That’s how I first found out about Brick. 

Brick is a physical device designed to limit screen time for those who spend way too much time doom scrolling on their mobile devices – i.e. me. It looks like… a brick. A small, cube-shaped lump of plastic that can fit in the palm of your hand. Using the accompanying Brick app, you can select a number of mobile apps you want to stop using for a specific period of time. Then you simply scan your phone on the device like you’re paying for a coffee and blam: you’re bricked.��

The Brick was all over my Instagram feed for months, but I never seriously considered getting “bricked” until one argument with my wife. As we were politely exploring one another’s extensive, deep-seated character flaws, my beautiful one-and-only said something along the lines of “… and ANOTHER thing, you spend way too much time on your phone after work!”

The rest of the argument is a blur to me because, as soon as she said those words I started considering, “maybe I should buy that expensive lump of plastic that’s poisoning my social media algorithms and put this problem to bed once and for all”.

So it was decided, when the dust settled on our argument, I quietly jumped on to my mobile phone and ordered myself a “Brick”.

First impressions

The Brick came encased in packaging that was a lot slicker than I expected, considering it was a product I bought from an Instagram ad. 

The black box is emblazoned with the message “your phone is about to become a tool again”. The whole package is polished in a way that makes me almost cynical, like maybe (almost certainly) I overpaid for a product that does what a simple app could probably do. 

But another part of me – the part that has experience in these things – says something different. It says “sometimes you have to spend money to get invested”. Maybe I need that sunk cost fallacy to actually motivate me to do something about my bad habits. Anyone who’s paid for a personal trainer or a meal plan or even therapy can probably relate. When you spend money trying to fix yourself, you become accountable to the money you spent.

So instead of chucking the Brick in a corner and getting back to doom scrolling, I install the app and start fiddling around. 

How it works

The way the Brick works is intuitive enough. It invites you to create a series of different “modes”, and to manage the level of interaction you’re allowed with your phone within each mode.

For example I created “work mode” where I allow myself to take phone calls and receive WhatsApp messages, but block social media apps like Instagram and TikTok. I created a more stringent “family mode” with even more apps blocked for Friday evenings to help me avoid checking my phone when spending time with my kids.��

Just writing that sounds pathetic – and I get it. As an adult human being I should have better control over my screen habits, but given Silicon Valley is hellbent on using every technique at its disposal to harvest our attention for monetary gain, maybe a tool like Brick isn’t such a bad way to fight back. 

But it’s a weird one. Brick has the feel of a Silicon Valley product. Using it has a “snake eating itself” vibe, but I’ve been re-framing it as fighting fire with fire. Because, despite feeling a little pathetic, the Brick is effective. Very effective. Once you’ve tapped on using the Brick, there’s no going back (well, unless you admit total defeat and tap back off).��

There’s a few ways to use Brick. If you want to be strict with yourself, you can schedule start and end times for your various modes, but you can also just physically tap on and off, like you’re using public transport. 

As someone who’s not super big on scheduling my life in advance, I enjoyed this feature the most. If it was dinner time and we were eating as a family, I could simply read the room and tap on to Brick, then tap back off after the kids went to sleep. Very convenient. 

Almost too convenient you might suggest – to the extent that it doesn’t really help reduce screentime at all? I wondered if the ease with which I could tap off the Brick might destroy its effectiveness, but that wasn’t really the case. Just the simple fact that an obstacle existed was enough to break some of the patterns of addiction my brain had established. I couldn’t just grab my phone during an ad-break or a lull in conversation, so that was enough to break the base layer of my compulsions.

The verdict

The Brick works. Sometimes it works a little too well. Just the other day I tapped on to the Brick to rattle through some deep work before heading to a doctor’s appointment I had scheduled later in the day. When I rushed out, late for my appointment, I forgot to tap off. That meant I had to sit for 90 minutes in a waiting room between tests with access to all my apps completely gone! I had to grab one of those ratty copies of Women’s Weekly just to occupy my attention. How did we live before smart phones?

Would I recommend Brick? It depends how much you need it. If you’re a person absolutely desperate to manage your screentime and feel like your impulse control is non-existent, I genuinely feel like a Brick could be useful. I found that it worked for me and I’m not alone. A couple of my terminally online friends also gave Brick a go and they found it as useful as I did. 

But if you, unlike me, find it relatively easy to log off and touch grass you can probably go without.

The post The Brick device that stopped me from doom scrolling appeared first on ����Vlog.

It’s an ever-present threat. These days you can’t go near a laptop, phone or browser tab without encountering “AI”. Even cars track where we go, the energy we consume and how quickly we brake.��

It’s a Brave New World. In 2021, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I was given a demo of a “wellness toilet”, which scanned your “body and key inputs” and provided “wellness recommendations” by analysing poop.��

Fantastic.

Into this strange universe comes the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. Described as “next-generation AI glasses”, they feel like a cutting-edge expression of raw technological dread. They use generative AI, they access your data and make phone calls. Perhaps most importantly, they record and take video – creating facial recognition and privacy issues that (in the wrong hands) could be potentially catastrophic.

But worst of all, they’ve transformed me into a complete hypocrite. Because despite representing everything I hate about modern life and our Silicon Valley masters, I sort of love these stupid, sexy Ray-Bans.

