a ratio
of 1:0.618:1, which
means that the centre
section is smaller
than the outer ones.
his is also known as the ‘divine proportion’ or the Phi ratio, and
is based on the proportions that can oten be found in nature.
But that’s not all; this grid also supplies the proportions for the
golden spiral. his intersects the lines found in the golden ratio,
with the arc of the curve giving you the optimal positions for
placing interesting elements of the picture as well as the main
focal point.

Here, the horizon is on the upper

part of the golden ratio lines,
while the shore and focal point
LOOK FOR OTHER FOCAL correspond to the golden spiral.
POINTS IN THE FRAME THAT
CAN GIVE YOUR IMAGE MORE
BALANCE AND DEPTH

FOCAL POINTS ODD NUMBERS

Although it’s true that you can produce a strong, simple composition
with a single focal point, such as a person or dominant subject, you
should also look for other focal points in the frame that can give your
image more balance and depth. his can be particularly useful when
placing subjects of-centre using one of the compositional ‘grids’.
For example, if your main focal point is on the top-right
intersection of the rule of thirds, try to look for a complementary
focal point in the lower-let one to counterbalance the dominance
of the right of the frame.
When you’re shooting multiple subjects or focal points in a single frame,
you should get in the habit of considering how many to include, as well
as where you position them. One or two subjects work well, but when it
comes to larger amounts, odd numbers produce more balanced and
pleasing compositions than even ones. You can position these so that
one is near the centre of the frame, then distribute the others evenly
on either side, for a balanced feel. Alternatively, you might decide
to ofset the composition by including diferent numbers on either side
to emphasise one side of the frame from the other.

[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ] [ 105 ]
 SPACE & SIMPLICITY
LESS IS MORE WHEN YOU WANT TO ADD IMPACT TO YOUR COMPOSITION
HELP STATION
THE ART OF COMPOSITION
You don’t always have to ill the frame with the main
subject or include loads of diferent elements in a scene to
produce striking compositions. In fact, it’s oten better to
isolate a single focal point or leave space around the subject
to give it room to ‘breathe’. his approach to composition
will help you produce more relaxed, contemplative images,
because the extra space helps to give the viewer more time
to ‘ind’ the subject in the image without the competition
of other elements or focal points in the scene. Finding this
perfect simplicity isn’t always easy. You will need to identify
LEAVE SOME SPACE
Leaving large areas of blank space or simple patterns
around the subject enables the viewer to spend more time
contemplating the whole image. he easiest approach to
take to achieve this is to shoot the subject against a blank
background, such as white, black or a single colour. But a
simple pattern or sotly varied background can work just
as well, on the condition that these areas complement the
main subject, rather than overpower it. hen the viewer
will feel that looking at these areas adds to the experience,
rather than takes away from it.
Outside of the studio or a controlled situation, this
balance can be hard to achieve because you will need to
work hard to ind a background that both adds to the
image, but doesn’t distract attention away from the subject.
[ 106 ]
the dominant subject and then isolate it from any
distractions around it to produce a really striking
composition. To help you isolate the subject, you can
use a couple of techniques that aren’t immediately
associated with composition: long shutter speeds and
shallow depth of ield. hese enable you to blur distracting
elements around the subject, producing a much stronger
and simpler composition than if there were too many
other distractions visible in the frame.
GO CENTRAL
In the previous pages, we’ve concentrated on placing
the subject away from the centre of the frame — but,
as with all artistic techniques, this isn’t the only approach.
When you are shooting a single dominant subject, placing
it in the centre of the image will emphasise its importance
in the frame. his technique goes against all of the advice
given about adding balance and movement to your shots,
as the viewer’s eye isn’t tempted to look around the frame
as much as an of-centre subject, but this is what helps
to add impact to this composition style. You can add to
the efect by cropping to a square format, rather than
the normal rectangle, as it places even more emphasis
on the central area of the frame.
 HELP STATION
THE ART OF COMPOSITION
FINDING THIS PERFECT
SIMPLICITY ISN’T ALWAYS
EASY. YOU WILL NEED TO
IDENTIFY THE DOMINANT
SUBJECT AND THEN ISOLATE IT
FROM ANY DISTRACTIONS
AROUND IT TO PRODUCE
A REALLY STRIKING
COMPOSITION

