Search

This article provides guidance on selecting the right laptop, particularly during sale events like the end of the financial year. It suggests considering factors such as bundles, older models, and different types of laptops. The article also highlights important features to look for in a laptop, including the CPU, RAM, screen quality, storage space, power supply and battery life, Wi-Fi connectivity, and USB-C connectivity. It concludes with a rating of different laptop brands based on their ethical practices. Additionally, there is a table in the text that compares various electronic devices, including laptops and tablets, based on their features and performance. [Extracted from the article]

What a VPN won't do With all this talk about how a VPN will secure your identity and protect you while online, it's worth noting what a VPN won't do. • Deep packet inspection protection, preventing the identification of VPN data in transit by third parties (e.g. government, hackers, ISPs) using deep packet inspection methods. The VPN backlash The rise in popularity of VPNs prompted a backlash of sorts, with some websites blocking them so that you can't access the site if you're using a VPN. TESTS One of the best ways to protect your online privacy is to use a VPN (virtual private network). [Extracted from the article]

Choice Computer magazine is coming to an end, a casualty of the rise of online content. While websites, apps, and social media provide easy access to news and reviews, there is still something special about holding a printed magazine. Choice Computer has been providing carefully curated content for 28 years, with a focus on making technology accessible to non-technical people. Although the magazine will no longer be published, all major articles will be available online, ensuring that readers can still access the best technology content. [Extracted from the article]

Even the so-called "Godfather of AI" Dr Geoffrey Hinton has reportedly been critical of the rush to monetise the fledgling technology too quickly and has warned of the risks. The new ChatGPT generative AI chatbots and apps look ready to make our current digital factfinders and personal assistants Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa obsolete. [Extracted from the article]

I stopped collecting DVDs quite some time ago, around the time that Blu-Ray came in. I rented most DVDs I wanted and occasionally bought a box set for a series I really liked. Content creation competition is hot and lots of new content is being made for streaming, but a lot of it is rubbish, and even really good shows get canned after the first series or two (Netflix is becoming infamous for this). [Extracted from the article]

You would usually select "While using the App" for the app in question. An iPhone will list apps that can track you (Settings > Privacy > Location Services) and give options you can control, such as "Always", "While Using the App", "Ask Next Time" and "Never". I have an iPhone.* A CHOICE tech expert Steve Duncombe: Sometimes useful apps can step over the privacy line. [Extracted from the article]

Aussies cited financial information (60%), medical information (40%), personal texts and emails (40%), dating and sex life details (35%), social media accounts (25%), job/work information (21%), career record (18%) and criminal record (17%). Unfortunately, only 15.5% of respondents from Australia felt confident they could delete their personal information from the internet. Do you ever wish you could just delete your personal information from the internet?. [Extracted from the article]

Apple, Google and Microsoft have thrown their considerable weight behind a common passwordless signin standard called passkeys, which has been created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. We promote password managers to help ease the pain, and most people should use one, but there is another solution on the horizon - password less sign-ins. Apple is rolling out passkeys in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura and others will follow. [Extracted from the article]

This is the first MacBook to include Apple's homegrown M1 Pro chip (the follow-up to the highly successful M1 processor). Our base MacBook Pro 14-inch has 16GB (gigabytes) of RAM (memory) and 512GB storage for $2999, as a starting point. The MacBook Pro 14-inch lifts the bar for compact notebooks in several areas, starting with performance. [Extracted from the article]

The article evaluates several colour multifunction printers (MFP), including the HP Photosmart 7510 e-AIO, Lexmark Genesis S815 and Brother MFC-J825DW.

But is super-fast wireless broadband really better than the NBN? IMHO* *In My Humble Opinion A personal take on tech The fast-growing spread of 5G networks is set to increasingly challenge the NBN for the hearts, minds, and wallets of Aussies. Our 5G vs NBN report starting on page 24 takes an in-depth look at this hot topic. [Extracted from the article]

Apple's latest "standard" 10.2-inch iPad tablet is faster and has a higher capacity than previous versions, but without the price hike. This makes Apple's cheapest and bestselling iPad far better for video chats. [Extracted from the article]

MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) only supports 64-bit programs, not 32-bit programs (which includes many older printer and scanner drivers). Printer makers have updated to 64-bit drivers for some (generally newer) models and you can find them in the support section (driver downloads) of the manufacturer's website. However, even without the driver from the manufacturer, many printers support driverless technology, which lets you print without installing extra software such as the manufacturer's printer driver package. [Extracted from the article]

There's cloud backup (which we covered last issue) and there's local backup (which we've covered this issue, see page 12). But as we point out in all our tests and guides, cloud storage shouldn't be seen as a substitute for a proper cloud backup and certainly not for a proper local backup. But there's also a kind of pseudo-backup in the form of cloud storage - services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and the like. [Extracted from the article]

The article evaluates a selection or virtual private network (VPN) including HideMyAss, PurePVN, and VyrVPN.