A neat trick

As you might expect, you can’t connect to Ray-Ban Meta Glasses without linking them to a Meta account. For most of us that means signing into Facebook or Instagram.��

You do this during a slick, streamlined set-up process which invites you to override privacy settings while teaching you how to get the most out of these high-tech glasses. It’s a neat trick. I found myself throwing caution to the wind as I signed into Facebook, allowing location tracking, access to my contacts and camera roll. Take it all Meta!

And I did all these things because, unfortunately, these glasses are pretty cool.

Using the camera is easy. A conveniently placed button on the frame allows you to take photos, record video and even livestream. Security and privacy concerns aside, it’s elegant, effective and surprisingly high quality.

The unique angle from which the photos are shot takes a while to adjust to, but I found myself particularly impressed by the footage, which is stabilised to just the right degree. Watching back, it felt almost video game-esque; like I was running through an extremely boring – and gun-free – first-person shooter.

Thankfully, you can’t accidentally leave the camera running – it automatically stops after three minutes, but you can livestream for up to 30 minutes.

But the in-built camera is just the beginning. I connected the glasses to my Spotify account, which allowed me to seamlessly listen to music by tapping the right side of the frames. I could adjust the volume by sliding up and down the temples/arms of the glasses and, while the audio doesn’t match the quality of over-ear headphones, they worked very effectively.

While I’d be nervous about cranking music at full volume in a public setting (others could potentially hear and be annoyed by it), I found it perfect for listening to podcasts at home or even on a brisk outdoor walk. Just be aware, much like using a pair of bluetooth headphones, you’ll need to carry your phone with you to listen.

Game changing AI?

Unfortunately, it’s Ray-Ban Meta’s AI functionality that truly brings the hypocrite out in me. I’ve come to loathe AI and its forced insertion into every device I own, but AI brings these glasses to life in ways I’ve yet to fully understand or explore.

During set-up, you’re invited to say “Hey Meta” and ask “what am I looking at”. It’s a neat trick – it’s always cool to hear the AI voice tell you, very robotically and precisely, what you’re seeing in front of you – but it’s just the beginning.

The more I thought about this functionality, the more interesting things got. I picked up items from my cupboard and asked Meta for the ingredients (it answered correctly). I showed it the can of Coke Zero I was drinking and asked it for a healthy alternative (it suggested water and herbal teas). Cheers.

But one moment blew my mind: I picked up a word-dense worksheet I’d been given during a training session, looked directly at it, and said, “can you summarise this?” It did a fantastic job. Then I asked it to read it back in Spanish, and it did so very effectively. (I think. Look, my Spanish is a little rusty.)

It got me thinking about the broader possibilities. These Ray-Ban Meta glasses would be incredibly handy whilst travelling overseas. I could absolutely imagine myself using them to translate a menu in Japan. Could you create an on-the-fly audio tour for yourself while visiting historical sites? And what if you were vision impaired? Could a pair of glasses like this help you navigate your world?

These are all big, important questions, but equally as important are the privacy concerns. During set-up, the Meta View app warns users to ask for permission before filming but, realistically, there’s nothing to stop you from ignoring that warning. A light in the top right of the front frame is designed to alert folks to the fact you’re recording, but our testers were able to record a few videos with that light obscured.��

It’s not hard to imagine the worst. Just a few months ago, ����Vlog awarded Meta a Shonky for its sub-optimal handling of scams on its platforms. Going back decades now, Meta has a long and checkered history when it comes to… almost everything, from hidden user controls to US election interference. Let’s just say the “privacy concerns with Facebook” Wikipedia page is extensive and detailed.��

Anecdotally, I took photos of my children which were automatically uploaded to Google Photos, where a facial recognition algorithm immediately categorised them as photos of my children. At one point, I just sat back and thought, “where is all this heading, ultimately? What are we doing here?” Then I felt a little bit sad.

But then I swallowed it down and started messing around with the glasses again. Because I’m a gigantic idiot who loves shiny toys.

The ‘glasshole’ problem

The other issue is what many have termed the “glasshole” problem. One of the main reasons previous versions of this tech – like Google Glass for example – failed to find an audience is because… walking around wearing a secret recording device doesn’t exactly ingratiate you to strangers.��

One of our testers was heading to Ikea and had grand plans to use the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses to suss out furniture size. But he was ultimately too embarrassed to put the glasses on and risk being thought of as a creep, talking to himself in the bathroom section – very understandable, and a real risk. He was far more at ease wearing them in the comfort of his own home, while cleaning and tinkering in the garden. Taking glasses like these to a public setting is an entirely different, scary proposition.

But, like me, you might be a more shameless type of “glasshole” – more comfortable looking like a creepy weirdo in shopping centres. In that case, the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses might be worth the punt. These things are gimmicky and obnoxious but they’re also a lot of fun to tinker with. The cheapest model comes in at $449 and – considering how much regular glasses cost – that feels like incredible value for money.��

Just be aware: these glasses are strange. They emit an overwhelming vibe of weirdness. They make you feel like a hypocrite and, regardless of how effective the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are, we absolutely should be worried about tech giants and what they’re doing to the planet we occupy.

Also, the battery life is bad. Like, really bad. Oh, and don’t go swimming with them. They can handle being caught in the rain, but that’s about it.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

The post The Ray-Ban Meta video glasses are a beautiful exercise in hypocrisy appeared first on ����Vlog.