[ 107 ]

he TechLife team inds the best budget, value and performance products, and the latest releases in the top technology categories. If you believe
there are other products that deserve the title in any of the tech categories, let us know and give us your reasons why in 50 words or less.
Equally, if there’s a hot new product that’s worthy of attention, we want to kknow. Send yyour eemail to techlife@futurenet.com.
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D-Link DSL-G225
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A basic, NBN-ready 300Mbps Wi-Fi
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Edimax BR-6478AC V2
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Blitzes its cheaper competition with
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W EXTEN
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ASUS RP-AC68U
$240 | www.asus.com/au
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TS 228
QNAP TS-228
$190 (diskless) | www.qnap.com
Despite the bargain pricepoint, this
2-bay NAS is feature packed and lets
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[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
[ TECHLIFE #75 ]
BUYER’S GUIDE
YOUR READY RECKONER TO THE BEST TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS
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TP-Link Archer D7
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The UI is a bit no-frills, but once set up,
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TP Li k Archer
TP-Link A h C3150
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ASUS EA-AC87
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D-Link Cobra DSL-5300
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Synology DS1517+
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[ 109 ]
 PROUDLY BROUGHT
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[ 110 ]
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Telstra TV 2
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Epson EB-1761W
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Hisense 55M7000UWG
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A great interface and solid image
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Dell XPS 13 (2017)
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Xbox One S
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Amazon Fire TV Stick
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$70 | www.belkin.com
This isn’t just a way to switch your
devices on and of; the WeMo also
keeps close tabs on your energy usage.
[ BEST MIRRORLESS ]
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
$1,199 (14-42mm) | www.olympus.com.au
The 16.1MP Mark III debuts an over-
hauled menu system that caters to the
beginner and has a great value price.
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[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]
Motorola Moto G5 Plus
$350 (16GB) | www.motorola.com.au
A classy 5.2-incher with quality
internals, good camera and
fast-charging support.
[ BEST PREMIUM — TIED ]
Apple iPhone 8
From $1,079 | www.apple.com/au
It’s a minimal update on last year’s
model, but the 4.7-inch iPhone is the
best all-rounder for most Apple fans.
[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]
Apple iPad (2017)
From $469 (32GB) | www.apple.com/au
Faster and cheaper than the Air 2,
the new iPad is the best pick
for a basic all-rounder tablet.
[ BEST PERFORMANCE ]
Apple iPad Pro (10.5-inch)
From $979 (64GB) | www.apple.com/au
This new 10.5-inch iPad’s
bigger screen hits the size sweet spot
and makes a great 2-in-1.
[ BEST WIRELESS
SECURITY CAMERA ]
Ring Video Doorbell 2
$329 | www.ring.com
A motion-detecting security camera,
plus doorbell, it alerts you via your
smartphone when you have a visitor.
[ BEST CONSUMER DIGITAL SLR ]
Nikon D3400
$850 (twin lens kit) | www.nikon.com.au
Aimed at newcomers, with a compact The Hero can now shoot video at 4K @
design, excellent battery life, decent AF 60fps, with improved electronic image
system and reliable image quality.
WWW.GETPRICE.COM.AU
[ NEW ON SHELF ]
Huawei Mate 10
SMARTPHONES:
ENTRY-LEVEL
$899 (64GB) | www.huawei.com
BUYER’S GUIDE
READY RECKONER
Undercuts the other flagships while
packing an OLED display and a camera
that’ll worry some DSLRs.
[ NEW ON SHELF ]
Apple iPhone X
SMARTPHONES:
From $1,579 | www.apple.com/au
It’s the most expensive iPhone ever,
PREMIUM
LAPTOPS, TABLETS & SMARTPHONES
and it’s terriic, though it swaps Touch
ID for facial recognition.
[ BEST VERSATILITY ]
TABLETS & 2-IN-1S
Acer Switch 3
(ENTRY LEVEL)
From $799 | www.acer.com.au
This detachable 2-in-1 has a stylus to
work with Windows excellent pen input
capabilities. A great all-rounder.
NEW
ENTRY
[ NEW ON SHELF ]
TABLETS & 2-IN-1S
Kogan Atlas C300 Convertible
$399 | www.kogan.com/au
(PREMIUM)
A unibody design and 13.3-inch screen
makes this a real looker. Basic internals
aside, this is great value for money.
[ BEST AI SPEAKER ]
Google Home
HOME & LIVING
$149 | www.store.google.com
GADGETS & ACCESSORIES
Yell at Google’s smart assistant to
play music, check the weather
and organise your calendar.
[ BEST ACTION CAM ]
GoPro Hero 6 Black
$699 | www.gopro.com
CAMERAS
DIGITAL
stabilisation and low-light performance.
[ 111 ]
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[ BEST WIRELESS HARD DRIVE ]

