Daily Tech News and Updates

Thursday, 31 May 2018

Aussie shoppers to be blocked from Amazon US thanks to new GST rules

Last year, it was announced that Aussies would have to pay GST on all overseas purchases from July 1, 2018, leaving the country's online shopping future uncertain in the process.

Just how the world's overseas online retail giants would react to Australia's new (and controversial) GST rules had since been confined to the realm of speculation... until now. US giant Amazon, which operates the world's largest online retail site, says it will no longer ship to Australian addresses starting from the aforementioned July 1, 2018 cut-off date.

After that date, Aussie customers who attempt to visit the US version of Amazon or any of Amazon's overseas sites will find themselves redirected to Amazon's Australian site, which offers a much smaller selection of items. Whether that decision to redirect users will also be applied to other Amazon-owned stores, such as Book Depository, is currently unknown.

According to the The Sydney Morning Herald, Amazon's US site provides access to roughly 500 million items, as opposed to the Aussie version, which features around 60 million products.

"While we regret any inconvenience this may cause customers, we have had to assess the workability of the legislation as a global business with multiple international sites," said an Amazon spokesperson.

What this means for you

Unfortunately, consumers who've spent the last couple of decades relying on the US version of Amazon to purchase products not readily-available in Australia may now have to start shopping elsewhere, likely at additional expense.

Thankfully, international third-party sellers' storefronts will still be accessible from the Australian Amazon site, although shipping costs on those items will be at the discretion of individual sellers, rather than Amazon itself.

Amazon has also announced a new 'global store' section of its site, which is said to give Australian customers access to 4 million additional products that were previously only available in the US.

"We have taken this step to provide our customers with continued access to international selection and allow us to remain compliant with the law which requires us to collect and remit GST on products sold on Amazon sites that are shipped from overseas," said Amazon.

eBay made a similar threat last April, stating that it may block Australians from international purchases in response to the GST changes. At present, the online marketplace has yet to comment on Amazon's decision, though you can read its current tax and import charges policy here.

We'll have more on this story as it unfolds.

The best Amazon deals and sales in Australia

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Optus is offering exclusive phone plans to keep Virgins from fleeing

With Optus having officially sacrificed Virgin Mobile, many former Virgin customers are likely now looking to take up new phone plans that offer similar value to what they had before.

Optus, which already hosts the Virgin network, has decided to throw those displaced Virgins a bone, announcing a number of plans and phone bundles that it hopes will make the transition over to the official Optus dominion a tad smoother.

On average, the new plans and bundles (which include 24-month contracts with a phone included, alongside 12-month SIM-only plans) are around $10-$15 cheaper than their standard Optus equivalents.

For example, Optus' usual SIM-only plan with 5GB of data (on a 12-month contract) is priced at $45 per month, while the version of that plan offered to former Virgin Mobile customers is available for only $30 per month.

If you're a Virgin Mobile customer looking to take advantage of the exclusive plans and bundles on offer, simply head over to the offer's landing page and enter your Virgin Mobile phone number.

Want to see what else is on offer outside of Optus? There are the best SIM-only plans in Australia

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The best SIM-only plans in Australia (Updated June 2018)

A SIM-only plan is a mobile phone contract that offers calls, texts and data in return for a monthly fee, but doesn't come bundled with a phone. Leaving the phone out of the equation means SIM-only plans can be much cheaper than general mobile phone plans which makes them ideal if you already have a handset or are eyeing up a SIM-free phone.

To make things easy for you, we've gone through and combed through all of Australia’s available SIM-only plans to picks the ones we think offer the most bang for your buck. Our choices start from $16 per month for a basic plan, but we've also looked at more expensive plans at $40 and $60, and there are some great options for power users who need loads of data.

Discover our picks for the best outright mobile phones on the planet

Below, you'll find the very best SIM-only plans in Australia as of June 2018. Whether you’re after the cheapest plan possible, want to dig out the best-value big data SIM plan or just want an all-round great deal but don’t know how much to spend, you should find a recommendation here that suits your needs.

Best SIM-only plans for under $25 a month

Hate contracts but love data? Belong's Regular 5GB Plan might be for you. You get unlimited talk and text within Australia, as well as 5GB of monthly data — all on Telstra's 4G and 3G network. Plus, any data you don't use during the month will rollover to the next month.

View this plan

With its new SIM-only, pay-as-you-go plans, Amaysim is offering terrific value when it comes to data, talk and text. $20 will get you 2.5GB of data, unlimited national talk and text, all on the Optus 4G Network.