When Peter recently went looking to buy an Apple watch from the company’s online store, he was swayed by the offer of seven days of free AppleCare+ services. The complimentary extras included cover for accidental damage and around-the-clock priority access to Apple support technicians. He reckoned it could come in handy as he got up to speed with his new device.��

It wasn’t until after he ordered a watch that he discovered the promo had a major hitch: by the time his watch arrived, the seven days would be up and his free AppleCare+ coverage would be over.��

“The AppleCare offer is heavily promoted on the webpage and throughout the purchase process,” Peter tells ����Vlog. Among the emails he received from Apple confirming his purchase were the terms of the AppleCare+ offer and the delivery date for the watch. The AppleCare+ coverage expired a day before the watch was due to arrive.��

“When I rang Apple about this issue I was basically told after more than an hour on hold that that was the way it is. Not sure if this is misleading advertising or just plain stupidity,” Peter says.

Cover may be extended as a ‘goodwill gesture’

When we got in touch with Apple Australia, the company painted a rosier picture than what we heard from Peter.��

Apple told us the end of the AppleCare+ complimentary cover depends on where you bought the product and may be based on purchase date, shipping time or activation, as outlined in the proof of coverage notice that customers receive when they activate the free offer.��

Customers can contact Apple Support to file a claim for up to seven additional days in the event there’s a malfunction shortly after the free cover expires, which the company may – or may not– extend as a ‘goodwill gesture’, we were told.��

Yet the fine print in the terms and conditions for AppleCare+ simply states “the complimentary cover will start on the date the covered equipment was purchased and terminate at midnight on the 7th day”. It doesn’t mention anything about the end of free cover being tied to shipping time or activation or being able to get additional days.��

Apple explained that the terms and conditions operate in conjunction with the proof of coverage notice, though customer awareness of this may be low.

Failure to disclose information can be misleading

����Vlog asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) what the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) has to say about these sorts of issues.��

A spokesperson told us the ACL “provides consumers with the right to truthful and accurate representations when buying a product or service. Businesses must not mislead consumers with statements that are incorrect or likely to give them the wrong impression”.

The regulator also pointed out that failure to disclose information can be misleading.

“This is particularly the case if a business provides some information to a consumer but doesn’t mention important details the consumer should know that are relevant to their decision,” the spokesperson says.��

Apple also may not not be off the hook if it mentioned somewhere in the fine print that the free AppleCare cover starts the moment you purchase that product and may be kaput by the time it arrives, since this may contradict the overall message of the advertisement.��

For customers like Peter whose AppleCare+ expiration was based on the purchase date, it seems the promise of complimentary cover in the company’s online promo was less than reliable.��

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The sunlight glints off the hologram in your PowerBalance wristband as you pilot your energy-polariser-equipped Brock Commodore homeward.��

You’re confident that energy flows of both car and occupant are safely aligned, but you’re still troubled.��

You wonder to yourself (your family having long since refused to travel with you) how you can rid your home and/or office of the negative effects of electromagnetic radiation while at the same time freeing your wallet of that burdensome $215 for which you have no useful purpose.

Luckily, Orgone Effects Australia has the solution. Introducing: Geoclense.

What is the Geoclense Home Harmonizer?

A solid block of green* plastic resin with a plug moulded into the back, Geoclense is sold as a ‘Geopathic Stress and Electromagnetic Radiation Harmonizer’.

When plugged into a power point it claims to neutralise the effects of a startlingly long list of supposedly harmful radiation and radio and electromagnetic frequencies from sources such as Wi-Fi, mobile phone towers, death imprints and negative psychic impressions, solar flares, your home’s smart meter, your neighbour’s television, and of course 5G.

Unlike other fake energy harmonisers, which Orgone Effects Australia claim can only create imaginary energy-balancing fields of six metres or less, Geoclense is said to harmonise electromagnetic radiation fields and energy imprinting from electrical appliances, wiring and power lines up to 200 metres from your property, and earth magnetic grid lines up to 400 metres away.

Coincidentally this is how wide a berth your friends will give you once you explain the ‘benefits’ of your expensive new doorstop.

A single Geoclense Home Harmonizer is even powerful enough to harmonise inter-dimensional imprinting radiation, personal beams and a variety of other made up stuff for up to 12 acres, or for an entire 59-storey building. Still not convinced? The proof lies in impressive Kirlian biofeedback photography – a dubious technique which is claimed to capture a subject’s mood and wellbeing on film – a claim which various studies have repeatedly debunked.

Digging into the pseudoscience behind Geoclense reveals it’s based on the principles of ‘orgonomy’, which is described as the field of esoteric energy, or hypothetical universal life force. Orgonomy was pioneered by Dr Wilhelm Reich, an Austrian psychoanalyst who died in prison while serving time for offences related to selling quack medical devices.��

Orgonomic principles also inspired the aforementioned Brock Energy Polariser, a device of magnets and crystals that Australian car-racing champ Peter Brock claimed improved car performance.

* Now also available in ‘gold’ and ‘violet flame’.

How we tested it

Excited to rid the ����Vlog labs of the imprints from previous occupants’ emotional distress and illness, we put Geoclense through its paces in a laboratory setting, using sensitive instruments to test every measurable claim.