[ BEST POWER BANK ] WD My Passport Wireless [ SMARTPHONE VR HEADSET ] [ BEST MOBILE GAMEPAD ]
Xiaomi Power Bank Pro Pro 3TB Kaiser Baas VR-X Headset iPega PG-9025
ACCESSORIES

$32 | www.mi.com/en $399 | www.wd.com $50 | www.kaiserbaas.com $25 | www.dx.com

BUYER’S GUIDE
READY RECKONER

This 225g power bank packs 10,000mAh A great way to share and back up This universal VR headset is a low-cost You'll need to buy it online, but this
of extra power and can even fast-charge your iles anywhere, plus it has way to get in on the smartphone VR gamepad is nice and responsive, and
supported smartphones. Plex media streaming. revolution and is comfortable. works with both iOS and Android.
GADGETS & ACCESSORIES

[ BEST BUDGET ] [ BEST VALUE ] [ BEST PREMIUM ] [ BEST HIGH-SPEED ]

WD My Passport 1TB SIlicon Power Armor A85 Seagate Backup Plus 5TB Samsung Portable SSD T5
PORTABLE HARD

$89 | www.wd.com From $109 | www.silicon-power.com $280 | www.seagate.com From $199 (256GB) | www.samsung.com/au
WD’s My Passport ranges come with Near indestructible. We dropped it, took It’s a little bulkier than the Ultra Slim, With transfer speeds of up to 500MB/s,
DRIVES

security and backup software bundled it for a dip in a pool, and drove a car over left, but if you need lots of storage on these portable USB 3.1 SSDs will move
in and good speeds for the price. it, and the A85 didn’t miss a beat. the go, this 5TB drive is a neat option. your data around supremely fast.

[ BEST SMARTWATCH
FOR ANDROID ] [ BEST SMARTWATCH FOR IOS ] [ BEST FITNESS BAND ] [ BEST EXERCISE HEADPHONES ]
Samsung Gear S3 Apple Watch 3 Fitbit Charge 2 BioConnected HR+

$599 | www.samsung.com/au From $459 | www.apple.com/au $249 | www.itbit.com $279 | bioconnected.com

WEARABLES

The S3 is pricey, but it makes a great A tad cheaper and with optional 4G, A reinement on the Charge HR, this These headphones have a heart-rate
itness tracker and smartwatch, and Apple’s third-gen Watch is a great bigger tracker does all-day heartrate sensor and a whole wodge of other
can last 3 days between charges. companion for sporty iPhone owners. and automatic sleep tracking. tech to measure your run performance.

[ BEST BUDGET ] [ BEST VALUE ] [ BEST PROFESSIONAL ] [ BEST GAMING ]

ViewSonic VX2457-mhd ASUS VX239H BenQ PD3200U ViewSonic XG2703-GS

$175 | www.viewsonic.com.au $230 | www.asus.com/au $1,299 | www.benq.com.au $899 | www.viewsonic.com.au

MONITORS

This 24-inch 1080p matte-inish This AH-IPS 23-inch matte LCD A 32-inch 4K IPS panel with HDR. A 27-inch 1440p IPS display with great
display is great for gaming with a 75Hz has great specs, a 1080p resolution Adheres to sRGB industry standards gaming chops and 144Hz refresh rate.
refresh rate and FreeSync support. and a nice price. and doubles as a gaming monitor. It even has G-Sync support.
PC

PC PERIPHERALS

[ BEST LAPBOARD
GAMING KEYBOARDS

[ BEST BUDGET ] [ BEST VALUE ] [ BEST PREMIUM ] FOR LOUNGE-ROOM USE ]

Tt eSports Poseidon ZX Logitech G610 Orion Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire Razer Turret

$99 | www.au.ttesports.com $120 | www.logitech.com $190 | www.corsair.com $220 | www.razerzone.com

This basic compact board still has it Available in red, blue or brown This Cherry MX Silver-switched ‘board This lapboard is sleeker than most,
where it counts, with solid switches, it’s sedate enough for oices feels great under the ingers and has with a magnetised mousepad to help
performance and comfortable keys. but still has gaming features. bright-as-hell RGB lighting. keep the included mouse grounded.
GAMING HEADSETS

[ BEST BUDGET ] [ BEST VALUE ] [ BEST PERFORMANCE ] [ NEW ON SHELF ]

Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Cougar Immersa Pro Audio-Technica ATH-AG1 HyperX Cloud Alpha

$35 | www.microsoft.com.au/hardware $99 | cougargaming.com $299 | www.audio-technica.com.au $169 | www.hyperxgaming.com

A cheap basic USB headset with A ine approximation of 7.1 A super-comfy headset with massive Lightweight and with soft, the Cloud
noise-cancelling tech. surround sound from a very drivers and fantastic sound. Alphas promise respectable bass and
comfortable set of headphones. mids, and can be used anywhere.

