Tech
Smart cup can tell you exactly what's in your drink
Vessyl can perform a detailed analysis of what's inside, delivering data on sugar content, calorie count, nutritional information, even the brand and flavour of the drink.
Security
Hacking smart homes: even toilets aren't safe
Fridges, ovens, power outlets and even baby monitors vulnerable to hacker attacks, and experts say the danger will only grow as more people connect.
Pictures tell the story in giant TVs
Rod Easdown Before there were LCD televisions, and 106-centimetre plasmas cost $10,000, a retailer told me the reason people paid so much for them. It wasn’t just about size, picture quality and viewing experience – having a plasma was like having a BMW. Plasmas, he said, were BMWs you hung on the wall.
Multi-tool provides sharp functionality outdoors
Katie Cincotta A multi-tool review in the technology section might seem incongruous. Is one of the tech titans trying to convince us that phones now require supplementary weaponry?
Samsung spends big in new product blitz
Katie Cincotta In the first half of 2014, Samsung has launched 26 new ‘‘flagship’’ consumer electronic products across the mobile, tablet, camera and sound and vision categories.
HomeTech
Apple is set to make a bigger push into monitoring health and home
Brian X. Chen Apple is unlikely to introduce new devices this week, the things that most excite customers and investors these days. But the company is expected to dive deeper into two new areas: connected health and the so-called smart home.
REVIEW
Hands on with Meta Pro, the futuristic augmented reality glasses
Ben Grubb We go hands on with augmented reality glasses that its founders say is the computer of the future.
Review
Hands on: Australian Chromecast
Adam Turner It's simple to set up, but don't expect Google's Chromecast to offer easy access to Netflix.
TV
Get the most out of your UHD TV with the right disc player
Rod Easdown There isn't a lot of bespoke material for UHD TVs but you can get more enjoyment from your movie collection if you've got the right accompanying hardware.
Review
Jawbone UP24 bracelet a functional item of wearable tech
Katie Cincotta The serrated rubber wristband gives feedback on your health and fitness in a Bluetooth wireless model that fuses style and substance.
Audio
Crank up the bass to give your party some oomph
Rod Easdown The neighbours might not approve but these booming music systems prove their mettle on the dance floor.
TV
Review: Ultra-high definition TV the next big thing in home entertainment
Rod Easdown Ultra-high definition (UHD) may be on its way to becoming the default specification for Australian televisions, even though there’s no software for it and no UHD broadcasts.
Obituaries
George Heilmeier, whose LCDs ushered in flat screens, dies at 77
Stephen Miller George Heilmeier, who as a young scientist led the team that created liquid crystal displays, paving the way for flat-panel displays for computers and television sets, has died. He was 77.
HomeTech
Ten houses in 24 hours, from Chinese company's 3D printer
Caroline Zielinski While construction continues on DUS Architects' much-publicised 3D-printed canal house in Amsterdam, a Chinese firm claims to have gone ahead and printed 10 rudimentary prototype houses in 24 hours.
Tech
Seniors left without phones or internet
Craig Butt Some of Australia’s most vulnerable people have been left without phone and Internet after a telecommunications company that specialises in the over 55s went into administration.
Audio
Desk power: outboard speaker systems for computers
Rod Easdown Why do so many retailers seem to be ignoring the market for good quality outboard speaker systems for computers?
Tech
When gadgets break: repair or replace?
Rod Easdown As long as you have a never-say-die attitude and the patience of a National Geographic photographer, you can have gadgets repaired.
Three-way shootout: portable speakers for travelling
Rod Easdown Plug your smartphone or tablet into one of these portable speakers.
Audio
Small-speaker solution
Rod Easdown My mate Don could never be called an early adopter. He asked me about new speakers to replace his 30-year-old B&W; floor-standing models that were too big for his new house.