View this plan

A plan that offers terrific value, Vaya's Unlimited 3GB plan offers unlimited national calls and texts with 3GB of data for just $24 per month. Best of all, there are no contracts involved, so your minimum cost is the initial monthly payment.

View this plan

Best SIM-only plans for under $40 a month

A fantastic package on a pay-as-you-go plans, Amaysim is offering 15GB data, plus unlimited national talk and text. You'll also get unlimited international calls to 10 specific countries, and 300 minutes to a further 22 countries. Amazing value for only $40 per 28 days.

View this plan

If you're willing to go on a 12-month contract, Think Mobile's Ultimate $30 Plan is exceptional value. Those who choose the 12-month option will get 20GB of monthly data, unlimited national calls, unlimited national and international texts — all for only $30 per month. Minimum cost $360 over 12 months.

View this plan

While this plan does require you to sign up to a 12-month contract, there's plenty of value included here for just $40 per month. You get 15GB of total monthly data (10GB + 5GB bonus when you sign up or recontract), as well as data-free streaming through selected apps, with an Optus Sports subscription also included. Minimum cost $480 over 12 months.

View this plan

Best SIM-only plans for under $60 a month

Another terrific pay-as-you-go plans from Amaysim gives you 250GB data, plus unlimited national talk and text. You'll also get unlimited international calls to 10 specific countries, and 300 minutes to a further 22 countries. Unbeatable value at $50 per 28 days.

View this plan

Offering a huge amount of data at an appealing price, Optus $50 SIM only plan on a 12-month contact is great value for power users. You get a whopping 30GB of monthly data, unlimited talk and text, data-free streaming of certain apps and an Optus Sports subscription (if that kind of thing excites you),

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A whopping good deal from Optus that's heavy on the data, you get 50GB of data per month, as well as unlimited talk and text, data-free streaming from certain apps and an Optus Sports subscription – all for just a tenner more than the previous deal. You'll need to go on a 12-month contract, though, which carries a minimum cost of $720 over the year.

View this plan

Should I go SIM-only?

If you a) want to save some money; b) don't want to be tied into a lengthy contract; or c) both of the above, then going SIM-only is well worth considering. In fact, you're probably in one of two situations if your thoughts are turning to a SIM-only mobile plan:

You're coming to the end of your contract and your network is calling you a million times a day to get you to upgrade. Well if your phone is dying a death or you just fancy a change, head to our best mobile phones deal page to see what bargains are lurking, but otherwise going SIM only on your current phone is a no-brainer. You'll wind up paying much less than you are under contract, and you can stick to a rolling 30 day contract so that if your circumstances change, you can get out of the arrangement tout suite.
It's time for a shiny new smartphone and you want to get the best value humanly possible. You'll have to find a few hundred bucks up front for the handset (be sure to check our SIM free comparison chart) but box clever and you'll end up paying less over the next 24 months (see below). Plus, if you're a commitment-phobe, most SIM-only plans don't require you to sign up for two years like you would with a normal contract.

What SIM card size do I need?

There are three sizes of SIM card that you can get for your phone, and the one you need will depend on your handset. It's been a while since the traditional, so-called standard SIM (15 x 25mm) has genuinely been the staple in new phones. Instead, any phone you've bought within the last five or so years is much more likely to require a micro (12 x 15mm) or nano (8.8 x 12.3mm) SIM – the iPhone 5 was Apple's first mobile with a nano SIM, while Samsung began using the smallest size in its Galaxy S6.

Before you purchase your new SIM, double-check the manufacturer's website to see what size you require. And if you're simply not sure, most networks now simply send out a triple SIM, so you'll get one of each size.

What contract length should I get?

Unlike with a contract, there's a lot more flexibility available when it comes to how long your SIM-only plan will last. Two year commitments are virtually unheard of, with the norm being either one year or rolling one month contracts for ultimate flexibility. You can often get better prices if you tie yourself in for 12 months, especially on larger data tariffs. But sticking to one month at a time means that you can effectively hand pick a new plan to suit you every 30 days or so.

How much data do I need?

Because you can change your plan up more regularly than a normal, lengthier contract, it's less crucial to get this nailed from the start. But if you're thinking of grabbing a 12-monther or just put a personal pride on getting things right first time, then we'll help you pick out the sweet spot of data for you.