[ 112 ]

[ BEST BUDGET ]
Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury
$49 | www.logitech.com
A hybrid-sensor gaming mouse with
optical, gyro and accelerometer
tracking, this one doesn’t skip a beat.
[ BEST BUDGET ]
Canon Pixma MG2960
$36 | www.canon.com.au
An inkjet that can print, scan and copy
in colour, send faxes, has Wi-Fi and
can AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
[ BEST BUDGET ]
ASUS PH-GTX1050TI-4G
$230 | www.asus.com/au
You’ll get respectable 1080p/Normal
gaming performance from this
afordable GeForce GTX 1050 Ti card.
[ BEST BUDGET ]
MSI B250M Mortar
$135 | au.msi.com
A great companion for the Pentium
G4560; has everything you need
for under $150.
[ BEST BUDGET ]
Intel Pentium G4560
$85 | www.intel.com
This 7th-gen (aka Kaby Lake) CPU
is great for those looking to build
a quality budget rig.
[ BEST BUDGET ]
Crucial MX300 (275GB)
$130 | www.crucial.com
The afordable MX300 drives are great
value and fast-enough to max out the
SATA interface. Can’t go wrong here.
[ WWW.TECHLIFE.NET ]
[ BEST VALUE ]
Razer DeathAdder Chroma
$65 | www.razerzone.com/au-en
This super-comfy ergonomic mouse
for right-handers has a great,
organic-feeling sensor.
[ BEST VALUE ]
HP Officejet Pro 8710
$180 | www.hp.com/au
An inkjet with print, copy, scan and
fax, a 50-sheet copying tray, double
sided printing and wireless.
[ BEST VALUE ]
ASUS DUAL-GTX1060-O3G
$350 | www.asus.com/au
With a GTX 1060 you can stretch
to lower-detail 1440p gaming,
or manage Ultra/1080p.
NEW
W
ENTR
RY
[ BEST VALUE ]
ASUS RoG Strix Z370-G
Gaming
$289 | www.asus.com/au
Micro ATX done right, with enough
space for two M.2 PCIe SSDs and
support for 64GB of DDR4.
[ BEST VALUE ]
Intel Core i5-8400
$290 | www.intel.com
This six-core Intel chip strikes a great
balance between gaming and multimedia
performance at a very keen price.
NEW
ENTRY
[ BEST VALUE ]
Samsung 860 EVO 500GB
$239 | www.samsung.com/au
500GB is the ideal spot for cost-
per-gig. This updated drive from
Samsung is a great choice.
PROUDLY BROUGHT
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[ BEST AMBIDEXTEROUS ] [ BEST WIRELESS ]
SteelSeries Sensei RAW Logitech G703
$80 | www.steelseries.com $150 | www.logitech.com
BUYER’S GUIDE
READY RECKONER
PC GAMING
Ditching unneeded features, this is a Cheaper than its G903 sibling,
lean, mean headshotting machine this mouse uses the same wireless
MICE
that’s good for lefties and righties. tech for excellent performance.
PC PERIPHERALS
PRINTERS & MULTIFUNCTION
[ BEST PHOTO PRINTER ] [ BEST SMALL-BUSINESS LASER ]
Epson Expression Premium HP Colour LaserJet Pro
XP-720 MFP M277dw
$200 | www.epson.com.au $450 | www.hp.com/au
Creates fantastic-quality photo prints Built-in wireless, duplex print and
CENTRES
at a relatively afordable price. scan, cloud and mobile print,
and great print quality at a fair price.
[ BEST PREMIUM ] [ BEST EXTREME ]
Gigabyte GV- Gigabyte GV-
N1070WF2OC-8GD N1080WF3OC-8GD
PC GRAPHICS
$630 | www.gigabyte.com.au $800 | www.gigabyte.com.au
Stepping up to a GTX 1070 lets you GTX 1080 prices have climbed recently,
game at 1440p, or pair it with a G-Sync but this Gigabyte card is one of the
CARDS
monitor for smoother rendering. fairer oferings.
[ BEST PREMIUM ] [ BEST EXTREME ]
ASUS RoG Crosshair VI Hero ASUS Prime X399-A
MOTHERBOARDS
$349 | www.asus.com/au $579 | www.asus.com/au
Currently the best AM4 motherboard on This Threadripper board is feature-
PC COMPONENTS
the market — provides all the high-end packed, with a highly-tweakable BIOS,
features you need at a fair price. great memory and storage support.
PC
[ BEST EXTREME ]
[ BEST PREMIUM ] AMD Ryzen Threadripper
AMD Ryzen 7 1800X 1950X
PROCESSORS
$489 | www.amd.com $1,299 | www.amd.com
AMD’s back with this octa-core If you’re looking for high-end 3D design
screamer, which ofers masses of or image and video editing chops,
performance
rformance for half the price of Intel
Intel. this is amazing bang-for-buck.
PC
N
NEW
ENTRY
[ BEST PREMIUM ] [ BEST EXTREME ]
