Flying Dutchman: The Gazelle Orange C7 is a classy hybrid.

Techknow: Electric bikes

Jayne D'Arcy   Upgrade to an electric bike to put in more miles and give you more smiles.

Film buffs grapple with the big picture

Sharper: LG's 213-centimetre 84UB980T ultra high definition TV is $12,999, but is sharper than a projector in a bright environment.

Rod Easdown   Like a big screen? TV is easier, but a projection system is like going to the movies.

Techknow: Millions of tracks at your fingertips

Rdio is likely to have most of your favourites among its 20 million tracks.

Adam Turner   Music subscription services Spotify and Rdio each offer millions of tracks for a small monthly fee, Adam Turner writes.

Techknow: dirty truth unearthed

Top of the range: Electrolux Ultraflex Animal Allergy Pro.

Jayne D'Arcy   Powerful vacuum cleaners can reveal just how much is lurking in your carpet, Jayne D'Arcy writes.

Streaming

How HBO and streaming TV could spell new hope for an Apple-made television

Will HBO turning its back on cable in the US be the catalyst for the long-awaited Apple television?

Hayley Tsukayama   With cracks showing in American TV's all-powerful cable bundle paradigm, is the time right for a television that does for TV what the iPod did for music?

Comments 7

Premium hi-fi system music to the ears

Good start: A Musical Fidelity M3si amplifier.

Rod Easdown   That old stereo set-up may sound fine, but technology has changed and today's top systems not only sound good but look good too.

Great sound in every room

Sonos offering: Along with wireless speakers in three sizes, there is a subwoofer, soundbar and wireless adaptor for hooking up your stereo system.

Adam Turner   Want to hear your music throughout the house? Here are two systems that both sound superb.

Unwired for sound

Better: Part of a Sonos Play1 whole-of-home system.

Rod Easdown   Wireless technology has made whole-of-home audio systems easy, and now there are even more options to choose from.

Slow juicer squeezes out the competition

Labour intensive: The Oscar Neo requires you to cut up the fruit and vegetables, so they will fit in the narrow chute.

Jayne D'Arcy   Compared with centrifugal juicers, cold press juicers provide a better-quality juice and a quieter juicing experience.

Shoppers show liking for wide-screen wonders

A growing obsession: Sharp's LC70LE650X should fit the bill if you're into television and movies on disc, and not internet, 3D and Skype.

Rod Easdown   There is a continuing shift towards premium televisions, and super large screens are experiencing strong sales, according to industry analysts.

Revolutionising the way we understand the weather

MetEye allows you to pinpoint within a six-square-kilometre area what the forecast is for your suburb or rural area over the next week.

Eryk Bagshaw   The Bureau of Meteorology's interactive service, MetEye, allows you to pinpoint within a six-square-kilometre area what the forecast is for your suburb or rural area for the next week.

Music: Unlock your library

No longer missing: The D-Link

Adam Turner   Streaming music adaptors make it easy to send your favourite tunes from any devices to practically any speaker in your home, writes Adam Turner

In tune with retro radios

Sounds supreme: A Bush Heritage radio has all the features a music lover could hope for.

Rod Easdown   A big radio can deliver better sound because it's got room for a big speaker, and having AM along with FM and DAB is also a plus.

m04-techknow Kettles

The Breville Tea Maker.

Jayne D'Arcy   I recently undertook a tea-making class at LockCha Teawares Museum in Hong Kong, and discovered that tea in China is a simple affair of tea, rinsing, hot water at the right temperature and minimal brewing.

Home tech

Hi-tech home gadgets need integration

Smart work: Home technology has already entered the world of sci-fi.

Jenneth Orantia   In part two of our look at what's in store for our smart homes we see that much of the technology is already here but making all the pieces pieces fit together is the real key to the puzzle.

Smart home

Smart gadgets missing links

Illustration: Jamie Brown.

Adam Turner   Our houses are rapidly filling with smart devices, but what will tie them together into a smart home?

Comments 3

Apple makes the big call

More and extra: The iPhone 6 grows on you quickly while the iPhone 6 Plus is more of an in-between device.

Adam Turner   For the first time iPhone shoppers are faced with a choice: go large with the iPhone 6 or extra large with the iPhone 6 Plus?

Basic systems for good sound

Focal Chorus speakers

Rod Easdown   The music delivery medium may have changed but a good basic hi-fi set-up still revolves around a good amp and speakers.

Release the squeeze

If you want higher quality or more flexibility, take a look at Denon's DA300USB.

Rod Easdown   People have been storing music on iPods, computers and phones for years but it’s only in recent times that DACs have taken off as we go looking for better sound.

Pop 'til you drop

Sleek: The Sunbeam CP4500A Snack Heroes popcorn maker.

Jayne D'Arcy     Popcorn makers aren't vital gadgets but they are certainly fun ones.