• We tested Geoclense’s impact on the earth’s magnetic field by placing it next to a sensitive magnetic compass and measuring the deviation of the compass needle. The needle was as unmoved as we have been by Geoclense’s claims.
• We measured whether Geoclense increased the number of photons in the atmosphere by suspending a light meter over it as we turned it on and off. Even in a darkened room we found the lack of any measurable change most enlightening.
• We measured its ability to increase oxygen in a room by comparing oxygen levels after using Geoclense for five minutes to a baseline. Oxygen was a constant 20.9% for both results, so this claim turned out to be full of hot air.
• We measured Geoclense’s effects on electromagnetic fields from a computer monitor and a power transformer using a multi-field EMF meter. Both electrical appliances generated strong EMF fields, but we found Geoclense’s inability to make any difference quite shocking.
• As Geoclense is said to be effective because it generates negative ions, we compared it to a known source of negative ions with an electrometer. Despite strong performance from our commercial negative ion generator, Geoclense generated no ions whatsoever, and the only thing negative was our opinion of it.
• Finally, we even conducted one of Orgone Effects Australia’s own recommended tests – placing the palm of your hand on a fridge. With Geoclense, the fridge toucher should experience a calming, energising sensation through the body. Our test subjects, despite extensive fridge touching experience, reported no effect.

However, we did substantiate one of Geoclense’s claims – that it uses absolutely no power. Hardly surprising for an inert lump of plastic, but it does beg the question as to why you need to plug it in at all. Perhaps it’s to distract you from the large sum of money you just wasted.

The post Geoclense Home Harmonizer review appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• How we choose what we test
• Translation competency
• Ease of use
• Audio quality
• How we score translation devices

The results of our in-depth testing will help you find a device that translates phrases accurately and clearly across a range of languages (without being too much of a headache to set up and use). Here’s how we do it.

How we choose what we test

We look for readily available translation devices that allow the user to translate one language to another in real time, and our priority is to test what you’ll see in shops or prominently advertised in media, on TV or online.��

We check current market figures to see what’s selling well, and we’ll also include models that you’ve requested – if a lot of members want it, we’re going to test it.

�ճ����devices in our test are for travelling purposes only. Professional, certified translators exist for important business or legal translations, and the ones we’ve looked at should not be relied upon for these situations.��

Translation competency

For our first foray into translation device testing, we focused on conversational translations for travel and used a selection of languages that are spoken and understood by the following ����Vlog staff:

• Aurelien Calixte for French recordings
• Audrey Lenain for French recordings
• Deepa Prakash for Tamil recordings
• Uta Mihm for German recordings
• Scott O’Keefe for Japanese recordings.

We assessed each device by playing recorded phrases through a speaker. The recordings were supplied by ����Vlog staff in the following test languages: French, German, Japanese, and Tamil. The recordings were of the following set phrases:

• “How much is one piece of cake?”
• “Can you tell me which bus goes to the city?”
• “We are going out for drinks. Would you like to join us?”
• “Excuse me but I seem to be lost. Can you please help me?”
• “I am looking for somewhere to eat. Is there a restaurant close by that you recommend?”

Assessing results translated to English

If the device was able to produce an understandable English result from the test phrases, then it received a score of 80 (very good). The score was reduced depending on the number of attempts required to get a result that could be understood, and a score of 45 (poor) was given if the results could not be understood.

Assessing results translated from English

The speakers of the supplied test languages provided feedback on the output from English to their language. Scores are based on their comments regarding the level of understanding, as well as any other factors such as speed and fluidity of the playback.

Ease of use

We assessed how easy each device is to use by looking at the following aspects:��

Device set-up:��includes any set-up requirements and processes for connecting to the internet. We also look at the control buttons, the overall layout and labelling.

Charging and ports:��covers how each device can be charged and the functions of any other present ports.

Language selection:��includes an assessment on how easy it is to select an origin and target language.

Translation process:��looks at the steps required to initiate a translation and then how the result is delivered.��

Offline usage:��whether the device can be used when the internet is unavailable, and if so, what you need to do to carry out translations.

���𳦳ܰ����ٲ�:��refers to any features that can lock the device and prevent its history from being viewed.

Audio quality

We judged each device for its clarity, smoothness, and accent. We used an Australian accent to judge the audio of each device when playing back English results of our test phrases. If Australian was not an option, we used a UK accent instead.

Devices that exhibited noticeable compression, distortion, sibilance, choppy or speedy playback or robotic-like output all scored lower than those that were clearer and smoother in their playback.

How we score translation devices

The ����Vlog Expert Rating, our overall score that determines which products we recommend, is made up of how well each translation device scores for:

• translation competency (50%)
• ease of use (30%)
• audio quality (20%).

Weightings are listed in brackets. We recommend translation devices with a ����Vlog Expert Rating of more than 70%.

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Apple, a company that’s long sought to associate its brand with youth and creativity, now seems to have resigned itself to making devices – medical devices, some might argue – for people who are getting on in years.

If you were 21 when Apple launched the Macintosh in 1984, you’d now be nudging 60. Even if you were only 21 when the company’s spectacular renaissance began in 2001 with the launch of the iPod, you’d still be in your mid-forties by now.��

Like almost everybody else in the developed world, Apple’s customers are greying. No longer young and immortal, they need to monitor how much sleep and physical activity they’re getting and whether their vital organs are functioning as they should be. This is where the Apple Watch Series 9 comes into its own.