Crucial MX500 1TB Samsung 960 Pro M.2 512GB
SOLID-STATE
$390 | www.crucial.com $430 | www.samsung.com/au
A ive-year warranty is the icing It’s pricey, but with 3TB/s read
DRIVES
on a super-fast SATA SSD cake and 2TB/s write speeds,
that ofers great bang for buck. this M.2 drive is stupid-fast.
[ 113 ]
 ST
K
C
[ THE HELL IS THIS? ]
Ridiculous tech exposed
WE SCOUR THE DARK AND OFTEN PERVERTED CORNERS OF THE
INTERNET TO BRING YOU THE WEIRDEST TECH AROUND. YOU MAY
WANT TO BRING A SICK BOWL OR A BOX OF TISSUES TO CRY INTO...
[ CARMEL SEALEY ]
Qoobo
THE TAILED PILLOW THAT HEALS YOUR HEART.
qoobo.info
While, of course, there have been studies detailing the beneits of pets to our mental health,
if you can’t go buy a real pet cat to cuddle, we’re not sure that a robotic, headless pillow
is the best alternative. he robotic element extends only as far as the tail movement,
wagging slowly from side to side (which, in cat lingo, actually means “I’m not a fan of what
you’re doing to me right now”), so don’t imagine that this headless monstrosity is going to
be parading around the living room like a lufy robo-vac. While its furry outside might
be sot and pleasant to sleep on, and yes, maybe it does have the power to calm people...
we simply can’t get past the fact that this is a headless cat pillow!
TEAMOSA
A TEA BREWING MASTER.
tinyurl.com/tla75-teamosa
his is a way of making tea that will cost us something along the lines of AU$510.
he successfully-crowdfunded TEAMOSA claims to be able to customise the strength
and lavour of each cup (you know, like how us unsophisticated apes count our dunks
and make note of the brand we buy), and you can choose between capsules or loose tea
leaves (something else we can already do). Simply pop your leaves or capsules in the top,
make sure you’ve got enough water and press go. he TEAMOSA will brew your cup to
your speciications (which you can ine-tune via an app), and will work hard to capture
all the goodly antioxidants in your tea. Once the tea’s brewed, the unit then self-cleans.
While it might seem a bit hypocritical of us to criticise this expensive tea-maker, while
admitting to own a $700 cofee machine with included grinder, at least that machine
can also make exceptional hot chocolates, so... nyeh.
[ 114 ]
BELTY POWER
THAT’S ITS ACTUAL NAME. YEP.
www.belty.paris/index.php?geo=1
We have several issues with this belt that’s also a battery
pack, but to save you from a long rant, we’re just going to
list our qualms. One: the assertion that having a belt that
“just holds up your pants” isn’t good enough anymore.
Two: the claim that there are such things as “one size its
all” belts in our world of expanding waistlines. Three:
that someone thought Belty Power was a good name for
the product. Four: that a 2,00mAh battery in a belt
is a better idea than a portable charging device. Five:
that stamping the words “designer” and “hand made”
onto it means you can charge about $250 for a belt.
Six: inally, this battery is dangerously close to your
nether region. Would you trust a “designer” belt battery
not to blow up and potentially snuf out your hopes for
future ofspring? You can get good portable batteries
from as little as $50, you know. Just saying...
PAKA
A CAMERA TO ATTACH TO YOUR SPECS.
tinyurl.com/tla75-paka
To be honest, we’re not sure if this product even got of
the ground, as it was unsuccessful in its IndieGoGo
campaign, and rightfully so. This is a small wearable
Wi-Fi camera (we’re unsure if the ‘world’s smallest’ claim
can be substantiated) that’s been designed to attach to
your glasses. It’s lightweight and hands-free, meaning
you can simply take a photo or start a video by the totally-
not-at-all-creepy manner of... winking. It shoots at 8MP
and records in HD, meaning you can rewatch in fairly crisp
quality that embarrassing moment at that party where
that nice girl you were trying to chat up threw her wine
in your face for being a winky creepster.
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