Firstly, check your phone to see how much data you've been using to date, and whether you have the tendency to use more than your current allowance every month. Then, if you're still unsure, check out our guidance:

0-1GB Tiny amounts of data on SIM only plans could be a blessing or a curse. If you're putting it in a rarely used phone that will scarcely be away from wi-fi then you're quids in. But if you end up with one because your head's turned by the incredible price, then you could end up paying more if you continually go over your allowance.
2-3GB For anybody who needs data for little more than the occasional Google Maps route planning, 2GB and 3GB plans come cheap and give you much more freedom to check the football scores and scroll Facebook away from the wi-fi without danger.
4-8GB If you can't leave the house without having a music streaming service like Spotify pouring into your ears, then it might be worth paying for some extra GBs of data.
10-16GB This is a significant amount of data and some networks offer it for a very appetising price. Whether streaming music, downloading podcasts, watching social media videos, or all three is your thing - you should be covered.
20-30GB Only smartphone junkies that need regular (and hefty) data fixes need bother with this avalanche of GBs. You'll be able to rinse Netflix, Spotify and online games without too much fear of topping out.

Do I need unlimited calls and texts?

Call it practicality, call it greediness, call it what you want - it's human nature to want 'unlimited' anything if offered. But you should think genuinely about whether you really need it in a world where the likes of WhatsApp and Skype let you call and text for free over wi-fi or 4G. If you decide that a few thousand monthly minutes and texts should do you, then you could shave off some cash from your bill.

The SIM-only plans on this page are checked regularly, so make sure you visit often if you want to get the most up-to-date information on the plans that are currently available!

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Best sat nav: the ultimate GPS units on the market right now

Searching for the best sat nav? Look no further as we've gathered up the best sat navs on the market for 2018.

Getting lost is not just a waste of time; it also means added stress, especially when you're trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Few things are more frustrating than leaving home with plenty of time to get to your destination, then becoming horribly, hopelessly lost.

Smartphones may have supplanted sat navs for many people, but phones don't have the same robust navigation capabilities as a dedicated sat nav device.

There's something especially reassuring about following directions on your sat nav versus on your phone, which can start to feel unreliable once it starts "rerouting" every few seconds. Plus, few applications drain your phone's battery life faster than navigation.

Welcome to TechRadar's guide to the best sat nav systems on the market right now, a list we've compiled to help drivers who are prone to getting off course, as well as those who want to make sure it never happens to them.

These are the sat nav devices that go beyond the GPS in your smartphone and the free maps you've picked up at random road stops over the years. Stow away those paper maps, put your phone away, buckle your seat belt, and get ready to obey the digital voice commands emanating from the sat nav on your dashboard.

The following sat navs are dedicated to giving directions, so will get you from Point A to Point B, or Point C to Point G, if you ask them really nicely.

We've done our best to highlight sat nav devices that straddle a number of price points and offer a bundle of features that will make you want to get in your car right now and just drive (with a planned route, of course).

To be honest, we'd be lost without the following best sat nav recommendations.

TomTom's Via 53 very much sits in the mid-range category of sat navs. It offers connectivity options via a Bluetooth smartphone connection.

Through this connection, you get live traffic updates, can take advantage of hands-free calls and your text messages can also be read out by the device.

When it comes to mapping, the TomTom Via 53 is very good - the 5-inch touchscreen that requires light gestures, while voice control is warrantedEverything is clear and precise.

The design is a bit too chunky, however, and the one-hour battery life is a touch disappointing. Those niggles aside and what you have is a well-specced and connected sat nav that comes at a decent price.

Read our TomTom Via 53 review

With the Garmin DriveSmart 61 has created a premium-looking sat nav that's packed with features you'll want to use. Its screen is responsive, the information it offers clear and concise.

Yes, it's expensive but it's one of the best GPS systems available to get you from A to B.

Read our Garmin DriveSmart 61 review

The Garmin Drive Assist 51 is a fine, premium alternative to getting maps on your phone. If you want a dedicated sat nav that doesn't rely on a handset then the Drive Assist 51 is an excellent choice.

It's wide feature set, ease of use and simple docking means it's a great for those less tech savvy.

The Garmin Drive Assist 51 is laser focused on the navigation experience, and it's one that excels when you're behind the wheel. It's hard to say if it's better than your smartphone, they're very close, but it's certainly no worse.

Read our Garmin Drive Assist 51 review

The TomTom Go 5200 has a 5-inch touchscreen that sits neatly within a sleek plastic chassis. It feels solid in the hand, and the magnetic connection gives a reassuring click into a robust connection with the stand.

It's a wonderful top-of-the-range sat nav that is a pleasure to use, with a bevy of additional features for the frequent driver. If you’re looking for a world-class driving aide, this is the one for you.

Read our TomTom Go 5200 review

The TomTom Go 520 is a smart well built sat nav that's simple to use. It comes with voice functionality - both integration of Siri and Google Now and its own voice system - and some of the best maps around.