Related Apple reviews

• Apple iPhone 15 and 15 Pro
• Apple iPhone 14 and 14 Pro
• Apple iPad 10
• Apple iPad Pro M2 12.9-inch
• Apple iPad Air
• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch
• Apple MacBook Pro M2 14-inch
• Apple MacBook Air M2 13-inch
• Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch

Small but significant changes

The iPhone 15 got most of the publicity, but Apple also released several watches in September 2023. They were the Series 9 and its siblings: the sporty Ultra 2 (from $1399) and the more budget-friendly option, SE (from $399).

Upgrades to Apple products seem to be becoming ever more incremental, and the Series 9 isn’t much of an advance on the Series 8 (released in 2022). But if you haven’t invested in a new Apple Watch since before the pandemic, you’ll likely be pleased with how considered Apple’s timepieces have become.

Especially if you’re of a certain age.

Less a watch, more a home nurse

A while back, there was a lot of excitement about ‘wearables’. That is, technological devices attached to the human body. Around the same time, there was also a lot of interest in ‘the quantified self’ – using technology to keep track of everything from your daily steps to how many breaths you take in a day.

It’s only now that the hype has died down that user-friendly wearables that facilitate comprehensive quantification are hitting the market. Of course, previous Apple Watches also allowed users to keep track of some of their vital signs and record details of their workouts.��

But the Series 9 takes things to a whole other level. For example, it will allow you to generate data about:

• how much and what type of sleep you got last night (i.e. REM, core or deep)
• your blood oxygen level and how many breaths you’re taking every minute
• your heartbeat and level of cardio fitness
• how much sunlight you’re getting
• how your mood changes throughout the day (be warned: this means regularly responding to prompts about your emotional state, which may soon result in feelings of irritation).

As Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams recently noted, “Apple Watch is an indispensable companion that helps millions of people with their health, fitness, communications, and safety.”

The latest Apple Watch offers not just the now-standard Emergency SOS feature but also a ‘Fall Detection’ one, which suggests the company is targeting an older demographic. “Apple Watch can call emergency services if it detects a hard fall and you need help,” explains the blurb on the watch’s face.

Those who spend a lot of time outdoors or who have low vision should benefit from Apple ramping up the maximum brightness of its latest watches. The Series 9 can hit 2000 nits, and the Ultra 2 reaches a retina-scorching 3000 nits.

Take a SiP

Apple’s latest timepieces come in a variety of sizes – 41mm or 45mm for the Series 9; 40mm or 44mm for the SE; and 49mm for the Ultra 2. Nonetheless, you may struggle to differentiate the Series 9 family from its predecessors at first glance.

Apple’s 2023 watches run on watchOS 10 and boast the S9 SiP chip. If it’s not too ancient, you should be able to install watchOS 10 on your current Apple Watch. But you won’t be able to enjoy all of the features available to owners of the Series 9, Ultra 2 or SE.

All non-nerds need to know about the S9 SiP is that it’s powerful and efficient enough to allow for 18 hours of battery life and that it’s enabled the addition of new features, such as double tap.

Possibly due to inexperience, our attempts at double tapping were hit and miss. In theory, you’re meant to be able to do things, such as turn off an alarm or end a phone call, by tapping one of your fingers against your thumb twice. (Previously, you’d need to use your other hand to tap on the face or side of the watch.)

Being able to operate your watch one-handed can be useful, especially if you’ve got your iPhone in your other hand. But it wasn’t quite the great technological leap forward we were expecting given Apple’s marketing material.

All that being said, the new innards allow the latest Apple Watches to function more independently. Previously, a lot of the grunt work you might have perceived as being done by your smartwatch was actually done by your smartphone.��

Most people neither know nor care which device is labouring on their behalf. But having smartwatches, rather than smartphones, do things such as handle enquiries to Siri speeds things up.

The new chip and operating system also allow users to go full Dick Tracy and conduct phone calls on their watch without having their phone nearby. Of course, adults will usually have their mobile within reaching distance, but parents who don’t want to give their children a phone but still want to be able to contact them quickly can strap a Series 9, Ultra 2 or SE on their wrist.����

A carbon-free chronograph

If you’re environmentally conscious, you may be pleased to learn that “any aluminium Apple Watch Series 9 paired with any new Sports Loop [watchband] is carbon neutral”. Apple claims to have both made its manufacturing process more environmentally friendly and offset the “total product emissions” of that process by buying carbon credits.����

Incremental change ain’t nothing

It’s difficult to get excited about the watches Apple released in September 2023 given how similar they are to the watches released in September 2022 (the Series 8, along with a cheaper SE version).

But if you believe it’s time for an upgrade or are interested in collecting more data and generating insights about your physical and mental health, you’ll likely find the Series 9 and its offshoots perfectly satisfactory.�� ��

The post First look: Apple Watch Series 9 review appeared first on ����Vlog.

Once attached to your frequently-misplaced items, these handy little devices connect to a smartphone app to help you locate them.��

But while they can make life easier, they can also pose some safety issues, especially in regards to their button batteries and how manufacturers treat your data.��

If you’ve decided to buy a Bluetooth tracker, either for yourself or perhaps as a Christmas gift, our experts have a few points on safety you should keep in mind.��

Be careful of trackers with button batteries

Most Bluetooth trackers are operated by a single button or coin battery, which can become a safety hazard if the battery compartment is not secure and the battery becomes loose and is swallowed by a child.��

The nature of the product means that Bluetooth trackers are likely to be attached to keys or are easily accessible in people’s bags or wallets, in places where they’re enticing or available to babies and toddlers. Some trackers may also be small enough for the entire item to be swallowed.