When the chips are down (price-wise)… buy them. Computer costs are set to increase and all kinds of devices become scarce as the world chip shortage becomes a stranglehold. World class chip consumers such as Apple and Huawei saw the writing on the wall and started socking (or is it socketing?) chips away to avoid future shortages for their own devices. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents questions and answers related to consumer issues including giving the Card Verification Value (CVV) number when making a transaction, whether 5G phone towers can interfere with hearing aids, and options for pursuing a replacement or warranty from the seller of a phone battery.

The tip of the iceberg is faster connectivity (Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 and 5G for mobile), AR (augmented reality), AI (artificial intelligence), folding screens, 8K TVs, quantum computers, over-the-air wireless charging, and wearable health devices that do everything from checking your blood pressure and oxygen levels to warning you of an imminent heart attack. Even if you have a 10-15 year old computer (and many do), one day you'll likely have to face its sad demise, followed by the realisation that the replacement product is so advanced it's almost unrecognisable and comes with a steep learning curve to match the price tag. IMHO* Almost every day we're told new technology has arrived or is coming real soon to revolutionise our lives. [Extracted from the article]

My camera-connected doorbell even lets me have a chat via smartphone app with whoever is at the door, no matter where I am. IMHO* *In My Humble Opinion A personal take on tech A security camera (or several) can help you stop worrying about such things as "did I close the garage door properly?" This actually was a real problem a few years back for a neighbour whose garage remote control unit would unexpectedly open her door again just as she drove off each morning. [Extracted from the article]

The article evaluates several computer printers, including Dell V75w from Dell, HP Officejet Pro 8500 from Hewlett-Packard and Canon MP990 from Canon.

IMHO* *In My Humble Opinion A personal take on tech In these days of social separation (even with gradual reintegration happening) it's easier than ever to keep in touch - face-to-face, though not necessarily in person. Group video chat is available on every computer and mobile device, and accessible to all ages. Prior to the great lockdown, I've enjoyed occasional one-to-one video chat with interstate relatives. [Extracted from the article]

But we sometimes get asked, what about running a VPN service (not server) on the router to protect every device on your home network at once? Firstly, you need a router that lets you install a third-party VPN on it, and a compatible VPN service. But there are pitfalls, such as diminished speed (due to VPN encryption overheads); the inconvenience of having to log into the router interface to turn it on or off (some internet services may not work with it); and changing router settings frequently (such as location settings for evading geo-blocking). [Extracted from the article]

The article presents questions and answers related to consumer protection in Australia including getting charged for an online hotel room booking before checking in, the health aspects of having an internet router inside a bedroom, and car rental firms' practice of increasing rates during holidays.

Web browsers will offer to save passwords for you, but apart from trust issues, what about passwords for programs and other private info that you want secured? The best answer is a password manager which runs on desktop and mobile and uses strong encryption, the convenience of auto filling when you need it, plus a digital vault for all your other private information. Then you just need one really good master password. the program generates and remembers all the others for you. to create a good master password, check out this XkcD method (xkcd.com/936). and to find out how long it would take to crack it, see howsecureis mypassword.net. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses how various search engines handle people's data including Google whose trackers have been found on 75 per cent of the web's top million sites and search engines like DuckDuckGo who lets people carry out anonymous searches.

The article focuses on the renaming program for Wi-Fi to make technology standards simpler for users and consumers.

The article offers information on the MacBook Air computer from Apple.

The article focuses on the redevelopments of hardware, mobile apps and operating systems with the stylus in mind including Microsoft Surface Pen, the Apple Pencil and the updated Microsoft Office 365.

The article focuses on buying a copycat iPhone X, which used an Android operating system made to look like iOS.

The article presents questions and answers including the installation of a solar system, the life cycles of laptops and the price errors in online selling.