It does lack connectivity while on the go which will be an issue for some. You can get around this with a simple hook-up to a smartphone, though.

Battery life is a problem. Up to an hour is quoted but we never really got past the 45-minute mark. In a real-case scenario, though, most will use the supplied charger, given that a sat nav is usually used on longer journeys.

If you are looking for the premium smarts of the TomTom Go 5200 at a smaller price, then this is for you.

Read our TomTom Go 520 review

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4K HDR World Cup matches coming to BBC iPlayer – but there's a catch

Good news! You'll be able to watch the World Cup in 4K HDR thanks to the BBC and its iPlayer platform. Bad news! It's a limited trial run, meaning that it'll be serving up the Ultra HD football streams to a select number of viewers.

All 29 of the matches the BBC is broadcasting will be available in 4K, with the broadcaster hoping to deliver “tens of thousands” of high-resolution streams. Though 4K screens in homes aren’t quite as common as HD ones, there may still be some viewers left without access to the UHD content.

“The BBC has brought major live broadcasting breakthroughs to UK audiences throughout the history of the World Cup,” said Matthew Postgate, BBC Chief Technology & Product Officer.

“From the very first tournament on TV in 1954 and England’s finest hour in 1966, to the first colour World Cup in 1970 and full HD in 2006. Now, with these trials we’re giving audiences yet another taste of the future.”

The trial will be used to fine tune the delivery of large-scale 4K events in the future, with the Beeb making use of the Hybrid Log-Gamma version of HDR it helped to develop alongside Japanese broadcaster NHK.

You can find out if your screen is compatible with the Beeb’s 4K streaming option by clicking here.

Virtual reality action

It’s not just 4K getting some love from the BBC though – it’s also invested some money, time and development in delivering virtual reality content for the 2018 World Cup too.

The BBC Sport VR - FIFA World Cup Russia 2018’ app will be free on iOS, Android, Gear VR, Oculus Go and PlayStation VR platforms, and lets fans watch live matches from a “private box” in the Russian stadiums.

Live stats will pop out of a virtual coffee table too, while there’s also the option to watch the action from cameras placed behind each goal. In addition, when live coverage isn’t available, the app will continue to offer highlights and analysis.

All in all, despite holding its cards close to its chest in the run up to the tournament, it’s a comprehensive offering from the BBC. Just make sure to start those streams early if you want in on the 4K action.

The best 4K TVs: the best screens to watch the footy on

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Nest Hello video doorbell is finally coming to the UK

The Nest Hello video doorbell is coming to the UK, after having a North American launch at the end of 2017.

The smart video doorbell from Google-owned Nest will be available from June 13, and there are two different prices: £229 for just the doorbell, £329 for the doorbell plus professional installation.

The doorbell is what’s commonly referred to as wired-wireless, with its power coming from wires but the connection to the internet happening over Wi-Fi.

Smarter than your average doorbell

Nest’s entry isn’t exactly hitting the market hot on the heels of its biggest competitor, as (Amazon-owned) Ring is already generations into its product cycle, so it’ll be interesting to see if Nest is able to carve itself a niche in an already-establishing market.

When we were briefed about the Hello, we asked what would make a consumer choose Hello over its competition, and a Nest spokesperson said: I’m going to be blunt. We deliver a better experience. It’s a security guard that won’t sleep because we’re powered all the time. The video is [optimised] for your front door. You can have a conversation without speaking. All-in-all we’ve developed an experience that is more complete.“

What he’s referring to are the features that make Nest stand out. The aspect ratio of the image is 4x3 rather than 16x9 so you don’t have to turn your phone on its side to look at the image, plus you get a full image of the person rather than just the face. Layered on top of this wide aspect ratio is computer effects that counter the warping you get with a standard fish-eye lens.

The ‘conversation without speaking’ element is a feature that allows you to select from a set of pre-recorded soundbites (think along the lines of ‘Just leave it by the door’ for delivery people) so that if you’re in a meeting and your doorbell goes at home, you can respond to it with a tap of the app.

Currently these are fairly limited and there’s no option to record your own messages, although we get the impression this feature may come at some point.

As part of the Nest family, if you are a subscriber to the club services, the Nest Hello will be able to use the portfolio of recognised faces in your account, and will actually be able to tell you who is at the door over your Google Home speaker or the app.

They are certainly some interesting (and genuinely useful) features, and if Nest does manage to take some market space, it wouldn’t be the first time that Google had pulled off a move like this, with the Google Home smart speakers steadily gaining ground on Amazon’s Echo range.