Far too many children have died or been horrifically injured by swallowing button batteries, and ����Vlog has long campaigned for mandatory safety standards for button and coin batteries.��

Fortunately the mandatory standard came into effect in Australia in June 2022, so now when you buy a product containing a button battery, it has to meet the standard so it’s safer to use around children.��

While having the standards in place is very important, it doesn’t mean that you can be complacent about using products that contain button batteries. Accidents can happen that might release a button battery from the device, and even storing button batteries in your home can pose a risk if a child can access them.��

The products that failed our safety tests

When we test Bluetooth trackers, we also assess their safety, using the mandatory standards (regulations) for button and coin batteries that came into effect in 2022.��

Our experts found serious safety failures with these two trackers:

• Orbit Keys: no warning labels for the spare button battery, which is supplied loose in the package.
• Orbit Stick-on: the spare battery is packaged, but lacks the required warning labels.

Several other models had minor safety failures, mainly around missing some of the required warnings, or having warning labels that we consider too small.

And even though they meet the safety standard, some Bluetooth trackers are so small that they could pose a choking hazard if a child were to put one in their mouth. The Orbit Stick-on, Apple AirTag, MyTag Classic and Tile Sticker are all small enough for a child to choke on or swallow.��

Data encryption and privacy

Bluetooth trackers can also pose risks to your online safety.

The key issue is what the manufacturers do with your data. Bluetooth trackers literally keep tabs on your location (or rather the location of your tracker), so they hold the key to a lot of information about your day-to-day life.��

If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used for nefarious purposes such as identity theft.��

So how can you tell what happens with your data? It can be hard to find out.��

Ideally, manufacturers would be transparent about location data encryption and anonymity, so consumers can make informed decisions. Unfortunately, the reality is less clear.��

Data encryption

The term ‘data encryption’ means that the information that a device gathers (the data) is converted into a code in such a way that it is effectively ‘locked’ – third parties can’t read the data, even if they do manage to access it.��

If the manufacturer encrypts your tracker’s location data, that can protect you if the company is hacked. If the data is unencrypted, a hacker could identify you and your address through this data.

Of all the products we reviewed, only Apple and Nuttag clearly state that they encrypt the tracker’s location data.��

Data privacy

Sometimes data can be shared with third parties (such as other websites and services) to improve location tracking. For instance, the app on your smartphone could help to locate other people’s trackers, and vice versa.��

If the data is not anonymised and kept secure by the manufacturer, that can open you up to data privacy risks.��

Again, in an ideal world, manufacturers would clearly state that they do this, and seek your consent.��

Most of the products we reviewed stated that they either don’t share your data, or ask for your active consent to share your data. But MyTag and Samsung didn’t state whether they share this data, and along with Nuttag didn’t specify whether they can track your phone’s location.��

����Vlog backs data privacy regulation

“Bluetooth trackers are another example of the myriad ways that data is being collected about us as we go about our everyday lives,” says ����Vlog consumer data advocate Kate Bower.��

“Unfortunately regulation hasn’t been keeping pace with the rampant data collection of digital and internet-connected devices,” she says.��

But that is changing, with recently introduced laws to increase penalties for serious breaches of the Privacy Act, and a broadscale review of the Act set to deliver a final report by the end of the year.��

“����Vlog is pushing for stronger consumer and privacy protections that would protect Australians from data misuse and cybercrime,” Bower adds.��

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Stalking and grooming

Since Bluetooth trackers are very small, they can easily be attached to someone’s car, toy, backpack or similar without the person noticing, enabling predators, stalkers or abusers to track their movements.��

Similarly, a ‘sharing’ or multiple-user feature that enables multiple users to track the same device (for instance, to track the same set of car keys) can allow unwanted tracking and stalking.��

Apple’s AirTag has features to guard against unwanted traffic, and your iPhone will be notified if an unpaired AirTag is following you, but many trackers can remain undetected.

If you’re concerned about your safety or that of your child, you could try an app like Tracker Detect that scans for Bluetooth trackers in the area. For Android users, Apple has released the Tracker Detect app on Google Play Store to scan for nearby AirTags and other devices that work with Apple’s “Find My” network.

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On this page:

• How we choose what we test
• How we test Bluetooth trackers for safety
• The importance of button and coin battery safety
• How we test range, ease of use and more
• Scoring

We explain how our experts test Bluetooth trackers to find the best models on the market.

How we choose what we test

Our priority is to test what you’ll see in shops or prominently advertised in media, on TV or online. We also test new products released by big-name brands. That means that sometimes we might not cover a product that has only sold a few units in Australia or needs to be imported. However, we may also include a parallel import product if it’s readily available online because this is the sort of product you can easily get and may also need to know about.

We check current market figures to see what’s selling well and we’ll also include models that you’ve requested – if a lot of members want it, we’re going to test it.

How we test Bluetooth trackers for safety

We assess the trackers for safety as per the that came into effect in 2022. All the products contain a button or coin battery, and were bought after these regulations took effect, so they have to comply with them.

The mandatory standards apply to products that contain a button or coin battery, and to button and coin batteries supplied as spares. They specify a range of physical tests to check whether the battery is too easy to access (for a child, for example) and whether the battery becomes accessible after foreseeable use and misuse (simulated rough handling and wear and tear). They also specify warning labels and other information to alert users to the potential safety hazards of these batteries.

