2015 has been a bonkers year for
tech so far, and we still have at least a new iPhone announcement to go.
But with loads of new technology it can get confusing.
Whether you’re confused setting up a streaming service, don’t know
if you should upgrade to Windows 10 or aren’t sure what phone to upgrade
to, we have the answers.
Setting up a streaming service
2015 has been the year that streaming services have taken off. So what are your
options and how do you set them up?
The
first name that will come to most people’s lips is Netflix, the US
giant that launched here in March. It’s also the easiest service to
access and sign up to, with apps on every device you could possibly want
to watch a TV show or movie on, including your smart TV, video game
console, iPad and phone.
Signing up is as easy as going onto their website
and filling in the form for a free 30 day trial, after which you select
which plan you would like to continue on with. Those plans start at
$8.99, which allows you to watch Netflix on one device at a time, the
next tier is $11.99 which lets you watch in HD and on 2 devices at a
time, and the most expensive $14.99 tier lets you watch Netflix on up to
4 devices at a time and in Ultra HD.
If it’s just for yourself or you and your partner, the mid-range
$11.99 tier is all you need, unless you are one of the lucky few with
NBN, then you might think about the premium subscription that gives you
Ultra HD access.
Local offerings include Foxtel’s Presto, Stan and the struggling Quickflix. Presto and Stan
arguably have the best offering of TV shows and movies, but both have
horrible device support and their web browser interface is dreadful.
Still, if you’re after the best selection of content, they both have 30
day free trials and sign up is dead easy on their websites.
What about streaming music services?
There’s
no denying that music streaming services are the way of the future for
the industry. They provide an all you can eat buffet of just about any
song you can think of for around $10 a month. The industry leader right
now is Spotify, which offers both a paid tier for $11.99 or a free tier
with ads. Apple made a splash earlier in the year with Apple Music,
which is challenging Spotify with its
Taylor Swift filled library andDr
Dre filled radio station. The library on offer is good and so is the
interface, however loyal Spotify fans aren’t swapping over due to its
lack of great situational playlists.
What’s the best phone for me?
Of
course, it all depends what you’re looking for. Apple’s iPhones are
always a safe bet if you want a device that just does everything well,
with a great camera and a reliable operating system and ecosystem. Of
course, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is also there for you to consider, with
possible the nicest design of any phone on the market at the moment.
If
photography is your thing, you can’t look past LG’s G4, which easily
has the best mobile snapper on the market, allowing you to take near
DSLR quality photos with ease.
Keep in mind, Samsung’s just announced Galaxy Note 5 goes on sale very soon, and Apple’s announcing a new iPhone next month.
All
of those can be quite expensive though, ranging from $869 for the LG G4
all the way to a whopping $1,449 for the iPhone 6 Plus. If you’re
looking for something cheaper, but still a quality device, consider some
of the brands you’ve never heard of like Oppo and Alcatel OneTouch.
Should I upgrade to Windows 10 or even swap to a Mac?
Windows 10 is slick,
intuitive and works extremely well in both the tablet mode of the
Surface Pro 3 we tested it on or when you’re using it like a regular
laptop. The new interface works great for the modern generation of
touchscreen computers, creating icons big enough and visual enough for
use with your fingers, but not too big that using a normal mouse feels
dumb.
Microsoft’s new lot of apps in most cases are superior to
Apple’s in OS X, especially Groove Music which is considerably faster
and easier to use than iTunes is. Although that’s not hard to do.
Likewise, Microsoft’s internet Explorer replacement, Edge is faster and
easier to use than Apple’s Safari.
You can even stream your Xbox
One games to your computer, letting you keep playing when the TV is
being used. This came in handy avoiding arguments with my girlfriend
when the Bachelor came on and I wanted to keep playing. Okay, maybe the
Bachelor was a bad example. How could you not be addicted? But
regardless, try doing that on your Mac.
It’s definitely worth the upgrade.
How’s piracy going?
Piracy has been a huge topic of 2015, with new legislation and landmark legal cases.
In June, the government passed a controversial website blocking law to much criticism.
Both
the government and the opposition in the Senate supported the new law,
which would effectively introduce an “internet filter” across the
country.
The new bill allows copyright holders such as record
labels, film studios and video game publishers to apply to the Federal
Court for all Australian internet providers to block overseas websites
that facilitate piracy.
The rights holders must show proof that
the sites’ sole purpose is to host and supply copyrighted material
illegally before they are blocked. This means that sites like The Pirate
Bay and illegal sports streaming site SportStream.tv will likely be
some of the first to go. We haven’t seen any sites blocked as of yet,
but expect to see them soon.
The landmark case of Dallas Buyers
Club v iiNet has all but ended last week too, when the Federal Court
slapped a hefty $600,000 bond onto DBC if they wish to pursue
downloaders. This is looking to be a big deterrent, because of those
4000+ people
Has anything happened with the NBN?
Sadly,
not much at all. It’s still a big old bundle of disappointment, with
the government continuing to roll out its multi-technology broadband
network. The aim is still for all Aussies to have a minimum speed
connection of 25Mbps by 2020, despite the fact that the USA has deemed 25Mbps the bare minimum for an internet connection to be classified as broadband.
Good
news for regional users though, the first of the new NBN satellites
will be launching in
October, allowing for faster and cheaper broadband
for those in remote areas.
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