Best smart home devices: get your pad connected

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Intel Cannon Lake release date, news, and rumors

Remember how Intel was going to release Cannon Lake in 2016? And, then when it got pushed back to 2018? Well, according to Intel’s Q1 financial results we won’t see the long-awaited follow-up to Kaby Lake until 2019 – at least in a consumer-ready state.

But, before we get into all the juicy rumors surrounding Cannon Lake, we’re going to take a step back, because Intel’s recent releases have been kind of hard to follow. So, in the past, Intel followed a predictable ‘Tick-Tock’ release schedule, where generations would switch between introducing a new die process and architecture. This is why we all expected Cannon Lake to succeed Skylake in 2016.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. Instead, Intel switched things up by pushing Cannon Lake back and released Kaby Lake instead – an ‘optimization’ in a new ‘process-architecture-optimization’ release schedule. Ok, so the 10nm Cannon Lake would follow after Kaby Lake, right? Well, that’s what we thought too. Instead Intel launched its 8th-generation Kaby Lake R and Coffee Lake processors, the fourth and fifth releases using Intel’s 14nm process.

If you find this to be confusing, trust us, you’re not alone. Now, the good news is that we’ve seen a listing for the first Cannon Lake processor. It’s just a 10nm laptop chip with no graphics, but, hey, it’s a start – Cannon Lake is actually real. Now we just have to wait until 2019. And, hey, maybe Intel will give us a hint at Computex 2018 – but we wouldn’t hold our breath.

Either way, there’s not a lot of solid information to run on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate using our CPU expertise. But, be sure to keep this article bookmarked, as we’ll update it with all the latest and greatest Cannon Lake information that comes our way.

Cut to the Chase

What is it? Intel’s next generation, 10nm CP1U lineup
When is it out? Sometime in 2019
What will it cost? TBD

Release date

We were supposed to get Cannon Lake twice already. The presumably 9th-generation Intel CPUs were initially supposed to follow Skylake in 2016, then Kaby Lake in 2018. But according to Intel’s Q1 2018 financial report, it’s “currently shipping low-volume 10nm product and now expects 10nm volume production to shift to 2019.” So, we’re not getting Cannon Lake in 2018.

But, when in 2019 will we see it? Well, we can look back at past Intel releases for some guidance here. Coffee Lake was released back in October 2017, Intel is probably not going to make consumers wait two years for new processors, so we think we’ll see Cannon Lake CPUs pop up in Q1 2019, much like their Kaby Lake counterparts.

Price

Intel probably isn’t going to rock the boat too much here. We expect prices to fall in line with the current lineup of 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors. We’ve taken the liberty of listing some of the prices here.

Intel Core i7-8700K – $350 (£290, AU$520)
Intel Core i7-8700 – $313 (£290, AU$430)
Intel Core i5-8400 – $190 (£183, AU$250)
Intel Core i5-8600K – $257 (£190, AU$325)
Intel Core i5-8600 – $213 (about £150, AU$277)
Intel Core i3-8100 – $130 (£99, AU$145)
Intel Core i3-8350K – $180 (£160, AU$240)
Intel Core i3-8300 – $138 (about £98, AU$180)

Unfortunately, we won’t know until Intel actually releases pricing information, but between generations, Intel doesn’t generally shift its pricing all that much.

Specs

This is where things are going to get interesting. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen a die process shrink at Intel, but when Broadwell succeeded Haswell (yeah, it’s been that long), we saw 30% gains in efficiency. This will mean that battery life in the best laptops will surge, and we’ll be able to overclock even harder while keeping temps manageable.

Tom’s hardware has reported that a dual-core Cannon Lake CPU was shipped last year according to a Spectre microcode guidance document, but it’s highly unlikely that consumer units will be the same. Otherwise AMD would eat them alive for that. We’ll likely see higher core counts, as Intel is going to want to go up against AMD in a major way.

This dual-core chip was likely that Intel Core i3 8121U processor that was just listed by Intel. According to the product listing the processor features two cores and fou threads delivering 2.2GHz of base performance and boost clock of 3.2GHz. It also has a TDP of just 15W and a 4MB cache.

We’ve also seen a leaked document that suggests a new X399 chipset in the works that would support existing Coffee Lake CPUs and possibly Cannon Lake processors as well, suggesting enthusiasts won’t need to upgrade their motherboard to get on the Cannon Lake train.

Ultimately, we won’t know what performance advantages Cannon Lake CPUs will offer until Intel shares some more information about it, but because it’s been pushed back until 2019. It’s likely we won’t hear anything from the tech behemoth until CES 2019. But, don’t worry if anything changes, we’ll update this page. So, keep your eyes glued to this page.

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