The mandatory standards nominate several different product-specific standards that can be used to assess the physical safety of a product. These include toy standards (which we used in our test, as our lab has accreditation in this area), audio/video equipment standards and more.��

Because each of these product-specific standards��has different tests and requirements, it’s possible for a product to pass one of the nominated standards, but fail another. The product only has to pass one of the nominated standards in order to satisfy the regulations.

For that reason, even if a Bluetooth tracker failed our testing (based on the toy standards), we’ve accepted legitimate test reports supplied by the manufacturers that demonstrate a pass to one of the other nominated standards, and scored the tracker accordingly.

We regard failing a physical safety test as a serious failure, and that product will get a poor safety score accordingly. Likewise for any product that lacks all the required warning labels. Some failures are regarded as minor, such as having only some of the required warnings, and scores for those products are penalised less.

The importance of button and coin battery safety

Button and coin batteries can be dangerous to children if the case isn’t secure (or if the tracker itself is small enough to be ingested). If the battery is easy to remove, then your child can swallow it which may result in injury or death. These batteries are also easy to insert into orifices such as the nose or ear which can also lead to hospitalisation or lasting injury for your child. At least three deaths, and multiple hospitalisations each year, have occurred in Australia due to children ingesting button batteries.

Single-use models with batteries that can’t be replaced or recharged are safer as the battery can’t be removed. However, these introduce their own environmental issues.

On 22 June 2022����(and products containing them) came into effect in Australia.��

While many people would regard these trackers as not for children and therefore not a serious safety hazard, the fact is they can be used on all sorts of items that are often left in reach of young children, such as keys and wallets. The mandatory standards for button and coin batteries��were introduced for good reason, and we’ve emphasised this safety angle accordingly in our scoring.

How we test range, ease of use and more

Range��

For the indoor test, an individual tracker is placed at the front of a double brick house where our tester connects it to the app on a smartphone. Then, they slowly move away from the tracker until the signal is lost.

Next, the phone is slowly moved back towards the tracker until the connection is re-established and then the tester attempts to ring the tracker to confirm. If the tracker doesn’t ring, then the phone is moved slightly closer and another attempt is made. This is repeated until the tracker rings.

The shortest indoor range we found was about six metres, but most of the trackers managed much better, with many performing at ranges of up to 20 metres.��

The same test is also conducted on a sporting field outdoors with no obstructions. The shortest outdoor range we found was only about nine metres, but most of the trackers managed much better, with many performing at ranges of about 80 metres and a few still finding the tracker at distances well over 100 metres.

The measured range of each test is recorded and scored relative to the best performer in the test. These results are combined into a single range score.

Speaker volume

Speaker loudness is measured in decibels at a distance of one metre from the tracker, and the duration is recorded in seconds. Though tested and published in our table, these results don’t contribute to the overall score.

Ease of use

We assess the steps required to set up the tracker, install the app and then register the tracker. This includes the clarity of the instruction manual and whether the user interface is intuitive. We also test and score how easy it is to use the app when tracking an item. Tracker versatility, which refers to the various ways it can be attached to items, is assessed as well.

General data

We gather claims provided by the manufacturer such as battery life, IP rating, and tracking features in the app.

Scoring

The ����Vlog Expert Rating is made up of:

• safety score (70%)
• range score (15%)
• ease of use score (15%).

We recommend Bluetooth trackers that score 80% or more overall, and at least 80% for safety and 70% for range.

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The key to security

We tried out the latest YubiKey 5C NFC hardware security key, courtesy of Yubico, and found that it can provide the peace of mind that only comes with strong security, once you’ve got your head around the concepts and set it up with your accounts.��

The key itself is tiny but feels very solid and well made – it��should last everyday rough and tumble usage for a long time. Being so small, it’s advisable to use the provided hole to keep it on your keyring for ease of use and so you don’t misplace it.��

�ճ����idea behind 2FA��(two-factor authentication) is that it provides a second method of proof to prevent a criminal trying to access your information.��

Apart from an SMS, it’s commonly an OTP (one-time password) code generated automatically in an authenticator app such as those by Google, LastPass, Microsoft or many others, but it might also be a fingerprint or even facial recognition.

While any form of 2FA is a step in the right direction, software methods aren’t foolproof. But adding a hardware key for secondary approval closes that loophole.

And that’s where the YubiKey shines. Using a YubiKey replaces the need for SMS messages and authenticator apps, and is far more secure because the hardware key has to be connected to your computer to enable access to your protected accounts.��

Once set up, it’s easy to use. There’s no battery or network required. Just insert the key into your computer and tap it when prompted to authenticate to get access to the accounts that you’ve set up to use it.

Note, when setting up some services, you might need to set up 2FA first using SMS, but go back and deactivate this once your key is set up.��

Hardware authentication is the sort of thing that large enterprises, international companies and other security-conscious organisations commonly use to keep their user accounts safe. But a YubiKey can be used by the everyday person for better online security.��

YubiKey is designed to work with all major web browsers and platforms including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, iPadOS, Linux and Chrome OS, as well as services by Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Salesforce, and many more (though we didn’t test it with all of these).

Which key should I use?

There are several types of YubiKey, which vary with the type of ports you need to plug it into, such as USB-A, USB-C or Lightning port.��

The latest 5C NFC model has the most wideranging compatibility of the lot, because as well as connecting via the very common USB-C, it also wirelessly connects via NFC (near-field communication), which is built into many smartphones.��

Simply tap the NFC area on your smartphone to the key, which gets around needing a port on the smartphone.��The other YubiKeys are the 5 NFC, 5Ci, 5C, 5 Nano and 5C Nano. The nano versions are tiny and designed to sit unobtrusively in a computer port without sticking out like the larger models.��

The NFC versions work with NFC-enabled smartphones for quick touch-and-go access. There’s also a YubiKey Bio version on its way which uses fingerprint identification rather than just touch for extra security.

All YubiKeys support an alphabet soup of internationally recognised security standards, including FIDO2/WebAuthn, U2F, smart card, OTP, PIV and OpenPGP.

The dangers of SMS authentication

One of the greatest benefits of hardware keys is preventing the growing problem of fraud via smartphone SIM swapping (SIM porting).��

This is used by cyber criminals to steal mobile phone numbers, move them to a different SIM card, and then use the stolen number to gain access to the victim’s other personal information, including their bank and MyGov accounts.

Basically, with just your account number and date of birth (which is fairly easy to obtain), a criminal can ring your mobile carrier and pretend to be you asking to swap your number to another SIM (as you might do when buying a new phone).��

Once the SIM swap is done, they can hack your accounts as many services send an SMS for authentication. The criminal will receive the SMS as they have control of your SIM.

But fortunately, more services are allowing security authentication other than SMS, including mobile authentication apps, biometrics and hardware (physical) systems such as Security Keys.

The bottom line is that using SMS as a form of authentication should be avoided in favour of an authentication app, or even a hardware key for the most secure solution.

You may find that you actually need more than one YubiKey to cover different devices – for example, if you have devices with USB-A and USB-C but not on the same device.��

If you’re not sure which YubiKey to buy, check out . Whichever you go for, keeping a spare key (or two) is recommended in case you lose one. But even if you lose your key, it’s of no use to anyone as none of your information is stored on the key itself.��

The YubiKey 5C NFC pack comes with several coloured stickers which you can apply to your keys to better tell them apart.

Shopping links on the ����Vlog website

����Vlog is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to helping consumers. Clicking a link will take you to a retailer’s website to shop. While we make money if you buy through some retailer links, this doesn’t influence any of our rankings. 100% of the money we make goes straight back into our non profit mission. We’re currently testing this service and will consider providing more shopping links in the future. what you think.

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When you buy into a smart home environment, whether it be Amazon (Alexa), Google (Hey Google) or Apple (Siri), it’s difficult to introduce different products into the mix.��

Smart lights throughout the home, smart displays in the kitchen, security cameras outside and home entertainment products in the lounge room require a certain level of interoperability.��

Splitting your smart lights across Google and Alexa, for example, is just asking for trouble. However, the Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen seems to be an exception to the rule.

As a standalone smart device, it makes a great replacement for a traditional clock radio in the bedroom and performs all the tasks you could want during the day.��

It can play soothing music to send you off to sleep, then provide a quick weather report or read your daily schedule in the morning.��

In the kitchen it’s the perfect timer for cooking tasks and playing a podcast or your favourite radio station. It can even switch from clock mode to show you the outside temperature if you ask it.

The underlying AI doesn’t seem to be quite as accurate as Google in answering the many vague questions that you would put into a web search. For example, the response to “Alexa, how do I format a Mac drive” was a recipe for mac and cheese. Though delicious, it didn’t really help with our computer.

But it works very well for basic operations and queries such as “What’s the weather like next Tuesday?”, “How many litres are in a gallon?” or “Put Tim Tams on the shopping list.” The LED clock face display is shown very clearly on the cloth mesh surface even in the brightest daylight.

The Echo Dot’s sound quality is better than the Google Nest Mini with more punch and clarity. It shares the same ability to move music from one speaker to another or have the music played throughout the home to all available speakers, if the other units support Alexa.��

If you don’t need the visual clock feature and simply want a small smart speaker, you can get the Echo Dot for $20 less.

Looking for a smart speaker? Check out our��smart speaker buying guide��to find the best one for your needs.

Connections and controls

During testing, the Echo Dot was very accurate in recognising voice signatures when making a request and was able to quickly develop a voice profile for anyone in the family.��

For example, both John and Anne could say “Alexa, play my morning music” and it would recognise who was making the request and deliver the playlist linked to that person.

The Amazon Echo Dot isn’t just a Wi-Fi speaker – it also works with Bluetooth for a direct wireless connection with a mobile. But you can’t play music stored on your mobile directly to the speaker via Bluetooth as it only supports online streaming music.��

The 3.5mm connection would’ve been a good option to simply connect an iPod or other music player to the speaker with a cable, but unfortunately the connection is audio out only.

As with Apple and Google, Amazon can’t help but push its own music service wherever possible. Asking for the song ‘Albatross’ by Fleetwood Mac (a song on my mobile) prompted an apology from Alexa that the song was only available on the full Amazon Music subscription service.��

Alexa then went on to suggest signing up for Amazon Music for $4.99 a month by simply saying “yes”. This would have started a free trial period and an automatic debit from the Amazon account that had all our credit card details.

This seemed both very user-friendly and sinister at the same time as it was so easy to say “yes”. But after saying “no”, Alexa accepted my answer in good grace and suggested another Fleetwood Mac song that we actually liked.

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